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ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2013

Background
Zara: "As of 2012, I finished a BA in Theology which was the culmination of five years of hard slog. It was not only I that went through the ups and downs of doing a degree but also my husband and children. Whilst doing my degree, I found a number of students who completed his/her degree celebrated the fact that he/she had 'survived' the grueling study regime.

"'Inspired' relates to how one will persevere, regardless of obstacles, when his/her goal is to finish the grueling task; 'Survival' describes the feeling upon successful completion of the grueling task."

Purpose
To show that perseverance, in spite of obstacles encountered, really does pay off and gives an enormous sense of accomplishment to all involved.

Reward
Each participant, who successfully completes this challenge, will receive a certificate via email congratulating him/her on the level achieved by the end of the quarter.

Rules
Each book read for this challenge must fit into one of the three following categories:

1. Hard to get into books - Find books that you have either struggled to begin or finish in the past and turn to them again and resolve to completely finish them this time;
2. Mammoth books - If reading books in excess of 500 pages long would be an enormous challenge for you, then resolve to read such a book for this challenge;
3. TBR books - Read books that have either been on your GR TBR shelf the longest or that you've had at home on your bookshelves the longest. Remember, these books still need to provide some form of challenge for you.

Levels
Major: 1-3 books
Double Major: 4-6 books
Masters: 7-12 books
PhD: 12+ books

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Thank you, Zara, for coming up with such a motivating challenge and leading it!

Count me in for a masters. I'll aim for 10 books. An congrats on finishing yor degree, it's a huge accomplishment you should be very proud of!

PARTICIPANTS


Major: 1-3 books
Fairlee 0/1-3
Julia 0/3
Leonie 0.75 of 1/2
Lesley 3/3 - CONGRATULATIONS Lesley!! Well done on your achievement.
Nathaly 1/3 - CONGRATULATIONS Nathaly!! Well done on your achievement.
Quenby 1/3

Double Major: 4-6 books
Alyssa 0/4
Carrie 2/6
Katrina 6/6 - CONGRATULATIONS Katrina!! Well done on your achievement.
Lilac 5/5 - CONGRATULATIONS Lilac!! Well done on your achievement
Lindy 6/6 - CONGRATULATIONS Lindy!! Well done on your achievement.
Rachel 1/4-6
Regan 0/4-6
Sibyl 6/6 - CONGRATULATIONS Sibyl!! Well done on your achievement.
Talia 0/6

Masters: 7-12 books
Ashley 0/8
Erika 3/7
Evana 0/7
Jessica 7/10
Kayla 8/10
Liza 0/7-12
Natalie 7/7 - CONGRATULATIONS Natalie!! Well done on your achievement.
Robyn 1/7
Shelly 0/8
Susie 0/7-12
TheCuriousDeer 0/7

PhD: 12+ books
Craig 12/12+ - CONGRATULATIONS Craig!! Well done on your achievement.
Heather 0/14
Jennifer 5/15
Kai 0/10
Kaitlin 17/12+ - CONGRATULATIONS Kaitlin!! Well done on your achievement.
Karina 4-5/12+
Kelsi 8/12+
Megan 5/12+
Melanie 0/15

Jessica wrote: "Count me in for a masters. I'll aim for 10 books. An congrats on finishing yor degree, it's a huge accomplishment you should be very proud of!"

Hi Jessica.

Thank you for the congratulations. I am very proud of the accomplishment. There were times when I honestly wondered if I would ever finish it. LOL In the long run though it was very much worthwhile.

I too think I will go for masters. I have a ton of huge books I want to get to! Congrats Zara!

Kelsi wrote: "I too think I will go for masters. I have a ton of huge books I want to get to! Congrats Zara!"

Thanks Kelsi. I have added you to the list. Good luck.

Ah, I'll be brave and go for a PhD. (Say, 12 books.) I have a lot of mammoth size books lined up (the last two of Neal Stephenson's Baroque cycle, for starters! And most of the Malazan books of the fallen are somewhere in the 1k page area...) - and trying to finish some series and stuff from the back of my TBR-list, so, yeah. Challenge accepted!

(And what a great challenge it is! I love added incentive to just go and read those door stoppers.)

Karina wrote: "Ah, I'll be brave and go for a PhD. (Say, 12 books.) I have a lot of mammoth size books lined up (the last two of Neal Stephenson's Baroque cycle, for starters! And most of the Malazan books of the..."


Hi Karina. I have added you to the list. Good luck on your goal.

Yay! I was hoping this would be a challenge. I'm in for 5 :)

I'll go for PhD as well as see how it goes. Great idea for a challenge! Current list is subject to change:

1. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - completed May 2013
2. North and South by John Jakes (over 500 pages and has been on my bookshelf for almost three years)
3. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (over 900 pages and has been on my list for almost three years)
4. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon - completed April 2013
5. The Autobiography of Henry VIII - completed May 2013
6. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - completed June 2013
7. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (over 500 pages and has been on my list for almost three years)
8. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (over 500 pages and has been on my list for almost three years)
9. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (has been on my list for almost three years and have tried to read twice in the past)
10. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster (have owned since college and have never been motivated to open it)
11. Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner (have tried to read three times and never been able to get past the first 50 pages)
12. The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes (over 500 pages)
13. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - completed June 2013

5/12

Lilac and Megan I have added you to the list. Good luck on achieving your goal.

