2009 PUB Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009
Michelle is hosting the 2009 PUB Challenge - a challenge to read books published in 2009. For those who participated in 2008, here is your opportunity to keep reading the most current literature! Here are the guidelines:

Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009. Any questions on what qualifies? Just leave a comment on the post about the challenge, and Michelle will set you straight!
No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
At least 5 titles must be fiction.
Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.

Completed

1. Three Weeks to Say Goodbye - CJ Box

2. What I Did for Love - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Support Your Local Library Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009
J. Kaye from J. Kaye's Book Blog is hosting the 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge where participants are encouraged to read from their libraries. There are three levels of participation you may choose from:

The first is to read 12 books from your local library in 2009.
The second is to read 25 books from your local library in 2009.
The third is to read 50 books from your local library in 2009.
The guidelines are:
You can join any time between now and December 31, 2009, as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.
Once you've chosen a level of participation you cannot change it.
Books can be audios, downloads, children’s, YA. As long as it’s a book, format and target age group does not matter. You do not have to decide on books ahead of time; lists can change.

I am choosing to read 12 books from my local library.

1. The Higher Power of Lucky - Susan Patron (Complete)

2. Peaches - Jodi Lynn Anderson (Complete)

3. Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen (Complete)

4. Getting Rid of Matthew - Jane Fallon (Complete)

5. Rumors - Anna Godbersen (Complete)

6. Light Years - Tammar Stien (Complete)

7. The Chili Queen -Sandra Dallas (Complete)

8. Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield (Complete)

9. Priceless - Dave Ramsey(Complete)

10 Three Weeks to Say Goodbye - CJ Box(Complete)

11. What I Did for Love - Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Complete)

Read Your Own Books Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009
Jenn is hosting the 2009 Read Your Own Books Challenge. The concept is simple - read books that YOU OWN. Here are the rules:
Set a goal of how many books you want to read throughout the year.
Make a list of books you own which you want to read - the list can change at any time.
Books you add to your collection during the year are eligible.
eBooks and Audio Books are acceptable.
Overlaps with other challenges are fine.

My goal is to read 25 of books that I own. I am trying to make sure 1/2 of the books that I read are currenly owned by me!

1. The Water Dancers - Terry Gamble - COMPLETE

Romance Reading Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009
Naida from The Bookworm is hosting the Romance Reading Challenge for 2009. She points out that Romance Reading is not just about the bodice-rippers...




There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.



The goal is to read a minimum of five (5) Romance novels during the challenge period. You can change your list at any times and crossovers with other challenges is allowed.

COMPLETED

1. The Chili Queen – Sandra Dallas (Complete)

2. Dream A Little Dream - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

3. What I Did For Love - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

4.

5.

My Selections:

Here is a list of possiblities, but I am not sure yet which ones will end up making the cut!
1. White Mountain – Dinah McCall
2. Beneath the Texas Sky – Jodi Thomas
3. Ready for Love – Debbie Macomber
4. The Manning Sisters – Debbie Macomber
5. Julia’s Chocolates – Cathy Lamb
6. Always – Jude Deveraux
7. Stealing Home – Sherryl Woods
8. Voager - Diana Gabaldon
9. Drums of Autumn- Diana Gabaldon

Themed Reading Challenge

February 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009

Caribousmom is hosting the Themed Reading Challenge again in 2009. Here are the guidelines:

Books should be chosen from the reader’s TBR pile (this may be an actual physical pile or a virtual pile).
The goal is to read 4 to 6 books linked by theme.
Overlaps with other challenges are allowed.
Readers may change their list of books at any time.
Readers may choose three different levels of participation:
Read at least 4 books with the same theme.
Read at least 5 books that share at least TWO themes.
Read at least 6 books that share MORE than two themes.

Themes can be geographic, genre, author, subject matter, or anything in between! Last year’s themes were wonderfully creative and varied and included such things as: books about books, books set in New England, books with a color in the title, books about vampires, books with the word ‘lady’ in the title, Gothic classics, fairy tales retold for adults, high school classics, Asian culture, feathered friends, WWII, Canada, books in translation, and Beverly Cleary. There were many others I have not listed here!

My Selections:

I am selecting 4 books with one theme: Jane Austin By Another Name. This means books that are by other authors using Jane Austin's characters, themes, or her name in the title of the book.

1. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen – Syrie James
2. Letters From Pemberley – Jane Dakins

3. Me and Mr. Darcy – Alexandra Potter
4. The Man Who Loved Jane Austen – Sally Smith O’Rourke

Book Awards II Challenge

I am joining the Awards Challenge.

Rules:
*Read 10 award winners from August 1, 2008 through June 1, 2009.
*You must have at least FIVE different awards in your ten titles.
*Overlaps with other challenges are permitted.
*You don't have to post your choices right away, and your list can change at any time.
*'Award winners' is loosely defined; make the challenge fit your needs, keeping in mind Rule #2.
*SIGN UP using Mr. Linky.
*Have fun reading!

Books Completed:

1. The Higher Power of Lucky - Susan Patron (Newburry)

2. The Host - Stephanie Meyers (Book Sense Pick May 2008)

3. Getting Rid of Mathew - Jane Fallon (Book Sense Pick August 2007)

4. The Chili Queen - Sandra Dallas (Spur Award)

5. Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield (Alex)

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Different Awards

1. Book Sense Picks

2. Newburry

3. Alex

4.

5.

In researching the award winners I found a lot that I wanted to read. Here are some of my options. I am not sure which ones I am going to read, but here are my options:

Meg Rosoff – How I live Now (Printz)
The White Darkness – Geraldine McCaughrean (2008 Printz)
A Step From Heaven- An Na (2001 Natioanl Book
The God of Animals, by Aryn Kyle (2008 Alex Awards)
Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronical: Day One – Patrick Rothfuss (2008 Alex Awards)
Thirtheenth Tale – Diane Setterfield (2007 Alex Award)
The Floor of the Sky – Pamela Carter joern (2007 Alex Award)
As Simple as Snow – Gregory Galloway (2007 Alex Award) 5 Stars
Never let me go - Kazuo Ishiguro (2007 Alex Award)
2007 Meg Rosoff, Just in Case, Penguin (Carnegie Medal)
2003 Shirley Hazzard The Great Fire (National Book Award)
1987 The Falling Woman by Pat Murphy (Nebula Award)
2002 Bel Canto – Patchett (Orange Prize) (PEN/Faulkner Award)
2006 - Cormac McCarthy, The Road (James Tait Black Memorial)
2004 Marilynne Robinson Gilead (National Book Critics Circle)
2003 Edward P. Jones The Known World (National Book Critics Circle)
1996 Gina Berriault Women in Their Beds (Short Stories - National Book Critics Circle)
1981 Marilynne Robinson for Housekeeping (PEN/Hemingway Award)
1977 Darcy O'Brien for A Way of Life, Like Any Other (PEN/Hemmingway Award)
2007 Joshua Ferris for Then We Came to the End (PEN/Hemmingway Award)
2003 Jennifer Haigh for Mrs. Kimble (PEN/Hemmingway Award)
2008 Kate Christensen, The Great Man (PEN/Faulkner Award)
1999 Antelope Wife by Louise Erdrich (World Fantasy Award)
2006 - The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard (Agatha Awards)
2003 - Letter From Home by Carolyn Hart (Agatha Awards)
1998 - Butchers Hill by Laura Lippman (Agatha Awards)
1995 - If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him by Sharyn McCrumb (Agatha Awards)1994 - She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb (Agatha Awards)
1991 - I.O.U. by Nancy Pickard (Agatha Awards)
1990 - Bum Steer by Nancy Pickard (Agatha Awards)
Interpreter of Maladies – Jhumpa Lahiri (Pulizer)
Kira Kira – Cynthia Kadohota (Newbery)
Hattie Big Sky-Kirby Larson (Newbery)
Time Lottery – Nancy Moser (Christy Award 2003)
Where Mercy Flows – Karen Harter (Christy)
Heavy Silence – Nicole Mazzarella (Christy)
The Mending String – Cliff Coon (Christy)
Welcome to Fred – Brad Whittington (Christy)
A Place Called Wiregrass – Michael Morris (Christy)
Ezekiel’s Shadow – David Long (Christy)
Passing by Samaria – Sharon Ewell Foster (Christy)
The Bretheren – Beverly Lewis (Christy Series Winners)
The Road Home – Vanessa Del Fabbro (Christy Series Winners)
Secrets – Kristen Heitzmann (Christy)
True Honor – Dee Henderson (Christy)
The Guardian – Dee Henderson (Christy)
A Touch of Betrayal – Catherine Palmer (Christy)
Whispers from Yesterday – Robin Lee Hatcher (Christy)
Unashamed – Fancine Rivers (Christy)
The Meeting Place – Janette Oke & T Davis Bunn (Christy)

I have enough books for a couple of years of Award Challenges!! :)

Young Adult Romance Challenge

Becky is hosting a Young Adult Romance Challenge
July 1 - Feb 2009
The rules

*Read six YA romance novels between July 1, 2008 and February 28, 2009.

*Romance should be a strong element within the story. But it doesn't have to be the only element. Realistic fiction (contemporary). Historical. Fantasy. Science Fiction. Retold Fairy Tales. All genres are allowed.

*They can be part of a series, or stand-alones.

*They can be long or short. *Happy books are NOT a requirement

*Audio books are allowed.

*Up to three movies can be substituted for books. So you could watch 3 movies, read 3 books if you prefer.

I haven't read many books from this genre since I was a teen - you can see from my list I have been seriously missing out!! I looked at Barnes & Noble under Teen Fiction - Romance and Friendship and found all of these great ones!! Thanks Becky for opening me to another group of books that I think I will love!!

Book Selections:
1. Twilight -Stephenie Meyer - COMPLETE
2. Luxe -Anna Godbersen (Luxe Series #1) - COMPLETE
3. Peaches - Jodi Lynn Anderson - COMPLETE
4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares (Series #1)

5. Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen - COMPLETE

6. Rumors - Anna Godbersen -COMPLETE

Alternates
*Secrets of Peaches - Jodi Lynn Anderson (Series #2)

*Love is a Many Trousered Thing - Louise Rennison
*Light Years - Tammar Stein
* Ever - Gail Carson Levine -

*Leslie's Journal by Allan Stratton (Sept 2008) -
*Savvy - Ingrid Law (not sure if this is romance or not) -
*Loving Will Shakespeare - Carolyn Meyer
*The Princess and the Hound - Mette Ivie Harrison
*Red Necklace - Sally Gardner
*Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty - Jody Gehrman
*The Patron Saint of Butterflies - Cecilia Galante
*All-American Girl - Meg Cabot (Series #1)
*Honey, Baby, Sweetheart - Deb Caletti (Award Winner)
*This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen
*Someone Like You - Sarah Dessen