The first is the TBR Double Dare, hosted by C.B. James over at Ready When You Are, C.B.
I'm accepting the dare (the double-dare!) to read only from my own shelves from January 1st -April 1st next year, with the goal of whittling down my TBR pile. That means no library books, no buying books. Which I need to do - let's just say the name of this blog isn't strictly accurate at this point. I know it is going to be tough, because reading blogs has introduced me to some great authors (I just posted about one, Jo Walton, earlier today). But I've also added too many books to the TBR pile as well. It should be good for me and for my bookshelves (and maybe even for the book sale at the library - oh lord, something else I'll have to avoid).
The second challenge I've seen popping up all over is A Classics Challenge, hosted by Katherine at November's Autumn.
This one involves reading seven classic novels over the course of 2012, with some directed discussion on the 4th of each month. This will dovetail nicely with the TBR challenge, since I have these books on the TBR pile:
- Persuasion, Jane Austen (a re-read)
- Tom Jones, Henry Fielding
- Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on the Bummel, Jerome K. Jerome (I've never read the Bummel part)
- A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf
- The Three Clerks, Anthony Trollope (though I may change this for another Trollope)
- A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Mary Wollstonecraft
- Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw
What a great list of books for the Classics Challenge! I like that you have a variety of genres.
ReplyDeleteI so need to join the TBR Double Dare! The unread books surrounding me are demanding it!
Yay for Woolf and Wollstonecraft!! I've read both and very much recommend them. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've also read Persuasion, but there's no need to recommend that one since you have too. :-)
I like the idea of the TBR Double Dare but I'm not sure I could give up going to the library for three months! Good luck with the Classics Challenge too. I loved Persuasion and Three Men in a Boat, though I haven't read any of the others.
ReplyDeleteAnboyln, I noticed later that they are all British authors - but at least from different centuries.
ReplyDeleteJillian, I know I've read Orlando, but I think that's the only book by Woolf that I've read. I see her name on so many different blogs that I thought I try another one. I'll admit that I'm a little intimidated by Wollstonecraft but very interested to read her.
Helen, it might be the "no library books" part that does me in. It's almost automatic now, when I read an intriguing review on a blog, to check the library catalogues - or put in an ILL request. I have five sitting by me right now! I'll just have to start a list, and put in a mad lot of requests on April 2nd.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your first challenges and I will be watching your progress with great interest! I am also thinking of doing A Classics Challenge, since my TBR shelf has a lot of classics on it. But I'm not going for the full TBR Double Dare this year - after a fall of not reading much, I am hoping I will get back into books this winter and I want the freedom to read whatever I want!
ReplyDeleteThat feeling of wanting to read whatever I want to read is so familiar. I hope that you do find what you want to read! It's one of the reasons I haven't joined other challenges, and why I'm not good in book groups. I've just realized that the TBR challenge means no re-reading - and that may be my downfall even sooner than the no-library books.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for James' TBR Double Dare! Discovered some great book on my shelves last year. Have you seen Venice in February? That looks like fun, too... check out Bellezza's blog for details.
ReplyDeleteI saw that you're doing the Double Dare as well! I'll have to look at the Venice in February one, thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe classic challenge is an appealing little list. The other challenge sounds ... hard!
ReplyDeleteSince it hasn't started yet, does that mean you can go to the used hardback sale at Murder By the Book? We (my s-i-l and I) went on Monday. I didn't find anything I just had to have, but she bought five or six.
Oh, and that book I strongly recommend to you is commonly called "Roemer's Texas" but its more correct title is "Texas: with particular reference to German immigration and the physical appearance of the country" by Dr. Carl Ferdinand von Roemer, trans. by Oswald Mueller.
See, that's why I wanted to stop at MBTB, to add a few more to the pile before Dec. 31st. It's going to be hard, especialy the not re-reading part. I may flunk out early. But I'd really like to reduce the TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on the von Roemer book, I'll see if I can get it from the library - hopefully since it's Texana it won't be too hard.
Just found this Challenge today.
ReplyDeleteI am not going to join in, but it is so nice to see all these books.
I need to get more Classics into my to-be-read stack.
NEW FOLLOWER
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
http://silversolara.blogspot.com
Hi, Elizabeth - thanks for stopping by. You might also be interested in the Classics Club. There does seem to be a lot interest right now in reading the classics (however you define them).
ReplyDelete