Mini-Challenge: Modern Classics

Hello, fellow readers!!! Hope you're doing well and enjoying the thrill of the readathon - making a solitary activity social :-D

My challenge for you today is this:
Which books, published in the 21st century will likely be classics 100 years from now?

Personally, I think it's hard to guess in advance what will stand the test of time, but it's always fun to try anyway! So here are some the books I think will become classics.

A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles Whatever a modern classic is, this is it! A modern day Robinson Crusoe and a comfort book unlike any other I've ever read. It definitely has that undefinable something to make it pass the test of time.

Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi I know it's non-fiction, but I'm going to count it anyway. It's a brilliant and personal account of a time and place in history few of us know (enough) about.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows This has become an instant favourite with everybody I've spoken to who's read it, and like 84 Charing Cross Road before it, I have a feeling this too will be read as a different account of World War 2 for years to come.


How about you? Leave your answer or a direct link to your post with the answer in the comments, or post a photo of the books on instagram, tagging it with #deweysmodernclassics


Monday after the readathon I will use random.org to select a person to win a book from bookdepository.com of up to DKK100kr / US$15 / £10 / €13. I will notify the winner directly, but PLEASE make sure you leave me a way to get in touch with you! Otherwise I'll have to draw another winner.

Update: The winner was @readersbeadvised on Instagram who - like many others - suggested "Between Shades of Gray". I haven't read that one yet, but will definitely have to now. Congratulations @readersbeadvised, and thank you to everybody who participated!

5 Year Reading Plan

I'm not returning to my earlier level of challenge commitment yet, but the 100project on LiveJournal sounded like a suitable compromise. The idea is to pick 100 books you've been wanting to read for awhile, and commit yourself to reading those within the next 5 years, posting regularly with progress reports. I like the idea that it's a 5 year plan, as that makes it a lot more realistic challenge. I easily read more than 100 books in a year (am at 64 so far this year alone), but with my various jobs I can't have that many books from a reading list. I wouldn't have time to read anything else, and I'd get bored. There HAS to be some room for spontaneity. But 5 years is perfect - that's just 20 books from the list each year or one every second'ish week.

The books I've chosen are a random selection of my GoodReads 'to-read-owned' and 'to-read-not-owned' lists - I've limited myself to books I know are available at the libraries, as I don't want to be hindered by the difficulty of finding the books.

The Lost Diary of Don Juan - Douglas Carlton Abrams
If You Could See Me Now - Cecelia Ahern
The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Alborn
Tuesdays with Morrie - Mich Alborn
Dime Store Magic - Kelley Armstrong
A Gentle Madness - Nicholas A. Basbanes
Library: An Unquiet History - Matthew Battles
*Corelli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernières
Libri di Luca - Mikkel Birkegaard
Daughter of the Blood - Anne Bishop
Valiant - Holly Black
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne
In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson
Ill Wind - Rachel Caine
*Xenocide - Orson Scott Card
The Rape of Nankin - Iris Chang
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
About the Author - John Colapinto
A Home at the End of the World - Michael Cunningham
Limes Billede - Leif Davidsen
*Blink - Ted Dekker
Slammerkin - Emma Donoghue
The Stolen Child - Keith Donohue
*The Last Concubine - Lesley Downer
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
Middlemarch - George Eliot
The Crimson Petal and the White - Michelle Sagara Faber
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader - Anne Fadiman
Cathedral of the Sea - Ildefonso Falcones
Time and Again - Jack Finney
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
World Without End - Ken Follett
Inkdeath - Cornelia Funke
*The Last Gospel - David Gibbins
Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
And Then He Kissed Her - Laura Lee Guhrke
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
*Pompeii - Robert Harris
The Observations - Jane Harris
Dune - Frank Herbert
Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb
The Year of Living Biblically - A.J. Jacobs
*A Very Long Engagement - Sébastien Japrisot
*The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
Ironweed - William Kennedy
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Halfway to Forever - Karen Kingsbury
Blood and Chocolate - Annette Curtis Klause
Goodnight, Beautiful - Dorothy Koomson
Beggars in Spain - Nancy Kress
Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Laihiri
Gone, Baby, Gone - Dennis Lehane
*Boys from Brazil - Ira Levin
What the Dead Know - Laura Lippman
The Giver - Lois Lowry
Wicked - Gregory Maguire
A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
Bella Tuscany - Frances Mayes
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
The Birth House - Ami McKay
Firethorn - Sarah Micklem
Sabriel - Garth Nix
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Emmuska Orczy
Here be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman
Bloodhound - Tamora Pierce
*September - Rosamunde Pilcher
The Perilous Gard - Elizabeth Marie Pope
My Name is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett
*Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett
The Cross-Legged Knight - Candace M Robb
*Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Contact - Carl Sagan
Idlewild - Nick Sagan
*Border Wedding - Amanda Scott
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris
Peony in Love - Lisa See
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Shape-Changer's Wife - Sharon Shinn
The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve
Outer Banks - Anne Rivers Siddons
The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons
Animal's People - Indra Sinha
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
The Amulet of Samarkand - Jonathan Safran Stroud
Sophie's Choice - William Styron
The Bonesetter's Daughter - Amy Tan
The Kitchen God's Wife - Amy Tan
The Hundred Secret Senses - Amy Tan
Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
*Vienna Prelude - Bodie Thoene
The End of Mr. Y - Scarlett Thomas
City of Pearl - Karen Traviss
Reunion - Fred Uhlman
Rabbit Angstrom - John Updike
*Ben Hur - Lew Wallace
The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls
Cast in Shadow - Michelle Sagara West
The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton

Montgomery Mini-Challenge 2009

There are so many wonderful books by Lucy Maud Montgomery that get overlooked because most readers only know about the Anne-series, and aren't aware that she wrote more than 20 novels as well as several short-stories and poems. I think that's a shame, so therefore this challenge to introduce people to the rest of her work.

So, by November 30th, 2009 (her would-be 135th birthday) read books of LMM that aren't part of the Anne series.

How many books should you read? Well, up to you really, but I'd say at least four, in order to get a proper variety of her work. If you really want to be thorough, you can pick a novel, a short-story collection, a poetry collection and one of her journals! (I recommend the first as being the most interesting) but just reading four of her novels is fine as well :)

Audiobooks are allowed, and books can be used for other challenges as well.

Most of her books are available through Gutenberg or Librivox (so they can be used for e-book and audiobook challenges as well!) - I've found links to all her novels here. For a complete list of her works (including short-stories, poetry and non-fiction) go here.

Sign up by leaving a comment on this post linking to your challenge post. If you don't have a blog, just post the list in the comments :)

The Countdown Challenge - DONE

Read 9 books published in 2009, 8 in 2008, 7 in 2007 etc.

This challenge runs from 08-08-08 until 09-09-09

2009
1. The Vampire's Revenge - Raven Hart
2. Marcelo in the Real World - Fransisco X. Stork
3. Dog Whisperer - Nicholas Edwards
4. Run for Your Life - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
5. Knife - R.J. Anderson
6. Freedom to Love - Rhonda Kulczyk
7. Dødens mange facetter - Dennis Jürgensen
8. The Coffee Mom's Devotional - Celeste Palermo
9. The Music Teacher - Barbara Hall
2008
1. Hvor skyggen falder - Teddy Vork
2. Sagen om den brændende klovn - Dennis Jürgensen
3. Spiral Hunt - Margaret Ronald
4. Immortal Warrior - Lisa Hendrix
5. The Scarlet Spy - Andrea Pickens
6. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
7. Book of Lies - Brad Meltzer
8. Shadowmagic - John Lenahan
2007
1. Extras - Scott Westerfeld
2. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
4. The Spy Wore Silk - Andrea Pickens
5. A Jolly Good Fellow - Stephen Masse
6. Demon - Tosca Lee
7. The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Decked Out - Neta Jackson
2006
1. Perfect Match - Jodi Picoult
2. The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Caught - Neta Jackson
3. Peaches - Jodi Lynn Anderson
4. Does My Head Look Big In This? - Randa Abdel-Fattah
5. Farthing - Jo Walton
6. A Perfect Mess - Eric Abrahamsen
2005
1. The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real - Neta Jackson
2. The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler
3. The Death Committee - Noah Gordon
4. Avalon High - Meg Cabot
5. Where Rainbows End - Cecelia Ahern
2004
1. The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down - Neta Jackson
2. The Novice - Trudi Canavan
3. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
4. The High Lord - Trudi Canavan
2003
1. Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi
2. A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon
3. The Conch Bearer - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
2002
1. The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
2. Atonement - Ian McEwan
2001
1. The Farseekers - Isobelle Carmody

