I always try to join challenges in the hopes that it will give more purpose to my reading and help keep me on track.
Unfortunately, that's not what ends up happening. Sure, it's just for me and there's no requirement to finish but I feel like I'm breaking promises. Albeit to myself. So for 2010 I've decided to do things a little differently.
I'm not going to officially join any challenges but when I come across ones I think fit in with my reading - I'll pretend like I'm a part of it and tell you how I'm doing.
1. Are You My Newbery 2011 and Some Day My Printz 2011
The 2011 Newbery has to be published in the year 2010. Some of those books will qualify for The Story Siren's Debut Author challenge and The O.W.L. The Middle Reading challenge. The 2011 Printz Award also has to be published in 2010 and they have to be young adult books. These books will qualify for J. Kaye's Young Adult challenge and some will also qualify for the debut author challenge. I will post more info on these at a later date which will include my list location and my selection process.
2. $30 A Month challenge
I'm going to severely cut back on buying books this year. My goal is to only spend $30 a month - about the cost of an adult hardcover. As a librarian, I should support libraries - both public and our school. This will help me qualify for J. Kaye's Support Your Local Library challenge and decrease some of the book clutter around here. Originally I was going to buy one book a month but I realized that sometimes I can get a few YA hardcovers for $30. Last year I spent over 3 times that much for books. I'm not going to even tell you how much over three times - I'm appalled and amazed at my foolishness...
3. Grown-up books
That's what I call adult fiction but not the racy kind of books. I want to read at least one grown-up book a month. There are some books I've had my eye on and I'm going to make sure I read them this year. Some titles are: Olive Kitteridge, Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Believers, Little Bee, and Chronic City from 2009. The only 2010 book on my list so far is The Unnamed.
I would also like to tackle a couple of classics, read books teachers use in their classrooms, read more steampunk, and more nonfiction. I'll post links of my reading lists as I create them.
What challenges are you facing this year?
I have Little Bee on my list of books to read this year. Why did you have to tell me about the O.W.L. challenge?!? Now I really want to join! Happy reading.
ReplyDeleteCute idea. I join too many challenges and I'm eying The O.W.L. challenge, but I really can't join anymore.
ReplyDeleteMy orginal intention was not to join any either, but I ended up joining two.
ReplyDeleteI joined 4. FOUR!!! I want to stop getting updates from A Novel Challenge. I like the way you've made this manageable and fun! Perhaps next year you'll sponsor a $30/mo challenge? :) Do you have challenges for your students?
ReplyDeleteVasilly - Little me know when you read Little Bee - maybe we can do a readalong?
ReplyDeleteAndrea - keep an eye out over here - I promise to actually review the books I read this year!
Lenore - back away from the challenges...two is QUITE enough! Plus you are doing that cool mentoring program!
Edi - I love that website though! That's how I found the MG challenge! I like the idea of sponsoring a challenge - especially for librarians. We should read and review what we purchase for the library! I haven't done a challenge for my students yet. I just finished doing an MG/Newbery challenge with some English teachers and that was quite fun!
I'm very curious to see what you think about Little Bee! I really liked the writing style when I read it (although I had it under the title The Other Hand, having bought it outside the U.S.), but had some thoughts about how it ended... of course I don't want to say more now. But I'm curious. :)
ReplyDeleteI did join some challenges, and I'm actually almost finished with the Alice in Wonderland Challenge, which started in August. I have the last book on my stack and the last DVD...now I just have to wait for the new movie (in March).
ReplyDeleteBut my biggest challenge (to myself) is to work my way through my TBR stacks. I even started a blog to document this journey.
I am going to the library more these days, because I, too, need to stop buying so many books. For the state of my TBR stacks and my wallet!
Here's my Salon:
http://laurel-rainsnowsaccidentallife.blogspot.com/2010/01/sunday-salon_17.html