Tuesday, November 8, 2011

2012 Challenges?! Time to start Planning!

So it is that time of year when we start planning next year's reading challenges.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem like I will be able to finish my challenge for this year, there were too many new good books to distract me.  But I am determined to meet my goals of a few challenges next year. 

I have already come across two challenges that I will participate in and thought I would share them with you so that we can maybe support each other through them.

The first challenge is one I need horribly.  The Mount TBR Challenge where you try to conquer that mountain of TBR books! Mine is over 200 books, and I am determined to shrink that pile to a more manageable level (ie. below the light switch and not teetering dangerously over my head) before I add more books to that pile.  I am thinking somewhere between 50 and 75 books for this challenge.
Some of the books I plan to read for this challenge:
The Inheritance Books by Christopher Paolini
Soldier's Heart by Elizabeth Samet
All Fisherman are Liars by Linda Greenlaw
Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper
Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
Acorna Series by Anne McCafrey
Dakota Trilogy by Debbie Macomber
Daughters of the Glen by Melissa Mayhue
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
Cleo by Helen Brown
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I will have a near full list after Christmas ;) leaving a few slots open for mood reading.


The second Challenge I have come across that I would like to participate in is the Classics Challenge hosted by Jessica at Thoughts at One in the Morning.  I think this will be a perfect follow up challenge for me next year since I am not going to get to the classics portion of my own challenge this year. I also have several classics that I would love to re-read but am having a hard time getting to with all the new books coming at me.  I am thinking between 5 and 10 would be a good number since they do take a little longer to get through than current books.


Here is a list of the books I am thinking I should read for this challenge
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Divine Comedy by Dante
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
The Iliad by Homer
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller (need to check date)
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Animal Farm by George Orwell (need to check date)
Gulliver's Travels by Johnathan Swift
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Taming the Shrew by Shakespeare
I will probably have to narrow that list but those are all ones I would love to read next year!



Now I know that's already a couple of huge challenges but I have another that I want to plan for myself. I am thinking an Arthurian Legend Challenge would be fantastic. Some of my favorite books branch off from the legends of king Arthur and I want to re-read some of those as well as a few I have had waiting in my TBR pile. I will probably make a post some time in the next month or so outlining it a little more clearly, as the idea is still forming in my mind.  I am thinking for myself a challenge of 10 to 15 books that deal with legends of King Arthur (or knights of the round table). 

Some of the books I want to include in my own challenge:
Paths to Camelot series by Sarah Zettel (4 books)(re-reads)
Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzi (TBR Pile)
Pendragon's Banner Trilogy by Helen Hollick (TBR Pile)
Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory (Audio TBR Pile)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (re-read)
Avalon Series by Marion Zimmer Bradley (wishlist)
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell (TBR Pile)
Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey (re-read)
The Book of Mordred by Vivian Vande Velde (TBR Pile)
Knights of the Round Table trilogy by Gwen Rowley (re-read)
I know there are a ton more out there but these are the ones I have or really really want. The fun think about Arthurian Legends is that there are so many different versions, and they are in every genre so there is something for everyone.


So what do you think? Are any of you going to participate in these challenges? What challenges are you thinking about participating in next year?



5 comments:

  1. I have no idea what challenged I should do. I should probably do the classics one so I don't waste the entire year on silly light books. ;)

    I hope you get to the Inheritance series and I love Frankenstein so that one too.

    I loved The Mists of Avalon but I read it so long ago I've forgotten quite a bit, plus, I'm so clueless, I had no idea it was a series! I shall have to read the rest for sure.

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  2. I have been kind of shocked in my lack of classics the past couple of years, especially since some of my all time favorites are classics, like Frankenstein.

    I have been waiting for the 4th Inheritance book to come out before reading the series so there would be no need for re-reading them.

    I have been wanting to read Mists of Avalon forever! I swear to you it has been on my Christmas wishlist for the past 5 or so years.

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  3. I'm trying to get around to deciding what book challenged to do as well. I'd love to participate in the Classics Challenge but I get the feeling it's going to be really hard and I won't stick to it. For some reason, whenever I do a challenge, reading the book starts to feel like homework :(

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  4. Yay! I'm so glad you're going to be reading the classics. :) The Mount TBR challenge sounds like a good one too. I would totally take that one on, maybe the lowest level. I have so many books to catch up on, but I think next year's going to be jam packed for me.

    Good luck on all the challenges! :)

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  5. Lan I tend to feel like its work sometimes too if I put too hard of a deadline on a book, especially if it doesn't catch my interest.

    Jessica, thanks so much for doing the Classics Challenge, I am really looking forward to it! Yea, I should show you all a picture of my TBR mountain, it has gotten even bigger from last time!

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