2012 Reading Challenge Round-Up -- Completed Edition

I hear 2013 calling my name.  I think it's time to call 2012 quits and start my end of the year posts.  In total I entered 27 reading challenges this year.  Let's see how I did...  Completed challenges edition.

I went for the highest goal on this one, 16 books, 16 categories.  It really wasn't a hugely difficult challenge as I read nonfiction all the time.  But it did encourage me to pick up different types of books.  My favorite book from this challenge was the Science Fiction and Fantasy pick of The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

• Classics – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (11/8/12)
• Biography – Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun by Gita May (9/21/12)
• Cookery, Food, and Wine – Chocolate by Shara Aaron and Monica Bearden (12/4/12)
• History – The Lost Millennium by Florin Diacu (9/12/12)
• Modern Fiction – Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (5/22/12)
• Graphic Novel and Manga – Bad Doings and Big Ideas by Bill Willingham (4/23/12)
• Crime and Mystery – Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (5/17/12)
• Horror – The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan (3/1/12)
• Romance – An Offer You Can’t Refuse by Jill Mansell (11/14/12)
• Science Fiction and Fantasy – The Magicians by Lev Grossman (1/21/12)
• Travel – Paris in Love by Eloisa James (5/16/12)
• Poetry – Poems of Emily Dickinson (11/23/12)
• Journalism and Humor – The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs (2/26/12)
• Science and Natural History – The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson (4/18/12)
• Children’s and Young Adult – The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (6/27/12)
• Social Sciences and Philosophy – This Book is Overdue by Marilyn Johnson (9/1/12)

 I had been meaning to read more classics.  After reading only classics back in high school, I haven't really gotten around to any for a few years.  This was my chance.  My favorite read from this challenge was The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (a once very few years reread for me, but still awesome).  I'm joining this one again next year.

• 19th Century – The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (8/6/12)
• 20th Century – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1/26/12)
• Reread Classic – Persuasion by Jane Austen (10/3/12)
• Classic Play – The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (8/29/12)
• Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime – The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (4/26/12)
• Classic Romance – Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (8/23/12)
• Translated Classic – Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes (12/3/12)
• Classic Award Winner – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (11/21/12)
• International Classic – Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (11/16/12)

An odd challenge for me.  I struggled to find books that I was already going to read to fit the topics.  Once I did I really loved my choices.  My favorite read was The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman, part of His Dark Materials trilogy.

• Topographical Feature –  The Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristin McMorris (12/2/12)
• Something in the Sky – Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (1/13/12)
• Creepy Crawly –  You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay (2/27/12)
• Type of House – Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean (3/8/12)
• Something from Your Pocket – The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (8/16/12)
• Something on a Calendar – The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees (12/1/12)

I always love reading books and then see the movie.  It's even better when I have read the book before seeing the movie, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.  My favorite combo was Do Androids... and Blade Runner.  While the movie doesn't exactly follow the books it does have the same feel.  Loved them!

• Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin) (5/22/12)
• Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep — Philip K. Dick) (11/27/12)
• The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) (1/11/12)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare) (1/27/12)
• Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare) (8/28/12)
• The Dark Compass (Philip Pullman) (8/12/12)
• Richard III (Shakespeare) (8/28/12)
• Persuasion (Jane Austen) (10/3/12)
• Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde) (4/26/12)
• Beastly (Alex Flinn) (4/15/12)
• Kick-Ass (Mark Millar and John Romita Jr) (5/23/12)
• Starship Troopers (Robert Heinlein) (6/1/12)
• Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (Seth Grahame-Smith) (5/25/12)
• The Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum) (8/6/12)
• Tin Man (The Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum) (8/6/12)
• Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen) (8/23/12)
• The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde) (8/29/12)
• Twelfth Night (Shakespeare) (9/1/12)
• Ran (King Lear – Shakespeare) (9/4/12)
• Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) (11/8/12)

J has been trying to get me to read more science fiction for years now.  And I finally warming up to the genre, although I tend to go for softer scifi.  My favorite read was Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.

• The Martian Chronicles — Ray Bradbury (11/23/12)
• Snow Crash — Neal Stephenson (10/30/12)
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K. Dick (11/27/12)
• Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein (1/8/12)
• Starship Troopers — Robert Heinlein (6/1/12)

I super hard challenge to finish.  I think I just picked a ton of mediocre books and it made it really difficult to finish.  As it stands, I want to try to again next year, but with only 5 reads and hopefully better books.  From this year, my favorite read was The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.

• The Goose Girl — Shannon Hale (11/7/12)
• Mythology — Edith Hamilton (11/27/12)
• Beauty — Robin McKinley (6/5/12)
• Beastly — Alex Flinn (4/15/12)
• The Frog Prince — Stephen Mitchell (5/14/12)
• Sirena — Donna Jo Napoli (6/1/12)
• Adrianna’s Fairy Tales by Adrianna White (7/5/12)
• The Princess and the Hound — Mette Ivie Harrison (10/22/12)
• The Princess and the Bear — Mette Ivie Harrison (10/24/12)
• Flower Fables — Louisa May Alcott (11/16/12)

This was quite an interesting challenge.  Out of the 12 we read, I had already read only four.  So I got a ton more Shakespeare.  My favorite is still A Midsummer Night's Dream, followed closely by Much Ado About Nothing.

• January – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1/27/12)
• February – Macbeth (2/22/12)
• March – Henry V (3/25/12)
• April – Much Ado About Nothing (8/28/12)
• May – Antony and Cleopatra (8/30/12)
• June – Richard III (8/28/12)
• July – As You Like It (11/18/12)
• August – King Lear (9/4/12)
• September – Cymbeline (11/19/12)
• October – Twelfth Night (9/1/12)
• November – Othello (11/19/12)
• December – Pericles (11/19/12)

I adore zombies!  Reading 24 zombie books was not difficult, but picking my favorite definitely is.  I think I will have to choose the Newsflesh trilogy (Feed, Deadline, and Blackout), but only if you make me choose.

• You are So Undead to Me — Stacey Jay (2/27/12)
• Undead Much — Stacey Jay (2/29/12)
• Allison Hewitt is Trapped — Madeleine Roux (4/26/12)
• Night of the Necromancer — Kyle West (2/3/12)
• Feed — Mira Grant (10/8/12)
• Deadline — Mira Grant (10/14/12)
• Blackout — Mira Grant (10/17/12)
• Zombie Blondes — Brian James (2/4/12)
• Sadie Walker is Stranded — Madeleine Roux (10/2/12)
• The Dark and Hollow Places — Carrie Ryan (1/8/12)
• The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks — Max Brooks (1/7/12)
• Brains: A Zombie Memoir – Robin Becker (1/9/12)
• Autumn: Purification – David Moody (1/24/12)
• Autumn: Disintegration – David Moody (1/27/12)
• The Stupidest Angel – Christopher Moore (2/11/12)
• Rise Again — Ben Tripp (3/15/12)
• The First Days — Rhiannon Frater (10/4/12)
• As the World Dies — Rhiannon Frater (10/5/12)
• Siege — Rhiannon Frater (10/6/12)
• Eat, Slay, Love — Jesse Petersen (3/16/12)
• Aftertime — Sophie Littlefield (4/5/12)
• Hater — David Moody (7/19/12)
• Dog Blood — David Moody (7/25/12)
• Them or Us — David Moody (7/28/12)

This was a great chance to reread all seven HP books and rewatch the movies.  I haven't read these in a few years, so lots of great fun.

1. HP and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1/7/12)
2. HP and the Chamber of Secrets (2/22/12)
3. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3/29/12)
4. HP and the Goblet of Fire (5/13/12)
5. HP and the Order of the Phoenix (5/29/12)
6. HP and the Half-Blood Prince (6/22/12)
7. HP and the Deathly Hallows (9/28/12)

This was one of the easier challenges to complete.  I turn to romance novels when I need a break from the heavy.  I love predictable romances.  My favorites were the 2nd and 3rd books of the Tudor Rose trilogy (The Maiden's Hand and At the Queen's Summons).

• At the Queen’s Summons — Susan Wiggs (9/11/12)
• Regency Romance (3/23/12)
• A Lady Never Tells — Candace Camp (1/23/12)
• A Gentleman Always Remembers – Candace Camp (2/7/12)
• An Affair Without End – Candace Camp (2/10/11)
• Definitely Not Mr. Darcy — Karen Doornebos (4/12/12)
• Intentions of the Earl — Rose Gordon (6/29/12)
• Twelfth Night (anthology) (7/11/12)
• Carole’s Christmas by Anne Glynn (7/11/12)
• The Maiden’s Hand by Susan Wiggs (9/8/12)

This was my own challenge.  I started reading the Fables series in 2011 and fell completely in love with it.  My goal this year was to finish the back catalog.  Next year I'm definitely going to finish catching up with the published titles.  My favorite was definitely Vol. 14 Wtiches.  Amazing read!

• Vol. 14 Witches (1/6/12)
• Vol. 15 Rose Red (1/10/12)
• Vol. 16 Super Group (2/2/12)
• JF: Vol. 9 The End (1/6/12)
• Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love (9/2/12)

Another easy challenge for me.  My favorite was The Hunger Games trilogy, but I also really loved Anna Dressed in Blood.

• The Hunger Games — Suzanne Collins(1/11/12)
• Catching Fire — Suzanne Collins (1/12/12)
• Mockingjay — Suzanne Collins (1/13/12)
• A Great and Terrible Beauty — Libba Bray (5/15/12)
• Rebel Angels — Libba Bray (7/6/12)
• The Sweet Far Thing — Libba Bray (7/12/12)
• The Golden Compass — Philip Pullman (8/12/12)
• The View from Saturday — E.L. Konigsburg (4/20/12)
• Anna Dressed in Blood –Kendare Blake (6/5/12)
• Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher — Bruce Coville (7/7/12)
• Ashfall — Mike Mullin (7/30/12)
• Ashen Winter — Mike Mullin (8/2/12)

I also do love vampires.  This challenge was dominated by my reading of the Vampire Academy series, but it was a good one.  For my favorite, it was easily Sunshine by Robin McKinley.  That one is going into my reread pile.

• American Vampire — Jennifer Armintrout (2/2/12)
• The Radleys — Matt Haig (4/27/12)
• Sunshine — Robin McKinley (2/17/12)
• Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter — Seth Grahame-Smith (5/25/12)
• Vampire Academy — Richelle Mead (6/11/12)
• Frostbite — Richelle Mead (6/22/12)
• Shadow Kiss — Richelle Mead (6/27/12)
• Blood Promise — Richelle Mead (7/14/12)
• Spirit Bound — Richelle Mead (7/15/12)
• Last Sacrifice — Richelle Mead (7/19/12)

With J's influence, I really got into some comics this year.  While I stay away from the big Marvel vs. DC debate, I found some great titles out there.  My favorite was the first five volumes of The Sandman series.  I will be finishing that series next year with my Neil Gaiman RC.

• Hatter M Vol. 1 (1/15/12)
• Hatter M Vol. 2 (1/17/12
• Hatter M Vol. 3 (1/18/12)
• The Boys: The Big Ride (1/8/12)
• The Walking Dead Book 4 (4/22/12)
• Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1/27/12)
• Doctor Who: Through Time and Space (2/22/12)
• The Boys Vol. 10: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker (6/7/12)
• Doctor Who: The Forgotten (3/26/12)
• Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew (5/23/12)
• Kick-Ass by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. (5/23/12)
• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1910 (5/30/12)
• The Sandman: Volume 1 Preludes and Nocturnes (6/4/12)
• The Sandman: Volume 2 The Doll’s House (6/6/12)
• The Boys Vol. 11: Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men (6/12/12)
• The Sandman: Volume 3 Dream Country (6/30/12)
• Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (7/2/12)
• The Sandman: Volume 4 Season of Mists (7/2/12)
• Persepolis: The Story of a Return (7/4/12)
• The Sandman: Volume 5 A Game of You (7/5/12)

Easy peasy.  Although next year, I am putting myself on a library ban for at least the first four months (except for my book club selections).

1. Jack of Fables: The End(1/6/12)
2. Fables: Witches (1/6/12)
3. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (1/8/12)
4. The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks (1/7/12)
5. Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker (1/9/12)
6. Fables: Rose Red (1/10/12)
7. Autumn: Purification by David Moody (1/24/12)
8. Autumn: Disintegration by David Moody (1/27/12)
9. Undead Much by Stacey Jay (2/29/12)
10. The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (2/11/12)
11. Rise Again by Ben Tripp (3/15/12)
12. You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay (2/27/12)
13. Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1/27/12)
14. Fables: Supre Group (2/2/12)
15. Doctor Who: Through Time and Space (2/22/12)
16. Macbeth by Shakespeare (2/22/12)
17. Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield (4/5/12)
18. Eat, Slay, Love by Jesse Petersen (3/16/12)
19. Doctor Who: The Forgotten (3/26/12)
20. Everneath by Brodie Ashton (4/1/12)
21. Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos (4/12/12)
22. The Walking Dead: Book Four (4/22/12)
23. Bad Doings and Big Ideas by Bill Willingham (4/23/12)
24. The Frog Prince by Stephen Mitchell (5/14/12)
25. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (5/17/12)
26. Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew (5/23/12)
27. Kick-Ass by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. (5/23/12)
28. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 1910 (5/30/12)
29. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (6/11/12)
30. Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli (6/1/12)
31. Beauty by Robin McKinley (6/5/12)
32. The Sandman Volume 1 Preludes and Nocturnes (6/4/12)
33. The Sandman Volume 2 The Doll’s House (6/6/12)
34. Frostbite by Richelle Mead (6/22/12)
35. Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (6/27/12)
36. The Sandman Volume 3 Dream Country (6/30/12)
37. The Sandman Volume Season of Mists (7/2/12)

Another fairly easy challenge.  Although those Es gave me some difficulty.

• T – Rise Again by Ben Tripp (3/15/12)
• O – The Boys Vol. 11: Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men (6/12/12)
• B – The Zombie Surivival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks (1/7/12)
• E – Jack of Fables: The End (1/6/12)
• F – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1/26/12)
• R – HP and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (1/7/12)
• A – Autumn: Purification by David Moody (1/24/12)
• N – Night of the Necromancer by Kyle West (2/3/12)
• C – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (1/11/12)
• E – Evermore by Alyson Noel (3/2/12)
• S – Harry Potter Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley (1/29/12)
• B – The Boys: The Big Ride (1/8/12)
• U – Undead Much by Stacey Jay (2/29/12)
• F – Doctor Who: The Forgotten (2/26/12)
• F – Beastly by Alex Flinn (4/15/12)
• E – Eat, Slay, Love by Jesse Petersen (3/16/12)
• N – Blue Moon by Alyson Noel (3/4/12)
• B – Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker (1/9/12)
• A – Autumn: Disintegration by David Moody (1/27/12)
• R – The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (1/8/12)
• G – The Magicians by Lev Grossman (1/21/12)
• E – Everneath by Brodie Ashton (4/1/12)
• R – Fables: Rose Red (1/10/12)

Mixing It Up Challenge Check-in #2

 

Let's take a look at my progress so far...

• Classics —
• Biography – Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun by Gita May (9/21/12)
• Cookery, Food, and Wine –
• History — The Lost Millennium by Florin Diacu (9/12/12)
• Modern Fiction — Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (5/22/12)
• Graphic Novel and Manga – Bad Doings and Big Ideas by Bill Willingham (4/23/12)
• Crime and Mystery — Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (5/17/12)
• Horror — The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan (3/1/12)
• Romance –
• Science Fiction and Fantasy — The Magicians by Lev Grossman (1/21/12)
• Travel — Paris in Love by Eloisa James (5/16/12)
• Poetry –
• Journalism and Humor — The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs (2/26/12)
• Science and Natural History — The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson (4/18/12)
• Children’s and Young Adult — The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (6/27/12)
• Social Sciences and Philosophy — This Book is Overdue by Marilyn Johnson (9/1/12)

Check it out 12 out of 16 done.  Very excited by this!  On to some questions from Ellie at Musings of a Bookshop Girl:

How are you getting on? Look at me go.  I am very happy about my progress so far this year.

Have any of your not-so-familiar genres surprised you? The only genre that I really never read is mystery.  I knew that it would be a problem genre, so I picked a classic.  Can't go wrong with Agatha Christie...

Have you had any particularly good reads along the way? I loved The Magicians!  So amazingly crazy book.  I really need to read the sequel now.  I also really loved The Ghost Map and The Lost Hero.  Very good reads...

And do you reckon you'll hit your target by the end of the year? I am determined to finish this challenge.  Only 4 more to go.  I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.  I have options for Romance and Classics, but need to dig for Poetry and Food.

2012 Mixing It Up Reading Challenge

From Musings of a Bookshop Girl:

Feel like branching out a little for 2012?  Then this challenge might just be for you!

Welcome to my first challenge!  The premise is really very simple.  It's all about mixing up your reading, pushing your boundaries and exploring new genres.  Take a look at the categories below, and choose one book for each category.  It's that easy!  You can choose to try anything from a gentle 4 to the full 16 different genres, and the book you pick for each is entirely up to you!

~ THE CATEGORIES ~

1. CLASSICS -- This can be any classic work, from Alcott to Zola.  Always fancied trying Great Expectations, or finally feel like tackling Jane Eyre?  Now's your chance!  From the fun to the frightening, the gentle satire to the all-out swashbuckling epic, there are hundreds of years' worth of books to choose from.

2. BIOGRAPHY -- This can be modern or historical, biography or autobiography.  From the latest celebrity autobiography to an academic biography of Henry VIII - it all counts!  Perhaps you fancy a book on your favourite classic movie star, athlete or musician?

3. COOKERY, FOOD AND WINE -- Ideas for this one range from a delectable cookery book to a food memoir (like Nigel Slater's Toast or Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential), a book on wine to the history of marmalade.

4. HISTORY -- More scope to indulge a whole range of interests here, including local history, military history or world history.  It might be a biography of Anne Boleyn,a book on World War II aircraft, a study of the American civil war, or something with a much smaller focus, like Bill Bryson's At Home or Mark Kurlansky's Salt: A World History.  Whatever floats your boat!

5. MODERN FICTION -- This covers literary and popular fiction, so you can't really go wrong with this one.  From Sophie Kinsella to Haruki Murakami, Wilbur Smith to Isabel Allende, Jenny Colgan to Kate Mosse, you should be able to find something to fit your tastes!

6. GRAPHIC NOVELS AND MANGA -- This will be an entirely new genre for me, but I'm looking forward to hitting the library to see what all the fuss is about!  First on my 'to check out' list will be Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes and Alan Moore's V for Vendetta.

7.  CRIME AND MYSTERY -- This category will cover everything from the genteel Agatha Christie and the scrummy Hannah Swensen Mysteries by Joanne Fluke, through Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson, to the gruesome forensics of Martina Cole and Val McDermid.

8. HORROR -- One for Hallowe'en, perhaps!  Maybe a modern writer like Stephen King or James Herbert, or you could turn to the classics with Edgar Allen Poe or the ghostly writings of M.R. James?  Some YA novels would also fit into this category - Darren Shan, or Lindsey Barraclough's Long Lankin - but no paranormal romance!

9. ROMANCE -- I'd say the cheesier the better for this one, but it's up to you!  Mills and Boon, paranormal romance, chick lit fluff, whatever.  Personally I'll be browsing our Mills and Boon shelf at the shop and pulling out the trashiest title I can find!  :)

10. SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY -- Again, plenty of scope here.  From the hilarious characters of Terry Pratchett's Discworld to Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings, Charlaine Harris'sSouthern Vampire Mysteries to Frank Herbert's Dune, you can go modern or classic, and pick from any number of sub-genres.

11. TRAVEL -- The world is your oyster, as it were!  Maybe you're going somewhere interesting on holiday and want to read up on it first?  Rough Guides, Lonely Planet guides, that kind of thing.  You could pick a Bill Bryson (always popular) or choose a book on a particular city, country or continent, like Francesco da Mosto's Venice or one of Michael Palin's books.  Then there are all the delectable memoirs by people who've moved abroad and opened a taverna/olive farm/vineyard!

