2010 Book Challenges Update

These were the challenges I participated in in 2010:

Challenges:
100+ Reading
Bibliophilic Books
Global
Marple, Poirot, Holmes
Memorable Memoir
Read Your Own Books
Science Books 
Take Another Chance
War Through the Generations
Young Adult
Non-Fiction Five 

Let's see how I did!

• 100+ Reading - YAY! 24 Non-Fiction, 74 Fiction, 6 Graphic Novels, 4 Books in Chinese and 11 Did Not Finish. Well, if you count only Non-Fiction and Fiction, then it's 98 books altogether. But It's over 100 if you count the books I read in Chinese, and graphic novels.. so do they count or not?! Interesting, the past couple of years prior to 2010, I read about 75% Non-Fiction, but this year it's the other way round. I think I'd try 50-50 next year, especially since there were some fiction I didn't quite like this year... Would I aim for 100 books again? I don't know (I did read 100 books in 2008 and 104 books in 2009). I think I'd just read what I enjoy and see where I am. Quality over quantity...
  
  
• Bibliophilic Books - Oops! 1 out of 3. There were some Non-Fiction I wanted to read for this challenge, but didn't end up reading them
  
  
• Global - Oops! 3 out of 6. Read Asia, Europe and North America. Missed Africa, Australasia and South America
  
  
• Marple, Poirot, Holmes - Oops! 1 out of 6. Though I did read another Agatha Christie book, just not a Marple or Poirot one...
  
  
• Memorable Memoir - YAY! 12 out of 4. Do I get bonus points? :) Definitely enjoy memoir
  
  
• Read Your Own Books - Oops! 6 out of 10. Need to read more of my own books... but I love my library!
  
  
• Science Books - YAY! 3 out of 3. Thought I'd read more...
  
  
• Take Another Chance - Oops! 3 out of 6. Guess didn't take that many chances...
  
  
• War Through the Generations - Oops! 1 out of 5. I am disappointed I didn't finish this one, this is one I want to finish... alas just wasn't in the mood...
  
  
• Young Adult - YAY! 23 out of 12. Surprised that I read that many YA! Some great ones, some misses...
  
  
• Non-Fiction Five - YAY! 6 out of 5 in 4 months.

So, finished 5 challenges, and didn't finish 6...

I am glad I tried the challenges in 2010. First year blogging, and first year doing challenges. I think it helps me decide what to do for 2011... stay tuned.

THANK YOU to everyone who hosted the challenges in 2010! I know it's a lot of work, and it's much appreciated!

Mid-Year Challenge Review

I haven't really checked how I am doing with my Challenges. Mid-year seems like a good time!

• 100 Books - 56/100 (yah half way through!)
• Read Your Own Books - 2/10 (oops, but now my own books are out of the boxes, maybe I'll get to finish if I ban myself from the library)
• Science - 2/3 (likely to finish, just one more!)
• Bibliophilic Book - 1/3 (will have to see about this one...)
• Global - 2/6 (guessing will finish 3 or 4 out of 6)
• Memorable Memoir - 7/4 DONE!
• Marple Poirot Holmes - 0/6 (want to finish at least 3)
• War Through Generation - 0/5 (want to finish it all with non-fiction)
• YA - 16/12 DONE!
• Take Another Challenge - 1/6 (guessing maybe 2 or 3...)
• 5 Non-Fiction (until September) - 3/5 (confident will finish)

Out of 11, 2 are finished.

Non-Fiction Five Challenge - 5/1-9/30, 2010

Trish's Reading Nook is hosting the Non-Fiction Five Challenge. Details here.

