Challenge Complete - Dread & Read Challenge 2020

With this challenge, everyone wins -- not only tackling those books that just keep hanging around on the TBR list, but gaining some sweeteners along the way. It's a double reward, and doesn't the sound like something that 2020 sorely needed? 

The international flavor of this challenge continues, with participation again from India, Canada, and Russia. Such fun!

Congratulations are in order to:

Neer, who knocked off 2 heavy-duty nonfiction books. One had been haunting her since 2002! Now she needs to name her sweeteners so she can fully enjoy her accomplishments. 

Carolyn, who read 3 additional books from authors known to her and found a mixed bag: 2 better than expected and let's just not talk about that 3rd one, okay?  

I should also mention that Serpent joined the challenge but has not yet reported her progress. I'm happy to wait as I know how it is to keep up with things. This is a non-competitive challenge that's really only about pushing yourself to meet your own goals, so lateness is not a factor.

Well done to all! Thank you for taking part in this wonderful, awful challenge! Your sweeteners will be on the way soon.

The Dread & Read Challenge will be on hiatus in 2021 while I deal with some personal disruptions related to house repairs. May I suggest you provide your own sweeteners this year? You deserve them! 

Challenges Update

Not just reading challenges: life challenges need an update as well.  

The day after Christmas I had a house fire. Fortunately, I was home at the time. The fire department arrived promptly and the damage was confined to a relatively small area. The firemen did a fantastic job of not inundating the books with water but believe me, you never want to see them unspooling a fire hose through your front door!

Most of the house survived and appears normal, but the electricity and water are turned off and some pretty big repairs are needed. I am staying with Kayak Guy, who is great in a crisis. Three of 4 cats are with me and seem to be fine. Missy is still missing. She is a former feral and I suspect she has gone into full survival mode. There is no sign of her in the area, but I haven't given up hope of locating her.

All this to say, I am seeing your comments but it may be some time before I can blog the updates and details. I will try to do it this weekend, but I can't make any promises because the things that need my attention change from day to day. 

If you would like an extension to finish things up, please consider it granted. Let's say January 15th.

Let's also say good-bye to this crazy and tragic year and hello to better days in 2021. 

Please love the people and creatures and things you love fiercely and keep your priorities straight. You never know when things may change.  

Happy New Year, everyone!

Dread & Read Challenge 2020 - Progress & Reviews

Here's where you can follow your progress toward those dreaded reading goals. (Review the rules for this challenge here. Note that sign-ups closed March 1, 2020.)

If you're determined to move some of those perpetually looming books off your reading lists this year, you've come to the right place!

Here's how it works: Let me know your progress in the comments on this post as the year goes on, including a review link or some comments about the book. When you knock those books off your TBR list, you'll get a sweetener in the mail as your reward--in case having them in your literary rear view mirror isn't enough!

Carolyn at Riedel Fascination (sign-up) (sweeteners: books) Completed (reviews)

1. The Weed That Strings The Hangman’s Bag - Alan Bradley

2. Monk’s Hood - Ellis Peters

3. Sleight Of Paw - Sofie Kelly

Neer at A Hot Cup of Pleasure (sign-up in comments here) (sweeteners: TBA) 

Completed (reviews)

1. The Shadow of the Gallows - Gulab Singh 

2. Hind Swaraj - M.K. Gandhi 

Serpent (sign-up) (sweeteners: TBA) Status unknown

Dread & Read Challenge 2020

Note: Sign-ups for this challenge closed March 1, 2020. 

Are you a list reader? Are there some books on your list that you just can't seem to get around to reading? 

This challenge sweetens the deal for list readers who have books they’d rather not read -- but have to finish to accomplish their goal of reading all the books on their list.

You know who you are. And we are all in this together.

Face your dread! Name the book(s) you’re going to knock off this year and what kind of treat you’d like when you’re finished. Get reading, then say when you’re done. Not only will we celebrate with you, you'll receive a surprise.

DREAD & READ CHALLENGE

You’re determined to read all the books on a list, whether it’s the Pulitzers or the 100 Best Novels--but now that you’ve done your research, you realize you’re going to have to read some books you'd never choose otherwise. Maybe a review turned you off, or you had a bad experience with one of the writer’s other books, or the subject matter is something that repels you. Those books are sinking to the bottom of the list, and you’re dreading them, right?

This challenge encourages you to move past the avoidance by adding a sweetener. Dread steals the joy out of things, doesn’t it? You’ll feel better when you face up to that book you’re not looking forward to. Trust me on this.

Join in by leaving a comment and/or a link to your sign-up post.

RULES

1. Join anytime before March 1, 2020. The challenge ends at midnight EST on December 31, 2020.

2. Books MUST come from your TBR pile or from a list you're already working on.

3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed and encouraged.

4. Change your books at any time.

5. Include in your sign-up comment or post what kind of sweetener you’d like for each book read. What kind of treat would suit you most? Something book-related? Something sugary? Something practical? Or something indulgent? It won't be expensive, but it will be something you'll probably like.

6. Limit of 3 sweeteners per person.

7. Reviews and reactions are encouraged, but you don’t need a blog to participate.

8. All genres and formats are eligible. If it’s a book, it counts. But to qualify for a sweetener, it must be 100 pages or more.

9. Progress can be tracked at a “Progress & Reviews page” in the sidebar.

10. After you sign up, spread the word! Please do a sign-up post on your own blog, if you have one, and borrow the button for display.

PRIZES

When you finish that dreaded book, shout your news to the heavens -- or at least to the rafters of the Cafe! Your sweetener will arrive promptly, while you're still basking in the glow of success.

What's not to like about that?

Sign up by leaving a message in the comments, with a link or your list, and don't forget to name the kind of reward(s) you're looking forward to.

See, that dread's better already!

Challenge Complete - Dread & Read Challenge 2019

With this challenge, everyone wins -- if (when!) they do the reading they set out to do. Sweeteners plus the feeling of relief make this a beloved challenge. The folks who like it really like it a lot.

I also feel compelled to say that this is a thoroughly international contest. This year the tally is: one from India, one from Russia, and one from Canada. I think that's terrific!

Congratulations are in order to:

Neer, who knocked off 3 heavy-duty nonfiction books that had been haunting her for years!

Marina, who managed to clear 4 books from her TBR stack and practiced her language skills along the way!

Carolyn, who read 3 oldies from her voluminous shelves and enjoyed a great sense of accomplishment for doing so!

Congratulations to one and all! Sweeteners will be on the way soon!

If you have some books you'd like to put behind you this year and need a little extra incentive to do that, the Dread & Read Challenge 2020 has been announced and sign-ups are invited. Please join in!

Catching Up

And here we go! Lots of things are in play throughout my life right now, so here's another of those list-intensive posts . . . .

1. The reading challenges I'm hosting for 2019 are now closed. I think I'm caught up with everyone's sign-ups and books read so far. If you don't see yourself and your books, please give me a shout.

2. Prizes from 2018 are gathered and being posted soon. If you're a winner, I'll let you know when I actually make it to the post office.

3. Since my last post I landed a fabulous new job with a law firm and finished my first week this past week. Yay, me! I will miss doing water advocacy, and the fabulous people I got to work with on a daily basis for a supremely important cause. (I plan to keep volunteering, though.) After the semester ends, I suspect I will also miss teaching. BUT the new job pays more than the other 3 jobs combined, and comes with a generous benefits package. Ultimately, I had to make a practical decision . . .  and I was recruited by a good friend who's worked there several years and loves it. That made it especially difficult to resist.

4. Thanks to #3, I expect to recover my weekends -- rather than spending them getting ready for juggling 3 sets of responsibilities during the week to come. That should mean more time for outdoor fun, reading, and even blogging. We'll see if that holds!

5. Meanwhile, baseball season has started with the local college team. And my wild yard is producing multitudes of volunteer flowers with no prompting whatsoever from me. I'm even going to enter it into a contest for the most "river-friendly" yard, meaning no fertilizer, pesticides, watering, or other interventions. That makes it easy on Mother Nature and the river, as well as on the local wildlife large and small.

Life is good!

Thanks for your patience with my sporadic check-ins. I'll see you again soon! 

Challenge Complete - Dread & Read Challenge 2018

Everyone's a winner with this challenge, if they did the reading they set out to do. (I didn't manage it -- again -- so my dread carries over for another year. Yes, I know: I'm setting a lousy example.)

Congratulations are in order to:

Neer at A Hot Cup of Pleasure, who cleared off 4 dreaded nonfiction books that had been languishing on her TBR shelf for 10 years!

Bev at My Reader's Block, who knocked down 3 dreaded titles and lived to tell the tale.

Carolyn at Riedel Fascination, who pushed herself through 4 dreaded titles and spanned the spectrum from actually liking one of them to discovering the Least Liked Book Ever.

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews, who gathered a slew of great quotations while reading her dreaded novel.

