The War Through the Generations Reading Challenge, hosted by Serena at Savvy Verse & Wit and Anna of Diary of an Eccentric focused this past year on WWI (1914-1918), also known as The Great War and The War to End All Wars.

I entered at only the WADE level which required me to read 4-10 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme and occurring before, during, or after the war. Since I made it to eight, I’m calling this a

SUCCESS!

I have a real interest in the time period around this war, which permanently changed the world, and found all of these very easy to read.

1. Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker – non-fiction, middle-school

2. The Absolutist by John Boyne – fiction

3. The Underpainter Read in December 2012 by Jane Urquart – literary fiction

4. Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpoole – fiction, YA, Newbery Medal winner

5. The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller – fiction, mystery

6. An Unmarked Grave: A Bess Crawford mystery by Charles Todd – fiction, mystery

7. The Mapping of Love and Death: a Maisie Dobbs mystery by Jacqueline Winspear – fiction, mystery

8. Broken Music by Marjorie Eccles – fiction, mystery, romance

Although 2012 was the year I tried to concentrate on books I already owned, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist entering contests for interesting-looking books I saw on blogs. And sometimes, I just happened to win!

Teddy Rose, who blogs over at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time hosted the Books Won 2012 Reading Challenge. I entered at the Bronze level, pledging to read (and review!) four – six books I won, so I have a

SUCCESS!

Library Thing, especially, sent me a bonanza of books this year. In addition, I also received several wins that I did not manage to get around to reading – yet. I will do my best to get to them in 2013!

Tree books:
1. Northwest Corner by John Burnham Schwarz
Won from Colloquium

2. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield
Thanks to Kat at Reviews from the Heart

3. A Small Furry Prayer by Steven Kotler
Won through Library Thing Early Reviewer program

4. White River Junctions by Dave Norman
Won through Library Thing Early Reviewer program

5. Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman
Courtesy of the author through Shelf Awareness Author Buzz

6. African Love Stories edited by Ama Ata Aidoo
Thank you to Amy McKie of Amy Reads for this book!

7. UContent by Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo
Won through Library Thing Early Reviewer program

8. Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
I’m so sorry that I can’t remember who was the kind donor of the Book Depository gift certificate that allowed me to buy this. If you know who it is, please let me know!

9. 419 by Will Ferguson
Courtesy of the publisher

EBooks:
10. Chickens, Mules & Two Old Fools by Victoria Twead
Won through Library Thing Early Reviewer program

11. Winnie & Gurley by Robert G. Hewitt
Won through Library Thing Early Reviewer program

12. Falling Into Green by Cher Fischer
Won through Library Thing Early Reviewer program

13. Promise Me Eternity by Ian Fox
Courtesy of the author

14. A Shortage of Bodies by Dr. Gary D. McKay
Won through Library Thing Early Reviewer program

Juiced with having won a
Kindle ebook reader in the autumn of 2011, I signed up for Workaday Reads’ eBook Reading Challenge and set myself the goal of reading 10 ebooks in 2012. That was the CD level.

I managed to read 11 ebooks, so I have

SUCCESS!

For the complete list, visit my sign-up page.

At the beginning of 2012, my house was overflowing with books, so I joined several – five, in fact – challenges designed to help me reduce the piles.

As you’ll see, the challenges worked for me only in a limited way. But I did sell a dozen books at a yard sale, give away 316 books to a starting-up used bookstore in the village, and send another 27 out with the recycling. So, hey, I cleared out a lot of books this year – although I think that the (hundreds) that are left are breeding when my back is turned.

* * * * *

I started the year with the great TBR Double Dare which required me read only the books in my To Be Read stack from January 1, to April 1. And I did – so I should have made on dent in my shelves.

SUCCESS! (sort of)

My downfall was the fine print: The official stance on library books is that you can only read those in your possession or on your holds list at 12:00 A.M. on Jan. 1, 2012.

See, my library hold list was long – and the books kept coming and so what I read, although technically qualifying, wasn’t reducing the TBR pile I needed to tackle.

* * * * *

Bonnie at Bookish Ardour who hosted the Off the Shelf Challenge had easy rules: if it was in my possession on December 31st and I read it this year, then it counted.

FAILURE!

Even with those easy qualification, I didn’t make it, reading only 37 titles. You can see the complete list on my original sign-up page.

