2011 Off the Shelf Challenge – Completed

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What: Off the Shelf Challenge
When: 1 January – 31 December 2011
Who: Dutchie (Bookish Ardour)
Rules: Read books that you own, but haven’t gotten around to reading, for whatever reason. Only books you own prior to 1 January 2011 count toward the challenge. Go here for more details and sign up.

Level: Making A Dint — 30 books

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Well, I did it. I completed this challenge. It’s not the first challenge I’ve completed this year, though it is the first one to get a wrap-up post.

I wasn’t sure I’d actually complete this challenge by the end of the year, let alone nearly 3 1/2 months early. What helped, as I’ve said several times in my monthly update reports, were the challenges on Good Reads. Plus, I’ve stopped worrying about reviews. This challenge doesn’t require them, so I’ve never felt I had to do them to feel I was successfully meeting the goals. If they get done, I add the links; if not, I’m satisfied.

Though I’ve met the goal of 30 books, I didn’t get to all sixteen books I’ve dubbed the “Sweet 16”. I’ve got a few months left in the year, so I still might get to them. I only need 6 more books to go to reach my goal.

Looking over the list below, the three oldest (in terms of shelf life) were Sylvester (Georgette Heyer), The Pained Lady (Barbara Metzger), and Murder with Puffins (Donna Andrews) — all added to the pile in 2006.  The two newest were Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil (Drew Karpyshyn) and Kiss of Crimson (Lara Adrian) — both late-2010 and both part of the “Sweet Sixteen”.  A special note regarding Sylvester:  the the edition I read was newer, I did have an older copy that I swapped out — I’m collecting her in trade paperback now.

Overall, I had fun with challenge and wouldn’t mind doesn’t something similar next year.

Explanation of the listing:
Title (Author) {m/y added to TBR pile} {Date finished}
(Limiting myself to books that purchased/received prior to Jul 2010 — prior to my move; exception – the 16 books at the bottom of the page.)

= Part of the “Sweet 16” – books I made a goal to read this year (see list at the bottom of page)

01. The Painted Lady (Metzger, Barbara) {9/06} {10 Jan 11}
02. Not Without Her Family (Andrews, Beth) {7/08} {24 Jan 11}
03. The Lord and the Wayward Lady (Allen, Louise) {5/10} {30 Jan 11}
04. Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil (Karpyshyn, Drew) {9/10} {6 Feb 11}
05. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Vaughn, Carrie) {1/08} {19 Mar 11}
06. Persecuted (Childs, Lisa) {7/07} {27 Mar 11}
07. A Taste of Magic (Madison, Tracy) {6/09} {31 Mar 11}
08. Bound by Shadow (Windsor, Anna) {8/08} {11 Apr 11}
09. Hot Mama (Estep, Jennifer) {5/09} {15 Apr 11}
10. Beyond the Night (Ware, Joss) {1/10} {29 Apr 11}
11. Secret Society Girl (Peterfreund, Diana) {6/09} {1 May 11}
12. Halfway to the Grave (Frost, Jeaniene) {7/08} {9 May 11}
13. Visions of Heat (Singh, Nalini) {1/09} {12 May 11}
14. Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Shearin, Lisa) {5/09} {21 May 11}
15. Caressed by Ice (Singh, Nalini) {1/09} {22 May 11}
16. Mine to Possess (Singh, Nalini) {1/09} {24 May 11}
17. Just the Sexiest Man Alive (James, Julie) {11/09} {2 Jun 11}
18. Master of None (Bateman, Sonya) {4/10} {5 Jun 11}
19. Stormwalker (James, Allyson) {5/10} {13 Jun 11}
20. Touched by an Alien (Koch, Gini) {4/10} {30 Jun 11}
21. Cold as Ice (Stuart, Anne) {8/08} {4 Jul 11}
22. Sylvester (Heyer, Georgette) {4/06} {10 Jul 11}
23. Jedi Twilight (Coruscant Nights I) (Reaves, Michael {7/08} {17 Jul 11}
24. Kiss of Midnight (Adrian, Lara) {2/08} {25 Jul 11}
25. Marked (Naughton, Elisabeth) {5/10} {31 Jaul 11}
26. Hostage to Pleasure (Singh, Nalini) {1/09} {8 Aug 11}
27. Branded by Fire (Singh, Nalini) {4/09} {15 Aug 11}
28. A Regimental Murder (Gardner, Ashley) {8/07} {27 Aug 11}
29. Kiss of Crimson (Adrian, Lara) {10/10} {8 Sep 11}
30. Murder with Puffins (Andrews, Donna) {6/06} {20 Sep 11}

List of potential reads

  • 2 Georgette Heyer novels
  • 2 Star Wars novels
  • 2 “In Death” (J. D. Robb) novels
  • 2 Midnight Breed (Lara Adrian) novels
  • 2 Psy/Changeling (Nalini Singh) novels ♥♥
  • 2 Ghostwalkers (Christine Feehan) novels
  • 1 Gaslight Mystery (Victoria Thompson)
  • 1 Meg Langlow Mystery (Donna Andrews)
  • 1 Captain Lacey Mystery (Ashely Gardner)
  • 1 “Ice” novel (Anne Stuart)

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