Today is December 20 and I can proudy say that I have accomplished my first reading challenge with 11 days to spare.  Waa-hoo!  I am going to attempt some reading challenges next year and here are my goals.  I will be continuing the Book Awards II Challenge begun in 2008 and finishing 1 June 2009, and then starting 5 new ones.  I think I can do it.  Once again, these are books I currently own in my to-be-read pile, because that pile is large and I have so many books in it that I’ve been wanting to read for ages.

Numbers Challenge runs 1 Jan-1 Aug 2009

5 books whose titles have a number in them

• Thousand Pieces of Gold, Ruthanne Lum McCunn
• A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
• One More River to Cross, Margaret Blair Young
• Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris
• Songs of the Humpback Whale: A Novel in Five Voices, Jodi Picoult

Themed Reading Challenge runs 1 Feb-31 July 2009

4 books with the same theme; from your TBR pile; my theme is books with a musical instrument as a major plot device

• The Soloist, Mark Salzman (cello)
• The Piano Tuner, Daniel Mason (piano)
• Bel Canto, Ann Patchett (voice)
• Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres (mandolin)

 War Through the Generations runs 1 Jan-31 Dec 2009

at least 5 books about WWII, fiction or non-fiction

• Home again At Last, Jerry Borrowman
• Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
• The Rising Tide, Jeff Shaara
• Resistance, Anita Shreve
• The Remains of the Day, Kauzo Ishiguro
• Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen, Bob Greene
• Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres (crossover)
• Night of Many Dreams, Gail Tsukiyama (crossover)

What’s in a Name-2? runs 1 Jan-31 Dec 2009

6 books that require something specific in the title

• profession: Captain’s Glory, William Shatner
• time of day: Night of Many Dreams, Gail Tsukiyama
• relative: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards
• body part: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
• building: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Anne Tyler
• medical condition: Born in Fire, Nora Roberts

Read Your Name Challenge runs 1 Jan-31 Dec 2009

Using your name or any name you like, read books with first title letters that spell out your name; I’m using SCOTT so I can read some fun books that I want to be sure and get to this year.

• Snakewater Affair, Liz Adair
• Captain’s Blood, William Shatner
• Onion John, John Krumgold (Newbery Award)
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith
• The Quilter’s Apprentice, Jennifer Chiaverini