Challenges

{Public Challenges}

1% Well-Read Challenge: Ten books out of 1001 in order to make me more “well-read.” (* denotes addition)

• Alias Grace
• For Whom the Bell Tolls
• Gone with the Wind*
• The Handmaid’s Tale
• Heart of Darkness*
  
• Life of Pi
• Love in the Time of Cholera
• Mrs. Dalloway
• Never Let Me Go
• Possession
• The Reader*
  
• Saturday
• Silas Marner
• Suite Française*
• To Kill a Mockingbird*
  

9 For 09 Selections: Nine books for each category.

• Esther and Ruzya (didn’t read, swapped)
  
• The Kite Runner
• Madame Curie
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
• Oh Prey My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well
• Plain Truth
• Suite Française
• The Tea Rose
• Where the Heart Is

A to Z Challenge Selections: I’m reading the alphabet for both book titles and author’s last name. (completed, wrapped up here)

Chunkster Challenge Selections: Five books that contain 450+ pages. (completed, wrapped up here)

Classics Challenge: Ah, the classics — the bane and joy of my reading life. I’m reading four. (incomplete, wrapped up here)

Dewey’s Books Selections: In honor of Dewey, I’ll be reading six books for each of six years her blog was in existence that she also read. (completed, wrapped up here)

Diversity Rocks! Selections: Six books from six different authors who aren’t like me — black, Muslim, Asian, President of the United States; that sort of thing. (completed, wrapped up here)

Everything Austen Selections: Six books or movies that are by or have to do with Jane Austen’s beloved novels.

• An Assembly Such as This
• By Force of Instinct
• Duty and Desire
• Mansfield Park
• Mistress of Pemberley
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Read Your Own Books Selections: I have a lot of these, and several of them I’ve never even read. Therefore, I’m reading thirty books that I own. (completed, wrapped up here)

Read Your Own Name Selections: One book title starting with the letter of my first name, Christina. (completed, wrapped up here)

Scott Westerfeld Selections: Westerfeld is one of Helen’s favorite novelists; I’m going to attempt to like him too with two of his books. (completed, wrapped up here)

Spring Reading Thing Selections: A “low-pressure challenge that should be fun” and runs from March 20th to June 20. (completed, wrapped up here)

Summer Lovin’ Challenge: Seven of my favorite books, which I’ve chosen from my childhood, I’m revisiting from June 21st to September 21st. (incomplete, wrapped up here)

To-Be-Read Selections: Twenty-four, but I only have to read twelve, books that my hand always skips over when I pull a book of my shelf.

• Original List
  • American Dreams
  • Brave New World (didn’t read, swapped)
    
  • Catch-22
    
  • Esther and Ruzya (didn’t read, swapped)
    
  • Heidi
  • Island of the Blue Dolphins
  • The Kite Runner
  • Lies My Teacher Told Me
  • A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper (didn’t read, swapped)
    
  • Songs of the Humpback Whale
  • Suite Française
  • Tuesdays with Morrie
• Alternates
  

   

  • Forever Amber
  • God’s Politics
  • Longitudes & Attitudes
  • Love in the Time of Cholera
  • Madame Curie
  • The Mayan Mission (didn’t read, swapped)
    
  • The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
  • The Tea Rose
  • The Unknown Terrorist
  • Vampire Dreams
  • The Year of Fog
  • The Zookeeper’s Wife

War Through the Generations: WWII Selections: Ten books about or touching on World War II — from the point of view of Americans, Germans, English, Russians, and death.(completed, wrapped up here)

What’s in a Name?  Selections: One book title for each of the six categories. (completed, wrapped up here)

{Personal Challenges}

AP Literature Bookstack: There have been 298 books referred to on the AP Literature Exam since 1971. I would like to read about half.

• As of May ‘09, I have read 41 books off the list.

Pride & Prejudice Sequels: Books that may or may not try to be Jane.

Brontë Sisters: Originally known as Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, these three sisters are considered some of the greatest writers in English literature.

• Charlotte’s Jane Eyre
• Charlotte’s Shirley
• Charlotte’s Villette
• Charlotte’s The Professor
• Emily’s Wuthering Heights
• Anne’s Agnes Grey
• Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Jane Austen: One of my favorite authors, but she hasn’t gotten a lot of play on my blog. I mean, I’ve read every one, but have yet to review them here.

• Emma
• Mansfield Park
• Northanger Abbey
• Persuasion
• Pride & Prejudice
• Sense & Sensibility

Jodi Picoult: Another of my favorite authors, I’ve read almost every one — except Songs of the Humpback Whale, Keeping Faith, and Second Glance — but I have yet to review them all here.

• Songs of the Humpback Whale
• Harvesting the Heart
• Picture Perfect
• Mercy
• The Pact
• Keeping Faith
• Plain Truth
• Salem Falls
• Perfect Match
• Second Glance
• My Sister’s Keeper
• Vanishing Acts
• The Tenth Circle
• Nineteen Minutes
• Change of Heart
• Handle with Care

Nancy Drew: The girl I aspired to be as a child returns in the mysteries I actually own.