Reading Challenges for 2012

Before January comes to an end, I'm signing up for three reading challenges this year. Here they are:

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!

The level I'm going for: 11 - 20: A Friendly Hug

The Eclectic Reader 2012 Challenge

Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

The aim of this challenge is to push the reader a little outside their comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different genres.

Genres:
1. Literary Fiction
2. Crime/Mystery Fiction
3. Romantic Fiction
4. Historical Fiction
5. Young Adult
6. Fantasy
7. Science Fiction
8. Non Fiction
9. Horror
10. Thriller /Suspense
11. Classic
12. Your favourite genre

What's in a Name challenge

Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

Between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories:
1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: eg: Black Hills, Purgatory Ridge, Emily of Deep Valley
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: eg: Moon Called, Seeing Stars, Cloud Atlas
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title: eg: Little Bee, Spider Bones, The Witches of Worm
4. A book with a type of house in the title: eg: The Glass Castle, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Ape House
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: eg: Sarah's Key, The Scarlet Letter, Devlin Diary
6. A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: eg: Day of the Jackal, Elegy for April, Freaky Friday, Year of Magical Thinking

2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 

Jan 1, 2012 – Dec 31, 2012 

About the challenge:

The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011.

The level I'm going for: I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Charles Dickens Reading Challenge 2012

Jan 01, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

To read books by Charles Dickens throughout the year. I aim to read at least three of his books.

The Huge TBR Readathon II

Hosted by: Bookworming in the 21st Century

July 19, 2010 - July 25, 2010 (Mon to Fri)

What to do? Read, read read.

I failed at the last readathon so here I am taking another plunge at the same reading challenge! It's not really considered a challenge but it's a challenge for me to read non-stop. It's a challenge for me to finish more than one book a week.

Not sure how many books I can read but I'm choosing the ones that are easy to read page-turners! I'm going to start working in early August so this is my (probably last) chance to read all day long. :)

Now reading: Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

Everything Austen II Challenge

July 01, 2010 ---> January 01, 2011
Hosted by Stephanie's Written Word

Details: The Everything Austen Challenge will run for six months! All you need to do is pick out six Austen-themed things you want to finish to complete the challenge. You have until Thursday, July 15th 2010 to officially sign up.

The six Austen-themed things I'm going to do over the next six months:

1. Read Emma
2. Read Pride and Prejudice
3. Read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
4. Read The Jane Austen Book Club
5. Watch Emma (1996)
6. Watch Pride and Prejudice (1995 and 2005)

Below are snapshots from some movies based on Jane Austen's novels.

(left) Emma and Mr Knightley
(right) The cast of Clueless which was based on Emma



(left) Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet of 1995's Pride and Prejudice
(right) Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet of 2005's Pride and Prejudice



Oooh, I'm so excited! I'm thinking of watching three movies and reading three books either by Austen or about her or her books.

The Huge TBR Readathon

Hosted by Bookworming in the 21st Century
June 14, 2010 ---> June 20, 2010 - midnight!
What to do? Read, read read.

Okay, so I saw this readathon yesterday, which was Monday but couldn't decide whether I was up for it. And today, I thought, what the heck. Let's go for it. Not sure how many books I can read but I'm gonna try my best!

Now reading: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Challenge

April 01, 2010 ---> April 01, 2011

It's time for me to embark on my first reading challenge of the year. I know it's a little bit late but better late than never as we have always heard it being said. So lucky for me, I found this challenge which started last month, April 2010 and it'll run till April 2011. Perfect!

The Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Challenge is being hosted by Bibliobabe who is also the author of the fantastic reading journal, Read, Remember, Recommend.

The rule is to:

Read as many books from the Read, Remember, Recommend reading journal as you can in one year. Books read before April 1st, 2010 do not count. Overlaps with other challenges (including the Read, Remember, Recommend Teen Reading Challenge) are acceptable – and encouraged!


Rereading doesn’t count – have fun exploring new authors, awards and books!

There are four levels in the challenge. I will go for the Armchair Librarian level for now.

