The 2009 Pub Challenge

Ah well, another one I can't resist LOL This time, it's 3M's 2009 Pub challenge and I figured I'd try that one because I very, very often am way behind in discovering great books - or I buy books when they're out, but don't get to read them for a looong while.

My list will follow here as I find the books:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

The year is almost over...

... (only 23 hours and 10 minutes at this very moment), and I realize how bad I've been with everything this year. No reviews (well, hardly any at least!), no regular posting, only two finished challenges (even though I've joined quite a few more), and not much else accomplished!

I'm astonished I even remembered I had this blog in the first place!

Well, I figured I might at least try to do better - much better - in 2009! But whether I succeed isn't even "written in the stars" as one would say here. Maybe I can at least manage to post once a week? I'll definitely try to accomplish that!

Oh, if someone knows how the new Google documents work and how to post a link to my reading list for the challenges on my blog, please let me know! I tried to no avail to grant you a look at my list, in case you're interested, for the past week.

Challenge-wise, 2009 will be a lot worse! By now I've signed up for almost 40 challenges, and I believe the 40 will fall some day before December 2009. I'm not sure I can complete that many challenges, but they will certainly help me broaden my reading. (I think I maybe should at least post a list of challenges I'll be doing until December 31, 2009 with links to my reading lists?)

By now, there are only 22 hours and 49 minutes left in 2008 and this means, it's late at night. I should probably go to bed now...

Romance Reading Challenge

So, since I love romance novels in many different kinds, I figured, why not join naida's Romance Reading Challenge? I mean, 5 romance novels in 2009? I sure can do that!!!



So, my tentative list is:
1) Patricia Davids: Military Daddy
2) Jill Shalvis: Flashpoint
3) Kristan Higgins: Just One Of The Guys
4) Carly Phillips: Hot Property
5) Julie James: Just The Sexiest Man Alive

Montgomery mini-challenge

Ah well, how could I possibly resist a challenge that will introduce me to a new-to-me author that qualifies as a classic auhor? L.M. Montgomery is one such author and I'm up to read or listen to four books by her, to accomplish Maria's challenge.

My tentative list is:
1) The Story Girl
2) The Golden Road
3) Chronicles of Avonlea
4)

1st In Series Challenge

What's yet another challenge, anywys, right?

So I'm joining J. Kaye's 1st In Series Challenge for 2009 and I'm already excited!



I made a tentative list for now, but I'm not sure whether the last one counts (hence the "???"). There are one or maybe even two follow up books on the main characters...

1) Suzanne Brockmann: Prince Joe (#1 in Tall, Dark & Dangerous)
2) Nalini Singh: Slave To Sensation
3) Mary Jane Maffini: Organize Your Corpses
4) Madeleine E. Robins: Point Of Honor
5) Robert Ludlum: The Bourne Identity
6) P.B. Kerr: Children Of The Lamp
7) Lori Foster: Jude’s Law
8) Ann Brashares: The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants
9) Meg Cabot: Airhead
10) Elaine Viets: Shop Till You Drop
11)
12) Carole Matthews: The Chocolate Lovers’ Club (???)

In Their Shoes Challenge

I apparently haven't posted about the In Their Shoes Challenge yet! I of course will try to read that one as well :)



The goal is to read as many memoirs, biographies and autobiographies as I want between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.

I haven't yet decided the books I will read, but one is definite already:

1) Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis 1

Cameron West: First Person Plural - My Life As A Multiple

2nds Challenge

Well, what's another challenge for 2009 anyway, right? So I decided to join J. Kaye's 2nds Challenge to read a few 2nd books by authors I just discovered.



My list is not yet all set, but I'll just list the other books as I go.

1) Jane Austen:
2) Harry Kemelman: Sunday The Rabbi Stayed Home
3) Jessica Fletcher: Manhattans & Murder
4) Marion Chesney: Hasty Death
5) Elaine Viets: Shop Till You Drop
6) Camy Tang: Only Uni
7) Charlotte Bronte:
8) John Steinbeck:
9) Carrie Vaughn: Kitty Goes To Washington
10) Robert Fate: Baby Shark’s Beaumont Tales
11) Stephenie Meyer: New Moon
12)

20 Books In 2009 Challenge

So, I will participate in the 20 Books In 2009 Challenge - I think that way I'll be able to at least finish one challenge!

