Ancient Greek Reading Challenge 2016

I'm going to do this one.  I read some ancient Greek writings this past year and would like to try more.  I'm going to try to for the first level.  Sign up here.

I've been thinking over the past month or so which challenges I want to participate in for 2016 and as I absolutely love Ancient Greek texts I thought I'd host my first ever reading challenge. So, I am formally announcing the 2016 Ancient Greek Reading Challenge! The premise is simple: read as many Ancient Greek plays, essays, poetry etc as you possibly can from January to December 2016! I am attaching a list of Ancient Greek works in case anyone is stuck choosing texts!

General Rules: 

• the Ancient Greek Reading Challenge 2016 runs from the 1st of January to the 31st of December 2016
• I will be accepting sign ups throughout the rest of 2015 and all through 2016. 
• You don't have to blog about each text, or any, but the purpose of this challenge is to encourage everyone to read Ancient Greek texts so it would be amazing if you spread Ancient Greek love around the blogosphere! 
• If there is enough interest I'll make check in posts semi often so you can link your reviews or just general comments about this challenge as you see fit. 
• Everything counts for this challenge: plays, essays, non-fiction history, poetry, fragments of texts, criticism etc. As long as it is an Ancient Greek text or a modern text about Ancient Greece it counts! I'll personally be reading texts from Ancient Greece and the Byzantine Era so you can make this challenge whatever you want it to be. 
• I'll also love it if you would be interested in writing guest posts here related to this challenge. The more the merrier! 
• Most of all HAVE FUN and spread your passion for Ancient Greek texts. This genre could always use more love. 

The Levels: 

• Level One: 1-4 Texts 
• Level Two: 4-6 Texts 
• Level Three: 7-9 Texts 
• Level Four: 10-12 Texts
• Level Five: 12+ Texts 

Here is what I am reading:

1. The Iliad--Homer
2. Medea and Other Plays--Euripides
3. The Odyssey--Homer

Challenge completed on April 18

2016 EUROPEAN READING CHALLENGE

Going to try this one, another one that is new to me. I will try to get 4 or 5 books. Sign up at  Rose City Reader.

The European Reading Challenge
January 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017

THIS IS THE SIGN UP PAGE (SEE LINKY BELOW)

TO POST A REVIEW, GO TO THIS PAGE.

TO ADD YOUR WRAP UP POST, GO TO THIS PAGE.

Welcome to the 2016 European Reading Challenge – where participants tour Europe through books.  And have a chance to win a prize.  Please join us for the Grand Tour!

THE GIST: The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. You can participate at different levels, but each book must be by a different author and set in a different country – it's supposed to be a tour. (See note about the UK, below)

WHAT COUNTS AS "EUROPE"?: For now, we will stick with the same list of 50 sovereign states that fall (at least partially) within the geographic territory of the continent of Europe and/or enjoy membership in international European organizations such as the Council of Europe. This list includes the obvious (the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy), the really huge Russia, the tiny Vatican City, and the mixed bag of Baltic, Balkan, and former Soviet states.

NOTE: Technically, the United Kingdom is still one country that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  So one book from any one of these four counts as your one book for that one country. I'm not going to be a stickler about it because challenges should be about fun not about rules. However, when it comes to winning the Jet Setter prize, only one book from one of the UK countries will count.

THE LIST: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City. 

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION

FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

FOUR STAR (HONEYMOONER): Read four qualifying books.

THREE STAR (BUSINESS TRAVELER): Read three qualifying books.

TWO STAR (ADVENTURER): Read two qualifying books.

ONE STAR (PENSIONE WEEKENDER): Read just one qualifying book.

JET SETTER PRIZE

The participant who reads and reviews the greatest number of qualifying books (more than five) will get a $25 gift card to Powell's Books (can be used in store or on line).  Participants living in Europe will get a $25-equivalent gift card to the Amazon store in your country, if possible. If you live in a country where neither Powell's nor Amazon will work, then sorry, you are out of luck.

Each book must be by a different author and set in a different country. This means that only one book from one of the four UK countries will count.  Only books reviewed count towards the prize.

OFFICIAL RULES

• Read all books between January 1, 2016 and January 31, 2017.  I like having 13 months so there is extra time to finish after the holidays.  However, if you participated in the 2015 European Reading Challenge, you can only count books read in January 2016 for one year -- either the end of the 2015 challenge or the start of the 2016 challenge -- you don't get to count one book for both challenges. 

• Sign up here using Mr. Linky under the "PARTICIPANTS" heading below.Please use a link to your challenge post, not your blog home page.   

• If you do not have a blog, please leave a comment below with the level you are signing up for, and your list of books if you want to name them now, and I will add you to the list.

• You do not have to commit to your choices now; you can change your mind about books at any time.

• Overlap with other challenges is allowed -- and encouraged! Have ideas for good overlapping challenge opportunities? Please leave links in comments.

• Re-reads count.  Audiobooks count.  E-books count.  Self-published books count.

• As you progress, please link to your reviews on the review list page.  Reviews are not necessary, unless you are going for the prize, in which case only books reviewed count.  If you do not have a blog, put your reviews or reports in a comment on this post. When you finish, please link to your wrap-up posts on the wrap-up page.

