World Citizen Challenge

I signed up for The World Citizen Challenge, which I love because it doesn't require much of a commitment in terms of books. I can read one book, for the World Citizenship 101 Level, or I can move up to a higher level.

After looking at Eva's suggested reading lists, I'm thinking I will read at least one of the following books:

The Soul of Iran: A Nation’s Journey to Freedom by Afshin Molavi. Since Molavi is Iranian, this one would also count for my Diversity Rocks challenge. I also think this would be a good follow-up to My Father's Paradise, a memoir of the son of a Kurdish Iranian which I read in 2008.

Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War by Anthony Shadid. Eva says: Night Draws Near, published in 2005, is reporter Anthony Shadid’s story of the impact of the war on regular Iraqi citizens. Since he is Lebanonese-American and fluent in Arabic, he was able to become quite close to several Iraqis. (see her full review) . So, this would also fit for Diversity Rocks, and would make a nice follow-up to Sunrise in Fallujah, a novel I recently read.

Fault Lines: Journeys into the New South Africa by David Goodman. Publishers Weekly says it "profiles four pairs of people who dramatize the country's current conflicts and contradictions." I haven't paid as much attention to South Africa as I'd like, this past decade or so. So, the appeal of this book is that it would bring me up to speed.

I'm really looking forward to checking out these books! If I read all three of them I'll have completed the Minor level--so I guess I'm sort of unofficially aiming for that.

YA Reading Challenge

I'm joining the YA reading challenge, because what are the chances of me not reading 12 young adult books in a year? Here are J. Kaye's guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.

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

Here's my list, as it stands now. It consists of the YA books on my shelf, plus a few titles that fit the Diversity Rocks! challenge. If you'd like to join me in Diversity Rocks, all you need to do is include at least one author of color in your YA Challenge reading list. YA suggestions will be posted on the Diversity Rocks! site within the next few days.

1. Janes in Love, by Cecil Castelluci (because I loved The Plain Janes!)
2. Beige, by Cecil Castellucci (see above)
3. Boy Proof, by Cecil Castellucci (you're getting the idea now, right?)
4. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier (because it was recommended for the Diversity Rocks challenge)
5. Thaw, by Monica Roe (because of a review on somebody's blog last week)
6. Bog Child, by Siobhan Dowd (because it's set in Ireland)
7. The Rules of Survival, by Nancy Werlin (I don't remember why, but it's on my shelf)
8. something by Jacqueline Woodson (because she was recommended for the Diversity Rocks challenge)
9. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (overlaps with Dewey's books challenge)
10. Looking for Alaska (also John Green)
11. Cracked up to Be
12. How I Live Now by Meg Rossoff or The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, vol. 1 (overlaps with Dewey's books challenge)

Diversity Rocks! Challenge

This one's my challenge, so I should really do my post about it. Trouble is, until I commit to my other challenges, I'm not quite sure what books I'm reading for this one, so I'll have to update this post as I go along.

I'm addressing this challenge in two ways:

1) I hope to read and review at least two books by authors of color each month in the year 2009.

2) In every challenge I commit to, I'll include books by authors of color.

I'm not committing to a certain number or percentage. Simply by organizing the challenge, I'm finding myself in a whole new section of the (virtual) bookstore, and I know that in itself will have a huge impact on my reading habits for 2009. In my Graphic Novels challenge list, 4 out of 6 titles cross with Diversity Rocks. Two of them are on my shelf, waiting for the challenge to begin. January 1st will be here soon!

Reposted from Worducopia and the Graphic Challenge blog.

I'm doing the Minor level, which is 6 books, though I reserve the right to move up later. ;-)

Here's my list:

1. Incognegro, by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece (doubles with Diversity Rocks)
2. Janes in Love, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg (doubles with YA)
3. Embroideries (counts for Diversity Rocks because she's Iranian)
4. Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston. (counts for Diversity Rocks)
5. Maus, by Art Spiegelman
6. Aya by Marguerite Abouet & Clément Oubrerie (counts for Diversity Rocks).

My list of challenges

Still choosing my challenges, but here's what's in the running:

YA challenge (started)

Dewey's Books

Graphic Novel challenge (started)

World Citizen challenge (started)

Support your local library challenge
there will be three sizes of challenges.
** The first is to read 12 books from your local library in 2009.
** The second is to read 25 books from your local library in 2009.
** The third is to read 50 books from your local library in 2009.
You decide which one of the three challenges is best for you. 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.

Sarah Dessen mini-challenge Read 2 books by Sarah Dessen.

Neil Gaiman challenge--started



Blog Improvement Challenge

ARC reading challenge

TBR Challenge

Class of 2k challenge