Once Upon a Time....Again

Every once in a while you stumble across something out there in the great big blogosphere that changes you. Sometimes this something is little, like a new book that will take your breath away. Sometimes, it's less tangible, like a feeling that you get when you read a post that fires up your sensibilities. And sometimes, it's meeting a new person that you have so much in common with, it's like you've known them all your life. For me, when I stumbled across The First Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge, all of these things happened. This challenge literally changed my life. I had just begun blogging, and Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings hosted the first challenge. The month before I had read American Gods by Neil Gaiman....a book that literally did take my breath away. A few people had commented on my review, Carl being one of them. He told me about this challenge and suggested some more books that I might like. In that moment, one little comment literally changed the way I read forever. A relatively new reader of fantasy, I had little experience with authors in the genre. Hell, I had little experience with the genre as a whole. But once I joined the challenge, I found a whole new world out there. And in that world were people that definitely knew their way around. Those people acted as guides to me, showing me books and authors that I would grow to love. Short stories that excited me. And graphic novels that would rock my world. For this I am forever in your debt. Carl, Chris, Nymeth, Debi, and Kailana....you guys have led me down a path that has taken me to worlds and places I will never forget. And for that I thank all of you!! Your friendship and reading guideance has meant the world to me.




So....with my blogging "break" (if you can call it that) officially over, I find it incredibly ironic that it coincides with the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge V! There is NO WAY I would miss this challenge, even though I will be finishing up my first semester back! I can't guarantee that I will be able to complete the challenge. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I do read some books, write some reviews, and follow along with everyone else. I definitely plan on trying to do the Short Story Challenge. And the movie Challenge. When the dust clears and the challenge is over, we will just see how far I make this year. I'm just happy to be back and be able to add my name to the little Mr. Linky....and hopefully transport myself to a few new worlds this year.

I don't have an exact list. And since money is EXTREMELY tight, I probably won't be able to buy anything new. But I have some books on my shelf that will definitely fit the bill....and maybe I'll even take a few out of the library to fill in the gaps. My reading list, while not complete, may include a few of the following:

• Stories: All New Tales Edited by Neil Gaiman
• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
• A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
• Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
• The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson Book 3) by Rick Riordan
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Matched by Ally Condie
• The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
• The Eternal Ones by Kristin Miller
• Graveminder by Melissa Marr
• Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling
• A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
• Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
• The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
• Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
• His Magesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
• The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
• Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia Wrede
• Beauty by Robin McKinley
• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
• Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint
• From a Whisper to a Scream by Charles de Lint

And these are just the books I have on my shelves. I will do my best to pick a few good ones. Any suggestions??

Once again, I just want to thank Carl. You might not realize how important you are to the blogging community. But you are. And I, for one, appreciate all the effort you put into your challenges. You are a good friend and I just want to say thank you!

Sunday Salon: 2010 Challenge Edition, Volume 2 and the Melancholy Post

Technically, I can still call this a "Sunday Salon" post, since I started it on Sunday!! I was actually going to write this up last night, but the time got away from me at work. Most weekends when I work at the Red Cross is super-slow. The last few nights have been extremely busy though. So...less time to read and post.

And right now, I seem to have the blues. Hence, the melancholy nature of this post. I'm not really sure why. Probably a combination of any number of things: The weather. The past week it has snowed a foot, and the temps have been in the negative numbers. When I went out to start my truck this morning, the gauge said -9! I just can't ever seem to warm up. I hate being cold. How about the fact that it is dark so much of the time?? It's already 10 days into the year, and I've only finished one book. There was no time for Bloggiesta this weekend, and I would have loved to spend some time on my blog. I had wanted to move to my own domain, but the name I wanted is already taken.

