Book Review Lists

I joined the Off the Shelf Challenge last year and did well enough that I'm signing up for it again. I can always use more encouragement to read the books I already own! From Bookish Ardour: "This challenge is to read those books you own a copy of, print, digital, and audio, you have been meaning to read, but never gotten to. If you don’t own enough books for the challenge you can read your TBR list instead. And no, you do not need to get rid of your books afterwards, that’s completely your choice, this challenge is only to read them." The Main Rule: Do not include books acquired during 2012, it defeats the purpose, read those books from before 2012 started! Running Dates: 1st of January – 31st of December 2012 When Can I Sign Up: All the way up to the last two weeks of December! Crossover Genres: Anything! The name of the game is to turn those unread books into read ones. Further Details: Crossover challenges are fine, you can change levels at any time, this is eBook, short story, and graphic novel friendly, and you don’t need a blog to join in (read further for details). Visit Bookish Ardour to sign up! I'm signing up at the "Trying" level--15 of my own books. I'll track my progress here. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad, translated by Ingrid Christopherson Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey I'll Be Watching You by Charles de Lint Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Ice by Sarah Beth Durst Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz and…

I didn't think I was going to be doing anymore challenges, but I keep thinking about these two, so I've decided it's just time to sign up and get them out of my system! Colleen at Books in the City is hosting an Immigrant Stories Challenge. I'm signing up for the Just Off the Boat level--read 1 to 3 books about an immigrant experience. These books can be fiction or non-fiction, and they can be immigrant stories set in any country. I wasn't sure what I would read, but in looking through Colleen's recommendations, there are several that are already on my to-read list that I'm very excited about. Go to Books in the City to sign up! Tif Talks Books is hosting the Fairy Tale Challenge. Well, we all know I can't resist a good fairy tale, so I'm surprised I've held out this long! I'll be signing up for the Fairy Level: Read 1 original tale. Read 1 modern tale. Watch 1 film. (Total of 3 selections.) Any reading level counts, so you can read a child's picture book, a YA novel, a graphic novel, an adult book, or anything in between. Go here to sign up! Both challenges run from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. I'll write an individual post for each challenge where I'll track my progress.  They will be backdated in order to keep from clogging up my feed. I hope you'll join me for these two challenges! I have an affiliate relationship with IndieBound, Book Depository, and Better World Books and will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

Bookish Ardour is challenging us to read some of the books we already own. I'm choosing the "Trying" level and aiming low at 15 books. Visit the site to sign up. (Here's my owned-to-read shelf on GoodReads if you're curious.) This challenge runs from January 1 - December 31, 2011.  I'll track my progress here. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach Moloka'i by Alan Brennert The House on Tradd Street by Karen White Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons Labyrinth by Kate Mosse The Color Purple by Alice Walker Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston East of Eden by John Steinbeck Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts by Julian Rubinstein Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes