Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

In this folder members should feel free to introduce themselves. You can say as little or as much as you want. I'll start off...

My name is Cynthia; I'm 27 years old and I work part-time (hoping for full-time) for my local public library system here in Virginia. I've loved reading since I was a little girl so my job is a good fit. I particularly enjoy historical fiction but I try to read a little bit of everything. My favorite books would include Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Jane Eyre, and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

Besides reading I love listening to music and dancing and taking care of my two dogs (Pandora a Cocker Spaniel and Phoebe an English Bulldog).

The idea for this challenge is based on the adult summer reading program that the library system I work was doing. I mentioned the challenge in another Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ group I was involved with (TNBBC) during the summer of 2008. Members of that group seemed intrigued by the idea so I posted it and some people participated along with me. Then I got to thinking why wait a whole year for another challenge when I could design my own...so that's what I did and I've been putting them together every season since.

The response I've gotten so far from them has been fantastic; far and above my expectations. Each challenge more and more people participated (more than 200 in the last challenge) and so I decided that it might be better to have a group just for the challenge itself. I've never run a group like this before but I'm really excited about it.

I guess that's about it. I really look forward to getting to know all of you and seeing what books your reading.

Hi everyone!

First of all, Cynthia, I think this new group is a great idea and I'm really looking forward to the Fall challenge! (and it certainly is quite a challenge!) Thanks so much for putting all this together for us!

So, I'm Suzie, I live in England, I'm 37 and married with two children, one of whom, my daughter who is 10, is going to be doing the challenge alongside me with some adjustments! Until April I was a nurse in an ITU/HDU, but I gave that up and am now about start a new job as a secretary to a child psychiatrist. It's part-time so will still have lots of time for reading!

Aside from reading, I enjoy photography and anything arty/crafty.

I've participated in the Winter, Spring and Summer challenges so far and get overly excited about choosing which books I'll read for the tasks, and end up not reaching the high goals I set! I tend to start off really well and then my reading tails off in the middle .. then I have a final spurt towards the end! Maybe this time I'll succeed in a more balanced way!

Anyway, I've waffled on enough! Off to check out my books lol!

Hi!

I also want to say thanks to Cynthia! This is great!

My name is Kathleen and I am currently living in Florida but spent most of my life in South Carolina. I am 40 years old and have two children under 4. Yes, I started late:-) I worked as a librarian in Charleston, SC for about 8 years before opening a metaphysical book and gift store. When I had my first child I decided I wanted to be a full time mom and closed my store. I really haven't made the time to read over the last several years but have been participating in the Summer challenge and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has really gotten me back into reading and reminded me of what a joy reading is.

Hi I'm Mel and I'm 31 years old and live in Canada. I stumbled onto the Spring Challenge and have been hooked ever since. My favourite part is trying to fit as many books from my mount TBR into the categories. :op
Cynthia you have done a wonderful job in keeping it all organized and I take my hat off to you. This group was a wonderful idea.

Hi all :). I'm Candace and I'm 27 yers old. I currently live in Missouri, which I find rather dull and boring (of course I would after 18 years...), but being so dull and boring - it gives me plenty of time to read! I work as an apartment manager for a community of close to 300 units, so while its REAL busy in the summer, the winter months give me PLENTY of time to read. I spend most of my spare time (aside from reading) taking pictures, playing with my two bratty cats, or doing something musically or just being creative in general. I love being outdoors and am sad that the summer months are winding down.

I just started with the Challenges this past time around with the Summer and found it fantastic, so I'm really excited about the Fall Challenge.

Hi. I'm Petra and live in Canada.
I am married and working full-time in a local hospital. Besides reading, I also enjoy stitching, gardening and decorative painting. One day, I'd like to try my hand at furniture refinishing.
I read a wide variety of books and I love how the Challenges incorporate any/all genres. I've only found the Challenges this Summer and really enjoyed the variety of tasks and the books I read to fulfill them.
I'm looking forward to the Fall and other future Challenges.

