July Reviews

Post your July reviews in the comments below using the following format:

Your name and title of book: Trish -Middlemarch

Your URL: http://trishsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/middlemarch-george-eliot.html

Since Mister Linky is down, I'll add them to this post so you have a list to click through.

JULY REVIEWS:

1. Veronica - Agnes Grey

2. TheBlackerSheep - Agnes Grey

3. Sequestered Nooks - Atonement

4. Laurie - Oliver Twist

5. Sequestered Nooks - Little Dorrit

6. Mari - Persuasion

7. Becky - Barchester Towers

8. CB James - Les Miserables

9. Architha - Agnes Grey

10. CB James - The Epic of Gilgamesh

11. Traci - Howards End

12. Book Psmith - Coming Up for Air

13. Trish - Tom Sawyer

June Reviews

Post your June reviews in the comments below using the following format:

Your name and title of book: Trish (Middlemarch)
Your URL: http://trishsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/middlemarch-george-eliot.html

Since Mister Linky is down, I'll try to add them to this post so you have a list to click through.

JUNE REVIEWS:

1. Michelle - Life of Pi

2. Melanie - Agnes Grey

3. Shona - Vanity Fair

4. TheBlackSheep - Saturday

5. TheBlackSheep - The Secret Garden

6. Shona - Lady Susan

7. Molly@Bookhopping - Northanger Abbey

8. TheBlackSheep - David Copperfield

9. Richard - Operación Masacre

10. Helenita - The Hound of the Baskervilles

11. Amanda - Atonement

12. Melody - Persuasion

13. Joanna - A Study in Scarlet

14. Joanna - The Handmaid's Tale

15. Christina - Pride and Prejudice

16. Between the Covers - Bleak House

17. Melissa (Book Nut) - Atonement

18. Becky - Middlemarch

19. Kya - A Tale of Two Cities

20. Richard - Death Comes for the Archbishop

21. Clueless - Franny and Zooey

22. Haiku Amy - Little Men

Happy reading!

May Reviews

Post your May reads in the Mister Linky below using the following format:

*5/28/09 - Mr. Linky is down. Please copy and paste your url into the comments section. I apologize for the trouble. I'll try to add the links once Mr. Linky is back up again. (You can leave a direct link as well, but please also leave the url as exampled below).

Your name: Trish (The Woman in White)
Your URL: http://trishsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/woman-in-white-wilkie-collins.html

If you don't have a blog, simply fill out the name portion with the title of the book you read leaving the URL field blank.

You guys are doing awesome!! Happy reading!

April Reviews

Post your April reads in the Mister Linky below using the following format:

Your name: Trish (Tess of the D'Urbervilles)
Your URL: http://trishsbooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/tess-of-durbervilles-thomas-hardy.html

If you don't have a blog, simply fill out the name portion with the title of the book you read leaving the URL field blank.

Happy reading!

Classics Challenge 2009 Sign Ups

Welcome to the Classics Challenge

April 1 - October 31, 2009

Classics: We love them, we hate them, now we are going to challenge ourselves to read more of them.

**Choose Your Level (Keep reading for Bonus)
1. Classics Snack - Read FOUR classics
2. Classics Entree - Read FIVE classics
3. Classics Feast - Read SIX classics

**Rules/Guidelines
1. Cross-posting with other challenges is allowed (and encouraged!)
2. Audiobooks are fine
3. Re-reads are acceptable, BUT books must be finished after April 1st to count for the challenge
4. Lists don't have to be set in stone; you can change your selections at any time.
5. Have Fun!!
6. You do NOT need a blog to participate.

**Bonus!! (Optional)
Last year we compiled a list of books that we think might be considered classics one day. I've wiped out that old list so we can start fresh, but to get an idea of what others suggested last year, see HERE. To start off the list, I'm going to suggest Atonement by Ian McEwan.

Leave your suggestions in the comments below. If you want to participate in the bonus round, choose a book from the list and read that in addition to the classics you have picked (e.g., if you are doing the classics snack, you will read five books total and so on).

I realize this means you may have to wait to make your list or leave the bonus book as "tentative" if you choose to participate in the bonus round, but I'm hoping this is a modern twist on the old classics challenge.

What is a Classic?
Am I going to define what a classic is? Nope! There are lots of definitions offered on the Internet, but we all have different opinions so don't stress too much. But, people are always asking me where to start with classics. In the comments below, I'd love if you would give a recommendation for a classic you would suggest to beginners or apprehensive readers--maybe something lighter or something engaging. I'll compile a list. I'm going to suggest The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy.

