Cover to Cover Challenge discussion
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February Read-a-thon Progress and Mini-challenges
I'm going to try to start and finish Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens as one of my 7 books on the 1001 books you must read before you die list that I plan to read during the Read-a-thon. It's about 900 pages.Challenges:
#1: Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens
#2: Life of Pi by Yann Martel (magical realism)
#3: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
#4: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
#5:
#6:Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (From Aths's shelves)
#7:A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (England)
I like these! I have never read Steampunk (well, except for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and that was so long ago that steampunk wasn't considered a genre), but I recently picked up the Leviathan and the Gail Carriger series books for a Get Steampunked challenge - so I would have to use them for No More Peek a Books! I think I'd like to try all of these (of course, I won't get to all of them during the 24-hour challenge, but I think I can in a week!)
Michelle wrote: "What if a book falls into two challenges? For example, if I decide to do challenge #6 and end up reading a book that's 400+ pages, should I could that as completing challenges 1 and 6? I know it's meant to be simple but I'm just wondering! "I knew I forgot to mention something above.
You are allowed ONE overlap and it HAS to be #1 (Not-quite-a-chunkster) with any one of the other 6. That's because #1 is the most generic one, the other 6 are pretty specific and narrow.
Shay wrote: "Oh, and it's www.random.orghere's the link to the list randomizer:
http://www.random.org/lists/"
Ha! I put a stupid comma in my link. The link should work now.
Looks great Aths! I will try the challenge too:Challenge:
1. The Night Watch (450 pgs.)
2. TBD
3. A Gift Upon the Shore (On TBR list since 5/13/09)
4. Salt (#82 on my list)
5. The Monstrumologist (Hubby has been wanting me to read this for some time and was glad I "had" to listen to him)
6. The Night Watch (On Ath's TBR list)
7. The Sweet Life in Paris: A Recipe for Living in the World's Most Delicious City (I hope NF counts)
This looks really fun! I've got to start putting a list together...
I'll try some of these challenges, but I doubt I'll do all.I pretty much have mine all picked out.
Not sure I will get to all of these what with working all week, but will give it a go:1 - The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
2 - The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons
3 - The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
4 - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgeson Burnett
5 - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
6 - Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
7 - Death of a Celebrity by M.C. Beaton
great idea, lovin the challenges Aths. I am determined to do the some of the 24hr spree and then try for a couple of the challenges. Since wee have a whole week this time. Will fill in as I go :)
I have so many stacks that I can't even enter them all in my TBR list! I am going to work on books for school, books I have to review, and a few personal choice ones during this Read-a-thon. I would like to finish 10 by next weekend, but that is a bit of a stretch since I also have to work all week. I will go for a goal of 8 and see if I can do that.
This is a cool idea! I doubt I'll go for all 7 challenges, but there are several that sound like a really good idea (I particularly need #'s 3&4, LOL)
Okay, going to give this a whirl. Here is my challenge. I will update the 2 TBD as soon as I know them. :) 1. Rot & Ruin (464 pages)
2. Welcome to Lovecraft (graphic novel) - may have to change depending on library transit
3. 13 Bullets (on list since 2008)
4. Off Season #165
5. Hero (picked by my BFF Dale)
6. Four Past Midnight (From Stacie's TBR shelf)
7. The Kite Runner (Afghanistan)
Mod
1. The Help (i'm about halfway done with the audio version of this right now and hope to finish it up over the next week).
2. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World; The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs And Men in a Race Against an Epidemic - I wouldn't say i'm scared of NF per say, but it does take a nudge to get it on my pile - these are two books that I have in progress for another group
3.
4.
5.
6. A Hunger Like No Other (Maggie's Shelf)
7. Blood of the Wicked (Brazil)
I'm also not sure if I'm going to actually knock any books off of this list but I'll give it a try!1. Anna Karenina (838 pages)
2. Anna Karenina (Russian classic literature)
3. Love in the Time of Cholera (On TBR since [but wanting to read for longer] 09/09/09 - creepy I know)
4. Rescue (#165)
5. Let the Great World Spin (friend from live book club recommended)
6. Animal Farm (Delicious Dee Challenge Addict's shelf)
7. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal (Nepal)
Hmm, My idea for #2 is maybe search for a book in said "scared" genre that is either a short story, or a book for "young adults", so that it will be a simpler and lighter read. For example, this is not the book I am reading for the #2 in the mini-challenges, but Leviathan is my first foray into Steampunk (funny you should use that genre as your example!) and I am quite enjoying it! I have never read Steampunk before, but neither was I scared of it. Leviathan, BTW, is a book for "young adult" readers.
February Read-a-thon1. The Time Traveler's Wife.
2. ~* don't think I have one for this challenge yet *~
3. That could be "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" if it counts that I started it outside the read-a-thon. If not, then it would be The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
4. Okay, so book 39 on my list is: Ape House.
5. The Life of Pi - given a thumbs-up via friend on Facebook who I know from University.
6. Farenheit 451, or Why I am a Muslim, both on Margie's favourite list.
7. Leviathan ... or maybe the Cloud Atlas
1. Cleopatra's Daughter2. Christy - Christian Fiction
3. Tears of the Giraffe
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
5. The Lost Hero - Recommended by my kids
6. To Kill a Mockingbird - From Michelle's shelves
7. Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
During Read-a-thon, I'm hoping to read a few books from my TBR shelves :)
Vanessa wrote: "Steampunk (funny you should use that genre as your example!)"Haha! I know so many people (me included) wondering if steampunk is for them. I'm sure many of us have read some kind of steampunk at some point, but the name of the genre is new and that is bringing about more questions about it.
Btw, I read Leviathan last year and LOVED it. At this very moment, I'm reading the second book, Behemoth, and it's as good!
I hope everyone's up and about! We're starting in 3 hours! (Please don't read the two posts below, I made an embarrassing mistake) What is the first book in your pile?
Aths (Athira) wrote: "I hope everyone's up and about! We're starting in 8 minutes! What is the first book in your pile?"It's still 7 am Pacific time.
Oh bummer, I'm sorry! :D I'm in the wrong coast and looking at the wrong clock. Shoot! I guess I'm too excited!
I'll be stepping out in a few minutes to visit a memorial nearby, but will hopefully be back in 4-5 hours to kick off my reading. Still need to decide my reading list, though.
Definitely doing the mini challenge so I won't hesitate between books:1)Obsidian Butterfly (596 pages)
2)Someone to Watch Over Me (I'm not a big romance fan, let alone historical romance, but everyone keeps telling me to read Kleypas)
3)The Reluctant Miss Van Helsing(on list since I bought it in May of 2009!)
4)Betrayals
5)Silver Borne (my 10 year old chose it because of the cover)
6)The Hunger Games (from Aths' shelf)
7)Poison Study (not sure where it takes place, but it's not America!)
I'm going to start with Silver Borne...now I need to stay away from the computer and read!
Aths (Athira) wrote: "I hope everyone's up and about! We're starting in 3 hours! (Please don't read the two posts below, I made an embarrassing mistake) What is the first book in your pile?"The first book in my pile is
The Brotherhood by Jerry B. Jenkins because I need to post a review tomorrow! (talk about waiting until the last minute!)
Aths (Athira) wrote: "Oh bummer, I'm sorry! :D I'm in the wrong coast and looking at the wrong clock. Shoot!"I know, I'm anxious to start today, too..
This is going to be fun!I hope to complete these for the mini challenges.
1. Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer
2. The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by
Diane Gabaldon
3. Assumed Engagement by Kara Louise
4. Demon's Fire by Emma Holly (#40 from by TBR)
5. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
6. Atlantis Unleased by Alyssa Day
7. Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right by Kieran Kramer
Im sick so I plan to spend the whole weekend resting and reading. Had a late start today but looking forward to this. :)I love the mini challenges!!!! I have to think about those, I will finish the book I started yesterday (only about 6 pages into it) and then will figure out my books for the challenges. This is going to be fun. :)
Margie wrote: "Okay, going to give this a whirl. Here is my challenge. I will update the 2 TBD as soon as I know them. :) 1. Rot & Ruin (464 pages)
2. Welcome to Lovecraft (graph..."
Margie, Let me know how you like Rot & Ruin when you are done. I just saw it on next year's list for my Young Adults in one of the reading programs, and I was wondering how it is. Thanks.
I am almost finished with Cold Hands, Warm Hearts by Jenny Jacobs, but I have to stop and do my mother's taxes (which I promised to do today and she is anxious!) ---- Yuck! I hate doing taxes at the best of times and it is really irritating me that I have to stop reading and work on them now. :(
I am finishing up The Key (I've got about 60 pages to go.) and then will be starting How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone.Here are my tentative Mini-Challenge books:
1. Doomsday Book
2. The Colorado Kid
3. Flow Down Like Silver: Hypatia of Alexandria
4. The Ice Queen
5. How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone
6. ???
7. Embers
I have already started on Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh. Love the idea of the mini challenges. Here is my list:
1. The Treasure Keeper (432 pages)
2. Devilish (YA)
3. The Indiscretion (on my list since 11/8/09)
4. My Sweet Folly
5. Accidentally Engaged (my daughter picked it out)
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (from Jamie's shelf)
7. Not Quite a Husband (India)
For the mini-challenge:1. Not-quite-a-chunkster: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2. No more peek-a-booKs:Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
3. I hereby swear that I will not procrastinate: My Antonia by Willa Cather
4. Random fortune: Outlander by Diane Gabaldon
5. Loved one's golden touch: My son picked the following: Possession: A Romance by A. S. Byatt
6. Member choice: From Candiss's shelf: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
7. Globe-trotter: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
I finished my first book. :) I have to run to the store now real quick but then I am locked in for the rest of the weekend and I can focus on the mini-challenges.
1.The Dark Queen by Susan Carroll (519 pgs)2.This is my overlap with #1, since I usually shy away from Renaissance/royalty/romance fiction
3. The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard Evans (I've had this book for years and would keep putting it on my TBR stack and then taking it off)
4. Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut
5. The Pearl & The Red Pony by John Steinbeck (2 stories in one book)
6. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
7. Hiroshima by John Hersey
I got asked to go into work. Boo. I really hate work. It interferes with life more than it's worth- I can't wait for the day I can retire.
I am trying to read, but sadly I'm hung over from a night full of unexpected drinking and dancing. Every I try to read I get dizzy. I just ate some greasy pizza and got some caffeine so I'm sure my equilibrium is getting back on track and I'll be able to do this!!
Nancy wrote: Margie, Let me know how you like Rot & Ruin when you are done. I just saw it on next year's list for my Young Adults in one of the reading programs, and I was wondering how it is. Thanks. I'm off to a slow start today with the challenge, Nancy, but I will let you know. Warning: I am a big zombie fan. :)
I finished my first Last Summer at Mars Hill and am off to start the challenge!So far:
1 book
290 pages
Just finished 1 book. And ready to start No. 2. It's my first read-a-thon so right now I'm just reading my little heart out because I love it. I will think about the challenges tomorrow, although I really love the idea.
Finished The Bells. Thinking of catching up on my reading for The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye and starting Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote.
I'm only just back from my outing, so picking up Behemoth first. Let me work out my challenge list as well, in the meantime. On another note, I'm glad you all are having fun with the challenges! I think we'll have them for the future readathons too! :)
Hmm, I'm not sure if i want to do the mini challenges, mostly because I know that. I don't have a lot of time to read whatever books i would plan for it. Think i will just stick to the general read a thon, but those are some awesome ideas!Started listening to Pride and Prejudice this morning, on disc three out of nine, and I think I'm at chapter twenty. Enjoying it a lot so far! Good luck to everyone :D
Cover to Cover Challenge
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The 24 hour readathon is on Feb 19th. You can start anytime on Feb 19th after the event starts and end it 24 hours later.
Mini-Challenges
So to spice things up and to give you direction in case you are stuck in a reading rut or can't decide what to read next, I have a bunch of mini-challenges. They are completely voluntary, but I would love to see you participate. You can take as long as you want on each challenge, but you have to finish it for it to count. Post here, as soon as you finish a challenge and I'll keep a list on this thread.
1. Not-quite-a-chunkster: Read at least one 400+ page book.
2. No more peek-a-booKs: Read a book from a genre you are scared of.
Eg:by scared of, I don't mean a genre you don't like. I mean, a genre you want to try but have been putting it off. Say you've been hearing so much about steampunk and want to give it a try, but you don't know if it's for you.
3. I hereby swear that I will not procrastinate: Read a book from your TBR that you have been pushing off for a long time (at least a year).
4. Random fortune: Go to http://random.org , enter Min=1 and Max=. Click on Generate, and read the book in your TBR corresponding to that number. (If you don't have access to that book, feel free to do this again and again until you come to a book that you have at home or can pick from the library.)
5. Loved one's golden touch: Ask someone - a friend, family member, spouse or kid - to pick a random book from your bookshelf for you to read. Then read it.
6. Member choice: Comment on this thread and go to the bookshelf of the person who commented above you. Read a book from that person's shelf. (Totally acceptable if that book is in your TBR too.)
7. Globe-trotter: Read a book set in a country you don't live in or have never been to.
Overlap
You are allowed ONE overlap and it can ONLY be #1 (Not-quite-a-chunkster) with any one of the other 6. That's because #1 is the most generic one, the other 6 are pretty specific and narrow. (The overlap is optional - #1 can be a challenge of its own.)