Or maybe it's because my birthday is this week. Another year older. For the most part that never bothers me. But I have to say this year is a bit different. Not much has changed, and I think that's the problem. Another year....and not much to show for it. Sounds kind of silly when I put it into words. But I worked SO hard this year, and yet, everything is the same as last year. Still struggling. I do have an interview this week, so maybe things will start to look up. Regardless, I need to get myself out of the blahs.

And what better to curb the blahs than join more challenges!! If there is one thing that I like more than challenges, it's making lists!! And I've had fun this week finding more challenges for 2010!



A Tournament of Reading is a Medieval Literature Challenge hosted by Meghan @ The Medieval Bookworm. Now, actual Medieval Lit would probably be a bit more than I could chew off at this point in my life. Would love to read a little Chaucer, but not sure if I'm up to that challenge right now. BUT I do love Historical Fiction. It's been awhile since I've stuck my toes in that particular pond, and I really miss it.

Here are the rules:
This challenge is designed to get us all reading a little more medieval literature in 2010. The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st, 2010, and will be hosted right here at Medieval Bookworm. Challenge genres include history, medieval literature, and historical fiction. Medieval, for simplicity of definition, will be from 500-1500, and literature from all over the world is welcome, not just western Europe.

There are 3 levels:
Peasant – Read 3 medieval books of any kind.
Lord – Read 6 medieval books, at least one of each kind.
King – Read 9 medieval books, at least two of each kind.

You’re not required to make a list or stick to one, but it would be fun if you did! A recommendations post will also be up today, to help you make choices.

For me, I'm sticking with the Western Europe lit because I'd never be able to whittle down my choices. I'm also going for a Lord/Lady designation, but who knows what will happen once I get started! Here is my pool of books that I would love to draw from:

• Here Be Dragons by Sharon Penman (this is a re-read for me, but since I haven't read the rest of the series, I thought I would revisit this wonderful book!)
• Falls the Shadow by Sharon Penman
• The Reckoning by Sharon Penman
• The Queen's Man by Sharon Penman
• Katherine by Anya Seton
• The Arthurian Series by Bernard Cornwell
• The Once and Future King by T. H. White
• The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• The Plantagenet Prelude by Jean Plaidy

The Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge, hosted by Lisa @ Lit and Life is a chance to read some of the books on Rory's Reading list. I'm a newbie to The Gilmore Girls, never having watched it while it was actually on in prime time. But that doesn't change my love for the series now. And since I got the entire Series on DVD for Christmas (thanks to my awesome in laws!), my Gilmore Girl's obsession is back!! Hence this challenge and the perpetual Rory Gilmore Books Project, which I'm also partaking in!

The challenge runs all of 2010, and there are 3 levels of Participation:

Emily: Read 5 books from at least two different categories.
Lorelai: Read 10 books from at least three different categories.
Rory: Read 20 books from at least four different categories.

I consider myself a total Rory! I would love to get at least 20 under my belt, but we will see. I will pick the books as the year rolls on!

Mind Voyages Science Fiction Reading Challenge is hosted by Robin of My Two Blessings. "Science fiction and fantasy books have always been my one true love ever since I read my first sci fi book back in the 70's. Whether it was Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur Clark, Ray Bradbury, Larry Niven, Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey or Robert Silverberg who captured me first, I don't remember. When I recently came across the Hugo Award Web site, the list of winners made my mouth water and tickled my imagination. All the books on the list looked so good that I decided to read through the list, starting with the oldest. But all those who were nominated looked too good to pass up, so decide okay, will take some side trips and read some of the nominees. Other ideas started popping up in my brain. That's what the sci-fi and fantasy genre does to you - expands your mind and gives you ideas."

There are several levels of participation for the challenge:

Moon Voyage : Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo Winners List
Sling shot back to Earth: Read at least 3 winners on the Nebula Winner's List
Venus Voyage: Philip K. Dick Quest - Read at least 2 of his books
Mercury Voyage: Robert Heinlein Quest - Read at least 2 of his books
Mars Voyage: Read at least 6 winners on the Hugo List and take a side trip through the 21st century and read at least 4 nominees.

