2015 Historical Fiction Christmas Reading Challenge (from CreativeMadness Mama) #ChristianHistorical

How the Christmas Reading Challenge Works:

• This is a design it yourself challenge. I want you to choose your own reading goals. This is a low pressure challenge meant to be fun.
• The books should be Christmas or winter holiday themed. They must be historical, the historical/contemporary mix books will count.
• When you have reviewed a book, you are encouraged to come back to the group and add the link to your review in the comments.
• This challenge begins November 1, 2015 and ends January 7, 2016 so you can keep on reading through the holidays.
• You may sign up anytime during the challenge.
• You may include books of any format including traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks.
• Books may be YA, adult, nonfiction, mystery, romance, etc.
• You may reread books.
• Books may count towards other reading challenges.
• Use the hashtag #ChristianHistorical

My books:

• Christmas Bells (Chiaverini) -- November 12
• Christmas Roses (Cabot) -- November 14
• A Wreath of Snow (Higgs) --

2012 Chunkster Challenge

This challenge is found at chunksterchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/12/chunkster-challenge-2012-sign-ups.html.

 

Definition of a chunkster:

A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature, whether non-fiction or fiction. A chunkster should be a challenge.

If you read books in large print, your books will need to be 525 pages or more. The average large type book is 10-15% larger or more so it’s a fair estimate.

The rules:

• No audio books. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• No e-books allowed. This was discussed in much detail in the 2011 challenge. The short version: a chunkster isn’t a challenge if you’re reading it on an e-reader. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• This year for the first time, essay, poetry, and short story collections will be allowed. Collections have to be read in their entirety to count. If you’ve needed a reason to finally pick up your copy of The Collected Works Of ____ now is the time.
• Books may crossover with other challenges.
• Anyone may join. (If you don’t have a blog, just leave a comment on this post with your challenge level and your progress throughout the challenge.) 
• You don’t need to list your books ahead of time.
• Once you’ve picked a level, that’s it. You’re committed to it!

You must pick a level of participation:

1. The Chubby Chunkster – this option is for the readers who want to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.
2. The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months. 
3. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX Chunksters from the following categories: 2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length; 2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length; 2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions page for some books which fit into these categories).
4. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

This challenge runs from January 1, 2012-December 31, 2012.  I did not "sign-up" for the actual challenge, I'm just going to do this one "on my own" to see how many I read.  

2012 Christian Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

This challenge is hosted by Margaret over at www.creativemadnessmama.com /
www.christianhistoricalfiction.com.  The goal is to read 24 books in this genre throughout the year.  I've participated in this one the last two years and really enjoyed it, so I look forward to doing it again this year!

Here is my list of books ... I will add to it as time goes on (all books for this challenge will be counted for other challenges as well) :

1. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall (Klassen) -- 1/7/12
2. Before the Season Ends (Burkhard) -- 1/20/12
3. A Whisper of Peace (Sawyer) -- 4/2/12
4. This Fine Life (Everson) -- 4/4/12
5. The Lightkeeper's Daughter (Coble) -- 4/17/12
6. The Lightkeeper's Bride (Coble) -- 4/24/12
7. The Lightkeeper's Ball (Coble) -- 5/1/12
8. The Wedding Dress (Hauck) -- 5/29/12
9. The One Who Waits for Me (Copeland) -- 6/22/12
10. Summer of Promise (Cabot) -- 7/5/12
11. Short-Straw Bride (Witemeyer) -- 8/11/12
12. 
    

2011 Reading Challenges Recap

I thought I take a minute and recap how I did on the reading challenges I joined this year.  I'm afraid I didn't do as well as I should have, nor as well as I wanted to.  I'm not sure why, but it seemed that especially during the last few months of this year I just didn't read very much.  I hope this is not a trend that carries into the new year.