My names is Angela and I too LOVE the challenges! Thanks Cynthia!!! I have participated in four and have completed two. I love reading and have since I was little. I also like to cross-stitch, listen to music, and go out with friends. I live in Illinois near Chicago and have lived here all my life (I am 31 years old). I have been working at a bank for almost 13 years as a teller (I am currently a Teller Manager). I earned my Masters degree in December in School Counseling, but am having a difficult time finding a job in this field.

Hello all!

My name is Shelley. I am 27 years old and live near Detroit, Michigan. I have only participated in this past summer challenge, but really enjoyed it. I ended up reading a lot more than I expected to and found some books that I would probably have not selected without the challenge. I am a Human Resources professional, but my position was eliminated this past June, so I am currently job searching. The nice part is that I have been able to enjoy the summer weather and catch up on my reading. I am married with three furry kids - a black lab/rottweiler named Misty and two guinea pigs, Pepper and Pumpkin.

I am excited about this new group. Cynthia has done such a wonderful job of organizing the summer challenge and I am sure that coming challenges will be even better!

Hi. I'm Jamie and I'm from Atlanta. Last year my family lived in Seattle (training for husband's job) and last month we moved to Los Angeles. I really like it here so far. I am 36, been married for 10 years and have a one year old that I currently stay at home with.

I am really enjoying these seasonal challenges. I am not a very fast reader, but I am reading books that have been on my shelves for years - and discovering new ones for my growing TBR shelf.
Thanks, Cynthia, for putting this together.

Hey everybody. I'm Shanna. I'm 21 years old. I live in Michigan. I have just recently started to enjoy reading. I hated reading when i was younger. I think i like knowing that I'm doing it bc i want to and not bc i'm forced to. I am mostly drawn to young adult literature but i'll read anything that catches my eye. And i suppose that is just about it.

Hello everyone! My name is Julia and I am a 22 year old college student from a small school surrounded by corn in Ohio. After having a minor "what am I going to do with my life" crisis my junior year of college, I took what was supposed to be my senior year and living in Chengdu, China. I studied the language and culture for a year. This summer I went to Seoul, South Korea with a fellowship program my college does. I lived and studied there for a month. I have one full year to go to finish my computer science degree and still have no idea what I want to do with it. But it doesn't matter to me that I don't know anymore.

As for the challenges, I found them right before the summer challenge started and am participating in that though Korea did not aid me in my reading (i think I finished one book the whole time I was there and that was on the plane). Since I am going to be in the cornfields this year I am hoping reading will be the outlet that keep me sane and my mind traveling to different places while my body can't.

I love reading. I can thank my parents for instilling that love in me. My favorite genre is romance novels but I like dabbling in a bit of everything which is why this challenge is so great!!

Thanks so much Cynthia for running this and I am looking forward to getting to know all you better and starting the fall challenge!

Hi everyone,

I'm Rachel from Kansas City, MO and am 24 years old and am a pharmacist with a software company based out of Kansas City. I love to read and have since I was very little.

When I got in trouble as a kid, my parents would actually take my books away because it was my favorite pastime. Anyway, this will be my first challenge as I just found goodreads a couple of weeks ago. I am starting to plan my books and am hoping to find some new authors. I read pretty much any genre but non-fiction (I read enough of that for my job).

hey everyone! im jen, a 24 year old substitute teacher (i would like to be a real teacher, but nobody is hiring!) from ohio. i live w/ my parents, read, try to avoid subbing at all costs, coach cheerleading and teach martial arts. thanks so much cynthia, these challenges are so much fun and are a nice way to encourage reading outside of favorite genres! it has really broadened my reading list!

Hi everyone!

I'm Amy from San Antonio. Actually, I'm from Oklahoma City, but I'm currently attending school in San Antonio and prefer to call Texas home.

I found The Next Best Book Club shortly after I joined Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and jumped into the summer challenge at about the halfway point. Even though I'll be busy with school, it'll be nice having the challenges when I need ideas for what to read.

I've always loved reading. I was the girl in elementary school who read the most books of everyone in the school. I find that I still can make time to read in college because it's something I love doing. After a busy week at school, I usually just want to curl up in bed with a good book for the weekend.

Hi everyone, I'm Jaclyn. I just turned 30 a little over a week ago and have recently move to Walnut Creek, CA which is about 30 minutes E of San Francisco. Before that I grew up in Kansas City, so this has been quite a change for me. I live out here with my husband, 10 year old daughter and our two cats. I just finished my first tri-athlon this past weekend and hope to do more. My other interests are traveling, photography and the Gilmore Girls TV show (even though it's now off the air).

I just started doing the challenges this summer, but like many of you, I love how it opened my eyes to so many great new books and brought me out of my traditional comfort zone. My husband doesn't like the challenge quite as much b/c I've gotten a bit obsessed with reading since joining. My daughter loves hearing about it though and I might try to get her do it the Fall one alongside me like SuzieR - what a great idea.

I'm Katie. I'm 29 and I live in Austin, Texas. The Summer Challenge was the first that I did and well...I didn't get too far, but I think I went about it wrong. I'm hoping to get a lot more points this time around!

Hi all, I'm Liz. I'm 33 and live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am a speech pathologist for the school district. I have done the past three or four of Cynthia's challenges, and have had so much fun reading ALL the posts. Kudos to Cynthia for all her hard work. I'm thinking I won't get us much reading done this fall, as I have in the past, but i'm still going to join and set a personal goal.

Happy reading!

Hi Everyone, I am Leora from Maine. I teach middle school special education and am in grad school, and I love to read!

I came across the winter challenge last year about a week or so before it ended and was thrilled to finish the Spring challnege and do the Summer one.

My favorite part of these challneges is that it has made me think outside of the box as far as my reading choices for the last 6 months. I am so glad that I have been exposed to different genres that I never would have picked up otherwise.

Cynthia thanks for all of the work that you do to make these challenges and keep us all on track!

Hello everyone! I'm Rebecca and I currently live in NJ, just outside of Philadelphia with my husband and two 5 month old kittens. I work full-time and I am also involved in historical re-enacting for lace making. I’ve always been an avid reader and have really enjoyed the challenges as it forces me to look into other genres I would never have thought to pick up before.

I’m looking forward to the fall challenge.

Hi Everyone! I'm Joanie, I'm 36 and I live in Massachusetts. I'm married and I have a 3 year old son and I'm expecting my second baby in September. I'm a social worker in a school for kids with brain injuries (lots of us involved in special ed here.) I love to read and I always have at least one book and one audio book going at all times.

I've completed (well participated in-not completed!) the other challenges on TNBBC and have had a blast. I'm not sure how far I'll get with this one with the new baby coming but I'm going to give it a shot.

Cynthia, the group looks great! You did a fabulous job as always!

I'm Nicole, I'm 30 and still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! Currently working as a product manager in the Online Chanel for a bank in North Carolina, but will be moving within the year when my husband finished his residency program. I've lived all over including Chicago, Colorado and LA, and will be looking for input on my new home, whenever we figure out where it will be!

My children are the four-legged kind, and beside playing with them, I love dancing, good wine, and of course a good book! This is will be my third challenge and I think I have as much fun finding the books as reading them. The challenge really has opened me up to all sorts of different books and my "normal" reading will never quite be the same. Thanks Cynthia!

Hey people! I'm Sara. I'm 25 and live in Texas with my husband (who has just two years of Vet School left!), and our two (indoor) dogs and two (indoor) cats in a two bedroom duplex... ;) Fun times at the zoo! We're both from Texas, so we hope to stay here after he graduates and gets a real job. I'm a Civil Engineer, but I lost my job a little while back, so I'm doing the job-search thing right now.

I did the last Winter and Spring Challenge, but took Summer off, as I get a little too intense about things like this. SO, I'm going to try and participate without feeling the need to finish. We'll see how that goes...

Other than reading, I like (in no particular order) to play Rock Band, cross-stitch, watch movies, cook when I have the time, listen to music. I love Star Trek. (We're Netflixing DS9 right now, which I'm thoroughly enjoying...) I'm also a huge audiobook fan, as it allows me to "read" while doing other important (boring) tasks, such as exercising, chopping vegetables into microscopic pieces (aka "mincing"), cleaning house, and driving cross-country on I-10 (we did 1035 miles from California to Texas this week).

I really love challenges, in general, but I love this one, as it gets me to read things I wouldn't normally read, which is great prevention for getting into a reading "rut".

