I've decided to write a progress report for challenges I have been participating in, both "official" and personal.
Last year's Challenges task defined it as
"Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented? Or, do you find that as you near the end of a challenge that you've failed because you fell short of your original goals? As a result of some reading challenges, I've picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Do you have favorite reading challenges?"
Some of the challenges I have been taking part in have been well within my comfort zone, while others have led me into reading books I may never have even looked for before.
For me though the over-riding principle is that all the books I choose, read and list are crime fiction titles, although every now and again a thriller or two creeps in
Of course the books can often be counted in more than one challenge.
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I began the year with the last half of the Crime Fiction AlphabetI guess this was a meme rather than a challenge but for 26 weeks 2009-2010 it kept a bunch of us busy finding books and authors whose titles or names began with the letter of the week.
My final choices are listed here.
I have ideas for running something similar in 2011.
On a weekly basis I participate in Weekly Geeks, Sunday Salon, and Pattinase's Friday's Forgotten Books
True Challenges: (click on the icons to be taken to the home page of the challenge.)
Audio Book Challenge hosted at Royal Reviews.I'm trying for Obsessed: 20 books
Currently I've read 15
My Audio Book Challenge posts
2010 Global Reading Challenge hosted by Dorte
This challenge is based on reading two books from each continent.
I'm trying for the Extremist (21 books) level.
Currently I've read 16
My Global Reading Challenge posts
I'm using a world map to track my progress.
Aussie Author Challenge: CompletedThis one is being run by Book Lover Book Reviews.
I'm signed up for the FAIR DINKUM challenge which required me to read 8 titles by at least 5 different Aussie authors.
My Aussie Author challenge posts
Agatha Christie Reading Challenge
This is my own challenge- I read roughly an Agatha Christie title a month, in order of publication, but I have been joined on my journey by a number of people.
I feed them into the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Blog Carnival.
I've read 7 titles this year
All my Agatha Christie Reading Challenge posts
100+ ReadingChallenge hosted by J. Kaye
I'm well underway with this one: last count 84 books read in 2010
Smik's Reviews.provides a running count of my progess
Perhaps if you need some encouragement to read British crime fiction, this challenge hosted at Book Chick City, will be the challenge for you.
Timeline: 1st Jan 2010~ 31st Dec 2010.
Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.
You may already have read some eligible books
Completed at Cream Crackered level with 8 books
6 books read
All my Scandinavian Reading Challenge posts
Canadian Book Challenge
You have one year to read 13 Canadian books and review them somewhere online, from Canada Day, July 1st, 2010- Canada Day, July 1st, 2011.
So far I've read 1, so I have quite a way to go at this stage.
See Canadian Book Challenge, Canadian crime fiction
Unofficial challenges
These are not really challenges - more like trying to read books shortlisted for an award, before the results are announced.
I've done a couple of these this year.
I read 6 books for the CWA International Dagger.My verdict
The final result.
I'm currently reading the novels by New Zealand authors shortlisted for the Inaugural Ngaio Marsh Crime Fiction Award.
There were 5. A Final list of 3 has been announced and I have 1 of them to go.
I am glad that you consider hosting the crime fiction alphabet again, but I wonder whether I am the only participant who thinkgs it would be easier if you gave us two weeks? Then it would take a whole year, and for me who don´t always plan very much ahead, it might be easier to find something for the difficult letters (and for those it is not possible to choose an old Scandinavian novel as the letters are not used in our names.)
ReplyDeleteKerrie - I am so much in admiration of how you manage these challenges! And I, too, would love to see you do the Alphabet meme again; that was great fun, and I got lots of additions to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI always try to do the Canadian Book Challenge. None other.
ReplyDeleteWeekly Geeks: Review of Stolen by Lucy Christopher.
I've also got a Euro Pass challenge in mind too - but 2 weeks for each letter is a good idea too
ReplyDeleteOh Lord Kerrie..
ReplyDeleteWhere do you find the time... this looks like me last year..
Congrats on the great going and only a few more to go...
Me and the kidlet are cheering for you on the side lines..
E.H>
Yes please Kerrie the A-Z Crime Fiction challenge next year!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dorte, every two weeks would suit me fine.
I just can't keep up with many challenges - just how do you do it?
I am so impressed with all of your challenges. You are doing so well.
ReplyDeleteI was too late to get into the AtoZ meme but I'd love to do it if it weren't every week. I'm also hoping the definition is extended to all mysteries, not just crime or police procedurals. I will continue to enjoy following the meme on several blogs whether I join in or not.
Good luck with you challenges for the rest of the year.
I'm currently failing dismally on Dorte's global challenge!!!
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that you have had other things to do Vanda - like writing your latest
ReplyDelete