I digress again..and Revise Weekly Geeks - Reading Challenges

I learned a good lesson when I went back and looked at this blog entry - try not to blog when you are not in tip-top shape.  But I am better now, so I revise...

This week the Weekly Geeks question is

Do you plan on participating in any reading challenges in 2011? Are you planning on hosting any reading challenges? Perhaps you'd like to share an idea for a reading challenge--to see if there is any interest! Share with us which challenges look tempting to you! (You don't have to "officially" join any of the challenges for this weekly geek. Just let us know which ones you'd be most interested in.) You might want to spend some time browsing A Novel Challenge. Are there any challenges you are looking forward to that haven't been announced yet? Regardless of your challenge plans, are you starting to plan ahead for next year? Do you make lists or goals? Are you a person who enjoys reading more if it is structured? Or are you all about being free to read what you want, when you want?

To which I respond

I started blogging too late last year to be able to participate in any reading challenges. This year is different and as the challenges are posted online, I want to do them all. But that is impossible. Nevertheless, some of the challenges I am seriously considering are YA of the 80s and 90s, YA Historical Fiction, , and perhaps the East and Southeast Asia Challenge. All of these can be tied into the subject of my blog – World War II. And for something completely different – War through the Generations reading challenge on the US Civil War.
Revision: I am definitely going to participate in the following challenges:

I love YA Historical Fiction and I am going to go for the gold - Level 3 - 15 YA HF in 2011.

Next challenge I am looking forward to is

And in honor of the upcoming Royal nuptials, I am committing myself to The Royal Family level - 12 books by British authors in 2011.

In honor of my child who is still have fun in China and loves teaching the kids, I am also participating in the

The minimum number of books are 3 from 3 different countries.

Next is another YA challenge - YA of the 80s and 90s

And finally, I have decided to definitely do the Civil War Challenge at War through the Generations.

I am committing to the Dip level, which is 3-5 books where the Civil War is a primary or secondary theme.

This sounds like a lot, but they all allow crossovers, which is helpful.

I can’t say I have done much about planning for these challenges, except to read the requirements. Yet I am a person who likes structure and I am a list maker, one of the compensatory measures I learned for dealing with severe dyslexia. When I was doing my qualifying exams in graduate school, I loved making my reading lists. My problem was limiting myself to what was really manageable, but challenges are good in that one can do crossovers. Still, I think I am postponing making any reading lists until the initial feeling of over zealousness passes and I can make a realistic list. And as soon as I get them together, I will post my reading lists here.

And an update on Hoilday Readathon that I did - yesterday I paid my pledge to the Salvation Army.
I read a total of 888 pages at 5¢ a page.
And a total of 11 books, which doesn't amount to many cans of food, I am afraid.  I may have to cheat on this one with additional cans of food.