Beastmomma

I decided to throw my hat into the ring for ANOTHER challenge.  Fortunately, I can use books for multiple challenges. Otherwise I would be in trouble.  This one is being hosted by book haven. The details are below.

The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is a biennial award for a body of work by poets, novelists, or playwrights. The prize is not limited by geographic area, language, or genre, and is hosted by the University of Oklahoma and the international literary publication World Literature Today

You have two options with this challenge, which will run from May-August 2008.

1. Read three books/plays/collection of poetry by one of the authors who have received the award.

2. Read three books by three different authors.

I am not sure which books I am going to read by the following authors, but I am going with option number two.  These are the three authors whose work I would like to read:

• Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia): Love in the Time of Cholera. I finished this selection and the challenge. You can find my review here.
• David Malouf (Australia): Remembering Babylon I finished this selection. You can find my review here.
• Nuruddin Farah (Somalia): Maps. I finished this selection . You can find my review here.

(I may change my mind later). You can see the list of eligible authors at the Book Haven blog.

I found another challenge that I could not resist joining.  The title means "the whole world." It is being hosted by B&b Ex libris.  The details are below and to join go here.

The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins April 1 2008( you are welcome to join later) Through December 20th 2008.
- For the challenge each reader is to choose 9 books (for the 9 months).
-Each book must be by an author from a different nation in our world.


The bottom line: choose 9 different books, written by 9 different authors, from 9 different countries.

I do not have all of my books selected, but so far here is what I am thinking:

• What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh Baldwin (India). Oh my goodness, I finished my eighth book. I may still finish this challenge! My review is here.
• Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (Iran) I finished this book on September 3rd. You can find my review here.
• I'jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody by Sinan Antoon (Iraq) I finished this book in only two days. You can find my review here.
• Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia) This is the fifth book for this challenge. You can read my review here.
• Remembering Babylon by David Malouf (Australia) I finally finished my first selection for this challenge. Hopefully, I can still catch up.  My review is here.
• She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (United States) This novel was set in many parts of the United States, so I thought it would be a good selection for this challenge. My review is here.
• Maps by Nurradin Farah (Somalia). My review is here.
• Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson (England)  I finished this book on October 5th, but only posted my review recently. You can read it here.

There are lots of books calling to be read in my apartment and participating in challenges seems to be a good way for me to fulfill that request.  At least that is what I am telling myself as I continue to sign up for challenges.  This particular challenge came to my attention from the blogger at A Life in Books. (Now that woman is a reading and challenge machine!)

 The Chunkster Challege is certainly not for the faint of heart.  Here are the rules from the coordinator's blog:

• To qualify the book must be 450 pps regular type OR 750 pps large text.
• You must read FOUR chunksters (one each quarter), you OBVIOUSLY may read more
• The Challenge will run Jan 7th, 2008 - Dec 20th, 2008 (the only chunky thing occupying my mind over Christmas is ME! AND I am using my foresight remembering my inbox on Dec 31st/ Jan 1 of THIS year when all the challenges ended). BUT any chunkster started after Jan 1 qualifies.
• OH THERE WILL BE PRIZES - one a quarter.  Prizes to be determined later ( so making the rules on the fly here, peeps). Think small and fun, not big and chunky.
• Sharing reviews mandatory, format still to be determined.
• Join by leaving me a WEE comment.  I will work on a list of active participants to be shared here. There is a sign-up deadline of March 1st, so tell your friends and neighbors but only until then.
• DID say one book a quarter, but you can actually read them any time at all.  I just said that to show how doable the challenge really is.
• You don't have to make a set list--or you can and you can change it later--no big deal
• A large volume of compiled work (such as LOTR in one volume) TOTALLY COUNTS
• Please by all means DO cross-over with other challenges.
• and no, one 1,500 page bok doesn't count as three chunksters (hee hee, Maria!)
• To sign up, leave a comment here.
• Once you have completed the challenge, you can leave your reviews here.

From looking at the reviews, I already feel behind.  Good thing I can cross-over books with other challenges.  Anyway, here is my list:

1. Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Hooray! I finished my first book for the challenge and my review is here.
2. What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh Baldwin. I finished my third book for this challenge on November 14th.  My review is here.
3. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I am at the halfway point! My review is here.
4. Cities of the Interior by Anais Nin

As I finish, the selection will be bolded and I will post a link to my review.

Even though I have still not finished all the books for the last reading challenge I decided to join, I decided to join another one.  This one is hosted by Annie; she is only ten years old and deserves some props.  You can read all the reviews that participants have written here. I am giving her props by participating. Here are the rules:

1. Dates: January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008
   
   The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.
   
   1. A book with a color in its title.
   2. A book with an animal in its title. 
2. 3. A book with a first name in its title.
   4. A book with a place in its title.
   5. A book with a weather event in its title.
   6. A book with a plant in its title.
3. 
   --You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don't use the same book for more than one category. (For example, you can use The Red Pony for either a "color" book or an "animal" book, but not for both.)
   

Here are my selections:

1. 1. Color: My Life in Orange by Tim Guest
2. 2. Animal: Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I would not have guessed that the first book I finished for this challenge would be the one about an animal. You can read my review here.
3. 3. Name: Ali and Nino by Kurban Said. I decided to swap in St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell. My review is here.
4. 4. Weather: The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
5. 5. Place: Pilgrimage to India by Pramila Jayapala I decided to swap in My War: Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzell.  My review is here.
6. 6. Plant: Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant by Jenni Ferrari-Adler. This book was so nice to read. I moved from animals to plants.  You can read my review here.

Alternate Title: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Thanks to Karen, I learned about an online reading challenge.  I am going to participate in the Armchair Traveler Reading Challenge.  Here are the basic rules:

If you’re interested in joining, here are the guidelines:

• The challenge runs from July 1 through December 31 during which time you must read six books that fall under the ‘armchair traveling’ theme.
• Fiction or non-fiction works are fine, and do not need to be specifically travel related, as long as the location is integral to the book - I’ll leave that to your discretion. Locations must be actual places that you could visit, so no Middle Earths or galaxies far, far away.
• Books may be cross-posted to other challenges, but you cannot count any books read prior to July 1st.
• To join, make a post outlining your six choices and link to that post below. Because I like to have a little wiggle room, you can opt to switch out books throughout the challenge.
• And yes, there will be prizes!

I went through my bookshelf and pulled out six books which meet the criteria that I have not yet read.  Although, I did get some great suggestions for folks for alternates in case I get bored or want to treat myself to another book.  For now, here are my six gems: (Bolded titles are complete)

• What the Body Remembers (India as it is dividing into India and Pakistan) by Shauna Singh Baldwin
• The Chin Kiss King (Cuba and Miami) by Ana Vecianna Suarez
• The Enigma of Arrival (Trinidad and England) by V.S. Naipaul
• Memoirs from the Women's Prison (Egypt) by Nawal El Saadawi, translated by Marilyn Booth. Here is my review.
• A Walk In the Woods (Appalachian Trial, United States) by Bill Bryson
• Midnight's Children (India as it is becomes an independent country) by Salman Rushdie. I actually hope to complete this book. 
• The Nanny Diaries (New York, USA) by Emma McClaughlin and Nicola Kraus.  Here is my review.

From looking at this list, I also realize that all of these books were presents; I got them as gifts from people who thought that I would enjoy the story.  It's so exciting to still be unrwapping gifts years later.