The rules of this challenge are that you must read X amount of books (you get to choose the number) by June 30, 2007. And the guidelines for the size of the books? Ones that make you go "Whoa! That's freakin' intimidating!" :-) And you can even choose to read a certain amount from a list you come up with. Really, with such thoroughly flexible guidelines, it's so easy to participate!
So I'm going to say that I will read (hopefully) three books from the following list:
Shogun, by James Clavell
Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Light Bearer, by Donna Gillespie
A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes and the Eternal Passion for Books, by Nicholas Basbanes
Shadows and Strongholds, by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe
Trinity, by Leon Uris
Wheel of Fortune, by Susan Howatch
River of Gods, by Ian McDonald
So three books out of a list of nine ... I think I can do it! Actually, I know for sure that I'll read Udolpho as I'm doing it for a group read. Is that cheating? I hope not. If it is, then I'll try and do three more in addition to that one. But really, all the books on this list are pretty doorstopper-ish. It will be very challenging to read them within the six month time frame! But hey, better to read than to go to the gym, right? The challenge is technically a book over 400 pages. But I think most books I read are over 400 pages. So for me, a chunkster is over 500 pages, though I think most of these are well over 600 pages. Whew, hopefully my wrists can handle the pressure!
It's a good challenge, I think, because I am never too intimidated to purchase chunky books. I will buy them quite easily and happily. However, to then read them ... that tends to take a lot of effort on my part. I mean, really, it's a huge investment of time, at the very least. Not to mention that chunky books also tend to require a lot more concentration than shorter books do. But I'm excited and looking forward to the challenge. Shooting for a 33% can't be that bad, right?
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Just another fun update like that I did for my "TBR Challenge 2007" post. As of January 14, 2010, I have read and finished none of the above books.
I got rid of The Light Bearer. I think. I believe I gave it to the library. Ironically, I am currently reading Team of Rivals, but it's going very slowly. Hopefully I'll get through it in February! I started The Mysteries of Udolpho, but did not finish it. I hope to try it again! God knows when. Clearly, I am always quite optimistic about what I'll get through in challenges and then lose all motivation to actually follow through.
It's fun to do these updates every few years and, er, find that nothing has changed.
I was just thinking about Shogun the other day....I read it when I was a teenager, and to this day, I always think of it as the most romantic book I've ever read. I'd like to read it again, as I'm not sure if it really is, or if that memory is just because I was a teenager at the time. It had a very profound effect on me, I certainly remember that!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Blogger!
ReplyDeleteYikes, I was already thinking I really need to read Shogun before I read Lisa's post!
ReplyDeleteI just love the name BookLust.
Thanks for the welcome, Susan! Everyone's been so nice :-) And as it's the last day of work before a five-day weekend, I've had lots of time to sit and tweak the settings (and post five entries as well, apparently).
ReplyDeletebookfool, I feel the need to read Shogun, too! Actually, a book group I'm a member of online is discussing it now, but I was too lazy to take part in discussion as it is SO LONG! But now maybe I'll get it off the shelf!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the name BookLust- I've realized since naming it that that it is the name of more than one book blog and also of a book. So don't go around thinking I'm creative or anything!
Wierd as this sounds I have been wanting to read a Gentle Madness for some time now. I had found it in a bookstore and though 'OH! A book about me!"
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't sound weird at all! I actually think Basbanes has a tetralogy he's written about booklovers and the book world. I think this is actually the second in the series, but I haven't gotten my hands on the other ones.
ReplyDeleteFor a paperback, it's also beautiful- the cover is very nice. Clearly, he knew how to get his target readership's attention!
A Gentle Madness was great. He mentions Serendipity in Berkeley, a bookstore I hadn't been to before, and my brother had flown out that week, so we hit it on our book tour. (He'd been there zillions of times.) It's amazing! I actually got lost.
ReplyDeleteMysteries of Udolpho took me FOREVER to get into but it was pretty good once I just sat myself down and read it (trapped on a plane, lol.)
Anyway, Hi! I'm *cough/choke* carriedknitpink at Yahoo. I can't believe I let them give me that name.
Aarti, thanks for visiting my blog. I love meeting new bloggers. This is a great list. There are several I haven't heard of so I will be looking forward to your reviews. I read Shogun before the miniseries came out and loved it. And Trinity is far and away my favorite Leon Uris book. And I love his books.
ReplyDelete