The Literary Exploration Reading Challenge 2014

Genre Challenges have become my favorite challenge the past few years.  It gets me reading books I would normally not think about reading and growing my to read list by bounds.  This challenge has three levels Easy with 12 genre's,  Hard with 24 genre's and insane with 36 genre's.  I am going to shoot for 36!!!!  And an awesome part of this challenge is if you go to the challenge here you can click on the name of the genre and it will take you to a list of books that fit that genre.  I am also keeping up with this on my goodreads.

Insane Challenge

1. Action/Adventure ~ Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
2. Auto-Biography/Biography ~ Persepolis: The Story of Childhood (Persepolis #1-2) by Marjane Satrapi
3. Chick-Lit ~ The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 
4. Childrens Book ~ The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle 
5. Classics ~ Atonement by Ian McEwan
6. Contemporary ~ Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts 
7. Cyberpunk/Steampunk ~ Forgotten Girl: Season One-Episode 1 (Steampunk OZ) by Steve DeWinter
8. Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic ~ Crossed by Allie Condie
9. Epic ~The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
10. Erotica ~ Chains of Frost by T. A. Grey
11. Espionage ~ Night Fall (John Corey #3) by Nelson DeMille
12. Fantasy ~ An Apple For Creature by anthology 
13. Graphic Novels ~ Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel (Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novels #1) by Eoin Colfer
14. Gothic ~ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel by Seth Grahame-Smith
15. Historical Fiction ~ The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 
16. Horror ~ Doll Bones by Holly Black
17. Humour ~ Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
18. Literary Fiction ~ Persuasion by Jane Austen 
19. Magical Realism ~ The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
20. Mystery ~ Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
21. Non Fiction ~ Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself by Alan Alda 
22. Paranormal/Supernatural ~ The Red Sun Rise by Victoria Kinnard 
23. Philosophical ~ The Giver by Lois Lowry 
24. Poetry ~ The Death Sonnets by Justin Tate 
25. Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir) ~ This Doesn't Happen In the Movies (Reed Ferguson Mystery Series #1) by Renee Pawlish 
26. Romance ~ My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding by Anthology 
27. Science Fiction ~ The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis 
28. Self Help/Educational ~ The Universe Doesn't Give a Flying Fuck About You
29. Short Stories ~ Home Improvement Undead Edition by Charlaine Harris
30. Thriller ~ Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
    
31. Travel ~ Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler
32. True Crime ~ Killer Files: Abduction and Murder in South Carolina by John Humphrey
33. Urban Fantasy ~ Strange Brew by Anthology 
34. Victorian ~ Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
35. Western ~ Spurs and Lace 
36. Young Adult ~ The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis 

Anne & Kristilyn’s 2014 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

 You Can go check out the challenge here, and here are the rules

1. Be awesome. If you’re not, this isn’t going to work.
2. The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2014.
3. If you want to participate, you can join in any time of the year! Feel free to write up a blog post with the rules linking back to my and Anne’s blog in your sign-up post. You can add your post to the Linky at the end of this post!
4. If you read one book for the “1 book” in any category, you can’t change it later on when you read another book to “2 books.” Once a square is crossed off, it’s crossed off for good! (Feel free to print off the scoreboard to keep track!)
5. Books read for one square are for that square ONLY and cannot be counted towards another category. This is all about reading ALL THE BOOKS.
6. The FREE SQUARES are a little different this year — now you can use those squares to read ANY book you like of any genre! Woo!
7. You can start your board over again, but ONLY if you receive the stamp of awesome by completing a blackout. The “winners” of the challenge will be the ones who achieve the most winning combinations by the end of 2014.
8. You can feel free to post your reading list for each category, though it’s not a requirement.
9. Having a blog or writing reviews for books read is not required. So long as you want to have fun, you can participate!
10. Every 3 months I will post an update here and all participants can link to their own updates. An update post will go up April 1st, July 1st, October 1st, and December 31st.
11. This isn’t a race, but don’t be afraid to rub your reads in the other player’s face. This will be seen as encouragement. Feel free to use the hashtag #BookBingo2014 on Twitter!

While you can definitely “win” by the boring ol’ vertical or horizontal (or diagonal!) lines, the best ways to win are as follows:

Like it says in the guidelines, the ONLY way to start a new board is to become the SUPER READER! The goal is to read ALL THE BOOKS! To be a winner (thus, to become the awesomest reader around), you’ll want to accomplish as many wins as possible!

TBR Pile
One Book ~ Crossed by Ally Condie
Two Books ~ Home Improvement Undead Edition
Three Books ~ Strange Brew
Four Books ~ An Apple for Creature
Five Books ~ My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding

Mix It Up
Non Fiction ~ Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself by Alan Alda
Classic ~ Atonement by Ian McEwan
Reread ~ Persuasion by Jane Austen
Free Square ~  The Giver by Lois Lowry
Contemporary ~ Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

Series
One Book ~ Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
Two Books ~ Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
Three Books ~ The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis
Four Books ~ The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis
Five Books ~ Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

Genres
Fantasy ~ The Last Unicorn
Free Square ~ Reached
Historical Fiction ~ The Book Thief
Mystery ~ Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Romance ~ The Red Sun Rises

New Releases
One Book ~ Uganda Be Kidding Me
Two Books ~ The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel Volume 2
Three Books ~ Forgotten Girl: Season One - Episode 1 (Steampunk OZ)
Four Books ~
Five Books ~

2014 Series Challenge

 

So my series reading has gotten out of control.  I love a good series but my too read list is so long that I don't finish them.  So when I found this challenge I knew it was the one for me.  So if your like me and need a push to finish those series you have building up then hop over here and sign up and check out the rules.  No levels with this challenge it's badges instead.  I have my series I am working on that I need to finish.  I am listing the number of books I need to read and the novellas.

1. The Undead Series by MaryJanice Davidson ( 2 books and 3 novellas)
2. The Giver Series by Lois Lowry (3 books)
3. Georgina Kincaid Series by Richelle Mead ( 1 book and 1 novella)
4. Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris (1 book and 13 novellas)(Finished 4 novella)
5. The House of Night Series by P. C. Cast (4 books and 2 novellas)
6. The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater  (1 book)
7. Inkworld by Corneila Funke  (1 book)
8. Parsol Protectorate by Gail Carriger (2 books)
9. Argeneau Series by Lynsay Sands (9 books and 1 novella)
10. Chronicles of Narnia  (done)

I have a ton more series I am stuck somewhere in but I will start with these

I am also working on
Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie (2 books) (done)
Wicked Series by Gregory Maguire (1 book) (done)
Hush Hush Saga (4 books) (Finished 4)
The Bellum Sisters (4 books) (3 done)
Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull (5 books) (5 done)
Millennium Series by Stieg Larsson (1 book) ( 1 done)
Bone Series (9 books) (9 done)

If you complete 1-3 series you will earn the Bronze Badge.





If you complete 4-6 series you will earn the Silver Badge.



 * This is where I am now

If you complete 7-11 series you will earn the Gold Badge. 




If you complete 12 OR more series you will earn the Platinum Badge.

2014 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

 For rules and challenge details click on the picture or visit this blog


Last Year I read 78 books this year I am shooting for 85 so that puts me in level Out of Breath.

Levels:
     Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
     Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
     Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
     I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

1. Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
2. Crossed by Allie Condie
3. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
4. Persuasion by Jane Austen
5. Home Improvement Undead Edition by Charlaine Harris 
6.  Strange Brew
7. Atonement
8. The Last Unicorn
9. The Red Sun Rises
10. The Giver
11. Prince Caspian
12. The Silver Chair
13. The Last Battle 
14. An Apple for Creature 
15. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding
16. Reached
17. Shadow of Night
18. Out of Oz
19. Blood Brothers
20. Hush Hush
21. Crescendo 
22. The Book Thief 
23. Al Capone Does My Shirts 
24. Chains of Frost
25. The Princess Bride
26. Bonds of Fire
27. Bloodfever
28. Corsets & Crossbows
29. Switched
30. Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself
31. Snow White Blood Red
32. The Fault In Our Stars
33. Silence
34. Fablehaven
35. Ender's Game
36. Doll Bones
37. The Daughter of Time
38. Finale 
39. Fangtastic
40. Matilda
41. Re-Vamped
42. Brother Odd
43. Airman
44. Hyperbole and a Half
45. Fallen
46. Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
47. Night Fall
48. Rise of the Evening Star
49. Grip of the Shadow Plauge
50. Ties That Bind
51. Uganda Be Kidding Me
52. Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel
53. Vampalicious
54. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest 
55.  The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel Volume 1
56. The Perks of Being A Wallflower
57. Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
58. Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 1
59. Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 2
60. Blood Memories
61. Coraline Graphic Novel
62. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
63. Bone Volume 2 The Great Cow Race
64. First Love
65. Hamlet Graphic Novel
66. A Mercy 
67. Beezus and Ramona
68. Rose
69. Rock Jaw Master of the Eastern Border
70. The Little Prince Graphic Novel
71. The Alchemist
72. The Graveyard Book
73. Persepolis
74. The Halloween Tree
75. If I Stay
76. Out of Boneville
77. Ramona Quimby Age 8
78. Eyes of the Storm
79. The Five People You Meet in Heaven
80. Old Man's Cave
81. Home
82. The Dragonslayer
83. Ghost Circles
84. Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
85. Crown of Horns
86. Treasure Hunters 
87. The Hobbit
88. Keys to the Demon Prison
89. Odd Hours
90. Torment
91. Persepolis 2
92. The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel Volume 2
93. Pride, Prejudice and Zombies Graphic Novel
94. The Sea of Monsters Graphic Novel
95. Ramona the Pest
96. The Death Sonnets
97. Killer Files: Abduction and Murder in South Carolina
98. Forgotten Girl: Season One - Episode 1(Steampunk OZ)
99. The Time Traveler's Wife
100. Fangirl 
101. This Doesn't Happen in the Movies 
102. Spurs & Lace
103. The Universe Doesn't Give A Flying Fuck About You

2014 Reading Challenge TBR Pile

Just click on the picture to be taken to the blog hosting the challenge or click here

This challenge runs from January  1, 2014 to December 31, 2014.  If you want to enter just go to the blog and sign up (you don't have to be a blogger but you do have to review the books you read (on your blog, Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari).  Only books released in 2013 or later count nothing in 2014 or ARC's for 2014. 

Levels:

(how many books you're planning to read for this challenge in 2014) Remember you can go up levels but not down

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - First Kiss **  This is where I am now
31-40 - Sweet Summer Fling  * This is where I am now
41-50 - Could this be love? 
50+ - Married With Children

I am going to start with 11-20 books A Friendly Hug level.  That way I can move up if I need but it's not too far out so I don't get stuck.  

1.  Atonement 
2.  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
3.  The Last Unicorn
4.  Prince Caspian 
5. The Cuckoo's Calling 
6.  Crossed
7. Forever Odd
8. Home Improvement Undead Edition 
9. Strange Brew
10. The Silver Chair 
11. The Last Battle 
12. An Apple for Creature 
13. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding 
14. Reached 
15. Out of Oz
16. Hush Hush
17. Crescendo 
18. The Book Thief
19. The Princess Bride 
20. Corsets and Crossbows 
21. The Fault in Our Stars 
22. Silence 
23. Fablehaven 
24. Ender's Game 
25. Doll Bones
26. Finale 
27. Matilda 
28. Brother Odd 
29. Fallen
30. Charlie Bone and the Time Twister 
31. Rise of the Evening Star
32. Grip of the Shadow Plague 
33. The Perks of Being A Wallflower
34. Blood Memories (Vampire Memories #1)
35. The Graveyard Book 
36. The Alchemist
37. The Five People You Meet In Heaven 
38. The Hobbit 
39. Keys to the Demon Prison
40. Torment

2014 WORD OF THE YEAR

So this took me longer then it has ever.  I did have a vague idea of what I wanted but couldn't find the word I wanted for it because "me" just wasn't the word I wanted.  This past year I have seen a major change in myself in a short amount of time.  I have lost 42 pounds, that's a serious amount of weight but it doesn't make me where I want to be.  It did show me though how much I have lost myself since we have moved to Maine.  So with that my Word of the Year (W.O.Y.) for 2014 is EMPOWER!!!!!

 I am thinking that this is the year for wooden blocks now it will be finding them if not I will have to find something different. I want to EMPOWER myself to find Me again!  To get myself closer to my weight goal and make better choices for myself.  To find my happy inside me again and not this funk I have been in.  I want to EMPOWER myself to bring back my creativity and make time for the things I love doing again. 

I know becoming a Mom, and a Caregiver have pushed my onto the back burner, but the longer I let it go the harder it is going to be to try and find me again.  I have lost sight of what is important to me and what makes me who I am.  So that lead to my thinking of my 2014 word needing to revolve around ME.  But me being me I couldn't just choose me because it didn't feel right.  I needed something that called to me as MY word, my strength through the fight to find me.  I needed a word that could bring me to my core and help me rebuild what has been broken and lost.  I needed a word that made me feel strong and that I could accomplish this, I could find me again and be happy with myself.  And with that it came to me, I needed to EMPOWER myself to find the change to bring me back.  So with that I will find myself amongst all the chaos and retrieve what has been lost and broken to rebuild the new Empowered Me!!!!