Marina, who joined us all the way from Moscow and found new reading motivation for 3 dreaded books along the way!

Congratulations to one and all! I hope everyone feels happy and relieved with their results, and even if the books were just as challenging or awful or boring as expected -- well, at least they are d-o-n-e.

Keep an eye on your mailboxes, please! Sweeteners will be arriving soon!

If you have some books you'd like to put behind you this year and need a little extra incentive to do that, the Dread & Read Challenge 2019 is open here. Please join in!

Dread & Read Challenge 2019 - Progress & Reviews

Here's where you can follow your progress toward those dreaded reading goals. (Review the rules for this challenge here. Note that sign-ups are now closed.)

If you're determined to move some of those perpetually looming books off your reading lists this year, you've come to the right place!

Here's how it works: Let me know your progress in the comments on this post as the year goes on, including a review link or some comments about the book. When you knock those books off your TBR list, you'll get a sweetener in the mail as you reward--in case having them in your literary rear view mirror isn't enough!

Neer of A Hot Cup of Pleasure (sign-up in comments) (sweeteners TBA)
1. Colonial and Postcolonial Literature: Migrant Metaphors - Elleke Boehmer (review)
2. Masks of Conquest - Gauri Viswanathan (review)
3. Indian National Liberation Movement and Russia - Sinha (review)

Marina Jevdokimova (sign-up here) (sweets)
1. The Missing Drum - Yvonne Hergane (review)
2. Fiorentina da impazzire - Marco Lollobrigida (review)
3. The Color Purple - Alice Walker (review)
4. Racconti Italiani - Claudio Manella (review)

Carolyn at Riedel Fascination (sign-up here) (books)

Dread & Read Challenge 2019

Note: Sign-ups for this challenge are now closed. 

Are you a list reader? Are there some books on your list that you just can't seem to get around to reading? 

This challenge sweetens the deal for list readers who have books they’d rather not read--but have to finish to accomplish their goal of reading all the books on their list.

You know who you are. And we are all in this together.

Face your dread! Name the book(s) you’re going to knock off this year and what kind of treat you’d like when you’re finished. Get reading, then say when you’re done. Not only will we celebrate with you, you'll receive a surprise.

DREAD & READ CHALLENGE

You’re determined to read all the books on a list, whether it’s the Pulitzers or the 100 Best Novels--but now that you’ve done your research, you realize you’re going to have to read some books you'd never choose otherwise. Maybe a review turned you off, or you had a bad experience with one of the writer’s other books, or the subject matter is something that repels you. Those books are sinking to the bottom of the list, and you’re dreading them, right?

This challenge encourages you to move past the avoidance by adding a sweetener. Dread steals the joy out of things, doesn’t it? You’ll feel better when you face up to that book you’re not looking forward to. Trust me on this.

Join in by leaving a comment and/or a link to your sign-up post.

RULES

1. Join anytime before March 1, 2019. The challenge ends at midnight EST on December 31, 2019.

2. Books MUST come from your TBR pile or from a list you're already working on.

3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed and encouraged.

4. Change your books at any time.

5. Include in your sign-up comment or post what kind of sweetener you’d like for each book read. What kind of treat would suit you most? Something book-related? Something sugary? Something practical? Or something indulgent? It won't be expensive, but it will be something you'll probably like.

6. Limit of 3 sweeteners per person.

7. Reviews and reactions are encouraged, but you don’t need a blog to participate.

8. All genres and formats are eligible. If it’s a book, it counts. But to qualify for a sweetener, it must be 100 pages or more.

9. Progress can be tracked at a “Progress & Reviews page” in the sidebar.

10. After you sign up, spread the word! Please do a sign-up post on your own blog, if you have one, and borrow the button for display.

PRIZES

When you finish that dreaded book, shout your news to the heavens--or at least to the rafters of the Cafe! Your sweetener will arrive promptly, while you're still basking in the glow of success.

What's not to like about that?

Sign up by leaving a message in the comments, with a link or your list, and don't forget to name the kind of reward(s) you're looking forward to.

See, that dread's better already!

Reading Challenges Update

If you're part of the Birth Year Reading Challenge, the Dread & Read Challenge, or the Reading Naturally Challenge, this post is for you!

I apologize that I've gotten so far behind on your comments and reported progress. Thanks to Marina Jevdokimova's tactful comment, I realize I have lots of catching up to do! I'll get to that ASAP so please keep an eye open for updates, and thank you for your patience.

The Dread & Read Challenge is still open until December 1, as is the Reading Naturally Challenge. If you're feeling the urge to enter, there's still time. 

And if you happen to know it got to be (yikes!) November already, please explain it to me!

Dread & Read Challenge 2018 - My Sign-Up

Ha! This one's easy. These are last year's books--with a whole 'nother year's worth of angst attached to them.

And that's all I have to say about that.

If you're in a similar dread-filled place, sign up here for some extra incentive to get those books read this year!

My list:

For a book-related treat: Vernon God Little - D.C.B. Pierre (Booker Prize)
For a practical treat: Schindler's Ark - Thomas Keneally (Booker Prize)
For an indulgent treat: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - Ken Kesey (Radcliff's Top 100 Novels)

Challenge Complete - Dread & Read Challenge 2017

Everyone's a winner with this challenge, if they did the reading they set out to do. (I didn't manage it, alas, so my dread carries over.)

Congratulations are in order to:

Neer at A Hot Cup of Pleasure, who read 4 dreaded books, some of which had been on her TBR shelf and her conscience for 10 years!

Carolyn at Riedel Fascination, who made excellent progress and will soon report the details! (Update: Details now posted here.)

Well done! I hope they feel proud and relieved that those books are over and out, and maybe weren't as unpleasant or challenging (or boring?) as they might have been.

Now all they need to do is watch their mailboxes for their sweeteners to arrive and put the icing on the cake, so to speak.

If you have some books you'd like to put behind you this year and need a little extra incentive to do that, the Dread & Read Challenge 2018 is open here. Please join in!

Dread & Read Reading Challenge - Reading Wrap-Up

I think I proved my own point with this challenge. I chose a measly 3 books and I didn't read any of them! And now I feel worse than ever about it.

Other folks had way more luck than I did. Now they head into the new year with a clean conscience and the anticipation of knowing a rewards package is wending its way to them very, very soon.

That's a much better feeling . . . I imagine.

So! This year's the charm! I'm going to get these books behind me or else. 

You can join the 2018 Dread & Read Challenge here. Don't let my lack of success scare you away!

Dread & Read Challenge 2018 - Progress & Reviews

Here's where you can follow your progress toward those dreaded reading goals. (Learn more about this challenge and sign up here, before December 1, to join in. Update: This challenge is now closed.)

If you're determined to move some of those perpetually looming books off your reading lists this year, you've come to the right place!

Here's how it works: Let me know your progress in the comments on this post as the year goes on, including a review link or some comments about the book. When you knock those books off your TBR list, you'll get a sweetener in the mail as you reward--in case having them in your literary rear view mirror isn't enough!

Neer at A Hot Cup of Pleasure (sign-up post) (sweeteners: book-related, sugary, and indulgent) Completed
1. The Oppressive Present - Sudhir Chandra (review)
2. Baba Prithvi Singh Azad: The Legendary Crusader: An Autobiography (review)
3. Penal Settlement in the Andamans - R.C. Majumdar (review)
4. The Indian Struggle - Subhas Chandra Bose (review)

Bev at My Reader's Block (sign-up post) (sweetener: anything book-related) Completed
1. She -  H. Rider Haggard (review)
2. Melmoth the Wanderer - Charles Robert Maturin (review)
3. Red Harvest - Dashiell Hammett (review)

Liz Lawson at Janepedia (sign-up post) (sweetener:  True Lime Black Cherry Limeade drink mix)

Meggan Narvaez (sign-up in comments) (sweetener: erasable ink pens, various colors)

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews (sign-up post) (sweeteners: tea, bookmarks, post-it notes, notepads, pens) Completed
1. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (review)

The Girl, James at Real Life Protagonist (sign-up post) (sweeteners: something book-related (bookmark?), pens, cheapass snowglobes)

Carolyn at Riedel Fascination (sign-up post and wrap-up in one) (sweeteners:  Eat, Drink, and Be Buried by Kate Kingsbury, or 3 picks from host's book giveaway list (about water’s metaphysics and/or handwriting) Completed
1. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (review)
2. One Corpse Too Many - Ellis Peters (review)
3. The Tin Flute - Gabrielle Roy (review)
4. Surfacing - Margaret Atwood (review)

Marina Jevdokimova (sign-up post) (sweeteners: local sweets) Completed
1. Duzinda - Clotilde Chaparro (review)
2. Las 19 copas mundiales de fútbol: datos estadísticos y análisis desde el punto de vista de la cienciometría - O.V. Mijailov (review)
3. The Argonauts - Maggie Nelson (review)

Host: J.G. at Hotchpot Cafe (sign-up post) (not eligible for prizes)

Dread & Read Challenge 2018

Are you a list reader? Are there some books on your list that you just can't seem to get around to reading? 

