Bloggiesta Wrap Up

Is bloggiesta over already? Man, that was a fast week.  I did pretty well with my goals, though I got kind of burned out by a crazy week from about...Wednesday on.  I did accomplish a few things: I've written and formatted a number of reviews, but really, considering I have 40+ titles waiting to be reviewed...well, I don't think I made much of a dent.  Here's the list of what I did do:

Updated Author and Title review archive pages
Wrote some reviews (not caught up, but pounded out some)
Cleaned up side bars
I also did a little bit from Ms. Bookish's mini-challenge to brainstorm blog post ideas (not the full challenge, but I made a short list)

I seriously can't believe I didn't make it to a single twitter chat! I really wanted to, but every time I planned to, I got busy with my daughter (she's rather a handful right now, which makes it hard to tweet and watch her :)

The new spokesperson for Ally Carter's books :)

Anyway, I loved having a whole week to work on it, because there were some days where I honestly didn't have the energy or time to sit down and work on it.  But there were still days where I could.  Nice! How did your bloggiesta go?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge Link-Up for June and July

Sign up for the Classic Double Challenge.

Link up with any reviews/thought posts you've done or will do in June or July (or really any time, it doesn't matter)! I posted my review of Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer in May, but haven't done any challenge reading since (though, I've just started Second Star, a retelling of Peter Pan, and I might just have to read the original).  Anybody out there still working on this challenge still?  Sorry I'm such a slacker at posting pretty much anything :)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge Link-Up for May

Sign up for the Classic Double Challenge.

Link up with any reviews/thought posts you've done or will do in May (or really any time, it doesn't matter)!  Still haven't reviewed Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher.  Must. Get. It. Done.  How's everyone else doing? Haven't seen many reviews...

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge: Book Puzzles

Welcome reader-a-thon-ers!  I'm super excited to be hosting the Book Puzzle mini-challenge again.  Hopefully this will be a fun break from your reading that will let you exercise other parts of your brain!

For this challenge, you will be creating a Book Puzzle.  Essentially, this is a series of pictures, graphics, or photos that you put together that will describe a book title.  I have done an occasional game on the blog called Name That Book where I created book puzzles and let people guess the titles.  Here's an example from that first game:

This series of pictures illustrates the title Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.

Now it's your turn to create your own Book Puzzle (or you can create more than one - they are quite fun).  Once you've posted your puzzle on your blog or wherever, come back and leave me the direct link to your puzzle below.  And be sure to visit others' puzzles - it's lots of fun to guess!

[For more examples or some inspiration, take a look at last April's read-a-thon Book Puzzle participants, check out other episodes of Name That Book, check out Name That Book episodes from Stephanie Reads, or look at these awesome book puzzles created by Mrs. Stakey's 6th grade class.]

I'll be picking a winner (randomly of course, I'm not good at judging awesomeness) and the winner will get to choose any two books from the photo below.  Unfortunately, since my funds are a bit slim right now, I can only send it to US addresses (though international participants are still welcome to create Book Puzzles).  You have until the end of hour 8 to enter.  Now go forth and create!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Books Read in 2014

So, just for me to keep track...

1. Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
2. The Dead in their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
3. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
4. Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi
5. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
6. The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen
7. Cress by Marissa Meyer
8. Unstrung by Neal Shusterman
9. Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
10. Vortex by S.J. Kincaid
11. Evertrue by Brodi Ashton
12. Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
13. The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan
14. Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
15. Brooke by Veronica Rossi
16. Dangerous by Shannon Hale
17. War Brides by Helen Bryan
18. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
19. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
20. The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson
21. Isolation by Dan Wells
22. UnSouled by Neal Shusterman
23. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
24. Ruins by Dan Wells
25. Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
26. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
27. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (part 1, part 2)
28. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
29. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
30. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (part 3, part 4)
31. United We Spy by Ally Carter (Karissa's review)
32. Son of Neptune by Rick Riorden
33. Second Star by Alyssa B. Scheinmel
34. Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull
35. The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
36. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (part 5, part 6)
37. The Selection by Kiera Cass
38. The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien
39. Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
40. The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy
41. Clariel by Nix Garth
42. Switched by Amanda Hocking
43. In the Shadows by Kiersten White and Jim DiBartolo
44. House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini
45. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
46. Matilda by Roald Dahl
47. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
48. The Elite by Kiera Cass
49. The Caller by Juliet Marillier
50. The One by Kiera Cass
51. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
52. Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
53. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
54. Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan
55. Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
56. Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie
57. Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor
58. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
59. Atlantia by Ally Condie
60. The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd
61. Entwined by Heather Dixon (reread)
62. Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
63. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
64. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodges
65. Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth (four stories)
66. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
67. Salt and Storm by Kendall Kulper
68. Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
69. The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen
70. In the Dark Streets Shineth by David A. McCullough
71. Chime by Franny Billingsley
72. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Davis

