TORONTO, May 23, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- eHarlequin.com, the online site for Harlequin Enterprises Limited, has challenged bloggers and blogging community members to read an astounding 10,000 books or eBooks in one year. The 2007 eHarlequin.com Book Challenge dares 100 readers or teams of readers to each read 100 books or novels in the 2007 calendar year and share their book reviews on their blogs.
To date, 270 people have accepted the challenge. In three months, readers and bloggers have already read some 8,217 books. If each of the 270 blogging community members were to read 100 novels, they would reach a mind-boggling 27,000 books, easily surpassing their 10,000-book goal.
The challenge also encourages bloggers to discuss the books they've read on their own blogs. Those participating in the challenge share their thoughts, book reviews, opinions, recommendations and progress on their separate 100-book journeys with fellow readers. The remarkable thing is that many people who were not bloggers -- let alone knew what a blog was -- are now passionate blog hosts and are spearheading online discussions in the forums.
"Our readers are very passionate," says Jayne Hoogenberk, community manager for eHarlequin.com. "They read, talk, think and dream about books twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. The median number of paperbacks read in one year by Americans is 12. The median for Harlequin readers is 30. Since we're always looking for ways to inspire and challenge our community members, we wondered if they would be able to read 100 books in a single calendar year."
A 100-Book Challenge was laid down on eHarlequin.com in January 2006. 75 community members took up the gauntlet. By the end of the year, 55 of those people had read an extraordinary 100 books.
"The response was so overwhelmingly positive that we had to do it again," states Hoogenberk. "We also knew that we had to up the ante. And so the 2007 eHarlequin.com 10,000 Book Challenge was born. This year we changed it up by allowing teams of readers as well as solo fliers. We've even got a team constituted of Harlequin editors and another composed of Harlequin authors."
Monthly minichallenges are thrown out over the course of the year to keep things lively. Community members may be asked to read a new author for spring, a book by a RITA(r) Award nominee when the Romance Writers of America announces their list, or a story about mothers for Mother's Day. However, there are no hard and fast rules other than participants being asked to have at least 50% of their list be novels published by Harlequin. This allows readers to discover the outstanding breadth of editorial Harlequin has to offer. The other 50% of books can be any genre by any publisher. Likewise, all formats -- print, eBooks, audiobooks, etc. -- are acceptable and readers are encouraged to seek them out and give them a chance.
The range and diversity of Harlequin readers is not confined solely to the type of books they read or the medium in which they enjoy them. The team aspect and the online nature of the eHarlequin.com community also illustrates the significant power of books to unite readers in a global way. Geographic boundaries have become meaningless in this venture as teams bring together readers from countries as varied as Germany, France and the Philippines.
The 2007 eHarlequin.com 10,000 Book Challenge is taking place right now at eHarlequin.com.
About Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Harlequin Enterprises Limited is the global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction, with titles issued worldwide in 25 languages and sold in 94 international markets. The company releases over 115 titles monthly and publishes more than 1,300 authors from around the world. Harlequin Enterprises Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.nv.b). Harlequin's Web site is located at http://www.eharlequin/. Harlequin has offices in 18 countries, including Toronto, New York and London. For more information please visit http://www.eharlequin/ or press.eHarlequin.com.
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