This challenge sweetens the deal for list readers who have books they’d rather not read--but have to finish to accomplish their goal of reading all the books on their list.

You know who you are. And we are all in this together.

Face your dread! Name the book(s) you’re going to knock off this year and what kind of treat you’d like when you’re finished. Get reading, then say when you’re done. Not only will we celebrate with you, you'll receive a surprise.

DREAD AND READ CHALLENGE

You’re determined to read all the books on a list, whether it’s the Pulitzers or the 100 Best Novels--but now that you’ve done your research, you realize you’re going to have to read some books you'd never choose otherwise. Maybe a review turned you off, or you had a bad experience with one of the writer’s other books, or the subject matter is something that repels you. Those books are sinking to the bottom of the list, and you’re dreading them, right?

This challenge encourages you to move past the avoidance by adding a sweetener. Dread steals the joy out of things, doesn’t it? You’ll feel better when you face up to that book you’re not looking forward to. Trust me on this.

Join in by leaving a comment and/or a link to your sign-up post.

RULES

1. Join anytime before December 1, 2018. The challenge ends at midnight EST on December 31, 2018.

2. Books MUST come from your TBR pile or from a list you're already working on.

3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed and encouraged.

4. Change your books at any time.

5. Include in your sign-up comment or post what kind of sweetener you’d like for each book read. What kind of treat would suit you most? Something book-related? Something sugary? Something practical? Or something indulgent? It won't be expensive, but it will be something you'll probably like.

6. Limit of 3 sweeteners per person.

7. Reviews and reactions are encouraged, but you don’t need a blog to participate.

8. All genres and formats are eligible. If it’s a book, it counts. But to qualify for a sweetener, it must be 100 pages or more.

9. Progress can be tracked at a “Progress & Reviews page” in the sidebar.

10. After you sign up, spread the word! Please do a sign-up post on your own blog, if you have one, and borrow the button for display.

PRIZES

When you finish that dreaded book, shout your news to the heavens--or at least to the rafters of the Cafe. Your sweetener will arrive promptly, while you're still basking in the glow of success.

What's not to like about that?

Sign up by leaving a message in the comments, with a link or your list, and don't forget to name the kind of reward(s) you're looking forward to.

See, that dread's better already!

Almost December

It's such a cliche to lament how quickly the year passes and the new year comes on . . . so I'll skip that part.

One of the realities of this time of year is that reading challenges are nearing their deadlines. I'm not going to make a few of mine, unless I put on a tremendous push (highly unlikely with my schedule). I've already hatched a plan to minimize failure by being strategic about this last month, salvaging what I can.

Meanwhile, the challenges I'm hosting are also coming to an end.

The Birth Year Reading Challenge has been going great guns, which is lovely to see via the progress page. This is by far my most popular challenge. Those of you who're participating may want to check your progress, to make sure you're meeting your reading goals and eligible for a prize in January. But no worries if you're lagging a bit. I've only read 1 of the 3 books on my list, so I'm not much of an example -- whereas Bev at My Reader's Block has set the pace.

The Reading Naturally Challenge is new this year and sign-ups are still open until December 1, so if you want to dive in with what you've already read so far, feel free. Multiple categories should make it easy to find something you qualify for. I haven't done very well on this one at all, but I haven't given up, either. The progress page tells the tale. Check in if you're reading along, to make sure the prizes don't elude you in the 11th hour. That said, the inimitable Carolyn of Riedel Fascination is leaving the lot of us in the dust!

Last but not least, the Dread & Read Challenge, another newbie, also remains open for sign-ups until December 1. Why not fill it with one of the books you finally got around to this year? I'm still procrastinating my dreaded books like crazy, and maybe I'm not the only one! It's been pretty quiet at the progress page, and I suspect Neer of A Hot Cup of Pleasure is going to swoop in soon with those other books she's happy to get off her TBR list. This one may come down to the wire. Still, it's prizes for everyone who reads what they said they'd read, so you have nothing to lose. 

Onward! Strategically, of course.

Dread & Read Challenge 2017: My Sign-Up

This one is dear to my heart. It's both the point and the punishment of list reading that to finish the list I have to read books that I wouldn't choose for myself. Like those class assignments in college, it certainly exercises my reading muscles. 

Sometimes that works out splendidly (The Siege of Krishnapur being a shining example). And sometimes it doesn't (here's all I have to say about How Late It Was, How Late).    

