It's that time of year again, time to sign up for the annual Cozy Mystery Challenge and start thinking about the books you'll want to read for the next 6 months.
Last year we had a great turn out and I hope we do just as well, if not better, in 2011.
For those who might wonder what a cozy mystery is, here's a great website that explains it and is a great resource for series: Cozy-Mystery.com I also have the 2010 list of read books still available on this blog, so feel free to browse through the list to see what members read last year.
Here are the rules:
1. The challenge runs April 1st, 2011 through September 30, 2011.
2. The goal is to read at least 6 cozy mysteries, one for each month. You can choose to read more, but you must read 6 in order to complete this challenge. You don't have to read 1 each month, you can read them whenever you like, you just have to read at least six.
There are three participation levels for this challenge:
Only the required amount - 6
I think I can do better - 7-10
Feeling very ambitious - 11+
3. While you can overlap with other challenges, please try to have at least 2 of the books only count towards this challenge. However, if you are doing a challenge such as 100 Books in 2011 or similar, where you are working towards a page count or book count, it's ok to count these books towards that challenge.
4.Sign-up using the dedicated form. While it would be great if you signed up before April 1st, you can sign up anytime between now and September 1st.
5. You do NOT need a blog to participate. If you do have a blog, I would love to see a dedicated post linking back this post, but that's not required either.
6. You do NOT have to list the books you plan to read ahead of time, although you can if you want to (and the list can change throughout the challenge).
7. Prizes!! Everyone loves a prize! Everyone who completes this challenge will get a bookmark made by yours truly. My goal is to use the challenge button this year for the bookmark! That will probably help me mail them out a bit faster
This year I am also happy to announce that I'll be able to offer giveaways! I think most of us cozy fans are aware that Penguin has two divisions with some awesome cozy series, Obsidian and Berkley Prime Crime. I'm going to be able to offer a multi-book giveaway in September and possible one or two books before that. I don't know what books will be offered yet, just that I've been in contact with a wonderful person who works for them and they have been nice enough to allow me to do the giveaway(s).
Due to the publisher providing the books for the giveaway, I'm going to put a twist on the giveaway entry. Every person who completes the challenge will be able to fill out the giveaway form and earn 1 entry. However, on top of that, for each Berkley Prime Crime and Obsidian book you read, you earn an extra entry. I'll have more details towards the end of the challenge when the giveaway is announced. ( I want to disclose that the publisher did NOT request I do this, rather I came up with the extra entries as a way to help promote their books since they were kind enough to allow me to do the giveaways. )
Please let me know if you have any questions and most importantly....HAVE FUN!
Pssst - There is another cozy challenge going on this year, Crusin' Through the Cozies, being hosted by Socrates' Book Review Blog. If you signed up for that one (heck..I did), you are more than welcome to sign up for this one as well. The only thing I ask is that you do pay attention to rule #3 and read at least 2 cozies specifically for this one..that you don't count for the other one.
