Since I've started surfing book blogs I've come upon book challenges, and decided to try one myself :) At wordsbyannie.blogspot.com there's the "What's In A Name Challenge", here are my selections-

1. A book with a color in its title.
   The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
   
   2. A book with an animal in its title.
   Love Monkey by Kyle Smith
   
   3. A book with a first name in its title.
   The True Confessions of Mabel Stark by Robert Hough
   
   4. A book with a place in its title.
   An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
   
   5. A book with a weather event in its title.
   The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron
   
   6. A book with a plant in its title.
   Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

So anyone else doing any? I

I used to choose with no planning, except for the my rule of not too much of only one genre. But late last year I tried a bunch of challgenges, on my own, I didn't join any of them formally.

The expired Expanding Horizons challenge at http://melissasbookreviews.blogspot.com/2007/11/expanding-horizons-challenge-link-list.html

The expired From the Stacks Challenge at http://www.jimnshelle.net/books/archives/004254.html

The ongoing Mann Booker Challenge at http://deweymonster.com/?p=478

The ongoing Russian Reading Challege at http://exlibris.typepad.com/russian_reading_challenge/

I put up reviews at my blog at http://www.xanga.com/buffaloSavage

A blog that lists challenges is A Novel Challenge at http://novelchallenges.blogspot.com/

It's a good way to get suggestions for reading

I'm challenging myself to read more books than I did last year because it was a pretty sad total:

Total books read in 2007: 106
Total pages read in 2007: 37,261

Just my own goal of 52 books 10 new to me authors 2 new to me genres and one finished series.

My own personal goal is to read 200 books.  Only 194 left to go!  :)

The only challenge I'm giving myself right now is reaching the goal of 100 books read. 59 to go!

I'd eventually like to join an online challenge, though. Things at home and college classes are preventing me from doing so right now, however.

There is a whole thread full of people that have a challange over in Games if you are interested: 

I just found another one that you can apparently still join. http://thoughtsofjoyblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/sweet-and-simple-choose-12-young-adult.html

The Young Adult Challenge, where you read 12 YA books in 2008. I'm not sure if I'll do that one, just though I'd post it in case anyone was interested.

There's also the "In Their Shoes" Challenge at http://shoesreading.blogspot.com/ , you can sign-up until February 1st. This one is cool because you can choose the number you want to read, they just have to be memoirs, biographies and autobiographies.

I just finished Marilyn Monroe's (unfinished) autobiography, and I've also read "So Many Books, So Little Time:A A Year of Passionate Reading", a reading memoir by Sara Nelson. Also on my list is Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, Buster Keaton: Tempest in a Flat Hat  by Edward McPherson, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee, An Alphabetical Life: Living It Up in the World of Books by Wendy Werris

What an incredibly wonderful idea!  I've never thought of doing anything like that.  I'll have to check around and see what sounds good to me to try out.

My own goal this year is to read the GROWING pile of books that I have in my TBR pile.  It keeps getting bigger and bigger by leaps and bounds.  It's in my profile if anyone is interested! 

Happy reading! :)

I am just continuing my goal for last year which was to read at least 2 non-fiction books a month.  I take public transportation to work so I get enough reading time to get through 10-12 books per month, I just like to remind myself to read non-fiction as well as fiction.

the A-Z author challenge -- read books whose last names begin with a different letter of the alphabet...nothing too fancy:)

I'm also doing an A-Z challege, but I'm doing 2.  The first is for authors last names, the other is for the first letter in the title of the book.

I also read 58 books last year, and I plan to surpass that (if school and work and other darn hobbies allow!)

I'm just trying to read 20 books (outside of all my textbooks).  It's not as ambitious as a lot of people, but I'm enjoying my selections so far.  It's kind of nice to have a plan and know that something different is coming up.

Most of the books are ones I've procrastinated on. Right now I am in the middle of A Year In Provence and loving it!  I'm glad I didn't put it off for any longer.

I'm going to try and tackle Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Apparently, it changes the way you think about everything. It's also about 1,100 pages.

I am going to try and put a dent in my TBR pile.  My problem is that I'm constantly adding to my TBR pile.

see below, i am currently reading Amy and Isabelle; The True Story of Hansel and Gretel; and You Should Thank Me it's So Hot

For me:  my TBR pile, of course - especially the books that people are waiting for.  Also, in the bite the bullet catagory : War and Peace , and Hundred Years of Sollitude ( I am tired of  feeling like I am the only one who hasn't read it yet).