Go into Warp Drive and visit the other planets:
Jupiter Voyage: Go side tripping 90's Style
Saturn: Go Side Tripping 80's Style
Uranus: Go Side Tripping 70's Style
Neptune Voyage: Go Side Tripping through the 50's and 60's
The I'm going to Pluto because Pluto is still a planet as far as I'm concerned Voyage: Mix it up, choose the number of books you want to read from each voyage, include some new books you pick up along the way and enjoy the ride.

I have no idea what level of participation I will go for, but I have a huge list of books to choose from, including:

• Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• Hyperion by Dan Simmons
• Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
• Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
• Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

And that's just to name a few!

Finally, the Cybils Award Challenge and the 2010 YA Challenge kind of go hand in hand. If you read my blog enough, you know that besides fantasy, my favorite genre is YA.

The Cybils Award Challenge is hosted by Michelle @ Galleysmith. It's a chance to read books from the Cybil Award Nominees. There are lots of levels of participation, but I think I will be going for the Shorties Rule – choose to read books in a specific short list (finalists will be publicized Jan 1, 2010. And the books I want to read are from a couple of categories:

Fiction: Fantasy & Science Fiction (MG)

• 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
• Dreamdark Series by Laini Taylor
• The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel
• Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
• The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott
• Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories by Joan Aiken
• Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Fiction: Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)

• Candor by Pam Bachorz
• The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
• The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
• Fire by Kristin Cashore (but I must read Graceling First!)
• Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
• Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey
• Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

Fiction: Middle Grade

• Captain Nobody by Dean Pitchford
• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
• Heart of a Shepard by Roseanne Parry
• All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg
• Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes
• The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O'Connor

Fiction: Young Adult

• Blue Plate Special by Michelle Kwasney
• Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
• Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers
• How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
• In the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
• North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Hedley (already read this one!)
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I have participated in the YA Challenge for the last few years. It's one of the few that I always complete!! Hosted by J. Kaye @ J. Kaye's Book Blog. It runs through the entire year of 2010, and has various levels of participation:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.

--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.

--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

I'm probably good for the Just My Size Challenge

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That's it till next Sunday!! I'll probably finish up my final round of challenges!! Happy Reading!

Sunday Salon: 2010 Challenge Edition, Part One

I say Part One, because if I listed ALL of the challenges I'd like to join for 2010, I think Blogger would probably crash on me!! Sorry this is posted so late. Almost Monday. Oh well. Better late than not at all!

Isn't it funny how you can plan an entire year's worth of reading in one sitting, right here in front of the computer?? Actually, it's not all that difficult for me. I don't read nearly as many books in a year as a lot of you do. In fact, I actually think I read LESS books now that I've started blogging that I did before. BUT the quality of book has gone up, if that makes any sense. I was trying to figure out why the other day, and I finally realized that blogging/twitter time and reading time takes up the same allotment!! I only have so many free hours in a week. If I'm on the computer, I'm not reading. And vise versa. Probably why I've been offline so much lately. I've been immersed in The Ask and the Answer. OMG. I don't know if I can possibly wait for the next book!! SO GOOD!!

But....on to the topic at hand. 2010 Challenges and Group Reads. Oh my. There are SO MANY fun ones out there, it's just a matter of where start!! I know, I know. I rarely finish. But I like the JOINING. And the LISTS. If I actually finish, then I can bask in the glow of accomplishment. Otherwise, I meet cool people, read great reviews, increase my TBR and have fun. Nothing wrong with all that!! So, I've been keeping a list over the last few months of all the great challenges that are coming out for 2010. Thought I would make one post for all. WRONG! I went back to my list tonight, and realized that 24 challenges and 2 read-a-longs. And that's not even including the Once Upon a Time or the RIP challenge that Carl hosts yearly. So, I'll make a couple of posts and weed out the ones that I'm really looking forward to joining:

2009 marked the year that I read my first Graphic Novel. And my second...and third. You get the picture?? So, I knew that the first thing I would do in 2010 would be to join the GN Challenge. Hosted this year by my friends, Nymeth and Chris, the Graphic Novels Challenge 2010 is here.