My finished books will be added below as I go on reading:

1) Oscar Wilde: A Woman of No Importance
2) Patricia Davids: Military Daddy
3) Meg Cabot: Jinx
4) Vicki Myron: Dewey
5) Marie Ferrarella: Protecting His Witness
6) Natalie Anderson: Bought - One Night, One Marriage
7) Linwood Barclay: No Time For Goodbye
8) Suzanne Brockmann: Prince Joe
9) Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis 1
10) Johann Maier: Judentum & Judentum - Reader
11) Jill Shalvis & Jacquie D'Alessandro & Jamie Sobrato: Heating Up The Holidays
12) Merline Lovelace: Devlin and the Deep Blue Sea
13) Marie Ferrarella: The Bride With No Name
14) Rutu Modan: Exit Wounds
15) Naomi Alderman: Disobedience
16) MaryJanice Davidson: Undead and Unappreciated
17) Nalini Singh: Slave to Sensation

Books Into Movies (and vice versa) Challenge

And last, but definitely not least is the challenge that was inspired by the movie "The Wedding Date": The Books Into Movies Challenge! Obviously, the goal would be to read 2+ books that were made into movies (and, if possible, watch the movie). This can be Shakespeare's plays, Austen's novels (I'm sure some of you know the wonderful BBC movies?), or newer movies like The Wedding Date (after Liz Young's Asking For Trouble)! Actually, even He's Just Not That Into You would count, now that it is being made into a movie...

Serendipity made two great banners for the challenge:





When?
The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How?
The goal is to read 2+ books made into a movie or books that relate to TV series (Murder She Wrote and the likes).

To sign up, please leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.

My tentative list:
1) Liz Young: Asking For Trouble
2) Jessica Fletcher: Manhattans & Murder


The participants are:
1) Kathrin
2) Sherrie
3) Yvonne
4) Judy (Intergalactic Bookworm)
5) Jenny
6) blondierocket
7) Serendipity
8) Kisha
9) Nely
10) Kris@Bookheart
11) Strixaluco
12) Audra
13) Diane (bookinhand)
14) Lulu
15) rickandlena
16) Teddy
17) Joy
18) californiameaghan
19) Jan in Edmonds
20) Kelly

And here are the first reviews:
1) Teddyree - Marley & Me
2) Nely: Blindness
3) Nely: Where The Heart Is
4) Nely: The Reader
5) Nely: Christmas Jars
6) Nely: Confessions Of A Shopaholic
7) Teddyree: Dead Until Dark
8) Yvonne: Nights In Rodanthe
9) Nely: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
10) Nely: He's Just Not That Into You
11) Nely: Stardust
12) Sherrie: Secret Life Of Bees
13) Sherrie: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
14) Joy: The Age Of Innocence
15) Joy: Cover Her Face
16) Joy: Hotel Du Lac
17) Nely: The City Of Ember
18) Teddyree: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
19) Yvonne: Confessions Of A Shopaholic
20) rickandlenamedina: Angels & Demons
21) Lena: The Time Traveler's Wife

If you're up for a shorter time frame to complete the challenge and/or want to do this challenge later in the year check out Callista's blog - sometime in August 2009 she should have infos on her challenge up!

Military Challenge 2009

There are so many books out there that somehow are about Military. Be it a book with one of the main characters a military man (like Susan Brockman's Troubleshooter series, among many others), one about the wives (for example Tanya Biank's Army Wives: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriages), a book on the military in any way, even non-fiction (I'm thinking of Claudia J. Kennedy's Generally Speaking, to name one).
So why not try to read two or more of them?

When?
The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How?
The goal is to read 2+ books about the military in any way in 2009, that's it. It's fairly easy, I think.

To sign up, please leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.

ETA: Book Dragon created a great banner for this challenge:



My tentative list is:
1) Patricia Davids: Military Daddy
2) Suzanne Brockmann: Prince Joe

The participants:
1) Kathrin
2) Judy (Intergalactic Bookworm)
3) Book Dragon
4) Book Dragon

Agatha Christie Challenge

Well, who hasn't heard about Dame Agatha Christie yet? She's an awesome writer with a fascinating history and it'll take me a good couple more years to be able to say I've finished all her books... With the exeption for the Tommy & Tuppence Beresford books for me, as I don't like them too much.

When?
The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How?
The goal is to read 2+ books by or about Dame Agatha in 2009, that's it. It's fairly easy, I think.

To sign up, please leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.

My tentative list contains:
1) Agatha Christie: Murder On The Links
2) Agatha Christie: They Do It With Mirrors


The participants are:
1) Kathrin
2) Sue Fitz
3) Judy (Intergalactic Bookworm)
4) Jenny
5) Lynda
6) krin
7) Stina
8) Margot
9) anjikan
10) Hermie's Mom
11) Scribacchina

If you're up for more Agatha Christie challenges, check out Kerrie's blog or Jeff's blog. They're not official challenges, but both are trying to read all the works of Agatha Christie in publication order.
Also, I'm still trying to find out whether Joy from Thoughts of Joy will do another Anything Agatha challenge in 2009.

