Andi and Heather from the wonderful Estella’s Revenge have come up with a challenge too good to pass up. I normally steer clear from challenges that go on for a year because I can be fickle and well I even have a hard time completing challenges that only last a few months but I liked the idea of this challenge a lot. The Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge encourages readers to explore those books they’ve always been intimidated by.
Even better, you can follow along with the list Andi & Heather have put together or you can make up your own. I’ve mixed in some of my choices with theirs. Here’s my list of books I hope to read in 2008.
January: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. On the official list
February: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. I haven’t read too many German authors and as my husband is German I thought it’d be kind of neat to read some of the books he read when he was in school.
March: Selected Stories by Alice Munro. Margaret Atwood is on the list but I have read several of her novels (love her writing) so I wanted to explore some more writing by a Canadian author and I selected Munro. This book is a hefty one and it’s short stories which I’ve mentioned before that I don’t typically read so not sure how well I’ll do with it but I’ll try.
April: Mujer Dando la Espalda by Jeannette Clariond. On one of my recent visits to see my family in Monterrey, one of my aunts gave me this book by this Mexican poet.
May: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. The official list has another Capote novel but I chose this one because this is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read forever but somehow I always hesitate.
June: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Buglakov. I’ve read Lolita which is on the official list so I went for another Russian book and thought why not this one as Matt’s always raved about it.
July: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. On the official list.
August: Maus I and II by Art Spiegelman. On the official list.
September: The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy. On the official list.
October: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. It’s time I finally read this book and this is probably the perfect time of the year too.
November: Classic Short Stories. I wonder what Andi & Heather have in store for us!
December: Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. On the official list.
Good luck to everyone participating in the challenge. I know I’ll need it!
I tried Grapes and gave up. I am sending my reading strength to you.
Can you eat chocolates while reading about the war?
Never read the Turn. You need patience for James’ novels. Things move verrry sllloowllly in his works.
Others are interesting!
I’m glad you are participating! I can’t wait for this challenge either. When I go to the States in a few weeks I’m going to buy up a lot of the books. Very exciting.
What a GREAT! but DAUNTING! challenge. A think it might take me an entire year to work through some of those books! But I might take on the task!
Those sound great! I love Great Expectations. Didn’t make it through Grapes of Wrath, but I put it back on my TBR list after reading East of Eden. Can’t wait to read the reviews!
I’ve realised I’m not very good at the year-long challenges either but I’m pretty sure I’ll join in this one. It’s just such a great idea! I still have to work out my list but that’s always half the fun.
What a great idea for a challenge. I love their list as well as yours. I would like to read Turn of the Screw. I did read Washington Square (the book you gave me) and enjoyed that. I never quite picked up Grapes of Wrath but it really is one of those books you feel you should read! I think I would also enjoy Great Expectations….
Hmmm, am I really up for such a challenge? ( we will have to see what the next few months unfolds first!)
I’m so glad to see you joined Iliana! I am so excited about this challenge and I can’t wait to get started!
You’ve got some wonderful books on your list that I have read and loved. Great Expectations is one of my all-time favs. I do so hope you like it! Siddhartha and Grapes of Wrath are marvelous too. And so is Turn of the Screw. What a fun list!
This sounds like a fun challenge and I might just have to read along “unofficially”–at least on some of the months. I’d like to read Great Expectations, too. Actually there is lots of good titles on this list. I also am going to try the Bulgakov next year as well!
Isabel – Oh no. Thanks for the reading strength – I think chocolate with ALL the books would help 🙂
aka Nik – We’ll all have to motivate one another right? How long will you be in the States? I bet you can’t wait!
Kristen – It is kind of daunting isn’t it? I don’t know if I can read them all in the year but I’m going to try and well have fun too! I hope you join. Let me know if you post your list!
Tiffany – Great Expectations is probably the one book I’m more “scared” of than the others so I’m glad to hear you liked it.
Tanabata – I definitely prefer the shorter challenges. I can cross things off my to do list. But you are right, making up the lists is half of the fun. Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Christine – Well, you do have tons of stuff going on next year but I think a challenge would be fun. do it! 🙂
Heather – I’m very excited too! I think it’ll be fun to see so many of us trying to finish those daunting books. Good reading vibes all around.
Stefanie – I remember you spoke very highly of Siddhartha! That was probably the easiest book for me to choose. And, I’m glad you liked Grapes of Wrath – it looks like a lot of people didn’t so I was getting concerned! ha,ha…
Danielle – Oh I think you could totally pull this one off. You’ve had some wonderful reading projects this year and did so great with them but I hear you. And yay, you’ll also be trying out Bulgakov!
Happy dance!!!! So glad you’re joining in, and you’ve got a great list!
Andi – I’m dancing too! 🙂
Ok, me again! I am currently reading Mr. Pipp (Lloyd Jones) and it is making me want to read Great Expectations as the characters in the book read it. This challenge may give me the motivation!
Kristen – Yay, motivation to join the challenge. Do it 🙂
This sounds like a great challenge! I like your list — you’ll have fun, I’m sure.
Dorothy W. – It’s definitely a challenge 🙂 I am looking forward to it though!