20-10 Plus 20-10A Personal Challenge

I am planning to limit myself to six reading challenges in 2010, two of which began in 2009. Here are the six, with links to the challenge blogs:

• 2010 Countdown Challenge (a total of 55 books, of which I've already read 25 - so I'm almost way-half there),


• Book Awards 4 (a total of 10 books),


• Women Unbound (a total of 8 books, one of which I've already read),


• 42 Challenge (a total of 42 items, which will likely include at least six books),


• A to Z Challenge (a total of 52 books),


• and Social Justice Challenge (at least three full-length books plus other requirements).

Additionally, I'm going to challenge myself to read "20-10 Plus 20-10" from four book lists in which I'm interested. Those books better fit into the parameters of the other challenges too, or else I'm going to have to far exceed my goal of 104 books for the year (an average of two a week).

• 20 Books from the Salt Lake County Library Reader's Choice. Recently published books are chosen twice a year by the Salt Lake County Library staff as books they enjoyed reading and think library patrons will enjoy too. Patrons vote for their favorites. My picks will come from the 2010 nominees or past winners.


• 10 Books from the Midvale Middle School Book Challenge. The students at the middle school that my daughter attends are encouraged to participate in a "book challenge" in which they are to read 30 books from a list of recommended YA titles. I want to read some of the 2009-2010 school year recommendations (which I've put on one of my goodreads shelves), and, if necessary, some of those for 2010-2011.


• 20 Books from Finalists for The Cybils Awards. These "Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Award" finalists for 2009-2010 were announced on New Year's Day, with the winners to be announced on Valentine's Day.


• 10 Books from the Beehive Awards. The Beehive Awards - in five categories - are sponsored by the Children's Literature Association of Utah (CLAU). Winners are chosen from the nominated books by the children of Utah, who vote for their favorites. My picks will come from the 2010 nominees (which can be found here) and/or prior year winners (which can be found here).

Happy reading in 2010!

Closing the Files

With only a few hours to go in 2008, there are a bunch of reading challenges that I'm just not going to finish. (There are a couple that I'm going to stick with until they're complete - even though it'll be past the deadline. More on those later.) Here is a final status report on those I've leaving behind me:

342,752 Ways to Herd Cats - 1/3. (I loved the quirky concept of this challenge, but it just didn't really work for me.)

Chunkster Challenge - 3/4.

Back to History Challenge - 11/12. (I almost finished this one.)

Every Month is a Holiday - 10/12. (This one - which I understand is now going to be a perpetual challenge - was a lot of fun. I didn't finish either August's or December's picks. I am tempted to try it again in 2009, but I'm resisting - at least for now.)

1st in a Series - 2/12. (So many series, so little time!)

Celebrate the Author - 4/12. (This was a fun idea but difficult for me to implement.)

Printz Award Challenge - 3/6. (I'm definitely coming back to some of these titles.)

Graphic Novels Challenge - 5/6. (It was a lot of fun to explore this genre a little. I'll definitely be reading more graphic novels in the future.)

Man Booker Challenge - 0/6. (This seemed like a good idea at the time.)

Reading Full Circle Challenge - 7 completed. (The best part of this one was making the lists.)

Suspense & Thriller Challenge - 8/6 for 2008. (Although I love suspense thrillers, this challenge wasn't really working for me. It's continuing into 2009, but I'm done with it.)

Cardathon - 4 completed.

A big thank you to all the hosts and other participants of these challenges!

My Current Challenge Status

I'm pretty much challenge-addicted and have a hard time resisting a great challenge - although I have been pretty good about not adding much new since the beginning of the year. Now that 2008 is nearly three-quarters of the way over, I wondering what I'm actually going to be able to finish. Here is a summary of my current challenge status (more details, including links, are in my sidebar):

342,752 Ways to Herd Cats - 0/3 (ends November 30; I haven't even decided what three books I'm going to read).

Series Challenge - 1/4 (although the challenge doesn't specify the number of books required; ends November 30).

Chunkster Challenge - 3/4 (ends December 20).

Fall Into Reading 2008 - list pending (starts tomorrow and runs through December 20).
I'm quite sure that my list for this challenge will be comprised of books for the other challenges.

TBR Challenge - 3/12 (ends December 31).

What's in a Name? - 1/6 (ends December 31).

In Their Shoes - 2/8 (ends December 31).

Back to History Challenge - 6/12 (ends December 31).

Every Month is a Holiday - 8/12 (ends December 31; I skipped April and haven't yet read August's pick, but I've already read October's and November's, so maybe it'll all work out).

1st in a Series - 2/12 (ends December 31).

Celebrate the Author - 4/12 (ends December 31; I skipped March, and then I stalled at June).

Printz Award Challenge - 2/6 (ends December 31).

Graphic Novels Challenge - 3/6 (ends December 31).

Man Booker Challenge - 0/6 (ends December 31).

Reading Full Circle Challenge - 6 completed (ends December 31).

Triple 8 (or 888) - 31/64, with four overlaps, with 2 of 8 categories completed (ends December 31).

A~Z Reading Challenge - 34/52 (ends December 31).

YA Romance Challenge - 0/6 (ends February 28; I've actually read a few things that qualify, but I need to get them labeled and posted to the challenge blog).

Book Awards Challenge II - list under construction (ends June 1).

Suspense & Thriller Challenge - 8/6 for 2008 (challenge continues into 2009).

Cardathon - 3 completed.

42 Challenge - not even officially begun, but I'm way behind on tracking my progress, so I'll have to let you know; runs January 1 through December 3, 2009.

If I've done the math right, in order to complete the challenges that end on or before December 31, I've got more than 100 books to read by year-end. That includes the overlaps that I know about, although there can likely be a few more than that. Since I've read fewer than 60 books so far this year, 100 more is an impossibility! I guess it's time to start prioritizing what I'd like to finish. Off the top of my head, I'd like to complete both the A~Z Reading Challenge and the Triple 8 Challenge. Those are the two biggest ones I'm involved in - and finishing them would give me a great sense of accomplishment.

I guess I ought to get off the computer and start reading!

P.S. I really didn't realize that I had so many challenges pending. I even said so to Becky on Saturday night. Alas.

Weekly Geeks No. 18

This week’s theme: Catch up on ... something.

Boy, this theme is pertinent! I am behind on my reviews, behind on updating the challenges in my sidebar, not to mention behind on my reading!

I need to get my Fall into Reading list ready for Monday. I've never made a list for the Book Awards Challenge II. And I've not written my "I've Completed the 'In the Pub' Challenge" post.

I'd like to put my "Bookish Blogs I Like to Visit" list into the new Blogger blog list gadget. I need to update my list of sci-fi things for the 42 Challenge. And I'd like to update my "read" list in goodreads to make sure that everything I've read this year is listed and linked to my reviews.

Given that we've only got a little over one-quarter of the year to go, I also need to make a good plan for what challenges I'm actually going to complete and what I should likely abandon now.

Where has the year gone?! Where do I start?


Just thinking out loud here:

The books I've read but still need to review are the following:

• Anatomy of a Boyfriend


• Violet on the Runway


• Eat, Pray, Love

My status in the A~Z Reading Challenge: Of the 52 required reads, I've completed 34 - 15 of the authors and 19 of the titles. That's about 5 books off the necessary pace to complete the challenge by December 31 - and I'm getting down to some of the harder letters.

The authors I have left are F, I, J, N, O, Q, R, U, V, X, and Z. I'm thinking Fforde for F, Jenoff for J, Quindlen for Q, Rehak for R, Unger for U, Voight for V, and Zusak for Z. Does anyone have any suggestions for I, N, O, or X?

The titles I have left are I, M, Q, U, X, Y, and Z. I'm thinking In Her Shoes or Interworld for I, The Mercy Rule or Mermaids in the Basement for M, Zombie Blondes or The Zookeeper's Wife for Z. Does anyone have any suggestions for Q, U, X, or Y?

I wonder if I can complete the eighteen I need for this challenge for Fall into Reading as well.

April's Reading in Review

Total Books Year-to-Date: 27
(With a goal for the year of 104, I'm seven or eight books behind schedule. That's fewer than I feared, before I did the math, but I'm not sure whether I'm going to be able to make it up.)

April: 5 books


The Camel Bookmobile (for Book Buddies)
Someone Like Summer
Change of Heart
Flowers for Algernon
Speak (for my IRL book club)

March: 5 books
February: 7 books
January: 10 books

Challenges Status:

Expanding Horizons Challenge - 2/4 (ended April 30, but I'm going to keep going until I finish it; I'm part way through A Thousand Splendid Suns right now, which will be my third book).

Series Challenge - 2 completed (ends May 31).

Spring Reading Thing - 5/13 (ends June 19).

Book Awards Reading Challenge - 8/12 (ends June 30).

Themed Reading Challenge - 2/4 (ends June 30).

342,752 Ways to Herd Cats - 0/3 (ends November 30; I haven't yet decided what three books I'm going to read).

Chunkster Challenge - 1/4 (ends December 20).

TBR Challenge - 3/12 (ends December 31).

Young Adult Challenge - 9/12 (ends December 31).

What's in a Name? - 1/6 (ends December 31).

In Their Shoes - 1/8 (ends December 31).

Back to History Challenge - 2/12 (ends December 31; I was trying to finish Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History in March, but I'm still working on it).

Every Month is a Holiday - 3/12 (ends December 31; I need to finish March's pick, but I've already read November's, so maybe it'll all work out).

1st in a Series - 0/12 (ends December 31).

Celebrate the Author - 2/12 (ends December 31; I've skipped March and April, but I'll keep going and see if I can make those up later).

Printz Award Challenge - 2/6 (ends December 31).

Graphic Novels Challenge - 2/6 (ends December 31).

Man Booker Challenge - 0/6 (ends December 31).

In the Pub - 4/8 (ends December 31).

Reading Full Circle Challenge - 2 completed (ends December 31).

Triple 8 (or 888) - 24/56, with four overlaps (ends December 31).

A~Z Reading Challenge - 23/52 (ends December 31; I was hoping that I'd be able to fit almost everything I read, but I'm starting to get some overlaps on the letters.).

Suspense & Thriller Challenge - 4/6 for 2008 (challenge continues into 2009).

Cardathon - 3 completed.

Plans for May:
Ideally I'll read ten books this month, but if I can get at least these seven done, I won't be too disappointed in myself.

• Windfalls (for Book Buddies)


• Picture Perfect (for my IRL book club)


• Don't Know Much About the Universe for Astronomy Day (May's holiday for the Every Month is a Holiday Challenge); I started this one quite a while ago, so it would be nice to finish it.


• I'd like to finish A Thousand Splendid Suns and Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History within the next few days.


• My church women's group book club is reading The Kite Runner, which I read quite a while ago. But I am hosting the meeting, so I thought I'd make a point of seeing the film version and maybe picking a clip or two to show. Since I'm also currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, it'll be nice to be able to make a recommendation to the group about that one.


• The GoodReads YA Book Club is reading Uglies this month. I read it last year and loved it. I'm not going to re-read it, but I plan to join in the discussion. I might also finally get to Extras - the fourth book in the "trilogy." (Extras would count for Celebrate the Author, since Scott Westerfeld's birthday is in May.) I'd like to read The Book Thief too, which is what the group read in April but I just didn't get time to read.

A Status Report on Challenges

These are the challenges in which I'm currently participating, in order of completion date, with my current status:

• 2007 R.I.P. Autumn Reading Challenge, hosted by Carl.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Time remaining: Negative two days, and counting ...
  Current status: Completed two of three on original list; added an additional selection; about 100 pages (of 650ish) to go in The Historian.


• Book Buddies, hosted by Bonnie Jacobs.
  Discussion of monthly selection is posted on the group blog.
  For November: I picked up The Boy in the Striped Pajamas from the library, but I haven't started reading it yet. I'm supposed to have the first half read by the 8th.


• Book to Movie Challenge, hosted by Callista.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Time remaining: 29 days.
  Current status: Completed one of three required.


• Fall into Reading 2007, hosted by Katrina.
  Links to reviews are tracked at Callapiddar Days.
  Time remaining: About seven weeks.
  Current status: Completed two of six on my original list.


• Newbery Challenge, in memory of Nattie.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Finished two of six required.


• "Something About Me" Challenge, hosted by Lisa.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Finished five of original five-plus-five, with one additional selection completed; about 100 pages to go in The Historian. After that one, I'd at least like to read Marley & Me and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn before the end of the challenge.


• Reading the Author Challenge, hosted by verbivore.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Finished one of the required minimum of three; checked out several others from library.


• 2nds Challenge, hosted by Joy.
  Links to reviews will be tracked on Joy's blog.
  Time remaining: Almost two months.
  Current status: Still haven't started any of the three required.


• The Unread Authors Challenge, hosted by Pour of Tor.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Time remaining: Four months.
  Current status: Finished two, but still constructing the list of at least six required.