Rules:

• The challenge starts on January 1st 2010 and ends on December 31st (but we don't mind you starting early.)
• you don't have to make a list beforehand (but you can, of course! Lists are great because they give ideas to people who aren't sure what to read. And if you do make one, don't feel forced to stick to it!)
• We simplified the levels of participation: you can be a Beginner (3 Comics or Graphic Novels), Intermediate (3-10) or an Expert (10+). You're more than free to adjust your level of participation after the challenge has begun.
• There will be mini-challenges! Look for a post with more info on that soon.
• Overlaps with other challenges are totally fine.

I don't have a set reading list yet, but my brother sent me some suggestions, so I'm definitely going to be reading a lot of Graphic Novels this year!! Among them:

• Rest of the Fables Series.
• Rest of the Sandman Series.
• Rest of the Preacher Series.
• Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis.
• Locke and Key by Joe Hill
• The Walking Dead Series by Robert Kirkman
• Y the Last Man by Brian Vaughn
• Ex Machina by Brian Vaughn
• DMZ by Brian Wood.
• Scalped by Jason Aaron.
• Bone by Jeff Smith
• Girl Genius by Kaja and Phil Foglio

Like I said, my brother recommended a LOT of these series. Since most are not available in the library, my reading them will be based on my ability to BUY them. So, we'll see how that goes!!!

Marg, my wonderful friend, from Reading Adventures is hosting the Terry Pratchett 2010 Challenge. Now, I know this actually started this month, but I'm hoping Marg will still let me join!! The challenge will start from 1 December 2009 and run through to 30 November 2010. There are several different levels of participation for you to choose from:
1-3 books - Cashier at Ankh-Morpork Mint
4-5 books - Guard of the City Watch
6-8 books - Academic at the Unseen University
9-10 books - Member of Granny Weatherwax's Coven
10-12 books - Death's Apprentice

You can either be reading the books for the first time, rereading, or even watching the TV adaptations if you like! As long as everyone has fun I will be happy! Please also do not feel limited to only reading the Discworld books as any books by Terry Pratchett will count for this challenge.For a full list of the Discworld books in publication order, check out this page on the author's website for his page at Fantastic Fiction. The number of books either written by Terry Pratchett or about his work is a bit mind boggling really.

I'm hoping to read the entire Discworld Series in the next year or two. Hopefully, I'll be able to slip in one or two or twelve this year! On the list of books I must read are:

• Nation (not Discworld, but a gift this Christmas)
• A Hat Full of Sky
• Wintersmith
• The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
• The Colour of Magic
• The Light Fantastic
• Sourcery
• Eric
• Interesting Times
• The Last Continent
• The Last Hero
  

Natasha at Maw Books, Amy at My Friend Amy, and Hannah at Word Lily are hosting the 2010 Social Justice Challenge. They have created a dedicated blog for the challenge and write:

Reading opens new worlds to us and can sometimes expose the injustice in our own. We have all been powerfully moved by the injustice we have learned about in books and decided we wanted to host a reading project that would encourage us to learn more about these issues in the world.

The details of the challenge are as follows:

We will focus each month on a different area of social injustice in the world. During that month, we are asking that you read something from the list of resources or watch something suggested by that month’s host. That will complete step one of this challenge: Learn.

Throughout the month we will also be posting ways you can make a difference in this area. Don’t worry, we will provide several different options at many different levels of commitment. The important thing is to take an action step towards doing something to change things! That fulfills step 2–Take Action.

