Sunday Salon: They just keep coming...

Sunday, December 11, 2011

You guys. I know I have a problem -- I keep signing up for more and more challenges, after complaining about them so much this year. But I am a very goal-motivated person, and my obsessive, type-A brain doesn't allow me to just read at random. And I think I am going to do better next year because I have been signing up for smaller numbers.

Before I barrage you with some more challenges, I thought I'd just update a little on what's going on in my life. This week is finals week for my husband and I, so it is a little bit hectic around here. However, it will all be worth it in the end because on Friday we are leaving our chilly little corner of Utah for a couple of days in Los Angeles with my grandma, and then on Sunday we are leaving on a six-day cruise to Mexico with my immediate family and husband. We'll get back on Christmas Eve and fly to northern California to spend a few weeks with my husband's family. I already know there will be at least two San Francisco trips, and I can't wait! I might be a little MIA during those weeks, not that anyone will really care, because I'm sure everyone else will be MIA as well. But in case you are wondering, that is what's up. I'm going to try and schedule some posts, but depending on how this week goes, they may or may not happen.

Anyway, there are three more challenges that I am joining this week. I won't say it's the last of them, because who really knows.


The European Reading Challenge 2012, hosted by Rose City Reader, runs from January 1, 2012 to January 31, 2013. The idea is to read books either set in Europe or by a European author. The hitch is that each book that counts must be from a different country.

I am signing up for the Three Star Business Traveler level. I already have several review books set in France, and I am sure that I'll read something set in England as I plan on reading both Shakespeare and Dickens this year. I signed for one level up so it can be a bit of a challenge for me to find another country.


I will be participating in S. Krishna's Books' South Asian Challenge again this year (and I just managed to finish it this year, hooray!) This year I read 12 books, but next year I am just planning on reading 5 books. I haven't chosen them all yet, but I know I am hoping to read:

*A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
* Toads and Diamonds by someone I currently can't remember
* Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (a reread)


Finally, I will be participating in the Award Winning Reads Challenge hosted by Basically Amazing Books and The Reading Housewives. I looked on my TBR and found thirteen books I wanted to read... so I have decided to make the goal of seven. I don't think I could get through all of them, but I want to read them all eventually, so I am adding them all to the list and I will read them as I am in the mood. Potential reads:

* How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
* Black Juice by Margo Lanagan
* Speak by Laurie Halse Andersen
* The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
* The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
* The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
* Bridge to Terabithia by Katerine Paterson
* Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
* Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
* The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
* An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
* Looking for Alaska by John Green
* The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Okay, that's all for now. Unfortunately, you can probably expect many more challenges forthcoming. :) We will see.

11 comments:

  1. It's so hard to stop signing up for challenge s- there are just so many good ones!

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  2. That last challenge looks really fun. I failed miserably at the South Asian Reading Challenge this year, but I can totally relate to the compulsion to join them.

    My Sunday Salon.

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  3. Thanks for signing up for the European Reading Challenge!

    I don't know what the deal is with Mr. Linky. I think he and I are going to have to break up. Thanks for leaving your link. I will create a list of participants and you will be on it!

    Have fun in San Francisco! I loved there for 5 years and it is still my favorite American city.

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  4. Oh hooray! :) I'm so excited to see you participating with us in the AWR challenge! :)

    Your list looks awesome too! I've read all but three of them, & some of those are on my list of favorites!! Can't wait to see what you think! :)

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  5. The European Reading challenge looks interesting.

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  6. I used to be really into signing up for challenges, too, but I got really burned out in 2010 and vowed to take it easier this year! The rest did me good, I guess, because I'm contemplating if I want to sign up for some in 2012. These sound like fun!

    The Namesake is one of my favorite books of all time, by the way -- such a powerful, intoxicating read. Unforgettable. And Meg Rosoff's How I Live Now was very good and haunting!

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  7. Good luck with your finals and challenges! And enjoy your vacation!

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  8. @LBC -- I think all of the travel challenges end up being good! And award-winner books are definitely award winners for a reason.

    @Rose City Reader -- Thanks for hosting! I am looking forward to it. My husband is applying to dental school in SF, so hopefully we will get the chance to live there too :)

    @Ashley -- Thanks for hosting it! I thought about joining Just Contemporary, too, but I am really going overboard, haha. I am so excited to read the award winners!

    @Melissa - I am looking forward to it!

    @Meg -- I love that one too, and I want to give it another read now that I'm a bit older (and maybe more mature, haha). I have heard only great things about How I Live Now and can't wait to read it!

    @Pepca -- Thanks so much!

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  9. I recognize what you are writing here :)
    I forced myself to stop now otherwise I would join all challenges available lol.
    Anyway, I'm joining two of your challenges as well: the European and the South Asian.
    I'm very interested what you will read for those so I will come back later!
    Happy Reading!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I will check back to your blog to see what you read as well!

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  10. I signed up for the European Reading Challenge & South Asian. I know what you mean, I had to stop myself committing to every other challenge as well ;). But I love the 'travel challenges' so it's too tempting! Anyway, interested to learn more about your reads later! Happy Reading!

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