The 10-10 Reading Challenge

In January 2010, I was challenged by Melissa Klug, director of marketing for Glatfelter book paper manufacturers, to take up the original 1010 challenge for Reading in 2010. The challenge calls for reading 10 books in 10 categories by October 10. We were to report in to the challenge by following the Twitter hashtag #101010reading and also on the 101010Reading blog.

I modified the challenge as follows: Read any number of books in 10 categories, other than the categories I normally read, by December 10 to finish the challenge. Also the overarching aim was to reduce the to-be-read TBR mountain. Here's what I read in 2010...

Detective, Mystery, Crime, Thriller
—"Talking about Detective Fiction" by P.D. James
—"This Body of Death" by Elizabeth George
—"Crocodile on the Sandbank" by Elizabeth Peters
—"The Curse of the Pharoahs" by Elizabeth Peters
—"The Mummy Case" by Elizabeth Peters
—"Lion in the Valley" by Elizabeth Peters
—"Royal Flush" by Rhys Bowen
—"The Last Camel Died at Noon" by Elizabeth Peters

Food/Travel/Animals as Central Theme
—"All Things Bright and Beautiful" by James Herriot
—"Tropical Classical" by Pico Iyer

Elevating Snobby Fiction
—"Burning Bright" by Tracy Chevalier
—"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Women's Fiction
—"The Secret to Everything" by Barbara O'Neal
—"She's Gone Country" by Jane Porter

Epistolary
—"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
—"The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles" by Kathryn Lasky

Young Adult
—"The Candidates" by Inara Scott
—"Token" by Alisa Kwitney
—"The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles" by Kathryn Lasky
—"Beware the King" by Stewart Ross

Plays & Poetry
—"Special Orders" by Edward Hirsch
—"Arms and the Man" by George Bernard Shaw

Manga
—"Token" by Alisa Kwitney

Writing Craft
—"Writing the Breakout Novel" by Donald Maas

Contest Entries
—Five contemporary categories for RWA's Golden Heart

Categories for 2011
—Detective, Mystery, Crime, Thriller
—Literary
—Women's
—Young Adult
—Mythological Tales
—Biographies & Memoirs
—Nonfiction: Spiritual Guidance & Organizational Advice
—Writing Craft
—Writing Research
—Travel

In conjunction with the 10-10 Challenge, I'm going to participate in the Off The Shelf! reading challenge by Bookish Ardour to control The TBR mountain. I'll be in the Trying category.

Here's how to participate: Decide which challenge level you'll be doing before the start of the challenge. Include only books from the TBR pile. Do not include books purchased after the challenge has begun.

Challenge Levels:
Tempted — Choose 5 books to read
Trying — Choose 15 books to read
Making A Dint — Choose 30 books to read
On A Roll — Choose 50 books to read
Flying Off — Choose 75 books to read
Hoarder — Choose 76-125 books to read
Buried — Choose 126-200 books to read

Also in conjunction with the above two challenges, I'm taking up SuperWendy's TBR 2011 challenge. The challenge is where readers pick up a long neglected book from their TBR pile, read it, comment on that read on the third Wednesday of every month, and post links to the comments on social media sites. I will be modifying the challenge slightly to allow posting of the comments at any time during the month.