A little organizing

I spent some time this morning looking at my Filling in the Gaps Challenge list and pulling books from it that would fit the various challenges that I am doing this year. There are more that will work for various challenges, but this gives me a start.

2012 Book Challenges

I'm excited to find book challenges for 2012. During 2011, things that aren't usually challenging--like reading 100 books--proved to be. This makes me that much more excited to start finding some new challenges. I also intend to do better with reviewing this year.

I will link to each of them in this post and then start a new post for each with more details and a place for my list.

Challenge #1: TheWhat's in a Name Challenge
Challenge #2: The European Reading Challenge
Challenge #3: Foodies Read 2 
Challenge #4: The Memorable Memoirs Challenge
Challenge #5: The Eclectic Reader Challenge 
Challenge #6: Read Dystopia Challenge 
Challenge #7: TBR Challenge
Challenge #8: Mystery and Suspense Challenge
Challenge #9: Support Your Local Library Challenge
Final Challenge:  100 + Books

2012 100+

And finally, I am once again challenging myself to read 100 or more books this year. I am not taking part in a formal challenge, because the one that everyone seems to be doing excludes non-fiction. Between my memoirs and my foodie challenge, I will be reading a decent amount of non-fiction. Besides, I just really like keeping a list for my own enjoyment.

I will list the books below as I read them.

1. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer (1/3/2012) (Library) (Eclectic) (European)
2. Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (1/5/2012) (Foodie) (Memoir) (Eclectic)
3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1/8/2012) (TBR) (Gaps) (Library) (Name) (Eclectic)
4. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (1/9/2012) (TBR) (Foodie) (Memoir)
5. The Drop by Michael Connelly (1/11/2012) (Library) (Mystery) (Eclectic)
6. Gun Games by Faye Kellerman (1/14/2012) (Library) (Mystery)
7. Still Life by Louise Penney (1/16/2012) (Mystery) (Ebook)
8. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1/19/2012) (TBR) (Gaps) Eclectic)
9. Shock Wave by John Sandford (1/22/2012) (Library) (Mystery)
10. Sugar Nation by Jeff O'Connell (1/23/2012) (Library) (Foodie) (Memoir)
11. Genesis by Bernard Beckett (1/24/2012) (Dystopia) (Eclectic) (Ebook)
12. The Litigators by John Grisham (1/26/2012) (Library)
13. The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling (1/27/2012) (TBR) (Gaps) (Eclectic) (Name) (Ebook)
14 The City of Ember. by Jeanne DuPrau (1/28/2012) (Library) (Dystopia)
15. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton  (1/30/2012) (Library) (Mystery)
16. Divergent by Veronica Roth (1/31/2012) (Library) (Dystopia)
17. Love Divine by Alan Kornacki, Jr. (2/1/2012)
18. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (2/13/2012) (Eclectic) (TBR) (Gaps) (European) (Ebook)
19. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (2/16/2012) (Library) (Mystery)
20. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2/19/2012) (Library) (Dystopia)
21. The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak (2/21/2012) (Gaps) (TBR) (Eclectic) (European)
22.  April Lady by Georgette Heyer (2/23/2012) (Historical Romance)(Name)
23. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (2/25/2012) (Gaps) (TBR) (European) (Memoir)
24. Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson (2/28/2012) (Library) (Mystery & Suspense)
25. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (2/29/2012) (Library) (Eclectic)
26. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (3/13/2012) (Name) (Mystery) (Gaps) (TBR) (Ebook)
27. Wheat Belly by William Davis, M.D. (3/16/2012) (Nonfiction) (Library)
28. Beach Music by Pat Conroy (3/22/2012) (Library) (Name) (Gaps) (TBR)
29. Victims by Jonathan Kellerman (3/23/2012) (Library) (Mystery)
30. Delirium by Lauren Oliver  (3/25/2012) (Library) (Dystopia) (Eclectic)
31. I'm Not Leaving by Carl Wilkens (3/25/2012) ( Memoir) (Library)
32. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (4/3/2012) (Gaps) (Library)
33. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (4/4/2012) (Library) (Dystopia)
34. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (4/8/202) ( Fantasy)
35. Kill Shot by Vince Flynn  (4/10/2012) (Eclectic) (Library)
36. Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen (4/12/2012) (Mystery) (Library)
37. The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (4/13/2012) (Library)
38. The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin (4/20/2012) (Library)
   ***Abandoned uncompleted: The Company of the Dead by David Kowalski (4/22/2012)
39. The Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen (4/23/2012) (Mystery)( Library)
40. Old Possums Book of Practical Cats (4/23/2012) (Library) (Gaps)
41. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (4/24/2012) (Gaps) (TBR)
42. Fall from Grace by Richard North Patterson (4/27/2012) (Library) (Mystery)
43. Needful Things by Stephen King (5/1/2012) (Library) (Eclectic)
44. Jeneration X by Jen Lancaster (5/4/2012) (Memoir)(Nonfiction)
45. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson (5/4/2012) (Romance) (Library)
46. No Matter What . . .They'll Call This Book Racist by Harry Stein (5/10/2012) (Nonfiction)
47. Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry (5/13/2012)(Mystery) (Library)
48. Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester (5/15/2012) (Non-fiction) (Library)
49. Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer (5/22/2012) (Historical Romance) (Ebook)
50. Boob Hell by Rebekah Curtis (5/24/2012) (Non-fiction) (Ebook)
51. A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova (5/27/2012) (Memoir) (Non-fiction) (Book group)
52. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (6/1/2012) (Historical Fiction) (Library) (Name)
53. The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith (6/4/2012) (Mystery) (Ebook)
54. The Bridge by Gay Talese ( 6/7/2012) (Nonfiction) (Ebook)
55. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (6/9/2012) (Dystopia) (Library)
56. The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (6/11/2012) (Fiction) (Library)
57. In the House of the Worm by George R.R. Martin (6/12/2012) (Fantasy Fiction) (Name) (Ebook)
58. The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher (6/13/2012) (Fiction) ( Library)
59. Finding Your German Ancestors by Kevan M. Hansen (Non-fiction)
60. Southern Charm by  Tinsley Mortimer.(6/15/2012) (Fiction)(Library)