The hosts of this challenge have created several levels of participation for EACH MONTH of the challenge (participants agree to participate each month, but can customize that participation depending on their own individual needs):

Activist–At this level you are agreeing to participate fully in the activities of the month. You will read at least one full length book as well as choosing something from the other media list. You will also complete an action step. By signing up for the challenge, you agree to do a minimum of 3 months at this level. You do not have to decide which months in advance.

Intern–You agree to either read something from the reading resources (it can be an essay or children’s book) or choose to do something from the other media list. You will complete an action step. You do not have to decide which months in advance.

Volunteer– You agree to read at least one of the recommended blog posts, essays or shorter novels. You will complete an action step. You do not have to decide in advance which months they will be.Observer — Need a break? Just follow along with the blog for the month. This month has no commitment level. You can only do a maximum of three months at this level.At the beginning of every month there will be a mister linky where you can link to reviews of what you’ve read and where you share what you’ve learned. The host for the month will recap everyone’s posts and reviews. The resource lists will be continuously updated throughout the year and there will be a weekly recap to let you know what has been added.

The Monthly topics are as follows:

Religious Freedom
Water
Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Hunger
AIDS crisis
Genocide
Poverty
Illiteracy and Education
Modern Day Slavery
Homelessness & Refugees
Women’s Rights
Child Soldiers and Children in War

SO looking forward to this challenge!!

Amazingly, as much fantasy as I like to read now, I've never read the "Classics". So, one night on Twitter I found out about The Lord of the Rings Readalong.

Starting January 1, 2010, we’ll be reading one book from the series (including The Hobbit) each month with a goal of finishing all four books in April. We’ll be taking turns hosting the readalong, so you can follow our intrepid fellowship of readers around the blogosphere. Here’s where you’ll find us each month:

January: The Hobbit at A Striped Armchair
February: The Fellowship of the Ring at The Literary Omnivore
March: The Two Towers here at Shelf Love
April: The Return of the King at Just Add Books

To join, go to The Lord of the Rings Readalong

Hosted by Darren of Bart's Bookshelf, the TwentyTen Challenge:

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010. (Was this challenge based solely around the name? I’ll let you decide!)
So, on with the categories:

Young Adult Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.

T.B.R. **Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.

Shiny & New Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count! \

Bad Blogger’s ***Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book ago).***

Charity Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.

New in 2010 This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!)

Older Than You Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!

Win! Win! Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long that is, you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so!

Who Are You Again? This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!

Up to You!The requirements for this category are up to you! Want to challenge yourself to read some graphic novels? A genre outside your comfort zone? Something completely wild and wacky? Then this is the category to you. The only requirement is that you state it in your sign-up post.

The Rules:
Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
Each book can only qualify for one category.
Crossovers with other challenges are allowed. To sign up, go to TwentyTen Reading Challenge

LIST TO FOLLOW!!

Finally, a new challenge I just found tonight!!

Hosted by Catherine from On the Nightstand and Pam from Bookalicio.us, is the new Vampire Reading Challenge: Fangtastic Fiction (seriously, who can resist a challenge with a name like that?)

Challenge Levels/Goals

The base challenge here (“Newly Turned”) is to read four books, one from each of the four categories below: classic, horror, romance and young adult. If a book can fit into two categories (or more), simply pick one category and then read another.
Once you have completed that, you can go wild with what books you read for your challenge list, so long as they have vampires in some form as a prominent part. For every additional four books you read, you go up a level. Where the base challenge is the equivalent of the first stages of a vampire, think of each four books as a century added onto their existence.
How old can you go?