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge Link-Up for April

Sign up for the Classic Double Challenge.

Link up with any reviews/thought posts you've done or will do in April (or really any time, it doesn't matter)!  I'm happy to report that I've made progress.  I read both Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher!  Now it's a matter of actually getting the reviewing done.  I've got to do a better job of that :)  How are you all doing?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge Link-Up for March

Sign up for the Classic Double Challenge.

Link up with any reviews/thought posts you've done (or will do) in March!  Sorry I'm slacking on remembering to post about the challenge.  I know Jessica of Books: A True Story is doing great with the challenge so far!  Check out her comparisons of The Scarlet Pimpernell with Across a Star-Swept Sea and Life After Theft.  I finally started Adventures of Tom Sawyer to pair with The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher that the lovely Jessica Lawson was so kind as to send to me!  So there's that :)  How are you all doing?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge, 2014: Sign Up!

I'm so excited to bring back the Classic Double Challenge for another year!  Despite my spotty at best blogging of late, I wanted to do this challenge again for any of you looking for motivation to read a retelling or classic.  I love the idea of new retellings bringing love to our old favorites.

By "classics" I'm being very loose in my definition, as this challenge lets you read fairy tales, mythologies, classics, any kind of original story to compare with a retelling. Also "retelling" is pretty loose too - the original and the newer book have to relate in some way that you can define; it doesn't have to be a straight-forward retelling.  Hopefully these definitions allow you the wiggle room needed to find something to fit your fancy.

Here are a few examples:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.  
The first is kind of a "classic" and in the second, the main character loves A Wrinkle in Time and it plays a part in the plot, but this is not a retelling. 
 
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series by Kenneth Oppel.
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein is a prequel series to Frankenstein. 
 
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane by April Lindner.
Jane is a retelling of Jane Eyre, set in a modern day.

So, you can see there are lots of options for you.  If you need some inspiration for retellings, I've compiled a rather extensive list of retellings.  I have another list for fairy tale retellings.  Also, during the Retell Me a Story celebration next month I will be highlighting some newer retellings that have been released or are coming out soon. 

And, of course, there are levels of participation, so you can choose how much or how little you'd like to commit to:

Small: You read 2 related books.

Medium: You read 4 books (2 sets of related books).

Large: You read 6 books (3 sets of related books).

Super Size: You read 8 books (4 sets of related books).

Once you decide on your level of participation, post your pledge on your blog/tumblr/goodreads/in the comments and maybe give us some possibilities of what you want to read (obviously, these aren't set in stone).  When you complete a pair, feel free to write reviews/reactions/comparisons/whathaveyou about the books and I'll have a monthly link up here to share our progress.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: July-December

I know, it's ridiculous to have the last six months in one post, but I really want to have a place for people to link if they are still reading for the Classic Double Challenge :)

Hopefully you have all been reading so much better than I have.  I did manage to finally finish The Turn of the Screw and I also listened to Strands of Bronze and Gold (though that was AGES ago and I'm just now working on the review) and read a few short versions of the Bluebeard fairy tale (so, so disturbing).

Anybody out there want to see this challenge back next year?  I'm thinking I'd like to do it, but if interest has waned, then I might skip it and just read for my own enjoyment.  How are you all faring with the challenge?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: June

Another month has flown by! Hopefully your enthusiasm for the Classic Double Challenge hasn't :) June is the month of the baby (I hope). My progress on the challenge, however, is once again pretty slow.  I did manage to finish Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, but I haven't read any Little Red Riding Hood stories yet.  I really ought to do that right away, as they are all pretty short and easy.  I also read one very short version of Bluebeard that skimmed over the horror of the story.  I'm thinking I'll try another version of that soon too.  I'm also still slogging through The Turn of the Screw, which is much less accessible than the retelling, but far more nuanced and better written.  I think I'll finish it before the baby comes (fingers crossed). 