61. Cliff Walk by Bruce DeSilva (6/18/2012) (Mystery) (Library) (Name)
62. A Great and Mighty Wonder by Alan Kornacki (6/19/2012) (Fiction) (Ebook)
63. Handling the Word of Truth by John Pless (6/19/2012) (Non-fiction)
64. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (6/22/2012) (Mystery)(TBR)(Gaps)Ebook)
65. Summerland by Micahel Chabon (6/25/2012) (Library) (Gaps) (Abandoned)
66. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (6/28/2012) (Library) (Gaps) (Dystopia)
67. Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus (7/2/2012) (Library)
68. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabakov (7/2/2012) (Library) (Gaps)
69. The New Vichy Syndrome by Theodore Dalrymple (7/3/2012) (TBR) (Non-fiction)
70. Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah (7/4/2012) (Fiction) (Ebook)
71. Desolation Road by Ian McDonald (7/10/2012) (Gaps) (Library)
72. Great-Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells by Lisa Cach (7/11/2012) (Library)
73. The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo (7/13/2012) (Library)
74. Alpha by Greg Rucka (7/17/2012) (Library)
75. The Invitation by Anne Cherian (7/24/2012) (Library)
76.  . . . And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmeyer (8/8/2012) (Historical Fiction) (Reread)
77. These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner (8/10/2012) (Historical Fiction) (Book Group)
78. Stolen Prey by John Sandford  (8/12/2012) (Mystery) (Library)
79. The Innocent by David Baldacci (8/18/2012) (Thriller) (Library)
80. Vultures at Twilight by Charles Atkins (8/21/2012) (Mystery) (Library)
81. Come Home by Lisa Scottoline (8/23/2012) (Mystery) (Library)
82. Stardust by Carla Stewart (8/26/2012) (Fiction) (Library)
83. Lake Country by Sean Doolittle (8/28/2012) (Fiction) (Library)
84. I, Michael Bennett by James Patterson (8/29/2012) (Fiction) (Library)
85. When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison (8/30/2012) (Chick Lit) (Library)
86. Penelope by Rebecca Harrington (9/2/2012) (Fiction) (Library)
87. Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community by Wendell Berry (9/5/2012)
88.The Wolves of Savernake by Edward Marston (9/7/2012) (Mystery) (Library)
89. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (9/15/2012) (Fiction) (European) (Library)
90. Marrying Up by Wendy Holden (9/16/2012) (Chick Lit) (Library)
91. Damage Control by John Gilstrap ( 9/19/2012) (Thriller)
92. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (9/25/2012) (Ebook) (Gaps) (TBR)
93. Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott (9/26/2012) (Fiction)
94. The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer (9/282012) (Fiction) (Romance)
95. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (10/2/2012) (Fiction)
96. At All Costs by John Gilstrap (10/11/2012) (Thriller) (Ebook)
97. An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler (10/12/2012) (Foodies)
98. Bellwether by Connie Willis (10/16/2012) (Science Fiction)
99. Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison (10/17/2012) (Library)
100. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (11/4/2012) (Gaps) (TBR)
101. A Wanted Man by Lee Child (11/8/2012)  (Mystery) (Library)
102. Luther:The Calling by Neil Cross (11/13/2012) (Crime Novel) (Library)
103. Proust Was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer (11/13/2012) (Non-fiction)
104. Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society: A Novel by Amy Hill Hearth (11/15/2012) (Fiction) (Library)
105. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman (11/17/2012) (Historical Fiction) (Europe) (Book Group)
106. Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey (Science Fiction)(11/21/2012) (Post-Apoc) (Library)
107. Home Again by Kristin Hannah (11/22/2012) (Fiction)
108. Unlearning Liberty by Greg Lukianoff (11/24/2012) (Non-fiction)
109. Appalachian Elegy by Bell Hooks (11/24/2012) (Poetry)(Library)
110. Heroes Proved by Oliver North (11/27/2012) (Thriller) (Library)
111. One Thing's Needful by Alan Kornacki 11/27/2012) (Fiction) (Ebook)
112. The Last Man by Vince Flynn (12/3/2012) (Thriller) (Library)
113. Gallows View by Peter Robinson (12/6/2012) (Mystery) (Library)
114. Personal Defense for Women by Gila Hayes (12/8/2012) (Non-Fiction)
115. Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie (12/8/2012) (Chick-lit)(Library)
116. Black List by Brad Thor (12/11/2012) (Thriller) (Library)
117. The Selection by Kiera Cass (12/13/2012) (YA Dystopian Romance)
118. NYPD Red by James Patterson (12/15/2012)  (Police Suspense) (Library)
119. Vanishing Point by Val McDermid (12/18/2012) (Mystery) (Library)
120. The Things That Matter by Nate Berkus (12/18/2012) (Decorating/Design) (Memoir) (Library)
121. Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb (12/26/2012) (Futuristic Cop) (Library)
122. Calico Joe by John Grisham (12/29/2012) (Fiction) (Audio Book)
123. The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes (12/30/2012) (Non-fiction) (History) (Gaps)

