Challenges Update

I have taken on a bunch of reading challenges for 2012 and decided it is time, with only 1/4 of the year to go, to review my progress so far.

The What's in a Name 5 Challenge at BethFishReads asked that you read a book whose title met each of 6 categories. I have completed this challenge as follows:

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: Last Ditch
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: Clouds of Witness
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title: Case of the Drowsy Mosquito
4. A book with a type of house in the title: Bleak House
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: A Shilling for Candles
6. A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: The Friday Night Knitting Club

 I signed up at the Earl Grey Aficionado level for The Tea & Books Challenge at The Book Garden, which commits me to reading 6 books of 700 or more pages. I started off OK on this one, but got bogged down by Charles Dickens over the summer so am only half-way on this challenge. I started The Salterton Trilogy (700+ pages) a few days ago and it is moving along nicely so I may meet my goal yet. Here is my list so far:

1. Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 (925 pages)
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrell by Susanna Clark (846 pages)
3. Bleak House by Charles Dickens (965 pages)

 My Goodreads challenge for 2012 is to read 112 books. I have read 78 (or 69%) so far. I am on track with this one.

I also signed up for the Canadian Reading Challenge 6 which is organized on The Book Mine Set and runs Canada Day to Canada Day so I have until July 1, 2013 to complete this one. The goal is to read and review 13 books by Canadian authors or about Canadians during the year. I have read/reviewed one book for this so far, I am Half Sick of Shadows. I have several books for this in my reading pile, however, and the chunkster I am working on is by a Canadian author.