• Notable Newbie – 5 books
• Armchair Librarian – 10 books
• The Library of Congress Calls Me Daddy – 20 books
• A Book Intervention is Needed – 30 books

Oooh wait, there are prizes too! The grand prize is an e-reader of your choice, first prize is a Reading is Sexy messenger bag filled with five books from the reading journal and the second prize is a $20 gift card from the bookstore of your choice. Wow wow wow.

So........here we go!

Reading Challenges for 2009

***New Challenges Added! Updated Jan 6, 2009

It's that time of the year again where book-crazy people will sign up for next year's reading challenges. For the year 2008, I've bravely joined SEVEN challenges and I've only completed three. :( Oh well, the year still hasn't come to an end so I still have around 18 days to read as much as I can.

Anyway, for now, I've picked five 13 challenges for 2009. If I come across anymore interesting ones, I'll add them in. Here would be my 2009 reading challenges:

1. 2009 Read and Review
   
   
   
   
2. 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge
   
   
   
   
3. 20 Books in 2009
   
   
   
   
4. New Author Challenge 2009
   
   
   
   
5. Read Your Name Challenge: 2009
   
   
   
   
6. 9 Books For 2009
   
   
   
   
7. TBR (To Be Read) Challenge
   
   
   
   
8. The 2009 ARC Reading Challenge
   
   
   
   
9. Read A Book A Month Challenge
   
   
   
   
10. 2009 Ban On Spending Challenge
    
    
    
    
11. Buy One Book And Read It Challenge 2009
    
    
    
    (Can only join this after the Ban On Spending Challenge)
    
    
12. The "I Suck At Challenges" Challenge
    
    
    
    
13. Chunkster Challenge 2009
    
    
    
    

What challenges have you joined?

P.S. I'll be part of nine 17 challenges next year as four challenges from 2008 will be brought over to 2009. They are:

1. The Complete Booker - No time limit
   
   
2. YA Romance Challenge - End date: Feb 28, 2009
   
   
3. Raved-About Reads Challenge - No time limit
   
   
4. Georgette Heyer Challenge - No time limit
   

I'll be keeping track of my challenges on my Challenges page in my other blog. :)

ARC Reading Challenge Update

The list:

1. Crazy Fool Kills Five by Gwen Freeman
2. The Poem I Turn To edited by Jason Shinder (June 30, 2008)
3. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer
4. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer

Tonight, I'm going to read and listen to The Poem I Turn To. The book comes with a CD too. Isn't it great? I can read the poems and listen to celebrities read their favourite poems. Don't know what I'm talking about? Look out for my review soon! :D

Raved-About Reads Challenge

Starting June 30, 2008

This will be Challenge number 7! Whoo-hoo! Well, what's this challenge about, you ask? Go ahead to MizB's challenge blog (she's the host) and read the rules there. For this one, you read 3 books which other people have been praising, building shrines for, giving 5 out of 5 stars, etc. :)

Here is my list:

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
3. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

If I have time:
4. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (I know, I'm so late in reading them!!!)

Hmm, looks like this challenge doesn't have a deadline...meaning no time limit! Well, if I managed to read all the books in my list, I'll be adding more for sure.

The ARC Reading Challenge

Guess what? I'm going to join another challenge! Yes! This time it's the ARC Reading Challenge (ARC = Advanced Reader's Copy) hosted by Teddy Rose. It runs from:

June 21, 2008 ---> September 21, 2008

Okay, it's June 26 today...I hope I can still join in the fun!

I have more than 10 ARCs now, so I'll need to pick at least 4 books to review for this challenge. For the rules, please click on the link above.

Here's my list:

1. Crazy Fool Kills Five by Gwen Freeman
2. The Poem I Turn To edited by Jason Shinder
3. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer
4. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer

Ooh, I'm getting really excited now! I've so many challenges already! Um, okay, maybe not as many as the others but to me, it's quite a number. :) I think this is my 6th challenge? I had better write it all out or else I'll forget one of them.

I'm Joining July Book Blowout!

Interested in joining yet another challenge? Well, this July Book Blowout is pretty simple, actually. It's being hosted by Mrs. S of Blue Archipelago. The goal is to read as many books as possible from:

July 1, 2008 ---> July 31, 2008.

