As I clicked through my Google Reader the last few months, I put a star next to the reading challenges that caught my eye. When I went back to look at them, I realized there were a TON of them! I can't possibly do them all and I have told myself I won't do ANY until I finish the backlog of 2010 books in drafts status. But here are the ones I like - in no particular order!
(This cute little border is from Karen's Whimsy's.) Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge hosted by The Book Vixen
Details:
Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011 (books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. You can sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2011 than you did in 2010. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.
You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.
Levels:
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books
Chunkster ChallengeFebruary 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012
Below are the details and sign ups for 2011 ... I've made a few changes which I hope you will like...ie: I've added another level of participation AND I've changed the number of books you need to read for each level.
Definition of a Chunkster:
A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) ... A chunkster should be a challenge.
If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more ... The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.
The Rules:
No Audio books in the chunkster. It just doesn't seem right. Words on paper for this one folks.
No e-Books allowed - we are reading traditional, fat books for this challenge.
Short Stories and Essay collections will not be counted.
Books may crossover with other challenges
Anyone may join. If you don't have a blog, just leave me a comment on this post with your progress (and to let me know you are playing)
You don't need to list your books ahead of time.
Once you pick a level, that's it...you're committed to that level!
You must pick a level of participation:
The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who wants to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.
The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months.
Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX Chunksters from the following categories: 2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length; 2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length; 2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions page for some books which fit into these categories).
Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.
Jen of The Introverted Reader is hosting the Dewey Decimal Challenge. She writes:
I've been looking for a simple, general non-fiction challenge. I can't find one, so I decided to host my own. I am very much a fiction reader, but I did pick up several non-fiction books last year and I mostly enjoyed them. I need a little push to keep reading them, and I thought some of you might as well. So here's my Dewey Decimal Challenge.
Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Poetry? Yes. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge.
I always like levels in my challenges, so here are mine:
Dilettante--Read 1 non-fiction book.
Explorer--Read 2
Seeker--Read 3
Master--Read 4
To join, go to the Dewey Decimal Challenge.
Mystery and Suspense ChallengeTimeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011
Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)
You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.
Off The Shelf Challenge Are your books multiplying like rabbits before you even get a chance to read them? Trying to keep up with them, but can't stop buying new ones?
Maybe this challenge is for you. I know what it's like. There's so many titles and so many beautiful books out there sometimes it's hard to keep that TBR shelf under control, but if you really want to try why not challenge yourself?
The challenge begins on the 1st of January and ends on the 31st of December 2011
Note: This challenge is to read those books you own copies of, but have never got around to reading. If you don't have many that you own, but have a massive TBR shelf you're welcome to read those ones as long as you don't add new ones. You don't need to actually get rid of your books after you've read them, this is just to read them.
Challenge Levels
Tempted– Choose 5 books to read
Trying – Choose 15 books to read
Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read
For extra hard challenges
Hoarder – Choose 76-125 books to read
Buried – Choose 126-200 books to read
ARC Reading Challenge 2011
ARC Reading ChallengeJanuary 1-December 31, 2011
I hope all of you ARC Readers will join me again in 2011 for the ARC Reading Challenge. I welcome old and new participants. I don't know about you, but my ARC pile is way too big. That is why I am making one big change to this challenge. For 2011 you don't have to list all of the ARCs that you have. That's right, no more "wall of shame." LOL! Although you can list them if you want to.
Note: I use the term "ARC" loosely,any book a publisher or author gives you with the expectation that you review it, counts for this challenge.
The Levels
Level Bronze: .a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to catagory b.
b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCS must read and review at least 12.
Level Silver: Read 24 ARCS
Level Gold: Read 25 ARCS
Level Platinum: Read 30 or more ARCS
South Asisan Reading ChallengeSouth Asian Encounter - 1 book
South Asian Wanderer - 3 books
South Asian Explorer - 5 books
South Asian Adventurer - 7 books
South Asian Hero/Heroine - 10 books
South Asian Guru - Over 10 books (you can set your own goal)
Persons of Color ChallengePlease remember that this challenge is about diversifying your reading and showing the publishers we do care about PoC literature and we want to see more of it on the shelves of bookshelves. That we do not want to see the white washing of covers and we will not stand for it.
We had 83 participants last year and I would love more than anything to reach 100 this year. Please do not forget about what an important issue this is and even though things have been going well for quite a while these issues are never going to be over and we have to be proactive. So please join our challenge and tell others it is open again.
Level 1: Read 1-3 POC books
Level 2. Read 4-6 POC books
Level 3. Read 7-9 POC books
Level 4. Read 10-15 POC books
Level 5. Read 16-25 POC books
Southern Literature challengeRead a book(s)--non-fiction or fiction of any genre, adult or young adult--written by an author from the South and set mostly in the South.
Definitions of the South are flexible, so I've decided to define it the way I want. That's the fun of hosting your own challenge, right? :-)
The states:
South Carolina
Georgia
Alabama
North Carolina
Virginia
Tennessee
Mississippi
Louisiana
Kentucky
West Virginia
Texas
Florida--as long as you find a book by a Florida author and/or set in Florida that feels Southern.
Levels:
Level 1--C'mon in the house! Read 1 book.
Level 2--Pull up a seat and stay a while! Read 2 books
Level 3--Have a glass of sweet iced tea, honey. Read 3 books
Level 4--Y'all come back now, y'hear! Read 4 books
The challenge will run from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011.
Whisper Stories in your ear challengeShould you choose to participate in this challenge, your goal is to read at least twelve (12) audiobooks (no matter the length). Twelve is the minimum to be entered in the Grand Prize at the end of the Year.