I joined a total of 6 reading challenges this year and here's how I did:

• 2011 Chunkster Reading Challenge = 3, which means I didn't even qualify for the lowest level of this challenge. (I really thought I read at least one more that qualified, but if I did, I didn't mark it down.)
• 2011  "Show Me the Free" Reading Challenge = 11.  Again, one short of qualifying for the lowest level of this challenge.
• 2011 - 100+ Reading Challenge = 72.  WOW -- way short.  :-(
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge = 25, qualifying me for the 2nd level (Fun Size) of this challenge.
• 2011 eBook Challenge = 11, qualifying me for the 2nd level (Fascinated) of this challenge.
• 2011 Christian Historical Fiction Challenge = 24, which means I did complete this one, but barely as I didn't finish that last book until Christmas day.

Here's to doing better in 2012!!

2011 Chunkster Reading Challenge

This challenge is being hosted again by caribousmom over at http://chunksterchallenge.blogspot.com/.  The challenge runs February 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012.

Below are the details and sign ups for 2011 ... I've made a few changes which I hope you will like...ie: I've added another level of participation AND I've changed the number of books you need to read for each level.

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 this post 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!

You must pick a level of participation:

1. The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who wants to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.
2. The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months.
3. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX Chunksters from the following categories: 2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length; 2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length; 2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions page for some books which fit into these categories).
4. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

1. The Book Thief (Zusak) -- 757 p. -- 3/4/11*
2. The American Heiress (Goodwin) 465 p. -- 4/7/11 
3. Her Daughter's Dream (Rivers) -- 564 p. -- 7/23/11

*Although in the US, this book is aimed at the YA market, when it was originally published in Australia, it was published as an adult book.  I think it appeals to both and for those reasons I am counting it here.

2011 "Show Me the Free" Reading Challenge

This challenge is hosted by Missie over at The Unread Reader.  Here are the guidelines for this challenge: 

• Should you choose to participate in this challenge, your goal is to read at least twelve (12) legally obtained e-books which you got for FREE for your e-reading device. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit.
• Anyone can join. You don't have to be a blogger, and you don't have to live in the United States. 
• Any E-Reader will work for this challenge, including: iPad, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, enTourage. 
• Please Note: If you don't have an e-reading device, you can still join in with Amazon's Free Kindle Reading Apps which you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Blackberry and more.
• The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. You can join at anytime.
• e-books in ANY genre count for this challenge as long as it was FREE at the time that you downloaded it.
• Every month in 2011, I will make a post for the Show Me The Free Reading Challenge so you can link your reviews. 
• Those that link their reviews will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a different prize each month, such as an Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card, a bookmark, or a GelaSkins for your E-Reader. Winners will be announced at the end of each month.

Challenge Guidelines:

• If you blog, create a post announcing your participation in the challenge. Please include a link back to this post.
• Non blogger must publish reviews on some type of public domain such as Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble to enter the monthly giveaway.
• When you post your book review, you MUST say how you obtained the free read. Please make your source clear.
• You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them.
• Crossovers to other reading challenges is acceptable, but galley e-books DO NOT count. Again, this is a Reading Challenge to read as many of the FREE e-books legally offered for your e-reader. To get started, check out the Top 100 Free books on Amazon, or the Free e-books on Barnes & Noble. 
• Any linked reviews that do not meet the guidelines will not be entered into the monthly drawing for the prize of the month. 

Levels:
Coupon Clipper: 12 Books
Penny Pincher: 24 Books
Super Saver: 30+ Books

I will list my titles below, where I got it from, and the date I finished it.

1. Crossing Oceans (Holmes) -- Free from Kindle Store -- 1/19/11
2. A Gift of Grace (Clipston) -- Free from Kindle Store --
3. Wish (Bullen) --  Free from Kindle Store -- 2/20/11
4. Cool Beans: A Maya Davis Novel (Mangum) -- Free from Kindle Store --
5. Love on a Dime (James) -- Free from Kindle Store -- 3/13/11
6. Mr. Darcy's Diary (Grange) -- Free from Kindle Store
7. The Postmistress (Blake)  -- Checked out from library -- 1/14/11
8. Long Time Coming (Miller) -- Free from Kindle Store -- 3/16/11 
9. Fools Rush In (Thompson) -- Free from Kindle Store -- 4/30/11 
10. The Girl in the Gatehouse (Klassen) -- Free from Kindle Store -- 11/27/11 
11. A Vote of Confidence (Hatcher) -- Free from Kindle Store -- 11/ 31/11
12. 
    

2011 100+ Reading Challenge

This is my second year participating in this challenge, put forth by J. Kaye @  Home Girl's Book Blog.  The basic idea of this one is to try to read 100 books over the course of the year.  Here are her guidelines:

1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. --Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st and continues through the end of December, 2011.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

I felt like I did pretty well last year, but let's see if I can surpass last year's number. 
Here is my list and the dates I finished them ... I will add to it as I read.  I'm also going to try to indicate a category for each book.

1. Dawn's Prelude (Peterson)  -- CHF -- 1/4/1
2. Morning's Refrain (Peterson) -- CHF -- 1/10/11
3. The Postmistress (Blake) -- eBook/Adult -- 1/14/11
4. Big Bouffant (Hosford) -- ARC/eBook/PB -- 1/17/11
5. Crossing Oceans (Holmes) -- eBook/Adult -- 1/19/11
6. The Pigman (Zindel) -- YA -- 1/22/11 
7. Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf (Holm) -- YA -- 1/25/11 
8. Speak (Anderson) -- YA -- 1/28/11
9. Twilight's Serenade (Peterson) -- CHF -- 1/31/11
10. Luna (Peters) -- YA --2/3/11
11. Nerd in Shining Armor (Thompson) -- Romance -- 2/4/11 
12. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (Pattillo) -- Fiction -- 2/9/11
13. Athletic Shorts (Crutcher) -- YA -- 2/13/11 
14. Wish (Bullen) -- YA -- 2/20/11 
15. Feed (Anderson) -- YA -- 2/22/11 
16. The Devil's Arithmetic (Yolen) -- YA -- 2/24/11
17. Life As We Knew It (Pfeffer) -- YA -- 2/24/11
18. The Book Thief (Zusak) -- YA -- 3/4/11
19. Feathers (Woodson) -- YA -- 3/5/11 
20. Stanley in Space (Brown) -- Junior -- 3/11/11 
21. The Talented Clementine (Pennypacker) -- Junior -- 3/12/11
22. Love on a Dime (James) -- CHF -- 3/13/11 
23. Long Time Coming (Miller) -- eBook/CF -- 3/16/11 
24. Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo (Filipovic) -- YA -- 3/21/11 
25. Dash and Lilly's Book of Dares (Cohn) -- YA -- 3/28/11
26. The Handmaid's Tale (Atwood ) -- Adult/YA -- 3/29/11
27. Monster (Myers) -- YA -- 3/31/11
28. The American Heiress (Goodwin) -- Historical Fiction -- 4/7/11
29. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood -- YA -- 4/13/11
30. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Alexie) -- YA -- 4/20/11
31. Twilight:  The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 (Meyer) -- YA -- 4/27/11
32. Fools Rush In (Thompson) -- CF -- 4/30/11
33. Country Brides (Macomber) -- Adult -- 5/2/11
34. The Soldier's Wife (Leroy) -- Adult -- 5/12/11 
35. Summer Breeze (Anderson) -- Historical Fiction/Romance -- 5/17/11
36. Finishing Becca (Rinaldi) -- YA Historical Fiction -- 5/25/11
37. The Union Quilters (Chiaverini) -- Adult -- 6/1/11
38. On Hummingbird Wings (Snelling) -- CF -- 6/8/11
39. Embers of Love (Peterson) -- CHF -- 6/12/11
40. Jane Austen Ruined My Life (Pattillo) -- Adult -- 6/18/11
41. A Daughter's Inheritance (Peterson/Miller) -- CHF -- 6/21/11
42. An Unexpected Love (Peterson/Miller) -- CHF -- 6/28/11
43. A Surrendered Heart (Peterson/Miller) -- CHF -- 6/28/11
44. The Aloha Quilt (Chiaverini) -- Adult -- 6/30/11
45. In the Company of Others (Karon) -- Adult -- 7/16/11
46. A Heart for Home (Snelling) -- CHF -- 7/19/11
47. Her Daughter's Dream (Rivers) -- CF -- 7/23/11
48. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Brashares) -- YA -- 7/28/11
49. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Brashares) -- YA -- 7/30/11
50. Girls in Pants (Brashares) -- YA -- 7/31/11
51. Forever in Blue:  The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Brashares) -- YA -- 8/2/11
52. Sisterhood Everlasting (Brashares) -- Adult -- 8/6/11
53. The Other Queen (Gregory) -- Adult -- 8/19/11
54. Rumors (Godbersen) -- YA -- 8/30/11
55. A Distant Melody (Sundin) -- CHF -- 9/1/11
56. A Memory Between Us (Sundin) -- CHF -- 9/10/11
57. Blue Skies Tomorrow (Sundin) -- CHF -- 9/13/11
58. The Preacher's Bride (Hedlund) -- CHF -- 9/23/11
59. The Shop on Blossom Street (Macomber) -- Adult -- 10/11
60.  A Good Yarn (Macomber) -- Adult -- 10/11
61. Susannah's Garden (Macomber) -- Adult -- 10/11
62. Back on Blossom Street (Macomber) -- Adult -- 10/11
63. Twenty Wishes (Macomber) -- Adult -- 10/11
64. Summer on Blossom Street (Macomber) -- Adult -- 10/11
65. Hannah's List (Macomber) -- Adult -- 11/6
66. 1105 Yakima Street (Macomber) -- Adult -- 11/15
67. 1225 Christmas Tree Lane (Macomber) -- Adult -- 11/18
68. The Christmas Singing (Woodsmall) -- CF -- 11/20
69. The Girl in the Gatehouse (Klassen) -- CHF -- 11/27
70. A Vote of Confidence (Hatcher) -- CHF -- 11/31
71. A Log Cabin Christmas: 9 Romances of American Pioneer Christmases -- CHF -- 12/25 
72. Just Ella (Haddix) -- Junior/YA -- 12/29

