Monday, March 23, 2009

Bunny Hop Game


The Play Book Tag at Shelfari have conjured a new exciting challenge that sounds really fun and stress free..

For the main link for signing up for this challenge click here ..

This is a fun, low pressure activity for April and early May (April 1- May15). This activity was suggested and conceived by one of our members, Jen M.

How the game is played ..

1. Choose any book from your To Be Read pile to start.

2. Post a review of your book in your own special Bunny Hop thread.

3. Visit the Shelfari book page for your book and expand the list of tags so you can see all of them.

4. Take 3 hops from the start of the tag list, and click on the tag you land. Pick a new book from the list. IMPORTANT NOTE: Tags do NOT need to be Top 200 tags; all tags count.

5. Read the new book and post a review of it on your Bunny Hop thread.

6. This time, when you go to take your three hops, start at the tag you just completed. Then, take three hops to your next tag.
Continue on until one of the following things happens:

  • A. You come to a tag that has no books you haven't already read.
  • B. You come to a book with less than 4 tags (then there's no where to hop!)
  • C. You hit a tag where you are unable to obtain any more books.
  • D. You hit a duplicate tag that you've already completed.

Then the Bunny Hop is over! Hop as far as you can in the six weeks. Be sure to share the tags you try on your Bunny Hop thread.


For each review you post, you'll receive two participation points.
If, by luck, you happen to hop on the monthly tag (either April's or May's) during the course of the game, you will receive an EXTRA chance to be chosen in this May's raffle for a $15 Amazon gift certificate.

This is an example by Jen M..

Let's say you decide you want to start the game by reading Dingo by Charles de Lint. Once you finish it, you go to that book's page and click on all tags to show the full list of tags. When you do that, you'll see:

2008, animal people, animals, archive, australia, australian folklore, canadian authors, canadian literature, charles de lint, childrens fiction, childrens literature, curses, de lint charles, dingoes, fairy tale/myth fantasy, fantasy, fiction, folklore, folktales, isabelle s, jen m, magic, mythic fiction, newford, paranormal, redheads, romance, strong girls, tayshas ya reading list 2009, urban fantasy, ya lit, young adult, young adult romance

Starting from the beginning, you hop forward three times to get your next tag. So in this case, my next tag would be animals. I click on the animals tag and find a book I want to read next. Let's say I pick the first one on that list, which is Charlotte's Web. I read Charlotte's Web, finish the book and go to that book's page. I click on all tags to show the full list of tags, but this time when I "bunny hop" I'm starting from wherever the tag animals is listed in the list. So:

... american, american authors, american lit, american literature, animal, animal cruelty, animal fantasy, animal fiction, animal story, animal tale, animals, animals/pets, anthropomorphic, anthropomorphic animals, anthropomorphism, apartment, aug-07, auth: e. b. white, author: e.b. white, award winner, awards and honors...

so my next tag would be, in this case, "anthropomorphic animals"...and on I'd go.
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I will list the books as I read them and hope to get the most books I can :)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Lisa Jackson Read-a-Fest


I found this challenge at J.Kaye's blog and it really caught my eye, since I have a couple of books for Lisa Jackson and have been planning to start reading them but never got the chance to..

You could find the main link for this Read-a-Fest here ..

Beginning April 1st thru June 30th, J. Kaye’s Book Blog will host a Lisa Jackson Read-a-Fest. The idea is to read as many Lisa Jackson books in the months of April, May, and June. It could be as little as one book or as many as you’d like. This is not a reading challenge, but will work well with many of the challenges in place, such as Serial Readers Challenge 2009, 1st in a Series, 2nd in a Series and Series Challenge Season 3.

Here’s a list of Lisa Jackson’s books:

Maverick series
• He's a Bad Boy (1993)
• He's Just a Cowboy (1993)
• He's the Rich Boy (1993)
• He's My Soldier Boy (1994)

Historical Trilogy (writing as Susan Lynn Crose)
1. Enchantress (1993)
2. Kiss of the Moon (1994)
3. Outlaw (1995)

Love Letters series
1. A Is for Always (1994)
2. B Is for Baby (1994)
3. C Is for Cowboy (1995)
4. D Is for Dani's Baby (1996)
5. Love Letters (omnibus) (2000)

Dark Jewels series
1. Dark Ruby (1998)
2. Dark Emerald (1999)
3. Dark Sapphire (2000)
4. Dark Ruby/Dark Sapphire (omnibus) (2005)

Forever Family series
• A Family Kind of Girl (1999)
• A Family Kind of Guy (1999)
• A Family Kind of Wedding (1999)

Detective Anthony Paterno series
1. If She Only Knew (2000)
2. Fatal Burn (2006)

McCaffertys series
• Thorne (2000)
• Matt (2001)
• Slade (2002)
• Best-Kept Lies (2004)
• Randi (2007)

New Orleans series
• Hot Blooded (2001)
• Cold Blooded (2002)
• Shiver (2006)
• Absolute Fear (2007)
• Almost Dead (2007)
• Lost Souls (2008)
• Malice (coming 2009)

Medieval Trilogy
1. Impostress (2003)
2. Temptress (2004)
3. Sorceress (2007)

Savannah series
1. The Night Before (2003)
2. The Morning After (2004)

Novels
• A Twist of Fate (1983)
• Dark Side of the Moon (1984)
• Gypsy Wind (1984)
• Pirate's Gold (1984)
• Shadow of Time (1984)
• Devil's Gambit (1985)
• Dangerous Precedent (1985)
• Tears of Pride (1985)
• Innocent by Association (1985)
• Midnight Sun (1985)
• Yesterday's Lies (1986)
• Zachary's Law (1986)
• Mystic (1986)
• One Man's Love (1986)
• Renegade Son (1987)
• Snowbound (1987)
• Summer Rain (1987)
• Hurricane Force (1988)
• In Honor's Shadow (1988)
• Aftermath (1989)
• Tender Trap (1989)
• His Bride to Be (1990)
• With No Regrets (1990)
• Double Exposure (1990)
• Mystery Man (1991)
• Obsession (1991)
• Million Dollar Baby (1992)
• Sail Away (1992)
• A Husband to Remember (1993)
• Treasures (1994)
• Intimacies (1995)
• Wishes (1995)
• Whispers (1996)
• The Millionaire and the Cowgirl (1996)
• New Year's Daddy (1996)
• Twice Kissed (1998)
• Unspoken (1999)
• Lone Stallion's Lady (2000)
• Wild and Wicked (2002)
• Deep Freeze (2005)
• Final Scream (2005)
• Lost Souls (2008)Omnibus
• 1993 Silhouette Christmas Stories (1993)
• Treasures/Gifts of the Heart (1994)
• Silhouette Christmas Stories (1994)
• The Parent Trap (1996) (with Kasey Michaels and Dallas Schulze)
• Tis the Season (1997) (with Elaine Coffman, Kat Martin and Katherine Sutcliffe)
• A Fortune's Children Christmas (1999) (with Barbara Boswell and Linda Turner)
• Santa Baby (2002) (with Kylie Adams, Elaine Coffman and Lisa Plumley)
• Randi/Beyond Control (2004) (with Bronwyn Jameson)
• Deck the Halls (2004) (with Marcia Evanick, Virginia Henley, Fern Michaels and Linda Lael Miller)
• Kiss Me Again: Stranger in Her Bed/Marrying Kind/Satisfy Me/Brass Ring (2005) (with Suzanne Forster, Lori Foster and Debbie Macomber)
• Strangers: Mystery Man (2005)
• Best-Kept Lies/Wild in the Moment (2005) (with Jennifer Greene)
• Billionaire's Proposition/Taking Care of Business (2006) (with Leanne Banks)
• Most Likely to Die (2007) (with Beverly Barton and Wendy Corsi Staub)
• Secrets: Pirate's Gold/Dark Side Of The Moon (2007)
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Guidelines:
1. You need to be 18 years or older to sign up. (Sorry, but the above books are packaged as adult. Hate to have parents angry at me over this.)
2. List the books you’d like to read. This is not a book challenge. The goal is to read as many as you can, so completing the list isn’t required.
3. You do not need a blog to sign up. For the Mr. Linky widget (the box below) use this as your URL: (to be added shortly)
Bloggers who participate:Create a post about this event on your blog to use for the URL in the Mr. Linky widget (the box below).
Important: In your post, include a link to this page. That way your viewers can find it and join. Feel free to use the Read-a-Thon gif/button above as well. Please don't simply put your blog's URL unless you've posted this information in the right sidebar of your blog with a link. The purpose is to help spread the word. Kind of hard if you don't leave bread crumbs on your blog for others to get here.If you have trouble signing up, please post this in the comment section.
4. Each month, a Lisa Jackson book will be given away. (This will work like other raffles on this blog. Guidelines found here.)
5. Just like with the book challenges in the right sidebar, there will be a Sign Up link, a Post Your Review link, and a Completed List link. NOTE: You do not need to write reviews. That is optional.
My Potential List:
1. Hot Blooded
2. Cold Blooded

Update: I have not read any books for this challenge :(

Monday, March 16, 2009

Spring Reading Thing 2009

I saw this challenge at S.Krishna's blog and couldn't just pass it by :)

The main link for this challenge could be found here ..

Essentially, Spring Reading Thing 2009 is a fun, low-pressure reading challenge open to anyone and everyone. It will take place March 20th-June 20th (which is, coincidentally, the spring of 2009).

