Group Read challenge 2012

[Darkpool]

For a bit of fun I’ve just set up a Book Loving Kiwis group reading challenge. You'll find it on the group home page, directly under the "Currently Reading" section.
We have 3 group reading challenges every two months, so over 2012 there should be a total of 18 – give or take a couple over Dec/Jan. How many of those 18 books will you read in 2012? Set a goal and sign up for the challenge.

For anyone who has not met one of these group challenges before: you need to have a shelf for the books that are part of the challenge. All books that are on that shelf with a "date read" in the appropriate time period (in this case any date this year) are counted for the challenge. When you join the challenge you nominate the shelf name and the number of books you intend to read. This can be changed at any time.

If you want to include the group buddy reads in this challenge you are most welcome to do so!

2012 Group reads:
December/January
Geist (This will count if you read it in January)

January/February
King Matt the First
Going Bovine

February/March
As the Earth Turns Silver

March/April
The Half Life of Ryan Davis
The Boy in the Suitcase

April/May (There were two books instead of one this time because there was a tie in the voting)
The Bone People: A Novel
Ripple

May/June (and another tie, this time in the Around the World section, so there are 3 books this month!)
Nowhere Girl
The Oracle of Stamboul
The Outsiders

June/July and the start of a new category: a randomly selected book by one of our NZ author members.
Guardian of the Jewel by BLK member LaVerne Clark
Dinner at Rose's

July/August
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The Secret Garden

August/September and another tie in the NZ book category
So Brilliantly Clever: Parker Hulme and the murder that shocked the World
Green Dolphin Country
The Ghosts of Young Nick's Head by BLK member Sue Copsey

September/October
The Cry of the Go-Away Bird
Un Lun Dun

October/November
The Sweet Second Life of Darrell Kincaid by BLK member Catherine Robertson
Graffiti Heaven

November/December
The Color of Tea: A Novel
The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank, for those like me who never knew the correct name of this book!!)

[Darkpool]

I'm going for 12 - I don't think I can manage more than one per month!

[Angie]

I usually read all the group reads, so will aim for all 18.
Thanks for setting up this challenge, Darkpool. It looks very flash on the home page.

[Sharlene]

Hi Darkpool, could you add the books from the Group Reads to the first post so we can keep track of which books should count towards the total?

The challenge is great. I will aim for 12 but I'll try read them all. I am also rereading Harry Potter & want to read Hunger Games. It seems to be all the rave!

[Darkpool]

Great idea Sharlene!
(and I read Hunger Games last year because it seemed every second kid I saw at school was reading it. I thought it was great.)

[Sharlene]

4 months to go & I've only ticked off two of the Reading challenges so far. I got halfway through Boy in the Suitcase so will have to get that put from the library again soon. I just started The Bone People. I haven't read a Maori novel before so this should be interesting.

[Darkpool]

Ooh, your post in the thread reminded me I needed to update the list of the year's reads! Thanks for the nudge, Sharlene :-)

[Ann]

Just finished reading "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet", the book challenge for back in August.

I loved the story, and kept a box of tissues beside me as I read. It almost had a feel of "Romeo and Juliet" for me. Hatred, discrimination and love triumphant. What a dark part of history for the United States. Thank you to everyone who recommended it. It was worth ever tear.

[Angie]

Ann wrote: "Just finished reading "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet", the book challenge for back in August.

I loved the story, and kept a box of tissues beside me as I read. It almost had a feel of ..."

So glad to hear you enjoyed it.

[Darkpool]

How is everyone doing with this challenge? I'm on 9 out of 12 at the moment, but have nearly finished "the sweet second life..." and have "the colour of tea" lined up to start immediatly after, so I'll probably end up just one book short.

Next question... is it worth setting this up again for next year?

I'm also contemplating setting up similar challenges using the widget thingy for a "patient bookcase dwellers" and maybe a "languishing literature" challenge for those wanting incentive to work on either books you have owned for a while but not read and the books that have been on your "to read" list the longest respectively. Any interest in either or both of those? Or suggestions for other similar informal challenges that group members might be interested in?

[Sharlene]

I read 9 BLK in 2012. Keen to try again this year & really hoping 2013 I can read at least 12.

I'm aiming for 100 books this year which will be a challenge for me so I've set mini challenges along the way to help me out, including Dewey's 24 hour readathon.