Two Challenge for 2009

February 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009

The Themed Reading Challenge is a six month challenge designed to help readers clear books from their to-be-read stacks which center around a common theme or themes. Here are the “rules”:

1. Books should be chosen from the reader’s TBR pile (this may be an actual physical pile or a virtual pile).
2. The goal is to read 4 to 6 books linked by theme.
3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed.
4. Readers may change their list of books at any time.
5. Readers may choose three different levels of participation:

• Read at least 4 books with the same theme.
• Read at least 5 books that share at least TWO themes.
• Read at least 6 books that share MORE than two themes.

Themes can be geographic, genre, author, subject matter, or anything in between! Last year’s themes were wonderfully creative and varied and included such things as: books about books, books set in New England, books with a color in the title, books about vampires, books with the word ‘lady’ in the title, Gothic classics, fairy tales retold for adults, highschool classics, Asian culture, feathered friends, WWII, Canada, books in translation, and Beverly Cleary. There were many others I have not listed here!

The only thing limiting your choices is your imagination - so have fun!

I actually participated in and completed this challenge last year, so I figured I would join in again. I think my theme this year will be fantasy/science-fiction novels published prior to 2008. Very basic, I know, but the minute I start limiting myself challenges are not fun anymore! I have lots of books to choose from, and I will likely just post as I go along.

I also think I am going to do The Series Challenge Season 3:

The challenge starts December 1st, 2008 and goes until November 30th, 2009.

The rules are easy:

1) Pick a couple series you already started and now want to finish (meaning, you'll be all up to date with the series when it ends).

2) Read at least 4 books, more are also okay, of course!

3) Post your review of the books on your blog or in the comment section, no matter how long. If you post the review on your blog, please post a link to the review in the comment section so that everyone else can check out your review.

4) Have fun!

So, I have so many series on the go right now that I wouldn't know where to begin in terms of a list! A few potentials are:

1.) Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb (book three in the trilogy)
2.) Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs (book two in a duology)
3.) Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden (book three in a trilogy)
4.) Queen of Darkness by Anne Bishop (book three in a trilogy)

And many more...

That's just where I only have one left to read... There are plenty where I have lots left to read!
A few potentials:

1.) Jim Butcher (Only read book one)
2.) Orson Scott Card (only read Ender's Game)
3.) James Rollins (Sigma Series. Have two left to read and a third is out in 2009)
4.) Sara Donati (Only read one of the books)
5.) Terry Goodkind (Only read Wizard's First Rule)
6.) Elizabeth Haydon (Only read Rhapsody)
7.) Morgan Howell (Only read book one)
8.) Greg Keyes (Three more to read)
9.) Mercedes Lackey (Have a couple of her series started)
10.)Naomi Novik (Only read the first two books)

And the list could go on and on and on... I am really bad at not finishing series! And, just when I get caught up, they write a new book anyway!

Hopefully 2009 is a good reading year so I can read some of these books! 2008 did not really clear anything out because I only read like 100 books!