So, in my forays into Good Reads and LibraryThing and various other book review sites, blogs and geekified bookworm websites, I’ve casually seen these odd things called challenges. They range from the simple- “read three books about your state in a month” to the mega-complex, with page after page of guidelines and rules and page numbers… etc.

Guess which I kind I got wrapped up into?

Our Fearless Leader’s kick ass girlfriend, who, incidentally, deserves her own special nickname on this site… let’s see…I’m not creative so lets go with Awesome Chick, A.C. for short.

Anyway, she and I have bonded over ghost hunts and whatnot, but our main draw is books. Oh yes, we love the books. So she joined this challenge and invited me along. It is complex and detailed, so I won’t go into it here, but the goal is to read a lot of books in widely differing categories between September and November. Points are given when certain tasks are completed. The points mean just about as much they did on that old comedy show, “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” which is to say, nada. But the challenge, the books, the marathon reading… it is too strong a force to resist.

Naturally, this lead me to scrutinizing other book challenges. Which, also naturally, lead me to decide to participate in many of those as well… at the same fucking time! I should never complain again- I bring all my stress on myself.

Anyway, so as part of my challenge experience I am going to- what else? Blog about it. It started yesterday and I have already emptied my bank account buying books to fit the exacting criteria of these challenges. Sigh. We’re having an imaginary Christmas this year I think (I got a pogo stick!).

So, to recap the last two days reading- I haven’t finished anything except a few kids books, the rediscovered Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, which are just as delightful now as they were when I read them twenty (!) years ago.

I’ve started the following books-
The Court of Air, by Stephen Hunt
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World by Arthur Herman
Redemption Alley by Lilith Saintcrow

If I manage to finish one of these before starting another, I’ll be highly surprised.