Iliana's recent post reminded me that I was planning on joining Isabel's 9 books for 2009 challenge. Something I want to do next year is concentrate on reading my own books (well, as much as I possibly can), and Isabel's challenge is aimed at whittling down the TBR pile. Perfect. I also hope to keep challenges to a minimum (as well as reading plans in general), but this should be in line with what I want to do next year anyway. Although I haven't officially joined the What's in a Name challenge, I liked the categories so much, I had to make a list of possible books to read. Isabel has also come up with some fun categories as well, and here's what I came up with bookwise to read:
- Long: Bleak House, Charles Dickens -- I just started it today, but I am sure I'll be reading it well into spring. It's over 900 pages, so I guess you could say it's long.
- Free: Goldengrove, Francine Prose -- I received this as a review copy. It's been sitting by my bed waiting for me.
- Dusty: Affinity, Sarah Waters -- I've had this at least three years and I'm sure I've been meaning to read it for about as long, too.
- Used: The Balkan Trilogy, Olivia Manning -- This was a great find in a used bookstore. I also scored the sequel at the same time.
- Letter: Diary of a Provincial Lady, E.M. Delafield -- D for Diary and Danielle. Good--an excuse to read this one soon.
- Strange: If On a Winter's Night a Traveler, Italo Calvino - Experimental fiction is something I rarely pick up and read, so it is definitely outside my comfort zone. This was recommended by lots of people and I even bought a copy of it a while back.
- Cover: Blood of Flowers, Anita Amirrezvani or East Lynne, Ellen Wood -- I love the covers of both of these books!
- Alive or Not: The Road, Cormac McCarthy -- This won the Pulitzer Prize.
- Distance: In the Woods, Tana French -- I will read this book (and love it I'm sure and wonder why I waited so long). And I think Dublin is well over 1000 miles from where I live!
Of course I reserve the right to substitute any of these titles, though I did ponder them a good long time. Another reminder as I browsed shelves that I really do have plenty of good books close at hand to read!