A-Z Challenge Guidelines

[Kristie, Moderator]

A-Z Challenge

This is a challenge that requires you to read a book that has a connection to every letter of the alphabet. You can use titles, author's first name, author's last name, or a combination of these. Also, you can read the alphabet in order or just try to use every letter. In this manner, you can make the challenge as difficult or as easy as you like.

If you are using titles and the title begins with the words "A" or "The", those words do not count. For example, "The Kitchen House" is a "K" book. All other words count as the first word in the title.

Duration can be set for anywhere up to 12 months from start date.

You may choose your books ahead of time and use strike through or bold to show when you've read your books or just add the books as you go, whichever you prefer. It is helpful to add the date read and what you rated the book after you've completed each book. Also, book links are useful. This way other people attempting the challenge may try to read the same books. If you are using author names for your challenge, please be sure to list the book and author's name for each letter.

Anyone that has already started this challenge, please feel free to copy your challenge over to a thread here, just make sure to enter a start date. If you prefer, you can start a new challenge.

This challenge is ongoing. You may begin at any time. If you complete the challenge once and want to do it again, that's great!

If you have any questions, just let me know! Happy reading!!!

ADD: A few people have asked for helpful hints to find books for the difficult letters. So here goes:

1 - You can do a search in listopia for books that begin with your difficult letter. Just type, for example, "books that begin with x". There are several lists for various letters.

2 - Think of a word that begins with your difficult letter, such as "Queen" or "Quest" for Q, then type that word into the book search box. Multiple books will be listed with that word or some variety of that word. Sometimes there is nothing you can use, but other times there are some great books that pop up.

3 - Check out other people's lists! This is a great way to see what other people are reading and sometimes you can even get a review if they've already read the book.

Good luck!!

Set up looks like this (Please feel free to copy and paste into your thread):

Start date:
End date:

Books completed: 0/26

A -
B -
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S -
T -
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -

[Anima]

This is a really interesting idea, I read your posts and the discussion in different thread and now I looked into the challenges of other people, and I get more and more fascinated by the idea. I will think about it for some more time, and try to make a decision whether to take up my own A-Z challenge :)

[Lynn, Moderator]

Anima, you can make it as easy or as hard as you like. I've wanted to do do one since January but my other groups have various rules that made me think I wouldn't have the time to get it finished.

However the one I've just posted for myself here (which is back dated to Jan 1st, book authors and not in any order) means that I've already past the half way mark .... you can do it easily! :)

[Anima]

Lynn, do you include also books which are group reads, or only those read from outside the group lists? And I wonder whether the books from GDAC can be count for the second time into an A-Z challenge...

[Lynn, Moderator]

You can include any book you want ... no restrictions. As I said, it's up to you how easy or how hard you want to make it.

[Anima]

Thank you, I will try, it sounds like fun, I just need some time to create my schedule :)

[Kristie, Moderator]

Just a note for everyone - If you have difficulty finding a book to read for a certain letter, listopia has a lot of lists that can help. Just search for a list - for example "books that begin with X" and there will be a list for you to check out. Also, checking out what other people have chosen to read for those letters can be helpful. :)

[Susan]

@Kristie - Thanks for the listopia suggestion. I'm going to need to steal someone's X,Y, & Z's...

[Kristie, Moderator]

I noticed that a lot of us are reading Year Zero for the "Y" book. I haven't read it yet, but it was a nominee for the Goodreads Choice Awards in the science fiction category. If you're doing the Goodreads Choice Awards Challenge for this book club, it counts towards your goal.

I read a short book for my "Z" book and it was terrible. I wouldn't recommend it. I haven't read my "X" book yet either, but I chose another short story. I try not to do too many short stories, but I read Under the Dome, which is huge, so I felt it was ok. lol

[Jojo]

Is And the Mountains Echoed A or M??

[Alycia]

Pretty sure it's an A book. :)

[Kristie, Moderator]

I would think it's an A too. Although it's up to you how you want to count it.

[Jojo]

I picked Les Misérables as my M instead! I already had Allegiant as my A.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Another trick for finding difficult letters is to type a word that starts with the letter you want in the search and see if something pops up. For example, type "year" for Y or "zero" for Z. It takes a bit longer, but I've found books that way as well.

[Lynn, Moderator]

Kristie - I meant in your original post at the top, so it doesn't get lost when this thread becomes longer :)

[Kristie, Moderator]

Ahhhh....lol. Silly me. Ok. I'll update it when I'm at my computer again. Probably tomorrow. :)

[Chelsea]

Question ; what would you consider Maggie le page to be if I am doing authors last name - L or P?

[Lynn, Moderator]

I would go with L

[Chelsea]

Lynn wrote: "I would go with L"

That is what zi was thinking, thank-you Lynn!

[Kristie, Moderator]

Lynn wrote: "Kristie - I meant in your original post at the top, so it doesn't get lost when this thread becomes longer :)"

I finally remembered to do it!! Suggestions are now in the original post.

