Wednesday, December 31, 2014

PLAY ON: Play Challenge in 2015

Still addicted to signing up for challenges.  But this one is for four months only, and is a focused on reading plays.   I've never done a play reading challenge, and plays are definitely a quick read.  Sign up at Half-filled Attic. Details below from the blog:

Those who frequently visit my little blog can no doubt observe my passion for plays. Plays are interesting in so many ways. So in the first quarter of next year, I'd like to invite everybody to join with me in this play event/challenge.



So here are the rules:
  • The challenge will run for four months, beginning from January 2015.
  • Each month, there will be a monthly theme. 
  • A master post will be published shortly before the challenge begins.
  • Participants are expected to read and post a review each month, and post it in the upcoming Master Post.

We want to keep the theme wide enough in order to allow everybody huge options. So I'll just split plays into four categories based on the period when they were written and assign each period to each month.

January: Ancient Plays, including Greek and Roman plays
February: Renaissance Plays, including Shakespeare and his contemporaries
March: Post-Renaissance Plays, anything post Renaissance is allowed. Wilde and Shaw are very welcome
April: Freebie Plays, if you find any particular playwright interesting during the 3 months, feel free to read another of his/her plays. Or if you want to experiment with other genre or other playwright, you are in.


Plays I'm reading:

January:   Antigone--Sophocles
February:  Volpone and Other Plays--Ben Jonson
March:  Ibsen: Four Major Plays Volume 1
April:  Zoot Suit and Other Plays--Luis Valdez

Completed on April 2

Quiz: How Should You Spend New Year's Eve?

One of those tines these quizzes don't seem entirely true for me.
You Should Stay Home for New Year's Eve
By the time New Year's Eve comes around, you are usually exhausted. You just need to rest.
That doesn't mean you won't celebrate, but you'll definitely be toasting the new year in your own low key way.

You'll reflect on the year that's passed and make plans for the year to come.
And when the clock turns over at midnight, you'll be cheering along with anyone else. You'll just be in your pj's!

Quiz: What Should You Toast To?

You Should Toast to Prosperity
Money definitely isn't the only thing for you, but you are the first to admit that you want to do well in life.
You'd like to be wildly rich to be able to live on your own terms, to fulfill your dreams, and to give back as much as you can.

While you may not become a billionaire overnight, you're hoping to end next year a little more prosperous than you started.
You'll raise your glass of the finest champagne to prosperity... and look forward to more good things to come!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Quiz: What is Your New Year's Eve Style?

Your New Year's Eve Style is Glam        
When New Year's Eve comes along, you want to go all out to celebrate. This is the perfect night for dressing up.
If money was no object, you'd like to party the night away at the swankiest hot spots... with a limo to cart you and your friends around.

And if you can't have a super fancy New Year's Eve, you're going to make sure all eyes are on you. You will be looking your best.
This is the only night of the year where there's no thing as too much bling. And there's no way you're missing out.

Some of this is not quite true.  I like to get out, but there is never much glam to be found in my area on NYE.  





2015 Historical Romance Reading Challenge

Also from Herding Cats and Burning Soup is the Historical Romance challenge, which I did last year. I read 12 books, so I will try to reach at least that many again next year.  Details below:


Making this one really easy!

All historical romances over 80 pages count!
Anything prior to 1920 as far as year goes.
All you do is read then review (on goodreads, amazon or your blog) then link up your review :)

It can be a fusion read (ex--paranormal historical)
Cross over from other challenges count.
You don't have to be a blogger to join in. Just use your Goodreads or Amazon account to link up.

Levels (you can change your level during the year)

1--6 books
2--12 books
3--24 books
4--48 books
5--100+ books

Here is what I am reading for this one:
  1. All He Ever Wanted--Anita Shreve
  2. Jewels--Danielle Steel
  3. Perfect--Judith McNaught
  4. The Color Purple--Alice Walker
  5. Like Water for Chocolate--Laura Esquivel
  6. Sea Glass--Anita Shreve
  7. Suddenly You--Lisa Kleypas
  8. Memoirs of a Geisha--Arthur Golden
  9. Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen
  10. Wuthering Heights--Emily Bronte
  11. Oh My Stars--Lorna Landvik
  12. Outlander--Diana Gabaldon
  13. Brooklyn--Colm Toibin
  14. The Book of Life--Deborah Harkness
  15. For All Their Lives--Fern Michaels
  16. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall--Anne Bronte
  17. Sarah's Key--Tatiana de Rosnay
  18. Emma--Jane Austen
  19. The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell--Loraine Despres
  20. The Diamond Slipper--Jane Feather
  21. The Thirteenth Tale--Diane Satterfield
  22. Peony in Love--Lisa See
Calling this complete as of December 14

