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Colleen at Books in the City is hosting the Immigrant Stories Challenge again in 2013. I've enjoyed the books I've read for this challenge over the past two years, so I'm signing up again. Colleen says, The only requirement of the challenge is that the books read for it include an immigrant story. The immigrants can be coming to or from any country - expand your horizons! I'm signing up at the Just Off the Boat level--1-3 books. I'll track my progress here. This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz Apologies to My Censor: The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China by Mitch Moxley The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

I'm signing up for the Audio Book Challenge at Teresa's Reading Corner again this year. I've become a huge fan of audio books over the past couple of years, surprising myself! The goal is simply to listen to audio books. I'm signing up at the Going Steady level--12 audio books. It may be close, but I'll try my best! I'll track my progress here. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall, read by Susan Dennaker Cinder by Marissa Meyer, read by Rebecca Soler Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews, read by Isabel Keating The Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Lisette Lecat The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker, read by Carrington MacDuffie Die, Snow White! Die, Damn You! by Yuri Rasovsky, read by a full cast Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, read by Rebecca Soler The Fallen by T. Jefferson Parker, read by David Colacci The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas, read by Mozhan Marno The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells, read by Judith Ivey Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, read by Rita Barrington The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, read by Jonathan Davis Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor, read by Khristine Hvam Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie Dai, translated by Ina Rilke, read by B. D. Wong Naked in Death by J. D. Robb, read by Susan Ericksen Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, read by Ari Fliakos NPR Favorite Driveway Moments: Radio Stories That Won't Let You Go Edited December 30, 2013: Challenge Complete! I think this is the best I've ever done and I expect to finish one more today...

Shelleyrae at Book'd Out is hosting the Eclectic Reader Challenge again this year. I truly enjoyed this challenge in 2012, so I'm signing up again. Here's what Shelleyrae has to say: The aim of The Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge is to push you outside your comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different categories. The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2013. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2013 All participants that complete the challenge by December 31st 2012 will be eligible to win a book of their choice to the value of $15AUD from bookdepository.com or a $10US Amazon gift card or paypal funds of US$10 to be drawn via random.org Jan 2014. Categories Translated fiction--Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak Historical mystery--The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters Romantic suspense--Naked in Death by J. D. Robb Made into a movie--The Host by Stephenie Meyer New Adult--The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag Urban Fantasy--The Blood Fae by India Drummond Dystopian--The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi Memoir--A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah LGBT--The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family by Dan Savage Action Adventure--Under the Jolly Roger by L. A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren Humour--Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison Published in 2013--NOS4A2 by Joe Hill I read a lot of these anyway, but I may have trouble with the dystopian and LGBT categories. I have not had much luck with dystopian novels in the past, with the exception of The Hunger Games trilogy. I haven't read a lot of LGBT and just don't really know where to start. Any recommendations for either of those categories? Updated December 29, 2013: That's…