This week's Weekly Geek task suggests we think about the challenges we might join in 2011.
- Share with us which challenges look tempting to you! (You don't have to "officially" join any of the challenges for this weekly geek. Just let us know which ones you'd be most interested in.)
It prompts me to think about why we join challenges. As a reading colleague is won't to say, it is not really a challenge if the task you set yourself is easily accomplished. A reading challenge should push you towards the achievement of a task and push you to breaking new ground in your reading.
People who decide not to commit to challenges talk about how they feel that challenge-reading puts them in a bit of a strait-jacket. For me though the challenges make me seek out books to read, so I think they actually broaden my reading horizons.
I've already committed myself to 3 challenges.
- The Agatha Christie Reading Challenge:
in 2011 I hope to read at least another 12 titles in my quest to read the novels and short stories of Agatha Christie roughly in the order in which they were published. This is a challenge that I manage, in conjunction with a monthly blog carnival. - The 2011 Global Reading Challenge:
I have committed myself to reading 21 titles, all crime fiction, 3 titles each from 7 "continents" - The Canadian Book Challenge 2010-2011:
I'm currently sadly lagging in this one. I have to read to 13 books by Canadian authors by 1 July 2011. So far I've read 3.
The Weekly Geeks post pointed participants to a wonderful resource A Novel Challenge which lists all sorts of book reading challenges and as a result of browsing there I've more or less decided I will join the following:
- Booklover's 2011 Aussie Author Challenge:
I need to increase my reading/reviewing of Australian crime fiction. I joined this challenge in 2010 and completed FAIR DINKUM level of 8 books fairly easily.
I'm glad to see that in 2011 there is TRUE BLUE level of 12 books by Australian authors (at least 9 different authors), so that's what I'll sign up to. - I'm tempted to join the Ladybug's e-book reading challenge at obsessed level of 20 books.
In 2010 I've read 32 books on my Kindle, so it should be achievable
- something in the line of historical mysteries - maybe a target of about 6 for the year.
- something related to Scandinavian crime fiction - again 6-8 titles all from different countries.
- The What’s in a Name challenge (or similar) which Reactions to Reading describes today
- 100+ reading challenge, but I might set my own target of 130. I think I'll make 125 fairly easily this year.
- maybe something related to translated books - similar to Lost in Translation. In my case it would be crime fiction titles, and I would be aiming for about 12 books.
I have been contemplating challenges today too. There are a number of challenges that I have participated in over the last couple of years which I knew at the beginning of the year that I would achieve without actually trying particularly hard (for example the 100+ challenge), so the question is where's the challenge in that. I might still enter a couple of those, but I think I am going to scale back on those, and actually try and do challenging challenges. Then again, as people start announcing all there challenges I might actually just end up signing up anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to find a historical mysteries challenge too Kerrie as I have quite a few of these on my TBR piles.
ReplyDeleteApart from the Aussie Authors one my main aim next year is to read my TBR so I have deliberately signed up for challenges that propel me in that direction. I'll look for more challenging challenges in 2012 when I hopefully won't have 200 odd books to read.
I am thinking of joining 2011 Global Reading Challenge. I can always find novels for that from your blog!
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of novels by Nobel Prize winners. I might set myself a challenge to read all those books.
But right now I only wish to get back to reading.
Here is my Weekly Geeks post!
I've been thinking about challenges too. Each year I think maybe I won't do any and just concentrate on reading, but I can't resist them.
ReplyDeleteThere is the Alphabet in Historical Fiction run on the Historical Tapestry blog. I suppose that would include historical mysteries as well. I keep meaning to join in with that, but never get round to it.
Which reminds me are you thinking of running the Crime Fiction Alphabet challenge again - I did enjoy that very much?
Thanks for joining the E-Book Reading Challenge! It's going to be fun. :)
ReplyDeleteMargaret, we are going to be hosting the Historical Fiction Reading challenge at Historical Tapestry next year, so you could join in on that and just read mysteries if you like. The announcement post should be up in the next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteOh, someone should revive that "in translation" challenge. I'm also becoming addicted to Scandinavian mysteries.
ReplyDeleteI would certainly be interested in joining the challenge- just finished "Blood, Money, Power" by Michele Marie Tate... An epic political saga of wealth and greed that leads to murder, and am on a role. Always ready for a challenge, and a good book.
ReplyDeletewhich challenge were you referring to Becky?
ReplyDelete