Awesome Idea: Bookish Bingo

I am new to participating challenges.  Actually, I am trying to be a good girl this year and avoid participating in them.  But, I really really can't avoid this one.  It's AWESOME, how can I ignore it?

So, here it is:  "Bookish Bingo" from the girls at "Great Imaginations".

Every three months, they will publish a new bingo card for us all to fill out.  On it will be seasonal tasks (like "a book about Christmas" during the winter months). For each completed task, we will check off one of your bingo squares.  If we make bingo in the allotted time, we will be entered into a giveaway! (Giveaway is international, for a book of the winner's choice.)

Rules:

• Sign-ups close on April 9th.
• All reading and reviewing must fall between April 1st and June 30th.
• One square per book.  For instance, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is both the first in a series, and a YA book, but it can only count for one square.
• Extra entries can be earned with multiple bingos or by filling out the whole card!

BINGO CARD OF APRIL, MAY AND JUNE

There are 24 squares.  I will be filling this page as and when I decide on a particular book and striking them out when I am done!

Green cover ---
Birds on Cover ---
Set During Winter ---
New-to-you Author --- Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
A Romance ---
Featuring Recovery ---
Child Narrator --- Maggie Malone and the Mostly Magical Boots by Jenna McCarthy, Carolyn Evans
Set in the Caribbean ---
Latino MC ---
About plants and wilderness ---
Has been made into a movie ---
Flower in title or in cover --- The Midnight Spell by Rhiannon Frater, Kody Boye
Spring Release ---
Set in California or Florida ---
Featuring Travel ---
April, May or June in Title ---
Strong Parent-Child Relationships ---
Set in high school ---
Written by a woman --- The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #12)
1st in a Series --- The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Yellow Cover ---
Starts with S, P, R, I, N or G --- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
A YA Book ---
Zombies! ---

So, what do you think about this awesome challenge?

2014 REVIEW PILE READING CHALLENGE

2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge is being hosted by Rachel @ Fiktshun and Reanna @ Phantasmic Reads!  Sign up here, if you are interested!

So, yes, the challenges for the next year are started.  In 2013, I didn't enter any challenges because I just want to read at my leisure, what with my marriage and other changes in my life.

But, now, I am able to organize things properly between family and books, I am going to enter a lot of challenges (that I know I will be able to keep up).

And people who know me already know that whenever more review copies arrive, I feel that guilt inside me. I know I am trying my maximum to read the books, but still there is always more (not complaining about the books, but the time).  So, when I saw this challenge, I am sure this will more motivating.  So, here it is...

CHALLENGE:  I am going to try for "Master" challenge, where I read 21-30 books from my review copies.  But, am sure, I will read more than this.. :)

So, what are you aiming for?  How many books could you read in a year - challenge or no-challenge?

Novella Reading Week!!!

So, we are starting with Novella Reading Week!

What is it?  See here for more information!

DATES: Novella Reading Week will take place from JUNE 10th to JUNE 16th.

GOAL: To read as many novellas as possible.

MY NOVELLA GOAL LIST

• RADIANT (Unearthly #2.5) by Cynthia Hand
• A DANCE WITH DARKNESS (Angelfire #0.5) by Courtney Allison Moulton
• VALKYRIE SYMPTOMS (Valkyrie #0.5) by Ingrid Paulson
• ELEMENTAL (Elemental, #0.5) by Brigid Kemmerer
• FEARLESS (Elemental, #1.5) by Brigid Kemmerer
• BREATHLESS (Elemental, #2.5) by Brigid Kemmerer

I think I will finish with at least four of them!  Will update you soon on my progress..

Anybody else taking the challenge with me?

Review Copy Cleanup: Love Will Find A Way!

In the Love Will Find a Way Challenge, we're sharing our all-time favourite books. If you were stuck on an island, or in a cave, which books would you bring? We're not limiting you to bring a certain amount of books, so give us your best!

Well, my choice would be

Vampire Academy series

Harry Potter series

These two series will have me going for a long time.. :)

Review Copy Cleanup: Mysterious Meet-up

In the Mysterious Meetup Challenge you can have that conversation with your favourite book character of all times. Who would you want to meet? What questions would you ask him or her? Share your Mysterious Meetup with us!

That's a bit easy - atleast half of it.  I would like to meet my favorite heroines of all time - Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy.  Well, the other half is a bit tough.  I don't know what I will ask her..I just want to see her..she was always a heroine whom I adored, so I want to know whether she really is so adorable and brave and such a kick-ass heroine when I finally meet her face to face.  Maybe I would ask her to have a cup of coffee with me! :-)

Who would you want to meet?

Review Copy Cleanup Challenge: Don't Be Such A Tease

Review copy cleanup Challenge is hosted by Books, Biscuits & Tea, where we read as many review copies as possible.  So far, I have completed 7 review copies and also posted the review.

The Don't Be Such a Tease challenge is all about being the biggest tease possible. We are all reading books that aren't published yet, and what is more fun than showing other readers how awesome your current read is! The challenge is to share a few sentences from the RCC book you are reading right now, so we can all get a little taste.

So, here is the book I am currently reading - A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink.

Teaser from "A Temptation of Angels":

She thought of Griffin.  Of the anguish on his face as he'd talked about his parents, murdered on the street, a cold metal key left in the palm of his dead mother's hand.
And then there are others.  Other families murdered so that Alsorta could gain access to the records.  Other Keeper destroyed for one man's greed.
Would Helen bring them all back?  Would it be enough to restore her sense of justice, or would there be an endless stream of wrongs to be righted?

You like this book? I hope you like the teaser, because so far I like the plot.  Come back again in a couple of days to see my review.

Review Copy Cleanup #2: Cuddle Up With a Book

The goal of the Cuddle Up With a Book Challenge is to share your favorite place to read. We love pictures - but if that's not possible, a description will do too (: Tell us why you love it! And maybe you have some reading habits you would love to share. Do you listen to music while reading? Or can you only read during the night? We're very curious to see our fellow bookworms' reading spots and read about their customs!

There is no favorite reading spot for me..anywhere peaceful and pleasant is good.  But, my usual reading spot is in my home, a chair near the computer and a window (where I can see our mango tree and squirrels screeching :)).  Usually my younger brother will be doing his school works in the same room, so we used to chat for an infinite amount of time.  If the book is interesting or he has some tests/exams the next day in school, we try to shut up and read.  So, I think that makes my favorite reading spot.

And other places are in buses, while I travel home from office.  This is definitely not my favorite, because our buses in India are definitely not made for comfort. :)  If there is enough light for reading in bus and the book I am reading is very interesting, only then I will take my Kindle out in bus.

I don't have the habit of listening to music or doing any other things while the novel is interesting.  And I like reading at night, because it will be so peaceful when everyone else is asleep and I can finish the entire novel at a stretch, if I want to.

So, those are my reading spots and habits.  What is yours? :)

Review Copy Cleanup: Show Off Your Pile

These are the 6 ARCs that I MUST read in this month (Courtesy: NetGalley, Harlequin, Penguin Young Readers, Simon & Schuster, Inc. and Random House Children's Books).  I have listed them in release date order.

1.  Starters by Lissa Price

2.  The Book of Lost Fragrances (Reincarnationist #4) by M.J. Rose

3.  Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

4.  Goddess Interrupted (The Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter

5.  Much Ado About Rogues (Blackthorn Brothers #3) by Kasey Michaels

6.  Spellcaster (Spellbound #2) by Cara Lynn Shultz

Books Received for Book Tours

1.  Pretty Flamingo by Perry Martin

2.  In Leah's Wake by Terri Giuliano

3.  Rachel (Past Lives #1) by Stephanie Abbott

4.  Return of Legacy by KH LeMoyne

5.  Flidderbugs by Jonathan Gould

6.  The Day of First Sun by Sheryl Stienes

7.  Doodling by Jonathan Gould

8.  Candlewax by C.Bailey Sims

9.  Generation by William Knight

Books Received From Authors/Publishers

1.  Zombie Love: The Outbreak by Eric J. Sabolik

2.  Caught In Crystal by Patricia C. Wrede

3.  Shifting Light by Emily Ann Ward (ARC)

Now, for the real challenge, I really hope to finish them all. :)  I am working on completing all of these books (already completed 2 of them :) ).  See who is an optimist now?  But still..wish me luck!

Review Copy Cleanup

There are recently a lot of review copies keeping piling up and I decided to join this challenge to finish up most of the review copies and also, enjoy reading them.  It would be a great month to read along with so many of the other bloggers/friends, who also signed up for this.  Thanks to 'Books, Biscuits and Tea' for hosting.  Come and join the challenge!  Let's read together!

My 2012 Reading Challenges: Gone Wild

This is the first time, I am entering reading challenges hosted by other bloggers.  And I think I may have been over-excited, when writing this blog.  So, don't mind, if the challenges look a bit wild.

1.  YA Contemporary, hosted by Reading Angel:

I am entering for 15+ books (Level 3).  Bit excited, because its one of my favorite genre.

2.  Young Adult Challenge, hosted by The Eclectic Bookshelf:

Huh..let me think.  Okay, I think I will go for "The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge" for 40 YA books.  Super-excited.. :)

3.  Gossip Girl reading challenge, hosted by Reading with Tequila:

Well, I have not seen the Gossip Girl TV Series, but I now would like to read it.  Sounds like a lot of fun.

4.  Around the stack in how many ways?, hosted by Dog Ear Discs:

This is going to be a lot fun and challenge than I think now.  And I love the challenge that I should in read as many genres as possible.  I am going for "Traveler" level, which is 10-15 genres.  Excited.......

5.  I Want More Challenge 2012, hosted by Tea Time with Marce:

I definitely want more.  So, I sign up for level 1 - "Waited too long", for which I have to read 2-4 books, from the authors, I have already had an awesome reading experience.  The real challenge is the books should not be a series.  Let's see, if I read 4 books well in advance, may be I will increase the levels on the go.

6.  YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge, hosted by The Book Cellar:

The challenge is to read any 10 YA/MG Fantasy books, that are released in 2012.  Wow!  This is my most favorite genre.  No idea about what are released in 2012 though.  :)

7.  Sophomore Reading Challenge (SRC), hosted by Chick Loves Lit:

Any second YA or MG book published by an author in 2012 counts - it can be the second in a series, a new series, or a standalone.  The only requirement is that it is the SECOND book the author has published in the YA or MG realm (and it must publish in 2012 in your home country, which is to mean India, for me).  The list of those books released in 2012 are here.  Should read 10 such books.  I think this is really going to be a challenge and I am not sure whether I can complete it.  But still, its fun. :)

8.  100+ Books in a Year, hosted by Book Chick City:





The biggest challenge of all..but I think I will complete it.  This year, I have reached 110+.. :)

To keep track of my progress in all the challenges, I will create a page for each challenges and will update it here soon.

In addition to all this, I will also join Goodreads Reading Challenge 2012 for 100 books as a target.  Let's face it.  I am most definitely over-excited.  Somebody should stop me..soon.