I’ve decided to enter into a number of reading challenges around the blogosphere this year and I’ve set up a separate post for each challenge. Once this initial set-up is complete, I don’t think you’ll see my updates as I list the books I’ve read that meet the challenges. I’ll note what challenges are involved in my “What Are You Reading? Mondays” posts.

The challenges are:

The 100+ Challenge (J. Kaye)

The Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge (Ready When You Are, C.B.)

The What’s in a Name? Challenge (Beth Fish Reads)

Bart’s 2010 Challenge which I refer to as the Ten Categories Challenge (Bart’s Book Shelf)

The Colorful Challenge (Lost in Books)

The Support Your Local Library Challenge (J. Kaye’s Book Blog)

The New to Me Authors Challenge (Literary Escapism)

The Read Your Own Books Challenge (Miz B.)

The Decades Challenge hosted by 1 More Chapter

The Reading Through the Seasons Challenge hosted by Book Dragon’s Lair

The On The Porch Swing challenge (Yahoo group)

The Most Memorable Memoir Challenge (Betty and Boo’s mommy)

The First in a Series Challenge hosted by Royal Reviews

The Historical Fiction Challenge also hosted by Royal Reviews

The Bibliophilic Books Challenge, self-hosted

The Book Awards Challenge, self hosted

The Complete Booker Award 2010 Challenge, also hosted by the Book Awards Challenge Blogspot

The Battle of the Prizes – both the American and British versions, hosted by Rose City Reader

I thought that I had entered enough reading challenges for the year, but Betty and Boo’s mommy implored me to add one more.

I enjoy biographies but don’t often think to read them. This challenge means I’ll get in at least four this coming year.

This challenge comes from the Yahoo group of the same name. It particularly appealed to me because from 2001 to 2008, I ran a business called Paradise Porch and issued a bi-weekly newsletter called The Porch Swing.

This challenge involves a minimum of seven books, and potentially 26.

1. Read two books whose title contains the first letters of your first and last names.

2. Read two books by an author whose first name begins with a “D”.

3. Read one book by a female author whose first name is Mary.

4. Read a biography.

5. Read a book of short stories

AND – BONUS POINTS!

Alphabet Challenge – this challenge consists of keeping track of each book you read that fits the letters of the alphabet.

This should be simple, although I’m always finding new books to put on my TBR stack and not whittling down my own library at all.

I’m committing to only 25, hoping I’ll surprise myself. Hosted by Miz B.

Hosted by Literary Escapism, this requires me to read a number of books by authors whom I have never tried before.

I’m always running into those, so I’m setting a goal for myself of 25 books for this challenge.

1. Alan Bradley (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie)

2. Marie McSwigan (Snow Treasure)

3. Christopher Paul Curtis (Bud, Not Buddy)

4. Preethi Nair (One Hundred Shades of White)

5. Ann Cleeves (Raven Black)

6. Pam Jenoff (The Diplomat’s Wife)

7. John Shors (Beside a Burning Sea)

8. Katherine Hall Page (The Body in the Belfry)

9. Eva Rice (The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets)

Another one hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog.

I expect at least the sod-turning for our new village library this year, so I think this challenge is especially appropriate. Encouraged by J., I’m going to aim high and go for the “Stepping It Up” level which requires me to check out and read 75 books during the coming year.

1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

2. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

3. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

4. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

5. One Hundred Shades of White by Preethi Nair

6. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitgerald – graphic novel form

8. The Diplomat’s Wife by Pam Jenoff

9. Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors

10. The Body in the Belfry by Katherine Hall Page

11. The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

An easy one here – simply read nine books, each with a different colour in the title. Hosted by Lost in Books

1. One Hundred Shades of White by Preethi Nair)

2. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

3.

This one is hosted by Bart’s Book Shelf and includes books from the following categories:

1. Young Adult

a) Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

b)

2. T.B.R. **

3. Shiny & New

4. Bad Bloggers ***

a) Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors

This book was read on the recommendation of Hey Lady, Whatca Readin’? who could find no bad in this book. 🙂

Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean;
So between them both, they licked the platter clean.

5. Charity

6. New in 2010

7. Older Than You
a) Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan (published 1942)

8. Win! Win!

9. Who Are You Again?
a) Ann Cleeves (Raven Black)
b) Preethi Nair (One Hundred Shades of White)

10. Up to You!

Although this challenge will accept cross-overs from other challenges, a book may be used to satisfy only one category of this challenge.
For details, see Bart’s post

Hosted by Beth Fish Reads, and I’ll let her explain how it works:

Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

DONE 1. A book with a food in the title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

DONE 2. A book with a body of water in the title: Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors

3. A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Murder of King Tut, The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Susan
4. A book with a plant in the title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wind in the Willows, The Name of the Rose
5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Out of Africa; London; Between, Georgia
6. A book with a music term in the title: Song of Solomon, Ragtime, The Piano Teacher

The book titles are just suggestions, I can read whatever book I want to fit the category, and cross-overs from other challenges area allowed.

Hosted by Ready When You Are, C.B., the Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge is based on a simple idea–read a book, see a movie based on the book, include both in my review.

I’m choosing to try the Film Festival level – eight books & movies.

It’s not the reading that might trip me up here–it’s taking the time to watch the movies. I’m always who answers the question “Did you see this movie?” with “No, but I read the book”, much to my husband’s disgust.

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2.

The 100+ Reading Challenge is hosted by J. Kaye’s book blog. The goal, fairly obviously, is to read at least 100 books. Cross-overs are accepted.

1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

2. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

3. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

4. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

5. One Hundred Shades of White by Preethi Nair

6. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald; a graphic novel by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir; Illustrated by Kevin Cornell

8. The Diplomat’s Wife by Pam Jenoff

9. Beside a Burning Sea by John Shors

10. The Body in the Belfry by Katherine Hall Page

11. The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

One of the things that makes me feel so cozy here in our little village is the presence of a full-time dentist. And, serendipitously, she is also a really good dentist.

Last night I broke another tooth (it seems that my teeth are crumbling away on me, but that’s another story) and needed emergency “looking-at”. Unfortunately, Dr. Whitman was booked solid with a waiting list of ten already. That’s the risk of Read the rest of this entry »

What are you reading Mondays is hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog

I just finished two wins from publishers, two books recommended by readers, a 1930s genre classic, and the first of a relatively new detective series set in Montana: Supreme Courtship, The Last Dickens, The Sea Garden, High Rising, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Coyote Wind. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a bleak day after a couple of days of bright sun and biting cold.

The bit of snow on the field across the road reminds me that I chose the main color scheme for my house–gold with white trim–from this field. Given the lack of sunlight this afternoon, the colors are not shown at their best.

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Last week, Kristen of BookNAround commented that, if she worked in my office, she’d be spending all her time trying to guess the color of the next car to come along. So I decided to show her. Read the rest of this entry »