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A big thank you to booklogged from "A Reader's Journal" for alerting me to this challenge and another big thank you to Overdue Books for hosting the "Stacks Winter Challenge".
According to Michelle from Overdue Books, this is how the challenge will work:
For this challenge we would be reading 5 books that we have already purchased, have been meaning to get to, have been sitting on the nightstand and haven't read before. No going out and buying new books. No getting sidetracked by the lure of the holiday bookstore displays.
The bonus would be that we would finally get to some of those titles (you know you picked them for a reason!) and we wouldn't be spending any extra money over the holidays.
The time frame would be Nov. 1st until Jan. 30 and there will be some small, fun prizes awarded to random participants and/or those with clever review posts. There will be one random drawing for a prize to those who submit their list of books in the comment section by Nov. 15th but feel free to join any time. There will be another random drawing for those who submit five reviews by Jan. 30 for a small gift certificate to Amazon.
The bonus would be that we would finally get to some of those titles (you know you picked them for a reason!) and we wouldn't be spending any extra money over the holidays.
The time frame would be Nov. 1st until Jan. 30 and there will be some small, fun prizes awarded to random participants and/or those with clever review posts. There will be one random drawing for a prize to those who submit their list of books in the comment section by Nov. 15th but feel free to join any time. There will be another random drawing for those who submit five reviews by Jan. 30 for a small gift certificate to Amazon.
Here is a list of 5 books that I plan to get to from my stacks:
"The Inheritance of Loss" Kiran Desai (read)
"Daaku" by Ranj Dhaliwal (read)
"The Penelopiad" Margaret Atwood (read)
"In The Country of Men" Hisham Mattar (lost my copy)
"Beasts of No Nation" Uzodinma Iweala
"Poets and Pahlevans " Marcello Di Cintio (reading)
(Wish me luck!!!)
And can I tempt someone to join me in this challenge? Such a great incentive to start attacking those monstrous TBR piles!
An update: I'm so happy so many of you want to do the challenge - don't forget to sign up with Michelle at Overdue books, there are over 30 of us participating - it's going to be great fun!
I've replaced the "Maisie Dobbs' with "Daaku" by Ranj Dhaliwal ( I just felt it was more timely, besides, I wasn't quite getting into Maisie Dobbs).
41 comments:
The Maisie Dobbs novels read very quickly. The Penelopiad is very short (and excellent!) The others are on my TBR list, but I don't "have" them yet. :)
Hi, Jenclair!
I'm a notoriously-slow reader so I thought two short books and three others of average size should work nicely for me.
The Maisie Dobbs is a challenge within a challenge - I have been wanting to revisit novels with an Agatha Christie feel to it and I thought this book might help me do that.
Are you participating?
Great picks. So glad you are joining in!
Michelle
Hi Anjali:
Whee, would love to join this challenge. Just what I need to move a few books from my huge TBR's I will post my list later today, where do I join up.
Hi, Michelle!
Thanks for organizing this much-needed challenge!
Hi, Sylvia!
Thrilled to know you can join us...to join up you need to open a blogger account (it's very simple and easily done in three steps). After that, you need to go to Michelle's site at "Overdue Books" (the link is on my main post) and just let her know "you're in", after which you post your list on your blog. Any blogger questions, don't be afraid to ask! This is exciting no? :)
you are so making me miss my library I had back home... I had like over 300 books, not new ones most old old ones.. that my grandfather had left... but the were grea t stories.. and history texts... I had to give them all away when we moved... boo hoo hoo...i feel like crying about them again...
I joined the library..but its not the same.. I keep thinkin when am readin them... what was the person who borrowed it doing when the were reading it... I like my books to be really really neat and clean...
@Lotus: you're on, baby!
Hi Again Anjali:
Thanks for the info. I will be setting up a blog this coming week.Mike, my assisatnt will be in to work Tuesday, so he will give me a hand.
