Winter Holiday Reading Challenge

November 1, 2008 - January 31, 2009

Diane from Book In Hand is hosting the Winter Holiday Reading Challenge. She writes:

The theme for this challenge is Winter Holidays. The books that you choose to read must have a storyline that includes celebrating a winter holiday, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, etc. (However, the holidays are not limited to just these examples.)

There is no set number of books to read.

To join the challenge, visit the post about the challenge and leave a comment!

Decades 2009 Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009

Michelle is hosting the Decades 2009 Challenge. For those new to this challenge here are the guidelines:

1. Read a minimum of 9 books in 9 consecutive decades in ‘08.
2. Books published in the 2000’s do not count.
3. Titles may be cross-posted with any other challenge.
4. You may change your list at any time.
5. Peruse the eligible book lists and reviews from 2008 or 2007 (these can be found in the sidebar of the challenge blog). Any book from that decade is eligible; it doesn’t have to be on the list to qualify. A good source to find out when books were published is wikipedia. For example if you follow this link, you will see how easy it is to search books by a particular decade. Another resource is fantasticfiction.co.uk.
6. Sign up through Mr. Linky on the post about the challenge.
7. After about January 12, go back to the challenge blog and post the links to your reviews into Mr. Linky for the appropriate decade. Please don’t post ‘09 reviews in the Mr. Linky before January 12. You are encouraged to post all the books you’ve read for that decade if you’re participating in Decades ‘09.

The PUB Challenge - 2009

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:

1. 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!
2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
3. At least 5 titles must be fiction.
4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5. You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.

Sign ups for the challenge are through Mr. Linky at the page set up for the challenge.

Jewish Literature Challenge: 2008-9

December 21, 2008 - April 27, 2009

Callista is hosting the second Jewish Literature Challenge beginning in December. There are a few challenges from the 2007-8 challenge. Here are the guidelines:

1. Read at least 4 books by Jewish Authors or about Judaism (Fiction, Non-fiction, memoirs, Adult books, Teen books, Children's books, books about the Holocaust, books about anti-semitism, books about Jewish Life, Jewish Culture, Jewish Customs. Books by Jewish Authors no matter what the subject.)
2. Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome
3. Post your picks and reviews to your own blog if you have one; OR join the group blog and post there.

To sign up, leave a comments on the post about the 2008-9 challenge (if you want to be added to the group blog you must include your email address).

The Year Of Readers - 2009

INTERNATIONAL Read-A-Thon EVENT

January 1 - December 31, 2009

Jodie is hosting this year long charity event to help raise money and awareness of reading. Jodie writes:

In 2009 I want to spread my love of reading throughout the world. The Year of Readers aims to bring people who enjoy books together to have fun bringing literature into the lives of others.

AND

You pick a literary charity that you want to support in 2009. You sign up to be part of The Year of Readers, get people to sponsor you and just start reading whatever you like. If you’re going to read next year why not join and help a bookish charity at the same time?

Here are a few rules:

1. You can sign up at any time but only books read from 1st January to 31st December 2009 can be counted towards your sponsored read-a-thon.
2. You must sign up via the Mr. Linky at the dedicated blog for this event.
3. Books of any genre or type count (including graphic novels and poetry anthologies) but magazines and newspapers do not.
4. If you're taking part in any reading challenges next year all those books can be counted towards your sponsored read-a-thon.

There is a lot more information at The Year of Readers blog...including links to possible charities, as well as how to get sponsors and raise funds, and how to join the community blog. Why not check it out?

Exploration: Latin American Reading Challenge

January 1, 2009 - April 30, 2009

Katrina at Katrina Reads is hosting Exploration: Latin American Reading Challenge. Readers will be encouraged to "read a 4 books from Latin America, these can be fiction or non-fiction the mix is up to you."

Katrina defines Latin American as follows:

The Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. The 20 republics are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The term Latin America is also used to include Puerto Rico, the French West Indies, and other islands of the West Indies where a Romance tongue is spoken. Occasionally the term is used to include Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname.

Overlaps with other challenges is permitted.

There will be a prize!

To sign up, visit the post about the challenge and leave a comment.

The Rescue Challenge

November 1, 2008 - December 31, 2009

Katrina at Katrina Reads is hosting the Rescue Challenge - a challenge designed to "help rescue those unloved books from the obscurity of the bottom of the TBR pile." The challenge is a two-parter as follows:

I. Get rid of any books you know deep down you will never read - bookmooch, bookcross, give them away to a charity shop... these books will take up less of your space and have the opportunity to be read.

II. Set up a pool of unloved books and read between 3-6 of them between Nov 1st 2008 - Dec 31st 2009.

Books can count for other challenges, and the prize is "simply space on your shelves and freeing yourself of guilt when you once again sweep past that copy to reach for a shiny new book."

To sign up, visit Katrina's post about the challenge and leave her a comment.

9 Books for 2009

December 27, 2008 - December 27, 2009

Isabel from Books and Other Stuff is hosting a unique and fun reading challenge for 2009. The 9 Books in 2009 Challenge encourages readers to read from their TBR stacks. There are nine categories from which readers must read (definitions and descriptions can be found on the dedicated blog for this challenge - just click on the tabs at the top of the page):

1. Free
2. Dusty
3. Used
4. Letter
5. Strange
6. Distance
7. Alive or Not
8. Cover

Here are the rules:

• Open to anyone, whether you have a blog or not!
• No need to register or to announce what you are going to read.
• Start in any category that you wish.
• 2 books from this reading challenge can be used in other reading challenges.
• Just post in the comment section.
• The genre of the books can be ANYTHING (fiction or non-fiction), but it must be decent (because you have to write reviews about the books).
• Other reading materials (graphic novels, poetry, museum catalogs, art books, zines etc.) are OK.
• The book must already be in your bookcase or storage area.
• You can post starting on 12/27/08.
• Format of work can be paper, audio, or electronic.

There are quarterly prizes too! Interested? Check out the dedicated blog site for all the information!

Whitcoulls Challenge -PART II

November 15, 2008 - November 15, 2009

Maria from Reading My Way Through Life writes:

I had so much fun with the Whitcoulls challenge this year, that I decided to repeat it for next year!

The Whicoulls Challenge encourages readers to read from the Whitcoulls List of books. Here are the rules:

1. Pick one of the 4 "Top 100" lists on Maria's post about the challenge and decide how many books (at least 4) you want to read from that list.
2. The initial 4 have to be 'new' reads (new to you, that is).
3. Books beyond the initial 4 may be rereads.
4. All books may be cross-overs for other challenges.
5. Audio-books are A-OK :)
6. You may change your list at any time.
7. If you read enough books to actually complete one of the "Top 100" lists, Maria will make a post in your honour!

Maria will be setting up a Mr. Linky for sign ups...so check out the post about the challenge if you are interested!

German Reading Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009

Marny is hosting the German Reading Challenge where participants are challenged to read 6 to 12 books written by a German author (German author being defined as an author who is from a German speaking country). In addition:

• Overlaps with other challenges are allowed
• Ebooks and audiobooks are okay as well

To sign up, visit the post about the challenge and leave Marny a comment.

Marny has also set up a Yahoo Group for participants in this challenge.

American Civil War Reading Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009

Marny is hosting the American Civil War Reading Challenge where participants are challenged to read 12 books about the civil war (they can be fiction or non-fiction). In addition:

• Overlaps with other challenges are allowed
• Ebooks and audiobooks are okay as well

Interested? To sign up, visit the post about the challenge and leave Marny a comment.

Marny has also set up a Yahoo Group for participants in this challenge.

Checkin Off The Chekov Shorts Challenge

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limit

Rob at Rob Around Books is hosting the Checkin Off the Chekhov Shorts Challenge - a reading challenge to read the entire collection of this author's short stories (201 to be exact!). Rob provides readers with a link to all of these stories on line.

Interested in participating? Go to Rob's blog and leave his a comment with a link to your post about the challenge.

100 Shots of Short Reading Challenge

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limit

Rob at Rob Around Books is hosting 100 Shots of Shorts - a reading challenge designed to encourage the reading of short stories. Rob writes:

Why the name? Well to me, reading a short story is very much akin to slugging down a shot of spirit or coffee - it offers a quick on-the-fly story hit to boost spirit and/or morale, so I could think of no better term to give it.

Rob has links to some awesome short literature, and has created his own list of shorts he wants to read. To join in, visit Rob at his blog and leave him a comment with a link to your post about the challenge.

Operation Actually Read Bible Challenge

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limits

Becky from Becky's Book Reviews is hosting the Operation Actually Read Bible Challenge - a perpetual challenge to read from the bible. Becky writes:

Choose to read the whole Bible, the New Testament, or The New Testament and Psalms & Proverbs, or the gospels. (Or any variation of books you'd like--you might want to focus on Paul's epistles, for example.)

There aren't any "rules" for this challenge necessarily. I don't care which translation of the Bible you use. Or if you choose to read a Bible with the apocrypha. (Or not.) (Though I will stress that if/when we interact with other participants we don't condescend about other people's translation choices. I don't want to get into any of the KJV is the only "real" translation nonsense.) That's really the only rule I have. Respect.

Becky has a dedicated blog devoted to this challenge - visit her and leave a comment if you want to join in.

2009 Christian Readers Challenge

January 1 - April 30, 2009

MizB is hosting the Christian Readers Challenge 2009. The rules are:

• create a list of Christian books that you’d like to read…
• titles can be fiction, nonfiction, or a mixture of both
• read these between January 1st - April 30th, 2009
• overlaps with other challenges ARE allowed
• eBooks and Audiobooks ARE allowed

To sign up, visit the dedicated blog for the challenge and leave a comment.

2009 Casual Classics Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009

MizB is hosting the 2009 Casual Classics Challenge. Simply read 4 classics over the course of the year. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed, as are e-books and audio books. To sign up, visit the post for the challenge and leave a comment.

Haunted Post - EVENT

Hosted by Naida on The Bookworm

Naida has a creative event for the month of October. The Haunted Post Event encourages bloggers to post something spooky whenever they want to during the month of October (2008), then come back to Naida's post about the event, and give her a link on Mr. Linky.

Really Old Classics Challenge

October 1, 2008-July 31, 2009

Rebecca from Rebecca Reads is hosting the Really Old Classics Challenge. Rebecca writes:

Children 2,000 years ago read and memorized Virgil and Homer, and Aesop’s Fables were common knowledge. Even 200 years ago these classics were widely read. Now, there are thousands of new books published each year. But what about those really old ones? Have we read those yet? Any of them?

The rules are pretty straight forward:

1. Choose how many Really Old Classics you’d like to read by the end of July 2009, from 1 to 100.
2. Read that number of Really Old Classics by the end of July 2009. If you finish, pat yourself on the back.

You don’t need to have a blog to participate. To read more about the challenge and to sign up, visit Rebecca's post about the challenge.