The Winter Olympics and World Cup will be celebrated in 2014.  So...

I declare 2014 the year of Games!!!

If the thought of running and doing unneccesary physical activity is not your idea of fun, have no fear!  Our challenge is based around game shows!  Sorry, you won't win any money (unless it's money saved on buying books).

There are three levels:

Couch Potato - read 18 books

Spud - read 12 books

Tater Tot - read 6 books

Fancy a particular category?  You have the option to "RERUN" that category (meaning you can do it twice)  There is a 2 RERUN limit.

There are 21 categories to choose from, Twenty One being a game show at some point.  There are some new categories, and some fan favorites. There are also 3 bonuses, should you have some extra time on your hands 

The categories are:

1. The Biggest Loser - I can hear those shelves groaning all the way over here!  Post your TBR count, as of January 1st, here.  Be honest- it's for your own good!  Pledge to reduce that number in 2014.  (Participation can count as 1 book read, if you so choose) 

2. Let's Make a Deal - Read a wishlisted book.  Post that book to a fellow challenger.

3. American Idol - Read a book about a famous American that has been memorialized, either with a statue, city, river, building..etc named after them.

4. Fear Factor - Read a historical mystery.

5. Deal or No Deal - Look at all those sexy shelves holding such tempting books!  Pick 6 books at random off your TBR list.  Let us know if they were duds ($.01), worthy ($100,000) or the jackpot ($1mill)

6. Password - Read a book that contains a secret society or exclusive club.

7. To Tell the Truth - Read a book whose main character is a religious figure OR a book set in a religious institution.

8. Hollywood Squares - We all know the book was better.  Read a book that was turned into a movie or TV show/miniseries.

9. Win, Lose or Draw - Read a book that contains a duel.

10. The X Factor - X marks the spot! Read a book that contains a map, a pirate or a hidden treasure.

11. Pictionary - Read a book about art or an artist.

12. Project Runway - Look at those fashions! Who cares about her face! Read a book that has a headless lady on the cover.

13. The Newlywed Game - Read a "new to you" author.

14. 1 vs. 100 - This is Sparta! Read a book that contains a revolt or has the main character fight in a battle.

15. Family Feud - Everyone loves a soap opera. Read a book with two rivaling families or one family that is fighting amongst themselves,

16. Double Dare - You're already involved in too many series. But I dare you to start 2 new series!   Read the first book of two different series.

17. Love Connection - Read a book about your favorite lovebirds or a book whose main character you're absolutely in love with.

18. Wheel of Fortune - The first patent for a car engine was set in 1879, according to Wikipedia.  Read a book set after 1879.

19. $100,000 Pyramid - Read a book set in Egypt or any place that has sand.

20. Queen for a Day - Read a book about a queen.

21. Monopoly - Pick a country.  Read 4 books set in that country. OR Pick a time period.  Read 4 books set in that time period.

Bonus #1 - The Amazing Race - Read 6 books, each set in a different country.

Bonus #2 - Risk - Read 4 books set in South America OR 4 books set in Russia.

Bonus #3 - Chain Reaction - Link 5 books by word or letter, either through the title or author.

Example 1:    The Last Kingdom

                     The Killer Angels

                     Aztec

                     City of Women

                     World Without End

Example 2:    Bernard Cornwell

                    Colleen McCullough

                    Michael Jecks

                    Jeanne Kalogridis

                    Ken Follett

Example 3:   The Last Kingdom

                   Kingdom of Shadows

                   Shadow of the Wind

                   The Winds of War

                   War Brides

Well done, Carolyn.

Thank you, Bruce!

Carolyn - very creative and covers all bases.  I will have fun with this one!

Awesome! Thank you!

Really very nicely done, Carolyn!  This will be fun.

Kelly

Bravo, Carolyn! It looks like fun.

Oh, I LIKE!!!  Great theme!

Nicely done Carolyn. Looks fun~

Let me add my kudos -- well done indeed!

I like it thank you!!

Very clever and challenging as well!!! Great job, Carolyn.

Looks great!!!

Thank you all! 

I've already pulled some books and set them aside with a note on them that they're for the 2014 challenge! Some awesome, awesome categories!!! I love it!!!

(And the Monopoly one looks kinda familiar...)

Now I want to start next year's challenge before I'm finished failing miserably on this year's...

I aim to please, Lauri :)

I still have a few books to go to finish this years challenge, too.

Brilliant!!!  I've always done miserably at the challenges I devised.  Hoping I can do better with your's!  LOL!

Christa - you may personally have failed at your own challenges (really?????) but you sure devise some absolutely super ones! Carolyn is following in the steps of "The Great One"!!!!!!!

Excellent job Carolyn, although I'm terrible challenged at challenges so will just watch from the sidelines

OT, but does anyone know why I can't comment in the Fire browser? I can see the comment box, but the keypad doesn't open up for me to input anything. Works everywhere else on the web.

Cathy- try clicking in the subject box first.  For some reason, my iphone won't give me a keypad if I click in the comment box first. But if I click in the subject box and then click on the comment box does the keypad stay. Weird.

Christa,

Is there a way to pin the challenge lists thread to the main HF Challenge thread, where you've kept all the other threads?  

CR

@Cathy, on my iPad, I have to click the dialog box about 3 or 4 times before the virtual keyboard kicks in. It's obviously an issue with the site since it's affecting many different browsers.

Thanks Genie and Carolyn.

Very well done!!!,,, I can't wait to figure out my choices!