First Blood
This is the category for vampire tales that were written prior to 1900. Examples of such books would be:
Dracula – Bram Stoker
Carmilla – Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Things That Go Bite In The Night
This is the category for works firmly entrenched in the horror genre. Examples of such books would be:
Salem’s Lot – Steven King
Let The Right One In – John Ajvide Lindqvist

Kiss Of The Vampire
This is the category for all books that have romance as one of its main genres/focusses. Examples of such books would be:
Dead Until Dark (etc) – Charlaine Harris
Jessica’s Guide To Dating On The Dark Side – Beth Fantaskey

High School Is Hell
This is the category for all vampire books that fit in the young adult category. Examples of such books would be:
The Vampire Diaries – L.J. Smith
The Morganville Vampires – Rachel Caine

Bonus Challenge/Activity: Screams On Screen
As a bonus challenge/activity, why not take in vampires on the large and small screens as well? Keep track of how many movies or TV seasons you watch, whether it’s Buffy, True Blood or The Vampire Diaries on your TV, or Lost Boys, Underworld or any film adaptation of a vampire novel, and see how many you can total up during the year!
Other Information:

This challenge runs the entire length of 2010, so from January 1 to December 31.

Later, I'll post more challenges, like the Gilmore Girls, GLBT, Flashback, What's in a Name and Essay's Challenges!!

It's the End of the World as We Know It.....

Becky, Becky, Becky. I hope you know you are KILLING me with all your challenge ideas!! This one, however, is one that I just can't pass up. It's the End of the World Challenge, and it's hosted by Becky from Becky's Book Reviews. And although I have been using these challenges to try to broaden my reading, this one goes right back to my roots! Rules are easy. Read 3 novels from May 2008 - Sept. 15, all dealing with end-of-the world or post-apocalyptic subject matter.

Well...I love this stuff. The Stand by Stephen King has been one of my favorite books since I first read it....YEARS ago. It's actually one of the few novels that has ever garnered a re-read from me. I've read it 3 times!! Not many books compare to it, but I guess I'm going to have to try!!

Here is my challenge list. Yes, I know. Longer than 3, but I just can't help myself. It's a sickness, you know.

• Life as We Knew It by Sarah Beth Pfeffer
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
• A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller, Jr.
• The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras)
• The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Oh yeah...this is going to be fun!! And since I know you are all singing REM in your head (and yes, I know every word to this song!):

Coming soon: My list for Darla's Irresistable Review Challenge!! At this point, it's hopeless to resist!!

Reading Challenges and More Shoulder Woes

It's official. I've completely lost my mind. Not only am I signing up for another challenge.....I'm signing up for 3!! Nuts, I tell you. My name is Stephanie and I'm a Challenge Addict! I seem to be struggling to keep up with the challenges I've already committed to. Man. I need my head examined. But they just seemed to fun to pass up! So....in no particular order, here they are:

The 1% Well-Read Challenge is hosted by the lovely Michelle from 1 More Chapter. I LOVE the concept of this one. "The goal of this challenge is to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. For you non-math people, 10 out of 1001 is approximately 1%, hence the title. The challenge will run from May 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009." Go Here to sign up! I actually thought I WAS fairly well-read until I read this list. Apparently, I'm not!! Out of 1001, I have only read 38. Wow. That is not a big number at all!! Most of the ones I've read are Classics too. So....trying to get a big variety, I opted for books in all the centuries (except the pre-1700's!) And, as always, I reserve the right to change this list!

The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coehlo

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Choke by Chuck Pahlanuik

The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood

Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis

The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro

Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Far From the Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Monk by M. G. Lewis

That's 10. I could have listed, like, 100 more!! But we'll take some baby steps here.

Maggie, from Maggie Reads, is once again hosting the Southern Reading Challenge. I participated last year, but didn't finish. I'd love to actually complete my list this year!!

The rules are easy. 3 Southern Setting Books by 3 Southern authors in 3 Months (May 15 - August 15). Sound like fun?? But, of course!!

You would think that only picking 3 books would be easy. But it's not. Southern Literature encompasses a lot of books, and it was horrible trying to narrow down the list.

