Call me crazy...

....but I'm joining another challenge. This is one I wanted to join last year, as soon as I started blogging, so I'm excited to get on the list!

Orbis Terrarum 2009

Main Challenge Rules:
*The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins March 1 2009(you are welcome to join later) Through the end of 2009.
*For the challenge each reader is to choose 10 books (for the 10 months).
*Each book must from a different country, I have decided to go by the country of origin of the author, or the country he/she lives in is fine as well.
*You don't have to have a list, that means you can change your mind at any time. As long as there are 10 from 10 different countries, written by 10 different authors: Anything goes.


The bottom line: choose 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries.


I'm also going to join the Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge, since I have so many things in my Netflix queue that will apply. =)

Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge:
I know some of you enjoy subtitled films, or foreign films. I love spanish ones because I can understand them. Maybe you are bilingual and would love to sit and watch foreign films sometimes.
The OT film mini-challenge is that you watch 10 films, 10 different countries, by 10 different directors in the 10 months. (choose the movies, just like the books....by nation of origin or residence of the director, not where it was filmed or what it was about)


I'm starting a list of books for the challenge, which I will most likely add to or edit before the challenge is over:

1 - Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (Norway)
2 - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (Britain) finished 4/23/09, rated 6/10
3 - The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desei (India)
4 - This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun (Morocco) 12/15/09, rated 9/10
5 - Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards (Canada)
6 - The Matter of Desire by Edmundo Paz Soldan (Bolivia)
7 - Angel of Grozny by Asne Seierstad (Chechnya) - finished 3/1/09, rated 8/10
8 - Infinity in the Palm of her Hand by Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua) finished 3/19/09, rated 7/10
9 - Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee (India) finished 5/8/09, rated 7/10
10 - Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani (Lebanon) finished 6/13/09, rated 8/10
11 - Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan) finished 6/24/09, rated 8/10
12 - A Good House by Bonnie Burnard (Canada) finished 7/4/09, rated 7/10
13 - After the Fire, a Still Small Voice by Evie Wyld (Australia) finished 10/2/09, rated 8/10
14 - The Book of Murder by Guilermo Martinez (Argentina) finished 8/09, rated 6/10



Also, a list for the movies:

1 - Au Revoir Les Enfants (France)
2 - Journey from the Fall (Vietnam)
3 - The Namesake (India)
4 - Moolaade' (Senegal)
5 - The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun (Denmark)
6 - The Band's Visit (Israel)
7 - Vitus (Switzerland)
8 - 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Romania)
9 - Good Morning, Night (Italy)
10 - Mad Love (Spain)
11 - Let the Right One In (Sweden)
12 - Rudo y Cursi (Mexico)

***edited to correct country for author Sigrid Undset - thanks bookoholic13!!***

Yet ANOTHER challenge - I know, I'm nuts

I know, it's crazy to even THINK about joining another challenge - but frankly, I'm going to be doing this anyway, so I might as well get a sense of accomplishment about it. =)

Here are the rules for the Book Buddy Blogger Challenge:

Rules: The challenge will run all of 2009. You will be required to read 5 books from a list of 10 that are recommended by a book blogger buddy. The books should be from their list of best books from 2008. It's that easy. Then let us know what you think of your friend's choices. Do you agree or disagree and why?

This being hosted by Wisteria at Bookworm's Dinner - why not join us? Come on, you know you're going to read a whole list of books from other blogs. At least this way, you can feel like you are accomplishing something too! Here is my list, compiled from recent blog posts I've read:


1 - How I Live Now by Meg Rosof - recommended by Megan of Leafing Through Life
2 - Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins - recommended by Andi of Tripping Toward Lucidity
3 - Devil's Brood by Sharon Kay Penman - recommended by Carey of The Tome Traveller
(in the spirit of full disclosure, I was going to read this book anyway, but since I found a
glowing recommendation for it, now I'm adding it to this challenge!)
4 - Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman - recommended by Alyce of At Home with Books
5 - Matrimony by Joshua Henken - recommended by practically all of the book blogging world
6 - Dakota by Kathleen Norris - recommended by Word Lily
7 - The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - recommended by Stephanie of Open Mind, Insert Book (6/1/09, rated 9/10)
8 - Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips - recommended by Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit (5/3/09, rated 7/10)
9 - The Almost Archer Sisters by Lisa Gabriele - recommended by Luanne of A Bookworm's
World
10 - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - recommended by Marcia of The
Printed Page (5/28/09, rated 10/10)


So there's my list - 10 books from 10 different bloggers. I don't think I'll have any problem reading at least 5 of them!

My Year of Reading Dangerously

Another day, another challenge to join - yep, I'm a glutton. I've actually been eyeing this one for a while - it's a great idea, and Andi rocks. Besides, it has such a cool button! =) So here are the rules:

Your job: Read 12 books you deem "dangerous." between January 1st and December 31st 2009. They may be banned or challenged books, new-to-you genres, books that seem to inhabit a permanent space on your stacks, or authors you're afraid of. The possibilities are endless! If it's dangerous to you, it's challenge-worthy to us!

Instead of breaking the year down into monthly Mr. Linky's, we'll be hosting one ongoing Linky this year. We'll post updates and notices to participants in sticky posts at the top of the blog, but your reading will be the centerpiece of this site. Whenever you finish a dangerous book, come leave the link to your review so other participants can ogle your accomplishments.

I have started a list - these are all books that have been banned or challenged, and several are on my lists for other challenges, so that is a nice bonus! Here's my starting point:

Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - banned book (finished 2/27/09, rated 8/10)
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Beloved by Toni Morrison
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Peterson
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Incantation by Alice Hoffman - magical realism (finished 4/20/09, rated 8/10)
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons - graphic novel (finished 9/7/09, rated 8/10)
Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed by Marc Blatte - noir (finished 9/19/09, rated 7/10)
On the Road by Jack Kerouac - beat, spontaneous prose (finished 10/09, rated 5/10)

Join too many challenges, #4

1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
2. Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels, but anthologies are also a great way to try someone new.
3. I want this to be an easy challenge, so you state how many new authors you want to try this year and then that’s your challenge. For me, I’m trying another 50 new authors. If you want a number given to you, try for either 25 or 50.
4. Add your name to the Mr. Linky below. If you do not have your own blog, you can join the group blog here.
5. Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome
6. When you read a new author, write your review (either at your site or the group blog) and then come back here and post a link to your review

I'm going to shoot high and say I'd like to try 50 new authors - this might be a bit unreachable, but it will be fun to try!

1 - Big Big Sky by Kristyn Dunnion
2 - By the Shore by Galaxy Craze
3 - The Eyes of a King by Catherine Banner
4 - Alaska by James Michener
5 - The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap
6 - Fatal Light by Richard Currey
7 - Convergence by Christopher Turner
8 - Canvey Island by James Runcie
9 - The Marchessa by Simonetta Agnello Hornby
10 - Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand by Gioconda Belli
11 - The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
12 - Deep Night by Caroline Petit
13 - 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
14 - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
15 - The Silent Note by Patrick Davis
16 - Family Plots by Mark Patrick Kavanaugh
17 - Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
18 - Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
19 - Somebody Else's Daughter by Elizabeth Brundage
20 - My Abandonment by Peter Rock
21 - Losing my Religion by William Lobdell
22 - Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson
23 - The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
24 - Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee
25 - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
26 - Saints in Limbo by River Jordan
27 - 20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
28 - The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
29 - Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean
30 - The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
31 - Best Intentions by Emily Listfield
32 - Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani
33 - A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Grey
34 - All Other Nights by Dara Horn
35 - Wings by Aprilynne Pike
36 - Skellig by David Almond
37 - Life's That Way by Jim Beaver
38 - Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton
39 - Sunnyside Blues by Mary Carter
40 - The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer
41 - Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
42 - A Good House by Bonnie Burnard
43 - The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
44 - Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson
45 - Still Alice by Lisa Genova
46 - Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
47 - Written in Blood by Sheila Lowe
48 - Gentle Infidel and Queen's Cross by Lawrence Schoonover
49 - Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
50 - The Widow's Season by Laura Brodie

Join too many challenges, #3

But this one is totally necessary!

The rules:

* set a goal for how many of your OWN books you’d like to read in 2009

* read from your own collection between January 1st and December 31st, 2009

And, that’s basically it! You don’t have to create a list beforehand (’cause we all know that our reading preferences change as the year progresses), and you can even read books that come into your possession (that will be yours to keep) during the year!

Some other helpful hints…

- you CAN overlap with other challenges

- eBooks and Audiobooks count AS LONG AS they are from your own collection

I'm going to set my goal at 30 books from my own collection, and also stipulate that they are 30 books I've acquired BEFORE 2009 - time to get through some of the backlog!

1 - Tiger, Tiger by Galaxy Craze

2 - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

3 - The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

4 - 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

5 - Incantation by Alice Hoffman

6 - Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

7 - The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

8 -

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Join too many challenges, #2

Decades ‘09 Rules:

1. Read a minimum of 9 books in 9 consecutive decades in ‘09.

2. Books published in the 2000’s do not count.

3. Titles may be cross-posted with any other challenge.

4. You may change your list at any time.

5. Peruse the eligible book lists and reviews from 2008 or 2007. Any book from that decade is eligible; it doesn’t have to be on the list to qualify. A good source to find out when books were published is wikipedia. For example if you follow this link, you will see how easy it is to search books by a particular decade. Another resource is fantasticfiction.co.uk.

7. Sign up through Mr. Linky below. Please use the url of your specific post for this challenge rather than just your blog url.

8. 6. After about January 12, come back and post the links to your reviews into Mr. Linky for the appropriate decade. Please don’t post ‘09 reviews in the Mr. Linky before January 12. I’ll need some time to switch over the ‘08 reviews and set up the new ‘09 Linkys. You don’t have to, but you are encouraged to post all the books you’ve read for that decade if you’re participating in Decades ‘09.

9. Have fun reading your Decades ‘09 books, and have a great year!


Here is my initial list:

1910s - Howard's End by E.M. Forster
1920s - Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
1930s - National Velvet by E. Bagnold
Invincible Louise by Cornelia Meigs - finished 3/29/09, rated 8/10
1940s - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by B. SMith
1950s - Marjorie Morningstar by H. Wouk
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - finished 2/27/09, rated 8/10
Gentle Infidel and Queen's Cross by Lawrence Schoonover - finished 7/09, rated 7/10 & 8/10
On the Road by Jack Kerouac - finished 10/22/09, rated 5/10
1960s - A Wizard of Earthsea by U. LeGuin
1970s - Bridge to Terabithia by K. Peterson
Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson - finished 7/8/09, rated 7/10
The Summer Before the Dark by Doris Lessing - finished 8/16/09, rated 7/10
1980s - Midnight's Children by S. Rushdie - finished 4/23/09, rated 6/10
Alaska and Journey by James Michener - finished 2/14/09, rated 8/10
Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee - finished 5/8/09, rated 7/10
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons - finished 9/7/09, rated 8/10
1990s - The Giver by L. Lowry
By the Shore by Galaxy Craze - finished 1/23/09, rated 8/10
Skellig by David Almond - finished 6/09, rated 9/10
A Good House by Bonnie Burnard - finished 7/4/09, rated 7/10

In which I go crazy and join too many challenges, #1

I've been greedily eyeing a bunch of challenges that have taken place this year, that I didn't get to join because I started blogging too late. Well, now I'm gonna make up for it. The first challenge I am joining is the 2009 Pub Challenge. Here are the rules:

Here are the 2009 rules:

1. Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009. Any questions on what qualifies? Just leave a comment here, and I’ll respond with the answer.
2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
3. At least 5 titles must be fiction.
4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5. You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.

I've started to compile a list - here is what I have so far:

The Origin of Species by Nino Ricci
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky (finished 5/1/09, rated 6/10)
Still Alice by Lisa Genova (finished 7/11/09, rated 9/10)
Blonde Roots by B. Evaristo
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
The Believers by Zoe Heller (finished 4/16/09, rated 5/10)
Delicate Edible Birds by Lauren Groff
Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand by Gioconda Belli (finished 3/19/09, rated 7/10)
The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap (finished 2/10/09, rated 7/10)
A World I Never Made by James LePore (finished 3/26/09, rated 7/10)
Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress (finished 5/1/09, rated 8/10)
My Abandonment by Peter Rock (finished 5/4/09, rated 9/10)
Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson (finished 5/15/09, rated 8/10)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (finished 5/28/09, rated 10/10)
Saints in Limbo by River Jordan (finished 5/29/09, rated 7/10)
Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean (finished 6/1/09, rated 7/10)
20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (finished 5/29/09, rated 7/10)
All Other Nights by Dara Horn (finished 6/7/09, rated 8/10)
Best Intentions by Emily Listfield (finished 6/11/09, rated 8/10)
Life's That Way by Jim Beaver (finished 6/14/09, rated 10/10)
Sunnyside Blues by Mary Carter (finished 6/19/09, rated 7/10)


There are a lot of good books on the horizon, so I'm sure this list will change, and I think this is going to be a fun challenge!

Yes, the floodgates have officially opened...

and I have joined another challenge.

The Fantasy Challenge.

Here's the deal about this one, though - there are no rules! Just read a bunch of fantasy stuff! This one I can totally handle. Here's my list of possibilities so far -

The Bartimaeus Trilogy - J. Stroud
The Hollow Kingdom - C. Dunkle
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - S. Clarke
Solstice Wood - P. McKillip
Ombria in Shadow - P. McKillip
The Curse of Chalion - L.M. Bujold
Waking the Moon - E. Hand
The Earthsea Trilogy - U. LeGuin

This is why I tried to put off starting challenges for so long - I knew once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop. Oh well......

And because I can never stop at just one....

I'm going to join this one as well. All I have to do is experience 42 science fiction items - books, movies, tv episodes, short stories, etc. by the end of 2009. This one will be a breeze, as Battlestar Galactica is going to be ending sometime around then, and each episode counts as 1 entry! This one is going to be right up my alley.




And while I am at it..




I am going to join this one too. (See, I knew as soon as I did one the floodgates would open.) For this challenge I have to pick 10 award winners to read over 10 months, from at least 5 different award categories. I don't have to have my final list yet, so here are the current list of possibilities:


Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson (Arthur C. Clarke)
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (Man Booker) - finished 4/23/09, rated 6/10
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (Costa/Whitbread)
The In-Between World of Vikram Lal by M.G. Vassanji (Giller)
Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards (Giller)
The Tin Flute by Gabrielle Roy (Governor General)
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (Hugo)
This Blinding Absence of Light by Taher Ben Jelloun (IMPAC Dublin)
The Known World by Edward P. Jones (IMPAC Dublin)
Sacred Country by Rose Tremain (James Tait Black)
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (NBCC)
Atonement by Ian McEwan (NBCC)
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Hugo and Nebula)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Adichie (Orange)
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale (Samuel Johnson prize) finished 8/12/08
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Newbery) - finished 2/16/09, rated 9/10
Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand by Gioconda Belli (Biblioteca Breve) finished 3/19/09, rated 7/10

My first book challenge!

I have so far resisted the urge to join every book challenge I read about, but today I've given in, and I will be joining The Daring Book Challenge. The idea is to read selections from the recommended reading list found in The Daring Book for Girls. There are 3 ways to participate, and I have chosen option #2, which is to read 9 selections from all categories of the reading list between 6/15/08 and 6/15/09. The books I have chosen are:

Marjorie Morningstar - Herman Wouk
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
The Giver - Lois Lowry
The Earthsea Trilogy - Ursula K. LeGuin
National Velvet - Enid Bagnold
Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson
The Illyrian Adventure series - Lloyd Alexander
The Good Earth - Pearl Buck
My Side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George

I specifically picked selections I have not read before, and a bunch of them are books I already own, so killing several birds with one stone. There is also an ongoing challenge to read all the books on the list, which I will probably take part in as well. I'm excited, but also worried that this will be just the beginning of going totally overboard on book challenges - we'll see what happens.