My first challenge for the new year, the Year of the Historical challenge, is going to be a great excuse to continue in my new found love of historical novels, romance and otherwise. Aside from my fiction tag, historical is my next largest! I was a little worried about how many I would have to buy for the challenge, because I have honestly read all the ones I own, but I recently came into possession of a small smattering that will get me through the first few months so I feel confident signing up for this challenge.

For me historical fiction takes the need to escape into a well written story to the next level. Because the background and setting, the dialog and characters, are all just so foreign and are all at the same time temptingly true. This really was, at least in a way making liberal use of literary license, how people lived during this time, what was happening to them, how they felt about it. It’s like reading a history book and novel all in one and that dual nature is something I really enjoy.

So, I’ve decided my last challenge for 2009 will be the Christmas Reading Challenge at The True Book Addict. I signed up partly because I love Christmas! The other reason I signed is because my grandmother loaned me several Christmas books the last time I visited and I am determined to read them all and get them back to her in a timely manner. The challenge is simply to read one to three Christmas books between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve. Pretty simple, no?

I’ve been thinking about joining this challenge for a while. The premise is to read a set amount of women’s studies books, a certain amount non fiction, before November 30th of next year.

I actually already have a couple of books in mind, and at least one book I already reviewed would have qualified! For people looking for a YA fiction novel that contributes to this subject, or just would like to get a younger female in on this, I would recommend the book Just Ella.

The A-Z Reading Challenge seems like a pretty simple way to start my first dive into reading challenges. I wanted a way to be able to cut down on my extensive TBR back log and to have someone else tell me what to start next for a change. This challenge seems like it can do all of that for me!

The premise is pretty simple: Read authors A to Z. Commit to reading 26 books theoretically speaking.