Challenge: The Novella Challenge

I'm joining the Novella Challange in which I have to read 6 novellas (between 100-250 pages each) by September 2008.
I'm already creating lists in my head!
1. The Devil and Miss Prym, Paulo Coelho
2. Persian Brides, Rabinyan
3. A Kestrel for a Knave, Hines
4. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
5. The Moon Tiger, Lively
6. The Orchard on Fire, Mackay

CHALLENGE: ORBIS TERRARVM

Held by B&b ex libris

My first challenge since coming back (didn't take long).

I need to read 9 books from 9 different countries.

Just got to figure out my list now.

Another week. Another Challenge! The Book Awards Reading Challenge is being hosted by 3M. You have to pledge to read 12 prize winning books between July 1st 2007 till June 30th 2008. Over at the site there is a list of eligible books.
My List:
1.) True History of the Kelly Gang, Peter Carey (Booker)
2.) A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth (Common Wealth)
3.) Gould's Book of Fish, Flanagan (Common Wealth)
4.)Small Island, Levy (Commeon Wealth)
5.) The Secret River, Grenville (Common Wealth)
6.) A Dance at the Slaughterhouse, Block (Edgar)
7.) Alias Grace, Atwood (Giller)
8.) Anil's Ghost, Ondaatje (Giller)
9.) American God's, Gaiman (Hugo)
10.) The Echo Maker, Powers (National)
11.) Cold Mountain, Frazier (National)
12.) Fugitive Pieces, Micheals (Orange Prize)

Summer Reading Challenge

I decided to join yet another challenge the Summer Reading Challenge this runs from June 1st till August 1st. I'm pledging to read at least 4 books that I have purchased this year and I have also added some spares if things go well - as its the 6 weeks summer hols for me it could be easy.
My List:
My Book of Lost Things
The Book Thief
Water for Elephants
The Testement of Gideon Mack

Spares:
Gould's Book of Fish
The Poison Wood Bible
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers
The Peacock Throne

Flowers for Algernon, Keyes

I read this for the Banned Books challenge and absolutely loved it. Certainly a book I would never have thought about picking up myself. This is about a boy with an IQ of just 68, untill science starts tryig to 'improve' him. His intellect increases dramatically but then Algernon, the test mouse for this operation dies and Charlie's future hangs in the balance.

WARNING: A real tear jerker!

If you have read this book feel free to comment or leave a link to your own review.

Dystopian Challenge.

I'm joining in with the Dystopian Challenge hosted byBooks.Lists.Life. I'm pledging to read 3 of these books by November the 6th and set myself an extra 2 to tackle if all is going really well.

The Books:
Cloud Atlas, Mitchell
Z for Zachaiah, O'Brein
The Road, Cormac McCarthy

Extras:
Do Androids Dream of Sheep, Dick
Naked Lunch, Burroughs

Silas Marner - Elliot

This book is one of my attempts at tackling the classics, and it didn't disappoint.

The book tells the story of Silas Marner a weaver who is a loner as a result of an incident earlier in his life, he lives a secluded life and is obsessed with the gold he collects. Then his life changes when he is suddenly the adopted father of a small child, Eppie. She brings into his life new joys and new people.

A well told story but I only gave it 3 stars, for most of the book is fantastic but it seemed to really drop off in the middle, and there was a few random chapters where I was completely lost and confused.

Definately worth a read.

If you have read this book feel free to comment or leave a link to your own review.

A A-Z Challenge, The City of Beasts - Allende

I was attracted to this book because of its eye-catching cover and was unaware that it was a YA book untill I started reading it as I brought it from the adults section of the bookshop. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed the read, was a great relaxing read for the long lazy lay-ins of the bank holiday weekend.

The book tells the story of Alex a 15yr old boy from California, as his mother is seriously ill he is spent to live with his grandmother, a travel writer. He joins her in the Amazon in search of The Beast, a 10 foot tall creature who kills humans on sight with his stench. All sounds a bit far fetched but was a great fantasy novel.

If you have read this book feel free to comment or leave a link to your own review.

Regeneration - Pat Barker

I read this novel for 2 reading challenges and really enjoyed it.

It is set during the war in a recovery centre for soldiers who have return from war as they are suffering some form of mental breakdown. The author builds this story up out of the real life meeting and relationships between the British poets Robert Graves, Seigfried Sasson and Wilfred Owen.

The book is fantastically well written and shows the horror of the war through the mens, memory and deteriation.