1% Well Read - DONE

The goal of this challenge is to read 10 books in 10 months from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. For you non-math people, 10 out of 1001 is approximately 1%, hence the title. The challenge will run from May 1, 2008 through February 28, 2009.

You may change your list at any time and cross-posting to other challenges is permitted. The only requirement is that your ten book choices must be on the ‘1001 List‘.
1) Life of Pi – Yann Martel
2) The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
3) A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
4) Wild Swans – Jung Chang
5) The Color Purple – Alice Walker
6) Animal Farm – George Orwell
7) Around the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne
8) Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
9) Villette – Charlotte Brontë
10) The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

Genre Challenge - DONE

This challenge runs from November 1 2008 - November 1 2009 and sounds like lots of fun.

The goal:
To read one book in at least 10 of the following genres: crime fiction, detective fiction, mystery fiction, horror fiction, thriller fiction, romance fiction, science fiction, action/adventure fiction, fantasy fiction, realistic fiction, historical fiction, and western fiction. Specific definitions of these genres can be found in this post.

The rules can be found at the sign-up post.

Crime Fiction: A Jolly Good Fellow - Stephen Masse
Detective Fiction: Farthing - Jo Walton
Mystery Fiction: Atonement - Ian McEwan
Horror Fiction: Pet Semetary - Stephen King
Thriller Fiction: My Swordhand is Singing - Marcus Sedgwick
Romance Fiction: Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes
Science Fiction: The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson
Action/Adventure Fiction: Enchantment - Orson Scott Card
Fantasy Fiction: The Novice - Trudi Canavan
Realistic Fiction: The Tea House on Mulberry Street - Sharon Owen
Historical Fiction: The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
Western Fiction: Freedom to Love - Rhonda Kulczyk

Fortunately I may change the list at any time :)

The 2009 Pub Challenge - DONE

Of course I had to join this challenge! How could I not :-D

The Rules:
# Read 9 books published for the first time in 2009 in your own country (i.e. translations are okay - Hardcover to paperback is not).
# No children's/YA titles allowed, since we're at the 'pub.'
# At least 5 titles must be fiction.
# Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
# You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.
# Books must be read between Jan 1st, 2009 and Dec 31st, 2009

I'm not going to make a list ahead of time, as I never knew which books my consultant and reviewing jobs will bring me next (the last one was a book due to be published in 2010!!!!), so I will just update this post as the books arrive.

1. Dødens mange facetter - Dennis Jürgensen
2. The Coffee Mom's Devotional - Celeste Palermo
3. Run for Your Life - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
4. Freedom to Love - Rhonda Kulczyk
5. The Music Teacher - Barbara Hall
6. A Deadly Habit - Andrea Sisco
7. The Girl She Used to Be - David Cristofano
8. Homegrown: The Terror Within - Cialan Haasnic
9. Good Things I Wish You - A. Manette Ansay

The Whitcoulls Challenge - Take 2!

I had so much fun with the Whitcoulls challenge this year, that I decided to repeat it for next year! Whitcoulls was my favourite bookstore in NZ. Every now and again they made a survey asking all their customers for their 3 favourite books. The top 100 made it into this list. So it's not a list of what people ought to read, or topsellers, but what people actually did read and love.

Read Your Way Through The Whitcoulls Top 100 List.

Time:
* From November 15th, 2008 to November 15th, 2009.

