2. Read 12 books that are the first in any series. You may read & list your chosen books any time during the year.

3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.

4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

My list as it stands so far:

1. One for the Money – Janet Evanovich
2. ‘A’ is for Alibi – Sue Grafton
3. Viking: Odinn’s Child – Tim Severin
4. Under the Eagle – Simon Scarrow
5. Shadows on the Ivy – Lea Wait
6. Blood Ties – Lori Armstrong

Here’s the rules from the official challenge blog:

Read 3 historical fiction books in 3 months from 1st Jan 09 – 31st March 09.

Historical fiction will be counted as anything set or written prior to World War II. This will include classic novels, time travel novels or anything you feel fits the genre.

For an extra bit of fun, you can choose to participate in one of the following themes:

The Royal Twist – Read 3 based on or inspired by 3 different royals. Emporers, Queens, Kings whatever inspires you!

The Twilight Twist – Read a selection of 3 of the classic novels that inspired the Twilight Saga. There’s Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare.

My three choices are:

1. Pendragon – Catherine Coulter – Historical Romance
2. Azincourt – Bernard Cornwell
3. Viking: Odinn’s Child – Tim Severin

Here are the guidelines:

1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.

2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.

3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

4) Post links to your reviews on the official challenge blog.

My List
I’ll add to this list as I finish a batch – most likely only once a week.

1. Protect and Defend – Francesca Hawley
2. Cady’s Cowboy – Jory Strong
3. Decadent – Shayla Black
4. Cowboy Games – Wendy Darlin
5. Sin’s Gift – Delilah Devlin
6. Pendragon – Catherine Coulter
7. Knock Me Off My Feet – Susan Donovan
8. Prince of Wolves – Susan Krinard

The rules:

1. The goal of this challenge is to read the number of books first published in a given year that corresponds to the last digit of each year in the 2000s — 9 books from 2009, 8 books from 2008, etc. The total number of books required, therefore, is 45.
2. This challenge lasts from 8/8/08 through 9/9/09. Yes, it is retroactive to August 8th!
3. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and your lists may change at any time.
4. Sign up at http://1morechapter.com/countdown/
5. Have fun reading!

My Reading List

2009

1. Whisper No Lies – Cindy Gerard
2. Branded As Trouble – Lorelei James (March)
3. Protect and Defend – Francesca Hawley
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

2008

1. Twelve Trees – J.D. Carpenter
2. The Tenth Gift – Jane Johnson
3. Click – Bill Tancer
4. Nauti Dreams – Lora Leigh
5. Moscow Rules – Daniel Silva
6. Azincourt – Bernard Cornwell
7. Extreme Measures – Vince Flynn
8. Tied Up, Tied Down – Lorelei James

2007

1. All or Nothing – Claire Cross
2. Goddess of Love – P.C. Cast
3. The Alchemist’s Apprentice – Dave Duncan
4. Dipped in Chocolate – Renee Luke
5. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels – Jasper Fforde
6. Checkmate – Annmarie McKenna
7. Long Hard Ride – Lorelei James

2006

1. Heiress for Hire – Erin McCarthy
2. The Limehouse Text – Will Thomas
3. Dangerous Games – Lora Leigh
4. Dragons of the Dwarven Depths – Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
5. Giving Chase – Lauren Dane
6.

2005

1. Dear Jane Austen – Patrice Hannon
2. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered – Maggie Shayne
3. Shadows at the Spring Show – Lea Wait
4. Saving Fish From Drowning – Amy Tan
5. Viking: Odinn’s Child – Tim Severin

2004

1. Translations of Beauty – Mia Yun
2. Shadows on the Ivy – Lea Wait
3. What a Girl Wants
4. Bet Your Bottom Dollar – Karin Gillespie

2003

1. The Quality of Life Report – Meghan Dunn
2. Susan Brockmann – The Unsung Hero
3.

2002

1. Pendragon – Catherine Coulter
2. Knock Me Off My Feet – Susan Donovan

2001

1.

Okay, so we’ll start off with a challenge I know I can complete. The goal of National Just Read More Novels Month is to read one, yep just one, novel during the month of January. Actually, considering it’s the 5th already it’s amazing that I haven’t read one yet this month. I’ve been doing self help and weight loss books so far this month, so I’m definitely due for a novel or two.

Here’s the official rules, straight from their site:

1. Only Novels Count. This means no non-fiction books, memoirs, short stories, essay collections, or books based on internet memes like LOLcats. The judge is out on graphic novels. It’s your call.
2. Memoirs Don’t Count. Even if they are fictional. And especially if they are fake memoirs about the Holocaust.
3. It Can’t Be A Novel You Have Already Read. Expand your horizons. Try some new authors.
4. You Must Start At The Beginning. If the book is on your nightstand, you have to start over. We are looking at January 1 to January 31. That is 31 days. We are on a deadline.
5. Have Fun. This a lark. You wouldn’t be reading if you didn’t enjoy it.

My Completed Novels:

1. Protect and Defend – Francesca Hawley
2. Cady’s Cowboy – Jory Strong
3. Decadent – Shayla Black
4. Cowboy Games – Wendy Darlin
5. Sin’s Gift – Delilah Devlin
6. Pendragon – Catherine Coulter
7. Knock Me Off My Feet – Susan Donovan
8. Prince of Wolves – Susan Krinard

All I can say is thank goodness for overlap or I’d be doing nothing but reading this year, and I really want to get a book of my own written too!

Here’s the list I’m going to play with. I haven’t gotten signed up for all of them yet, or figured out reading lists so watch for those individual posts coming over the course of the week. I’ll do a few each day so as not to bombard you with a ton of challenge posts all at once. I’ll link to them here as I get the posts completed.

• Countdown Challenge
• Genre Challenge
• 100+ Reading Challenge
• Suspense & Thriller Challenge
• 1st in a Series Challenge
• 2nds Challenge
• Ebook Reading Challenge
• Erotica Romance Challenge
• The 2009 Pub Challenge
• The 999 Challenge
• A to Z Challenge
• Read Your Own Books
• What’s In a Name
• National Just Read Novels Month
• Historical Fiction Challenge
• Buy One Book and Read It
• 18th and 19th Century Women Writers
• 20 Books in 2009
• Canadian Book Challenge, Part 2
• Chick Lit Challenge
• Chunkster Challenge
• Dewey’s Books Challenge
• Decades 2009 Challenge
• Romance Reading Challenge
• Themed Reading Challenge
• New Author Challenge
• Paranormal Challenge
• 2009 TBR Challenge
• Montgomery Mini Challenge
• Celebrate the Author
• In Their Shoes
• Latin American Reading Challenge
• The Numbers Challenge
• Re-reading Challenge
• Victorian Challenge
• World War II Challenge
• World Citizen Challenge
• Casual Classics
• John Steinbeck Mini Challenge

I’m sure that there will be others throughout the year, but that’s the start of my list. It’s gonna be a great year of reading and book buying!

What are your thoughts on reading challenges? Do you play?

I still haven’t decided whether or not to participate in the 24 hour read-a-thon on October 18th yet. I’m thinking that I probably will, with the understanding that if it happens to be a nice day and the golf course is still open, I may disappear for a couple of hours in the afternoon to get my fix in. With the weatherman calling for snow flurries here as early as Friday, my golfing days are definitely numbered, and golf ranks right up there with reading on my priority list these days.