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This week’s Weekly Geeks could not have come at a better time. Being away on vacation is great for reading (I polished off three books) but not so great for staying on top of book reviews and challenge updates. So I was pleased when I saw Dew’s challenge for this week:
This week’s theme is: catch up on… something.
Weekly Geeks #6 was catch up on reviews week, but so many of you organized bloggers were caught up with reviews that you chose to catch up on other things. So I kept in mind that a catch-up week every now and then will probably be welcome. At this point, I’m very behind on several blog tasks, so I thought maybe you might be, too!
I have two reviews left to write from my holiday reading - but I’ve just spent a little time updating my challenge lists and thought I’d share them with you.
Completed Challenges
50 Book Challenge - Readers who have been with me for a while might remember that the whole reason for this website was to document my journey to read 50 books during 2008. When I set myself that challenge I never imagined that I would meet so many fantastic people - and learn about so many wonderful books! Instead of reducing my TBR mountain it continues to grow from strength to strength - but I have re-discovered my passion for reading, and thanks to the numerous challenges I’ve signed up for I actually read my 50th book - Animal Farm - on July 26th!
Year to date I’ve read 61 books - I would love to aim for 100 books - but I think a more realistic target would be 75… maybe I’ll go for 100 in 2009 
Here are some of the other challenges I’ve completed - all run by some wonderful bookish bloggers:
I Heard it Through the Grapevine - From May 1 to November 30 read at least three books recommended by other readers.
Here’s my list:
- March by Geraldine Brooks
- The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay
- The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
- The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Chunkster Challenge - read at least four books with at least 450 pages by December 20th.
Here’s my list:
- The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak
- This is all - Aidan Chambers
- Hester’s Story by Adele Geras
- Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
- Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
The Summer Reading Challenge / The Summer Reading Thing -
The Summer Reading challenge requires you to read as many books as you’d like between June and August. The Summer Reading Thing has slightly different dates and runs from June 20 through September 21.
Here’s my list for both challenges:
- Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
- What if…? By Steve N. Lee
- Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (The Summer Reading Thing starts here!)
- Anne of Green Gables
- The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
- Anne of Avonlea
- The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
- The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell
- Dear John by Norma L. Betz
- No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Matrimony by Josh Henkin
- Anne of the Island
- The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
- Jemima J. by Jane Green (Summer Reading Challenge ends here)
- The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay
- Anne of Windy Willows
- Glitz by Louise Bagshaw
- Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
- The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
Failed challenges
It had to happen sooner or later - I signed up for the Chick Lit challenge as I have quite a few of that genre languishing on the TBR - the aim was to read three books between June and September 1, but I could only manage two!
Here’s my list:
I did read Glitz by Louise Bagshaw but unfortunately I didn’t finish it until Spetember 13 - which was outside the timescales 
Ongoing challenges
This review has reminded me of ongoing challenges that I need to focus on if I am to complete them! This should help me plan my reading for the next few months - here are some of the books I’ll be reading:
- Anne’s House of Dreams
- Anne of Ingleside
- Rainbow Valley
- Rilla of Ingleside
- Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Asichie
- Great Expectations
- three more classics!
How about you? Are you all caught up on your book reviews and challenges? How many challenges have you completed this year? Are you on track to complete everything you signed up for?
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Comments
14 Responses to “Sunday Salon meets Weekly Geeks | Time to catch up”
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I’m on 73 books for the year so far, so I’m definitely aiming for the century!
Good luck with your remaining challenges!
Bart’s Bookshelfs last blog post..Some Stats: Top Posts in the Last 30 Days #2
I read a lot more because of the challenges as well. I need to read 10 books by the end of the year to complete my challenges–I think that’s pretty doable. Next year I think I’m going to take it easy (although that’s what I said last year!). Good luck with finishing everything–and, it’s not the end of the world if you didn’t. Don’t think of it as failing!! You tried something new, at least. I just finished Half of a Yellow Sun and found it to be a pretty quick read (at least quicker than I expected)
I am only taking up challenges which I think I can do at my own pace and own reading pleasure. I realised it that we are not for challenges, challenges are for us. WE decide how we do it, challenges should not.
I feel freer and light becos of it!
Interesting blogs, links and books
My geeky post:
http://readingandmorereading.blogspot.com/2008/09/weekly-geeks-18-intentionssummary.html
gautami tripathys last blog post..Weekly Geeks #18: Intentions/summary
I’ve got 23 books I need to read before the end of the year to complete all my challenges. If I don’t complete a few I won’t be heartbroken, I usually join challenges to stretch my reading and to stop that feeling of looking at my massive tbr pile ,300+, and not knowing where to start. I also like that you get to discover new books through others reviews
katrinas last blog post..Sunday Salon: A random variety, plus Short Story Sunday
i’m going to work on a challenge update post tonight … i’m sure i’m not going to be able to finish everything, but i’d sure like to finish as much as i can! good luck to you!
alisonwonderlands last blog post..Weekly Geeks No. 18
Wow you are doing wonderful this year! Especially with your challenges, I only have 4 right now so I am pretty much on schedule. I challenged myself to read 75 books this year and I have just finished book 94 (the house is a little dusty though)
Joannes last blog post..The Sunday Salon - Randomness
@Bart’s Bookshelf -
Keep up the good work! I wish I could make the century but it’s too big a challenge!
@Trish - that’s great - 10 books is certainly achievable. You’re right - it doesn’t matter if we don’t finish challenges as long as we try something new.
@gautami tripathy - *lol* I completely agree! I’ve only signed up for challenges this year where I’ve had books on the shelf to meet them. My ultimate aim is always to reduce that TBR mountain
@katrina - thanks for stopping by Katrina - you make a very good point about discovering new books - though sometimes I’m not sure that is such a good thing when the TBR mountain keeps growing faster than I can read the books!
@alisonwonderland - Good luck with your challenges Alison
@Joanne - 94! Wow - I’m impressed and jealous - and a little dust never hurt anyone!
Great post! You are doing great with the challenges. This was my first year to discover the blog world of book challenges and I have found it quite addicting and hard to keep organized! Much luck to you has you finish your year of reading and congrats on passing that 50 book mark.
*smiles*
Kim
Kims last blog post..Best of 2008 list
@Kim - thanks for the words of encouragement - I have so much to be thankful for the book blogging world rekindling my love for reading