I am going to read sequels to series that I've already started and that are already on the TBR stacks!

Linda is thinking about doing the "sequel thing" as well OR reading six books from the Regency Period.

What is everyone else thinking about? This challenge is particularly interesting to me - because it's such a wide open category!

Kelly

I'm doing the first 6 books in Jean Plaidy's Tudor series.  Yea..this is definitely the "do-it-yourself" category!

I wish the common thread that could make them all relative was, "They're on my TBR list!" 

I'm not sure what I'll do.  I have plenty of Penman books to get through (the last two in the Henry/Eleanor trilogy and all three in the Welsh triliogy). I'm sure I could find another Penman to read, and the author, of course, would be my common thread.  Hmmm. I'm not sure, but I have PLENTY of options for this.

Shelley, Shelley, Shelley...you are obviously not an instruction reader ... It says right there in the description for this challenge: six HF books already on your TBR

I did that specifically for certain people (ahem...Jeanne..ahem) who said their only goal for 2011 was to reduce their TBR.  So there ya go..read your TBR for this challenge if you want!

Shelley, Shelley, Shelley...you are obviously not an instruction reader .

LOL, Christa!! I'm wondering if, in addition to sharing a birthday, were we also both teachers in a former life ?!?  Kelly

Oops!  My bad!   It's not that I'm not an instruction reader, it's that I'm an "instruction skimmer."  I only skimmed most of the information so far for the challenges.  I will REALLY read stuff once the challenge actually starts.  I'm not even going to plan my books as I find that I never stick to the plan! 

And in my defense, I have "teacher-ness" in my blood.  Almost every person on every side of my family is a teacher. I'm the exception.  However, obviously I have it in my genes, and it's often said that teachers make the worst students! 

I've narrowed it down to four themes:

Robin Hood

King Arthur

Stonehenge and Druids

Time Travel novels

Like Holly, I have a lot of King Arthur books.  In fact, too many.  I'm really leaning toward Robin Hood.  I don't want to decide yet, because this is the best part of the challenges: deciding what I'm going to read!

I am seriously considering reading James Clavell's Asian Saga. There's six books in the series; perfect!

I originally chose him for my deflowering, but I suppose I could be deflowered by someone else....

I'm doing mine as "unfinished series" and "on my TBR". 

I've changed my mind.  Mine will be books set within the Roman Empire.

I'll probably do another set of 6 h/f mysteries as I still have lots to get through.

I was going to do 6 mysteries but have pretty much decided instead to see if I can do Challenge #1 as all mysteries.  So for Challenge #4 I have a few possibilities:

All books NOT set in Great Britain (since 99% of the HF I've read so far is set in Britain, this would make me expand my horizons a little).

OR

All 6 with a medical theme

OR

All 6 with an art theme

Diane

Oooh, Diane, the art theme sounds good...and it would be a really easy one to fill with great reads. There's so many good H/F books that are centered around different forms of art.

If you go with the medical themse, definitely check out Beverly Swerling's book, "City of Dreams". I loved it!

I like this challenge because the choices will be such a reflection of everyone's individuality. 

Vicky....go for Robin Hood!

Oh dear, and we have discussion threads for each challenge too - oh how will I ever get chores and things done?

Since one of my biggest goals for 2011 is to read through my TBR pile before I add much to it, I think I'm using this challenge just for TBR. I do also have the Outlander series (well, first 5) on my TBR so I might do those instead of just 6 random HFs on the list. Choices, choices!

Ooh, Vicky - Stonehenge and Druids gets my vote, but I bet you would have guessed that one. :) I did read Druids by Morgan Llywelyn earlier this year and really enjoyed it.

Diane, I agree with the art theme! Soo much potential reading with that!

ALbookbug - I was just told of Clavell's Asian saga and put it on my "someday soon" list. Read 'em and then send them to me! Bwahahaha! Oh wait, I'm supposed to be reducing my TBR...

...off to go count TBR books so I can see how badly I fail at reducing Mount TBR in 2011. *snicker* ...Ok, starting out with 230 233 (I forgot the ones en route) on my TBR shelves. It'll be interesting (probably sad) to see how many I have at the end of 2011.

Now you're getting it Kelly - join this forum and your TBR will NEVER - I repeat NEVER be reduced!!!

Just so you know, Kelly....my TBR started 2010 at 89 and my goal was to reduce it to 49.  It now stands somewhere over 120.  I quit counting. But that is about 50% growth in one year...despite the fact that I read around 70 books this year!

I did read Druids by Morgan Llywelyn earlier this year and really enjoyed it.

So did I! I have greatly enjoyed everything I've read by Morgan Llywelyn ... and several of her books would fit several of the HF 2011 challenge categories ... particularly some of the early time periods in the "It's About Time" challenge. Loved Finn MacCool, Red Branch, Druids, The Bard & of course The Lion of Ireland!

Ahhh ...

Kelly P.

I was thinking of trying alternative history starting with Stephen Baxter's Time's Tapestry series. Either that or King Arthur era.

I have just read my first book in this challenge,  I have chosen Mysteries to be my topic.  The Black Hand, by Will Thomas is the fifth book in the Barker and Llewelyn series.  In this installment we get to know more about the mysterious Barker,  and Llewelyn is coming in to his own as an inquiry agent. 

Who would have thought about the mafia in London in the 1880's not me.  As usual Thomas brings the reader not only a good story but a fine history lesson about London in this time of radical change when we were moving into the scientific age, and social reform.  .He lifts the veil on the immigrant groups which lived in London, and did most of the living and dieing in this great city. 

Good Morning ladies.  I started my first book for this challenge a few nights ago.  Since I'm doing YA HF, I'm reading Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill.  I have never read a book writte in poem form, so I'm finding it a bit difficult.  However, I LOVE books about the Salem Witch Trials, so I will continue reading.  :D

I finished A Corpse In St. Andrew's Chapel 1-12-11

In this second installment of the Hugh de Singleton series, we find Hugh as now bailiff for Lord Gilbert and surgeon for the village of Bampton near Oxford.  Trying to find the killer of the Beadle (night watchman)of the village.  Though it looks to be the work of a wolf there is no sign of such an animal.  Hugh is suspicious too because the dead mans shoes are missing.

I like Hugh I wanted to like this book but I found it slow going, there were just to many times he saw things and didn't really press to find out what was going on the story meandered to it's conclusion.

The best part in this book is the budding romance between Hugh and a young lady.    2 1/2 stars

For this challenge, I decided to read 6 books by new to me authors. I just finished The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti. I really enjoyed it.

Oh Jill, that's a great relationship.  I was wondering how I was going to tie mine together. That might work!