* * * * *

Bev at My Reader’s Block hosted the very popular Mount TBR Challenge.

I committed to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and read 50 books from my shelves. Bev didn’t allow re-reads (which I did for the Books That Made Me Love Reading challenge) nor did she permit ARCs. That knocked 5 titles from my Off the Shelf list, for a total of 32. I’ve listed them on my original sign-up page.

FAILURE!

Thirty-measly-two! I should have gone in at Mount Vancouver level – then I would have gotten to the peak instead of being stuck at base camp.

* * * * *

I did even worse (if you can imagine!) on Evie’s TBR Pile Reading Challenge at Bookish. Evie required that every book had to be reviewed. Until I started my month-end mini reviews in April, I posted reviews only sporadically.

Since I went in at the “Married with Children” level of 41 -50 books, and only 27 of my off-the-shelf reads qualify, I have another:

FAILURE!

For a list of the qualifying titles, see my sign-up page.

* * * * *

Adam over at Roof Beam Reader also hosted a TBR Pile Challenge – and I had to list my twelve books in advance. I’m thankful I was allowed two alternates because I used them both. To see which two titles I ended up skipping, you’ll have to check my original list on my sign-up page.

SUCCESS!

1. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth Completed Apr 2012
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Completed Jul 2012
3. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler Completed Sep 2012
4. A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence Completed Sep 2012
5. My Financial Career and Other Follies by Stephen Leacock Completed Feb 2012
6. Memoirs by Pierre Elliott Trudeau Completed Nov 2012
7. Walden by Henry David Thoreau Completed Mar 2012
8. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck Completed Sep 2012
9. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury Completed Sep 2012
10. The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oates Completed Oct 2012
11. Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie Completed Jun 2012
12. Halfway House by Ellery Queen Completed Dec 2012

I think the What’s in a Name Reading Challenge was the most fun of all the 63 challenges I attempted this year.

Here’s how it works: I had to read a book from each of the following categories. Simple, right? And deceptively challenging!

If you’re interested in trying your hand at the 2013 version, go here.

SUCCESS!

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn Completed Oct 2012

2. A book with something you’d see in the sky in the title: Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpoole Completed Oct 2012

3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title: A Recipe for Bees by Gail Anderson-Dergatz Completed Aug 2012

4. A book with a type of house in the title: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Completed Jan 2012

5. A book with something you’d carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: Sabine’s Notebook by Nick Bantock Completed Jan 2012

6. A book with a something you’d find on a calendar in the title: The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright Completed Mar 2012

My non-fiction reading was down in 2012, compared to 2011, but I still managed to reach my goals in these three non-fiction reading challenges.

Because the Dewey Decimal System challenge allowed me to count any non-fiction, without restrictions, I entered at the Master level, committing to read 16-20 Dewey-decimal-classified books

SUCCESS!

1. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker

2. Searching for the Secret River by Kate Grenville

3. A Prairie Boy’s Winter by William Kurelek

4. Seeing Trees by Nancy Ross Hugo & Robert Llewellyn

5. Chickens, Mules, & Two Old Fools by Victoria Twead

6. Walden by Henry David Thoreau

7. A Small Furry Prayer by Steven Kotler

8. White River Junctions by Dave Norman

9. Winnie & Gurley by Robert G. Hewitt

10. Notes to My Mother-in-Law by Phyllida Law

11. Manners for Women by Mrs. Humphrey

12. Heading Home: On Starting a New Life in a Country Place by Lawrence Scanlan

13. The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard

14. UContent by Nicholas G. Tomaiuolo

15. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

16. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

17. The Canadian Food Guide by Pierre & Janet Berton

18. Memoirs by Pierre Elliott Trudeau

19. Mordecai: the Life and Times by Charles Foran – in progress

* * * * *

I went for a Diploma status (requiring 10 qualifying books) in the Non-Fiction, Non-Memoir, but went a little easier on myself

in the Memorable Memoirs challenges, committing to only 1 -4 books to make the Diarist level.

I had SUCCESS! in both challenges and you can find my break-out of books on the sign-up pages for each one:
Non-Fiction, Non-Memoir 2012 sign-up
Memorable Memoirs 2012 sign-up

I entered a couple of reading challenges this year that took me back to the reading of my childhood.

The first was Reading Books Published in the First Years of My Life.

I originally thought I would complete this challenge (at the Toddler level) by reading adult books, but the challenge logo put me in mind of snuggling up with a book as a child – and so I decided to read some of the books I might have read then.

SUCCESS!

1954 – Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
1955 – Eloise by Kay Thompson
1956 – Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

* * * * *

FAILURE!
Of all the challenges that I couldn’t complete this year, I’m most disappointed that I didn’t get this one: Books That Made Me Love Reading. It called for a post a month about the books that made reading such a passion for me.

There’s so many books I wanted to share – and, alas, so little time!

I did manage the first four months:
January: These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
February: Trixie Belden and the Red Trailer Mystery
March: The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
April: A Place for Johnny Bill by Ruth Juline Bishop

A few of the reading challenges that I entered this year required only one book to complete. As such, they don’t really each need a separate post to report.

Books in Translation Challenge
SUCCESS!

I thought this would be a whole lot easier, given the number of foreign language books being translated into English. (And given that I had committed to read Montaigne’s essays – which didn’t happen.) But, in the end, unless I’ve missed something in my year’s reading, I needed to obtain a book just to fulfill this challenge.

The Stranger by Albert Camus (translated from the French) Completed Nov 2012

* * * * *

Sir Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge
SUCCESS!

I honestly had no idea what Terry Pratchett was all about when I signed up for this challenge. I soon found out he’s a master of fantasy – and that’s a genre I’m not too enthralled with. I was thankful that I had signed on for only one book – and I read that.

The Carpet People

* * * * *

Books I Started But Didn’t Finish
FAILURE!

There was only 1 book that I started in 2011 but didn’t finish, that I had hoped to complete in 2012. That was May Sarton’s The Magnificent Spinster. Alas, it’s been so long now, if I ever get back to this book, I’ll have to start all over again.

SUCCESS!

The Color-Coded Reading Challenge is one of my favourites. I spent most of year not knowing how I was going to get ‘yellow’ but finally found a book in September.

Did you participate in this challenge?

I needed to read a book with the following colours in the title:

Blue***Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan Completed Mar 2012
Red***Trixie Belden and the Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell Completed Feb 2012
Yellow***Yellowthread Street by William Marshall Completed Sep 2012
Green***Falling Into Green by Cher Fischer Completed July 2012
Brown***The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton Completed Mar 2012
Black***The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham Completed Jun 2012
White***White River Junctions by Dave Norman Completed Mar 2012
Any other colour***These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder Completed Jan 2012
Implied colour***In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Completed Sep 2012

The goal in the Read Your Name Challenge was to read my name or the name of my blog in book title first letters. Since I was already in for the A- Z Reading Challenge, I figured I’d covered off every letter of the alphabet at least once. So, riding the wave of signing up for so many challenges, I super-sized this one and decided to read both my name and my blog name.

SUCCESS! (But just barely – man – those “E”s were hard to get!)

This was a lot of fun! What do you think of my choices?

D***Divine Ryans, The by Wayne Johnston
E***Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear
B***Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker
B***Birth House, The by Ami McKay
I***I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
E***Echo Maker, The by Richard Powers

@***At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha CHristie

E***11/22/63 by Stephen King
X***oXford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman
U***Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
R***Recipe for Bees, A by Gail Anderson-Dergatz
B***Beggar’s Garden, The by Michael Christie
A***Absolutist, The by John Boyne
N***Notes to my Mother-in-Law by Phyllida Law
I***I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
S***Sisters Brothers, The by Patrick deWitt

SUCCESS!

This seemed like a fun challenge and one that is a bit different: instead of using book titles, it looked at the images on the covers of books.
To complete the Find the Cover Challenge, I had to find images on my book covers starting with the letters that spell out the year: Two Thousand Twelve.

But it really wasn’t that much fun. There are often so many different covers for a book that I felt as if I wasn’t connecting with anyone with my choices. Nonetheless, you can find my choices on my sign-up page.

SUCCESS!

Since there are so many enticing new series out there, this challenge was sure to be a cinch. I opted in at the basic level to read 3 series starts.

Although I exceeded my ‘start’ goal, I found only 1 series in 5 that I’ll invest any more time in – an interesting statistic to me.

1. The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller Completed Mar 2012
Set in post-WWI England and featuring Laurence Bartram, this is the only series I started this year that I will continue.