The Rules:
* Pick one of the 4 "Top 100" lists linked below and decide how many books (at least 4) you want to read from that list.
* The initial 4 have to be 'new' reads (new to you, that is).
* Books beyond the initial 4 may be rereads.
* All books may be cross-overs for other challenges.
* Audio-books are A-OK :)
* You may change your list at any time.
* If you read enough books to actually complete one of the "Top 100" lists, I'll make a post in your honour!

The Lists:
1998, 2002, 2006, 2008

Leave a comment here with the link to your list :)

Fall Into Reading 2008 - DONE

Fall Into Reading 2007 was the first official challenge I signed up for, so of course I have to do that again this year, now that Callapidder Days is hosting it again.

The rules are very simple: make a list of books you want to read between September 22nd and December 20th - there's no list too short and no list too long :)

As I really want to whittle down my TBR pile (I own FAR too many books I haven't read yet) I'm going to only take books from that pile, and as I'm likely to get a LOT of ARCs over the fall (I usually get one every second week or so), I'll limit myself to 7 books as to not overwhelm myself completely.

So... the list:

• The Wrath of the Empress - Tamora Pierce
  
• The Spellcoats - Diana Wynne Jones
  
• A Jolly Good Fellow - Stephen Masse
  
• Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes
  
• The Death Committee - Noah Gordon
  
• The Magicians' Guild - Trudi Canavan
  
• Dragonfly - Julia Golding
  

Second Unread Author Challenge and Bang Bang Challenge - DONE

I'll more or less be reusing the same list for these two challenges, so it goes in the same post:

The Second Unread Authors Challenge

Rules:
1. The challenge will run from August 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009. You may join at any time before or during those six months.
2. During those six months, read at least SIX books by an author whose work you have never read before.
3. You may choose six different "unread" authors to introduce yourself to, or you may choose just one or two and explore their work in greater depth.
4. Authors may be drawn from any genre of literature. The only requirement is that they be authors whose work you substantially regret not having read yet.
5. Your choices may overlap with other challenges you have underway.

My books:
1) Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi
2) Atonement - Ian McEwan
3) The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillippa Gregory
4) Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
5) Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey
6) A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

All except #4 are reused for the BangBang Book Challenge for which the rules are to read 5 fiction books set during a war between September 1st and February 28th (the challenge said that wars are defined loosely, so I hope that means fictional wars count too ;) ).

2nds Challenge - 2008 - DONE!

Have you recently (or not so recently) read a book by a "new-to-you" author and can't wait to dive into another one of his/her books? If so, please join us in the second 2nds Challenge!

Read 4 books by authors that you have only read one other between September 1st and December 31st, 2008

My list:
* The Scarlet Spy - Andrea Pickens
* Ashling - Isobelle Carmody
* The Novice - Trudi Canavan
* Avalon High - Meg Cabot

Lit Flick Challenge

RULES
1. Challenge runs from September 1, 2008 to February 28, 2009.
2. Read 5 books/pieces of literature that have been made into movies.
3. Then watch at least 2 of the movie adaptations of the works you read.
4. Your list may change at any time and may include overlaps with other challenges.

My list:
1) The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
2) Atonement - Ian McEwan
3) The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Fowler (Saw the movie and thought the movie was loads better than the book - that's unusual!)
4) The Cider House Rules - John Irving
5) Kramer vs. Kramer - Avery Corman

I haven't yet decided which two to watch, but probably 1) and 3).

(These books will also double for the Book to movie challenge)

Naming Conventions Challenge - Read books dictated by your name - DONE!

Graphic kindly provided by Jaime!

My aim with making this challenge is to have as random a challenge as possible but still having some sort of guideline to work from. Yes, I'm weird, I know.

Even the length of the challenge is random! Well, it starts on September 1st, but how long it lasts depends on how long your name is.

Confused yet? No reason to be, just hang on, and I'll explain it all.

Instructions
1) Write down your first name (or whatever name you usually go by)
2) Do any or all of the following (i.e. do 2a and/or 2b and/or 2c):
2a) For each letter, pick an author whose last name starts with that letter.
2b) For each letter, pick an author whose first name starts with that letter.
2c) For each letter, pick a book that starts with that letter.
3) Books can be cross-overs from other challenges, but each book can only be used once in this challenge. Authors may be repeated though.
4) The challenge lasts one month per letter of your name
5) Sign up by commenting to this post.

