Off-The Shelf 2014

BA’s 2014 Off the Shelf Reading Challenge

About: The Off the Shelf Reading Challenge is probably the most popular challenge there is on BA. The goal? To read books on your shelves that have gone unread for far too long. Selecting books from the year before (in this case, 2012 and before), read as many of the unread ones as you can. It’s up to you if you want to keep them or give them away afterwards, the main goal is to turn those unread books into read ones.

The Finer Deets

• The Main Rule: Do not include books acquired during 2014, it defeats the purpose, read those books from before 2014 started.
• Running dates for all 2014 challenges: 1st of January – 31st of December 2014
• Sign-Ups are accepted until the 16th of December 2014.
• Formats: All BA Challenges are eBook, audio, short story, and graphic novel friendly.
• Crossovers: You’re welcome to crossover with BA’s challenges. Include as many books across all the challenges as you can, I always say.

How To Sign-Up and Join In

1. Choose Your Level: Choose a challenge level listed below.
2. Sign Up Post: Create a post on your blog, in a group, or on a forum (where possible) to let others see what you’re aiming for (a predefined list of books is optional).
3. Grab The Badge: Download or grab the badge and place it in your sign up post. Then link back to Bookish Ardour.
4. Link Up: Grab the direct URL to your sign up post, not your blog, click the Mr Linky graphic and enter your link.
5. Blogless? Don’t worry, you can sign up with your social network profile (YouTube, Twitter, GoodReads, Shelfari included), just make sure you link to your review list, shelf, tweet, or category. If you don’t have any of those feel free to comment.
6. Your Reviews: Reviewing is optional! But if you do review it would be great for you to share them by submitting them on the review page.
   
7. Finished: When you’re done it’s completion post time and you can share these on thecompletion/wrap-up page.
   

Challenge Levels

1. Tempted– Choose 5 books to read
2. Trying – Choose 15 books to read
3. Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
4. On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
5. Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read
6. Hoarder – Choose between 76-135 books to read
7. Buried – Choose between 136-200 books to read

Extra Challenges

If you feel like that extra kick to your reading challenges here’s a couple you can choose from.

• World: Choose a country as your theme, reading only books from that country or where it’s the setting. For how high you go you can choose more than one country;
  • Level Tempted and Trying: Choose one country
  • Level Making a Dint and On A Roll: Choose two countries
  • Level Flying Off to end of Hoarder: Choose three countries
  • Level Buried: Choose four countries.
• Gender Battle: Read books only by female or male authors. Another alternative is to read equal amounts of both.

I will do Trying Again.  I am using bookshelf at Goodreads to keep track.

Free Reads 2014

BA’s 2014 Free Reads Reading Challenge

About: The Free Reads Challenge is about all those books you’ve received for free, but haven’t been able to get to. Read books you’ve gotten via presents, review requests, prizes, or just found in the street. Does not include library books or other lending services. They must be books that have become part of your personal collection.

The Finer Deets

• The Main Rule: Read books you’ve received without purchasing and you haven’t read yet. Books include gifts, ARCs, prizes, rescue books, but does not include library or other loaned books, and yes you can read new releases.
• Running dates for all 2014 challenges: 1st of January – 31st of December 2014
• Sign-Ups are accepted until the 16th of December 2014.
• Formats: All BA Challenges are eBook, audio, short story, and graphic novel friendly.
• Crossovers: You’re welcome to crossover with BA’s challenges. Include as many books across all the challenges as you can, I always say.

How To Sign-Up and Join In

1. Choose Your Level: Choose a challenge level listed below.
2. Sign Up Post: Create a post on your blog, in a group, or on a forum (where possible) to let others see what you’re aiming for (a predefined list of books is optional).
3. Grab The Badge: Download or grab the badge and place it in your sign up post. Then link back to Bookish Ardour.
4. Link Up: Grab the direct URL to your sign up post, not your blog, click the Mr Linky graphic and enter your link.
5. Blogless? Don’t worry, you can sign up with your social network profile (YouTube, Twitter, GoodReads, Shelfari included), just make sure you link to your review list, shelf, tweet, or category. If you don’t have any of those feel free to comment.
6. Your Reviews: Reviewing is optional! But if you do review it would be great for you to share them by submitting them on the review page.
   
7. Finished: When you’re done it’s completion post time and you can share these on thecompletion/wrap-up page.
   

Challenge Levels

1. For Me? – Choose 5 books to read
2. On The Cheap – Choose 15 books to read
3. Bargain – Choose 30 books to read
4. Presents – Choose 50 books to read
5. So Free – Choose 75 books to read
6. Gift Addict – Choose between 76-135 books to read
7. Speechless – Choose between 136-200 books to read

Extra Challenges

If you feel like that extra kick to your reading challenges here’s a couple you can choose from.

• World: Choose a country as your theme, reading only books from that country or where it’s the setting. For how high you go you can choose more than one country;
  • Level For Me? and On The Cheap: Choose one country
  • Level Bargain and Presents: Choose two countries
  • Level So Free to end of Gift Addict: Choose three countries
  • Level Speechless: Choose four countries.
• Gender Battle: Read books only by female or male authors. Another alternative is to read equal amounts of both.

I will start with For Me? and see if I can go from there. I may be able to do 15 but want to get 5 done first.

Eclectic Challenge 2014

In it’s third year, the aim of The Eclectic Reader 2014 Challenge is to push you outside your comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different categories.

Join in:

• The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2014. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2014

• Create a blog post committing to  your participation in this challenge.

*  If you don’t have a blog you are still welcome to sign up. You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads or LibraryThing or a similar site Just include your name and a link to your shelf.

• elect, read and review a book from each genre listed below during the year for a total of 12 books. A book may be in print, electronic or audio format.

*  You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish.

*  Where a book is identified by more than one genre eg historical romance, it may only count for either the historical fiction or romantic fiction genres – not both.

*  You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just complete the challenge by December 31st 2014 to be eligible for the prize drawing.

Categories

1. Award Winning
2. True Crime (Non Fiction):The Shoemaker (The Anatomy of a Psychotic) by Flora Rheta Schreiber
3. Romantic Comedy
4. Alternate History Fiction
5. Graphic Novel
6. Cosy Mystery Fiction:  Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
7. Gothic Fiction
8. War/Military Fiction
9. Anthology
10. Medical Thriller Fiction
11. Travel (Non Fiction)
12. Published in 2014:  Pearls and Poison by Duffy Brown

If you need some ideas for what to read in the above categories I suggest you search Listopia at Goodreads for example click here for a list that includes Alternate History titles

• Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, make sure you identify it by adding either a direct statement  and /or the challenge image badge to the post. If you tweet use the tag #eclecticreader or @bookdout
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E-Book Challenge 2014

The 2014 Ebook Challenge.
Encouraging readers to expand past just physical books to embrace ebooks in all forms.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2014 – Dec 31, 2014.
2. Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).
3. Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.
4. You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.
6. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2014, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

Levels:

1. Floppy disk – 5 ebooks
2. CD – 10 ebooks
3. DVD – 25 ebooks
4. Memory stick – 50 ebooks
5. Hard drive – 75 ebooks
6. Server – 100 ebooks
7. Human brain – 150 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. The linky will remain open for the remainder of the year, so if you forget, feel free go back and add them when you remember.

I will start with Floppy Disc:  5 ebooks.