OK….so Self and I have been having a dialogue over the past few days.  We agree that I am a lost cause when it comes to challenges.  It was either Gina, my buddy from Hott Books, or Julie, my other buddy from Reading Without Restraint…sorry having a senior moment..has brought it to my attention why they think I like challenges, not only for the concept but also for the adorable buttons.  And I know if I say they are right, I’ll never hear the end of it, but, they are right!!!! 

2010 was the first time ever that I kept record of how many books I read in a year.  I had signed up for the 2010 100+ Challenge knowing that I would never get close but wanted to see just how close I would get.  I didn’t do too bad considering I had some rough months with surgeries and slumps and still accomplished to get 68 books read.  And then today…the Musing Monday question was just about this topic.  I have been debating if I should sign up again for a 2011 100+ to see if I get any closer.  I have had some very encouraging comments all day from from very kind visitors and Self and I have talked about:

I am challenging you to beat your 2010 record this year! Can you read over 100 books this year?
RULES:
*The goal is to read 100 or more books.
*Anyone can join.
*You don’t need a blog to participate. Posting on GoodReads or wherever you post your reviews is good enough.
*Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.
*What doesn’t count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.
*No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
*Crossovers from other reading challenges count.
*Books started before the January 1st do not count.
*You can join at anytime.

OK….so Self and I have been having a dialogue over the past few days.  We agree that I am a lost cause when it comes to challenges.  It was either Gina, my buddy from Hott Books, or Julie, my other buddy from Reading Without Restraint…sorry having a senior moment..has brought it to my attention why they think I like challenges, not only for the concept but also for the adorable buttons.  And I know if I say they are right, I’ll never hear the end of it, but, they are right!!!! 

2010 was the first time ever that I kept record of how many books I read in a year.  I had signed up for the 2010 100+ Challenge knowing that I would never get close but wanted to see just how close I would get.  I didn’t do too bad considering I had some rough months with surgeries and slumps and still accomplished to get 68 books read.  And then today…the Musing Monday question was just about this topic.  I have been debating if I should sign up again for a 2011 100+ to see if I get any closer.  I have had some very encouraging comments all day from from very kind visitors and Self and I have talked about:

I am challenging you to beat your 2010 record this year! Can you read over 100 books this year?
RULES:
*The goal is to read 100 or more books.
*Anyone can join.
*You don’t need a blog to participate. Posting on GoodReads or wherever you post your reviews is good enough.
*Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.
*What doesn’t count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.
*No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
*Crossovers from other reading challenges count.
*Books started before the January 1st do not count.
*You can join at anytime.

Some of us have a huge problem.

Cheryl from CMash Loves to Read and Gina from Hott Books are two such people. We each can stand proudly and say,

I am a Reading Challenge Addict.

So we are challenging each of you who can also say that you also are a Reading Challenge Addict.

We’ll be giving away quarterly prizes and recognizing those who are meeting their own expectations by completing the challenges they’ve entered.

How addicted are you?  How many Challenges have you signed up for?

Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)

On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)

In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)

Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

RULES:
We’re not making this a difficult challenge, actually, it’s going to be very simple!

This challenge will begin on January 1, 2011 and end on December 31, 2011.

Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.

Track all of your challenge accomplishments – good & bad.

Stop by to join us in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year./li>

Easy, right? Who wants to be in on the fun? What else will we be doing? We’ll have giveaways for our participants to enter and unannounced special drawings for commenters on the site so be sure to leave your email address with your comment! Are you ready?

This week’s musing is a simple one to start off the new year…
How many books did you read in 2010? If you had a reading goal, did you meet it? What books are you most looking forward to reading for 2011 (either new, OR ones that have sat on your shelves for a while)?
  I read 65 books in 2010.  I am disappointed with that number, however, I am thinking that I guess it isn’t too bad since I had 2+ months that I didn’t read due to my surgeries in April and then a slump in September/October.  I had signed up for the 2010 100+ Challenge, not expecting to finish it but seeing how close I could get, since this was my first year at blogging and reviewing and had never kept track of my books in the past.
  For 2011, I am changing some of my reading habits.  I read like a robot in 2010, reading books in the order of receiving them, no matter what mood I was in.  In 2011 I will be taking the liberty of choosing books from my request pile, out of order, and also selecting books from my personal pile.  I think that was a reason for the slump I had in September.  However, I will be guaranteeing 3-4 ARCs a month.  So yes, there are quite a few books that are on my shelves that I can’t wait to pick up.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of The Printed Page and is now on tour.
According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
Before sharing my mailbox, I want to thank Rose City Reader for generously hosting this meme in January.

“Meet Me On Monday!”
  Blogging is a funny thing…we tell our most intimate thoughts for all to read and yet most of the time I find myself sitting and wondering, “who is this person!?” I know them…but yet I don’t know them! I want to know who the person is behind all those words so I thought of a great way for all of us to “meet” each other!
  Every Sunday I will post five get to know you questions that you can copy and paste into your own Monday post and we can all learn a little more about each and every one of us!!
  “Its a great way to to meet new friends and for others to get to know me better….one Monday at a time!!!”….as quoted by the Chacogirl!!