The books can be read in any order and the list changed at any time during the challenge.

So for me, my name being Maria, the list could look something like this.

2a	2b	2c
Meyer, Stephenie Applegate, K.A. Rosenthal, Amy Krouse Irving, John Armstrong, Kelley	Marian Keyes Anne McCaffrey R.J. Anderson Ian McEwan Angela Lam Turpin	Magicians' Guild And Then He Kissed Her Reunion I Do Again Avalon High

All books
Stephenie Meyer: Eclipse
K.A. Applegate: Animorphs 35: The Proposal
Amy Krouse Rosenthal: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life
John Irving: The Cider House Rules
Kelley Armstrong: Bitten

Marian Keyes: Last Chance Saloon
Anne McCaffrey: Dragonflight
R.J. Anderson: Knife
Ian McEwan: Atonement
Angela Lam Turpin: Legs

Trudi Canavan: Magicians' Guild, The
Laura Lee Guhrke: And Then He Kissed Her
Fred Uhlman: Reunion
Scruggs: I Do Again
Meg Cabot: Avalon High

Alternatives:
Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi (for book 'R')
A Mango-Shaped Space - Wendy Mass (for book 'A')
Since my name is 5 letters, the challenge ends on February 1st, 2009.

Finished 2b and 2c

What An Animal - Wrap up

I finished "What An Animal" over the weekend. Even with 12 books instead of 6 it was a quick challenge as they were short books ;) I'll continue reading the series though, so who knows - I may make it through all 64 books before the challenge is out :D

So far my two favourites were #13 The Change and #19 The Departure as I found those the two most poignant and thought-provoking so far. Yes, I know they're children's books, and crappy ones at that, but still.

The Change showed the Hork Bajir(sp?) for what they are when not infested with Yeerks, and gave Tobias another chance.
The Departure finally touched upon the moral dilemma of the Animorphs and the fact that not all Yeerks are intently evil.

Good books both of them.

YA Romance Challenge - DONE

* Read six YA romance novels between July 1, 2008 and February 28, 2009.
* Romance should be a strong element within the story. But it doesn't have to be the only element. Realistic fiction (contemporary). Historical. Fantasy. Science Fiction. Retold Fairy Tales. All genres are allowed.
* They can be part of a series, or stand-alones.
* They can be long or short.
* Happy books are NOT a requirement
* Audio books are allowed.
* Up to three movies can be substituted for books. So you could watch 3 movies, read 3 books if you prefer.

My books:
* Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
* Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
* Avalon High - Meg Cabot
* Checkmate - Malorie Blackman
* Haunted Sister - Lael Littke
* Tell Me How The Wind Sounds - Leslie Davis Guccione

Alternatives:
Dragonfly - Julia Golding

The ARC challenge - DONE

The challenge will run from June 21, 2008-September 21, 2008. It will be to help those of us with ARC's to get in gear and read and review them.

Here are the rules:

1. Make a list of all of the ARC's that you currently have and/or are on their way to you.

2. If you have:
1-3 ARC's then pick at least one to read and review for this challenge.
4-6 ARC's then pick at least two to read and review for this challenge.
7-9 ARC's then pick at least three to read and review for this challenge.
10 or more Arc's then pick at least 4 to read and review for this challenge.

I'm going to just stick with the ARCs I already have, as living in Denmark I can never be 100% sure that the books allegedly on their way here actually arrive (some publishers pull the book when realising the costs of shipping here.

So I'm going to read and review the following:
"The Millionaire's Proposal" by Trish Wylie
"The Hidden Man" by Anthony Flacco
"The Scrapbook" by Peggy B. Baker

...adding more to the list as they come.

What An Animal - DONE

The rules are simple:
1. Read at least 6 books that have any of these requirements:
a. an animal in the title of the book
b. an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal that plays a major role in the book
d. a main character that is or turns into an animal.

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragons, mermaids, centaurs, fairies, vampires...you get the idea...

3. Challenge runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

This is almost too easy as I want to read the Animorphs series. Every book in this series has an animal on the cover of the book and main characters turning into animals. So since the Animorph books are so short (only around 150 pages each) I'm going to extend the challenge and say I have to read 12 books.
* #7 - The Stranger
* #11 - The Forgotten
* #12 - The Reaction
* #13 - The Change
* #14 - The Unknown
* #15 - The Escape
* #16 - The Warning
* #17 - The Underground
* #18 - The Decision
* #19 - The Departure
* #20 - The Discovery
* #21 - The Threat

July Book Blowout - DONE

This challenge is almost too easy. I don't even have to write a list, but just set myself a goal for how many books I want to read in July. The rules are as follows:
* Only books read between July 1 and July 31 count towards the challenge
* You can include re-reads - as long as they are read within the month of July
* Books you abandon will only count as half a book
* If you read to your children you can include all books which have more than 100 pages
* You can include up to two graphic novels
* You can include up to two audio books - (if you have a visual impairment that prevents you from reading then you can use just audio books for the challenge)
* Books you read for other challenges are eligible - use this as an opportunity to catch up!
* If you start a book before July 1 and then finish it during the month of July then you can count is as half a book

I have a lot of REALLY long books (3 book between 600-1400 pages) coming up, so I'm going to aim for 15 but of course hope I manage more than that :)

This makes me want to do a challenge where you aim for a number of pages rather than a number of books. Hmmm... watch this space :D

Summer Reading Challenge - DONE

Since I just finished the Spring Reading Thing, I do of course have to join the Summer Reading Challenge. The challenge runs from June 1st (so I'm a bit late, but I'll manage) to August 31st. There's no specific number of books to be read, but the purpose is to encourage "intentional" reading - i.e. change the list as little as possible after the challenge has started!

I'm going to be quite busy the next wee while, so I won't stick to my usual 1 book per week, but give myself a bit of leeway and say 1 book per fortnight, so a total of 7 books (rounding up, of course ;) ) However, to add a bit of challenge to the ... ehh... challenge I'm going to set two other rules for myself: 1) the books cannot be used for any other existing challenge except my personal reading challenge (should I add other challenges later, I can use them). 2) the books must all come from my TBR pile (which is why I had to include the personal reading challenge, or I'd have no books at all to choose from! ;) )

• The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down - Neta Jackson
  
• The Amateur Marriage - Anne Tyler
  
• The Yada-Yada Prayer Group - Neta Jackson
  
• Knife Edge - Malorie Blackman
  
• The Colour Purple - Alice Walker
  
• Perfect Match - Jodi Picoult
  
• Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Mary Higgins Clark
  

On the other hand the rules for the Summer Reading Thing clearly states that the list may be identical to that of another challenge, so I'm killing two birds with one stone and doing that one as well here :-)

Book Binge Challenge - Done!

Here’s how it goes: For the month of May, participants keep track of each and every book you read. At the end of the month, everyone will blog their list of books. Simple, no?

I read a lot of really good books this month :)

Alcott, Louisa May: Eight Cousins, 10/10
Alcott, Louisa May: Rose In Bloom, 9/10
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi: Infidel, 9/10

Chang, Jung: Wild Swans, 9/10
Chapman, Gary: The Five Love Languages, 10/10

Green, Melody: No Compromise, 8/10
Gruen, Sara: Water for Elephants, 9/10

Henderson, Dee: The Truth Seeker, 7/10

Kaye, M.M.: The Ordinary Princess, 9/10
Kingsolver, Barbara: The Poisonwood Bible, 7/10

Martel, Yann: Life of Pi, 10/10
Meyer, Stephenie: The Host, 10/10
Montgomery, Lucy Maud: Across the Miles, 9/10

Nesbit, Edith: Nine Unlikely Tales for Children, 9/10

Pierce, Tamora: Shatterglass (Circle Opens #4), 8/10

Stewart, Mariah: Mercy Street, 8/10

Winfield, Jess: My Name is Will, 8/10

My favourites were Life of Pi and The Host.