I hope your Christmas was merry! Mine certainly was. Now that the new year is actually coming next week (!), I guess I should share some of my reading plans for the coming year.

I have a number of personal challenges for myself in 2009. Links below are to pages on Rebecca Reads where available. I also have a hub page for personal reading lists here on Rebecca Reads.

Pulitzer Challenge (also at the Pulitzer Project). I plan to read each winner in my lifetime, and I hope to read five Pulitzer Prize winners in 2009. On the list for 2009: Angle of Repose, A Good Scent from Strange Mountain, The Grapes of Wrath, The Stories of John Cheever, The Fixer, Gone with the Wind, One of Ours, and oh so many more.

Nobel Challenge (also at Read the Nobels). I plan to read something by each winning author in my lifetime, and I hope to read five works by Nobel Prize winning authors in 2009. On the list for 2009: more Coetzee, Steinbeck, and Morrison; Winston Churchill’s Memoirs of WWII (abridged); Albert Camus; and short stories or poetry by any of the authors.

Newbery Medal. I plan to read a few of the Newbery Medal winners or Honors in 2009. On the list for 2009: Johnny Tremain, My Brother Sam is Dead, The Wednesday Wars, Feathers, Elijah of Buxton, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and oh so many more.

Caldecott Medal. I plan to highlight Caldecott illustration (in some format) throughout the year.

Favorite Authors to Read. I plan to read something by a favorite author each month; see the page for specific authors on my list. (See also the BiblioShakespeare Challenge in the coming post about other challenges I’m joining.)

HTR&W. I plan to finish the short story portion of Bloom’s list and start on the poetry on his list.

My Short Story Author Project. Although I may be finishing Bloom’s list of short story authors (two and a half to go), I plan on reading other short story authors; I’m searching for the perfect short story author(s) out there! (Bloom missed a lot.)

My Poets Project. Although I plan on starting Bloom’s list of favorite poets, I also plan on reading other poets in search of the best (and my favorites).

My Children’s Literature Project. I have been reading Seth Lerer’s Children’s Literature: A Reader’s History, and I plan on continuing my project of reading some of the works he discusses and things that stand out in terms of how the history of children’s literature influences today’s children’s literature. If I finish exploring Lerer’s textbook this year, I plan on working with another children’s literature textbook. (I have about a dozen on my list.)

Graphic Novels. I plan on reading two or three graphic novels in 2009. On my list for 2009: Pyongyong, Safe Area Gorzade, Castle Waiting, and Fun Home. (No page for this.)

U.S. Presidential Reading (also at U.S. Presidents Reading Project). Over the course of my life, I plan on reading about each U.S. President. In 2009, I plan to read about Abraham Lincoln since I’m living in the Land of Lincoln. (Side note: Honest Abe is probably rolling in his grave to see his political legacy in Illinois, don’t you think?!). I may also read a book about Barack Obama.

Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since I really enjoyed Bushman’s biography of Joseph Smith, I plan on reading biographies or histories of the other latter-day prophets as well. I plan on reading about Brigham Young in 2009 (at least one biography or history). On my list: Lion of the Lord and Brigham Young: American Moses.

I’ve given in and joined some other challenges too; more about those soon!

What challenges have you created for yourself for the new year?