I've no idea what kind of reading progress I'll be making once baby librarian arrives, but I'm hoping a few months will see me back in the groove and reading like crazy (when I possibly can).  Until then, I will continue to devour as much as possible and I'll hopefully get to read about your classic double readings!

Any Classic Double suggested readings that are perfect for summer?  I might need to try a beach read or something light soon.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge: Book Puzzle

Welcome reader-a-thon-ers!  I'm super excited to be hosting the Book Puzzle mini-challenge again.  Hopefully this will be a fun break from your reading that will let you exercise other parts of your brain!

For this challenge, you will be creating a Book Puzzle.  Essentially, this is a series of pictures, graphics, or photos that you put together that will describe a book title.  I have been doing a biweekly an occasional game called Name That Book where I create book puzzles and let people guess the titles.  Here's an example from that first game:

This series of pictures illustrates the title Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.

Now it's your turn to create your own Book Puzzle (or you can create more than one - they are quite fun).  Once you've posted your puzzle on your blog or wherever, come back and leave me the direct link to your puzzle below.  And be sure to visit others' puzzles - it's lots of fun to guess!

[For more examples or some inspiration, take a look at last read-a-thon's Book Puzzle participants, check out other episodes of Name That Book, check out Name That Book episodes from Stephanie Reads, or look at these awesome book puzzles created by Mrs. Stakey's 6th grade class.]

I'll be picking a winner (randomly of course, I'm not good at judging awesomeness) and the winner will get to choose any two books from the photos below (sorry about the crummy photo quality - you can ask me about specific titles if you need to).  Unfortunately, since my funds are a bit slim right now, I can only send it to US addresses (though international participants are still welcome to create Book Puzzles).  You have until the end of hour 10 to enter.  Now go forth and create!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: April

I am seriously such a slacker.  Still haven't picked up anything for the challenge, though a few times I've almost decided to find a retelling I've already read and pick up the original.  We'll see if I pick the easier route.

However, my lack of progress doesn't mean you guys haven't been reading up a storm!  I hope to have some great links for reviews published this month, so show me up!

Anybody read any fabulous retellings?  Any news of forthcoming retellings you are wetting your pants for?  I've been gathering some retelling news here and there, so hopefully I'll be able to share those with you soon.  Very good things coming our way.

If you haven't signed up for the Classic Double Challenge yet, there's still time! Head over to the sign up page.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: March

It's already March?  I still haven't read a book for my challenge, though that might be because I gave up on one of my pairs.  But, I have high hopes for this spring month and what I can accomplish!  Hopefully you will all keep reading for the challenge too.

In case you missed it, I hosted the first annual (well, I hope it's annual) Retell Me a Story event on January 13-19. It was a lot of fun and some really great people were guest posters. Also, we talked about some favorite and some new and upcoming retellings. If you're still looking for ideas on what to read, definitely check out all the Retell Me a Story posts. 

And if you haven't signed up for the Classic Double Challenge yet, there's still time! Head over to the sign up page.

Don't forget to link up your reviews done in the month of March (or January and February if you forgot to do it before).  Happy retelling reading!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: January & February Links

My apologies for not getting a place for you to link up to your reviews/thoughts on any Classic Double Challenge books you might have read for January! But now, you can add them here and any that you talk about in February too. I've not managed to read anything for the challenge yet, but I'm planning to start very soon.

In case you missed it, I hosted the first annual (well, I hope it's annual) Retell Me a Story event on Jan 13-19. It was a lot of fun and some really great people were guest posters. Also, we talked about some favorite and some new and upcoming retellings. If you're still looking for ideas on what to read, definitely check out all the Retell Me a Story posts. 

And if you haven't signed up for the Classic Double Challenge yet, there's still time! Head over to the sign up page.

What books are you hoping to get started with this month?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Challenge Me in 2013

It's that time again!  Time to sign up for the reading challenges of 2013.  I'm super excited and hope to complete the few I've chosen this time around.  If you are interested, you can check out how I did on my 2012 challenges here.

Classic Double Challenge hosted by yours truly. :)  For information on signing up for this challenge, go to the Classic Double Challenge 2013 sign up page. Also, for suggestions on book pairs to read, I have a giant list of retellings with their classic book listed.

I'm going to be ambitious and hope for the Super Size level again this year (even though I didn't manage to quite reach it last year).  And be sure to come back during January 13-19 for my Retell Me a Story event, filled with giveaways, guest posts, and lots of retelling info!

1. Little Red Riding Hood
2. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 

3. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
4. The Turning by Francine Prose

5. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
6. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

7. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
8. A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont

(Or maybe something Shakespeare, I'm keeping my options open :) Pretty good fail again this year, though 2 out of four isn't bad

Jessica at Books: A True Story's Dusty Bookshelf Challenge.  Though I totally failed last time (no, really, I read zero books for it), I really want to get to those older books that have been waiting so patiently for me.  So, I'm sticking with my original list of books and hoping to get one or two of them read at least (ie: Pixie Dust level).

1. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (3+ years)
2. Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia  (3+ years)
3. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund (3+ years)
4. The Brontes: A Life in Letters by Juliet Barker (um, maybe a decade?)
5. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (3+ years)

At least I got one read! :)

The last one I'm doing (hey, I'm cutting back a bit this year), is the YA Audiobook Challenge, hosted by Jen of A Book and a Latte.  I already listen to plenty of audiobooks, but now I have a reason to choose more YA audios.  I'm starting low with the Easy Listening level, only 12 audiobooks.  Let's hope I get to more than that!  And I really have no ideas what I want to start with, so I'll just leave my 12 slots wide open for now:

1. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
2. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
3. Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch
4. Beautiful Days by Anna Godberson 
5. A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
6. Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson
7. Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
8. Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
9. Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
10. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
11. Sabotage by Margaret Peterson Haddix 
12. The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
13. Will Sparrow's Road by Karen Cushman
14. The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
15. The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer 

Yay! I finished one of my challenges!! :)

What challenges are you doing this year?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

2013: The Books I Read

This is just a post where I will (hopefully) be able to keep track of what books I read this year.  Here's to a goal of at least 100 again and loving as many as last year.  Happy New Year!

1. The Humming Room by Ellen Potter
2. The Turning by Francine Prose
3. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (audio)
4. Prodigy by Marie Lu
5. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (audio)
6. Reached by Ally Condie
7. Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
8. Promised by Caragh M. O'Brien
9. Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch (audio)
10. The Kill Order by James Dashner 
11. Infinity Ring Book 1: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner (audio)
12. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
13. Goblin Secrets by William Alexander
14. Beautiful Days by Anna Godberson (audio)
15. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carringer
16. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (audio)
17. Mind Games by Kiersten White
18. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans 
19. A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson (audio)
20. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 
21. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
22. Hattie Ever After by Kirby Larson (audio)
23. Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed
24. Will Sparrow's Road by Karen Cushman (audio)
25. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis 
26. The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau
27. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood (audio)
28. The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison
29. Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt (reread) (audio)
30. Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi 
31. Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (audio)
32. Everbound by Brodi Ashton
33. Boundless by Cynthia Hand 
34. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood (audio)
35. Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia
36. Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson (audio)
37. Fragments by Dan Wells 
38. Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
39. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis (audio)
40. The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer
41. Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr
42. Sabotage by Margaret Peterson Haddix (audio)
43. Requiem by Lauren Oliver
44. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
45. The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe (audio)
46. Dodger by Terry Pratchett
47. The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer (audio)
48. Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin 2)
49. Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance
50. The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer (audio)
51. Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt
52. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
53. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
54. Soldier's Secret by Marissa Moss
55. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
56. The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
57. Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin
58. Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill
59. Ironskin by Tina Connolly
60. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
61. The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy
62. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
63. Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier
64. Fox Forever by Mary Pearson
65. Double Crossed by Ally Carter
66. Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund
67. A New World by Patrick Ness
68. The Summer Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan
69. The Spring Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan
70. The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margot Lanagan
71. Transparent by Natalie Whipple
72. Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
73. Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike
74. Hero by Alethea Kontis
75. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
76. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
77. Blackout by Robison Wells
78. Life Before Legend by Marie Lu
79. Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
80. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
81. Just One Year by Gayle Forman
82. I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
83. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
84. Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge, 2013: Sign Up!

