Challenges 2012

So I am going to totally ignore the wisdom of the blogosphere and sign up for a gazillion challenges. Quite a few of them double up in their goals, but I went for the “killing all the birds with only a few stones” approach.

Cracking down on the TBR shelf pile bookcase room

The TBR Double Dare: this permits me only to read books which were already physically in the house on 01 January 2012 until 01 April 2012.

Off The Shelf – I have chosen the “Making a Dint” level, which is 30 books from my shelves to be read during 2012

The 2012 TBR Challenge – 12 books which I have owned for more than a year i.e. they are of the TBR 2010 or before population. This is the only challenge where I have to specify my books in advance, and they are:

1. I Capture The Castle (Dodie Smith)
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (Susanna Clarke)
3. Remembering Babylon (David Malouf)
4. The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga)
5. Brick Lane (Monica Ali)
6. The Island (Victoria Hislop)
7 . The Piano Tuner (Daniel Mason)
8. Small Island (Andrea Levy)
9. Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell)
10. Moby Dick (Herman Melville)
11. Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)
12. An Equal Music (Vikram Seth)

Mount TBR Reading Challenge – I’m going for Mt Vancouver, which is 25 books from my shelves to be read during 2012.

Types of books

The Chunkster Reading Challenge: I have signed up at the “Mor-book-ly Obese” level, which means 8 books of 450+ pages, of which 3 must be 750+

What’s in a Name 5: at least one book for each of the following categories:

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title
2. A book with something you’d see in the sky in the title
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title
4. A book with a type of house in the title
5. A book with something you’d carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title
6. A book with a something you’d find on a calendar in the title

eBook Challenge – I have signed up for the CD level, which is 10 eBooks in 2012

Audiobook Challenge - I have signed up for the “Flirting” level, which is 6 audiobooks in 2012 (this really will be a challenge!)

A-Z Book Challenge – a book starting with each letter of the alphabet

Tea & Books Challenge (with that name, how could I not?) – 4 books of more than 700 pages.

Classics (I’m hoping for a lot of overlap here!)

Back to the Classics:

Any 19th Century classic, any 20th Century classic, a classic re-read, a classic play, a classic mystery/horror/crime novel, a classic romance, a translated classic, a classic award winner, and a classic set in a country that I will not realistically visit during my lifetime.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:

King Solomon’s Mines, Dracula, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Invisible Man, The Phantom of the Opera and The Final Problem - the books from which the characters of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are taken. Almost all available as eBooks so I will be getting my eBook fix thusly.

A Classics Challenge: 7 classics, of which up to 3 may be re-reads

Victorian Challenge: 2-6 Victorian books/film adaptations

Countries

South Asian Challenge – I’m aiming to read at least 3 books for this

Australian Literature Month (January) and Aussie Author Challenge – I’ve signed up for AAC at the Dinki-Di level of 12 books by at least 6 different Australian authors

Ireland Challenge – Shamrock level (4 books)

European Challenge – Deluxe Entourage (5 books by authors of different nationalities within Europe and/or settings within Europe)

Genre-mixing

Mixing it Up! – Cupcake Mix level of 5-8 genres from the given list

Eclectic Reader Challenge – all of the 12 genres listed

Whew! That is a lot of challenges. I have created a Challenges page to track my progress, and I have an absolutely monumental spreadsheet listing my intended reading for the next few months and how it meets each challenge, which I won’t share because it’s just too scary.

26 thoughts on “Challenges 2012

  1. Iris December 31, 2011 at 5:33 pm Reply

    I Capture the Castle and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell are on my immediate TBR list too. I am posting details on m y possibly someone will read along with me thing on both book this week.

    Lots of challenges I see! I am no good with challenges, but I am always tempted.

    • readingwithtea December 31, 2011 at 8:59 pm Reply

      They are purposely at the top of the list in expectation of your sort-of-readalong!

  2. Teresa December 31, 2011 at 6:51 pm Reply

    I’ve been avoiding challenges only because updating the lists and whatnot feels too much like work. I’m always tempted, though, and I’ve even thought about doing them more retrospectively, looking back at the end of the year and seeing how many of the ones that interested me I ended up completing without making an effort to do so.

    • readingwithtea December 31, 2011 at 9:00 pm Reply

      I am quite a list-y person so I’m hoping that bit should be easy enough. I have a huge spreadsheet to manage challenge cross-over – maintaining *that* is going to be the hard part!

  3. lizzysiddal December 31, 2011 at 7:45 pm Reply

    Yep! Now that really is a gazillion challenges. Enjoy them!