The Little Friend by Donna Tart

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Dead Sleep by Greg Iles

• 
  
  And finally, The Chick Lit Challenge. I don't read much "Chick Lit" any more. I used to bury myself in it. Truthfully, I usually like my books with a little more meat in them. Most Chick Lit is light and fluffy. But I have shelves of it taking up space in my house. And it really is a great way to relax. With the summer months coming up, I can always use a light read, so I thought I would join. Hosted by Journey to the End of my TBR (love the name!) it's only 3 books. Figured this challenge would motivate me to purge some things from my books shelves!! Here are my selections:
  
  The Pact by Jennifer Sturman
• Tall Poppies by Louise Bagshawe
• The Givenchy Code by Julie Kenner

OK....enough with the challenges! In other random thoughts, I went to my Dr's appointment yesterday. He gave me the results of my MRI. I have a "frayed" rotator cuff. Not as bad as a complete hole in the cuff, but still kind of nasty. The worst part of it is that I have tons of fluid in the bursa, and a bit of arthritis near the collar bone. His recommendation is surgery. Ack. I did NOT want to hear that. He said I could try the steroid injections, but with an injury this bad, the chances of it working are only about 30%. I don't really like those odds. But the recovery time for surgery is about 3 months. At least 6 weeks off work. Right now, I can't really afford to be off that long. And we are so short-staffed, it would kill them to have me gone for that long. So.....I think I might see if the injections will give me a bit of relief, and worry about the surgery after summer is over. But that's how I feel today....who knows tomorrow!! I have decided I really am too young to be feeling this much pain all the time. Decisions, decisions. What's a girl to do??

2 New Challenges!! Such Fun!

I know. I know. More Challenges. What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment. Like I could say no to these??? Not a chance!

The first is the Japanese Literature Challenge hosted by the lovely Bellezza!! It starts today and goes through January 30th. The object is to read 3 pieces of Japanese Literature (of any genre) and post about them on your blog. She has some WONDERFUL prizes, but we all know the real prize is reading some fantastic books! So join in the fun!!

Here is the list of books I've chosen (and yes, I realize there are 4...I just can't help it. I couldn't decide!):

• Out by Natsuo Kirino
• An Artist of the Floating World by Kasuo Isiguro
• Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
• Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
  

Finally, the Graphic Novels Challenge hosted by the Dewey, at The Hidden Side of a Leaf. This challenge will run all of 2008, and consists of reading 6 graphic novels. Now, surprisingly enough, I have never actually read a graphic novel. So, this one will be new for me. I'm excited though. All the good movies that are coming out based on graphic novels lately has really peaked my interest. (and since my new favorite author Neil Gaiman has written some, I thought it was time to take the plunge!)

Here is my list for THIS challenge:

• The Sandman, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman
• Mr. Punch by Neil Gaiman
• Watchmen by Alan Moore
• From Hell by Alan Moore
• Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
• Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis

Your turn!!

What's In a Name Challenge

OK. So I finally caved and joined ANOTHER reading challenge. So sue me. I have been seeing this one all over the place and I just wanted to join in the fun!!

Hosted by Annie, of Words by Annie, the challenge is another one that encompasses all of 2008. Here are the Rules:

Dates: January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008

The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.

1. A book with a color in its title
2. A book with an animal in its title.
3. A book with a first name in its title.

4. A book with a place in its title.

5. A book with a weather event in its title.

6. A book with a plant in its title.

--You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don't use the same book for more than one category. (For example, you can use The Red Pony for either a "color" book or an "animal" book, but not for both.)

See? This is going to be fun!!

My List:

• COLOR - Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• ANIMAL - All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
• FIRST NAME - Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (if that is stretching it too much, I can always go with Emma by Jane Austin!)
• PLACE - Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
• WEATHER - The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1) by Patrick Rothfuss
• PLANT - Moonlight and Vines by Charles de Lint

Anyone else??

2008 Young Adult Reading Challenge

Since there wasn't a Booking Through Thursday today, I thought I would post my reading list for Thoughts of Joy's new challenge: Young Adult Challenge 2008! I LOVE YA books!! So this will actually be an easy challenge for me. The hardest part about it was narrowing down the list of possibilities!!

The Rules are simple:

Choose 12 YA books.

Link to Joy's Challenge.

Read them in 2008!

Could it be any easier??

Here is my list:

• Chosen: A House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
• Freaks by Annette Curtis Klause
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
• Magyk by Angie Sage
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
• Memories of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Twisted by Lauris Halse Anderson
• A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
• Tithe by Holly Black
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

As you can see most of my books are leaning toward the fantasy or paranormal genre. I can't wait to start on this one!

Later!

2008 Reading Challenges

Is is possible to plan out an entire year of reading? It seems that the challenges we join certainly makes it a possibility!! I seem to fail miserably at them, but I do enjoy trying. AND it makes finding something to read that much easier. I like having a ready list when I go to the library or the book store (although the spur of the moment books are great too!) I've already finished 4 books for the RIP II challenge, and by Wednesday I should have 2 more complete. So although I didn't read all the book I wanted, I guess I could say I DID complete what I set out to do!

For 2008, I have already signed up for a couple of challenges. I hope to do a little better with them this time!!

Becky, from Becky's Book Reviews, has put out a couple of challenges that I want to participate in next year. The first is the Cardathon Challenge, and it has it's own blog. The trick is to read Orson Scott Card's works or books that he has reviewed or liked. My list has already been posted here. Becky also set up 2 mini-challenges that I'd like to participate in. One is to read at least 2 Jane Austen novels. I've only read Persuasion, so I'd like to actually read the other 5.

• Sense and Sensibility
• Pride and Prejudice
• Mansfield Park
• Emma
• Northanger Abbey

The other mini-challenge is to read C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. I think I will read the Lord of the Rings books for this one.

Becky is also hosting the Celebrate the Author challenge. It is designed to Celebrate authors birthdays. Each month, read a book whose author has a birthday that month. My list is forthcoming!

Michelle at 1 More Chapter, is hosting another By the Decades Challenge 08. I participated this year, although I haven't come close to finishing!! I really like this challenge. Just read 8 books (or however many you choose) from 8 consecutive decades. My list is forthcoming!! I'm hoping to have it solidified today!

Sharon, at Ex Libris, is hosting the Russian Reading Challenge 08. I love Russian History. I just find myself very UN-read in Russian Literature. It's a 12 month challenge, with it's own blog, but the minimum amount of books is 4. I choose 12, although that may be pushing it quite a bit. But I added some Classic Lit, with just a couple of new titles:

• The Fiery Angel by Valery Bryusov
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• The Overcoat and Other Tales of Good and Evil by Nicolai Gogol
• Lady Macbeth of the Mtensk District by Nikolai Leskov
• Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabakov
• Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
• A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov
• The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
• Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

I'm still thinking about the 888 challenge. I love the idea, I just don't know whether or not I have nearly enough time to complete it. If you don't know what it is, it is to read 8 books from 8 Different Categories in 08. We'll see!!

John, at The Book Mine Set, is hosting the Canadian Reading Challenge. It actually goes from now until July 1, so I really need to get started on this one! I don't know much about Canadian authors, so this is going to be a new one for me!! So far, this is the list I have chosen. I tried to pull books from all the provinces:

• The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
• Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
• A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
• A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence
• The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
• The Studhorse Man by Robert Kroetsch
• Generation X by Douglas Copeland
• Yellowknife by Steve Zipp
• Consumption by Kevin Patterson
• Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
• Barney's Version by Mordecai Richler

There is also a Young Adult Challenge hosted by Joy from Thoughts of Joy, a Romance Challenge hosted by Naida at The Bookworm, and the Expanding Horizons Challenge hosted by Melissa at The Book Nut that I'm also considering.

So many books, so little time!! Oh well.....it's food for thought. I'm also hoping Carl hosts another Once Upon A Time challenge and another RIP challenge next year too!!

Any more challenges I'm missing out on? Just let me know!!