Support Your Local Library Challenge

I like this challenge.

I missed it last year because the graphic wasn't something that I wanted on my blog, so I'm glad to be participating again.

I'm going to do this one at Level 3, which means 36 library books this year. Eminently doable.

Challenge goes from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

1. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer (1/3/2012)
2. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1/8/2012)
3. The Drop by Michael Connelly (1/11/2012)
4. Gun Games by Faye Kellerman (1/14/2012)
5.  Shock Wave by John Sandford (1/22/2012)
6. Sugar Nation by Jeff O'Connell (1/23/2012)
7. The Litigators by John Grisham (1/26/2012)
8. The City of Ember. by Jeanne DuPrau (1/28/2012) 
9. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton  (1/30/2012)
10. Divergent by Veronica Roth (1/31/2012)
11. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (2/16/2012)
12. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2/19/2012)
13. Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson (2/28/2012)
14. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (2/29/2012)
15. Wheat Belly by William Davis, M.D. (3/16/2012)
16. Beach Music by Pat Conroy (3/22/2012)
17. Victims by Jonathan Kellerman (3/23/2012)
18. Delirium by Lauren Oliver  (3/25/2012)
19.  I'm Not Leaving by Carl Wilkens (3/25/2012)
20. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren (4/3/2012)
21. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (4/4/2012)
22. Kill Shot by Vince Flynn (4/10/2012)
23. Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen (4/12/2012)
24. The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (4/13/2012)
25. The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin (4/20/2012)
26. The Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen (4/23/2012)
27. Fall from Grace by Richard North Patterson (4/27/2012)
28. Needful Things by Stephen King (5/1/2012)
29. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson (5/4/2012)
30. Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry (5/13/2012)
31. Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester (5/15/2012)
32. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (6/1/2012)
33. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (6/9/2012) (Dystopia) (Library)
34.  The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (6/11/2012)
35. The Wedding Beat by Devan Sipher (6/13/2012)
36. Southern Charm by  Tinsley Mortimer.(6/15/2012)
37. Cliff Walk by Bruce DeSilva (6/18/2012)
38. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (6/28/2012)
39.Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus (7/2/2012)
40. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabakov (7/2/2012)

Mystery and Suspense Challenge

For this challenge, which is always one of my favorites, I will be reading 12 Mystery and Suspense novels this year. I was tempted to move up a level, but decided that with the variety of challenges I'm doing this year, that probably wouldn't be good. I'll list the books I read below.

1. The Drop by Michael Connelly (1/11/2012)
2. Gun Games by Faye Kellerman (1/14/2012)
3. Still Life by Louise Penney (1/16/2012)
4.  Shock Wave by John Sandford (1/22/2012)
5. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton  (1/30/2012)
6. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (2/16/2012)
7. Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson (2/28/2012)
8. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (3/13/2012)
9.  Victims by Jonathan Kellerman (3/23/2012)
10. Murphy's Law by Rhys Bowen (4/12/2012)
11.The Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen (4/23/2012)
12. Fall from Grace by Richard North Patterson (4/27/2012)

13. Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry (5/13/2012)
14.  Cliff Walk by Bruce DeSilva (6/18/2012)
15. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (6/22/2012)

TBR Pile Challenge

This is a challenge that I always have a hard time with. I buy books and then don't read them. And then there is always something new and shiny that comes along. So this is the first challenge that I think is really going to be a challenge. I'm taking part at the Friendly Hug level, 11-20 books. I will list them below when I'm done.

Proposed:
--A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
--The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins 
--Beach Music by Pat Conroy 
--The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 
--Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 
 
Read:
1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1/8/2012)
2. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (1/9/2012)
3.  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1/19/2012)
4. The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling (1/27/2012)
5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (2/13/2012)
6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2/21/2012)
7. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (2/25/2012)
8. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (3/13/2012)
9. Beach Music by Pat Conroy (3/22/2012)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (4/24/2012)
11. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (6/22/2012)
12. The New Vichy Syndrome by Theodore Dalrymple (7/3/2012)
13. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (9/25/2012)
14. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (11/4/2012) 
15. The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes (12/30/2012)

Challenge guidelines: 

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
   
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. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
   
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
8. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
   
9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL. 
11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:
1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

Hosts:
Evie from Bookish - http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions

Dystopia Challenge

This is a pretty straightforward challenge. I need to read:

4-6 Dystopia Books in 2012:  Intermediate Post World Trainee

I will list them below. 