1. Read 5 non-fiction books during the months of May - September, 2010 (please link your reviews on Mister Linky each month; Mister Linky can be found at the beginning of each month on this blog)

2. Read at least one non-fiction book that is different from your other choices (i.e.: 4 memoirs and 1 self-help)

3. If interested, please sign up below with the link to your NFF Challenge post (all choices do not need to be posted and may change at any time)




My thoughts: 
Since I read quite a bit of NF anyway, may as well join this to see what others are reading! I am pretty confident that this is a challenge I can finish :)

My list:

1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
2. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
3. Hannah's Gift: Lessons from a Life Fully Lived by Maria Housden
4. Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer's Journey by Daniel Keyes
5. With One Eye Open by Polly Frost 
6. Live It, Love It, Earn It: A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom by Marianna Olszewski 

RYOB - Read Your Own Books Challenge

MizB is hosting the Read Your Own Books (RYOB) challenge. More info here.

• Pick a number of books you’d like to read in one year
• Choose those books from your OWN collection
• Read them between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010
• Re-Reads are NOT allowed (the challenge is to get more of your own books read that have been sitting there waiting!)
• Audiobooks & e-books ARE allowed

My thoughts:

I don't buy a lot of books, but when I do, they are usually non-fiction so I can keep for references. Out of the 100 books or so I read in the past year, they are almost 99.9% from the library... I really need to read some of my own books! I think I'll try to read 10... probably should be more, but I go to the library all the time (need to return the books and pick up the reserve you know!) and each time I can't help but browse at the New Books shelves... and end up taking more books home than I'd just returned...

My list:

1. Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet by Helen Chen
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. My Lost Daughter by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
4. The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume by Tilar J. Mazzeo
5. Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam by Barry Fixler
6. Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey
7. TBD
8. TBD
9. TBD
10. TBD
    

2010 Global Reading Challenge

More info about the 2010 Global Challenge here.

• The Easy Challenge - Read one novel from each of these continents in the course of 2010:

• Africa
• Asia
• Australasia
• Europe
• North America (incl Central America)
• South America

• From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.

• The Medium Challenge - Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010:
  

• Africa
• Asia
• Australasia
• Europe
• North America (incl Central America)
• South America

• Try to find novels from twelve different countries or states.

• The Expert Challenge - Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010:
  

• Africa
• Asia
• Australasia
• Europe
• North America (incl Central America)
• South America
• Add two novels which are set in Antarctica.
  

• Select novels from fourteen different countries or states.

My thoughts:

Last year I read and enjoyed The Blue Notebook and Rooftop in Tehran. I should read more novels about different cultures. I will stick with the Easy Challenge.


My list:

1. Africa:
   
   
   
   • TBD - Cutting for Stone?
2. Asia:
   
   
   
   • The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel by Nicole Mones
   • The Housekeeper and the Professor: A Novel by Yoko Ogawa
3. Australasia:
   
   
   
   • TBD
4. Europe:
   
   
   
   • Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord
   • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5. North America (incl Central America):
   
   
   
   • Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
6. South America:
   
   
   
   • TBD

Challenge Participants' Reviews:

1. Africa
2. Asia
3. Australasia
4. Europe
5. North America (incl Central America)
   
6. South America
7. Antarctica

See this post by A Striped Armchair for book reference!!!

The 2010 Science Book Challenge

More information about the Science Book here.

• Read at least three nonfiction books in 2010 related to the theme "Nature & Science". Your books should have something to do with science, scientists, how science operates, or the relationship of science with our culture. Your books might be popularizations of science, they might be histories, they might be biographies, they might be anthologies; they can be recent titles or older books. We take a very broad view of what makes for interesting and informative science reading, looking for perspectives on science as part of culture and history.
• After you've read a book, write a short note about it giving your opinions of the book. Tell us what you'd tell a friend if you wanted to convince your friend to read it--or avoid it. Naturally, you can read some of the existing Book Notes for ideas. You might like to read our Book-note ratings for ideas about how to evaluate your books; we include ratings with every book note.
• Don't worry if you find that you've read a book someone else has also read; we welcome multiple notes on one title.
• Get your book note to us and we'll post it with the other notes in our Book Note section. Use the book-note form or the comment form to get in touch with us.  Some previous book notes can be found here.
  
• Review scale: 
• Scienticity
• Readability
• Hermeneutics
• Charisma
• Recommendation  

My thoughts:

I am interested in science, but have not read a whole lot of science books. I love TV shows like Numb3rs. So this would be a good challenge!

