challenge month 2016Hi everyone! Today I am back with more details on our upcoming Reading Challenge Month!

First off, if you are not up to speed, the quick version is we are holding our second annual Reading Challenge Month in September. Each week we have a different reading challenge and the folks here at Joyfully Jay have a lot of books we are trying as part of the event. As readers, you all can participate too by commenting on our reviews (for one entry per comment) or by reading along with your own challenge books and doing a mini review of your own (for 10 entries). There are weekly prizes and a grand prize, all full of total awesomeness. You can read about Reading Challenge Month here, and get a look at the fabulous prizes here.

One of the best parts of the event for me is the read-along reviews by our readers! Last year we had tons of folks participate and it is a really fun chance to try something new and to share your thoughts. All you need to do is read a book that fits the challenge, then write a mini review and leave it is as a comment at the end of the week. The review doesn’t have to be a big deal; we aren’t looking for anything nearly as lengthy as what we write for our blog reviews. A short paragraph is totally fine.

You guys are welcome to join in either reading books of your own choosing, or by reading the same books we are. It is totally up to your preference, and last year we had folks participating in both ways. So to get you guys a little more excited and to give you a head start on reading, here is what we have planned for our own challenge books. This should be pretty close to our final schedule, but just be patient with us if we have to make a few tweaks along the way…

 

Week 1: TBR Pile Challenge (Read a book that’s been on your TBR list for at least a year)

  • Crashing the Net by Samantha Wayland (Michelle)
  • Saving Samuel by Nicole Colville (Sue)
  • The Vampire and the P.I. by J.P. Bowie (Michelle)
  • The Mermaid Murders by Josh Lanyon (Sammy)
  • Love and Punishment by Susan Mac Nicol (Kirsty)
  • Red Dirt Heart 2 by N.R. Walker (Veronica)
  • Aleksey’s Kingdom by John Wiltshire (Camille)
  • Conquest by S.J. Frost (Kris) 

 

Week 2: Around the World Challenge (Read a book from a country other than your own)

  • The Last Concubine by Catt Ford – China (Kris)
  • Triad Blood by ‘Nathan Burgoine – Canada (Jay)
  • Tackling the Issue by Ken Mooney – Ireland (Veronica)
  • Yakuza Pride by H.J. Brues – Japan (Sammy)
  • More Than Anything by T.T. Kove – Norway (Kirsty)
  • Fun with Dick and Shane by Gillbran Brown – UK (Sue)
  • Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh – England (Michelle)
  • I See You by Susan Reeves – Australia (Kenna)
  • Unexpected Mate by Toni Griffin – Australia (Kenna)
  • Blood & Milk by N.R. Walker – Africa (Camille)

If you want help picking some international books, check out our Favorite International Books List. There are TONS of ideas there for books set all around the world.

 

Week 3: New To Me Author Challenge

  • Launch the Hunt by Mia West (Kris)
  • Bitterwood by Rowan Speedwell (Veronica)
  • Hell Cop by Astrid Amara, Ginn Hale and Nicole Kimberling (Kris)
  • Latakia by J.F. Smith (Sammy)
  • Bought by R. Phoenix (Kirsty)
  • Just a Bit Ruthless by Alessandra Hazard (Sue)
  • Shiver by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott (Michelle)
  • Into the Blue by Pene Henson (Michelle)
  • Lost in the Echo by Jack L. Pyke (Jay)
  • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Camille)
  • Runaway Omega by E.J. Waugh (Kenna)

 

Week 4: Genre Challenge (Read something in a trope or genre you don’t usually read)

  • Spy Stuff by Matthew Metzger – trans, YA (Michelle)
  • Son of the Sun by Wren Paasch – mythology (Veronica)
  • Bitten by Mistake by Annabelle Jacobs – shifter (Michelle)
  • The Elegant Corpse by A.M. Riley – BDSM (Sammy)
  • Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee – young adult, lesbian (Jay)
  • Herc and Pyotr by Atom Yang – science fiction (Kirsty)
  • A Summer Pursuit by Jules Radcliffe – non-Regency historical (Kris)
  • Corsus Honorum by Diana Jean – historical (Kenna)
  • The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson – disability, physical limitations (Camille)

So that is our plan. Hope you all will be joining us!

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