Personal Note

Wow, I never expected anyone to actually participate along with me ... and then I go and desert you!  Sorry! :(

I had high hopes in the beginning months of 2012, but then a very ugly and stressful life reared its' head and challenges, genealogy, internet, everything went out the window - including reading!

It started to get better in the late fall, and now, hopefully, everything is back to normal(ish).  The holidays were good, I completed NaNoWriMo (a challenge to write a 50,000 word story in a month), we adopted a new cat, I received a fancy new iPod for Christmas (to replace my very battered MP3 player), and I went and bought books for the first time in what seemed like years! ;)  (I had been using the library, but there's just something special about your own books - and the act of buying them.  It sounds crazy, but it makes some sort of sense in my little world!)

A very big thank you! to everyone that participated and congratulations! to everyone that finished!  There has been interest in repeating (and certainly I'd like to have another go, since I failed miserably - hopefully successfully this time!), and once I get a weekend off (very soon!) , I'll be puttering around the site again.  I'll come around to everyone for a visit as well!

Jenn

Memorable Memoirs Reading Challenge

1 January 2012 - 31 February 2012

Melissa of the Betty and Boo Chronicles is once again hosting the Memorable Memoirs Reading Challenge.

The challenge is to read memorirs, defined by the challenge host "as a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation."  Published letters, diaries, journals, autobiographies, non-fiction books on writing memoirs... all but biographies are permissable for this challenge.  Any formats are allowed.

There are 3 levels to choose from:
Diarist - read 1-4 memoirs
Autobiographer - read 5-9 memoirs
Memoirist - read 10+ memoirs

*****

Though I'm not usually a fan of biographies, I really enjoy reading published letters, diaries and journals.  I'm planning to become an Autobiographer (5 books) with this challenge, though I hope to read more!

As titles are read, they will be added, dated, a link to a review posted, and (finally, since I love to do it!) crossed out.

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Harlequin/Silhouette Reading Challenge

1 January 2012 - 31 December 2012

Evy of IslandGirl Reads is the new host of the Harlequin/Silhouette Reading Challenge.

The challenge is to read books (1 each) which fit a certain set of requirements (listed below), which are published by the Harlequin family of imprints.  There will be a raffle drawing at the completion of the challenge for all those who participated and completed it.

Requirements:
1.  The name of a place in the title (country, city, town, etc.)
2.  A weather condition in the title (snow, rain, storm, etc.)
3.  A title must be in the title of the book (prince, duke, countess, etc.)
4.  The author's first or last name beginning with the letter M
5.  A holiday/season in the title (Valentine, Christmas, summer, etc.)
6.  A colour in the title (red, blue, green, etc.)

*****

It's a reading scavenger hunt!  I can't wait to start making a list! ;)

As titles are read, they will be added, dated, a link to a review posted, and (finally, since I love to do it!) crossed out.
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6.

New Author Challenge

1 January 2012 - 31 December 2012

Jackie from Literary Escapism is once again hosting, for the fourth year running, the New Author Challenge.

The challenge is to try new-to-you authors, though not necessarily those that are just being published.  Though there are no restrictions on genre, only a third of the new authors can be from anthologies.  There are links to a very comprehensive listing of author websites/blogs, as well as past challenge pages for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Participants can choose to read 15, 25 or 50 new authors. 

*****

I've decided to attempt the halfway level (25 new authors).  Though I usually love finding new authors, I do tend to read (and re-read!) favourite authors more than I should.  Here's my chance to stretch my (reading) wings! ;)

As titles are read, they will be added, dated, a link to a review posted, and (finally, since I love to do it!) crossed out.
1.  Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25.

Titanic 100th Anniversary Reading Challenge

1 January 2012 - 31 December 2012

Nicola of Back to Books is hosting the Titanic 100th Anniversary Reading Challenge.

April 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  Nicola has created this challenge in honour of that fact, and challenges participants to read, watch and listen to anything Titanic.  Any age range or format is acceptable, though Nicola just asks that you mix up your chosen materials (i.e. non-fiction, fiction, documentary/movie, talking book, children's, ya, adult, etc.).

There are 3 levels to choose from:

Getting My Feet Wet - read/watch 3 Titanic-related materials
Taking a Plunge - read/watch 6 Titanic-related materials
Going Down With the Ship - read/watch 12 Titanic-related matterials

*****

At first I was going to attempt the first level, but when I went browsing through my library's catalogue, I had to up myself to the 2nd level (Taking a Plunge - 6 books)!  I used to be quite interested in the Titanic when I was a teenager, and I remember taping (on VHS!) the 1994 A&E specials (which, if I can find copies of, I'll be watching! ;)

As titles are read, they will be added, dated, a link to a review posted, and (finally, since I love to do it!) crossed out.
1.  The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices From the Titanic by Allan Wolf (fiction/poetry)
2.  RMS Titanic: Gilded Lives on a Fatal Voyage by Hugh Brewster (tbr March 2012) (non-fiction)
3.  Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From by Richard Davenport-Hines (tbr March 2012) (non-fiction)
4.  Titanic: Death of a Dream and Titanic: The Legend Lives On (1994) (documentary)
5. 
6.

Short Story Reading Challenge

1 January 2012 - 31 December 2012

Laura and Sandra of Library of Clean Reads are hosting the Short Story Reading Challenge.

The challenge here is to read collections (not individual) short stories.  Any format and age range is acceptable.  There is also a separate post for linking up reviews participants have written during the course of the challenge.

There are 4 levels to choose from:

Tell Me a Story - read 1-3 short story collections
Stories Abound - read 4-6 short story collections
Tales Galore - read 7-9 short story collections
Anthology Supreme - read 10-12 short story collections

*****

I like reading short story collections and have found some favourite new authors that way!  However, I also tend to read bits and pieces of collections and it sometimes takes me quite a while to finish all the stories!  I'm hoping this challenge will help me get over that, and I've decided to join at the Stories Abound level (6 books).

As titles are read, they will be added, dated, a link to a review posted, and (finally, since I love to do it!) crossed out.
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 

The Doctor Reading Challenge - Reviews

1 January 2012 - 31 December 2012

Link your reviews for The Doctor Reading Challenge in the comments below and I'll add them to the list.  Details and the initial sign-up post is available here.

I can't wait to see what everyone else is reading (and, you know, find more books for my ever-growing pile of TBRs ;)

Thanks for participating!
Jenn

Reviews:

1.  Doctor Who, vol. 1: Fugitive by Alan Lee; ill. by Al Davison and Matthew Dow Smith (Jenn @ Simply...Challenging)
2.  Chicks Dig Time Lords: a Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O'Shea (Jenn @ Simply...Challenging)
3.  You're next!