Here is what I am reading:

1. Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow--Peter Hoeg (Denmark)
2. History--Elsa Morante (Italy)
3. War and Peace--Leo Tolstoy (Russia)
4. The Metamorphosis--Franz Kafka (Germany)
5. Jane Eyre--Charlotte Bronte (UK)
6. The Odyssey--Homer (Greece)
7. The Prophecy of the Stones--Flavia Bujor (France)
8. Persepolis 2--Marjane Satrapi (Austria)
9. Murder at the Savoy--Maj Sjowall (Sweden)
10. Philomena--Martin Sixsmith (Ireland)
11. Villette--Charlotte Bronte (Belgium)

Challenge completed on August 1

2016 Steampunk Reading Challenge

I've never read steampunk before, but  now I want to try so I'll be doing this challenge.  Since it's new to me, I'll sign up for the first level.

Katrina over at Bookish Things and More and I are so freaking excited to bring you the 2016 Steampunk Reading Challenge.  It came on as a spur of the moment idea. I'm a huge lover of steampunk, and Steph wants to read more in that genre.

There will be monthly giveaways, read alongs, and just fun in general.  All you have to do is create a sign up post, or just let us know that you are participating, and fill out the linky below!

Challenge Guidelines

1. This challenge will run from January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2016. Signups will be open until December 1, 2016

2. Anyone can enter, as long as you are posting your reviews/book talks somewhere that you can link to them. Whether that is on your blog, Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon, etc.

3. Rereads are allowed as long as you have a review/book talk to go along with that for the 2016 year

4. Wrap Ups will be held on both blogs (with the same linky) on the last Friday of every month. The linky for the wrap ups will be open for 2 weeks and then there will be a winner chosen within that linky for the giveaway prize for that month.

5. We will also be hosting some read alongs throughout the year. These will occur every other month and a discussion post will go up the Monday before the Wrap Up of that month. (see the schedule below)

6. Use #2016SteampunkChallenge on social media to show off your updates for the challenge and of course to make more friends!

Levels:

1-5 books - Shipmate

6-10 books - Navigator

11-15 books - Mortician

15-20 books - Electrologist

21-25 books - Aetherist

26+ books - Aeronaut

Here is what I'll be reading:

1. Corsets and Clockwork
2. Etiquette & Espionage--Gail Carriger
3. Curtsies & Conspiracies--Gail Carriger
4. Waistcoats & Weaponry--Gail Carriger
5. Manners & Mutiny--Gail Carriger
6. Cress--Marissa Meyer
7. Fairest--Marissa Meyer
8. Winter--Marissa Meyer
9. Stars Above--Marissa Meyer
10. The City of Ember--Jeanne DuPrau
11. The People of Sparks--Jeanne DuPrau
12. The Prophet of Yonwood---Jeanne DuPrau
13. The Diamond of Darkhold--Jeanne DuPrau
14. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children--Ransom Riggs

Calling challenge complete as of November 22

Quiz: What is Your WInter Name?

Your Winter Name is Winter Epiphany

Let it Snow!

What's Your Winter Name?

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Quiz: What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

You Are Red Lights

Your holidays are a time of warmth and sharing. No one epitomizes the spirit of giving as much as you do. You enjoy all of the tastes, sounds, smells, and sights of the holidays. You usually have the best decorations, music, and food.

What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

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2016 NON-FICTION READING CHALLENGE

Found this nonfiction reading challenge at Lady Knight Reads.  I plan to read a lot of nonfiction next year for some of the other challenges I've entered.  There are no levels on this one, so I'll see how many books I can get.

So I was talking to someone on Twitter. I don’t remember who because it was like a whole 24 hours ago and I’m basically senile in my old age, but it was basically about how I need to read more-nonfiction and since apparently challenges are a thing I’m doing next year, I decided to host a non-fiction one.

How It Works:

-The challenge will run from January 1, 2016 until December 31, 2016

-I’m low maintenance so I’m not going to require participants to read any particular number, but you need to keep track of them somewhere, like Goodreads or doing some kind of wrap up post on your blog or Tumblr, so I can verify for giveaway purposes.

-There will be two giveaways, at the end of June and December, for signed up participants.

-The giveaways will be international to anywhere The Book Depository ships, for one non-fiction book up to $25. Each book read = one entry in the giveaway. Bonus entries will be given for reviews.

Here is what I am reading:

1. Brown Girl Dreaming--Jacqueline Woodson
2. Prozac Nation--Elizabeth Wurtzel
3. Letter to My Daughter--Maya Angelou
4. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance--Robert M. Pirsig
5. Garlic and Sapphires--Ruth Reichl
6. Persepolis--Marjane Satrapi
7. Perspeolis 2--Marjane Satrapi
8. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me--Ellen Forney
9. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?--Mindy Kaling
10. Hyperbole and a Half--Allie Brosh
11. I Am Malala--Malala Yousafzai
12. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot--Kim Barker
13. Yes Please--Amy Poehler
14. We Should Hang Out Sometime--Josh Sundquist
15. Loud in the House of Myself--Stacy Pershall
16. Philomena--Martin Sixsmith
17. 1968: The Year That Rocked the World--Mark Kurlansky
18. Such a Pretty Fat--Jen Lancaster
19. How to Make a Decision--Joyce Meyer
20. The Future of Life--Edward O. Wilson
21. Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia--Jean Sasson
22. All You Need is Money--Jack Lander
23. Princess Sultana's Daughters--Jean Sasson
24. Princess Sultana's Circle--Jean Sasson
25. Being Jazz--Jazz Jennings
26. Ghost Boy--Martin Pistorius
27. Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad--Ann Hagedorn
28. In the Still of the Night--Ann Rule
29. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto--Michael Pollan

Calling challenge complete on December 6. Link to challenge has been deleted.

Quiz: What Christmas Tree Are You?

You Are a Cranberry and Popcorn Strung Tree

Christmas is all about showcasing your creative talents. From cookies to nicely wrapped presents, your unique creations impress everyone.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes!