Welcome to the Chunkster Reading Challenge - a challenge which satisfies those readers who like their books fat and chunky!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Chunkster Challenge 2013 - SIGN UPS

January 1 - December 31, 2013

Below are the details and sign-ups for 2013.

Definition of a chunkster:
A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature, whether non-fiction or fiction. A chunkster should be a challenge.

If you read books in large print, your books will need to be 525 pages or more. The average large type book is 10-15% larger or more so it’s a fair estimate.

The rules:
  • No audio books. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
  • No e-books allowed. This was discussed in much detail in the 2011 challenge. The short version: a chunkster isn’t a challenge if you’re reading it on an e-reader. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
  • Essay, poetry, and short story collections will be allowed. Collections have to be read in their entirety to count. If you’ve needed a reason to finally pick up your copy of The Collected Works Of ____ now is the time.
  • Books may crossover with other challenges.
  • Anyone may join. (If you don’t have a blog, just leave a comment on this post with your challenge level and your progress throughout the challenge.) 
  • You don’t need to list your books ahead of time.
  • Once you’ve picked a level, that’s it. You’re committed to it!
You must pick a level of participation:
  1. The Chubby Chunkster – this option is for the readers who want to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.
  2. The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months. 
  3. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX Chunksters from the following categories: 2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions page for some books which fit into these categories).
  4. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.
Want Suggestions of what to read? 

Check out the Chunky Book Suggestions page. Throughout the year, we will be adding new books to this page.

To review or not to review, that is the quesion...
Reviews are not mandatory, but they are strongly encouraged. We will be putting up a Mr. Linky at the beginning of the challenge for links to your reviews. We will also be posting a Mr. Linky for wrap up posts at the end of the challenge.

To sign up, please use Mr. Linky below by linking DIRECTLY to your post about the challenge (please, please - do NOT link to your main blog page!!). If you do not have a blog, please just leave a comment telling me you are joining the challenge. Thanks! There is NO deadline for sign ups - sign up whenever you want through the end of the challenge period.

56 comments:

  1. I'm in. Not sure what I'll be reading yet but I am in for 4 books.

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  2. I`m going big again next year, despite not making it this year. Mor-book-ly Obese it is.

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  3. I love the idea of this and can't wait to get started. The Song of Ice and Fire series will fit this challenge perfectly!

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  4. Got to write the post - just sorting out all my challenges but am going to try for Mor-bookly- Obese again have the books lined up whether they all get read - well who knows:)

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  5. I'm in for "Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big?"
    6 books for 2013 that define the guidelines for chunkster books in the above post.
    Thanks!

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  6. Somehow while trying to leave my wrap-up for the 2012 challenge, the site dropped me to the sign-up linky without me realizing it. So... That link saying "Alysha DeShaé" will bring you to my failed 2012 wrap-up instead of my reading challenges page. I am planning to participate for 2013, but the correct link for my 2013 challenges will be here once I finish wrapping up 2012: http://alyshadeshae.com/reading-challenges/

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    1. The direct link for my entry post: http://alyshadeshae.com/2013/01/03/entry-chunkster-challenge-2013/

      I didn't want to add a new link to Mister Linky and I'm not sure if I can update it or not. It's currently linked to the 2012 wrap-up post, though.

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    2. I will update for you, Alysha, and delete the incorrect entry. I probably won't get to it until tomorrow though :) Thanks for letting me know!

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    3. Just letting you know that I added your link to the sign ups, Alysha (and deleted the incorrect link too!)

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  7. I'm going to do The Chubby Chunkster.I think I need to start out small, and then see where it goes.

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  8. Miss Wendy, I am in. Going to commit to 4 books at this point

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  9. Looking forward to this challenge again this year! Thanks for hosting!

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  10. I did four last year, so I'm gonna be conservative and try to do the same.

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  11. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? Oh yes they do:)
    I am so in. Thanks for the challenge.

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  12. So happy you're hosting this again (thanks!) -- I have tons of chunksters on my must-read list. Hope to read at least four books, so I'm in at the "Chubby" level.

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  13. I'm excited to join and hope to do better this year as last year I didn't do to fantastic. Thanks for hosting again.

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  14. I CAN do this!!!! And I'm aiming high (or big) -- count me in for Do These Books Make My Butt Look Big. And yes, I certainly hope so. :)

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  15. Sounds like fun--I'm in for Do these books make my butt look big.


    Audrey

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  16. I'm doing the plump primer, Also, I have some books to add to your suggestions page.
    1,000+: Kristen Lavransdotter/Sigrid Undset (1168), Bleak House/Dickens (1017); 751-1000: David Copperfield/Dickens (974), Nicholas Nickleby/Dickens (817), Middlemarch/George Eliot (904), Vanity Fair/William Makepeace Thackeray (867), An American Tragedy/Theodore Dreiser (859), Greatest History of Mankind/Roy Porter (872), The Quincunx/Charles Palliser (787), Cider House Rules/John Irving (973); 651-750: JR/William Gaddis (726), Bonfire of the Vanities/Tom Wolfe (656), The Magus/John Fowles (656), Portrait of a Lady/Henry James (655); 551-650: Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay/Michael Chabon (636), Invisible Man/Ralph Ellison (581), Sophie's Choice/William Styron (562), Can't Stop Won't Stop/Jeff Chang (560), Tess of the d'Urbervilles/Thomas Hardy (592), Alias Grace/Margaret Atwood (636), Sister Carrie/Theodore Dreiser (580), The Children's Hospital/Chris Adrian (624), The Rest is Noise/Alex Ross (640), East of Eden/John Steinbeck (601).

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    1. Thanks for the recommendations for the book suggestions page, Amy - I've added them!

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  17. Thank you for hosting! It's my 3rd year in a row joining this challenge. This year - Plump primer (same level) -

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  18. Okay, my butt was big last year (and still is LOL) but I didn't complete that challenge, so I'm setting my 2013 goal a little lower and going for Plump Primer...

    Love this challenge even when I don't make it, so I really appreciate you hosting it!

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  19. I'm going to do the plump primer.

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  20. I've been looking for a challenge like this for 2013! I'm in for the Mor-book-ly Obese level. I've got a good start, since I just began Anna Karenina!

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  21. I'm in for 'The Plump Primer' level -- I was tempted to try for 'Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big?,' but there aren't enough 750+ books on my TBR list for this year. I'll see how it goes and hopefully try for a higher level next year :)

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  22. Last year I did't dare to enter this challenge, but this time I may try with the lowest level. I will put my sign up post right away!

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  23. I'm in again! I've never completely succeeded, but you know what they say--try, try again.

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  24. Sounds great I signed up for the plump primer.

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  25. I'm going for Mor-book-ly Obese, since many of the books for the I've Always Meant to Read That Book Challenge count as Chunksters. :)

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  26. I am going for 'Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big?'

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  27. Signed up for the Chubby Chunkster again. Thanks for hosting this.

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  28. Hey where should I post the review??? Help me with the linky please:)

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    Replies
    1. you can post links to your reviews on this post: http://chunksterchallenge.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-links-to-reviews.html

      Finding that post again is as easy as looking in the right side bar under labels and selecting the label: links to reviews

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  29. Hi! I'm in for Do These Books Make My Butt Look Big? level.
    Thanks for hosting this challenge.

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  30. I just checked how many I read last year, 20 chunky ones, 6 of which had more than 750 pages (can you tell how much I love large books?) so I will sign up for the "Mor-book-ly Obese" challenge. Thanks for the great idea.

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  31. I'm in for the Plump Primer again. Hope the books I've picked fit the criteria, I've tried to check this out carefully. I believe them to be Fantasy, but not YA. Thanks for the challenge again this year.

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  32. I'm in for the Chubby Chunkster and have my first couple of books picked out.

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  33. Um, I accidentally linked twice. Can you remove #39 please? I can't seem to do it right.

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  34. I'm signing up for Do These Books Make My Butt Look Big? level for the second time. Last year I managed 13 books that were more than 500 pages, so I think I'll have no trouble!

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  35. I'm in for the Chubby Chunkster level!

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  36. I also have a few chukny books you might want to add to the list. Is this the right place to do this? If not, just delete my comment, please.
    Tremain, Rose “Music & Silence” – 1999 - 464 pages
    Stowe, Harriet Beecher “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (Onkel Toms Hütte) – 1852 – 494 pages
    Gao, Xingjian „Soul Mountain“ – 1989 – 528 pages
    Schami, Rafik “ The Calligrapher’s Secret" – 2008 – 550 pages
    Pasternak, Boris “Doctor Zhivago" – 1958 - 567 pages
    Smiley, Jane “13 Ways of Looking at the Novel” – 2005 – 591 pages
    Chang, Jung “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China” – 720 pages
    Dostoevsky, Fyodor “Crime and Punishment -1866 - 734 pages
    McGarry Morris, Mary “Songs in Ordinary Time” - 1995 - 752 pages
    Allende, Isabel “Island Beneath the Sea” - 2010 - 763 pages
    Mandela, Nelson "Long Walk to Freedom" - 1994 - 784 pages
    Rutherfurd, Edward "Awakening: The Rebels of Ireland" - 2006 - 800 pages
    Rutherfurd, Edward “Dublin: Foundation (The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga)” - 2004 - 944 pages
    Follett, Ken “The Pillars of the Earth” – 1989 – 1.100 pages

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  37. Hi =) Where do I post links to my review(s)?

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  38. Are rereads okay? And what about books combined in one volume?

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  39. I'm onboard with 6 chunkies.

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  40. Going for the Plump Primer - 6 chunksters!

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    1. I finished my Plump Primer sooner than thought! I read:

      The House at Riverton by Mary Morton (551 pages)
      Daughter of York by Anne Easter Smith (570 pages)
      The Kings Grace by Anne Easter Smith (608 pages)
      The Forgotten Garden by Mary Morton (560 pages)
      The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (562 pages)
      Queen By Right by Anne Easter Smith (484 pages)

      I highly recommend them all if you like historical fiction.

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    2. Excellent choice on the Kate Morton books -- she's one of my all-time favorite authors -- nice job!

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  41. I finished my Chunkster Challenge for his tear and look forward ti doing it again in 2014. My books were:


    To read the rules for this challenge click on the button above or here.
    I plan to go for the Plump Primer and read at least 6 chunksters this year.

    1. Cold Days by Jim Butcher (515pgs.)
    2. Two Graves by Preston & Child (448 pgs.)
    3. Lone Star Nation by H.W. Brands (582 pgs)
    4. Die Trying by Lee Child (552 pgs)
    5. Dr. Sleep by Stephen King (531 pgs)
    6. Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos (542 pgs)

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