My List:

1. Genetic Rounds: A Doctor's Encounters in the Field that Revolutionized Medicine by Robert Marion MD
2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
3. Not by Chance Alone: My Life as a Social Psychologist by Elliot Aronson

2010 Bibliophilic Books Challenge

Lesley from A Life in Books is hosting the 2010 Bibliophilic Book Challenge. More info here.

• The challenge will be to read a set number of books that focus on books or reading. These can be fictional works, such as The Eyre Affair or The Shadow of the Wind; or non-fiction works such as 84, Charing Cross Road or The Polysyllabic Spree. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books out there that would fit this challenge.
• The challenge begins on January 1, 2010 and ends on December 31, 2010. You must sign up for the challenge by January 31st, 2010.
• Only books read during the challenge will count. You may reread books as well as cross-reference books with other challenges.
• You do not need to make out a list when you sign up and you can change your mind on particular book selections throughout the challenge. I like to have flexibility for my reading whims!
• There are three levels for you to choose from:
• Bookworm: Read three books
• Litlover: Read six books
• Bibliomaniac: Read twelve books  

My thoughts:

Read about books or reading! Actually as I looked at my pile of books I borrowed from the library, there are 3 books that would already fit into this category. Should I try to read 3, or 6....? I think I will stick with "Bookworm" for now, so that I have time to read books for other challenges. If I end up reading more than 3, all the better!

My List:

1. Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon
2. TBD
3. TBD
   

Challenge Participants' Reviews:

January

February

#3

 

March

April

May

June

July

August

Spetember

October

November

December

2010 Vietnam War Reading Challenge

War Through the Generations is hosting the Vietnam War challenge. More info here.

• From January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010.
• This year you have options when reading your fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. with the Vietnam 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.
• Optional group review midway through the challenge on Paco’s Story by Larry Heinemann.  We will warn you that this book can be quite graphic and disturbing, so it is not for the faint of heart.
  
• Three levels:

• Dip: Read 5 books in any genre with the Vietnam War as a primary or secondary theme.
• Wade: Read 6-10 books in any genre with the Vietnam War as a primary or secondary theme.
• Swim: Read 11 or more books in any genre with the Vietnam War as a primary or secondary theme.

My thoughts:

I had been reading a few books on war/military, but have not read anything on the Vietnam war yet, so why not. I think I'll read 5 books, just so I will have time to read other books too.

Recommended Reading list here.

Anna from Diary of an Eccentric has posted her list here.

My list:

1. Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam by Barry Fixler
   
2. TBD
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD

ETA: I browsed through the library's online catalog and came up with a potential list of books.

Take Another Chance Challenge in 2010

Find Your Next Book Here is hosting the Take Another Chance Challenge. More info here.

The 12 Challenges:

Challenge 1:   Read Your Doppelganger 

Challenge 2:   Blogroll Roulette Entries

Challenge 3:   100 Best Book Entries
Challenge 4:   Prize Winner Book Entries
Challenge 5:   Title Word Count Entries
Challenge 6:   Genre Switch-Up Entries
Challenge 7:   Break A Prejudice Entries
Challenge 8:   Real and Inspired Entries
Challenge 9:   Same Word, Different Book Entries
Challenge 10: Become A Character Entries
Challenge 11: All in the Family Entries
Challenge 12: Author Anthology Pick Entries

• Here are the participation levels. Feel free to do whatever level you want. You can also switch up or down midway through the challenge.

• A Small Gamble: Complete any 3 of the 12 challenges
• A Moderate Gamble: Complete any 6 of the 12 challenges
• Gambling It All: Complete all 12 of the challenges

• Each challenge you complete will earn you entries into a prize drawing at the end of the challenge. Some of the challenges are harder and will earn you more entries. If you complete all 12 challenges, you will earn 5 extra entries into the drawing.
• The prize is a book of the winner's choice from Amazon (worth $25 or less).
• Crossover books from other challenges is fine.

My thoughts:

I think this challenge is going to be the most challenging - but that's the whole point right? This will help me expand to books I won't normally choose. After looking through the challenges, I think I'll try the Moderate Gamble (6 challenges) that appeal to me the most. I am not big on those randomly choosing a number challenges as I want to really choose something out of the norm, but hopefully will still enjoy (otherwise it'll deter me from the genre even more if I randomly pick something!)


The chosen challenges:

Challenge 3 - 100 Best Books 
Choose one of the lists below and go to the link provided. Choose a book to read from the list that you haven't read before. Read the book and write about it.

• Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List
• Top 100 Sci-Fi Books
• 100 Best Romance Novels of the 20th Century
• 100 Best Mystery Novels
  
• 100 Best Non-Fiction Books (pick from either Board List or Reader List)
• 2009 Best Books for Young Adults

Challenge 4 - Prize Winner Book
Pick one of the major literary awards from the list below. Click on the link for the award you picked. You will find a brief description of the award and links to past winners. Pick one of the past winners, read the book and write about it.

• Booker Prize
  
• Caldecott Medal
  
• National Book Award
  
• National Book Critics Circle Award
  
• Newbery Medal
  
• Nobel Prize for Literature
  
• PEN/Faulkner Award
  
• Pulitzer Prize
  
• Commonwealth Writers' Prize
  
• EMMA Awards

Challenge 6 - Genre Switch Up
Go to this list of book genres and pick a genre that you have NEVER read before. Find a book from that genre, read it, and write about it. Note: If you seriously cannot find a genre that you have never read, then pick the genre that is as far away from what you normally read.


Challenge 7 - Break a Prejudice
We all have reading prejudices--authors we don't like, genres we don't like, or even publishers we don't like. For this challenge, think of a reading prejudice you have and then find a book that is an example of this type of book. Read the book and then write about the reading prejudice you had BEFORE you read the book and how reading the book either changed your prejudice or reinforced it.

Examples: I always say I can't stand James Patterson; therefore, I might read a James Patterson book for this challenge. Or, if you sneer at "chick lit" books, you might read a "chick lit" book. Or, if you think books published by Harlequin are pure drivel, you might read a book published by Harlequin. If you turn up your nose at the Twilight books, then you might read one of the Twilight books.


Challenge 9 - Same Word, Different Book (2 books)
Find two books that have the same word in the title. Read both books and write about them. (Worth 2 entries because you have to read two books).

Example: If you pick the word "Love," you could read any two books that both have Love in the title. To help you find books that have the same word, you could go to Amazon.com, type a word into the Search box and see what books come up with that word.


Challenge 10 - Become a Character
For this challenge, you can read any book you want. However, you have to write about the book as one of the characters from the book. The character can comment on his/her treatment by the author, other characters, the "untold story," what happened next, and so forth. You could even have two characters interviewing each other! Your imagination is the only limit. Because of the difficulty level of this challenge, it is worth two entries.

My list:

Challenge 3 - 100 Best Books

Title TBD. Review TBD.

Challenge 4 - Prize Winner Book

Title TBD. Review TBD.

Challenge 6 - Genre Switch Up

Graphic Book - Blankets: An Illustrated Novel by Craig Thompson

Challenge 7 - Break a Prejudice

Chick Lit - Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette

Challenge 9 - Same Word, Different Book 

• Postcards from a Dead Girl: A Novel by Kirk Farber
• Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

 

Challenge 10 - Become a Character

Title TBD. Review TBD.

100+ Reading Challenge for 2010

J. Kaye's Book Blog is hosting the 100+ Books Reading Challenge. More information here.

• Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts. 
• What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.
• No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed. 
• Crossovers from other reading challenges count. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

My thoughts:

Since I read 100 or more books in the past couple of years, let's see if I can keep it up!


My list:

My book list is posted in a separate post here.

Challenge Participants' Reviews:

January 

February

March 

April

May 

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Wrap Up/Complete List

#

The Marple Poirot Holmes Challenge for 2010

At Pemberley is hosting the Marple Poirot Holmes Challenge. More info here.

