Last year as I started blogging, I was introduced to reading challenges and was dazzled -each one sounded better than the next! Well, as you might imagine, I got a little carried away and bit off more than I could chew. Couple that with an unexpectedly insane year at work and the result is some unfinished challenges. I joined 12 challenges last year and finished 7 and did not finish 4 (1 has a due date of Jan 31st and I believe I will finish that).
Here are the summaries of the ones I attempted but did not conquer!
South Asian Author ChallengeThis challenge hosted at S Krishna's Books required participants to read books by South Asian Authors – South Asia being India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. I started 2010 on a trip to India and had brought along books by Indian authors so I was off to a great start with this one. I committed to read 7 books but only read 3 (2 of which I read on that vacation!):
Age of Shiva by Manil Suri
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
The Space Between Us by Thrity Urmigar
This challenge is being hosted again and I will join for 2011 - hopefully I will do better at reaching my goal this year!
451 Challenge - A chance to read some of those "greatest" books that seem to sit on my TBR list far too long! The blog dedicated to the challenge lists the eligible books. I pledged to read just 1-2 books but sadly did not make it. It does not seem this challenge in continuing in 2011 but I will look for another challenge that focuses on classics and/or the "greatest" literature.
Gilmore Girls Challenge - This show is a favorite of mine so I jumped on board when I saw that Lisa from Lit and Life was hosting this challenge. Requirements included reading books from this list and including different genres (non-fiction, children's etc). Unfortunately, I did not read any of the required books for this challenge but do plan to attempt again this year!
TwentyTen Challenge - This challenge, hosted by Bart's Bookshelf , requires that you read 2 books from each of 10 categories for a total of 2o books in 2010 (very clever). Here are the categories:
1. Young Adult - 0
2. T.B.R. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09
3. Shiny & New New books bought in 2010
4. Bad Blogger’s Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category
Despite not finishing these challenges, I am still interested in the books required for each one so I will be attempting most again this year (and some others). What is it that they say about insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? Ha! Let me have one more year to try (2011) and then I can be certified insane!
Here are the summaries of the ones I attempted but did not conquer!
South Asian Author ChallengeThis challenge hosted at S Krishna's Books required participants to read books by South Asian Authors – South Asia being India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. I started 2010 on a trip to India and had brought along books by Indian authors so I was off to a great start with this one. I committed to read 7 books but only read 3 (2 of which I read on that vacation!):White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
The Space Between Us by Thrity Urmigar
This challenge is being hosted again and I will join for 2011 - hopefully I will do better at reaching my goal this year!
451 Challenge - A chance to read some of those "greatest" books that seem to sit on my TBR list far too long! The blog dedicated to the challenge lists the eligible books. I pledged to read just 1-2 books but sadly did not make it. It does not seem this challenge in continuing in 2011 but I will look for another challenge that focuses on classics and/or the "greatest" literature.
Gilmore Girls Challenge - This show is a favorite of mine so I jumped on board when I saw that Lisa from Lit and Life was hosting this challenge. Requirements included reading books from this list and including different genres (non-fiction, children's etc). Unfortunately, I did not read any of the required books for this challenge but do plan to attempt again this year!
TwentyTen Challenge - This challenge, hosted by Bart's Bookshelf , requires that you read 2 books from each of 10 categories for a total of 2o books in 2010 (very clever). Here are the categories:1. Young Adult - 0
2. T.B.R. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09
3. Shiny & New New books bought in 2010
4. Bad Blogger’s Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
5. Charity Books bought from charity shop - I bought many but apparently didn't read them in 2010!
6. New in 2010 Newly published in 2010
5. Charity Books bought from charity shop - I bought many but apparently didn't read them in 2010!
6. New in 2010 Newly published in 2010
Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show by Frank Delaney
7. Older Than You Read two books that were published before you were born - 0
8. Win! Win! Books you read for other challenges
7. Older Than You Read two books that were published before you were born - 0
8. Win! Win! Books you read for other challenges
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
9. Who Are You Again? New To You Authors
9. Who Are You Again? New To You Authors
Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier
10. Up to You! The requirements for this category are up to you! I pledged to read 2 of the Anne of Green Gables series for this but didn't manage to get there.
10. Up to You! The requirements for this category are up to you! I pledged to read 2 of the Anne of Green Gables series for this but didn't manage to get there.
So . . .out of a required 2o books, I read 12. I will be attempting this one again in 2011.
Despite not finishing these challenges, I am still interested in the books required for each one so I will be attempting most again this year (and some others). What is it that they say about insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? Ha! Let me have one more year to try (2011) and then I can be certified insane!
It's fun to join the challenges even if you do fail. I signed up for 12 last year as well and failed about 4
ReplyDeleteAs far as challenges go, you did worlds better than me! I've yet to finish one, due to the GINORMOUS TBR pile I have, so kudos!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog-drop by and say hi if you get a chance!
Kristin
MyBookishWays
That’s an impressive list! No wonder you didn’t finish. You should definitely try reading a YA this year but look for one with adult crossover appeal. I’ve been really impressed by the quality of the writing and the tough subjects the more serious works have tackled. It’s also usually a quick and easy read compared to adult literary fiction. My teenaged kids introduced me to it and now I’m hooked and read more YA than they do!
ReplyDeleteOf the YA’s I reviewed last year the ones that would appeal the to adults would be: The Hunger Games trilogy, The Indigo Notebook and The Ruby Notebook, Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, Speak and The Mockingbirds.
Just reading everyone else's entries in a challenge gives me so many new ideas for my TBR -- a dangerous but exciting prospect :-) I definitely like your strategy of spreading the challenges out. Have a great reading year.
ReplyDeletedon't feel bad Colleen; it happens to all of us :) challenges should not feel like pressure.
ReplyDeleteHey finisheing 7 out of 12 challenges sounds pretty good to me!
ReplyDeleteI was just like you when I discovered the reading challenges ... I bit off way more than I could chew. Then I found that I resented having so much of my reading planned out. This year I'm doing just a few and I think that is a better fit for me.
ReplyDeleteI never finish challenges :) I like making the book lists, but never get through them.
ReplyDeleteI am terrible at reading challenges! I end up barely doing the minimum (and I only join those with low requirements). I guess I am just too busy. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! So funny...I'm with you - I just started blogging last year, came across the Reading Challenge thing this year and I'm trying so hard to NOT sign up for every single one:)
ReplyDeleteYou did well, even with those you didn't finish.
ReplyDeleteSo, what are you joining in 2011?