2015 Erotic Romance Reading Challenge

Two more challenges, both form Herding Cats and Burning Soup and both focused on romance.  First up, the Erotic Romance.  I only read six books this year, so I will start at Level One next year, but will see if I can do more. details for the Erotic Romance challenge below:




Making this one really easy!
All erotic romances over 80 pages count!

Erotic Romance--means the sexual side of the relationship is front and center in the storyline and a focal point of the relationship. 


Examples of authors that are NOT erotic romance--Lori Foster, JR Ward, Jill Shalvis, Nalini Singh

All you do is read then review (on goodreads, amazon or your blog) then link up your review :)


It can be a fusion read (ex--erotic historical)
Cross over from other challenges count.
You don't have to be a blogger to join in. Just use your Goodreads or Amazon account to link up.

Levels (you can change your level during the year)

1--6 books
2--12 books
3--24 books
4--48 books
5--100+ books

SIGN UP BELOW
Just enter your name, email and a link to your blog, amazon profile or goodreads shelf being used


Here is what I am reading:

  1. Letting Go--Maya Banks
  2. Bet Me--Jennifer Crusie
  3. Pink Ice--Susanna Carr
  4. The Sweet Spot--Stephanie Evanovich
  5. Grey--E.L. James
  6. The Dark Garden--Eden Bradley
Challenge completed on November 12

Monday, December 29, 2014

LGBT Challenge 2015

Here is one that is new to me.  Sign up here for this one. Details:



The LGBT Challenge is back for its second year here on Niji Feels (formerly known as Fighting Dreamer)! Stock your shelves/wishlist with LGBT books and get ready for a(nother) year of LGBT-awesomeness!!
LGBTChallenge2015
The Details:
  • The challenge runs from 1 January through 31 December 2015
  • Like last year, each month there will be a mini challenge/theme/list/thingy
  • This year, there is no form/genre restriction (you can read whatever you want – young adult, new adult, adult, erotica, nonfiction, manga – as long as its LGBT)
  • And the LGBT in the challenge’s name does not mean just LGBT, you can read any book that falls under the L(esbian) G(ay) B(isexual) T(ransexual) T(ransgender) Q(ueer) Q(uestioning) I(ntersex) A(sexual)+ spectrum
  • There will be link ups throughout the year (but the setup is going to be a little different from last year)
  • All formats (print books, ebooks, audiobooks, comics) are eligible
  • Books can overlap with other challenges
  • (At… certain times) there will be surprise giveaways, as well as one big giveaway at the end of the year ;)
To sign up:
  1. Write a post joining the challenge (you have to have a blog to participate)
  2. Pick a level:
  • YA ALLEGIANT: read 3-10 YA LGBT books
  • GENRE HOPPER: read 3-10 LGBT books from any genre
  • YA DEVOURER: 10+ YA LGBT books
  • OMNIVOROUS BOOKGLUTTON: 10+ LGBT books from any genre

Since I like to read all genres, I'll go with GENRE HOPPER, 3-10 books from any genre. Here is what I'll be reading:

  1. The Color Purple--Alice Walker
  2. The House on Mango Street--Sandra Cisneros
  3. Choose Your Own Autobiography--Neil Patrick Harris
  4. A Really Nice Prom Mess--Brian Sloan
  5. Fatal Shadows--Josh Lanyon
  6. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe--Benjamin Alire Saenz
  7. Fairy Tales: Traditional Stories Retold for Gay Men--Peter Cashoralli
  8. Boy Toy--Michael Craft
Challenge completed on November 3

Sunday, December 28, 2014

2015 Southern Literature Reading Challenge

I'm once again doing the Southern Literature Challenge, also hosted by the Introverted Reader.  Did this one last year as well and had to come back.  Will be signing for Level 2, since I'm sure I can at least read four books.  Sign up at the link above.  Details below:


Southern Literature Reading Challenge hosted at The Introverted Reader


I'm hosting the Southern Literature Reading Challenge again this year. I love reading Southern Literature and I hope you do too!

