Beastmomma

Ever since the number of books for the lowest level of participation went up to four, I have not been able to complete this challenge.  I have come close and finished three, but somehow the last one eludes me.  I am back again in the hopes of *finally* finishing this challenge.  Description and details are below. Even though there are no levels, I am aiming to complete four books. 

My books are: 

We are Water by Wally Lamb: 561 pages; completed on March 7, 2014. You can find my review here. 

The Valley of Amazement by  Amy Tan: 589 pages; completed April 2, 2014. You can find my review here. 

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt : 771 pages; completed on September 2, 2014. You can find my review here. 

Welcome to the 2014 Chunkster Challenge! I’m your host, Vasilly. 

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

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.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about the levels of participation that have always been a part of this challenge. This year we’re going to try something new: there won’t be any levels. 

Don’t get me wrong. This is still a reading challenge. Challenge yourself without being locked in to a certain number. If you didn’t read any chunksters in 2013 and want to change that in 2014, come up with a number and try to read that amount. 

It has been so long since I finished this challenge and yet I love it so! I know that I very late signing up, but I am still going to try.  Maybe a new host will help me complete the challenge. 

This is the seventh annual What’s In A Name challenge, originally started by Annie, handed to Beth Fish Reads, and now continued at The Worm Hole. 

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

• A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After): Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son by Anne Lamott. I finished this book in January. My review can be found here. 
• A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
• A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities): The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais I finished the book on April 15, 2014. You can find my review here. 
• A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller I finished the book on October 16, 2014. You can find my review here. 
• A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain): We are Water by Wally Lamb: completed on March 7, 2014. You can find my review here

• Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
• It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
• Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my first example, Eleven Minutes, could be used for category 1 or 3 but not both).
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
• You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
• You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.

Last year, I was excited to complete the 2013 South Asian Challenge and was looking forward to signing up again.  When I looked at the challenge page, I discovered that Swapna had created a Perpetual South Asian Challenge. I am excited for the ongoing challenge of including books by South Asians or about South Asia as part of my regular reading. 

Last year, I read six books either written by South Asians or about South Asia. In 2014, I am going to aim to read seven books. 

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais: I am off to a slow start, but finished my first book for the challenge on April 15, 2014. You can find my review here. 

The Isolation Door: A Novel by Anish Majumdar:  I finished this book on June 4, 2014. You can find my review here. 

I love the idea behind the What's in a Name challenge. Even though I have not completed the challenge for the last three years, I am trying again.  (Because I love the categories of previous years, I am keeping those posts on the challenge page to see if I can complete them) (Update--I used the first book I completed this year to complete What's in a Name Three!) Maybe 2013 will be a lucky year for challenge completion. 

Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, read one book in each of the following categories. My selections will appear after the category name as I finish reading: 

1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title: The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri  I completed the book on November 7, 2013. You can find my review here. 
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title: Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead as I think most kitchens have seating and arrangements of some kind. I finished the book on February 1, 2013. You can find my review here. 
3. A book with a party or celebration in the title: 
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title: 
5. A book with an emotion in the title: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford as both bitter and sweet are emotions. I completed the book on April 23, 2013. You can find my review here. 
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. I finished the book on February 8, 2013. You can find my review here. 

Other Things to Know

• Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
• Books may overlap other challenges.
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
• You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
• You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

I love the idea behind the What's in a Name challenge. Even though I have not completed the challenge for the last two years, I am trying again.  Maybe 2012 will be a lucky year for challenge completion. 

Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories. My selections will appear after the category name as I finish reading:

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini I finished it in August 2013. You can find my review here. 
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green I finished it on September 17, 2013. You can find my review here.
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title: 
   
4. A book with a type of house in the title: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult My review is here. 
   
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title:  Operating Instructions: A Journal of my Son's First Year by Anne Lammott My review is here. 
6. A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: March by Geraldine Brooks My review is here.