2. The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe Completed Mar 2012
I was hopeful for this series starring Hazel Micallef, chief of Port Dundas, Ontario police. It was solidly plotted but, ultimately, a little dark for me.

3. Yellowthread Street by William Marshall 1975 Completed Sep 2012

4. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham 1929 Completed Jun 2012
The first in the famed Albert Campion series.

5. Death at the President’s Lodging by Michael Innes 1936 Completed Nov 2012
Inspector Appleby’s debut

SUCCESS!

I’m glad I took on this challenge because it helped me get caught up on some favourite series. I finished the three series I set out for myself, plus a fourth.

Chet & Bernie by Spencer Quinn
The Dog Who Knew Too Much Completed Aug 2012
A Fistful of Collars Completed Oct 2012

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
The Mapping of Love and Death Completed Apr 2012
A Lesson in Secrets Completed Aug 2012
Elegy for Eddie Completed Aug 2012

Flavia de Luce by Alan Bradley
I Am Half-Sick of Shadows Completed Jan 2012

Bess Crawford by Charles Todd
An Unmarked Grave Completed Jul 2012

SUCCESS!

I entered this at the easy level, committing to one book from each of the seven continents. In fact, I read more than one in 5 of the categories.

Here are my official titles.

• Africa
African Love Stories, edited by Ama Ata Aidoo (various countries) Completed May 2012

• Asia
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (India) Completed Apr 2012

• Australasia/Oceania
The Secret River by Kate Grenville (Australia) Completed Feb 2012

• Europe
Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyen Completed Mar2012

• North America
The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield (Arkansas, USA) Completed Jan 2012)

• South America
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Peru) Completed Sep 2012)

• The Seventh Continent (here I could choose either Antarctica or my own ´seventh´ setting, eg the sea, the space, history, the future – whatever).
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (space) Completed Sep 2012

SUCCESS!

I booked as a Business Traveler last year, committing to read at least three books set somewhere in the 50 sovereign states of Europe. In fact, I ended in a five star Deluxe Entourage!

Altogether I read a total of 10 books set in Europe, covering 5 different countries (7 countries if you break out the United Kingdom).

Germany: Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyen Completed Mar 2012
Spain: Chickens, Mules, & Two Old Fools by Victoria Twead Completed Feb 2012
France: The Absolutist by John Boyne Completed Aug 2012
Iceland: The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesay Completed Jul 2012
United Kingdom (Wales): How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn Completed Oct 2012
United Kingdom (Scotland): Gillespie & I by Jane Harris Completed Apr 2012
United Kingdom (England): The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins Completed May 2012
United Kingdom (England): Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Completed Jul 2012
United Kingdom (England): Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman Completed May 2012
United Kingdom (England): The Return of Captain Emmett by Elizabeth Speller Completed Feb 2012

SUCCESS!

When I joined Swapna’s South Asian Reading Challenge, I committed to reading only two books. But what B-I-G books they were!

I’m happy to report success.

1. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (set in India) 1,488 page Completed April 2012

2. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (set in India & Pakistan) 536 pages Completed Oct 2012

SUCCESS!

I entered this at the “Sweet Tea” level, needing to read three books – and three books is what I’ve read.

Bring on the tea!

1. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Kentucky and Louisiana) Completed January 2012

2. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield (Arkansas) Completed January 2012

3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (Texas) Completed September 2012

I think it’s time to start recording the results of my 2012 reading challenges. I thought I’d start with this one since I hosted it.

SUCCESS!

All of the books on my list but one were by new-to-me authors. The one repeat author is a favourite of mine. After a slow start, I did read all the books and greatly enjoyed them all except for the repeat author (go figure). This was my year to finally read Wayne Johnston for the first—and second—time, but not the last.

If you entered the challenge, please feel free to link your wrap-up post in the comments. If you don’t have a wrap-up post, then let me know in the comments how you did. Did you discover any new authors? Whether or not you participated in the challenge, tell me: Have you enjoyed any Canadian books this year?

Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize: (1991) The Divine Ryans by Wayne Johnston 5 stars

Canadian Authors’ Association Award for Fiction: (1999) The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston 4½ stars

Scotiabank Giller Prize: (2011) Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyen 4½ stars

Amazon.ca First Novel Award: (2002) Crow Lake by Mary Lawson 4 stars

Governor-General’s Literary Award: (1966) A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence 3 stars

Well, I should be halfway there…but I’m not.

