New Reading Challenges Hosted by Me

Every year I say I am going to read certain books and every year I still don't get around to reading them. So, this year, I decided to create my own challenges, The Classics Reading Challenge and The Bucket List Reading Challenge. I know there are similar challenges out in the blogosphere but none of them really do what I want them to and I'm not a big fan of rules as I find them too restricting (obviously since that is what rules are!).

The Rules (or lack of)...

My challenges are simple. The books must be read between 1st January 2013 and 31st December 2013. You can set your own goal because these are personal challenges. You don't have to select your books beforehand but I would recommend at least picking half of them to start.

 

The Classics Reading Challenge

This is for books such as To Kill A Mockingbird or 1984, the so-called classics that apparently 'everyone should read'. I'm not too strict about when the book is published or whether or not it counts as a classic, you can use your own judgement. I am ashamed to say that the only classic I have ever read is To Kill A Mockingbird, but I do really want to give some others a go. So I am aiming to read six classics this year: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Lord of the Flies by William Golding and I'll leave the 6th as a wild card for now.

The Bucket List Reading Challenge. 

There are so many books that I want to read but just never have enough time to fit in with all the new releases. It gets to the point where even the new releases end up being over a year old before I get to some of them. This challenge is to help me work through my TBR pile of over 250 books. There is no way I can read that many with everything else that goes on in my life, plus the new releases, but I am going to make a concerted effort this year to read at least 15 of them. Like I said before, there aren't really any rules except I'm going to say they can't be released in 2013. You can choose them now or as you go, but, you need to choose them all by 30th June 2013. My list consists of books such as Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, Hold Still by Nina LaCour and All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield.

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Sign-up!

If you would like to sign up for either of the challenges, add your details to the widgets below. Everyone who signs up and completes the challenge will go into the draw to win AU$15 at The Book Depository which will be drawn at the end of the year.

P.S. You don't have to add a link to every review you do of the books. Just enter your blog URL once below :)

2013 Bucket List Reading Challenge
 
2013 Classics Reading Challenge 

Most Anticipated Releases of 2012 and 2011 Challenges Round-up

Most Anticipated Releases of 2012

There are so many books set for release in 2012 that I think will be amazing. I could write a very long list but instead I have chosen to share with you my top ten most anticipated releases of 2012.

For more exciting releases, click here.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Fated by Sarah Alderson

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Dark Eyes by William Richter
Thou Shalt Not Roadtrip by Antony John

Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers
The Rise of Nine: Lorien Legacies #3 by Pittacus Lore
Losing Lila: Lila #2 by Sarah Alderson
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

What do you think of these? Which books are you most looking forward to this year?

2011 Challenges Round-up

Throughout 2011 I participated in two reading challenges; The Aussie YA Reading Challenge and the YA Reading Challenge.


Being an Australian resident, my goal was to read twelve YA books by Australian authors (international participants had to read six). I am pleased to say I read sixteen wonderful Aussie books in 2011.


For the YA Reading Challenge, there were four different levels. I chose the one with the highest amount of books; The Mega YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels. I also reached this goal, reading sixty-one YA novels (well actually, that's just how many I reviewed on here, the actual number is probably closer to 75).

To view the titles, click here.
Yay for me! To see what challenges I am participating in throughout 2012, click here.

2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge

I have decided this year that I am going to take part in a couple of challenges. One of them, the 2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge, is being hosted by Jamie over at For The Love Of YA.

The rules are as follows...

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Create a post about the challenge and link your challenge post up here. Non-bloggers, visit Jamie's post for more info.

2. There are four levels:
The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
The Fun Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.
The Jumbo YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.
The Mega YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.

3. Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. The Challenge starts on January 1, 2011 and goes until December 31, 2011.

I'm going to be attempting the Mega Challenge.
To view my current challenge status, click here.

Aussie YA Reading Challenge 2011

Australian authors are fantastic and to help encourage more people to discover their wonderful books, Nic over at Irresistible Reads and Nomes over at Inkcrush, have created the Aussie YA Reading Challenge 2011! I for one am rather excited and it will also be the first reading challenge I take part in.

Taken from Irresistible Reads:

" THE CHALLENGE IS AS FOLLOWS....

Australian participants - Read at least 12 young adult books by Australian authors from 1^st January, 2011 to 31^st December, 2011.

International participants - Read at least 6 young adult books by Australian authors from 1^st January, 2011 to 31^st December, 2011.

They can be old or new titles, however no re-reads.

It is open to everyone. You don’t have to be a blogger but you MUST POST A REVIEW. Reviews can be posted anywhere - Blogs, Goodreads, Shelfari or non-bloggers can even do a guest post on a blog like mine.

You can join anytime. The challenge runs from 1^st January 2011 to 31^st December, 2011.

There will be prizes throughout the year and guest posts and interviews from some awesome Aussie authors. "

Head over to Irresistible Reads for more info on this awesome challenge and to sign up now!

Some of the Aussie books I plan to read in the coming year include:
Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell
A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

The Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Five Parts Dead by Tim Pegler
Noah's Law by Randa Abdel-Fattah
Once, Now and Then by Morris Gleitzman
The Beginner's Guide to Living by Lia Hills



Happy Reading!