I've chosen the following:
Fine Balance- Rohinton Mistry
Cuckoo Bird - Amulya Malladi
Nightbird - Anita Rau Badami
Inheritance of Loss - Kiran Desai
Railway Bazaar - Paul Theroux
This is going to be super fun,can't wait to get started. Just have to finish "Chopsticks" and "Dancing Girls"
Keep in touch......Love and Huge Hugs
Hi Lotus,
I would love to join the challenge. The only problem is that I don't have 5 unread books. I have maybe one. I guess I need to go shopping!!! By the way, have you read "Namesake?" I've been meaning to read it. Maybe I'll pick it up! :))
Lotus, I bought a used copy of Inheritance of Loss for myself (based on your mention of it). Maybe I should read it for this challenge, too. Of course, that means scratching out one of the others. YIKES! I really enjoyed Maisie Dobbs and have the second of the series on my list to read for this challenge.
I think I may join. Didn't intend to originally, but I find myself changing my mind. :) Not an unusual occurrence.
Great idea, Lotus! I've got my unread books on one shelf waiting. There's something about the titles or the author of something that just have kept me from diving in. Thanks for the positive peer pressure to get reading them!
Hi Lotus, you can count me in. Although some of our books may overlap.lol
It's about time I get to all those wonderful books I have teetering and tottering around here.
I will post my list tomorrow.
PS, I am glad you liked the Post card. I just thought it was beautiful.
love-bd
Hi Lotus!
Sounds like a great challenge and I'm very intrigued by your book choices. I'm going to make note of them so I buy them and read them soon (after Jan. 30!)
So I'll join the challenge. I am going to read:
"You Remind Me of Me" by Dan Chaon
"The New Life" by Orhan Pamuk
"Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
"The Hunters" by Claire Messud
"Autobiography of My Mother" by Jamaica Kincaid
Princess Jibi Oh, how sad you had to give away your grandfather's books - I just love old books - I want to cry along with you!!!
Heh,heh anocturne!
Yeayyy, Sylivia so very glad you're going to have a blog!!! Those are some wonderful choices - I'm glad we're both going to be reading "The Inheritance of Loss", it would be wonderful to discuss it! "A Fine Balance" is one of my favorites - you'll be so moved. "Song of the Cuckoobird" is another great read. This is so exciting, Sylvia!
Hi, booklogged It would be great if you could include the Kiran Desai novel - I would hate for you to scratch off any of the others however. You're a really quick reader, I think you'll be able to read all those books on your list and still have time to include "The Inheritance of Loss". Let us know how it goes and thank you again for my wonderful copy! I'm glad you found one for yourself, but even if you hadn't I could have always loaned you mine! :)
That's wonderful Jenclair! I am going to have to visit you tomorrow to find out if you have or haven't - I hope you have!
Hey Susan Glad I could be of help - I owe my thanks to Michelle of Overdue Books for setting up the challenge and to booklogged for giving me the headsup. I hope you can make a dent in your TBR mountain!
Hey Beloved I would love it if our books overlapped - there'll be so much to discuss then!
Hi, Joanna and welcome aboard! I love your list and await with bated breath to read your thoughts on the books you've chosen, especially the Dan Chaon, Jamaica Kincaid and the Orhan Pamuk novels. Joanna, if you want to do this with a whole group of us don't forget to sign up at Michelle's "Overdue Books", if you're doing this as a personal challenge , that's cool too!
*hugs*
Nice list! The Penelopiad looks very good.
Hi, dorothy!
WOnderful of you to stop by! Yes, I can't wait to sink my teeth into "The Penelopiad"! Are you going to be joining us?
Hello again anocturne
I just saw your list - great choices! So glad you're in!!!
as soon as i'm done with my current (800 pg) book, i'll choose 5 for the challenge and join you, lotus. i'll put 'inheritance of loss' in there, and we can compare notes.
Hi, Melissa, that's great! What tome are you reading now? :)
Hi, Beenzzz!
That's so cool you have only one unread book! :))) Yes, I have read "The Namesake" and I was lucky enough to see the movie, too! I think you will enjoy the read - it's all about the immigrant experience!
I dont have 5 unread books in my apartmetn! I would love to take the challenge though.