[Lynn, Moderator]

Lovely, cheers Kristie :)

[Kristie, Moderator]

How is everyone doing with their A-Z challenges?

I haven't made much progress with mine recently. I'm hoping to start making a bigger push in September. I have a lot of books planned in August, but none that really fit my challenge. Maybe I'll try to squeeze in an extra read. :)

[Tracey]

mine's coming on great easily be done by the end of the year. Will put on what I have read when I am on my laptop though not my phone!!

[Kristie, Moderator]

Excellent Tracey!

[Kristie, Moderator]

Welcome Yasmine! Feel free to start your own thread here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

[Anima]

I'm doing rather well with my challenge, looking at the pace I should be able to finish it this year. For the last two months I was reading more for other challenges I'm in so, but soon I will start reading my list again, especially that I have Divergent and Insurgent on my list of books :)

[Lynn, Moderator]

I'm pretty much doing exactly what I predicted at the time; I'm reading what I want and adding if it fits, then in December I'll have a panic and realise I need to read X Y and Z

[Kristie, Moderator]

That's what I've done too. I've just been fitting in books as I go. Most of my reads from last month and my planned reads this month don't fit in, so I'm probably going to have a few towards the end of the year that I try to squeeze in.

[Anima]

Hey, Smitha, you can create your own thread under the topic of reading challenges, I find it a little bit easier to follow my list as I don't have search through the whole thread to find it :)

[Kristie, Moderator]

Hi Smitha - If you use this link, you will see everyone else's threads. I agree with Anima. It is easier to check on your own list this way. :) http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

[Ahtims]

thanks, Anima and Kristie, have done so.

[Tracey]

Here's mine to date I have doubled up on so many though so not a total list of books read this year
A, Alchemist by Paulo Coelho*
B, Book Thief by Markus Zusak*
C, Celestine Prophecy *
D, Defending Jacob*
E, Extreamly Loud and Incredibly Close by Johnathon Saffron Foer*
F, five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom*
G, Game of thrones by George Martin*
H, Hobbit by JRR Tolkien*
I, If I stay by Gayle Forman*
J, Juliet by Anne Fortier*
K, Kill a mocking bird by Harper lee*
L, Life of Pi by Yann Martell*
M, My dear I wanted to tell you by Louisa Young*
N, The Night Circus by ErinMorganstein*
O,
P, Perfume by Patrick Suskind*
Q
R, Reach for the ground byJeffery Bernard*
S, The Snow Child by Eowin Ivey*
T, The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom*
U,Uncommom Reader by Alan Bennett*
V, Veronika decides to die by Paulo Coelho*
W, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
X,
Y,
Z, Z a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler*

[Kristie, Moderator]

Welcome to the challenge, Tracey! Nice list. I still want to read the Book Thief. I have also read extra books for some letters and no books for others. I think that's fairly typical, unless you're just reading for the challenge.

Have you started your own thread? You can do so here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_... It makes it a lot easier to find your list and do updates.

[Som]

Nice one Tracey. I read bunch of books this year, most of them start with 'The' for some reason. Such as..

T: The Ocean at the end of the lane by Neil Gaiman

[Kristie, Moderator]

Som - You can ignore the words "The" or "A" at the beginning of a title. So, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is actually an "O" book.

[Som]

Ah, that makes sense; well I'll start making one. Thanks Kristie.

[Simon]

Kristie wrote: "A-Z Challenge

This is a challenge that requires you to read a book that has a connection to every letter of the alphabet. You can use titles, author's first name, author's last name, or a combinat..."

How do I create one? It says it needs to know what the topic is pertaining to apparently before saving.

[Kristie, Moderator]

You just need to write something like "Simon's A-Z Challenge" for the topic and it will want you to make the first comment before you save. Most people just write their A-Z list in there. You can copy and paste from the first post in this thread if you like. You don't need to put anything in the "this topic is about" part.

[Susan]

Somewhere is one of these threads (of course I can't find it now), we were talking about Game of Thrones since several of us had it for "G". I just started reading the first book and I'm really liking it. It's very different than I thought it would be.

[[deleted user]]

I'm in. I still have 8 or 9 letters to deal with. My list begins with March 2013. When should I post the rough draft list of books?

[Lynn, Moderator]

You can post now Annetta .... just go to http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_... , then click on new topic link (top right hand corner) and start your own thread.

[Marslina]

hi my names lina i want to read abook help me to take enough experince

[Lynn, Moderator]

Hi Lina, I'm not sure what you're asking .... how can we help?

[Marslina]

i need a good book to read

[Brightness]

Hey Lina. Follow this link to all of the goodreads nominee's and winners of 2012. There are a ton of great books listed in all different genres.

http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards...

[Lynn, Moderator]

Heeeeeeeeey, what about my thread with all the links in! ::hrmmppff:: ;)

[Brightness]

Oh yeah! I amend my previous post. Lynn's is much better!!! ;)

[Lynn, Moderator]

hehehehe

[Marslina]

thnk u

[Becca]

I really love this idea! Does any one know of any other new challenges we could try?