Perpetual Reading Challenge: The Stephen King Challenge

Hi, everyone! Time for another 2012 Reading Challenge, and this one is perpetual!

I probably own most of Stephen King's books except for the more recent ones, but I admit that I have read few.

I am going to join this perpetual challenge, which is being hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Kate at Read 2 Review. They have set-up a blog dedicated to the challenge, which you can find by clicking on the challenge badge above.

Here are the details copied from Michelle's and Kate's blog:

As far as I could determine, there are no other Stephen King challenges (yearly or perpetual) going on now. I know that Book Geek blog was hosting a perpetual challenge at one time, but I checked her blog and she has not been active since January of 2011 (hope everything is okay with her). I'm assuming that the challenge is no longer active. If I'm mistaken, feel free to let me know.

So...my friend Kate and I (Read 2 Review) were talking about doing a project together and we decided to host a Stephen King reading challenge! Since Stephen King has such a huge list of books, we decided to make this a perpetual challenge. I know, I know...you're thinking "perpetual? I never get motivated to complete perpetual challenges." Well, don't worry. We are going to have mini-challenges throughout the year with prizes and we will also have read-a-longs during the year as well. Kate had the idea for our first read-a-long...to read Carrie during prom season. Clever, right?! As far as the mini-challenges go, the first one will begin at the official start of this challenge, which is February 1, 2012, and the prize will be a brand new hard cover copy of Stephen King's newest novel, 11/22/63! The mini-challenge schedule will work as follows:

Feb | March | April -- mini-challenge
May | June | July -- mini-challenge
Aug | Sept | Oct -- mini-challenge
Nov | Dec -- free months


*November and December are free/non-mini-challenge months due to most of us being so busy during the holiday season.

The first mini-challenge will be to read books within certain themes. You will choose three themes and read three books that will fit each of the themes during the three month mini-challenge period. If you complete the three themed reads, you will be entered in the giveaway for the book, 11/22/63. A bonus entry will be given to any person who reads a fourth book that fits within the fourth left over theme.


Examples:

Fantasy/Post-Apocalyptic
i.e. The Stand, any book from the Gunslinger series, Under the Dome, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Talisman (with Peter Straub), Black House (with Peter Straub), 11/22/63

Ghosts/Hauntings
i.e. The Shining, Bag of Bones, Duma Key, It, Insomnia

Creatures--supernatural (werewolves, vampires, demons/devils, zombies, etc.) or other type (animals, aliens, etc.)
i.e. Salem's Lot, Needful Things, Cycle of the Werewolf, The Eyes of the Dragon, Dreamcatcher, Pet Sematary, Cell, Cujo, It, The Tommyknockers

the mind--psychic, psychological, possession, abuse, etc.
i.e. Misery, The Green Mile, Dolores Claiborne, Rose Madder, Carrie, Gerald's Game, The Dark Half, The Dead Zone, Desperation, The Regulators

You can also earn a bonus entry if you read a book of King short stories. The books of short stories are clearly marked in the list of King works listed below in the footer of the blog.

To summarize:

Official start date is February 1, 2012 and lasts...forever! LOL! Stop when you've read all of King's books, could be two years from now, could be five years. Take a break any time or stop when you've had enough (although I'll never have enough of SK).

Choose three themes from the list and read one book within each theme during the three month mini-challenge period (Feb., March, April) to receive one entry in the giveaway.

For a bonus entry, choose one book in the left over theme and read it during the three month period.

You can also receive a bonus entry if you read a book of SK short stories (you do not have to read the fourth themed book to get this entry).

There will be a mini-challenge review page for you to link up your reviews. This will be the method we use to keep track of who completes the mini-challenge (and who earns the bonus entries). If you don't have a blog that you review books on, you can link to your reviews on Goodreads or leave your thoughts about the books in the comments (I will allow comments on the review page).

Giveaway rules: The winner will be chosen via random.org and must be a resident of the U.S. If the winner is not a U.S. resident, we will purchase the Stephen King book of your choice (under $10) from Better World Books (they ship free internationally) and have it shipped to you. This book will quite possibly be a gently used book.

The goal of this challenge is to, ultimately, read all of Stephen King's books.

If you want to join me in the challenge, just click on the challenge badge at the beginning of this post.