I'm so in this! Thanks for posting about it. I'll be posting about it too...since I've had a slow spell trying to get through Voyage Out by Virgina Woolf....it isn't the book...it is the fact that I've had a cold etc and I just haven't been reading before bed like I ususally do...this will give me the ensentive!
Consider me in! I am all for it. Great that I will catch up with few of those books waiting to be read!
I'm in! I'll post on it tomorrow. Thanks for a great idea!
I signed up today! I hate to miss out on all the fun. :) I'll post my list on my blog later this week (I'm not at home right now). Good luck to you, Lotus!
I have many more than five unread books, but have already made too many commitment in Nov-Dec. to participate. You'll enjoy The inheritance of Loss, I think.
Dawn, Gautami,J and Les So glad you are all in...can't wait to see your lists!
Angela and Paris_Parfait There are heaps of challenges coming up - maybe next time? :)
I would love to hear your thoughts on The Inheritance of Loss. I can't wait until you read and discuss it. I was going to come by and ask in your comments if you had read it as soon as I had finished it.
As for the TBR challenge, I don't even know which books to pick. There are so many unread books on my bookshelves. It's actually embarrassing.
hi piksea
I will starting the Kiran Desai novel either tomorrow or the day after. Will let you know when I'm done - it will be fun to discuss it!
Hi hollydolly
Welcome to the blogosphere! I'm going to rush over to your blog this instant!
I hope you enjoy Beasts of No Nation. I read it a few months ago and really thought it was very well written.
let me survive nano, then I'll start. December. I'll have to see what's on the shelf first...
LotusReads:
Your post about the challenge and reading all the comments has made me motivated....I'll join in too
I have a ton of books that I've bought and keep meaning to read but never get to it so this challenge is good for me
Here's my list
1. The Red Carpet : Bangalore stories (do short stories count? - wanted to put one book of short stories in so I know that I can get atleast one book done fairly soon)
2. The Inheritance of Loss
3. Behind the Burqa
4. An Intimate History of Humanity
5. The Nanny Diaries
I'll also singup at Michelle's blog
Wooo hooo, glad you're joining in Hindu Mommy! I really love your selection of books. Short stories are fine, I saw "The Red Carpet" in the bookstores in Bangalore, how I wish I had bought myself a copy. Waiting for your reviews with bated breath. You will be reviewing the books, won't you?
Yes - I will be reviewing them though my reviews may not be as descriptive and interesting as yours....though of course, i do have to finish the books first to review them ;)
Hindu Mommy
Hindu Mommy Thanks for the compliment, but I am sure your reviews will be just as interesting, if not more. I'm glad you, HollyDolly, Melissa and me will be reading 'The Inheritance of Loss', we can have a great discussion!
HollyDolly I'm on page 50 of Inheritance and enjoying every paragraph so far, I'm glad it's going to be your first book for the challenge, too!
Hey Lotus,
I look forward to your impressions of the Penelopiad. I'm a fan of Atwood's later stuff. Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake are my favorites so far - including the opera of Handmaid's tale at the C.O.C. which was outstanding.
I haven't read the rest but look forward to your recommendations!
Would be glad to share, Cereal Girl, not sure when I'll get to the Penelopiad, but get to it I will! ;)
Hi, Sylvia!
Oh dear, I'm sorry you're struggling with the novel. Tell you what, I have finished it and plan to post a review tomorrow. Read through my review (I think it is virtually spoiler-free apart from a few details I may have given away inadvertently) and we'll discuss it from there. How does that sound? In the meantime, stay the course and don't give up on the novel! :)
hey not sure if you are aware but the book you had mentioned Daaku .. the author ranj dhaliwal will be coming to toronto dec 7 and 8th
Hi Anon I am nearly done reading "Daaku" - I would love to know where Ranj Dhaliwal will be when he visits Toronto. It would be a thrill to have him sign my book! I'll have to go to his website and look it up. Thanks for the headsup!
hey, that would be so cool. can you find out where he will be coming? I would love to have him sign me book!
please post it once you find out where he will be coming! since he's coming to toronto, i'm sure he'll be downtown somewhere!
i hope book is as good as review
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