2010 Chunkster Challenge

Hosted by Caribousmom

February 1, 2010 – January 31, 2011

I enjoyed this challenge the past year and I know for sure I have quite a lot on my list this year. List 2009, I will be choosing the Chubby Chunkster and reading 3 books.

Definition of a Chunkster:

• A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) … A chunkster should be a challenge.
• If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more … The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.

The Rules:

• No Audio books in the chunkster. It just doesn’t seem right. Words on paper for this one folks.
• No e-Books allowed – we are reading traditional, fat books for this challenge.
• Short Stories and Essay collections will not be counted.
• Books may crossover with other challenges
• Anyone may join. If you don’t have a blog, just leave me a comment ON THE DEDICATED BLOG with your progress (and to let me know you are playing)
• You don’t need to list your books ahead of time.
• Once you pick a level, that’s it…you’re committed to that level!

MY LIST:

1. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates (463 pages)
2. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (512 pages)
3. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (935 pages)

Vampire Series Challenge

Hosted by Miz B
January 1 – December 31, 2010

Since I can only choose 1 level, I am choosing the Vampire Addict and will continue on with the Sookie Stackhouse challenge. I’ve enjoyed vampire reading challenges in the past so I’m sure this is no exception.

Level Two: Vampire Addict ~ Choose either to: reread 2 vampire series books you’ve already read; OR read 2 more books from a vampire series that you’ve already started reading. For example: if you’ve already read books 1 & 2 of the “Twilight” series, now go and read books 3 & 4. OR, if you’ve already read the whole “House of Night” series by P.C. Cast, go back and read 2 of the books from that series.

My List:

1. From Dead to Worse
2. Dead and Gone
3. Dead in the Family

2nd Annual Bloggiesta

Hosted by Natasha at Maw Books
January 8-10, 2010

Natasha at Mawbooks is once again hosting the popular Bloggiesta – an event designed to help bloggers…

…cross those nagging items off of your to-do list and improve your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two!

Natasha describes Bloggiesta as a blogging marathon and lists some ideas of what bloggers can do over the three day event:

• Write reviews.
• Write backup posts for a rainy day.
• Write that great post idea from three months back.
• Work on series posts.
• Write guest posts.
• Put out invitations for guest posts.
• Conduct and edit author interviews.
• Create template posts for your future reads (ie: title, images, linking, tags, etc,) so you can open up, write review and post without being bogged down with technicalities
• Clean up your tags, archives, books reviewed list, etc.
• Create a text file (or Google Doc) of cheat sheets (html codes, post url’s, etc)
• Improve your blog template, clean up sidebars, add a favicon, install those plugins that you’ve been meaning to do.
• Add or edit your about me page, review policy, disclosure policy, privacy policy, create landing pages (for example – an about me for Twitter readers page) or any other pages you might have.
• Any bloggy type housekeeping that you’ve been neglecting.
• Clean up and update your challenge lists. Link up your posts with hosts.
• Make sure all of your social network profiles are up to date. Brand yourself through those profiles with color scheme, images, etc.
• Go get a gravatar.
• Visit the Blogging Tips group on the Book Blogs Ning and find ways to improve your blog.
• Work on any specialized projects that you may have going.
• Clean out and organize your feed reader and blog subscriptions.
• Create an elevator pitch.
• Make business cards.
• Find a blogging buddy.
• The sky’s the limit!

Some more information you might need:

1. The date is Friday, January 8th, Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th. You can really start whenever you want within that time but official hours are 8am to 8am (wherever you are). That is a total of 76 hours, of which you should aim high for a total of 18-24 hours spent on the challenge. The hours spent on the challenge do NOT need to be in a row. Use the entire 76 hour time frame and see what you can do with it. (Natasha says aim for 24 hours but really if you can only do six, twelve or eighteen that’s fine too. I just like to have something to aim for.)
2. It’s your call as to how much you want to put into it. But you have to put something into it or it’s not a challenge. So stay up all night or sleep and take care of kids when you need to.
3. When you start the challenge, go to Mawbooks and to the “starting line” post and link to your specific post about beginning the challenge which is posted on your blog.
4. How many updates (if any) you want to do is up to you. Make it work for you. There will be bloggers hosting mini-challenges as well. These are great to learn new information. To get an idea of the mini-challenges last time, check out the list.
5. If you are on Twitter, use the hashtag #bloggiesta to join the chatter.
6. Your final summary post needs to be posted no later than Monday, January 11th. Come back to the finish line and link to your specific summary post. Your summary should include the number of hours spent on the challenge, what you accomplished, links to mini-challenge hosts if you completed them and any other experiences you’d like to add.

Need more information or want to sign up? Visit the post about the event on Mawbooks.

What’s in a Name 3 Challenge

Hosted By Beth F
January 1 – December 31, 2010

So here’s how it works: Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a food in the title: Clockwork Orange, Grapes of Wrath, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. A book with a body of water in the title: A River Runs through It, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, The Lake House
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, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

MY LIST:

1. FOOD – Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
2. BODY OF WATER – The Narrows by Michael Connelly
3. TITLE – Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
4. PLANT – Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene
5. PLACE NAME – Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
6. Music Term

Series IV Challenge

Hosted by Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic
December 1st, 2009 – November 30th, 2010.

The rules are easy:

1. Pick a couple series you already started and now want to finish (meaning, you’ll be all up to date with the series when it ends).
2. Read at least 4 books, more are also okay, of course!
3. Crossovers with other challenges are always okay.
4. Post your review of the books on your blog or in the comment section, no matter how long. If you post the review on your blog, please post a link to the review in the comment section so that everyone else can check out your review.
5. Have fun!

I’m late posting this – didn’t realize it started December 1 – and I’m behind. Bummer. Well I’m sure I can already catch up. Below are the series I hope to complete this year.

Alex Cross Series

1. Alex Cross’s Trial – finished June 8, 2010
2. I, Alex Cross – finished November 8, 2010

Stephanie Plum Series

1. Seven Up – finished Feb 14, 10
2. Hard Eight – finished Feb 21, 10
3. Visions of Sugar Plums – finished Mar 6, 10
4. To the Nines – finished May 26, 10
5. Ten Big Ones – finished July 3, 10
6. Eleven on Top – finished August 25, 2010
7. Twelve Sharp – finished August 27, 2010
8. Plum Lovin’ – finished September 5, 2010
9. Lean Mean Thirteen – finished August 29, 2010
10. Plum Lucky – finished October 11, 2010
11. Fearless Fourteen – finished November 7, 2010
12. Plum Spooky – finished November 13, 2010
13. Finger Lickin’ Fifteen – finished November 14, 2010

Harry Potter Series

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – finished June 22, 2010
2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – finished July 24, 2010
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – finished August 25, 2010

Uglies Series

1. Specials – finished July 10, 10
2. Extras – finished August 8, 2010

Sookie Stackhouse Series

1. From Dead to Worse – finished Jan 14, 10
2. Dead and Gone – finished Jan 16, 10
3. Dead in the Family – finished May 9, 10
4. A Touch of Dead – finished Jan 16, 10