• Book Awards Reading Challenge, hosted by 3M (Michelle).
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Time remaining: Eight months.
  Current status: Finished two of twelve required.


• "In Their Shoes" Reading Challenge, hosted by Vasilly.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Runs: January to December 2008.
  Current status: Posted "long list" of my picks.


• Cardathon Challenge, hosted by Becky.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Official starting date: January 1.
  Continuing for: "A year to whenever."
  Current status: Thinking about which of Card's books I'd like to read this year. Enchantment has been highly recommended. I'm also interested in Invasive Procedures.


• The Newbery Project, hosted by Alicia.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Ongoing.
  Current status: Still trying to figure out which ones of the eighty-six (to date) I've read recently enough to count as "already read".

I'm still thinking about the other challenges in which I'd like to participate in 2008. There are just so many fun, interesting possibilities! I've almost settled on my eight categories for the Triple 8 Challenge. Besides those fifty-six to sixty-four books, how many more do you think I can read in one year?

Trying to Keep It Straight in My Mind

My sister Carrie is the queen of spreadsheets! If there is anything that needs to be mentally sorted out and organized, she will create a spreadsheet for it. One that I benefit from is her ongoing record of our book club reads (date, host, book title), going back to the group's inception in June 2002. I've decided that I need a spreadsheet to help me keep track of all the current and upcoming book challenges in which I'm involved or interested - but because school is back in session, Carrie is extremely busy, so I guess I'm on my own to sort it all out. This is my attempt!

Most but not all of the challenges in which I'm currently participating are listed in my sidebar. Those challenges are as follows, in order of completion date:

• 2007 R.I.P. Autumn Reading Challenge, hosted by Carl.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Completion date: October 31.
  Current status: Reading first of three required.


• Book to Movie Challenge, hosted by Callista.
  Links to reviews are posted here.
  Completion date: December 1.
  Current status: Contemplating four for three required.


• Newbery Challenge, in memory of Nattie.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Finished two of six required.


• "Something About Me" Challenge, hosted by Lisa.
  Reviews are posted on the challenge blog.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Finished five of planned eleven, with many, many more possibles.


• Reading the Author Challenge, hosted by verbivore.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Contemplating three of the required minimum of three.


• 2nds Challenge, hosted by Joy.
  Links to reviews will be tracked on Joy's blog.
  Start date: October 1.
  Completion date: December 31.
  Current status: Contemplating the required three.


• The Unread Authors Challenge, hosted by Pour of Tor.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Completion date: February 29.
  Current status: Finished one, but still constructing the list of at least six required.


• Book Awards Reading Challenge, hosted by 3M (Michelle).
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Completion date: June 30.
  Current status: Finished two of twelve required.


• "In Their Shoes" Reading Challenge, hosted by Vasilly.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Runs: January to December 2008.
  Current status: Brainstorming.


• Cardathon Challenge, hosted by Becky.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Official starting date: January 1.
  Continuing for: "A year to whenever."
  Current status: Thinking about which of Card's books I've already read.


• The Newbery Project, hosted by Alicia.
  Reviews are posted to the challenge blog.
  Ongoing.
  Current status: Trying to figure out which ones of the eighty-six (to date) I've read recently enough to count as "already read".

While I'm personally still not used to the idea that it's 2007, there are a lot of book bloggers out there who are already planning their various and sundry challenge lists for 2008. Because I definitely want in on the fun, these are several challenges I'm considering joining, in alphabetical order:

• 1st in a Series, hosted by Joy.
  January to December 2008.
  Twelve books required.


• Back to History Challenge, hosted by Shannon.
  January to December 2008.
  Twelve books required.


• Celebrate the Author Challenge, hosted by Becky.
  January to December 2008.
  At least twelve books required.


• Every Month is a Holiday, hosted by Kim.
  January to December 2008.
  One book per month, for a total of twelve.


• Series Challenge, hosted by Kathrin.
  December 2007 to May 2008, with possible six-month extension.
  No set number of books.


• Themed Reading Challenge, hosted by Wendy.
  January to June 2008.
  At least four books required.


• Triple 8 Challenge (or 888), hosted by 3M (Michelle).
  January to December 2008.
  Eight books in eight different categories (with eight overlaps allowed), for a total of at least fifty-six books required.

So many books, so little time! I'm not kidding, am I?