Before August 7, 2008, you post the list of books that you've read. :D Extremely simple, right?

I think I'll read 5 books. Next month, classes are starting and I have to return to uni, so it'll be quite a busy month for me. Nevertheless, I'll *try* to read as much as I can!

For more details, just click on the link above. Have fun reading!

YA Romance Challenge!

July 1, 2008 ---> February 28, 2009
I really like the button!

There's a new challenge in town and it's being hosted by Becky of Becky's Book Reviews! This will probably be my 4th challenge.

Here are the rules of the YA Romance Challenge:

1. Read six YA romance novels between July 1, 2008 and February 28, 2009.
2. Romance should be a strong element within the story. But it doesn't have to be the only element. Realistic fiction (contemporary). Historical. Fantasy. Science Fiction. Retold Fairy Tales. All genres are allowed.
3. They can be part of a series, or stand-alones.
4. They can be long or short.
5. Happy books are NOT a requirement
6. Audio books are allowed.
7. Up to three movies can be substituted for books. So you could watch 3 movies, read 3 books if you prefer.

If you aren't sure about which authors to read, here is a list of recommended authors taken from the YA Romance Challenge blog:

1. Ally Carter
   
2. Ann Brashares
   
3. Anna Godbersen
   
4. Cameron Dokey
   
5. Carrie Jones
   
6. Catherine Gilbert Murdock
   
7. Cecily von Ziegesar
   
8. Deb Caletti
   
9. E. Lockhart
   
10. Elizabeth Scott
    
11. Francesca Lia Block
    
12. Gail Carson Levine
    
13. Jaclyn Moriarty
    
14. Libba Bray
    
15. Louise Rennison
    
16. Meg Cabot
    
17. Megan McCafferty
    
18. Melissa Kantor
    
19. Melissa Schorr
    
20. Rachel Cohn
    
21. Robin McKinley
    
22. Sara Zarr
    
23. Sarah Dessen
    
24. Shannon Hale
    
25. Sonya Sones
    
26. Stephenie Meyer
    
27. Susane Colasanti
    
28. Tina Ferraro
    
29. Zoey Dean
    

I'll do some research first on what books I shall read for the challenge. Anyway, I'll be putting Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer on my list, that's for sure. I bought it on Sunday! =D

A Little Bit More Adventurous

By joining another challenge!

Presenting the Book Binge 'challenge'!





Interesting logo, huh? Also, there's no time limit for this book binge. All I need to do is list out the books I read in May, from May 5, 2008 till May 31, 2008. Then, on June 1, 2008, I'll have to post up my list of books! Sounds kind of easy, right? Mary P is hosting the Book Binge.

I think it's still not too late if you want to join...so, see you there!

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Latest book review: Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Found A New Challenge: The Complete Booker

It’s exactly 5.13 pm now (Malaysian time) and here I am writing this post. It’s a Sunday today. My mom woke me up at 7 a.m. this morning to get ready to go to church. Came back, had breakfast, read Chapter 2 of Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce, read The Star newspaper (Starmag), then went to sleep until around 2 p.m. Hehe…not a really productive Sunday morning.

By the way, I found The Complete Booker challenge only just. So far, this should be the easiest reading challenge ever as there is no time limit! Ugh, time limits are the worst things for me to keep up with.

Well, for this Complete Booker, participants need to read all 40 books that made it to the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. No time limit, remember that. Unfortunately, I’ve not read any of the books on the list.

Want to have a peek at the list of books? Here they are:

2007 - The Gathering (Enright)
2006 - The Inheritance of Loss (Desai)
2005 - The Sea (Banville)
2004 - The Line of Beauty (Hollinghurst)
2003 - Vernon God Little (Pierre)
2002 - Life of Pi (Martel)
2001 - True History of the Kelly Gang (Carey)
2000 - The Blind Assassin (Atwood)
1999 - Disgrace (Coetzee)
1998 - Amsterdam: A Novel (McEwan)
1997 - The God of Small Things (Roy)
1996 - Last Orders (Swift)
1995 - The Ghost Road (Barker)
1994 - How Late It Was, How Late (Kelman)
1993 - Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (Doyle)
1992 - The English Patient (Ondaatje)
1992 - Sacred Hunger (Unsworth)
1991 - The Famished Road (Okri)
1990 - Possession: A Romance (Byatt)
1989 - The Remains of the Day (Ishiguro)
1988 - Oscar and Lucinda (Carey)
1987 - Moon Tiger (Lively)
1986 - The Old Devils (Amis)
1985 - The Bone People (Hulme)
1984 - Hotel Du Lac (Brookner)
1983 - Life & Times of Michael K (Coetzee)
1982 - Schindler's Ark (Keneally)
1981 - Midnight's Children (Rushdie)
1980 - Rites of Passage (Golding)
1979 - Offshore (Fitzgerald)
1978 - The Sea, the Sea (Murdoch)
1977 - Staying on (Scott)
1976 - Saville (Storey)
1975 - Heat and Dust (Jhabvala)
1974 - The Conservationist (Gordimer)
1974 - Holiday (Middleton)
1973 - The Siege of Krishnapur (Farrell)
1972 - G. (Berger)
1971 - In a Free State (Naipaul)
1970 - The Elected Member (Rubens)
1969 - Something to Answer For (Newby)

I'm Joining Another Challenge!

Yup, I'm up for another reading challenge! This second challenge of mine would be the TBR Challenge or To Be Read Challenge. I have a very, very long list of books that I haven't read yet, so it's perfect if I just join this challenge. I have been quite lazy in my reading but I'm definitely catching up now. I hope to read at least two books a month. But, I have to set aside some time for my studies.

Anyway, for this TBR Challenge, I will TRY to read the following books:

1. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
2. Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
3. Shopaholic Ties The Knot by Sophie Kinsella
4. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
6. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Alternates:

1. A Countess Below Stairs
2. I Capture The Castle
3. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
4. Queen Camilla
5. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
6. An Amazing Story
7. Party Frock
8. A Northern Light

There's my list! I'll start reading in April 2008, which is tomorrow!

Young Adult Challenge - February

I'm so sorry that I missed January's challenge! I wonder if I can go ahead with February's challenge now that it's already February....??? Been really busy last month what with my class readings and projects! I vow to make more time for reading my storybooks.

However, luckily, I managed to finish 'Maggie Again' by John D. Husband. Fantastic book, if you ask me. It's a story about time-travel and 4 teenagers. It's John Husband's first novel and it's pretty good. Read it then you'll know for yourself.

I'd like to submit this book for Joy's YA Challenge for the month of February. You can find my review of Maggie Again here. Since it's only Feb 05 today, I think I can finish one more book before February finishes. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed! If that's possible, then there are 2 books that I've read for February. Better than one.

Also, if you want to see what other participants have read, go here.

Here is the list of books that I'm planning to read for this challenge.

Books For The Challenge

You do know right that I'm joining the Young Adult Challenge right? It's being hosted by Joy.

It will start in January 2008 and will go on for the whole year of 2008. I'm supposed to read a young adult book a month. It sounds pretty easy, huh? There are currently 50 participants already! If you're interested in joining, just head on over to Joy's blog to check it all out. You know, read the 'rules' and all. It's all very easy, don't worry!

Well, here are some books that I plan to read for this upcoming challenge. My first challenge too!

1. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
2. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
5. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
6. In The Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
7. The Woman Who Rides Like A Man by Tamora Pierce
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
9. Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
10. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
11. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
    

I'm not really sure what one more book will be. I'll look around in the bookstores and see. But I'll most likely read the books listed above for this challenge. I'll update if there are any changes. Can't wait for 2008 to come!

Young Adult Challenge 2008

Now, this challenge caught my eye and I decided to check it out. Guess what? It's quite a simple challenge where you're only required to read 12 Young Adult books in 2008 at your own pace! So, I guess it's suitable for me as my reading pattern now is not so regular due to assignments and other readings for my courses.

By the way, this YA challenge is hosted by Joy from "Thoughts of Joy...". Also, I haven't chosen yet what books I'll read next year.

Well, anyone else who's interested in signing up for this challenge? It's fun!