Zara, I think I'm going to go for Masters. Right now I'm going to go on the low side for and even 8. :)

1.Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Over 500 pages)
2.The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Over 500 pages)
3.The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (Have tried to read and always put it down)
4.The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (A Russian Classic & Over 500 pages)

*Will post my other 4 closer to challenge time. :)*

I'll go for the major. I'll try for two.

Leonie wrote: "I'll go for the major. I'll try for two."

Hi Leonie. I've added you to the list. Good luck with achieving your goal.

I start with trying for a major.

Usually with me a book in one category also falls into the other two (my shelf warmers are always long and difficult to get into), so I'll go with a major and try for 3 books but still be happy if I manage to get even one done ;D

ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2013

I focused on books that have either been on my goodreads to-read list or in my personal library for over a year. I will go for at least a Master's since I earned one in real life as well. I'm not sure exactly what I'll read but I'll post here as I do.

ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2013

Completed 7 out of 7
1. 5/03/13 - The Great Gatsby
2. 5/16/13 - A Discovery of Witches
3. 5/24/13 - A Little Princess
4. 5/24/13 - Unraveling
5. 5/27/13 - The Pool of Two Moons
6. 5/27/13 - Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
7. 6/06/13 - The Mists of Avalon

Hey Zara, I am going to try for my PhD with a goal of 14 books.

Also, congratulations on accomplishing your bachelor's. I am currently working on my Bachelor's in English with University of Phoenix and only have 43 credits to go. Reading any book for leisure is a challenge for me with work and school, but this site has been very motivating so far. I have been working through many of the books that have sat on my shelves for years and it feels good. Looking forward to the challenge.

1. Alan Moore's - Watchmen (challenging because I had never read a graphic novel before, and it was hard to get into)
2. Deborah Harkness's - A Discovery of Witches (over 500 pages)
3. Mercedes Lackey's - Children of the Night (on my shelf a long time, and really long chapters)
4. Amanda Grange's - Mr. Darcy Vampyre (tried reading it several times and could not get into it, finishing it took a lot of effort)
5. Hermann Hesse's - Siddhartha (confusing, and difficult to follow, it had also been on my too read long before I joined Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ this year)
6. J.K. Rowling's - The Casual Vacancy (over 500 pages)
7. Khaled Hosseini's - The Kite Runner (long time on my too read list, and disturbing imagery)

7/14 so far. Don't think I am going to make the goal. School has been especially rough during this quarter.

Fairlee, Julia and Natalie I have added you. Good luck.

If you haven't specified how many books you are aiming for, but you want to be specific then just post how many you want me to add and I'll do that for you.

I think I'm going to try to go for a Masters with a goal of 10 books.

Put me down for a PhD of 12!

Zara congratulations! You are truly an inspiration! I will unfortunately have to sit out the challenge as I have too much on my plate right now. I just could not let your achievement pass without a word of praise.

Joni wrote: "Zara congratulations! You are truly an inspiration! I will unfortunately have to sit out the challenge as I have too much on my plate right now. I just could not let your achievement pass without..."

Thanks Joni. I really appreciate the sentiments.

Kai and Kayla I have added you both to the list. Thanks for participating and Good Luck with your goal.

I seem to have been missed, I signed up for a PhD with 14.

Heather wrote: "I seem to have been missed, I signed up for a PhD with 14."

Sorry Heather. Not sure how I missed you. I've added you now. Good luck with your goal. 14 books in three months will be an awesome achievement.

I changed my mind, I plan on going for PhD, w/ 12!

Kelsi wrote: "I changed my mind, I plan on going for PhD, w/ 12!"

Thanks Kelsi. I have made the alteration and changed the level for you. Once again good luck on your goal.

hi!

I hope I can join in!! This challenge sounds perfect for me. I have lots of books I have started and can't finish!!

Will aim for a masters with 7 books please!!

lottie

Hi TheCuriousDeer, it certainly is OK to join up. I have added you to the challenge. Good luck on achieving your goal.

I'm going to try for Master's with 4:

Hard to get into: Jane Eyre
500+ pages: The Count of Monte Cristo
TBR: One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Alyssa

I am going to aim for 7 books.

im going to try for a masters with 7. i was literally just looking at the layer of dust collecting on some books that have been at the back of my shelf for literally years just yesterday. this is the perfect challenge to get some cleared out.
congrats on your degree as well! i loved reading your description, it helped to motivate me as i took out my text book to wade through my comp science programming course this semester....

Alyssa wrote: "I'm going to try for Master's with 4:

Hard to get into: Jane Eyre
500+ pages: The Count of Monte Cristo
TBR: One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Alyssa"

Hi Alyssa,

I just want to clarify which level you wish to do. If you want to do Masters you need a minimum of 7. The number you've quoted, 4, is the minimum for a double major. Do you want me to put you in the double major list?