The rules:

Read a book(s)--non-fiction or fiction of any genre, for any age group--written by an author from the South and set mostly in the South.

Definitions of the South are flexible, so I've decided to define it the way I want. That's the fun of hosting your own challenge, right? :-)

The states:
South Carolina
Georgia
Alabama
North Carolina
Virginia
Tennessee
Mississippi
Louisiana
Kentucky
West Virginia
Texas
Arkansas
Florida

Please keep in mind that this is a Southern literature challenge. It's possible to find books set in each of these states that are not Southern in nature or feeling. Use your best judgment when choosing your books.

I've had a few requests for a more difficult challenge, so I'm upping the levels a bit this year. I've tried to keep it accessible for everyone though. Let me know what you think.

Levels:

Level 1--C'mon in the house! Read 1-2 books.

Level 2--Pull up a seat and stay a while! Read 3-4 books

Level 3--Have a glass of sweet iced tea, honey. Read 5-6 books

Level 4--Y'all come back now, y'hear! Read 7-8 books

The challenge will run from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. You can join in anytime throughout the year.

I am not limiting the challenge to bloggers.  You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.

Crossovers with other challenges are acceptable, and feel free to read your books in any format you choose.


Here is what I am reading:
  1. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963--Christopher Paul Curtis
  2. The Color Purple--Alice Walker
  3. Strawberry Girl--Lois Lenski
  4. Kira-Kira--Cynthia Kadohata
  5. Little Bitty Lies--Mary Kay Andrews
  6. A Salty Piece of Land--Jimmy Buffett
  7. Summer of My German Soldier--Bette Greene
  8. Oh My Stars--Lorna Landvik
Challenge completed on June 6

2015 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

Here is the Nonfiction reading challenge hosted by the Introverted Reader. I did this last year and originally signed up for the first level, but ended up going up.  For now I'll sign up for level one, but see if I can go over. Sign up at the link above. Details below:
Nonfiction Reading Challenge hosted at The Introverted Reader
Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net




This is the sign up page. Please link your reviews here.

It's time to sign up for my Nonfiction Reading Challenge again! 

The Challenge:  Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult.That's it. You can choose anything. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge. 

I always like levels in my challenges, so here are mine:

Dilettante--Read 1-5 non-fiction books

Explorer--Read 6-10 

Seeker--Read 11-15

Master--Read 16-20

This challenge will last from January 1 to December 31, 2015. You can sign up anytime throughout the year. 

I am not limiting the challenge to bloggers. You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.

Crossovers with other challenges are acceptable, and feel free to read your books in any format you like.



Here is my progress:

  1. American Sniper--Chris Kyle
  2. Travels With Charley--John Steinbeck
  3. The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian--Sherman Alexie
  4. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop--Lewis Buzbee
  5. For God, Country  and Coca-Cola--Mark Pendergrast
  6. Hannah--Hannah Westberg
  7. Choose Your Own Autobiography--Neil Patrick Harris
  8. Devil in the Details--Jennifer Traig
  9. A Thousand Splendid Suns--Khaled Hosseini
  10. A Woman's Worth--Marianne Williamson
  11. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking--Susan Cain
  12. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice--Phillip Hoose
  13. The End of Men and the Rise of Women--Hanna Rosin
  14. The Devil in the White City--Erik Larson
  15. Ain't I Woman: Black Women and Feminism--bell hooks
  16. Mind Race--Patrick E. Jamieson
  17. Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D--Lizzie Simon
  18. Three Cups of Tea--Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
  19. The Cat Who Came for Christmas--Cleveland Amory
Challenge completed on December 2

Friday, December 26, 2014

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2015

Here is one I stumbled onto through another person's blog.  It is through Popsugar and has a lot of different categories.  I'm looking for challenges like these, and this one looked fun. It's also very reminiscent of one I did last year. Details from Popsugar below:



Book-lovers, start your reading engines. If one of your New Year's resolutions is to read more books in 2015, get started now with our ultimate reading challenge. From a book your mom loves to a book with a love triangle, we're giving you a wide range of reads, spanning eras and genres, instead of specific books. You don't have to read all 50 books (technically 52, since one is a trilogy), but it's a fun incentive to diversify your reading — you may be surprised by what you find you enjoy! Download our printable, and check off the books as you go (then use a site like Goodreads to keep track of what you've read). Pin the handy graphic below for reference, and share with your book club BFFs!

Here is what I'm reading for this one:


  1. More Than 500 Pages:  A Salty Piece of Land--Jimmy Buffett
  2. A Classic Romance:  The Tenant of Wildfell Hall--Anne Bronte
  3. Became a Movie:  Bridget Jones's Diary--Helen Fielding
  4. Published This Year:  The Girl on the Train--Paula Hawkins
  5. Number in the Title:  One Day--David Nicholls
  6. Written by Someone Under 30:  The DUFF--Kody Keplinger
  7. Non-Human Characters:  How to Moon a Cat--Rebecca M. Hale
  8. Funny Book:  The Most of P.G. Wodehouse
  9. Female Author:   All He Ever Wanted--Anita Shreve
  10. Mystery or Thriller:  Death and Taxes--Susan Dunlap
  11. One-Word Title:  Jewels--Danielle Steel
  12. Book of Short Stories:  Summer Days--Lisa Jackson
  13. Set in a Different Country:  The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul--Deborah Rodriguez
  14. Non-Fiction Book:  Travels With Charley--John Steinbeck
  15. A Popular Author's 1st Book:  Hero at Large--Janet Evanovich
  16. Book From Author You Love But Haven't Read Yet:  Little Bitty Lies--Mary Kay Andrews
  17. Book a Friend Recommended:  This Present Darkness--Frank E. Peretti
  18. Pulitzer Prize-Winning Book:  The Color Purple--Alice Walker
  19. Based On a True Story:  American Sniper--Chris Kyle
  20. Bottom of To-Read List:  Sarah's Key--Tatiana de Rosnay
  21. Book Your Mom Loves:  Outlander--Diana Gabaldon
  22. Book That Scares You:   Wuthering Heights--Emily Bronte
  23. More than 100 Years Old:  Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen
  24. Based Entirely on Its Cover:  Candy Apple Dead--Sammi Martin
  25. Was Supposed to Read in School But Didn't:  Of Mice and Men--John Steinbeck (did actually read this as I was supposed to)
  26. Memoir:  Devil in the Details--Jennifer Traig
  27. Can Finish in a Day: The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963--Christopher Paul Curtis
  28. Antonyms in the Title:  Big Little Lies--Liane Moriarty
  29. Somewhere You've Always Wanted to Visit:  Gossamer Ghost--Laura Childs (New Orleans)
  30. Came Out the Year You Were Born (1971):  The Girl in Blue--P.G. Wodehouse
  31. Bad Reviews:  Revenge Wears Prada--Lauren Weisberger
  32. Trilogy: a) Frostfire  b) Ice Kissed c) Crystal Kingdom (The Kanin Chronicles--Amanda Hocking)
  33. From Your Childhood:  Madeline--Ludwig Bemelmans
  34. Book With a Love Triangle:  Redeemed--P.C. Cast
  35. Set in the Future:  The Time Machine--H.G Wells
  36. Set in High School:  The Queen Geek Social Club--Laura Preble
  37. Color in the Title:  The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop--Lewis Buzbee
  38. Made You Cry:  My Sister's Keeper--Jodi Picoult
  39. Book With Magic:  Cruel Beauty--Rosamund Hodge
  40. Graphic Novel:  Peach Girl Volume 1--Miwa Ueda
  41. Author You've Never Read Before:  Elizabeth Berg Collection
  42. Book You Own But Have Never Read:  Down a Dark Hall--Lois Duncan
  43. Takes Place in Your Hometown:  The Grapes of Wrath--John Steinbeck (Salinas, California--close to my hometown)
  44. Originally Written in a Different Language:  Like Water for Chocolate--Laura Esquivel
  45. Set During Christmas:  The Cat Who Came for Christmas--Cleveland Amory
  46. Author With Your Same Initials:  Paper Towns--John Green
  47. Play:  Antigone--Sophocles
  48. Banned Book:  The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian--Sherman Alexie
  49. Based On or Made Into a TV Show:  The Secret Circle: The Initiation and The Captive Part 1 --L.J Smith
  50. Started But Never Finished:  Blubber--Judy Blume

Challenge completed on December 2

2015 Curvy Heroine Reading Challenge

I just found a new reading challenge for next year that is just up my alley.  Won't get into too many details, but I definitely have to do this one as I have been looking for books with a protagonist of this sort.  I will go for the first level to start, and see how it goes from there.  Sign up here.  


2015 Curvy Heroine Reading Challenge
     

Challenge runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015You can join anytime. We all know that most heroines have the 'perfect' figure. Well I for one do not. I want to find all of the books that feature a curvy heroine. Let's see how many we can find!
    The goal is to read as many novels that feature curvy heroines as you’d like. Checkout the different levels below and choose the one that works for you. 
  • Book format can be anything. 
  • Genre: Preferably Romance, historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, paranormal or erotic, etc: 
  • Novella's (books around 100 pages, and full length novels, count. Anything under 100 pages doesn't count.
  • Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.

To join the challenge, grab the 2015 Curvy Heroine Reading Challenge button below and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. Anyone can join in! Be you blogger, author or reader; you can track your progress on Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookLikes, etc., so as long as you have a dedicated shelf for the 2015 Curvy Heroine Reading Challenge.

The Levels

Level 1: 1 – 5
Level 2: 5 – 10
Level 3: 10 – 15
Level 4: 15+

Here is what I'll be reading for this:
  1. Bridget Jones's Diary--Helen Fielding
  2. Big Girl Panties--Stephanie Evanovich
  3. The Color Purple--Alice Walker
  4. The DUFF--Kody Keplinger
  5. Not Another Bad Date--Rachel Gibson
  6. Just Desserts--G.A. McKevett
  7. Suddenly You--Lisa Kleypas
  8. Bet Me--Jennifer Crusie
NOTE:  The host blog has deleted the link to this challenge, so I'm calling this complete as of June 14, though I haven't read any book for this challenge since April. 

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas

merry christmas



Wishing everyone a merry Christmas tomorrow.  And a great rest of the holiday season.  Those like me who celebrate Christmas Eve, have a good night tonight.

Quiz: What Holiday Cookie Are You?

You Are a Gingerbread Cookie
You are an organized, responsible person.
You value success, and you're likely to get an early start on the day.

You are good with both planning and numbers.
You have ambitious life goals, and you're well on your way to achieving them.

Quiz: What is Your Reindeer Name?

You Are Olive the Bell-Jingling Reindeer
To dance with the moon, you need only become friendly with the dreams of a reindeer.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Quiz: Which of the 12 Days of Christmas Are You?

You Are Four Calling Birds
For you, the holidays are a time of sweet celebration. And you love to sing your favorite holiday songs.
You are a joyful person, and your joy multiplies during the holidays. You have so much to be happy about.

Your holiday wish is for good times with friends, fun, food, and of course, music.
You celebrate throughout the whole season. You truly cherish this time of year.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Quiz: What's Your Holiday Stress Level?

Your Holiday Stress Level is Moderate
The holidays sometimes stress you out, but mostly because they wear you down.
Take it easy! You can have a fun holiday without running yourself ragged.

Quiz: Holiday Card Test

You Are Down to Earth
You prefer to celebrate the holidays in your own laid back way. You don't need a lot of glitz or glamour.
If you attend holiday parties, they tend to be a quiet affair. You are past being rowdy.

This time of year has deep meaning for you. It's fine if others don't share that meaning, but you're not about to turn your back on it.
You like to celebrate an old fashioned Christmas. All these new "traditions" give you a headache.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

2015 Audiobook Challenge

Been waiting for this one! I read lots of different audiobooks last year and cannot wait to do it again.  Visit Hot Listens to sign up.  I made it to Binge Listener (20-30 audios) last year, and will try again, but see how many more I can get.

2015 Audiobook Challenge Button


Challenge Details
  • Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015. You can join at anytime.
  • The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2015 than you did in 2014.
  • Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
  • ANY genres count.
  • Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
  • You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
  • If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.

Levels
  • Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
  • Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
  • Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
  • Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
  • Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
  • My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
  • Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+
Here is what I'll be listening to: