Vicky @ Books, Biscuits & Tea decided to host NetGalley Month!

Rules:

❄ Netgalley Month runs until December 31
❄ Our aim is to read as many Netgalley books as we can in order to get ourselves through our TBR piles
❄ Make your own blog post about the event and sign up using the linky HERE, so that we know who participates :)
❄ If you have Twitter, feel free to use the hashtag #NetGalleymonth when you update your status
❄ I'll make a linky at the end of the month where you can list all your reviews you managed to post in December so that everyone can read them :) ❄ You can read as many books you like, as long as it's from Netgalley.

I'm really behind with my NetGalley books & reviews, so this looks like a perfect opportunity to read & review more of them. I'll just list the books as I read them.

My Reading List: 

1. The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter (read - to review)
2. Ashfall by Mike Mullin (read - to review)
3. The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble (read - to review)
4. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder (read - to review)
5. All I Want is You by Sherrill Bodine (read - to review) 
6. Scrumptious by Amanda Usen (read - to review)
7. Emchanted Again by Robin D. Owens (read - to review)

I decided to sign up for The Keeping it Real Reading Challenge 2011, hosted by Kathy @ I Write, I Read, I Review. 

This challenge starts November 1st & ends November 30th 2011.

The goal is to read & review at least 3 contemporary YA novels in November.

For more info about this challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

My Reading List:

1. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan - my review
2. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik - my review
3. Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett - my review
4. (Not YA) Wild Thing by Robin Kaye - my review
5. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker - my review
6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - my review
7. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - my review
8. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - my review
9. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger - my review
10. Shut Out by Kody Keplinger - my review         

Marie Landry @ Ramblings of a Daydreamer is hosting interesting reading challenge in October, which I'll use to catch up on some of the books I keep postponing reading ;) Also, the amazing button grabbed by attention, too ;) 

Anyway, she's hosting the 2011 Spooktacular October Paranormal Reading Challenge. 

The goal of this challenge is to read & review at least 3 paranormal books in October. 

Although the challenge name is paranormal, Marie says that if it has any "otherworldly" element to it, even if they're fantasy or urban fantasy books, we can include them ;) That means any books with faeries, vampires, werewolves, shifters, mermaids, angels, demons, witches, sirens, banshees, etc.

So, sounds like lots of fun! I'll just list below the books as I read them! 

Also, there will be a giveaway in the end! 

For more detailed info about this challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

My reading list:

1. Hunted by Adam Slater - my review
2. The Infernals by John Connolly - my review
3. Waking Hours by Lis Wiehl - my review
4. The Poisoned House by Michael Ford - my review
5. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost - my review
6. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver - my review

Once again I'm signing up for The Four Month Challenge, this time Part 6, which is hosted by Book Drunkard!

This time I think I'll manage to read a book for every challenge, at least I hope so ;)

The challenge starts April 1st & ends July 31st, 2011! 

To sign-up, go HERE! For updates, go HERE! 

Total points: 175

5 POINT CHALLENGES

Read a book that the author’s name begins with A for April IN April (first or last name)

• The Food of Love by Anthony Capella - read

Read a book that the author’s name begins with M for May IN May (first or last name)

• Bones Buried Deep by Max Allan Collins - read

Read a book that the author’s name begins with J for June IN June (first name only)

• Love Story by Jennifer Echols - read

Read a book that the author’s name begins with J for July IN July (last name only)

• 
  

Read a book that beings with the S for Spring

•  Seven Sorcerers by Caro King - read

10 POINT CHALLENGES

Read a ‘debut’ novel (an author’s first book)

• Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley - read

Read a book where the author wrote under a pseudonym

• Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams (a.k.a Laura Bickle) - read

Read a book with a male on the cover (male only, no female)

• One Night in Scotland by Karen Hawkins - read

Read a book with a female on the cover (female only, no male)

• 
  

Read a book with a house on the cover

• 
  

15 POINT CHALLENGES

Read a book that you previously DID NOT finish

Read a book with a flower on the cover OR in the title

• Wildefire by Karsten Knight (flower on the cover)
  

Read a book with a reference to a fairy tale (Cinderella theme, Alice in Wonderland theme, etc)

• A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James - Cinderella theme - read

Read a book that the author was born during the Spring season

• 
  

Read a book that has won awards

• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Bram Stoker First Novel winner & winner of 4 other awards) - read

20 POINT CHALLENGES

Read something that is next in a series

• Everfound by Neal Shusterman  (Skinjacker trilogy #3) - read

Read a book that the title begins with either your first or last initial

• Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (my last name initial N) - read

Read a book where the main character is an author

• 
  

Read a book having to do with ghosts, reincarnation, etc.