• This  challenge is from  January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. 
• You will have to read a minimum of 6 books in total: two Miss Marple mysteries, two Sherlock Holmes mysteries and two Hercule Poirot mysteries. You can of course, read more than 6 books if you want to.
• The books you have chosen for this challenge can overlap with other challenges.

My thoughts:

I love reading contemporary murder/mystery/thrillers, especially if it is more clue-based or based on scientific facts (e.g. Jeffrey Deaver, the early Patricia Cornwell, Tess Gerritsen and Kathy Reichs etc.) It is almost embarrassing that I have perhaps only read one Agatha Christie's book a long, long time ago (so long that I don't even remember which one it was). As for Sherlock Holmes, I read some in Chinese when I was a child (probably children version), and loved the Young Sherlock Holmes movie :) So I think it's about time I read some of these classics!

List of Agatha Christie's books here.

List of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Home books here. 

My List:

Miss Marple mysteries

1. TBD
2. TBD
   

Sherlock Holmes mysteries

1. TBD
2. TBD
   

Hercule Poirot mysteries

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie
2. TBD

Challenge Participants' Reviews:
Reviews

The 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

J. Kaye's Book Blog is hosting the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge.  More info here.

• Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.
• Audio, eBooks, re-reads all count.  
• No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
  

My thoughts:

I want to read more YA this year (I found them to be more straight forward!).  There are 4 levels (12, 25, 50 and 75 books) and since I read less than 30 fiction last year, I will stick with the 12 books Mini Challenge.


My list:

1. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
   
2. The Hate List: A Novel by Jennifer Brown
   
3. Liar by Justine Larbalestier
4. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson
5. Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet by Helen Chen
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
8. Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan
9. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
10. The Dead Toss Waves by Carrie Ryan
11. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
12. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
13. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting  [EXTRA!!!]
14. House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings #1) by Robert Liparulo [EXTRA!!!]
15. The Maze Runner by James Dashner  [EXTRA!!!]
16. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes [EXTRA!!!]
17. Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles [EXTRA!!!]
18. Unwind by Neal Shusterman [EXTRA!!!]
19. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder [EXTRA!!!]
20. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer [EXTRA!!!] 
21. Mockingjay (#3 of the Hunger Games) by Suznne Collins [EXTRA!!!]
22. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper  [EXTRA!!!]
23. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King [EXTRA!!!]

Challenge Participants' Reviews.



Wrap Up / Complete List for participants here.

The Memorable Memoir Reading Challenge for 2010

The Betty and Boo Chronicles is hosting The Memorable Memoir Reading Challenge for 2010. More info is posted here.

• Memoirs, letters, diaries, and autobiographies count as reads for this challenge. (Basically, if you think it is the stuff of memoir, it counts.)
• Overlaps with other challenges are allowed. Audiobooks and e-books are also allowed.
• Participants are encouraged to read at least 4 memoirs/diaries/letters/autobiography books in 2010. Of course, more are fine!

My thoughts:

I read a lot of memoir already, so this shouldn't be too difficult - but I am interested to see what others are reading so I can add on to my To-Read list!

My list:

1. Tell Them I Didn't Cry: A Young Journalist's Story of Joy, Loss, and Survival in Iraq by Jackie Spinner with Jenny Spinner
   
2. Never Trust a Thin Cook and Other Lessons from Italy's Culinary Capital by Eric Dregni
3. The Hunger: A Story of Food, Desire, and Ambition by John DeLucie 
4. Genetic Rounds: A Doctor's Encounters in the Field that Revolutionized Medicine by Robert Marion MD
5. Notes Left Behind by Brooke and Keith Desserich 
6. The Promise: How One Woman Made Good on Her Extraordinary Pact to Send a Classroom of 1st Graders to College by Oral Lee Brown
7. Believe It, Be It: How Being The Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life by Ali Vincent 
8. Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer's Journey by Daniel Keyes 
9. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
10. Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi 
11. Not by Chance Alone: My Life as a Social Psychologist by Elliot Aronson 
12. Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam by Barry Fixler 

Challenge Participants' Reviews here