Bev at My Reader’s Block has called for a half-year check-in on her Mount TBR Reading Challenge. I pledged to read 50 books – the Mount Kilimanjaro level. So far, I’ve read only 15 books that were on my own shelves on December 31, 2011.

Bev asks:
• How many miles does that correlates to on the real mountain?

In this case 5,800 – that’s over a mile high so maybe I’m not doing so badly. But I still have a long way to go. (Mount Kilimanjaro is 19,340 feet high.)

• Who has been my favorite character so far?

In the books from my bookshelves (as opposed to new books & those borrowed from the library), I’d have to choose Rush Melendy from The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright. I had a huge crush on Rush when I was pre-teen and I still think him to be talented, sensitive, and smart. All the things a girl could want in a guy. [sigh]

• Have any of the books I’ve read surprised me?

I was surprised that I had a dislike for Mickey Spillane that came from my gut. I like mysteries, I’ve read noir before, but Spillane was just too hard-boiled for me.

I was also surprised by Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. I’ve wanted to read that book for 40 years – and I should have done it when I was younger. Now, I just wanted to shake him and tell him to grow up.

This is for you, Bev – it’s not a poem, but it uses(with poetic license) 12 of the 15 titles on my list.

ONE LONELY NIGHT
a girl had
A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM
in which she saw
THE MAPPING OF LOVE AND DEATH
and
A SUITABLE BOY

Upon waking, she made in her heart
A PLACE FOR JOHNNY BILL
and they spent
THE SATURDAYS
of their youth walking
THE MARKET SQUARE DOG

When they retired from
(THEIR) FINANCIAL CAREER AND OTHER FOLLIES
they spent
THESE HAPPY GOLDEN YEARS
in
WALDEN
while
THE COYOTE (SANG) TO THE MOON

So: only fifteen of the 54 books I’ve read this year met the criteria for this challenge.

Time to burn (well, maybe hide) my library card.

This year, have you read mostly borrowed books, new books, or old friends from your own shelves?

It’s summer now and time to take stock as to how I did with my personal reading goals in the Spring Reading Thing, hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days.

Katrina gave us some questions to help us sum up. Herewith, the answers, near as I can figure.

1) Did you finish reading all the books on your spring reading list? If not, why not?

I came up four books short of my eighteen book goal (missing Bertons’ Canadian Food Guide, Jane Eyre, Leacock: His Remarkable Life, and The History of the World in 100 Objects.) But I also read another 11 books that weren’t on the agenda. You can see my original list here.

2) Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?

See the answer to #1.

The library books I just had to read (but that weren’t on my list) included A Dog’s Journey, The Land of Decoration, Gillespie & I, and Notes to my Mother-in-Law.

3) What was your favorite book that you read this spring? Why?

I’ve read some good books so far this year but I’ve most enjoyed The Colony Of Unrequited Dreams, a fictional account of the life of Newfoundland’s first premier, Joseph Smallwood. I just loved Wayne Johnston’s style of writing. I’ve read a number of novels set in mid-century Newfoundland outports, but this was my first exposure to the attitude and experience of the “city people” from St. John’s – and of the politics that led to Newfoundland joining Canada in 1949.

4) Did you discover a new author or genre this spring? Did you love them? Not love them?

I read my first really hard-boiled detective novel: Mickey Spillane’s One Lonely Night. It’s a genre I won’t be exploring further. I found the protagonist’s attitude toward violence to women very disturbing.

I also explored some modern African writing via African Love Stories: An Anthology. I was intrigued and will definitely be trying to expand my reading horizon to include more by African authors.

5) Did you learn something new because of Spring Reading Thing 2012 – something about reading, about yourself, or about a topic you read about?

I confirmed that I continue to be distracted by all the glittery new books I see. I think it’s a sickness, but at least it’s books and not Gucci bags.

6) What was your favorite thing about the challenge?

The Spring Reading Challenge really helped me get a chunk of my 2012 Required Reading done, so I’m that much closer to meeting the other 63 challenges I’ve entered this year.

I particularly enjoyed cogitating on question #5. So I’m interested – what about you? Have you learned anything new from your reading this year – something about reading, about yourself, or about a topic you read about?

Thanks to Katrina for hosting this challenge!