Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2015

Another one. I hesitated on this one, but decided it was one that was right for me. as I've read a lot of fantasy.  I will try to read at least five fantasy books, but may go over that.  Sign up here.

I'm really, really, really excited to announce that I have teamed up with the lovely Rachel yet again - and this time, we're hosting a reading challenge! I've always wanted to host a challenge, and Rachel brought up the idea of teaming up for one a couple of months ago. We couldn't figure out what we wanted our challenge to be, and were so close to holding off till 2016... until I came up with the idea of doing a fantasy reading challenge on Monday. It took us no time at all to come up with guidelines & graphics, and so, here we are now, sharing this introductory post!

Rachel & I are proud to present the Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge! One of the reasons we became fast friends early on was because we share a mutual love of fantasy novels. We hope that all fantasy readers - whether newbies or veterans - will be keen to join us, and we promise we're keeping things real simple.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The challenge will run from January 1-December 31, 2015.
• We're welcoming all readers to join us for this challenge! In order to sign up, readers must link to their blogs or their Goodreads profile in the Linky provided below.That way, we can see where you'll be sharing your thoughts on the fantasies you'll read!
• You can read as many fantasy novels as you'd like to. No levels for this challenge!
• There will be 2 giveaways, one at 6 months and one at the end of the year. More details will be provided closer to those dates.
• Help us spread the word! Feel free to tweet about the challenge using our official hashtag#flightsoffantasy, grab the button to link to the challenge in your sidebar & pin the image on Pinterest.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

• Challenge yourself to read a certain number of fantasy books. Share your challenge number in a comment below, a post on your blog or even a tweet!
• On the last Sunday of each month, we'll be sharing our personal updates on the challenge. We'll be including a Linky, just in case you decide to do the same. (This is optional!)
• As mentioned, we will have giveaways! If you want to gain bonus entries for the giveaways, read any (or even all!) of our favorite fantasy books listed below:
• Joint Favorites: Throne of Glass, Harry Potter, Fire and Thorns, Snow Like Ashes, Queen of the Tearling
• Alexa's Favorites: Eon, Daughter of the Forest, The Elemental Trilogy, Song of the Lioness, The Hobbit
• Rachel's Favorites: The Grisha Trilogy, Harper Hall Trilogy, The Fever series, The Winner's Curse, Graceling

Here is what I am reading:

1. Redeemed--P.C. Cast
2. Cruel Beauty--Rosamund Hodge
3. Down a Dark Hall--Lois Duncan
4. Shadow Falls: The Beginning--C.C Hunter
5. Taken at Dusk--C.C. Hunter
6. The Time Machine--H.G Wells
7. Whispers at Moonrise--C.C Hunter
8. Chosen at Nightfall--C.C. Hunter
9. The Selection--Kiera Cass
10. The Elite--Kiera Cass
11. The One--Kiera Cass
12. The Thief--Megan Whalen Turner
13. The Martian--Andy Weir
14. Just Ella--Margaret Peterson Haddix
15. Frostfire--Amanda Hocking
16. Ice Kissed--Amanda Hocking
17. Storm Front--Jim Butcher
18. Outlander--Diana Gabaldon
19. Hush, Hush--Becca Fitzpatrick
20. The Book of Life--Deborah Harkness
21. This Present Darkness--Frank E. Peretti
22. Piercing the Darkness--Frank E. Peretti
23. The Oath--Frank E. Peretti
24. The Scorch Trials--James Dashner
25. Blizzard of the Blue Moon--Mary Pope Osborne
26. Moonlight on the Magic Flute--Mary Pope Osborne
27. Four--Veronica Roth
28. Life of Pi--Yann Martel
29. The Heir--Kiera Cass
30. Crystal Kingdom--Amanda Hocking
31. Nightschool: The Weirn Books Volume 1--Svetlana Chmakova
32. Nightschool: The Weirn Books Volume 2--Svetlana Chmakova
33. The Silver Kiss--Annette Curtis Klause
34. The Secret Circle: The Initiation and The Captive Part 1--L.J. Smith
35. The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power--L.J. Smith
36. The Poison Apples--Lily Archer
37. Vampire Beach--Alex Duval
38. Vampire Beach 2--Alex Duval
39. The Kitchen Witch--Annette Blair
40. Bewitched, Bothered and Biscotti--Bailey Cates
41. Charms and Chocolate Chips--Bailey Cates
42. Fairy Tales: Traditional Stories Retold for Gay Men--Peter Cashoralli
43. Christmas in Camelot--Mary Pope Osborne

Calling this complete on December 18

Dystopia 2015

NOTE: The blog that originally hosted this challenge has been deleted.  The challenge has moved to Cornerfolds as of June 13.  I am redoing this post with the info that is posted on the new host blog.  I will add to the books I have already read.

Surprise!! The Dystopia reading challenge is moving (has moved) to Cornerfolds! In the past this challenge was hosted by Blog of Erised. Unfortunately, the challenge was unable to continue at its former home due to personal reasons, but I have been given the go-ahead to take over from here.

If anyone is interested in co-hosting this challenge, please let me know!

Challenge Guidelines

• This challenge will run from January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015, and you can join at anytime.
• Books must be read and reviewed in 2015.
• Audiobooks, re-reads, short stories, and crossovers are fine.
• If you're a blogger, grab the button below and create a post or page about this challenge and your goals with a link back to this post.
• You don't have to be a book blogger to participate! You can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
• Sign up on the designated Mr. Linky below with your post, shelf, etc. and comment on this post.
• There will be giveaways at the halfway point and at the end of the challenge in December.
• You can link your reviews here! 

Challenge Levels

• 1-6 dystopian books: Recruit
• 7-12 dystopian books: Rebel
• 13-18 dystopian books: Revolutionist
• 19+ dystopian books: Leader

Here is what I am reading:

1. The  Time Machine--H.G. Wells
2. The Selection--Kiera Cass
3. The Elite--Kiera Cass
4. The One--Kiera Cass
5. Frostfire--Amanda Hocking
6. Ice Kissed--Amanda Hocking
7. The Scorch Trials--James Dashner
8. Four--Veronica Roth
9. The Heir--Kiera Cass
10. Crystal Kingdom--Amanda Hocking

Calling this challenge complete on November 25

Lucky No. 15 Reading Challenge

OK, I've got two reading challenges done (I could do more for each of these, but this was enough for me).  I've tried resisting more, but this is one I had to do.  It got started later than January 1.  The blog Books to Share that had the Lucky 14 last year looked like it would not be doing another challenge this year, but as of January 15, they are doing the Lucky 15.  I know I can find books for this that can crossover to other challenges and since I did Books to Share's challenge last year, I just have to do this one. Click the link to Books to Share above to sign up.

Period of challenge: January 15, 2015 – January 15, 2016

Yep, it’s a little bit late, but I hope you are still interested in doing another round of challenge – Lucky No.15. After having fun in Lucky No.14 last year, I finally decided to host another year of this challenge.

The rules are still the same like last year, with some slight changes. I still used some favorite categories from last year and add some new ones.

This challenge will require you to read 15 books (or more) from 15 categoriesbelow. You can combine the books you read with other challenges, but can not use the same book for different categories in this challenge.

Try to match the categories from your TBR piles :) But if you don’t have any suitable books in your TBR – and want to find an excuse to buy a book for this challenge, that’s totally fine too!

Here are the 15 categories:

1. Chunky Brick: Grab that book with more than 500 pages that you’d always been afraid to tackle. You know you can do it!
2. Something New: Just purchased a book lately? Don’t let it buried in your stacks, read it now!
3. Something Borrowed: Read a book that you borrowed from someone else. Don’t make the owner waiting forever for you to finish it. (Books borrowed from friends, libraries, or even rental places, are allowed)
4. It’s Been There Forever: Dig your TBR pile and read a book that has been there more than a year. It’s time for you to appreciate it :)
5. Freebies Time: What’s the LAST free book you’ve got? Whether it’s from giveaway, a birthday gift or a surprise from someone special, don’t hold back any longer. Open the book and start reading it now :D
6. Bargain All The Way: Ever buying a book because it’s so cheap you don’t really care about the content? Now it’s time to open the book and find out whether it’s really worth your cents.
7. Favorite Color: Pick a book from your shelf which has your favorite color for its cover! Is it pink, red or black? You decide.
8. First Initial: Read a book that has been written by an author whose first initial is the same with you (Example: My name is Astrid, and I can read anything written by Agatha Christie, Aesop, Arthur Conan Doyle, etc)
9. Super Series: Read one (or more!) books that belong in a series, it can be trilogy, or tetralogy, or anything.
10. Opposites Attract: Read a book that’s been written by a writer whose gender is different from your own.
11. Randomly Picked: Ask someone else (a friend, your spouse, even your kids!) to randomly pick a book from your TBR pile. Don’t complain whatever they choose for you, just read it :)
12. Cover Lust: Grab a book from your shelf that you bought because you fell in love with the cover. Is the content as good as the cover?
13. Who Are You Again?: You’ve never read a book from this author, maybe you haven’t even heard his/her name before. But who knows? Maybe he/she will become your new favorite author!
14. One Word Only!: Read a book that only has one word for its title (number is allowed as long as it’s only consisted of one word, e.g: 1, 2, 11).
15. Dream Destination: Read a book that has setting in a place you’ve never visited before – but would like to if you have a chance. Could be real places or even fictional!