Hello!!

I'm Mary Beth, a 28 year old New York City transplant originally from the western end of the state (excuse me, commonwealth) of Kentucky. When I finished law school a little over two years ago, I decided to move to NYC on a whim. And, I'm really glad that I did...this city reads more than anywhere else I've ever lived! (Public transportation doesn't hurt.) The bookstores are also magnificent, especially after having lived in towns with very small libraries and no bookstores.

I got hooked on the challenges while following the Winter Challenge and have participated in the Spring and Summer Challenges. I read quite a bit to begin with, but the challenges have REALLY helped me to clear off my TBR Shelf. Plus, Delilah (my roommate's dog who pretends to be mine on occasion) enjoys the time I spend as her pillow while I'm reading.

Hi all,

My name is Roseann and I am a "reading addict" who is very happy to have found this wonderful group of like-minded individuals!

I recently graduated from San Diego State University where I had returned after many years away from school and I hope to start an online MLIS program with San Jose State in the Spring of next year.

I got hooked on these challenges this Spring and went a little crazy during the summer reading about two books a day. I love the fact that my reading speed is back to where it was when I was very young and I am back to never going anywhere without a book within reach.

Thank you Cynthia for all of your hard work keeping these challenges going. I really don't know how you find time to read while keeping track of all of us!

Greetings to all!
My name is Kelly and I live in Massachusetts. I am a former English teacher and current school librarian - I live to read! I am also finishing my last year of my MLIS, but even so, I make time for my own reading almost every day (sometimes to the dismay of my husband).

My first challenge was in the spring, and I am working on the summer challenge right now. I am doing much better since I set a goal for myself (knowing I would never be able to finish all of the tasks), and I hope to keep increasing my goals with each challenge.

Hey I'm 27 and live in England. The first challenge I did was the winter challenge last year so by doing this autumn challenge I will have done my first cycle of a whole year! I love the challenges as they always result in me finding books that I wouldn't normally read but enjoy so puts new authors in my reading scope!

I haven't got too far with the summer challenge as I have had so much going on recently but am looking forward to the autumn challenge and try and beat this season's score! I always look at these challenges though, not as how many books can I rush through but rather what books can I find to enjoy.

As for the rest of my time when I'm not reading I work at a university as the receptionist and administrator of student services. I am aiming to do an MA in information and library studies in a few years time so I cam also currently volunteering in a library a couple of hours a week.

Alice x

Hi guys, I'm Jessica from Arizona. I am 31, and a single mom of 3 kids. I'm a dispatcher/office manager, so when things are kind of slow, I get to spend time reading at work...BONUS!!! :)

I've been a member of TNBBC for awhile, and always have been interested in the seasonal challenges, but haven't tried doing any of them yet. It looks like so much fun, and it'll give me a reason to dig out some of my TBR's I've forgotten about! I'm really looking forward to when it starts! Meanwhile, it's great finding different books to meet all the tasks.

Hello, another TNBBC-er here from Pittsburgh. I'm 31, living with my boyfriend of almost-5-years and two big dogs - up until just a couple weeks ago we had three, but we sadly had to put one down. I took time off reading to grieve, which is new for me as generally reading is the best psychological medicine. I enjoy finding books that aren't as common as others, and these challenges have been extra incentive for me to look outside the box.

Outside of the book world I'm currently a medical secretary for a group of surgeons, though in a week or so my responsibilities will be restructured and exploded, thus a new title (I am told) is coming my way. I read on a bus to and from work so I try to get a good chunk of reading during that commute; I wish I had a job I could read through, but any reading I get done is on my lunch break. Work and books (and the dogs and, once in a while, the boyfriend) make up most of my life, but I occasionally amuse myself with mosaics or watercolors, or fussing in our garden. When money and time permit we like to travel, particularly Canada and Europe, and when money and time can not permit I do what I can to read about those places.

As always, thanks Cynthia for continuing these great challenges!

Hello Fellow Challengers!
I'm 30 and have lived in Nova Scotia since we emmigrated here from Edinburgh almost 20 years ago.
I live with my husband & puppy (Cooper) and for the summer my younger brother has been living here too.
My husband & I are trying to expand our family unit, albeit no luck so far.

I've always loved to read and have found it to be a helpful form of therapy/release during life's rough patches. To be able to forget your woes & live in a dreamland is a precious gift.

I recently joined TNBBC and saw everyone enjoying the Challenge and hoped there would be a Fall one for me to partake it....and here we are!

I'm not that competitive by nature but I do love to read. For some reason, the people around me don't want to talk books as much as me which can be quite frustrating. So it's great to have a group of book crazies I can chat with!!

Anyway, thank you Cynthia, good luck to everyone & happy reading!

Hello! I'm Jamie! I think this will be my 4th challenge that I've participated in because Cynthia has just made them so AWESOME! I'm super thrilled that she is making a group for it!! YAY Cynthia!

Anyways..I'm 23. I recently graduated from college with my BS in Business Administration. I love the more creative side of business..marketing, advertising, PR, etc. My dream is to do fashion marketing and live in NYC..but right now I'm stuck in a crappy retail job so I can have money to pay for my 2 most important things in my life...books and clothing! :)

I'm the creator and moderator of the College Students group here on GR. I'm also big into art, music, and movies. I'm far too adventurous for my own good and I get bored really easily. I have a wonderful boyfriend that I've been with for 2 1/2 years..and I'm secretly hoping we get engaged relatively soon.. :)

That's about it! I'm excited to be able to get to know everyone who participates in these challenges!

Yay, I'm excited...lets bring on another challenge. BTW I'm Jennifer from San Diego (but I'm in the Philippines right now). I love books like everyone here...can't wait for the challenge to start!!!

Hi. I'm Wendy. I am going to be 59 years old next week. I teach kids in and outside of Boston, Massachusetts how to beat the SSAT, ISEE and the SAT. I finished the Spring and the Summer challenges and I can't wait for the Fall challenge. I am married to Cheryl (IT"S Massachusetts..) and we have a 19 year old son who is a varsity soccer player at MIT. We have a dog, two cats and a bird. I love photography watching Max' soccer (last year they made it to the NCAA Division III championship where they lost in the first round.I am on Facebook under "Wendy Beth" where I have pics of Max's soccer and the pets.

If you are doing your first challenge, welcome; you'll love it here. Cynthia is amazing and Roseanne and Donna Jo read about 500 pages a day!!!!

Hi, everyone! I'm Jenna and I live in Northern Virginia outside of DC. I teach 4th grade and recently finished my Masters in Integrating Technology in Schools.

I have been a member of TNBBC for about a year, but have only been able to participate in the summer challenge so far (Masters degree took up too much time). So glad I was able to participate and I am really looking forward to this challenge as well.

A big thank you to Cynthia for organizing this and keeping everything running smoothly. It's a great challenge and you do such a great job!

Hi everyone! I am Susan, a 41 year old and mom of 2 teenagers from Northern California. I work full time for our local county government, and also enjoy cross-stitching/needlework.

This will be my 3rd challenge and even though I haven't even gotten close to finishing one, I still enjoy it. It is great to be challenged to read something that you may never have even picked up, all because of the challenge. My husband still can't believe how many books I manage to read in a year. (I don't know how I managed to be married to a "non-reader", but somebody has to do the housework!).

Thanks to Cynthia for keeping this group going!

Hi to all! I am Dawn from Iowa. I am 37 years old, married and a mother of 2. My oldest starts Kindergarten next week!! I work at a local hospital as an occupational therapist. The Summer Challenge was my first attempt at the seasonal challenges- BUT NOT my last!! I am addicted. Even though I haven't come close to finishing(also married to a non-reader, lots of housework and two small ones to run after):)-- I have had a great time reading books on my book shelves and others I wouldn't have thought of reading. Both of my children love to read- my 5 year old can read quite well actually-she sees me reading all of the time!!

Thank you Cynthia for all of your time and effort in a wonderful group!!

Happy reading!!

hello!! my name is Jen, and I'm from Alabama...lived here pretty much my whole life! I used to read alot when I was in elementary school and high school, but once i hit college, i stopped reading. I was a math major, and we had to read totally different kind of books!! well, i've gone to college for four years, and with no degree in sight, i'm working at a barnes and noble. there, after talking to all the different employees, i regained my passion for books and started reading again! one of my friends suggested goodreads, and i fell in love! then i found the next best book club, and got addicted! i found it half-way through the summer challenge, so I'm very excited about starting this challenge. thank you cynthia for all your work so that we can play!! :)

Hi everyone! I'm Joy and live in Texas. I am 32 and love to read. I also enjoy photography and scrapbooking as well as cross stitching and crochet. I would also love to have my own garden, but it just gets too hot and dry here. I am an ICU nurse and live with my boyfriend and currently 3 great danes (all inside pups)!

Cynthia...thanks for all your work....I am addicted to these challenges. Unfortunately, I start Nurse Practitioner school in the Fall so I don't know how far I will get with the challenge....but being addicted and all, I will still try for as many points as possible.

hey everyone,
my name is lesley i'm 25 and i live in georgia. i just recently over the past year or 2 got into reading more than just required school reading and i'm ready to branch out and find more as i go. i'm currently in school looking to working eventually at a museum, for now i'm just a retail manager.
a friend of mine has been doing the reading challenges for a while and even though i saw her do it last season i found it too late. i'm excited to start this time and maybe even seasons long after!

Hi everyone. My name is Abigail, and this is my first seasonal challenge. (I feel like I should be waiting for all of you to chime in, "Hi, Abigail!" as if I'm joining a reading addicts group ... which maybe I am!) I live outside Boston, Massachusetts, with my husband, two kids (a daughter, 3.5, and a son who will turn 1 this weekend), and two cats. I work part time for myself (freelance editor/writer), and work full time for the wee ones. ;) I am a little hesitant to say that I'll get very far with this, but I was exploring the site a few weeks back, and I was intrigued by the concept over at TNBBC. So here goes nuthin'!

Thanks, Cynthia, for providing a new way to challenge myself -- even if I don't make it very far, I know I'll have fun!

Hi, I'm Jenny, a 33yo from Missouri. I just participated in my first challenge this past summer and made the "mistake" of getting a puppy halfway through the challenge...no time for reading when I have to keep one eye on her all the time! I've got one other dog and a houseful of cats, so it's a good thing I'm a veterinarian and have all of their healthcare covered.

I've loved to read since forever and I love combing through the thriftstores and bookfairs for new additions to my TBR pile, which is enormous. I did manage to decrease it a little bit with the summer challenge, but summer is usually when I have the least amount of time to read. I hope to at least get halfway through the fall challenge and am gearing up to complete the winter challenge altogether!

Hi! My name is Kate I'm 25 and I am from Kansas. I live on the eastern side though so my neighbors aren't cows. I (obviously) love reading, traveling, and spending time with my family. I've been married for over 3 years and we have 2 babies, but they are the furry kind. I love Cynthia's challenges and am amazed at how creative and organized she is! Good luck everyone!

Hi, I'm Tammy and from Phoenix, Arizona. I work for local government and am halfway through my MLS from the University of Arizona. The Summer Challenge was my first & I've made some good headway but don't expect to do as well in the Fall with school starting up again. I'm excited to start the new challenge & it's been a great opportunity to turn some of my TBRs to read. It's great "meeting" everyone! Thanks for opening up the new group Cynthia!

Hi! I'm Erin, 28 years old, and live in Plymouth, MN - a western suburb of Minneapolis - but I'm originally from San Diego. I've been married for 2 years - today is actually our anniversary! I LOVE to read and since joining Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to "to read list" has been growing - I swear I add at least one book everyday!

Cynthia - thank you so much for organizing this! I have been really enjoying the Summer Challenge and have read a lot of books I never would have usually read, which is great!

Hi, I'm Jessica and I live in Philadelphia, PA, though I'm originally from CT. I am a middle school teacher which doesn't leave me with much time to read, but I try to get it in whenever I can, especially on the way to and from work since I don't have a car. I'm excited about the Fall challenge and can hopefully improve my score over the Summer challenge!

Hey all, I'm Susanna, 22 years old from Finland. I'm studying to be a media engineer. During summer I've been delivering the morning paper. Two weeks of work left and then it's back to school. I'm excited about the challenge though I'm not sure if I'll be able to complete many tasks because the third year of school is supposedly pretty busy. But I will try to complete as many as possible :)

How fun to read everybody’s background � we’re quite the diverse group here!

My name is Beth and I’m 30 years old. I stumbled across TNBBC and Cynthia’s seasonal reading challenges in December 2008 and have been addicted from day one.

I’m married and live in Minnesota with my husband and two spoiled cats. I’m currently pregnant with our first child, a little girl who is due the first week of November. I have a liberal arts degree in Sociology and Anthropology but wasn’t able to find a job in my field after graduation so wound up in finance (random, I know). Nearly 8 years later and I’m still interested enough that I never bothered to leave the industry (although I've held several different positions over the years). My current position is in the compliance department for an American brokerage firm that is owned by a Canadian bank, where I work in a group that investigates suspicions of money laundering and terrorist financing.

I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember and to plagiarize my own GR profile…I will read almost anything and you will frequently see me perform wondrous feats of genre-jumping amongst all of the following:
--general fiction
--urban fantasy
--books on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list
--historical fiction
--trashy romance novels with lots of sex, especially if they have vampires and/or naked dukes in them.
--non-fiction about terrorism, illicit business practices and money-laundering
--pop fiction and cult fiction (sometimes when I read books from this category I complain about them profusely and those on my friends list are forced to endure my histrionics, so consider yourself warned).
--and on occasion, I read literary fiction, but I’m not snobby about it (as evidenced by the fact that I adore trashy vampire novels) so please, please neither hold me to that standard nor hold it against me, depending on how you look at it. :)

In addition to reading, I also love knitting and scrapbooking and playing silly card games on pogo.com.

Hi! My name is Amanda. I am in Ohio and have been unemployed but will shortly be employed again (for the state) and this will significantly decrease my time for reading :-(

I joined the challenge in Spring 2009, but have yet to finish it, and now with the job, doubt I ever will, but it still is so much fun!! I enjoy classics, fantasy, and YA, but if I read too much of any one genre in a row I get bored. Besides reading I spend free time playing Rock Band and other video games, and do a lot of things with friends.

Hi all! I'm Lisa, 47 years old, from Salisbury, Maryland. I've been hooked on reading ever since the Scholastic book order form came home in my book bag from school. Fortunately, I had parents who indulged my love of reading.

My tastes run the gamut. I'll read most anything, although I'm not really the sci-fi sorta gal. I love historical fiction, literary fiction, mysteries and thrillers. I belong to several great groups here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ [Busy as a Bee Books, The Modern Library 100 Best Novels Challenge, and YA Reads for Teachers (And Any Other Adults!):]; plus I co-moderate the Bookmark Subscribers group.

I've been lurking around TNBBC and thought the reading challenge looked intriguing. Also, I kept getting updates from Wendy, which showed her challenge progress and it was enough to entice me to want to get in on the action, especially since you've created a separate group just for the challenge. I'm excited to search my mountainous stack of TBR books for ones that fit the task criteria and coordinate my other group reads to fit into the reading.

I'm looking forward to the challenge............now to start plotting! ^_^

Hi! My name is Lori. I am 42 and live in the Fort Worth/Dallas Texas area. I am a full-time Adult Services Librarian. Presently suffering from our Children's Librarian being on maternity leave.

I am happily married to a wonderful and challenging husband. I have one daughter, one step-daughter and one step-son, and I have several "other" children as well. I recently became a grandma through my step-daughter, she gave me a grandson. And my daughter is due any day now with my first granddaughter. And shortly after that one of my "other" children will be having her first child as well, another boy.

I love reading. I was invited to join GoodReads by a member of the library's book club. I love this website. I found TNBBC shortly after I joined GR but I didn't join until I stumbled upon these seasonal challenges. I started the Spring Challenge a few days late and enjoyed every moment of reading the posts and the books. And the Summer Challenge has been terrific. Although there was never any chance of me finishing it. And I can't wait to get started on the Fall Challenge.

Thanks, Cynthia. You're the greatest.

By the way, I love the avatar Cynthia!