Here is a list of the complete works of Stephen King:

1. 1960 - People, Places, And Things - Volume 1 (limited edition with Chris Chelsey)
2. 1964 - The Star Invaders (limited edition)
3. 1974 – Carrie
4. 1975 - Salem's Lot review posted 07/12/2016
5. 1977 - The Shining
6. 1977 – Rage (as Richard Bachman)
7. 1978 - Night Shift (stories)
8. 1978 - The Stand
9. 1979 - The Dead Zone
10. 1979 - The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman)
11. 1980 – Firestarter
12. 1981 – Cujo
13. 1981 - Road Work (as Richard Bachman)
14. 1981 - Danse Macabre (nonfiction about horror)
15. 1981 – Roadwork
16. 1982 - Creepshow (comic book, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson)
17. 1982 - The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger review posted 10/10/2012
18. 1982 - The Running Man (as Richard Bachman)
19. 1982 - Different Seasons (novellas)
20. 1983 – Christine
21. 1983 - Pet Sematary
22. 1983 - Cycle of the Werewolf
23. 1984 - The Talisman (written with Peter Straub)
24. 1984 – Thinner (as Richard Bachman)
25. 1985 - Skeleton Crew (stories)
26. 1985 - The Bachman Books (novel collection)
27. 1986 – It
28. 1987 - The Eyes of the Dragon
29. 1987 – Misery
30. 1987 - The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
31. 1988 - The Tommyknockers
32. 1988 - Nightmares in the Sky (Photo book with text by King)
33. 1988 - Dark Visions
34. 1989 - The Dark Half
35. 1989 - Dolan's Cadillac (limited edition)
36. 1989 - My Pretty Pony (limited edition)
37. 1990 - The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition
38. 1990 - Four Past Midnight (stories)
39. 1991 - Needful Things
40. 1991 - The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
41. 1992 - Gerald's Game
42. 1993 - Dolores Claiborne
43. 1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (stories)
44. 1994 – Insomnia
45. 1995 - Rose Madder
46. 1995 - Umney's Last Case
47. 1996 - The Green Mile (originally published as a monthly serial consisting of six parts: The Two Dead Girls, The Mouse on the Mile, Coffey's Hands, The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix, Night Journey, and Coffey on the Mile)
48. 1996 – Desperation
49. 1996 - The Regulators (as Richard Bachman)
50. 1997 - Six Stories (stories)
51. 1997 - The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
52. 1998 - Bag of Bones
53. 1999 - Storm of the Century
54. 1999 - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
55. 1999 - The New Lieutenant's Rap (limited edition)
56. 1999 - Hearts in Atlantis
57. 1999 - Blood and Smoke (audio book)
58. 2000 - Riding the Bullet (electronically published novella)
59. 2000 - The Plant (electronically published)
60. 2000 - Secret Windows
61. 2000 - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (non-fiction autobiography)
62. 2000 – Dreamcatcher
63. 2001 - Black House (written with Peter Straub)
64. 2002 - From a Buick 8
65. 2002 - Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
66. 2003 - The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (revised edition)
67. 2003 - The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
68. 2004 - The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
69. 2004 - The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
70. 2004 - Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season
71. 2005 - The Colorado Kid
72. 2006 - The Secretary of Dreams
73. 2006 – Cell
74. 2006 - Lisey's Story
75. 2007 – Blaze (as Richard Bachman)
76. 2008 - Duma Key
77. 2008 - Just After Sunset
78. 2009 - Stephen King Goes to the Movies
79. 2009 - The Little Sisters of Eluria (limited edition)
80. 2009 - "Graduation Afternoon" (in PostScripts)
81. 2009 - "Throttle" (in He is Legend)
82. 2009 - UR (e-novella available only on Amazon.com's Kindle)
83. 2009 - Under the Dome
84. 2009 - "A Good Marriage"
85. 2009 - "Big Driver"
86. 2009 - "1922"
87. 2009 - "Fair Extension"
88. 2010 - Blockade Billy
89. 2010 - Full Dark, No Stars
90. 2011 - The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
91. 2011 - "The Dune"
92. 2011 - 11/22/63

I am linking up my reviews as I go:

1. The Gunslinger by Stephen King (The Dark Tower, Book 1)
2. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
3. It by Stephen King
4. The Shining by Stephen King (The Shining, Book #1)