• The Black by D. J. MacHale - read

Read a book with one of the Four Elements in the title – Fire, Water, Wind, Earth

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - read

January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011.

How does this reading challenge work? Choose the option that works best for you...

Authors -- Read alphabetically by author. Commit to 26 books.

Titles -- Read alphabetically by title. Commit to 26 books.

Authors & Titles -- Commit to reading 52 books.

How strict is the 26 or 52? I know it isn't always easy to find those difficult letters. The thought of finding the X's (for example) might scare folks away. It shouldn't! I'm a merciful host! (Ask anyone!)

If you want to give the X's a go... For authors, try to find an X in the first name, middle name, or last name. For titles, it doesn't have to be the starting word. Try to find an X somewhere in a title, and it'd count in my book.

Still can't find a book for the letter you need? I'll take your word for it. I've been there. I know. If your library doesn't see the need to order books just because it starts with an X, then I don't blame you for not wanting to special order a book that you may or may not enjoy. You gave it your best, don't feel bad. You can still make this challenge work for you .

For more details about this challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

I'll go with 26 Authors!

My List:

1. A - Andy Behrens (Beauty and the Bully)
2. B - Bickle, Laura (Embers)
3. C - Cecily von Ziegesar (Gossip Girl)
4. D - Durst, Sarah Beth (Drink, Slay, Love)
5. E - Enoch, Suzanne (Rules of an Engagement) - my review
6. F - Frances O'Roark Dowell (Ten Miles Past Normal)
7. G - Gena Showalter (The Darkest Kiss)
8. H - Hilari Bell (Trickster's Girl)
9. I - Isaac Asimov (The Caves of Steel)
10. J - Jana Oliver (Forsaken)
11. K - Karen Rose (Silent Scream)
12. L - Lisa McMann (Cryer's Cross)
13. M - Maureen McGowan (Cinderella: Ninja Warrior) - my review
14. N - Nicole Peeler (Tempest Rising)
15. O - Oliver, Lauren (Liesl & Po)
16. P - Palahniuk, Chuck (Lullaby)
17. Q - Quinn, Julia
18. R - Rollins, James (Sandstorm) - my review
19. S - Sabrina Jeffries (How to Woo a Reluctant Lady)
20. T - Testa, Dom (The Comet's Curse)
21. U - Ursula K. Le Guin
22. V - Victoria Schwab (The Near Witch)
23. W - Wizner, Jake (Castration Celebration)
24. X - Xell, Matt (Tower of Parlen Min) - tbr
25. Y -
26. Z -

The Alphabet Challenge is hosted by The Life (and lies) of an inanimate flying object!

Rules:

1. 26 books!

runs January 1st 2011 –December 31, 2011. For each letter, read a book that has a main character or key supporting character  (not some random minor character mentioned twice!) whose name starts with that letter. It doesn’t have to be the title of the book, just the name. Ex: Alice (in wonderland), Bella (twilight), Cathy (Wuthering Heights), Dracula (Dracula) Estella (Great Expectations),  etc.

2. only one letter per book!

3. Crossovers are fine

4. audio, e-book, bound book, someone reading it out loud to you, reading a book to your little brother or sister, it all counts.

5. any length—short stories, books of the Bible, etc. they all count for this one.

6. Don’t have to be a blogger, don’t have to review the book. Just tell me you're participating. Goodreads is a great way to keep track of books for non-bloggers (make a shelf for this challenge and keep track of them that way!)

Levels:
Level 1: 10 Letters
Level 2: 20 Letters
Level 3: Completes all 26 letters (yes, that means X and Z and Q. I’m sure you can find something.)

To sign up for this challenge, go HERE!

I'll go with level 2, only because I don't think I can find names for Q & X (already read a book this month with the main character named Zephyr).