To participate, here’s what you need to do:

  • Create a list of some books you’d like to read or finish this spring.
  • Feel free to set some additional reading goals (such as reading to your kids two hours per week, getting through your pile of magazines, etc.). This is completely optional.
  • Write a blog post including the list of books you want to read and any additional goals you’ve set, and get ready to post it on your blog on March 20th.
  • Visit this blog on March 20th to sign up. I’ll have a Mr. Linky set up that morning, so you can submit a link to your personal Spring Reading Thing post, and it will be added to the master list.
  • Read! Work on your goals throughout Spring 2009.
  • Report your results. Write another blog post in June to let everyone know how you did.
  • Have fun! Visit other participants to see what they’re reading. Write reviews if you’re so inclined. But most of all, enjoy your spring reading.

My goal is to read 10 books from my tbr books!! I'm not sure I'll stick to this list but I will try my best!

1. Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

3. Immoral by Brian Freeman

4. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

5. Red by Erica Spindler

6. Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan

7. See No Evil by Allison Brennan

8. Fear No Evil by Allison Brennan

9. Hot Blooded by Lisa Jackson

10. Cold Blooded by Lisa Jackson


Update: I've only read 4 out of 10 books.. Better luck next time :)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

I've Read That Too Reading Challenge



The main link for this challenge could be found here ..


The idea of the challenge is to check the reviews by the members of the I Love Reading Challenges group in Shelfari..

Go through the book review posts and read a book that has already been reviewed and post a review yourself.

Or if none of the books on the review posts are to your liking go through the posts on this site and read a book that is on someone else's list.

You can read as many books as you like the minimum however is 2 books
Time frame: Feb 9 to August 31st

Here are the review links 1 and 2 and 3

My Suggestions..

1. Coraline by Neil Gaiman reviewed by Sleekfeline

2. The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J.K. Rowling reviewed by Cora R

3. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer reviewed by Cora R

4. Carved in Bone (A Body Farm Novel) by Jefferson Bass reviewed by unicdreamer

5. The Undomestic Goddess - Sophie Kinsella reviewed by Cora R

6. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Süskind reviewed by Bella

7. True Evil - Greg Iles reviewed by Bella

8. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman reviewed by Cora R

9. A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray reviewed by Erin S

10. The Reader - Bernhard Schlink reviewed by Tenia F

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

"I Suck at Challenges" Challenge




The main link for this challenge could be found here ..

Categories?
The Slackers
(Aka "I will finish the Canadian Reading Challenge, I swear")
I try not to sign up for too many reading challenges but even when I commit to one or two I can't seem to complete them. Last year, I failed miserably at the 1st Canadian Reading Challenge.
It appears I'm heading down the same path. Are you like me? Then you are a Slacker.Join The Slackers if there are a couple particular challenges you are having trouble completing or you know you'll have trouble completing due to your track record. (Only count ongoing challenges that have deadlines of more than 3 months away, you are waaaaaay behind and you are particularly lazy. There's no shame in admitting it.)

The 12 Steppers(Aka "I can stop whenever I want.")
There's a challenge. You see it. Your palms start to sweat. Mr Linky mocks you. You try to stop yourself but it's too late. You've committed yourself to Books That Start With Q Challenge and you know you'll do it again when the next challenge comes along. The only thing is, how are you ever going to complete them all? Sound like you?
Then you are a 12 Stepper.
No program is going to help you though; you're addicted.
Join The 12 Steppers if you've signed up for more reading challenges than you can handle.

When?
Sign up anytime between now and February 1, 2009. The challenge ends July 1, 2009.

How?
Leave a comment on this post with a link to your challenge post. Tell me if you are a Slacker or a 12 Stepper and list your challenges.Then what?At the end of the month, starting in February, I'll put up a post calling for your progress. Leave a comment telling us if you've completed a challenge (link to your completed challenge post), if you're struggling with any and what ones, or if the challenge deadline came and went and you never finished.At the first of every month I'll put up a post to record your progress.
I'll encourage everyone to visit each other and cheer you on.Any incentives?Sure, why not? If you sign up by February 1st, I'll pick a name in a drawing for a little something, like a cute bookmark or something along that line. On July 1st, I'll once again draw once again from the sign in post for a "Surprise" package (it's a surprise to me too since I'll be collecting things throughout the months) of book related do-dads. No penalties if you don't complete all your challenges but please at least try!

Okay, so procrastinators unite! Together we will finish challenges we commit to. Join and add the button to your blog. Have fun!

I know I'm late in signing up but I just found this challenge and it so fits me.. I have signed up for so many challenges and don't know if I can catch up.. I'm hoping this challenge will help..

I'll be joining the slackers.. because I did pass on some challenges that I knew were too much for me like the reading classics, library books (don't have a library in my city) and the clusters challenges!!

My first update..
My second update ..
My third update ..
My Forth update ..


:)

Monday, March 2, 2009

Go the Distance



The main link for this challenge could be found here ..

Go the Distance, will begin on March 1st and run through April 30th. For this challenge you may read any book you choose and receive points for the distance (in miles) between the current residence of the author and the place where you currently live. If you plan to move during the length of the challenge (and the distance is quite large) please choose one location to use during the length of the challenge.

To start the challenge, please let us know where you live. If you don’t want to list exactly what you live in, that’s fine. We can use state and country capitals for your location. For instance, I live in the United States in Illinois. My location will be Springfield, IL.

With this challenge hopefully we can read outside of some of our normal reading tastes and aventure into authors who aren't from around our own area. Also, this will benefit you in the long run because you'll get more points for reading authors from areas far from you. For example, if you live in New York, New York and you read Paul Auster you'll only get a few points since this is a New York author. However, if the same New York reader read Dostoevski the reader would then be awarded a great deal of points for reading a Russian author.

After you finish a book please keep track of where the author currently lives. If you do not know where the author presently lives then you may use the place where the author was born.

If you're not sure where an author lives we do reserve the right to check and see if we can find a location for the author. If an author is dead we obviously can't use current location so in the case of authors who are no longer living we will use the location where they lived the longest.

There will be rest stops twice a month for you to post your travels and let us know where you traveled to and what author you chose to visit. At the first rest stop let us know where you currently reside.

Any book counts, but you’ll receive more points for books that are written by authors farther away from where you live. Books read for this challenge may be used in other challenges. Hardbacks, trade paper backs, mass market paperbacks, audiobooks, e-books, and kindle (or any other electronic reader) editions are all acceptable for this challenge. Feel free to keep a log of your ongoing books for this challenge. This is optional since some members find this helpful, but if you don’t want to keep track in a log in the group, that’s fine as well.

My List..
1. Tunnels Of Blood by Darren Shan
Distance: Limerick, Ireland = 3223.5 miles / 5187.8 kilometers

2. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
Distance: Magnolia, Arkansas = 7536.1 miles / 12128.1 kilometers

3. Copycats by Michael A. Arnzen
Distance: Greensburg, Pennsylvania = 6642.6 miles / 10690.3 kilometers

4. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Distance: Minneapolis, Minnesota = 6967.6 miles / 11213.2 kilometers

5. Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan
Distance: Sacramento, California = 8112.5 miles / 13055.8 kilometers

6. Burn by Anne Rainey (Linda Ingmanson)
Distance: Connecticut, USA = 6274.3 miles / 10097.4 kilometers

7. Sincerely Yours by Rebecca Goings
Distance: Hillsboro, Oregon = 7684.1 miles / 12366.4 kilometers

8. The Pumpkin Mashers by Linda Oness
Distance: Oakville, Ontario Canada = 6463.8 miles / 10402.5 kilometers

9. The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter
Distance: Oklahoma School, Oklahoma = 7600.8 miles / 12232.2 kilometers

10. Unwanted Visitor by Lori Derby Bingley
Distance: Prince Edward Island, Canada = 5736.3 miles / 9231.7 kilometers

11. Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione
Distance: Williamsburg, Virginia = 6632.4 miles / 10673.8 kilometers

12. See No Evil by Allison Brennan
Distance: Sacramento, California = 8112.5 miles / 13055.8 kilometers

13. Fear No Evil by Allison Brennan
Distance: Sacramento, California = 8112.5 miles / 13055.8 kilometers

14. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Distance: Rockville, Maryland = 6584.5 miles/ 10596.7 kilometers

15. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Distance: New York, New York = 6383.1 miles/ 10272.5 kilometers

16. Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione

Distance: Williamsburg, Virginia = 6632.4 miles / 10673.8 kilometers

Total: 27,712.5 miles

Grand Total: 110,200.5 miles

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The results are in!!

Finally, the results of the Distance Challenge!
We've read books from far-away authors, of all continents, with a translation here and there. I hope you all enjoyed counting miles, and maybe you've discovered a few new authors on the way.

Here are our top-travellers:

1. KwesiFriends (Phillippines) - 221,387 miles

2. Clockstein (Wisconsin, USA) - 124,087 miles

3. DesertRose (Saudi Arabia) - 110,201 miles

Fantastic results! You're all from very different places. If you'd all become authors, then I think we would get quite a few miles in a future distance challenge, just by reading your books.

The top -10 further consists of:

4. Jen M (California, USA) - 102,832 miles

5. Coyotemusic (California, USA) - 101,355 miles

6. KrisTJ (Nebraska, USA) - 93,711 miles

7. sweetpea78 (New Jersey, USA) - 85,016 miles

8. Ellen R (Texas, USA) - 79,646 miles

9. Nicole R (California, USA) - 67,383 miles

10. Mjacobs (Belgium) - 53,216

Congratulations to all!