 

1. Genesis by Bernard Beckett (1/24/2012)

2. The City of Ember. by Jeanne DuPrau (1/28/2012) 

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth (1/31/2012) 

4. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2/19/2012) 

5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver  (3/25/2012) 

6. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (4/4/2012) 

7. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (6/9/2012) (Dystopia) (Library) 

8. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (6/28/2012)

The Eclectic Reader Challenge

• Select, read and review a book from each genre listed below during the year for a total of 12 books.

*  You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish.
*  Where a book is identified by more than one genre eg historical romance, it may only count for either the historical fiction or romantic fiction genres – not both.

I will list each book by its genre.

Genres

1. Literary Fiction: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (2/29/2012)
2. Crime/Mystery Fiction: The Drop by Michael Connelly (1/11/2012)
3. Romantic Fiction: The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer (1/3/2012)
4. Historical Fiction: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1/8/2012)
5. Young Adult: Genesis by Bernard Beckett (1/24/2012)
6. Fantasy: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1/19/2012)
7. Science Fiction: Delirium by Lauren Oliver (3/25/2012)
8. Non Fiction: Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (1/5/2012)
9. Horror: Needful Things by Stephen King (5/1/2012)
10. Thriller /Suspense: Kill Shot by Vince Flynn (4/10/2012)
11. Classic: The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling (1/27/2012)
12. Your favourite genre: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2/21/2012) (Historical Fiction)

Memorable Memoirs Challenge

Since memoir is being loosely defined for this challenge, I'm going for a slightly larger number. I also think that this challenge will overlap nicely with the foodie and Europe challenges.


"What Counts as A Memoir?
I know there's a difference between memoir and autobiography, but for this challenge, we're going to define memoir as a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Published letters, diaries, journals, autobiographies, nonfiction books on the craft of writing memoirs ... in my book, they all count as Memorable Memoirs for this challenge. (Generally, biographies don't, but I could always be convinced.) "

The level I am choosing is Autobiographer: read 5-9 memoirs. I will list them below.

Proposed:
AYear in Provence by Peter Mayle
Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult's Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development by Jen Lancaster

1.Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (1/5/2012)
2.Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (1/9/2012)
3. Sugar Nation by Jeff O'Connell (1/23/2012)
4. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (2/25/2012)
5. I'm Not Leaving by Carl Wilkens (3/25/2012)
6. Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult's Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development by Jen Lancaster (5/4/2012)
7. A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova (5/27/2012)

The Foodies Read Challenge

This is a challenge for reading food books. A food book is a book which is centered around food and/or drinks. That could be a cookbook, a food biography or memoir, a non-fiction book focused around a specific food, wine, chef or restaurant. Also allowed is a fictional story in which food plays a major role.

I'm going to do this at the Pastry Chef level: 4 to 8 books. I will list them below when I am done.

1. Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (1/5/2012)
2. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (1/9/2012)
3. Sugar Nation by Jeff O'Connell (1/23/2012)
4.  An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler (10/12/2012)

The European Reading Challenge

The gist: The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. You can participate at different levels, but each book must be by a different author and set in a different country – it's supposed to be a tour.

I am doing this challenge at this level:
Five Star (Deluxe Entourage): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries. I will list them below as I read them.

Proposed reading:
A Year in Provence

1. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer (1/3/2012)  (This feels like cheating, but it's set in England and she's English!)
2. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (2/13/2012) (Makes up for an easy one! Russia.)
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (2/21/2012) (Germany)
4. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (2/25/2012)(France)
5. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (9/15/2012) (Spain)
6. The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman (11/15/2012) (Czechoslovakia)

The What's in a Name Challenge

I thought this would be a fun little challenge. Some creativity may be called for in choosing these books. As I finish a book to fit each category, I will enter it next to the description.


Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: Beach Music by Pat Conroy (3/22/2012) A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova (5/27/2012) Cliff Walk by Bruce DeSilva (6/18/2012)
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title:  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (3/13/2012)
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title:  In the House of the Worm by George R.R. Martin (6/12/2012)
4. A book with a type of house in the title: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (6/1/2012)
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1/8/2012)
6. A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: Proposed:  April Lady by Georgette Heyer (2/23/2012)