2011 YA Reading Challenge

This one is hosted by Jamie @ "For the Love of YA"

Rules:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Create a post about the challenge and link your challenge post up in the linky below.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.

2. There are four levels:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.

--The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.

--The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.

3. Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. The Challenge starts on January 1, 2011 and goes until December 31, 2011.

Perhaps I am cheating a bit by participating in this one, but I couldn't resist as I am going to be taking a YA Lit. college course this semester.  I am sure I will read at least 20 books for that course alone!  I will list the titles I read and the date completed below as I finish them. 

1. The Pigman (Zindel) -- 1/22/11 
2. Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf (Holm) -- 1/25/11 
3. Speak (Anderson) -- 1/28/11
4. Luna (Peters) --2/3/11
5. Athletic Shorts (Crutcher) -- 2/13/11
6. Wish (Bullen) -- 2/20/11 
7. Feed (Anderson) -- 2/22/11
8. The Devil's Arithmetic (Yolen) -- 2/24/11 
9. Life As We Knew It (Pfeffer) -- 2/27/11 
10. The Book Thief (Zusak) -- 3/4/11 
11. Feathers (Woodson) -- 3/5/11 
12. Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo (Filipovic) -- 3/21/11  
13. Dash and Lilly's Book of Dares (Cohn) -- 3/28/11
14. The Handmaid's Tale (Atwood) -- 3/29/11
15. Monster (Myers) -- 3/31/11
16. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood (Saenz) -- 4/13/11
17. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Alexie) -- 4/20/11
18. Twilight: A Graphic Novel, Volume 1 (Meyer) -- 4/27/11
19. Finishing Becca (Rinaldi) -- 5/25/11
20. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Brashares) -- 7/28/11
21. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Brashares) -- 7/30/11
22. Girls in Pants (Brashares) -- 7/31/11
23. Forever in Blue:  The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Brashares) -- 8/2/11
24. Rumors (Godbersen) -- 8/30/11
25. Just Ella (Haddix) -- 12/29/11
    

2011 eBook Challenge

Hosted by theladybugreads.blogspot.com -- Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.
2. There are four levels:
-- Curious – Read 3 e-books.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 e-books.
-- Addicted – Read 12 e-books.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 e-books.
-- Possessed – Read 50 e-books.
-- Fanatical – Read 75 e-books.
-- Monomaniacal – Read 100 e-books.
3. Any genre counts.
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. Challenge begins January 1, 2011 and lasts until December 31, 2011.

