Reading Challenges for 2011

Kathy of Catching Happiness (isn't that a great name for a blog?) did a search for reading challenges and wrote about it on her blog here.  I visited the blogs she mentioned and found TONS of challenges.  I have enjoyed doing reading challenges the last 2 years, and it's time to think about what challenges I want to do for 2011.  So here are two challenges I've just signed up for:

2nds Challenge 2011:  Have you read a book by an author that you really enjoyed and felt moved to read another of the author's works? Or are you thinking to give an author another try even if you didn't like your first taste of their work? If yes, then this challenge is for you! You're going to go back for seconds of an author that you've only read once. The great thing about this challenge is that it's not just for your second in a series books, but the second time you've read an author as well.  I've signed up at the Just a Spoonful level, which is 3 books.


I Want More Book Challenge 2011:  Have you read a book and at the end said you must read another by this author but haven't?  Then this Challenge is for you, what are you waiting for.  :-)  There are so many amazing authors but sometimes we get caught up in reading all the new we forget about the authors that have already impressed, excited us, gave us what all readers want, a great read, that wow moment, so this Challenge is to show all the authors that have pleased us already how thankful we are by reading more of their literary works.  I've signed up at the Waited Too Long level, which is 2-4 books.

These 2 challenges are very similar, but they seem like a great follow up to my participation in the New Author Challenge 2010.  A few of the authors I want to read more of are Jane Hamilton, Jane Smiley, Rebecca Stott, Dara Horn, Ariana Franklin, and Kathleen Kent (I'm not sure whether all of these authors have written more books, but I know that some have and I have some of these books on my shelf).  And that leads to one more challenge that I'm considering:

Off the Shelf Challenge:  Are your books multiplying like rabbits before you even get a chance to read them? Trying to keep up with them, but can't stop buying new ones?  Maybe this challenge is for you. I know what it's like. There's so many titles and so many beautiful books out there sometimes it's hard to keep that TBR shelf under control, but if you really want to try why not challenge yourself?  Note: This challenge is to read those books you own copies of, but have never got around to reading.

And then I'm sure that I'll sign up for the War Through the Generations Challenge again.  The WWII challenge in 2009 was the first reading challenge I ever participated in.  I read Vietnam War books this year; it looks like I'll be reading Civil War books in 2011 (I've already got my first 2 books selected for this challenge).

So what about you?  Are you signing up for any reading challenges?  There really is something for everyone!