Paranormal Challenge

I'll try to do the Paranormal Challenge for 2009. I will do it alone, but if you're interested, let me know. I'd love to have some company!

What?
For the challenge you will read books with paranormal aspects - this can be werewolves, vampires, fairies, witches, ghosts, mediums, psychics etc. It's pretty much your pick!

When?
The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How?
The goal is to read 2+ books in 2009, that's it. It should be manageable, I'd say

To sign up, please leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.

My list:
1) MaryJanice Davidson: Undead And Unappreciated
2) Nalini Singh: Slave To Sensation

EDIT:
Of course I read more, but I'll leave it at that for the list.

The participants are:
1) Kathrin
2) Lindy
3) Sally906
4) Jenny
5) Kisha
6) Lynda
7) Aerin
8) Eliza Osborn
9) Kris
10) Yvonne
11) Gabby
12) Lulu
13) Tracee
14) Shalyn
15) Linda Ellen
16) Abby_Colina

The posts:
1) Lynda's summary
2) Linda Ellen's summary
3) Kris' summary
4) Yvonne's summary
5) Kelly's summary

Vampire Challenge

While I was thinking about challenges, I came up not only with the Pages Read Challenge, but also with 5 (!!!) other challenges. And for some really, really crazy reason, I've decided to try to pull them all off for 2009!

So this one is the Vampire Challenge (stupid name, I know!). And I hope that with 3 one-word questions, I can answer most of the questions.

What?
For the Vampire Challenge you will read books with vampires - romance, YA, paranormal, mysteries - anything, as long as there's a or two (or more) vampire in it.

When?
The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How?
The goal is to read 2+ books with vampires in 2009, that's it. It's fairly easy, I think. For some inspiration check out my post on vampires in books.

To sign up, please leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.

My now finished list:
1) MaryJanice Davidson: Undead and Unappreciated
2) Yuna Kagesaki: Cheeky Vampire Vol. 7-8
3) Rachel Caine: Glass Houses
4) D.D. Barrant: Dying Bites
5) MaryJanice Davidson: Undead and Unreturnable
6) P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast: Marked


The participants are:
1) Kathrin
2) Sally906
3) Jenny
4) blondierocket
5) Lindy
6) Lynda
7) Tina
8) Scrap girl
9) Gabby
10) Megan
11) Tracee
12) Lulu
13) Julie
14) Medical Librarian
15) "Confuzzled" Shannon
16) J. Kaye
17) Irish
18) drey
19) Valorie
20) Amy
21) Cheryl
22) BecauseImTheMommy
23) debbiesworld
24) Ruth Schaller
25) Wesley Alison
26) Cheryl
27) DeSeRtRoSe
28) rigal11
29) Bunnitaz
30) Rasberrywrlgirl
31) Jodie
32) Tena
33) The Ravenour Reader
34) sunnysmileqt
35) Movie Maven
36) Cheryl
37) Lissa
38) The Book Resort
39) Rhinoa
40) Cinnamon
41) Trisha
42) Jaxxy
43) JennJ
44) vampchick95
45) Leslie
46) Patti
47) raidergirl3


ETA: I finally created a post for the challenge reviews. You can find it here!

Pages Read Challenge

Well, I've been thinking about a few challenge ideas for a couple days now. One of them is a challenge I've done in 2006: the Pages Read Challenge!

The rules for this challenge are simple: First, you choose on a certain number of pages you want to read in 2009. And then you must read! And you must keep track of how many pages you are reading. Update your journal entry every week, every month or whatever works for you. Don't forget to tell us how many pages you hope to read and we'll all keep our fingers crossed that you reach that goal.

When?
The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How?
List all the books and other stuff you read with the pages and add up the pages as you go. If it's an e-book, please check Amazon or B&N for the page number. To get the number of pages for each book, just check out the last page with text from the book and take the number written on there. Just ignore all the blank pages throughout the book. This is, after all, for fun, not to stress about counting pages ;)

To sign up, please leave a comment here with a link to your blog post.

So, my goal for 2009 will be 20,000 pages!

EDIT:
As I reached 20,000+ pages with Yasushi Inoue's Memoirs of the Priest Honkaku, I dare say I completed this challenge.

The participants are:
1) Kathrin - 20,000
2) Sue Fitz -
3) Lindy - 100,000
4) Judy (Intergalactic Bookworm) - 20,000
5) Sherrie - 50,000
6) Patty - 50,000
7) Rowena
8) Kisha - 45,000
9) Aerin - 15,000
10) Yooperchick - 30,000
11) Kris@Bookheart - 10,000
12) Challengingthebookworm - 50,000
13) Tracee
14) Kim - 25,000
15) Matthew - 15,000
16) Book Dragon - 80,000
17) DeSeRtRoSe - 10,000
18) Jan in Edmonds - 20,000
19) Kristi - 30,000
20) Lindy (Grilsgood)
21) Sandra - 40,000
22) Scribacchina - 15,000
23) Melissa - 30,000
24) Kelly - 25,000
25) Patti - 20,000
26) Veronika - 10,000-12,000

Graphic Novel Challenge 2009

So, one more can't be such a big difference now, can it? So I'll join the Graphic Novel Challenge for 2009 as well.



My definite list is:
1) Art Spiegelman: Maus 2
2) Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis 1
3) Rutu Modan: Exit Wounds

I will probably pick my other 3 graphic novels (I'm doing the minor version) from the following list:
1) Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis 2
2) Harvey Pekar: The Quitter
3) Adrian Tomine: Summer Blonde
4) Daniel Clowes: Ghost World
5) Will Eisner: A Contract With God
6) Alison Bechdel: Fun Home – A Family Tragicomic
7) Seth: It’s A Good Live, If You Don’t Weaken
8) Peter Kuper: Stop Forgetting To Remember
9) James Vance: Kings In Disguise
10) J.M. DeMatteis: Brooklyn Dreams
11) Bryan Talbot: Alice In Sunderland
12) Kyle Baker: Why I Hate Saturn
13) Andi Watson: Slow News Day
14) Joss Whedon & Georges Jeanty: Buffy

Themed Reading Challenge 2009

Among other challenges, I also stumbled over the 2009 version of the Themed Reading Challenge. With the first TRC I was at a loss what theme to choose, but this time, I have an idea!



For my "Sisters in Writing" theme, I will read one book each of the Bronte Sisters.
1) Anne Bronte:
2) Charlotte Bronte:
3) Emily Bronte:

And my second theme will most likely be "English-speaking authors about Europe". I'm not yet sure which 2+ books I will read for that, but I'm thinking about Stephen Clarke's A Year In The Merde.
4)
5)

Or I'll pick "married writers" as a theme. In that case I'll most likely read
4) Paul Auster: The City Of Glass
5) Siri Hustvedt: What I Loved

2009 Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge

So, how can I possibly refuse to try the Suspense and Thriller Challenge J. Kaye is hosting??? If you now say it is impossible, you're absolutely right!



My list will follow here (I should have one at the end of this month):
1) Victoria Laurie: Crime Seen (Amateur Detective mystery)
2) J.D. Robb: (Futuristic mystery)
3) Robert Fate: Baby Shark’s Beaumont Tales (Hard-boiled mystery)
4) Rhys Bowen: Death Of Riley (Historical mystery)
5) Tess Gerritsen: (Medical thriller)
6) (Military thrillers)
7) Vince Flynn: (Political thriller)
8) Sue Grafton: (P.I. mystery)
9) (Religious or Romantic thriller)
10) Richard Montanari: (Serial Killer thriller)
11) Robert Ludlum: The Bourne Identity (Spy thriller)
12) (Terrorist thriller)

My Year Of Dangerously Reading 2009

Since this year, the rules for this challenge have been slightly altered, I'll take part in it. I have quite a few books I'm intimidated by nd there are also books I've bought, but never got around to read...

This is my tentative list:
1) Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis
2) Dante Alighieri: La Divina Commedia
3) Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)

Lost In Translation 2009

How can I resist all those wonderful challenges out there? Someone please help me!

I'll take part in Lost In Translation 2009 - I think it's a fun idea!


My list will follow here:
1) Donna Kauffman: The Cinderella Rules (English to German)
2) Lauren Weisberger: The Devil Wears Prada (English to German)
3) Nora Roberts: Red Lilies (English to German)
4) K.A. Applegate: (English to German)
5) Naomi Alderman: Disobedience (English to German)
6) Nalini Singh: Slave to Sensation (English to German)

Decades Challenge 2009

So, I have not yet made up my mind about the exact books I will be reading for the Decades Challenge 2009, but I am pretty sure my list will be ready before January 1st.



I'll post the books below:
1) Jane Austen: Lady Susan (1794)
2) Jane Austen: Pride & Prejudice (1809)
3) Jane Austen: Emma (1814)
4) Agatha Christie: Murder On The Links (1923)
5) Stendahl: Le Rouge Et Le Noir (1830)
6) Bronte: (184X)
7) Charlotte Bronte: The Professor (1857)
8) Charles Dickens: Great Expectations (1860/1861) or Victor Hugo: Les Miserables (1862)
9) Jules Verne: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1870) or Jules Verne : Around The World In 80 Days (1873) or Louisa Mae Alcott: Rose In Bloom (1976) or George Eliot: Daniel Deronda (1876) or Mark Twain: The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer (1876) or Henry James: Daisy Miller (1878) or Harriet Beecher Stowe: Poganuc People; Their Loves And Lives (1878) or Leo Tolstoy: Anna Karenina (1878) or J.W. Goethe: Iphigenie Auf Tauris (1781) or Friedrich Schiller: Die Räuber (1781) or Friedrich Schiller: Kabale Und Liebe (1784) or Mary Wollstonecroft: Mary, A Fiction (1788)

100+ Reading Challenge 2009

I've decided to join a few more challenges - maybe I'm addicted, but I figured the more challenges I joined the bigger is my chance of actually finishing a few...

One of them is the 100+ Reading Challenge, which should be manageable for me. After all, I'm simply supposed to read 100+ books!



A complete list of my finished books can be found here. I finished it!

And more challenges...

... because it is fun joining them and picking books :)

There's Rhinoa's Manga Challenge, which will be fun and easy for me, I think.
My list will slowly develop here:
1) Eun-Ah Park: Sweet & Sensitive 4
2) Eun-Ah Park: Sweet & Sensitive 5
3) Maki Minami: Special A Vol.1-3
4) Gosho Aoyama: Case Closed Vol.15-18
5) Yuna Kagesaki: Cheeky Vampire Vol. 7-8
6) Tomoko Hayakawa: Perfect Girl Vol.6-9

Then there's Eva's World Citizen Challenge, for which I've decided to take on the World Citizen 101 class. That means I "only" have to read one book, but I may up it, if I have enough time for "fun reading".
The book(s) will be listed here:
1)

And as an additional, for some fun, I'll try to do J.Kaye's YA Challenge.
My list will appear here:
1) Meg Cabot: Jinx
2) Meg Cabot: How To Be Popular
3) Rachel Caine: Glass Houses
4) Nick Sagan: Idlewild
5) Jay Asher: 13 Reasons Why
6) Meg Cabot: The Princess Diaries 9
7) Cassandra Clare: City of Bones
8) Gareth P. Jones: The Thornthwaite Inheritance
9) P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast: Marked
10)
11)
12)

Series Challenge Season 3 - my list

So, I'm in the middle of making up my lists for all the challenges, but I just realized I didn't even have a post for my list for the challenge I host! How can that be?

Well, this is the post and here comes my (most likely incomplete) list:
1) Robert Fate: Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues(#2 Baby Shark)
2) Robert Fate: Baby Shark's High Plains Redemption (#3 Baby Shark)
3)
4)
5)

two more challenge for 2009

So, now that I found out that the Audiobook Challenge doesn't require me to create my list of reads upfront, I'll also definitely take part in that challenge.
I have an account with Audible and am on a plan where I get two audio books each month. In the past 5 months, I didn't get around to listen to all the books I got and I want to get back on track with that.

I'll add my list for this challenge here:
1) Linwood Barclay: No Time For Goodbye
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)

And the second challenge I'll try to do is Kim's Amateur Sleuth Challenge 2009, which she'll host at A Novel Challenge.
The guidelines are:
1) Read 12 books featuring an amateur sleuth.
2) Each sleuth must have a different vocation or hobby ie shopping, cooking, writing, advice column, crafts store, school psychologist, gardening, remodeling, etc.
3) Can be first in series or else where.
4) Can be cross used for other challenges.

My list - at least a tentative one:
1) Agatha Christie: The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side

2) Alice Kimberly: The Ghost And The Femme Fatale
3) Jessica Fletcher: Manhattans & Murder
4) Victoria Laurie: Crime Seen
5) Victoria Laurie: Demons Are A Ghoul’s Best Friend
6) Marion Chesney: Hasty Death
7) Anna Maclean: Louisa And The Missing Heiress
8) Elizabeth Peters: The Mummy Case
9) Mary Jane Maffini: Organize Your Corpses
10) Madeleine E. Robins: Point Of Honor
11) Elaine Viets: Shop Till You Drop
12) Harry Kemelman: Sunday The Rabbi Stayed Home