Because it is still difficult for me to stand and bend from

Some of us have a huge problem.

Cheryl from CMash Loves to Read and Gina from Hott Books are two such people. We each can stand proudly and say,

I am a Reading Challenge Addict.

So we are challenging each of you who can also say that you also are a Reading Challenge Addict.

We’ll be giving away quarterly prizes and recognizing those who are meeting their own expectations by completing the challenges they’ve entered.

How addicted are you?  How many Challenges have you signed up for?

Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)

On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)

In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)

Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

RULES:
We’re not making this a difficult challenge, actually, it’s going to be very simple!

This challenge will begin on January 1, 2011 and end on December 31, 2011.

Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.

Track all of your challenge accomplishments – good & bad.

Stop by to join us in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year./li>

Easy, right? Who wants to be in on the fun? What else will we be doing? We’ll have giveaways for our participants to enter and unannounced special drawings for commenters on the site so be sure to leave your email address with your comment! Are you ready?

This week’s musing is a simple one to start off the new year…
How many books did you read in 2010? If you had a reading goal, did you meet it? What books are you most looking forward to reading for 2011 (either new, OR ones that have sat on your shelves for a while)?
  I read 65 books in 2010.  I am disappointed with that number, however, I am thinking that I guess it isn’t too bad since I had 2+ months that I didn’t read due to my surgeries in April and then a slump in September/October.  I had signed up for the 2010 100+ Challenge, not expecting to finish it but seeing how close I could get, since this was my first year at blogging and reviewing and had never kept track of my books in the past.
  For 2011, I am changing some of my reading habits.  I read like a robot in 2010, reading books in the order of receiving them, no matter what mood I was in.  In 2011 I will be taking the liberty of choosing books from my request pile, out of order, and also selecting books from my personal pile.  I think that was a reason for the slump I had in September.  However, I will be guaranteeing 3-4 ARCs a month.  So yes, there are quite a few books that are on my shelves that I can’t wait to pick up.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of The Printed Page and is now on tour.
According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
Before sharing my mailbox, I want to thank Rose City Reader for generously hosting this meme in January.

“Meet Me On Monday!”
  Blogging is a funny thing…we tell our most intimate thoughts for all to read and yet most of the time I find myself sitting and wondering, “who is this person!?” I know them…but yet I don’t know them! I want to know who the person is behind all those words so I thought of a great way for all of us to “meet” each other!
  Every Sunday I will post five get to know you questions that you can copy and paste into your own Monday post and we can all learn a little more about each and every one of us!!
  “Its a great way to to meet new friends and for others to get to know me better….one Monday at a time!!!”….as quoted by the Chacogirl!!

Because it is still difficult for me to stand and bend from

Slapdash Sunday is a day for your proverbial week ‘leftovers.’ Is there something you wanted to say, but just forgot? Is there something you want to write about, but isn’t worth a whole page? Do you have a random thought, funny or otherwise that needs to be written down?
That is what Slapdash Sunday is for!
The New Year is here and the Challenges have begun!!!  And yes, I said I wasn’t going to sign up for many in 2011, but did I listen…..NO!!!   Not only did I sign up for 15, one of those I am cohosting.  So my question today is:  how do you organize everything to do with your blog.  Examples:  Challenges, ARC’s, Giveaways, Memes, Visiting blogs, Cataloging books that are delivered from publishers, etc, etc,.  I feel that I have so many spread sheets, calendars, post-its, notes, notes to find notes lol.  I have tried different ways of trying to organize myself this past year but can’t seem to fine tune it.
So my question today is:  How do you stay organized with all of the above?  Are you like me, with so many duplicate lists?    How do you keep track of future ARCs that are due, giveaways, Guest Authors, etc etc.  Do you have a one stop organizational tool that you would like to share?  Any suggestions of being organized when it comes to blogging? 
Would love to hear your thoughts!!!  Let’s have a Slapdash discussion!!! 

Slapdash Sunday is a day for your proverbial week ‘leftovers.’ Is there something you wanted to say, but just forgot? Is there something you want to write about, but isn’t worth a whole page? Do you have a random thought, funny or otherwise that needs to be written down?
That is what Slapdash Sunday is for!
The New Year is here and the Challenges have begun!!!  And yes, I said I wasn’t going to sign up for many in 2011, but did I listen…..NO!!!   Not only did I sign up for 15, one of those I am cohosting.  So my question today is:  how do you organize everything to do with your blog.  Examples:  Challenges, ARC’s, Giveaways, Memes, Visiting blogs, Cataloging books that are delivered from publishers, etc, etc,.  I feel that I have so many spread sheets, calendars, post-its, notes, notes to find notes lol.  I have tried different ways of trying to organize myself this past year but can’t seem to fine tune it.
So my question today is:  How do you stay organized with all of the above?  Are you like me, with so many duplicate lists?    How do you keep track of future ARCs that are due, giveaways, Guest Authors, etc etc.  Do you have a one stop organizational tool that you would like to share?  Any suggestions of being organized when it comes to blogging? 
Would love to hear your thoughts!!!  Let’s have a Slapdash discussion!!!