Tuesday 22 September 2009

Fall Into Reading Challenge

I mentioned the other week that I planned to join the Fall Into Reading Challenge as I was a little concerned about the books I needed to read by the end of the year in order to complete my reading challenges.
The Fall Into Reading Challenge is basically a challenge designed to suit you. For the challenge, you decide how many books you would like to read by December 20th, make a list and attempt to stick to them.
So I went through all my challenges and worked out what books I needed to read, then added a few extra that I really want to read and ended up with a list of 30 books. I then sat back in horror at the thought of actually reading 30 books by December 20th. Luckily one of my avid readers was on hand to remind me that on average I read about 12 books a month anyway, so I could easily complete this task.
For the first time ever, I have been really organised and put all the books I need to read on one shelf, so that I can wear blinkers as I pass all the other shelves. Some of my books are from the library and I have banned myself from getting anymore from the library until I have finished reading all 30 books. Don't get me wrong, I love the library, I just really need to start reading a lot of my own books first.
So here is my list of books to be read by December 20th. I will keep the list updated on this post rather than have a long list on my side bar.
1) The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
2) Sexing The Cherry by Jeanette Winterson
3) Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
4) Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
5)Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
6) The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
7)Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier
8) The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom (not shown)
9) A Case of Two Cities by Qiu Xiaolong
10) 100 Shades of White by Preethi Nair
11)Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
12) Ink Exhange by Melissa Marr
13) The Zahir by Paul Coelho
14) The Nightwatch by Sarah Waters
15) Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
16) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

17) The Ressurectionist by James Bradley
18) The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
19) The Witch Hunter by Bernhard Knight
20) City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
21) City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
22) Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See
23) The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi
24) Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
25) Sharp North by Patrick Cave
26) The Many Conditions of Love by Farahad Zama
27) The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
28) Fifty Days by Sarah Quigley
29) Uglies by Scott Westerfield
30) The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness
So that is my list, wish me luck.
If you would like to join in with this challenge, then please click on the picture above which will take you through to the guidelines for the challenge.

36 comments:

  1. I'll be interested to read your review of The Ressurectionist. As you know I really struggled with it and I think it was the book that took me the longest time of any book I've read to read. I think, hope you will love Dorian Gray - it's one of my favourite books. Read it a couple of times now.

    I've entered a few competitions to try and win Julie & Julia - looks good so again will look forward to your review of that. Blimey I wish I knew how you read that many books a month. I used to be able to get through almost a book a night pre-kids but now... it's like someone is stealing time.

    I picked up Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult, just because everyone raves about her and decided to see what the fuss was, and also The Nature Of Monsters by Clare Clark at that Hastings sale the other day. The other books I got were for the girls :)

    Hope you and the family are feeling a wee bit better now.

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  2. Some interesting choices there. The Picture Of Dorian Grey is one of my all time favourite books (we are hoping to go to the pictures this week-end to see the latest movie adaptaton of it). I read and reviewed The Ressurectionist a while ago and will be very interested to read your thoughts on it.

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  3. I know you can do it, Viv! I like your list of books. I loved Snow Flower and The Secret Fan and I hope you will too.

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  4. I'm sure you won't have any trouble reading 30 books! Good luck!

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  5. Haha wow very ambitious. I would probably make a list that long and only get around to 5 sadly. However you will love Breakfast and Tiffany's. So many amazing quotes to highlight!!

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  6. Huge list of a great mix of genres. I didn't sign up for this one -- way too many other challenges to deal with.

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  7. Good luck! Breakfast at Tiffany's is so wonderful! I also found The Witches of Eastwick to be very thought-provoking. Loved the Jeanette Winterson & I kind wish I could read The Jamaica Inn all over again!

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  8. OK, I really did do a tame list. ;) I've actually read a couple of yours, though, which is a fun change. ;) I loved seeing Monsters of Templeton's cover, I haven't actually seen it around in stores. I started it once, two years ago, and then life happened and I haven't made it back yet. Thanks for the reminder to put it back on my pile!

    Have fun with your list!

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  9. Okay--I wish I could read 12 books a month! My list looks paltry compared to yours! :) Snowflower and the Secret Fan is one of my all time favorites--hope you like it too.
    *smiles and happy Fall*
    Kim

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  10. So many of these books are on my TBR list - I have read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld - I reaallly loved that series. :) Good luck!

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  11. Ooh, I just love the list of books you have there ready to read. A great selection. I opted out of doing this challenge because I thought, 'Ergg, I have too many other challenges to complete' - I didn't think about putting what I needed to read into this challenge. Good idea :-D

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  12. Good for you! You have a great list...this is something for us to have fun with! I wish you the best of luck. :)

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  13. I put all my books on one shelf too, and I hear you on wearing blinders! It's so hard to stay focused with so many good books out there. :)

    Thanks for being part of Fall Into Reading '09!

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  14. Good luck! I wish I could write as fast as you read.

    I want to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

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  15. Good luck with your list. That is a lot of books to read. It's also nice to know that I'm not the only one who picks up books at the library even when I already have a pile of books at home waiting to be read.

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  16. Happy reading! I am looking forward to your reviews! I will check these books out. Btw – I’ve read Miss Buncle’s Book and I absolutely loved it! Thanks for mentioning it!

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  17. Great list of books. So many juicy ones to choose from. Good luck reading them all.

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  18. Great list. Can't wait to see what you think about Catching Fire. And I just bought the dead and the gone myself, as well as The Knife of Never Letting Go which is, I believe, the first one where your # 30 is the second...right?

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  19. Fun list! I bought Jamaica Inn on a $1 shelf just after reading Rebecca last summer, but I haven't gotten to it (I think I have blinders!).

    I can recommend Catching Fire, Julie & Julia and Uglies.

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  20. Great list of books - definitely a nice mix. If I weren't such a failure at completing challenges, I'd jump at this one.

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  21. great list! happy reading :O)
    I loved Snow Flower and The Secret Fan.
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

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  22. You have some great titles on your list - you'll have fun getting this challenge done!

    I have Snow Flower in my TBR pile. Tried Reading Lolita but it didn;t grab me - I set it aside to try again another time because I keep seeing it on lists like these so assume it must be good!

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  23. That's an awesome list~I hope you enjoy reading them all. I love Daphne Du Mauier's book, Rebecca is my fave!

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  24. Good luck, Vivienne! But I think you'll finish them easily...as long as you can keep those blinders on. :D

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  25. I also want to read READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN, but did not put that on my list. Should have!

    I am rereading REBECCA because I enjoyed it so much in high school, but don't remember much about it. Do you reccomend Jamaica Inn?

    I also want to reread THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GREY.

    Good Luck!

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  26. Good luck with this challenge! I've been meaning to join, but have been so busy I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm really bad about checking out a lot of library books too, so I've been trying to limit myself there.

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  27. Hi fellow challenger! I noticed you have Reading Lolita in Tehran on your list and I just wanted to say how much I loved that book. I highly recommend it if you love literature and learning about other cultures. Happy reading!

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  28. I love the way you organized your shelves.

    I will be listing mt books this weekend... I am just so lazy lately.

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  29. Lots of great books on your list! I particularly loved Year Of Wonders -- it's a great book to read in autumn. Enjoy it!

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  30. Most of your list I haven't read, but I loved Breakfast at Tiffany's when I read it last year. I think Truman Capote is an amazing writer. Have you ever read his true-crime book, In Cold Blood? It's a genre I don't generally read, but it was riveting. Happy reading!

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  31. From your list, I've read The Monsters of Templeton and Ink Exchange and I enjoyed them both. I hope you do too. Happy fall reading!

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  32. I wish you luck on your reading.
    Enjoy!!
    Joyful

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  33. Wow, what an ambitious list. Mine is rather long as well.

    I LOVED Snowflower and the Secret Fan!

    Check out my Fall Into Reading list:

    http://lynnesletters.com

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  34. Jamaica Inn is one of my favorite of Daphne D's I have read almost all of her books and own most of them too. Rebecca is my all time favorite. Have fun reading you have a great list.

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