1. To YA or not YA…Okay, this one works like this… Tend to read more Young Adult than Adult Fiction books, then read one or two adult fiction titles, vice-versa if you don’t tend to read much Young Adult. I decided to read more YA.

• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg

2. …With a Twist: This one focuses on sub-genres, read a lot of chick-lit, then try a paranormal romance! Fantasy? Why not give some Steampunk a go, like a bit of Space-Opera in your Sci-Fi then pick up a military Sci-fi book. Like your Contemporary Literature, give a Young Adult Contemporary a chance. Well hopefully you get the idea! I decided to read a Steampunk book and a Contemporary Adult since I tend to read more contemporary middle grade.

• Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
• The Queen of New Beginnings by Erica James

Some of us have a bit of a problem.
Some of us have a huge problem.
Cheryl from CMash Loves to Read and Gina from Hott Books are two such people. They each can stand proudly and say,


So they are challenging each of you who can also say that you also are a Reading Challenge Addict. They've actually created the Reading Challenge Addict site where they will be giving away quarterly prizes and recognizing those who are meeting their own expectations by completing the challenges they've entered. And I think that this year I am a reading challenge addict!

How addicted are you?
Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed) That's me!
In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

Rules are quite simple:

• This challenge will begin on January 1, 2011 and end on December 31, 2011.
• Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.
• Track all of your challenge accomplishments - good & bad.
• Stop by to join us in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year.

Easy, right? Who wants to be in on the fun? What else will they be doing? They'll have giveaways for the participants to enter and unannounced special drawings for commenters on the site so be sure to leave your email address with your comment! You can sign up here.

Here are the challenges I've joined since January:

1. TwentyEleven Challenge (Completed!)
2. Historical Fiction Challenge (Completed!)
3. YA Reading Challenge (Completed!)
4. Support Your Local Library Challenge (75% done)
5. Steampunk Challenge (Completed!)
6. Middle Grade Reading Challenge (Completed!)
7. Dystopian Challenge (Completed!)
8. The Dewey Decimal Challenge (Completed!)
9. Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (20% done)
10. Italy in Books Reading Challenge (75% done)

As a Canadian-Italian author who wrote Daughter of Mine, a book set in Italy, I am really looking forward to this challenge--reading books set in Italy! This challenge is being hosted by Silvia at Book After Book.

Here are the rules:

• The challenge will run from January, 1st 2011 to December, 31st 2011.
• The aim of the challenge is to read at least 12 books that are set in Italy. Whether written by Italian authors or not, it doesn’t matter. They don’t have to be set exclusively in Italy but this country needs to play a significant role in the book. The challenge can include non-fiction books about Italy. You can also review Italian learning books but this is limited to a maximum of two titles. 
• The challenge is open to bloggers and non bloggers alike. 
• There will be monthly prizes for participants.

I know, I know...another challenge I can't help joining, but again this is a genre I discovered and want to further explore. It is being hosted by Bookish Ardour. The challenge runs from Jan 1, 2011 to Dec 31st, 2011.

How to participate:

• Decide which challenge level you'll be doing. I have decided on 5 books.
• Create your own post to let all your readers know you’re taking part in the challenge and at what level (if you're really proficient you can list your books!). Make sure to link back to the hosting page.
• Submit your reviews (if you choose to review them, but that is optional) on the review page.
• When you’ve completed the challenge, write a completion post. 

These are the books I plan to read. This list may change.

1. Mockingjay by Susanne Collins
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry
3. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
4. Tomorrow Girls Book 1: Behind the Gates by Eva Gray
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Are any of you dystopia fiction fans?

I discovered this challenge over at The Bookkeeper. Since this is a genre I recently discovered and want to read more of, I decided to join!

What is Steampunk? According to the New Oxford American Dictionary the sub-genre Steampunk is:

a genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology.

An example of a steampunk book is Leviathan by Scott Westerfield. The challenge runs from October 2010 to October 2011 and there are no obligations other than to have fun discovering a genre and let other participants know about what you find.

These are the books I'd like to read:

1. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
2. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
3. 
   

Cindy from Cindy's Love of Books is hosting The Middle Grade Book Challenge this year. I read quite a few middle grade books together with my daughter so I have decided to join! Here is more info about this challenge:

Where: Cindy's Love of Books Each month you can include a link to your middle grade book reviews.
When: January 1, 2011 to Dec 31st, 2011
What: Read 12 - 25 Middle Grade books, any genre (Books for ages 8 -12)

Do you read middle grade books? If you do, why not think of joining?

These are the books read for this challenge:

1. The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone
2. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long
3. Lacey and the African Grandmothers by Sue Farrell Holler
4. Hockey Trailblazers by Nicole Martillaro
5. The Midnight Tunnel: A Suzanna Snow Mystery by Angie Frazier
6. The Loser List by H.N. Kowitt
7. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
8. Who Wants Pizza? The Kids' Guide to the History, Science and Culture of Food by Jan Thornhill
9. Secret Agent Y.O.U.: The Official Guide to Secret Codes, Disguises, Surveillance, and MORE by Helaine Becker
10. This Can't be Happening at MacDonald Hall! by Gordon Korman
11. The Month of Zephram Mondays by Leslie A. Susskind
12. Tomorrow Girls Book 1: Behind the Gates by Eva Gray
13. The Mysterious Four #1: Hauntings and Heists by Dan Poblocki
14. The Spaghetti Detectives by Andreas Steinhofel
15. The 39 Clues Book 11: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman and Jude Watson
16. Max Finder: Mystery Collected Casebook Volume 5 by Craig Battle and Ramon Pérez
17. 13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
18. Floors by Patrick Carman
19. The 39 Clues Cahill vs Vespers Book 1: The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
20. The Magic of Finkleton by KC Hilton
21. The Whole Truth by Kit Pearson
22. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
23. Dear Canada: That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton by Sarah Ellis
24. Big Nate on a Roll by Lincoln Peirce
25. Dancing on the Inside by Glen C. Strathy

I read non-fiction and I'd like to keep reading non-fiction, so this challenge is perfect for me. It is being hosted by The Introverted Reader. I am going for the Master Level and reading 4 non-fiction books.

Rules are easy: Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Poetry? Yes. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge.


Levels:
Dilettante--Read 1 non-fiction book.
Explorer--Read 2
Seeker--Read 3
Master--Read 4

This challenge will last from January 1 to December 31, 2011. You can sign up anytime throughout the year.

This challenge is not limited to bloggers. You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.

Books read for this challenge:

1. My Marquette: Explore the Queen City of the North--Its History, People and Places with Native Son Tyler R. Tichelaar by Tyler R. Tichelaar
2. The Nighttime Novelist: Finish Your Novel in Your Spare Time by Joseph Bates
3. Unbreak Your Health: The Complete Guide to Complementary & Alternative Therapies by Alan E. Smith 
4. The Egg and I by Betty Macdonald (Memoir)
5. Miss Hildreth Wore Brown by Olivia deBelle Byrd 
6. The Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass
7. The Rules of Parenting by Richard Templar
8. The Pun Also Rises by John Pollack
9. Whole Foods to Thrive: Nutrient-Dense, Plant-Based Recipes for Peak Health by Brandon Frazier
10. So You Want to Write a Guest Post: An Author's Guide to Promoting with Guest Blogging by Jaime McDougall
11. Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita by Barbara Conelli (Travel Memoir)
12. Ben Behind His Voices

I couldn't help this one. It goes along with my goals to read the books I have been wanting to read. Book bloggers are my favorite source of book recommendations. Reading With Tequila feels the same way and that's why she is hosting the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge. The goal of this challenge is to read books from the recommended lists . And it's a great list!

The Rules:

• Challenge will run January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. Participants can join anytime throughout the challenge.
• Chose your own books from the list. You can decide to read books only on the Top 25 list or from the entire recommendation list. You do not have to make a list of books before the challenge begins.
• All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.)
• Rereads do not count towards the completion of the challenge. The challenge is about discovering books that are new to you.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.