RULES:

1. To complete the challenge, you have to read at least one book for each category, or total of 15 books during the challenge period. Format of books are free, it can be e-book, printed book, audiobook, etc. You can set your own pace and do not need to follow the categories in particular order. You can also read more than one book for each category. You have to write your reviews/comments (doesn’t have to be long) in your blog/FB note/Goodreads page/tumblr/etc.

2. Please write a master post about this challenge in your blog/Goodreads/FB notes/etc, and submit your link below for signing up. You can use this master post to sort down the book(s) that you’ll read for each category, and edit them later if necessary. The sign-up linky will be opened from January 15, 2015 throughout the year until December 15, 2015.

3. There are also linkies for each category of the challenge. Please submit your link of review posts for each category in their respective linkies. These linkies will be opened in January 15, 2015 until January 15, 2016.

4. At the end of the challenge, write down a wrap-up post and submit the link in the linky too. The linky for wrap-up posts will be opened until January 31, 2016 to give you more time for wrapping things up. It’s okay if you don’t finish the challenge but you are not eligible to be selected as the winner.

5. After the wrap up post linky is closed, I will pick two lucky winners who had completed the challenge for winning great bookish prizes (including book vouchers, novels, and other exclusive bookish gimmicks/goodies :) ) The prizes will be revealed soon, so please stay tuned. You must have delivery address in Indonesia to be eligible for the two grand prizes.

6. If you are an international participant who doesn’t have Indonesian mailing address, don’t worry, I’ll also choose two winners, each winner can pick any book from The Book Depository for maximum of $ 12.

7. I’ll try to write a round-up post every month and pick some of the most interesting reviews. And who knows? Probably there will be some surprise gifts and giveaways throughout the year :)

Now, let’s start this wonderful 2015 and get ready to tackle some great books!

Here is What I'll be reading:

1. Chunky Brick:  A Salty Piece of Land--Jimmy Buffett
2. Something New: Frostfire--Amanda Hocking
3. Something Borrowed:  Outlander--Diana Gabaldon
4. It's Been There Forever:  Down a Dark Hall--Lois Duncan
5. Freebies Time:  Oh My Stars--Lorna Landvik
6. Bargain All the Way:  Devil in the Details--Jennifer Traig
7. Favorite Color:  Pink Ice--Susanna Carr
8. First Initial:  Perfect--Judith McNaught
9. Super Series:  Shadow Falls: The Beginning--C.C. Hunter
10. Opposites Attract:  The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963--Christopher Paul Curtis
11. Randomly Picked:  Sarah's Key--Tatiana de Rosnay
12. Cover Lust:  Candy Apple Dead--Sammi Carter
13. Who Are you Again?:  My Sister's Keeper--Jodi Picoult
14. One Word Only!:  Jewels--Danielle Steel
15. Dream Destination:  Gossamer Ghost--Laura Childs (New Orleans)

Challenge completed on October 4

2015's "Reading Through Time" Historical Fiction Reading

Yes, another challenge.  The Historical Fiction challenge I did last year isn't being offered, and it didn't look like any similar challenges were being offered either.  But the same blog hosting the Cloak and Dagger challenge has stepped in to host a historical fiction challenge.  I'm sure I can get at least 10 books, so I'm signing up for Level 2.  Sign up at the link above.

While I was over at A Novel Challenge looking for the challenges that I wanted to sign-up for in 2015 I found it strangely lacking in a historical fiction reading challenge so I decided to start my own, even if we are already six days into January!

So here are the rules, which are almost identical to the rules for the Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge I am also hosting:

1.) The challenge starts January 6, 2015 and ends  December 31, 2015.

2.) You can read any novel, short story or author just so that the genre is historical fiction, and yes this genre is a wide one in terms of defining historical fiction but I trust your judgement if you think it is in the historical fiction genre it probably is. Even those mysteries you might read for the Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge might even qualify since a lot of them occur in the past.

3.) 1 novel counts as 1 novel( 1 novel is anything over 100 pages) of course but you will have to read 5 short stories to count as 1 novel. Audio books and e-books also count.

4.) There will be a monthly post for you to add a link or links to your post showing the progress that you have made so far. There will be two link-ups on each reading challenge post, one is a text link-up for those of you who are participating without a blog/through Goodreads/or through another way and then a thumbnail link-up for those of you that are participating from a blog.

5.) There will be a book giveaway each month and for initially signing up.

As an incentive each month’s link-up post (including this sign-up link-up post) will be followed by another link-up post that will be a giveaway of a work of historical fiction from my own bookshelf, just a note that these are used books but I would never give away something not up to par so even though it is used it is still in good condition.

The post for the giveaway and reading challenges are separate you will be able to see which book I am giving away and then you get to decide whether you want to enter for the giveaway or not, you do have to sign-up to enter the sign-up giveaway and then for the monthly giveaway you will have had to link-up a read for that month.

If you read a certain number of novels you receive a rank, which are named after historical fiction authors, at the end I will award a secret prize to the person who reads the most books:

5 books= Anthony Doerr

10 books = Kate Morton

15 books = Sarah Waters

20 books = Linda Lafferty

25 books = Hilary Mantel

30 books= Philippa Gregory

35 books= Ken Follett

40+ books= Diana Gabaldon

So even though we are off to a late start I hope that you all will be able to join along with us! Please use the link-up below to join.

Amy

Here is what I'll be reading:

1. All He Ever Wanted--Anita Shreve
2. Jewels--Danielle Steel
3. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963--Christopher  Paul Curtis
4. Perfect--Judith McNaught
5. The Color Purple--Alice Walker
6. Like Water for Chocolate--Laura Esquivel
7. Sea Glass--Anita Shreve
8. Of Mice and Men--John Steinbeck
9. Zoot Suit and Other Plays--Luis Valdez
10. Strawberry Girl--Lois Lenski
11. Suddenly You--Lisa Kleypas
12. Kira-Kira--Cynthia Kadohata
13. Memoirs of a Geisha--Arthur Golden
14. The Thief--Megan Whalen Turner
15. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler--E.L. Konisburg
16. Pride and Prejudice--Jane Austen
17. The Company You Keep--Neil Gordon
18. The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul--Deborah Rodriguez
19. Wuthering Heights--Emily Bronte
20. The Most of P.G. Wodehouse
21. Summer of My German Soldier--Bette Greene
22. Oh My Stars--Lorna Landvik
23. Outlander--Diana Gabaldon
24. Brooklyn--Colm Toibin
25. The Book of Life--Deborah Harkness
26. The Wednesday Wars--Gary D. Schmidt
27. The Witch of Blackbird Pond--Elizabeth George Speare
28. For All Their Lives--Fern Michaels
29. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall--Anne Bronte
30. Blizzard of the Blue Moon--Mary Pope Osborne
31. Moonlight on the Magic Flute--Mary Pope Osborne
32. The Kitchen House--Kathleen Grissom
33. Sarah's Key--Tatiana de Rosnay
34. A Long Way From Chicago--Richard Peck
35. Emma--Jane Austen
36. A Year Down Yonder--Richard Peck
37. The Bad behavior of Belle Cantrell--Loraine Depres
38. The Grapes of Wrath--John Steinbeck
39. The Diamond Slipper--Jane Feather
40. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle--Avi
41. The Thirteenth Tale--Diane Satterfield
42. Peony in Love--Lisa See
43. Christmas in Camelot--Mary Pope Osborne
44. Inferno--Dan Brown

Challenge completed on December 15