The 2014 Chunkster Challenge

ABOUT The Challenge

The Chunkster Challenge is a reading challenge for those readers who love to read the fat books - the doorstoppers that weigh you down, the books that take a commitment of time...and we require physical books for this challenge with only two exceptions.

Wondering what’s a chunkster? A chunkster is an adult or YA book, non-fiction or fiction, that’s 450 pages or more... A chunkster should be a challenge.

If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more ... The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.

The challenge is designed to give participants some flexibility by allowing them to choose between different levels of reading. Visit the sign up page by clicking this Chunkster Link to read more and join the challenge.

Additional Rules for this challenge:

Audio books and e-books are now allowed. You want to listen to a chunkster on audio? Be my guest.

Essay, short story, and poetry collections are allowed but they have to be read in their entirety to count.

Books may crossover with other challenges.

Anyone can join.

You don’t have to list your book ahead of time.

Graphic novels don’t count. Sorry guys but reading a chunkster graphic novel isn’t the same as reading a non-graphic chunkster.

The challenge runs from January 1 through December 31 each year.

This Challenge is hosted by Vasilly! Thank you Vasilly! You can find her at her wonderful reading blog: 1330v - Thoughts of an eclectic reader! You can also find suggestions on what to read and where to contact her if you have any questions.

This is my first Challenge sign-up for the year! My first book is going to be The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which I did start, but haven't had any time to devote to it. (My first Chunkster book turned out to be Three Souls by Janie Chang!) Now I am motivated!

Chunkster Reading Challenge Books Read List…

1. Three Souls by Janie Chang… 468 pages.

2. Under The Wide And Starry Sky by Nancy Horan… 497 pages.

3. Revival by Stephen King... 405 pages.

First Book of The Year 2014...

It's funny sometimes how we bloggers discover books, other blogs, meet new bloggers, meet other readers, new authors, publishers and other bookish people. I was reading a post from Vasilly of 1330v ~ Thoughts of an eclectic reader about her first read of the year and how it could almost set the tone of the whole year. I thought this was interesting as I never really thought about "the first" book of the year.     So, how am I going to set the tone of my reading year? I definitely have plenty of books to read, but now I am feeling the pressure of making the right choice!

All this talk about first books really started when Vasilly visited Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila asked readers on her blog what their first read of the year would be and created a link for everyone to enter their posts or photos of what the book would be…

OK, so I am stepping out of the box just a bit. I'm going to read The Unwelcomed Child by V.C. Andrews. It's a new book coming out by the same author who wrote the horror novel Flowers in The Attic. I remember being being so wrapped up in Flowers in The Attic, and unable to put it down. It has been years, probably over 20 years since I read it and it still stirs up feelings of dread. I am so excited to read an author I haven't read in years and whose books I use to love. It's stepping out of the box a bit because I haven't read any horror in years. This copy of The Unwelcomed Child is a review copy courtesy of Pocket Books, so it's not out on the shelves until Jan. 21, but here's the teaser from the publisher…

My mother had looked into the face of evil so many times she knew what it was. It was me. I was born without a soul. . . .

Elle Edwards grew up believing that because of her mother’s sinful ways she was born without a soul; that’s why she was abandoned and left in the care of Grandmother Myra and Grandfather Prescott, who try to ensure her evil will not infect them—by raising her in a virtual prison. Because her days are occupied with homeschooling, strict religious studies, and vigorous housekeeping in their upstate New York home, Elle knows practically nothing of the outside world, even as she emerges as a young woman with impressive artistic talent. But when she makes a secret, forbidden connection to vacationers at the nearby lake—a handsome boy and his precocious twin sister—Elle’s world will shatter. Will  discovering the truths about her past send her future plummeting to hell?

Hmmm, I wonder what tone I'm setting by reading a horror novel first?! :-) I guess we'll just have to see what the rest of the year brings. In the meantime, I'm going to start to record my "first reads" of the year. I love the idea of putting some thought into picking out the first book you'll read for the year. How about you? What's your first book going to be for the year? Want to participate in The First Book of the Year 2014? Here's the link to the Book Journey and what it's all about.