I won't even tell you how long these books have been hanging over my head. Okay, okay, for some of them it's been decades. That gave me the idea of hosting this challenge. (Sign up here if you're in a similar position.)  

Now I can hardly wait to put them behind me, and maybe be pleasantly surprised along the way. Let's hope so! 

Per the challenge incentives, I've chosen a sweetener for each one. 

For a book-related treat: Vernon God Little - D.C.B. Pierre (Booker Prize) 

For a practical treat: Schindler's Ark - Thomas Keneally (Booker Prize) 

For an indulgent treat: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - Ken Kesey (Radcliff's Top 100 Novels)

The fact that I'll have to buy it for myself does nothing to dilute the happiness of getting a treat for finally doing something I said I'd do anyway. 

Dread & Read Challenge 2017 - Progress & Reviews

Here's where you can follow your progress toward those dreaded reading goals. (Sign-ups are now closed, but you can find out more info here.)

I'm determined to move some of those perpetually looming books off my reading lists this year. How about you?

Here's how it works: Let me know your progress in the comments on this post as the year goes on, including a review link or some comments about the book. When you knock those books off your TBR list, you'll get a sweetener in the mail as your reward--in case having them in your literary rear view mirror isn't enough!

Carolyn Riedel at Riedel Fascination (sign up post) (sweeteners: Service For Two by Kate Kingsbury, colored CD-labeling markers, flower or plant seeds, especially giant “Grey Stripe” sunflowers, or Maroon 5’s first album “Songs About Jane”)

Neer at A Hot Cup of Pleasure (sign up post) (wrap-up post) Completed!
1. Inqlabi Yatra - Manorma Dewan (review)
2. Lajpat Rai: Life and Work - Feroz Chand (review)
3. Aapbeeti - Bhai Parmanand (review)
4. Bandi Jeewan - Sachindranath Sanyal (review)

Host: J.G. at Hotchpot Cafe (sign-up post) (wrap-up post) 

Dread & Read Challenge 2017

Are you a list reader? Are there some books on your list that you just can't seem to get around to reading? 

This challenge sweetens the deal for list readers who have books they’d rather not read–but have to finish to accomplish their goal of reading all the books on their list.

You know who you are. And I am one of you.

Face your dread! Name the book(s) you’re going to knock off this year and what kind of treat you’d like when you’re finished. Get reading, then say when you’re done. Not only will we celebrate with you, I’ll send you a surprise.

Kudos and thanks to amira_a for his awesome photo of  "Moses" by Nizzan Joel Avidor, which I've used for this challenge.

DREAD AND READ CHALLENGE

You’re determined to read all the books on a list, whether it’s the Pulitzers or the 100 Best Novels–but now that you’ve done your research, you realize you’re going to have to read some books you'd never choose otherwise. Maybe a review turned you off, or you had a bad experience with one of the writer’s other books, or the subject matter is something that repels you. Those book are sinking to the bottom of the list, and you’re dreading them, right?

This challenge encourages you to move past the avoidance by adding a sweetener. Dread steals the joy out of things, doesn’t it? You’ll feel better when you face up to that book you’re not looking forward to. Trust me on this.

Join in by leaving a comment and/or a link to your sign-up post.

RULES

1. Join anytime before December 1, 2017. The challenge ends at midnight EST on December 31, 2017.

2. Books MUST come from your TBR pile (otherwise, how would you be dreading them?).

3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed and encouraged.

4. Change your list at any time.

5. Include in your sign-up comment or post what kind of sweetener you’d like for each book read. What kind of treat would suit you most? Something book-related? Something sugary? Something practical? Or something indulgent? It won't be expensive, but I'll pick something I think you'll like.

6. Limit of 3 sweeteners per person.

7. Reviews and reactions are encouraged, but you don’t need a blog to participate.

8. All genres and formats are eligible. If it’s a book, it counts. But to qualify for a sweetener, it must be 100 pages or more.

9. Progress can be tracked at a “headquarters page” in the sidebar.

10. After you sign up, spread the word! A sign-up post on your own blog would be very nice. Feel free to borrow the button for display on your blog, also.

PRIZES

When you finish that dreaded book, shout your news to the heavens--or at least to the rafters of the Cafe. I'll put your sweetener in the mail promptly, while you're still basking in the glow of success.

What's not to like about that?

Sign up by leaving a message in the comments, with a link or your list, and don't forget to name the kind of reward(s) you're looking forward to.

See, that dread's better already!