12. POETRY -- This could be a book of love poems, a collection by a particular poet, a novelty book of limericks, or if that sounds a bit daunting, a single, longer narrative poem.  How about 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', 'Hiawatha' or 'The Waste Land'?  My particular favourite is probably Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market', which is more like a simple fairytale that just happens to rhyme.

13. JOURNALISM AND HUMOUR -- This one might take a little more thinking about, but it should be a bit of fun!  Journalism collections can range from Nick Hornby's Shakespeare Wrote for Money to Marian Keyes's Under the Duvet, Jeremy Clarkson's The World According to Clarkson to Bill Bryson's Notes from a Big Country.  Anything that's been published in a newspaper or magazine first!  Humour could be a book of cartoons, a novelty joke book or The Wicked Wit of Oscar Wilde! 

14. SCIENCE AND NATURAL HISTORY -- Again, this one throws the doors wide open for you to follow your interests.  Always fancied learning more about space?  Are you curious about the life of Charles Darwin?  Or got a lifelong love for a particular animal?  There are some wonderful 'popular science' books around too, including things like The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, David Attenborough's natural history books,and the entire works of the brilliantly funny Mary Roach.

15. CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT -- This leaves the way open for pretty much anything, whether it's reading The Hungry Caterpillar or The Magical Faraway Tree to your kids, revisiting the joys of The Secret Garden or Treasure Island, or devouring something from the modern tide of YA.  Lots of dystopian fiction, coming-of-age novels and supernatural shenanigans to choose from!

16. SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PHILOSOPHY -- Another wide area!  Books on society and women (Female Chauvinist Pigs, Living Dolls), books on society and children (Toxic Childhood, Nurtureshock), books on how television and the internet are affecting our lives, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World, books on Freud or Marx...

~ LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION ~

MEASURING JUG: Playing it safe with 1-4 categories CUPCAKE MIX: Livening things up with 5-8 categories MIXING BOWL: Branching out with 9-12 categories TWO-TIER CAKE: Getting ambitious with 13-15 categories ALL THE TRIMMINGS AND A CHERRY ON TOP: Going for gold with the full 16!

~ HOW TO PARTICIPATE ~

1. Read one book from each of the challenge categories, using the guidelines above.  Don't use the same book for more than one category!
2. The challenge will run until December 31st 2012, so you can sign up any time during the year.
3. Create a blog post for the challenge, to keep track of what you've read.  Add review links for each completed book so we can see how you're getting on.
4. The URL you leave in the Mr Linky MUST be a direct link to your challenge post, not to your blog homepage - I don't have time to comb through several months' worth of posts searching for it as the year wears on!
5. Leave a comment on this post with your blog name (so I can match you to your Linky entry) and your chosen level of participation.
6. Bookmark this post so you can come back later!  I'll be adding links to update posts over the year, plus you'll have the category guidelines handy if you need them!
7. At the end of the year, everyone who has read along and hit their chosen target will be entered into a bookish giveaway.  Prizes to be determined!

Another different type of reading challenge, loving the category approach.  I'll be going for the "All the Trimming with the Cherry on Top" so that means all 16 categories.  My tentative TBR:

~ THE CATEGORIES ~

• Classics -- The Bostonians by Henry James (1886)
• Biography -- Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton (2003)
• Cookery, Food, and Wine -- TBD
• History -- Mayflower by Nathan Philbrick (2007)
• Modern Fiction -- P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern (2008)
• Graphic Novel and Manga -- TBD
• Crime and Mystery -- Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (2007)
• Horror -- Year Zero by Jeff Long (2006)
• Romance -- The Maiden's Hand by Susan Wiggs (2009)
• Science Fiction and Fantasy -- The Magicians by Lev Grossman (2010
• Travel -- TBD
• Poetry -- TBD
• Journalism and Humor -- TBD
• Science and Natural History -- TBD
• Children's and Young Adult -- The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (2010)
• Social Sciences and Philosophy -- The Bust Guide to the New Girl Order (1999)