A 5 star read

If you have read this book feel free to comment or leave a link to your own review.

The World Unseen - Shamim Sarif

Maybe I'm ignorant but I had no idea that there was a large Indian population living in South Africa, let alone that this community were part of the heirarchy of races in 1950s South African race issues.

A really enlightening and informative read for me. This book discusses the lives of two Indian women who have recently moved to Indian areas of S.A. The women have to battle against the rules of their own culture, whilst finding themselves in a country where they are regarded as superior to black people yet inferior to white people. A really good read, a book which has sat on my TBR pile for far to long.

If you have read this book feel free to comment or leave a link to your own review.

A-Z Challenge

I saw this on 3Ms site and I'm taking the liberty to borrow the idea. This is a personal challenge for me to be completed by December 31st. Hopefully it will also help me tackle the overly large TBR pile and encourage me to read the ones nearer the back rather than just the ones brought recently. I'm going to try and stick to this list and try and read it in order as much as possible around my other challenges and book group reads. If any one has any inspiration for Q I'd be glad to hear it.

Authors:
A-
BALLARD, Empire of the Sun
COETZEE, Waiting for the Barbarians
D
ESQUIVEL, Like Water for Chocolate
F-
GAARDER, The Ringmaster's Daughter
HOEG, Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow
I-
J-
K-
LEE, As I Walked Out One Summer Morning
McEWAN, Black Dogs
N-
O-
PAMUK, Snow
Q-
RABINYAN, Persian Brides
SOUEIF, In The Eye Of The Sun
TOWNSEND, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
U-
V-
WOOLF, The Years
X-
YEN, Falling Leaves
Z-

TITLES
A SPOT OF BOTHER, Haddon
BLACK DOGS, McEwan
COLD COMFORT FARM, Gibbons
The DEVIL and Miss Prym, Coelho
EMPIRE OF THE SUN, Ballard
FALLING LEAVES, Yen
G-
H-
IN THE EYE OF THE SUN, Soueif
J-
The KITE RUNNER, Hassein
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, Esqivel
MISS SMILLA'S FEELING FOR SNOW, Hoeg
The NOTEBOOK, Sparks
The ORCHARD ON FIRE, Mackay
The PASSION, WINTERSON
Q
ROOTS, Haley
SNOW, Pamuk
The THIRTEENTH TALE, Setterfield
U-
V-
WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS, Coetzee
X-
The YEARS, Woolf
Z

Non Fiction Challenge

I'm joining this challenge in which I have t0 read 5 non fiction books between May 1st to September 30th. You can join or find out more by clicking on the button above.
My preliminary list (subject to change) is:

A Short History of Everythingby Bill Bryson

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Balderdash and Piffle by Alex Games.

And I'm going to search out a book on Indian culture hopefully.

D a-z challenge: Dickens - Nicholas Nickleby.

The first book from my A-Z challenge completed!
This book has been being read very slowly over the last month. Sometimes it has been a struggle and at other moments I have loved it - but at all points I was determined to get it finished.

Challenge Number 3!

I saw this on 3m challenges page and decided to have a go. Here's my list to have tackled by December 31st 2007:
2001: The History of the Kelly Gang, Carey
1991: Regeneration, Barker - Read
1981: A Good Man In Africa, Boyd
1971: In A Free State, Naipaul
1961: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truffaid
1951: The Day of the Triffids, Wyndham
1941: Frenchman's Creek, du Maurier
1931: Rumour at Nightfall, Greene
1921: Women In Love, Lawrence
1911: Eathan Frome, Wharton
1901: Kim, Kipling
1891: Blind Love, Wilkie Collins
1881: Washington Square, James
1871: Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Saw, Carroll
1861: Silas Marner, Elliot

Spring Reading Thing

Sping Reading Thing

I am also participating in this Challenge as my TBR is stepping over the 170 book mark and needs takling. I'm planning to read these 6 books before 21st June:

Silas Marner, Eliot-Read

Love in the Time of Cholera

This Thing of Darkness

The World Unseen, Sarif - Read

The Elephant Vanishes - Read

Regeneration, Barker - Read

Banned Book Challenge

I'm going to participate in the Banned Book Challenge

I am challenging myself to read 5 books off this list by June 21st. They are:
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelo
Moll Flanders
Silas Marner, Elliot -Read
Flower's for Algernon, Keyes - Read
Love in the Time of Cholera