  4. Carrie K. December 31, 2011 at 9:31 pm Reply

    Welcome to the Ireland Challenge!

  5. litlove December 31, 2011 at 10:19 pm Reply

    Ooh lots of challenges indeed – good on you. Why not, after all? I love following other people through their challenges, and every so often I get hooked by one myself. If you’re stuck for titles on the European challenge, do consider Andrei Makine (The Woman Who Waited is good), Magda Szabo’s The Door (I think she’s Hungarian), Sebastian Japrisot (French crime) and Heinrich Boll’s The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum (German social realism). I really loved I Capture the Castle and Lolita when I read them, and one of these days I’ll get around to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell too!

  6. shelleyrae @ Book'd Out January 1, 2012 at 1:46 am Reply

    Hi
    Glad you have chosen to enter the Eclectic Reader Challenge. I look forward to seeing what you choose to read!

    Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out

  7. Lorren January 1, 2012 at 3:14 am Reply

    Wow, I feel as if I have no right to say I have signed up for a gazillion challenges now! Best of luck to you!

  8. Patti Smith January 1, 2012 at 4:10 am Reply

    That’s a lot of challenges! I’ve got quite a list myself…I’m visiting Ireland in March so I’m really looking for recommendations for that one :)

  9. Leeswammes January 1, 2012 at 10:20 am Reply

    Wow, that is a VERY large number of challenges. I think I’m doing 4 or 5 and that will be enough for me. It looks like you’ll have some overlap, but still it requires careful organisation. :-)

    I actually love making spreadsheets like that and working out what fits where. I’m sure it was a lot of work, but hopefully also good fun.

  10. JoV January 1, 2012 at 9:03 pm Reply

    That’s a LOT of challenge! but as you say with lots of planning and sticking to your plan you will kill many birds with only one stone! Happy new year.

  11. Birgit January 1, 2012 at 10:30 pm Reply

    Welcome to the Tea & Books reading challenge! Your blog has the perfect name for it too ;-) !

  12. rosecityreader January 1, 2012 at 11:15 pm Reply

    Thanks for joining the European Reading Challenge! And good luck with all your challenges!

    I’m the same way this year — I’ve signed up for a LOT of challenges. They just appeal to me this year for some reason. We’ve signed up for a lot of the same ones. I look forward to seeing what books you pick. Judging from your TBR list, we enjoy many of the same books.

  13. Bev@My Reader's Block January 2, 2012 at 12:06 am Reply

    Welcome to the Mt. TBR Challenge! I’m so glad you’re joining me in the mountain-climbing journey!

  14. Debbie Rodgers January 2, 2012 at 12:31 am Reply

    That IS a lot of challenges – I am so glad to see someone who is almost as demented as I am about challenges. http://www.exurbanis.com/archives/5756

    I have a reading list spreadsheet, too LOL

  15. sharingclosetspace January 2, 2012 at 4:22 am Reply

    Wow! You are a busy reader :-) I signed up for the Mixing It Up Challenge–my first blog challenge experience. If it goes well, I may have to peruse some of these others.

    I noticed I Capture the Castle was a soon-to-be-read of yours. I loved it! Enjoy!

  16. Katherine C. January 2, 2012 at 5:02 am Reply

    Thank you for joining A Classics Challenge! Happy reading.

  17. mrsvjdw January 2, 2012 at 4:36 pm Reply

    That is sooooooooooo many challenges – eek!

  18. Sarah S (@SarahReads2Much) January 2, 2012 at 5:19 pm Reply

    Wow!! I thought I had signed up for a ton of challenges!! It is kind of fun to make them overlap though… Good luck and thanks for including Back to the Classics among your challenges!

  19. [...] I wrote on Saturday, I’m undertaking lots of challenges this year. [...]

  20. Ellie January 11, 2012 at 2:37 pm Reply

    Hi Yvann! Good luck with Mixing It Up! I’ll be back to see how you’re getting on… :)

  21. cessie January 12, 2012 at 8:45 pm Reply

    Wow! So many challenges :)
    Good luck with all of them!
    I joined the European Reading Challenge as well and I’m browsing through the participant’s list. I’m so interested in what everyone is reading! So I will come back to your blog to learn more! Happy reading!

  22. Debbie Rodgers February 28, 2012 at 7:30 pm Reply

    What a great way to list your challenges! Would you be offended if I tried a similar format for mine next year? (Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.) :-)

  23. [...] Like a Whirlwind Inside of my Head…” 135. Melissa (Alienbody) 136. Yvann @ Reading With Tea 137. Bethany @ Subtle Melodrama 138. Fauzia 139. Jessie @ Jessie’s Remarkable Reads 140. [...]

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