I'm so excited to bring back the Classic Double Challenge for another year!  I love the idea of new retellings bringing love to those old classics.

By "classics" you know I'm being very loose in my definition, as this challenge lets you read fairy tales, mythologies, classics, any kind of original story to compare with the retelling. Also "retelling" is pretty loose too - the original and the newer book have to relate in some way that you can define; it doesn't have to be a straight-forward retelling.  Hopefully these definitions allow you the wiggle room needed to find something to fit your fancy.

Here are a few examples:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.  
The first is kind of a "classic" and in the second, the main character loves A Wrinkle in Time and it plays a part in the plot, but this is not a retelling. 
 
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series by Kenneth Oppel.
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein is a prequel series to Frankenstein. 
 
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane by April Lindner.
Jane is a retelling of Jane Eyre, set in a modern day.

So, you can see there are lots of options for you.  If you need some inspiration for retellings, I've compiled a rather extensive list of retellings.  I have another list for fairy tale retellings.  Also, during the Retell Me a Story celebration next month I will be highlighting some newer retellings that have been released or are coming out soon. 

And, of course, there are levels of participation, so you can choose how much or how little you'd like to commit to:

Small: You read 2 related books.

Medium: You read 4 books (2 sets of related books).

Large: You read 6 books (3 sets of related books).

Super Size: You read 8 books (4 sets of related books).

Once you decide on your level of participation, post your pledge on your blog/tumblr/goodreads/in the comments and maybe give us some possibilities of what you want to read (obviously, these aren't set in stone).  When you complete a pair, feel free to write reviews/reactions/comparisons/whathaveyou about the books and I'll have a monthly link up here to share our progress.

I'll probably not be able to do monthly giveaways this time, but I will have giveaways periodically for challenge participants.  And, of course, you definitely want to join in my Retell Me a Story celebration going on in January.  That will have lots of fun stuff including author and blogger interviews/guest posts and giveaways.

And, now that I've talked your ears off about the challenge, you can link up to your post below and welcome to the challenge!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: December

It's December, which means it's your last chance to read book pairs for the Classic Double Challenge this year.  I'm probably only going to squeak in one final pairing, so I won't be completing my goal of four pairs. :(  But, don't fret!  I'm bringing the challenge back next year, so don't stress over it!.   Watch for the sign up and information on the 2013 challenge this coming week.  And I'm so excited that January will kick off my very first Retell Me a Story event, celebrating retellings.  Do check out my Retell Me a Story post if you missed out on that announcement, but I'll be talking about it more as the time gets closer. 

I'm so glad I started this challenge, and I'm especially thankful for those of you who signed up, even if you never did manage to complete your goal.  What matters to me is your willingness to even join in the fun and spread the word, not to mention bringing light to shine on old classics as well as new books.  

Hopefully many of you will be back for more next year and you'll be as excited to read as I am.  I'm still revamping and updating my giant list of possible retelling pairs and always wanting to know about ones I've missed.

So, for the final month this year, what do you love most about this challenge and what do you think I could do to make it even better?  Or you can just tell me what retellings you are excited about or hoping to read next year.  Really, any kind of comment will make my day :)

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Classic Double Challenge: November

Guys!  There are only two months left!  What was I thinking, saying I'd do four pairs?!?  I've got to get on the ball - it would be embarrassing to fail my own challenge.

But, how are things going for all of you?  Not going to make it?  That's ok, because the Classic Double Challenge is coming back again next year.  And I've got an excellent week-long celebration in the works for January.  It will be so much fun with author and blogger guest posts and some giveaways.  But, don't give up on 2012 yet!  You can still do it.  Remember to leave your links for this month if you review/talk about your book pairs.

The winner for this month is Akilah!  I'll send you an email soon and then get a prize sent out to you ASAP.

Question(s) of the month:

Do you think you'll finish the challenge this year?  How likely are you to participate next year? 

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage