It’s March and I’ve got more fun stuff for those in my reading challenge! (You can still sign up by writing a blog post and linking it here or joining my Goodreads group).

Welcome to the first ever Swag Swap Event!  I thought it would be fun for you guys to get some new bookmarks for those books you have been staring at for years.  Your bookmarks can be new and exciting even if your dusty books aren’t  I have bookmarks to giveaway, but I thought it would be even more fun to have you guys swap swag and such amongst yourselves!

So here’s how it works.

• Click the link at the bottom of this post and fill out the form before March 12.
• You will be assigned a swapping buddy by March 16. (This isn’t anonymous – if you don’t send anything, they will know who you are!  The person you send something to is the person you will be receiving something from.)
• You can send your swapping buddy some of your extra bookmarks and other book related swag, a postcard, or a homemade bookmark (YA FRIENDLY PLEASE).
• You have until March 31st to get your swag in the mail.
• You may be assigned someone who lives internationally from you.  I am not asking you to send big, expensive packages.  Postage for an international letter from the U.S. is about $1 – it’s even less for a postcard.
• You must be a part of my reading challenge to sign up for this swag swap.
• You must be at least 13 years old to sign up.

I understand this is not something all of you can do, so I am also doing a giveaway! I will randomly select people who fill out the form and send them some swag pictured below until it is all gone.  I hope I have at least one thing to send to everyone who enters, but we’ll see

I have bracelets, magnets, tattoos, signed bookmarks, leather bookmarks, and postcards that you could win!

Fill out this form to sign up!

Welcome to the first mini-challenge for The Dusty Bookshelf!  I’m calling this challenge:

Take a Picture

I want you to take a picture of that bookshelf you’ve been neglecting with all those books you are finally going to read this year!  I like to look my challenges in the eye so I know what I’m up against. FACE my fears like when I grab a shoe to kill a spider and wail like a banshee.  THAT’S BRAVE.

When I take out all the 30 or so books (double-stacked) that I “only” got last year, this is what my shelf looks like.

It’s not as bad as I thought it would be, but they do look rather long and boring.  And look! It’s even dusty!!

Jude at In Between Reading and Writing already took a picture of her bookshelf and her post made me laugh.  Head over if you want a laugh and some inspiration.

There are two ways to do this challenge.  

1. Take a picture of your bookshelf.  If you don’t have a literal bookshelf of books you are reading for this challenge you can make a montage of the covers, take a screenshot of your Goodread’s shelf…whatever you want! It just has to be a picture so be creative (Those of you that like going above and beyond could do a vlog – I will totally watch it!) Be sure to leave a link in the linky widget below of where you posted your picture. I want to see it!

OR

2. Upload your photo to the Goodreads group for this challenge. Be sure to put a caption on it so we know who’s shelf it is! (To upload a photo to the group click “photos” on the right and then “add more photos”)

Honestly, you can do both. I won’t stop you.

And now for this challenges’ THEME SONG.

I usually stay away from new authors until I know their books are good.  Hopefully this challenge will get me out of my comfort zone and read them before they get huge buzz.  I’ll think of it as an adventure!  Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not – who knows!

For the challenge, you have to read 12 books by debut authors who are being published in 2012.  I’ll add the books I’ve read to this post as the year goes on.

1. Halflings by Heather Burch
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. Forbidden by Syrie and Ryan M. James
4. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
5. Above World by Jenn Reese
6. The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova
7. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
8. Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
9. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
10. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
11. Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse
12. A Breath of Eyre by Marie Mont

*I will no longer be participating in The Story Siren’s Debut Author Challenge, but I still plan to read 12 debut YA authors this year.

Updated December 31, 2012

I started this challenge for me.   It’s a dream of mine to look at my bookshelf and say unequivocally and without exception, “I’ve read all those books.”  And some of those books have been sitting on my shelf for a LONG time.  Hence the name   You can sign up for this challenge here. There’s a giveaway going on right now until the end of January 2012 for all those who sign up.

Here’s the list of books that are sitting on my shelf right now, mocking me. I’ll add numbers to them as I read them. So far I have 21 books which puts me at the Grungy Level.

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
2. A Preface to Paradise Lost by C.S. Lewis
3. Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton
4. Our Search for Happiness by M. Russel Ballard

• The 9/11 Commission Report (Gosh at least 6 years.  Can you blame me?)
• A Preface to Paradise Lost by C.S. Lewis (9 years)
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (3 years)
• Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by John Milton (10+ years)
• Beloved by Toni Morrison (3 years)
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck (3 years)
• Our Search for Happiness by M. Russell Ballard (8 years)
• A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by Legrand Richards (8 years)
• Articles of Faith by James E. Talmage (8 years)
• Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage (8 years)
• Truth Restored/Gospel Principles by Gordon B. Hinckley (8 years)
• The Secret of Staying in Love by John Powell (8 years)
• The Odyssey by Homer (1 year)
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2 years)
• The Great Apostasy by James E. Talmage (8 years)
• The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (5 years)
• Believing Christ by Stephen E. Robinson (8 years)
• Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus by John Gray (5 years)
• The Art of Teaching by Gilbert Highet (7 years)
• Etudes for Piano Teachers by Stewart Gordon (7 years)
• Our Heritage by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (8 years)

Updated May 1, 2012