Okra Picks challengeTo make this challenge fun for everyone, I’m going to include four different levels:
1-3 Books: Goober
4-6 Books: Tater
7-9 Books: Peach
10-13 Books: Okra
Details:
The Okra Picks Challenge will run from October 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011. To join this challenge, all you have to do is pick your level of participation (you can always go up levels, but not down.) Then after you read any of the books, write a review to share your thoughts with others!
What's In a Name 4 challengeBetween January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories:
A book with a number in the title: First to Die, Seven Up, Thirteen Reasons Why
A book with jewelry or a gem in the title: Diamond Ruby, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Opal Deception
A book with a size in the title: Wide Sargasso Sea, Small Wars, Little Bee
A book with travel or movement in the title: Dead Witch Walking, Crawling with Zombies, Time Traveler's Wife
A book with evil in the title: Bad Marie, Fallen, Wicked Lovely
A book with a life stage in the title: No Country for Old Men, Brideshead Revisited, Bog Child
War Through the Generation‘s 2011 reading challenge will be the U.S. Civil War. The challenge will run from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011.
Rules:
This year you have options when reading your fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. with the U.S. Civil War as the primary or secondary theme.
Books can take place before, during, or after the war. Books from other challenges count so long as they meet the above criteria.
Dip: Read 3-5 books in any genre with the U.S. Civil War as a primary or secondary theme.
Wade: Read 6-10 books in any genre with the U.S. Civil War as a primary or secondary theme.
Swim: Read 11 or more books in any genre with the U.S. Civil War as a primary or secondary theme.
Additionally, we’ve decided that since there are so many great movies out there about U.S. Civil War, that you can substitute or add a movie or two to your list this year and have it count toward your totals. We nabbed this idea from a few challenges in 2009, particularly The Everything Austen Challenge at Stephanies’s Written Word.
The Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge The rules for participating in this reading challenge are quite simple:
1. Pick the Montgomery book (or books!) that you most want to read and then read them during the first few weeks of January. Watching any of the following movies/tv shows also qualify for this particular challenge: Anne of Green Gables, Anne Of Green Gables - The Sequel or the Road to Avonlea series. (Watching Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story does NOT count because it doesn't follow the books a stitch and is Anne-heresy.) Write up a post declaring your intentions to participate and, if you've decided already, what books you purpose to read.
2. Come back on Monday, January 3rd to link up to the Lucy Maud Montgomery Challenge post. (Just say that you are participating so that myself and others know to watch your blogs for your thoughts over the course of January.)
3. Read, read, read. Watch, watch, watch. Come back on Friday, January 28th and link up however many posts you wrote up relating to the Montgomery books or films you chose to read or watch during the month.
4. Optional, but encouraged: VISIT EACH OTHER and get to know the other people participating in the challenge.
That's it! You can decide to do as much or as little as you like. I just hope that you'll take a little bit of time to indulge in some of Montgomery's writings.
War and Peace read alongThe novel is 365 chapters long, so the plan is to read a chapter a day for a year, and weigh in with thoughts every two months.
Books won challenge I created this challenge last year to challenge myself and others that have won books, to read and review some of them. The reason publishing companies supply books for book bloggers to give away is to get word out about the books and create buzz. I didn't do very well with this challenge in 2010, I only read one won book. However, 2011 is a New Year and a fresh start. I feel bad that I haven't read many of the book I have won and want to make an effort to read them in 2011.
If you would like to join me, here are the levels:
Honorable Mention: Read 1-3 book you won.
Bronze: Read 4-6 books you won.
Silver: Read 7-9 Books you won.
Gold: Read 10 or more books you won.
Fearless Poetry Reading challengeMy poetry reading challenge is meant to be easy and to challenge everyone to read just 1 book of poetry, whether its contemporary or classic doesn’t matter, as long as you read one. You can even wait until midway through the challenge and join the read-a-long of a poetry book that I’ll be selecting.
2011 Audiobook Challenge I'm going to go ahead and continue with the same levels that were previously established:
Curious: 3 Audio Books
Fascinated: 6 Audio Books
Addicted: 12 Audio Books
Obsessed: 20 Audio Books
Page to screen challengeReading Levels:
Level one-Read 5 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
Level two-Read 10 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
Level three-Read 15 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
Level four-Read 20 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
Reading and Watching Levels:
Level one-Read 5 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
Level two-Read 10 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
Level three-Read 15 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
Level four-Read 20 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
Historical Fiction Reading challengeDuring these following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:
Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
Struggling the Addiction: 10 books
Daring & Curious: 5 books
Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books
Original TBR or
TBR litePick 12 books – one for each month of the year - that you’ve been wanting to read (that have been on your “To Be Read” list) for 6 months or longer, but haven’t gotten around to.
** OPTIONAL: Create a list of 12 “Alternates” (books you could substitute for your challenge books, given that a particular one doesn’t grab you at the time)
By the end of the year you should’ve knocked 12 books off of your TBR list! (of course, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have added *at LEAST* 12 more to the ever-growing pile by then! LOL).
Lite =
OPTION B: read 6 books in 12 months ~ you CAN change your reading list throughout the year
A-Z Reading ChallengeTitles -- Read alphabetically by title. Commit to 26 books
E-Book challengeThere are four levels:
-- Curious – Read 3 e-books.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 e-books.
-- Addicted – Read 12 e-books.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 e-books.
The Buck Stops Here Challenge Read, review (optional) and post where you found your bargain book. The book can be paper or ebook, it can be FREE or cost you up to ONE DOLLAR maximum. No loaned books-the book must be yours even if it was a freebie
Level one -3 bargain books
Level two-6 bargain books
Level three-10 bargain books
*Bonus! Level four "proud cheapskate"-52 bargain books!*