Hi Erika and Robyn. I have added your goals to the list.

Robyn, I'm glad that I could motivate you with your study. That makes me feel really good. I'm glad I could help.

ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2013

Completed 17/12+

1. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - 4/4/2013 - C
2. The Pearl by John Steinbeck - 4/11/2013 - C
3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - 4/17/2013 B, C
4. Do the Windows Open? by Julie Hecht - 4/19/2013 A, C
5. When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro - 4/20/2013 C
6. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards - 4/20/2013 C
7. Seeing by José Saramago- 4/24/2013 A, C
8. What Is the What by Dave Eggers - 4/30/2013 C
9. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - 5/9/2013 C
10. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - 5/12/2013 C
11. The Stand by Stephen King - 5/28/2013 B
12. A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne - 6/1/2013 C
13. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby - 6/5/2013 A, C
14. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - 6/15/2013 C
15. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood - 6/16/2013 C
16. FrankensteinMary Shelley - 6/8/2013 A, C
17. The Sweet Hereafter - 6/21/2013 A, C

A. Books I started but didn't finish
B. 500+ pages
C. TBRs that I've owned for years

Here are some of my ideas:
The Secret Life of Bees - C
Some Great Thing - A, C
Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir - A, C
The Art of Racing in the Rain - A, C
Crime and Punishment - B, C
I Know This Much Is True - A, B, C
Great Expectations - A, B, C
Paradise Alley - A, B
Middlesex - B
The Best of Roald Dahl - B
The Book Thief - B

Kaitlin I have added you to the list. Good luck.

I think I will try for my masters.

ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2013
7/8 completed

1)The Pillars of the Earth May 7
2)Then Again April 10
3)Zero Day May 22
4)We Were the MulvaneysApril 15
5)Young Lonigan June 7
6)The Hunt For Atlantis May 23
7)The Giver May 12
8)Mystery

I don't now how many I will finish, but my goal is 15! I have so many books on my shelves at home that I've never read!

Shelly and Melanie I have added both of you to the list.

Melanie, are you a fast reader? 15 books in three months is absolutely awesome.

Well ladies I would like to wish you luck on achieving your goals.

I'll try for Masters. I've got several that have been on my list since junior/high school.

susie wrote: "I'll try for Masters. I've got several that have been on my list since junior/high school."

I have added you to the list Susie. Good luck on your goal.

Great idea for a challenge. I'm going to double-major in "hard to get into" books and "TBR" books. I noticed just the other day that my bedside bookshelf is almost entirely full of books I've either tried to read and failed, or not gotten around to trying at all. So, this challenge is right in my wheelhouse! And, given I failed miserably on last quarter's challenge, I'll have a few carry-overs from that one. Here's my tentative plan:

1. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto Read 4/27/13, Five Stars
2. The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
3. One Hundred Years of Solitude
4. Delta Wedding
5. In Our Time Read 5/19/13, Three Stars
6. A Moveable Feast

I'm going to go for a double major. I don't know what they will be yet, but I am staying away from category 1 just because at this point, I'm too old to waste my remaining time on earth reading books that I don't enjoy. I'm a book hedonist, I guess :)

Carrie and Sibyl I have just added you both to the list. Good luck on your goal.

Count me in for 1-3 or more

Lindy wrote: "Count me in for 1-3 or more"

Hi Lindy. I added your link yesterday. Good luck with your goal.

Ok I'll give this a go, as its my first challenge here I'll start with a masters and work from there.

I've a kindle chrammed with 'must reads'!

ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2013

Completed 3/7+

I'll be doing some from each category. This will be a great TBR clean-up for me!

A. Books I started but didn't finish
B. 500+ pages
C. TBRs that I've owned for 5+ years

(I copied that from someone above, hope you don't mind.

1. Anne of Green Gables C read
2. Dracula *** B
3. Crime and Punishment B read ****
4. A Tale of Two Cities B read ***

I think I will start with a Double Major, but hope to get my PhD!! I have tons of books that I have had on my book shelf five or more years, I'm sure I can find something to read in there :)

ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2013
Double Major 4-6

5/4-6

1. A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness (mammoth)
2. The Monster of Florence - Douglas Preston (TBR 5+yrs)
3. Shadow of Night - Deborah Harkness (mammoth)
4. Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts (TBR 5+yrs)
5. I Know This Much is True - Wally Lamb (mammoth (double mammoth really!))

Liza wrote: "Ok I'll give this a go, as its my first challenge here I'll start with a masters and work from there.

I've a kindle chrammed with 'must reads'!

ZARA'S INSPIRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE
Duration: April ..."

Hi Liza. Thanks for participating in this challenge.

You've mentioned that you want to do a masters but you've quoted the amount for a major. I've put you in the major category but if you want me to put you in the masters group you would need to read a minimum of 7 books not 3 as you quoted. Just let me know which you'd prefer and I'll make the adjustments.

Thanks again.