More Challenges for 2010

After recently admitting my inability to complete at least one of the challenges I signed up for this year, you probably thought I'd be smart enough not to sign up for too many in the coming year. Apparently rumors of my intelligence have been greatly exaggerated because this week I signed on for four more challenges. In my defense, I've really worked to pick challenges which will allow for a lot of crossover reads and even a fair number of childrens and YA books.

The You've Got Mail Challenge, hosted by Stacy at Book Psmith, challenges readers to read the books seen and mentioned in the movie You've Got Mail. I love that movie so this was a logical one for me plus it allows me to read a lot of my childhood favorites again. Not sure exactly what all I will be reading for this but these I do know for sure:

1. James & The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
2. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
3. Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

The 451 Challenge is hosted by Elizabeth and this challenge is based on 451 Fridays, a weekly feature hosted at As Usual, We Need More Bookshelves. 451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive.
Here is how it will work: between January 1, 2010 and November 30, 2010, participants are challenged to read books on the 451 master list. There will be several levels of participation:

Spark - read 1-2 books from the master list
Ember - read 3-4 books from the master list
Flame - read 5-6 books from the master list
Blaze - read 7 or more books from the master list

I'm signing up for the Ember level on this one but am hoping to be able to reach the Flame level. My reading list for this one right now is:
1. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4. Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

The 2010 Reading From My Shelves Project is hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea. For this one you need to decide how many books you want to read from your shelves (minimum of 20 - no maximum) then find a new home for the books once you read them. I haven't put together a complete list for this one yet. Things that are already on other challenge lists from my shelves will be my starting point.

Finally, I'm joining Aarti, of Book Lust, who is hosting 2010 Flashback Reading Challenge. This is a re-read challenge.

You can sign up for the following levels:
Bookworm - Up to three books
Scholar - Four to six books
Literati - Over six books

Within these levels, we have mini-challenges! These are:

1. Re-read a favorite book from your childhood

2. Re-read a book assigned to you in high school

3. Re-read a book you loved as an adult

My plan, as of now, for this one is to do the Scholar level. I'm planning to read:
1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
2. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. James & The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Of course, all of these challenges rely on me not taking on too many review books and also being able to work in book club selections. After looking at the ambitious plans some of you have for the coming year, I feel more than a little bit like a slacker!