Tag: Challenge

Christy Awards Challenge

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)3 Comments

aAmy from My Friend Amy and Deborah from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food came up with a great Challenge to encourage Christian Fiction reading.  I enjoy Christian Fiction and seeing this challenge tonight I knew I had to jump on!

The hard past was to decide at what level did I want to do this challenge.  Here are the choices:

Total Christian Fiction Newbie:

This is only for those who have read no Christian fiction before…the challenge is to read one book from any of the Christy Awards Winners!

Baby Steps

1st Tier – 2009 Favorite Category Read All Nominated Books 3-4 books
2nd Tier – Any ONE Years Favorite Category – 3-4 Books or mix 3-4 winners from any category

It’s All in the Winners
3rd Tier- 2009 Winners – 9
4th Tier- Any ONE Year’s Winners 7-9 or mix’n’match 7-9 winners

Dedicated

5th Tier – Read 2009/or ANY Year All Books 36-40 Books

Hardcore

6rd Tier – Read all the nominees in your favorite category
7th Tier – Read all of the winners in every category

The Christy Challenge–Perpetual Challenge
Read all of the books nominated and awarded the Christy challenge throughout the course of your lifetime.


I think I am going to go with 1st Tier – 2009 Favorite Category Read All Nominated Books 3-4 books… the opportunity lies in the fact that there are two categories I am really interested in so…. I would like to do 1st Tier x 2…  two different categories and here are the lists I would read for this challenge:

Suspense

The Rook by Steven James – WINNER
By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer
Winter Haven by Athol Dickson

and…

Visionary

Vanish by Tom Pawlik – WINNER
The Battle for the Vast Dominion by George Bryan Polivka
Shade by John D. Olson

Here is all the information on this challenge here and where you can sign up too!

1. The Fruit Of My Lipstick by Shelley Adina I know…. not on my “to read” list for the challenge categories I selected  but on the list none the less!  🙂


100 Mile Challenge

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)18 Comments

Fitness ChallengeOk… this is a not so bookish moment…. but hey just like a book girl has to eat, she also has to take care of herself.  So when Trish posted about this 100 Mile Challenge Between October 1 and December 31 I felt this was a great incentive to keep me on track going into these colder months.

Here’s the challenge:

Here’s how it works:
In order to complete this Challenge, you will need to “travel” 100 miles from October 1st through December 31st.

Here’s how you calculate your mileage:
*Running or walking 1 mile outside or on a treadmill equals 1 mile.

*15 minutes of other workouts equals 1 mile (elliptical, swimming, weight lifting, workout video, workout classes, etc.).

Click on the button above to go to the page to sign up. Hope you join us!

2009 YA Challenge

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

2009 YA Challenge

Being fairly new to the whole book blogging thing I have been pretty careful on which Challenges I have signed up for.  Now that I am a bit more comfortable and have a good feel for the reading that I am currently doing and the genres that are interesting me at this time, I am a bit more open to try some of these out.

Over at J Kaye’s Blog I was looking into the challenges that she is leading and this YA caught my eye.  In the last few months I have had the opportunity to read some wonderful YA books and have discovered I really enjoy this genre!

The challenge is to read 12 YA books in 2009.


Guidelines for 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge

1. Anyone can join. You don’t need a blog to participate.

2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.

4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

So here we go!

1.  Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

2.  New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

3.  Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

4.  breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

5.  The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

6.  Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

7.  North!  Or be Eaten! by Andrew Peterson

8.  Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

9.  Bran Hambric by Kaleb Nation

10.  ALVOR by Laura Bingham

11.

12.

Any great ones I have missed this year?  Please leave a comment to let me know!  🙂


Random Reading Challenge

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)4 Comments

RandomReading

Ugghhhh….  I caved.

I have been looking at this challenge and thinking I don’t need another challenge but it looks like such a fun challenge and how hard would it be to complete over the next year I mean after all it is only 12 random books and they are probably books I would be getting to anyway so is it isn’t really all that difficult, right?  Right?

Right.

So here is how this plays out:


August 1, 2009 – July 31, 2010


Are you stuck in a rut? Do you always find yourself reading from set lists or feeling committed to reading one book while another book screams at you from your TBR mountain? Has your reading become completely scheduled? If so, the Random Reading Challenge may be just the thing to put the spontaneity back into your reading.

For this challenge, readers will be choosing books randomly from their TBR stacks. You may select one of three levels of participation:

Level I

You are just a tad compulsive about your reading – you love your lists and schedules. Being spontaneous is not something that comes naturally to you. To complete the challenge, force yourself out of your rut and read just six books

Level II:

You really want to break away from all those lists, but you do still have a responsibility to your reading groups, other challenges and all those review books. Six books is too little, but twelve is too much. Stretch a little and read nine books for the challenge.

Level III:

Throw away the lists, don’t look at your schedule, bring on the joy that comes with the freedom to chose books randomly. Read twelve books for the challenge.

Rules (come on, you didn’t think I would be THAT random did you?!?!?):NO lists allowed.
Books for the challenge are chosen one at a time when the mood strikes.

  • Sign up at any time during the challenge period using Mr. Linky below. Please give me a direct link to your blog post about the challenge. If you do not have a blog, no worries. Simply enter your name and leave the URL box on Mr. Linky blank.
  • Book reviews are not required, but if you want to write a review I will be providing a review Mr. Linky after August 1st.
  • Books are selected one at a time using the following procedure:
    • Randomly select any number of books from either your physical OR your virtual TBR pile (I don’t care how you do this, but it must be random…no “cherry picking” allowed)
    • Assign a number to each book based on how many books you selected (ie: if you selected 14 books, assign each book a number from 1 through 14; if you selected 28 books, assign each book a number from 1 through 28…you get the idea)
    • Go to http://www.random.org and use the TRUE RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR located in the upper right hand corner of the page to randomly select the book you will read. NO CHEATING – whatever the random number generator generates is the book you must read!
    • Each time you select a book for the challenge, you will use this procedure. You many select different books each time, choose a different amount of books each time, etc…have fun, mix it up, keep it random.

    I am going in to this at the Level III Challenge.  While reviewing the books is not mandatory in this challenge, I choose to do so and will use the Random Reading Challenge Meme to mark them and number them.

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    Harry Potter Reading Challenge

    Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)7 Comments

    Harry Potter challengeI didn’t mean too!  I was just catching up on some posts and doing a bit (just a bit) of blog surfing to see what my fellow book bloggers have been up too and I swear I fell right into a Harry Potter trap!  (Perhaps it was magic!)  I first seen it on one blog… and posted a comment about my TBR pile and there was just no way…. then I found my way to Galleysmith and once I seen the books being offered for being a part of this challenge….. it was all over but the signing of the Linky.

    So here I am.  Staring lovingly at my Harry Potter series of books, having wanted to take them off the shelf this year before the movie came out but I never made it….. now, thanks to the challenge…. I will!

    Go over to Galleysmith and sign up to join me as well as many others as we bring out the books that for me, hold a tiny corner of my heart, and memories as my two boys grew up with these delightful books.

    1.  Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

    2.  Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

    3.  Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

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    Jane Austin Challenge Phase 2

    Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

    Tonight I watched “Becoming Jane”.  If you are following my Austin posts you know that before the Austenchallenge I was in an “Austen Free Zone”.

    Meaning?  I had not read her, followed any of the recent books or ever watched an Austen related movie.  I really dont know why…

    I have had Pride and Prejudice (which I am reading now) and Emma on my shelves for years.  So I planned to…. I just didn’t.  Thank you to this challenge for forcing my hand!

    So this is the 2nd movie, having watched Pride and Prejudice Last week.  I really liked this one as well.  I found Jane’s character to be a lot like Elizabeth in P & P…. in the sense that they were both so very strong willed, independent women.   The ending was unexpected to me… I did not know that Jane Austen had never married. I guess I need to add to my personal challenge here to brush up on some Austen basics.

    Pride and Predjudice (Movie) Austen Challenge – “Tastes Like Chicken”

    Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)10 Comments

    I know that is a strange header for this review – but I find it appropriate.  You know how when peoplepride try to get you eat something new they say “it tastes like chicken?”

    Well… I really like chicken.  Pride and Prejudice was trying something new.  I liked it very much.

    I watched this movie as part of the Austen Challenge put on by Stephanie’s Written Word. Up to this point, I have not read or watched anything Jane Austen.  Even to me that seems odd as a reader for as long as I could well… read.  It’s not that I haven’t wanted to – I have Emma, and Pride and Prejudice on my book shelf.  It just seems that there is always something new and exciting to read and I guess I just never made it to them.  The Challenge for me is a good thing.

    The movie was good and made me reach fpr the book off my shelf.  Maybe now it is time to dig into a little Austen…

    Everything Austen Challenge!

    Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)9 Comments

    My first challenge!  I almost hate to say this but as of this date…. I have never read Jane Austen.  It’s Austentrue.  So seeing this challenge actually fulfills a long time goal for me, which is to get a little time with this author.

    The challenge is hosted by  Stephanies Written Word.  We have from July 1, 2009 to January 1, 2010.  We are to read or watch 6 Austen related books or movies.  See Stephanie’s site for more information.

    Here is my plan of attack:

    Pride and Prejudice (book)

    Just Jane by Nancy Moser (book)

    Sense and Sensibility (book)

    Mr. and Mrs. Darcy by Alexander Potter ( book)

    Emma (movie)

    Becoming Jane (movie)

    I tried to include a mix here of her original works, some of the new works… and a couple movies.  I’ll cross off from this list as I accomplish each read… er…. movie…  uhhhh…. you get the point!  Can’t wait to experience Austen!

    Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist whose realism, biting social commentary and masterful use of free indirect speech, burlesque, and irony have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and most beloved writers in English literature.[1]

    Bloggiesta Finish Line!!!

    Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

    “Whew!”  What a great weekend and what a great challenge!  I finished!  I feel a little giddy as I look at blogiestaall that I accomplished during this 48 hour challenge and I an THRILLED with the results!   (Link to the original post)

    Here are a few highlights:

    • Totally restyled my entire blog layout
    • Visited many of the other bloggers who were involved in this challenge as well to see their blogs and layouts, how they review, style, etc…. I learned so much!
    • Read all of the Blogging Tips page on Book Blogs and picked up many great ideas – some that I have already applied, some I hope to.
    • Completed all the Mini Challenges!!!  (What an awesome addition to the challenge!)
    • Created several new pages to my blog and learned how to add pages within the pages (very very cool!)
    • Completed my first two Guest Blogger reviews and LOVE the result!
    • Cleaned up my dining room table work space by drafting posts for all the books I am reviewing so I am able to just pop in my review when the book is read.  All the links, hosts, pictures, etc are done!
    • I completed a couple random draft posts to publish whenever
    • I sent interview questions to two different authors I know and hope to have their information back soon so I can get the authors interview page looking super fine!
    • My son took a few pictures of me “in book review” mode for my blog to update the outdated ones.
    • I read a ton of info on blogging thanks to the advice of many of the mini challenge sites, and learned a lot
    • My blog score from the one challenge was 71… I changed some things and did the review again and it went to 77!
    • My side bar has been cleaned up and I am still looking at other things to do by watching what some of the great bloggers out there are doing and what looks good.
    • I went to an authors event Friday evening and purchased her book and sent a letter this weekend to her thanking her and giving her my blog info.  I also sent out 10 other letters to area authors.
    • Caught up on reviews I had not posted yet.
    • I created a business card that I really really like and will use when in book related events.
    • I think I left at least 20 comments on different sites and I am continuing to do “visitations” yet this afternoon
    • Total hours invested in the challenge:  a little over 18 hours
    • *** Update as of 1:01 am on June 22….. I have linked on and left a comment on all the Bloggiesta participants that have logged in as having posted their final Bloggiesta words…. (with the exception of one that would not load even after three attempts…)

    Final results:  A great looking blog (I think so anyway), new relationships started with other book bloggers, a better understanding of widgets (although I am still trying to grasp how delicious and mebo work…).

    Thoughts for the next Bloggiesta… well I thought this was pretty great.  I don’t really know what I would improve on.  The mini challenges were really fun and I would definitely do that again and wouldn’t mind being considered as one of the host spots for a mini challenge.

    I just keep opening up my blog and looking at it!  Pretty cheesy of me…. but I am just loving it!  Thank you again to everyone involved!  Standing ovation and a mental high five to each of you.

    Today I am going to try to stop in throughout the day at all Bloggiesta participants blogs to see how they did and what they changed on their blogs.  I really learn a lot just by getting off my own page and going out and visiting!  🙂

    Here are some challenge pictures:  Enjoy!

    P.S.  as for the book shelf that was on my challenge to do list…. uhhhhh… yeah….. it is still in the box, laying in the library…. guess that will wait for a rainy day…. 😉