My List:

1. A - Anya (Laura Bickle's Embers)
2. B - Blair (Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl)
3. C - Cassel (Holly Black's White Cat)
4. D - David (Karen Rose's Silent Scream)
5. E - Elissande (Sherry Thomas's His at Night) - my review
6. F - Fia (Karen Hawkins's Much Ado About Marriage) - my review
7. G - Gina (Robin Kaye's Yours for the Taking) - my review
8. H - Hiram (Kathy Reichs's Virals)
9. I - Iridium (Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge's Shades of Gray) tbr
10. J - Jacián (Lisa McMann's Cryer's Cross)
11. K - Kelsa (Hilari Bell's Trickster's Girl)
12. L - Leandro (Sarah Mayberry's Hot for Him)
13. M - Minerva (Sabrina Jeffries's How to Woo a Reluctant Lady)
14. N - Nico (April Lindner's Jane) - my review
15. O - Omaha (James Rollins's Sandstorm) - my review
16. P - Piers (Eloisa James's When Beauty Tamed the Beast)
17. Q - Quinn (Sarah Mayberry's Her Best Friend)
18. R - Roger (Morgan Matson's Amy & Roger's Epic Detour)
19. S - Sadie (Sarah Mayberry's Take On Me)
20. T - Ty (Maureen McGowan's Cinderella: Ninja Warrior) - my review
21. U - Uri (Sam Bourne's The Last Testament)
22. V - Van (Brian Eames's The Dagger Quick)
23. W - Will (Sophie Jordan's Firelight)
24. X - Xypher (Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dream Chaser) - tbr
25. Y - Yvonne (Philip Carter's Altar of Bones)
26. Z - Zephyr (Suzanne Enoch's Rules of an Engagement) - my review

Lords of the Underworld Reading Challenge is hosted by Jennifer @ Reading with Tequila!

The goal of this challenge is to read Gena Showalter's series Lords of the Underworld!

Books in the series:

1. The Darkest Night - read
   
2. The Darkest Kiss - read
   
3. The Darkest Pleasure - read
4. The Darkest Whisper - read
5. The Darkest Passion - read
6. The Darkest Lie - read
7. The Darkest Secret - read
8. The Darkest Surrender - read
9. Dark Beginnings - anthology of the 3 novellas - read

Challenge will run February 1, 2011 to January 31, 2012. 

For more details about the challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

I failed this challenge last year, so I decided to sign up again!

The Jane Austen Challenge 2011 is hosted by The Life (and lies) of an inanimate flying object!

Rules:

- Challenge runs January 1st 2011 - December 31 2011.

- overlap with other challenges is fine.

- Any format counts: bound book, e-book (check online for free downloads of J.A’s copyright-free books), audio book, or any other thing you can think of. Just no abridged stuff!

- You can change which level you read!

 

Levels:

 

**Newbie, 4 books total:  2 books by J. Austen, and 2 re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

**Lover, 8 books total: 4 books by J. Austen, 4 re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors)

** Fanatic, 12+ books total 6+ books by J. Austen, 6+ re-writes, prequels, sequels, or spoofs (by other authors) 

For more details & to sign up, go HERE!

Once again I'll go with the Newbie level, although if I manage to reach the 2nd level Lover, it will be great!

My Book List:

1. My Darcy Mutates... by Enid Wilson
2. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
3. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
4. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
5. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen  

Challenge completed! 

This challenge is hosted by Historical Tapestry!

The challenge will run from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011. 

Any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,...) 

There are 5 reading levels:

1. Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
2. Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
3. Struggling the Addiction: 10 books
4. Daring & Curious: 5 books
5. Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books

For more details about this challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

I love historical fiction (especially historical romance), so I'll go with the 1st level: Severe Bookaholism & read 20 books! I'll just list the books as I read them!

My Book List:

1. His at Night by Sherry Thomas - my review
2. Much Ado About Marriage by Karen Hawkins - my review
3. How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries - 
4. Awakened by a Kiss by Lila DiPasqua - 
5. The Princess in His Bed by Lila DiPasqua 
6. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
7. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
8. When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James
9. The Dagger Quick by Brian Eames
10. One Night in Scotland by Karen Hawkins
11. Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
12.            

This challenge is hosted by Steph @ The Thoughts of a Book Junky!

The challenge starts January 1st 2011 & ends December 31st 2011!

The goal is to read 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet!

For more details about this challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

My Reading List:

1. A - Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (read)
   
2. B - Beauty and the Bully by Andy Behrens (read)
3. C - Cinderella: Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan - my review
4. D - Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (read)
5. E - Embers by Laura Bickle (read)
6. F - Forsaken by Jana Oliver (read)
7. G - Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar (read)
8. H - Hush Money by Susan Bischoff - my review
9. I - I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore - my review
10. J - Jane by April Lindner - my review
11. K - Kiss of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon (read)
12. L - Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk (read)
13. M - Much Ado About Marriage by Karen Hawkins - my review
14. N - Northanger abbey by Jane Austen (read)
15. O - Odd Girl In by Jo Whittemore (read)
16. P - Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg (read)
17. Q - Quest for the Scorpion's Jewel by Amy Green (read)
18. R - Rules of an Engagement by Suzanne Enoch - my review
19. S - Sandstorm by James Rollins - my review
20. T - Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell (read)
21. U - Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priesley (read)
22. V - Virals by Kathy Reichs (read)
23. W - White Cat by Holly Black (read)
24. X - XVI by Julia Carr (tbr)
25. Y - Yours for the Taking by Robin Kaye - my review
26. Z - Z: Zombie Stories anthology edited by J. M. Lassen (read)

The Chunkster Reading Challenge 2011 is hosted by Wendy a.k.a Caribousmom @ the Chunkster Reading Challenge blog!

The challenge starts February 1st, 2011 & ends January 31st, 2012!

Definition of a Chunkster:

• A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction) ... A chunkster should be a challenge.
• If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more ... The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.

The Rules:

• No Audio books in the chunkster. It just doesn't seem right. Words on paper for this one folks. (**Please view THIS POST FOR EXCEPTIONS to this rule)
• No e-Books allowed - we are reading traditional, fat books for this challenge (please see this post to understand the rationale behind this rule; please see this post for exceptions to this rule)
• Short Stories and Essay collections will not be counted.
• Books may crossover with other challenges
• Anyone may join. If you don't have a blog, just leave me a comment on this post with your progress (and to let me know you are playing)
• You don't need to list your books ahead of time.
• Once you pick a level, that's it...you're committed to that level!

You must pick a level of participation:

1. The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who wants to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.
2. The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months.
3. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX Chunksters from the following categories: 2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length; 2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length; 2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions page for some books which fit into these categories).
4. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

For more details about the challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

This is the first time I'm participating in this challenge, although I thought about signing up last year, but I didn't! I decided to go with the 2nd level: The Plump Primer & to read 6 Chunksters! I'll just list the books as I read them!

My Book List:

1. Blood Eagle by Craig Russell (476 pages) - read
2. The Survivor by Sean Slater (513 pages) - read
3. The Last Testament by Sam Bourne (518 pages) - read
4. A Thousand Bones by P. J. Parrish (470 pages) - read 
5. The Glass Books of Dream Eaters by G. W. Dahlquist (687 pages) - to read
6.  

I decided to sign up for the Mini Book Challenge hosted by Lazy Girl @ Lazy Girl Reads!

• This challenge goes from Jan. 1st 2011 - Apr. 1st 2011
• Rules: Choose 4 books according to the following guidelines:

1. Something old
2. Something new
3. Something borrowed
4. Something blue

You don't have to pick the books ahead of time! Be creative! While the other categories are self explanatory, 'Something blue' can mean a book with a blue cover, a book with the word 'blue' in the title, a book that takes place at sea...anything you want!

For more details about this challenge & to sign up, go HERE!

My Book List:

1. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - my review
   
2. Forsaken by Jana Oliver - my review
3. Mysteries by Knut Hamsun - my review
4. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - my review

I was thinking for a while now if I should sign up for this challenge & finally I decided that I should!

The 2011 Debut Author Challenge is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren!

The goal of this challenge is to read at least 12 novels from Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors.

The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. 

Qualifying books:

• Books must be a Young Adult or Middle Grade novel.
• DO NOTE: Just because a book has a teen character or is about a teen, does not mean that it is necessarily a Young Adult novel. 
• This must be the authors debut with a release date in 2011. 
• If an author has a previous novel published under adult fiction/nonfiction or children's fiction/nonfiction, they can still qualify for the challenge if they are releasing their YA or MG debut. 

For more details about this challenge & to see the list of the 2011 debuts, go HERE!

Also, check out the FAQ page.

To sign up, go HERE!

I'll just list the books as I read them!

My Book List:

1. Forsaken by Jana Oliver (read)
2. Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell (read)
3. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (read)
4. Where Things come Back by John Corey Whaley (read)
5. Wildefire by Karsten Knight (read)
6. Witchlanders by Lena Coakley (read)
7. Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon (read)
8. Return to Exile by E. J. Patten (read)
9. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (read)
10. The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski (read)
11. Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts (read)
12. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik (read)
13. Ashfall by Mike Mullin (read)