This year, I’m participating in over 25 2013 Reading Challenges! To keep myself on track – to bring you the latest updates – and to see how other participants are doing – I will be providing periodic updates throughout the year!
Challenges I’ve Completed
First, some good news – I completed my first 2013 Reading Challenge of the year!
New Year’s Resolution Challenge
The New Year’s Resolution Challenge, hosted by librarian Joy Weese Moll, required us to read 1 to 4 books that stimulated action on our New Year’s Resolutions. I completed my goal of reading four books for this challenge:
1 – If You Have A Craving, I Have A Cure
2 – Art As Therapy
3 – Unglued Devotional
4 – The Art Of Getting Well
I thought this challenge was inspiring and look forward to participating in it again next year!
New Challenges
Throughout the year, as I complete challenges, I’ll be on the look-out for new challenges that catch my eye! Here are my new picks (and joins) for February:
2013 Good Reads Challenge – 75 Books
I had intended to join the 2013 Good Reads Challenge last month – but had trouble picking the number of books I wanted to commit to this year. The number that kept coming to mind, however, was 75 – so I have officially signed up for the challenge, and am well on my way towards meeting my goal!
Crafty Book Challenge
Anastacia at Anastacia Knits is hosting a year-long Crafty Book Challenge that includes crafty-related fiction as well as non-fiction craft books in any format. While her craft of choice is knitting (and therefore, most of her book recommendations focus in that area), my interests include art journaling, scrapbooking, card-making, paper crafting of all types, mixed media art, and stamping, and I hope to read/share at least 5 books with you this year!
Review Copy Clean-Up 3.0
The third Review Copy Cleanup Challenge is being hosted during Feburary 2013 by Vicky of Books, Biscuits and Tea (who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Wicked Valentine Read-A-Thon) and Celine at Nyx Book Reviews! The purpose of this challenge is to read as many of your review books as you possibly can this month, and to track each other’s progress through weekly updates! The sign-ups close on February 15, so if you want to join, sign up soon!
Take Control – March 2013 TBR Pile
I was sharing today that the hardest challenges for me are the TBR ones because of all of the books I review! It seems I’m not the only one in this quandary – there are already 100 book bloggers signed up for the Take Control – March 2013 TBR Pile Challenge!
The purpose of this challenge is to spend March catching up on some of the personal books on your own shelves. It’s a great challenge to follow the Review Copy Clean Up challenge – and to pair with some of the specialty challenges on your lists!
Kid Lit Read & Review Challenge
I love Kid Lit and wanted to sign up for the Kid Lit Read & Review Challenge last month but misread the requirements. Now that I know you do not have to read to a child in order to participate, I am going to join at the Papoose Level (5 to 10 books!)
The purpose of this challenge is to read children’s books – anywhere from an infant’s board book to tween books like Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory or Judy Blume or the Ramona Quimby books. YA does not count for this challenge! The determining factor in series are that the characters should be 12 and under.
Current Challenges
This month I’ll be working on updating all of my 2013 Reading Challenges to see where things stand and if I need to make any adjustments to my list. For some of the Specialty Challenges I’ve already begun to select the books I want to read for them – now it’s just a matter of scheduling the time.
At the Mini-Bloggiesta I recently attended, we discussed Read-A-Thons as a great way to help accomplish our reading goals! I’m currently in the midst of the Wicked Valentine’s Read-A-Thon and I’m having a blast! One of the things I’ve discovered from both of these events is that they truly do help you focus on reading if that is one of your goals. I’ll be looking for more events like these to share with you – and I encourage you, if you know of any great events or challenges, to please share them so that we can check them out!
Have a fabulous month and good luck in achieving your reading goals!
Couldn’t resist the March Challenge so have signed up! March means March Break and hopefully can get a few more books read.
You’ve got some great challenges ahead.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Awesome Bev – look forward to seeing what’s on your TBR list!
Twitter: rethatweet
says:
Congratulations on finishing your first challenge. I smiled when I saw you also chose 75 books for your Goodread Challenge. I spent the weekend adding new challenges. Currently I am partaking in 19 challenges. Are there other Goodread Challenges you are participating in? There are few I am taking part in. I am adding some of these challenges to my list.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Hi Retha,
I haven’t had the chance to explore Goodread to see what other challenges they may be hosting – if you know of any, let me know!
If you follow me there, I’ll be sure to connect with you too!
I did register for a few challenges on Library Thing but haven’t had a chance to check in.
Will have to check back and compare lists! 🙂
Twitter: rethatweet
says:
Hi, I sent a request to add you as a friend on Goodreads. What challenges are you doing on Library Thing?
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Hi Retha,
I will share the Library Thing challenges with you as soon as I look them up!
Keeping track of everything has turned out to be quite a project in and of itself!
Are you on Library Thing? If so, look me up at http://www.librarything.com/profile/CreateWithJoy and I’ll follow you thre too!
I’m relatively new to both Goodreads and Library Thing and slowly trying to get more active on both! 🙂
Twitter: rethatweet
says:
Here is a list of the Goodreads Challenges I am taking part in –
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Retha – look forward to checking them out!
Twitter: RecentBooks
says:
Congratulations on finishing your first challenge! You have lots of great challenges listed. =)
Im currently doing 3 challenges right now..and it looks like Im “on track” on goodreads.
Ive read 3 books so far towards my challenge of 35 for the year.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Awesome Melissa – keep up the great work! 🙂
I’m currently 1 ahead of my goal according to GoodReads – and doing my best to stay that way!
Yay for completing the New Year’s Resolution Reading Challenge! It’s kind of fun to have one completed so early in the year, isn’t it?
Good luck on all the rest of them!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Joy – it certainly is!
Maybe there IS something in having that challenge be only one month long! 🙂
Twitter: _eHope
says:
#READINGSCOTLAND seems to be a perfect fit offering flexibility in books by Scots, settings in Scotland and Scot characters… some great suggestions at the Pinterest Board as well ..
Welcome readers whether Bairns, Lasses, Lairds or Queen of Scots !!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks for sharing your Scottish reading challenge with us – that Pinterest board is a great idea! 🙂
What a cool challenge – I wish I had discovered it sooner. I would have done this instead of my current challenge – http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-101-weekly-library-challenge_10.html – however, I think the goals overlap as most of the books that I am reading certainly relate (in some way) to my life goals. Thanks for sharing this great challenge and kudos to you for your participation.
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Jen – love your challenge too!
Feel free to join in more than one – a lot overlap so it isn’t always as daunting as it looks
(although if you get too crazy it can be challenging to track it all!)
I’ll be adding more challenges on my next update so stay tuned and keep me posted on yours! 🙂
great job! i love goodreads:)
Yay for the Kidlit Challenge!! Woohoo!!
Good luck on all of your challenges!
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Thanks Becca – look forward to updating with you!
yey thanks to you I’ve just started on the 2013 reading challenge! signed up to read 50 books 😀 woop woop 🙂
Twitter: CreateWithJoy1
says:
Yeah – so glad you’re joining us Vita! Please be sure to share your reads – kudos to you!