We'll have to see how many I read ... I'm going to guess somewhere between 12 and 20.  I will list them below as I read them, along with the dates I finished them.

1. The Postmistress (Blake) -- 1/14/11 -- Checked out from TDL
2. Big Bouffant (Hosford) -- 1/17/11 -- Netgalley
3. Crossing Oceans (Holmes) -- 1/19/11 -- Amazon (free)
4. Wish (Bullen) -- 2/20/11 -- Amazon (free)
5. Feed (Anderson) -- 2/22/11 -- Amazon (purchased)
6. Long Time Coming (Miller) -- 3/16/11 -- Amazon (free)
7. The Handmaid's Tale (Atwood) -- 3/29/11 -- Amazon (purchased) 
8. Fools Rush In (Thompson) -- 4/30/11 -- Amazon (free)
9. The Christmas Singing (Woodsmall) -- 11/20/11 -- Amazon (purchased)
10. The Girl in the Gatehouse (Klassen) -- 11/27/11 -- Amazon (free) 
11. A Vote of Confidence (Hatcher) -- 11/31/11 -- Amazon (free)

2011 Christian Historical Fiction Challenge

This challenge is hosted by Margaret over at www.creativemadnessmama.com /
www.christianhistoricalfiction.com.  The goal is to read 24 books in this genre throughout the year.  I participated in this one last year and really enjoyed it, so I look forward to doing it again this year!






Here is a list of books I hope to read ... I will add to it as time goes on (all books for this challenge will be counted for other challenges as well) :

1. Dawn's Prelude (Peterson) -- 1/4/11
2. Morning's Refrain (Peterson) -- 1/10/11
3. Twilight's Serenade (Peterson) -- 1/31/11
4. The Red Siren (Tyndall)
5. Liberty's Promise (Stockton) 
6. The Reluctant Cowgirl (Lynxwiler)
7. The Secret (Lewis)
8. Rachel's Secret (Hoff)
9. A Vote of Confidence (Hatcher)
10. Montana Rose (Connealy)
11. No Place for a Lady (Brendan)
12. Love on a Dime (James) -- 3/13/11 
13. Embers of Love (Peterson) -- 6/12/11
14. A Daughter's Inheritance (Peterson/Miller) -- 6/21/11 
15. An Unexpected Love (Peterson/Miller) -- 6/28/11 
16. A Surrendered Heart (Peterson/Miller) -- 6/28/11 
17. A Heart for Home (Snelling) -- 7/19/11 
18. A Distant Melody (Sundin) -- 9/1/11 
19. A Memory Between Us (Sundin) -- 9/10/11 
20. Blue Skies Tomorrow (Sundin) -- 9/13/11
21. The Preacher's Bride (Hedlund) -- 9/23/11
22. The Girl in the Gatehouse (Klassen) -- 11/20/11
23. A Vote of Confidence (Hatcher) -- 11/27/11
24. A Log Cabin Christmas: 9 Romances of American Pioneer Christmases -- 12/25/11

2010 Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

Well, it's December 30 and we're about to close out this year and begin a new one ... I thought I'd take a minute and take stock so to speak on how I did with the various book challenges I "signed up" for this year.

The first challenge I took up was the Christian Historical Fiction Challenge sponsored by Margaret over at http://chf.creativemadnessmama.com/.  The challenge was to read 24 Christian Historical Fiction books throughout the year.  I felt this one would be easy to accomplish since it is my genre of choice most of the time, and I was right.  I did pretty well on this one, and ended up reading a total of 27 books that fit this category.  Here's a list of what I had intended to read and what I ended up reading ... I will be adding the ones I didn't get to to next year's list!

The second challenge I entered was the Chunkster Reading Challenge put out by caribousmom@ http://chunksterchallenge.blogspot.com/, a chunkster being a book for 450 or more pages.  There were three levels in this challenge and I initially thought I would probably only do the first level.  Much to my surprise I ended up reading 9 books that were over 450 pages, which means I exceeded the number for the top level of the challenge.  Click here to see what I read in this category.

The third challenge was the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge.  This one was set up by J. Kaye @ http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/  I thought this would be a piece of cake.  I have to say that although I've exceeded 100 (112 to be exact), I'm a bit disappointed in myself, I really thought I would have read far more than I did, especially since 47 of what I read I categorized as "children's books".  I intend to do something similar again next year and I'd like to see if I can read closer to 100 YA/Adult books.  Last spring I was taking a Children's Literature class, so perhaps that is why there are so many children's books (and the sad thing is, I read a lot of books at work in preparation for my media classes that I didn't log on this list) ... this spring I am taking a YA Literature class, so that should help some.  Of course, it would probably help lots if I weren't taking any classes and could just read, read, read!  :-)  Here is the list for this category.

The last challenge I took up during 2010 was the 2010 Christmas Christian Fiction Reading Challenge -- another challenge from Margaret over at http://chf.creativemadnessmama.com.
I ended up reading 6 books that fit into this description, and another 8 books that were Christmas related for a total of 14 Christmas books!

All in all, not too bad ... it's been fun keeping track of what I read, something I've been doing for a while now on Goodreads to a point, but joining these challenges and starting this book blog  have made me more aware of what and how much I read ... I find this stats page from goodreads interesting as well.
~Kati

2010 Christmas Christian Fiction Reading Challenge

This is another challenge from Margaret over at http://chf.creativemadnessmama.comChallenge Requirements:1- Challenge will start Monday, November 15 and will end Friday, December 31.2- You can read anywhere from 1 to 5 books for the challenge and, of course, if you’re like me, you are more than welcome to surpass that number.3- And now, here’s the clincher… they must be Christmas Christian Fiction related books.4- The size of the book does not matter, nor does the genre. It is also okay for the book to overlap with other challenges. YA is okay. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, and other formats are all allowed. As long as the book can by purchased it counts.I'd best get to work if I'm going to be able to start this one on the 15th.  I have a stack of Christmas books just waiting to be read ... they include:

1. The Sound of Sleigh Bells (Woodsmall) (oops ... just realized I read this one last year.  I'll have to find something else.)
2. Christmas at Harringtons (Carlson) -- I can't get my hands on a copy of this one, I'll  put it on next years list!
3. A Prairie Christmas Collection (Peters, Bateman, Raney ...) -- 11/22/10
4. A Simple Amish Christmas (Chapman) -- 11/25/10
5. Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball (Paul) -- I can't get my hands on a copy of this one, I'll  put it on next years list!
6. Grace (Gray) -- 12/4/10
7. Finding Father Christmas (Gunn) -- 12/5/10
8. Engaging Father Christmas (Gunn) -- 12/8/10
9. A Door County Christmas (Melby, et al.) -- 12/16/10

Here are some other Christmas books I also plan to read, but I don't think they will fit this challenge as they (probably) aren't considered Christian fiction.

1. Home for the Holidays (Macomber) -- 11/15/10
2. The Perfect Christmas (Macomber) -- 11/29/10
3. A Cars Christmas (Lagonegro - a Step Into Reading Ready to Read book) -- 12/8/10
4. Christmas in Camelot (Osborne) -- 11/24/10
5. The Christmas Clock (Martin) -- 12/7/10
6. Auntie Claus (Primavera) -- 12/13/10
7. Ernest's Special Christmas (Barnes ) -- 12/13/10
8. Christmas at the Candle Factory (Johns)-- 12/13/10

2010 100+ Reading Challenge

This one is from J. Kaye @ http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/Since any book counts and I can count books that I'm reading for the other challenges I think this one should be pretty easy. If I count the things I read for work I'll probably be at 100 before I know it. I am going to keep separate lists of children's vs. young adult/adult stuff so I can see just how many of each kind I actually read.Children's Books

1. Fireflies: A Winter's Tale (Hoffman)
2. The Crunching Munching Caterpillar (Cain)
3. No Matter What (Gliori)
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4. Love That Dog (Creech)
5. Grace for President (DiPucchio)
6. Cinder Edna (Jackson)
7. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella (Lowell)
8. The Smallest Snowflake (Watts)
9. John Philip Duck (Polacco)
10. Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair (Polacco)
11. Rules (Lord)
12. Days with Frog and Toad (Lobel)
13. Dear Mr. Henshaw (Cleary)
14. Strider (Cleary)
15. Nory Ryan's Song (Giff)
16. Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower (Parish)
17. The Talent Show from the Black Lagoon (Thaler)
18. Pioneer Sisters (Wilder)
19. Lions (Middleton)
20. Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig (DiCamillo)
21. Locked in the Library (Brown)
22. Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures: The Mount Rushmore Calamity (Brown/Pennypacker)
23. Grandfather's Dance (MacLachlan)
24. Stone Fox (Gardiner)
25. Aunt Chip and the Triple Creek Dam Affair (Polacco)
26. When Charlie McButton Lost Power (Collins)
27. The Doll in the Garden : A Ghost Story (Hahn)
28. Bridge to Terabithia (Paterson)
29. Grandfather's Dance (MacLachlan)
30. Bud, Not Buddy (Curtis)
31. Diary of a Wimpy Kid : #1 Greg Heffley's Journal (Kinney)
32. Library Lil (Williams)
33. Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly! (Willems)
34. The Flim-Flam Fairies (Katz)
35. Out of My Mind (Draper)
36. Moses Goes to a Concert (Millman)
37. Pigsty (Teague)
38. Wallace's Lists (Landstrom)
39. Hoot (Hiaasen)
40. Diary of a Wombat (French)
41. My Little Sister Ate One Hare (Grossman)
42. Christmas in Camelot (Osborne)
43. Math Fables (Tang)
44. A Cars Christmas (Lagonegro)
45. Ernest's Special Christmas (Barnes)
46. Auntie Claus (Primavera)
47. Christmas at the Candle Factory (Johns)

YA/Adult Books

1. Angels at Christmas (Macomber)
2. An Amish Christmas: December in Lancaster County (Wiseman, Fuller & Cameron)
3. Revealed (Alexander)
4. Remembered (Alexander)
5. The Lightning Thief (Riordan)
6. A Promise for Spring (Sawyer)
7. The Apothecary's Daughter (Klassen)
8. The Winter Lodge (Wiggs)
9. Dockside (Wiggs)
10. Where Roses Grow Wild (Cabot)
11. Ella Enchanted (Levine)
12. Witness (Hesse)
13. Reason and Romance (Smith)
14. Mending Places (Hunter)
15. Saving Grace (Hunter)
16. Finding Faith (Hunter)
17. Found (Haddix)
18. Sent (Haddix)
19. Once In A Blue Moon (Goudge)
20. A Tailor-Made Bride (Witemeyer)
21. Beguiled (Gist/Bertrand)
22. Her Mother's Hope (Rivers)
23. A Promise To Believe In (Peterson)
24. Where Willows Grow (Sawyer)
25. Sixteen Brides (Whitson)
26. Fields of Grace (Sawyer)
27. A Passion Most Pure (Lessman)
28. A Love to Last Forever (Peterson)
29. A Dream to Call My Own (Peterson)
30. The Silent Governess (Klassen)
31. Angel's Den (Carie)
32. A Passion Redeemed (Lessman)
33. A Passion Denied (Lessman)
34. A Ruling Passion (Michael)
35. A Hopeful Heart (Sawyer)
36. Mistress of the Revolution (Delors)
37. Forevermore (Hake)
38. A Lady of Hidden Intent (Peterson)
39. Love's First Light (Carie)
40. A Measure of Mercy (Snelling)
41. No Distance Too Far (Snelling)
42. Redeeming Love (Rivers)
43. Head in the Clouds (Witemeyer)
44. Maid to Match (Gist)
45. The Scarlet Thread (Rivers)
46. Runner's World Running for Mortals: A Commonsense Plan for Changing Your Life with Running (Bingham)
47. No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running (Bingham)
48. The Shunning (Lewis)
49. The Confession (Lewis)
50. The Reckoning (Lewis)
51. Sabatoged (Haddix)
52. The Red Pyramid (Riordan)
53. Home to Holly Springs (Karon)
54. A Prairie Christmas Collection (Peterson, et al.)
55. The Perfect Christmas (Macomber)
56. Grace (Gray)
57. The Christmas Clock (Martin)
58. Unwrapping Christmas (Copeland)
59. Finding Father Christmas (Gunn)
60. Engaging Father Christmas (Gunn)
61. A Door County Christmas (Melby, et al.) 
62. 1022 Evergreen Place (Macomber)
63. Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One (Lathan)
64. Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberly (Lathan)

Chunkster Reading Challenge

This challenge is from caribousmom @ http://chunksterchallenge.blogspot.com/
Here are some of the rules she's posted:
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.

1. The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who has a couple of large tomes on their TBR list, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. 3 books is all you need to finish this challenge.


2. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to 4 Chunksters over the next twelve months.


3. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to 6 or more chunksters OR three tomes of 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

************************************************************************************

I'm not sure yet which level of this one I will participate at ... probably the "Chubby Chunkster", although I'm sure I have 6 or more books in my TBR drawer that would fit in this category. I know I have a couple of John Jakes and Barbara Taylor Bradford's back there ...

1) Her Mother's Hope (Rivers -- 483 pg. -- 6/3/10)
2) A Passion Most Pure (Lessman -- 477 pg. -- 6/23/10)
3) A Passion Redeemed (Lessman -- 477 pg. -- 7/7/10)
4) A Passion Denied (Lessman -- 463 pg. -- 7/11/10)
5) A Ruling Passion (Michael -- 574 pg. -- 7/20/10)
6) Mistress of the Revolution (Delors -- 451 pg. -- 8/2/10)
7)  Redeeming Love (Rivers -- 479 pg. -- 9/22/10)*
8)  The Scarlet Thread (Rivers -- 462 pg. -- 10/7/10)
9)  The Red Pyramid (Riordan -- 523 pg. -- 10/31/10)**

*I read the ebook edition of this title on my iPad, but it is listed as being 479 pages in the trade paperback version, so I am listing it here.

**Even though this one is technically a Junior or YA book, I'm listing it because it was more than the minimum pages required to qualify and quite frankly I thought it was a "hard" book for 4-9 graders.  I found myself really having to concentrate in order to keep track of things and follow the story and I think a lot of adults will end up reading this one anyway.

Christian Historical Fiction Challenge

This challenge is from Margaret @ http://chf.creativemadnessmama.com/

These are the books I'm hoping to read for this challenge:
1) A Tailor-Made Bride (Witemeyer) -- 5/16/10
2) Sixteen Brides (Whitson) -- 6/18/10
3) The Red Siren (Tyndall)
4) Liberty's Promise (Stockton)
5) No Distance to Far (Snelling) -- 09/06/10
6) A Promise to Believe In (Peterson) -- 6/5/10
7) Fields of Grace (Sawyer) -- 6/20/10
8) A Measure of Mercy (Snelling) -- 08/30/10
9) A Promise for Spring (Sawyer) -- 2/9/10
10) Where Willows Grow (Sawyer) -- 6/13/10
11) The Reluctant Cowgirl (Lynxwiler)
12) The Secret (Lewis)
13) A Passion Most Pure (Lessman) -- 6/23/10
14) The Apothecary's Daughter (Klassen) -- 2/14/10
15) The Silent Governess (Klassen) -- 6/30/10
16) Rachel's Secret (Hoff)
17) A Vote of Confidence (Hatcher)
18) The Bride Bargain (Hake) -- 8/16/10
19) Montana Rose (Connealy)
20) No Place for a Lady (Brendan)
21) Revealed (Alexander) -- 1/27/10
22) Remembered (Alexander) -- 1/31/10
23) A Lady of Hidden Intent (Peterson) -- 8/13/10
24) Love's First Light (Carie) -- 8/22/10
25) A Love to Last Forever (Peterson) -- 6/27/10
26) A Dream to Call My Own (Peterson) -- 6/28/10
27) Angel's Den (Carie) -- 7/2/10
28) A Passion Redeemed (Lessman) -- 7/7/10
29) A Passion Denied (Lessman) -- 7/11/10
30) A Hopeful Heart (Sawyer) -- 7/27/10
31) Forevermore (Hake) -- 8/3/10
32) Redeeming Love (Rivers) -- 9/22/10
33) Head in the Clouds (Witemeyer) -- 9/25/10
34) Maid to Match (Gist) -- 9/27/10
35) A Prairie Christmas Collection (Peterson, et al.) -- 11-22-10