Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2011 TBR Pile Challenge

Sorry - a quick diversion before I return to my trip to Eureka Springs.  I have decided to join a 2011 book reading challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader - check out his site for the details. The quick summary is that I have to pick 12 books and 2 alternates from my to-be-read bookshelf or list that have been on said shelf or list for more than a year and then read them. To make it official, I make a list and then review the books as I read them. I decided to stick to books that I already own, because I have plenty of those to choose from, and I really need to make room for more books. Here are my choices, in no particular order:
  1. My Antonia by Willa Cather
  2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
  3. PrairyErth by William Least Heat-Moon
  4. New Europe by Michael Palin
  5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  6. The Life of the Bee by Maurice Maeterlinck
  7. The World We Have by Thich Nhat Hahn
  8. Judgment Day by Penelope Lively
  9. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
  10. A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks
  11. A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman
  12. Traveling Mercies by Annie Lamott
Alternate Titles (in case I just can't stand something on the list or some other such)
  1. West with the Night by Beryl Markham
  2. The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson
In theory, this should be a pretty easy challenge, since I intend to read at least 100 books again this year, and hope to read as many as 110. But, life has a way of making other plans, and a couple of those are pretty big and weighty (A Distant Mirror and PrairyErth in particular). We shall see. I will try to remember to post updates as I progress.
**Update: Links to all reviews are added to the comments. **

15 comments:

Roof Beam Reader said...

Great List - Thanks for joining us! I would love to read Devil in the White City someday, as well as the Cather.

Some of the other books on your list, I'm not familiar with - so I look forward to the reviews!

Hope said...

Here is a link to my review of New Europe:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13815594

Hope said...

Just finished My Antonia. Here is my review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/138648530

Hope said...

Just finished The World We Have. Review up on GR
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3075841.The_World_We_Have

InnocentButler said...

The Devil in the White City is totally on my list too. Everyone I talk to says it's one of the best books they've ever read and there it is, languishing in my TBR pile.

Nickled and Dimed is a great book!

Hope said...

Here is a link to my review of Traveling Mercies:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/138650561

Hope said...

I finished another book from my list. Here is a link to my review of The Life of the Bee.

Hope said...

Here is my latest review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8687472

Anonymous said...

Just checking-in on your progress for the 2011 TBR Pile Challenge - looks like you are doing GREAT! Don't forget to link your reviews to your master list. :)

Also... BIG Giveaways are happening on my blog this week, and TBR Pile Challenge participants earn extra entries for linking to their lists, so be sure to visit my Giveaways section soon! ;)

Hope said...

Here is a link to my review of A Distant Mirror. Only took two months to listen to...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8737481

Hope said...

Here is my review of The Book Thief. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23138944

Hope said...

Here is a link to my review of Judgment Day. I also posted it on my blog today, October 12, 2011. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35295443

Hope said...

Here's a link to my review of Nickel and Dimed on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/241898271

Hope said...

Just finished A Princess of Landover. Here is the review on Goodreads. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54386788

Hope said...

Here is the review on Goodreads for Madame Bovary: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34695673