Trish, you write a lot! Just tell me what I need to do!
1. Sign up below using Mr. Linky. Preferably link to your list for the challenge, but I'm not going to make you. :P If you don't have a blog, just enter your name.
2. Give a suggestion for a "future" classic in the comments below
3. Recommended a classic for "beginners" in the comments below
4. Let me know if you have any questions
5. Get reading those dang classics!!

Also - I'd love to know how you heard about the challenge.

Classics Challenge 2009: Coming Soon!

CLASSICS CHALLENGE 2009 COMING SOON

Button Created by Nymeth

Button Created by Bethany

Classics Challenge 2008 Winner

I am thrilled to announce the winner of the drawing: NYMETH!!

Again, thank you thank you thank you to everyone who participated. I'll be hosting the challenge again on this same blog, so be watching in the next month or so for more information. The challenge will either start in March or April, so I hope you'll come back and join us!

Until then...Happy Reading.

2008 Future Classic Picks

A Fine Balance - Mistry
A Gathering Light - Donnelly
A Prayer for Own Meany - Irving
A Suitable Boy - Seth
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Hosseini
American Gods - Gaiman
And the Band Played On - Shilts
Astrid and Veronika - Olsson
Atonement - McEwan
Black and Blue - Rankin
Blindness - Saramago
Boy's Life - McCammon
Bridget Jones's Diary - Fielding
Cloud Atlas - Mitchell
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man - Flagg
Dune - Herbert
Ender's Game - Card
Gilead - Robinson
Goodbye, Chunky Rice - Thompson
Half of Yellow Sun - Adichie
Harry Potter - Rowling
Helen of Troy - George
Henry VIII - George
His Dark Materials - Pullman
House of Sand and Fog - Dubus
I am no one you know - Oates
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Clarke
Journey to the River Sea - Ibbotson
Life As We Knew It - Pfeffer
Life of Pi - Martel
Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
Love in the Time of Cholera - Marquez
Love Walked In - Los Santos
Lud-in-the-Mist - Mirrlees
Memoirs of a Geisha - Golden
Middlesex - Eugenides
Midnight's Children - Rushdie
Motherless Brooklyn - Lethem
Mystic River - Lehane
Neverwhere - Gaiman
Northern Lights - Pullman
On Beauty - Smith
Palace Walk - Mahfouz
Peace Like a River - Enger
Penelope - Kaye
Perfume - Suskind
Persepolis - Satrapi
Poisonwood Bible - Kingsolver
Possession - Byatt
Ragtime - Doctorow
Small Island - Levy
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Bradbury
Song of Solomon - Morrison
Speak - Anderson
Stardust - Gaiman
Stargirl - Spinelli
The Arrival - Shaun Tan
The Book Eating Boy - Jeffers
The Book of Ruth - Hamilton
The Book Thief - Zusak
The Complete Maus - Spiegelman
The Eight - Neville
The End of the Alphabet - Richardson
The English Patient - Ondaatje
The Eyre Affair - Fforde
The Giver - Lowry
The God of Small Things - Roy
The Handmaid's Tale - Atwood
The Historian - Kostova
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Selznick
The Killer Angels - Shaara
The Kite Runner - Hosseini
The Known World - Jones
The Lambs of London - Ackroyd
The Left Hand of Darkness - Le Guin
The Master - Toibin
The Name of the Rose - Eco
The Remains of the Day - Ishiguro
The Road - McCarthy
The Sea - Murdoch
The Thirteenth Tale - Setterfield
The Time Traveler's Wife - Niffenegger
The Watchmen - Moore
The World According to Garp - Irving
Things Fall Apart - Achebe
War for the Oaks - Bull
Water for Elephants - Gruen
White Teeth - Smith
Why I Wake Early - Oliver
Wild Swans - Chang
Wit: a play - Edson

Classic Challenge Wrap Up

First, a big congratulations on completing the Classics Challenge! Thank you for participating and making this challenge such a success.

So, that thing you've all been waiting for...the prize! As if reading 5 classics isn't prize enough. :) After December 31, I will draw a name for a book of your choice from Amazon.com (20 USD limit).

How are you eligible? First, you must have finished at least five classics (and one bonus if you're doing the 6 book option) between the dates of July 1st and December 31st. Second, either leave a comment below with your books (if you do not have a blog) or use Mister Linky below to link to your wrap-up post for the challenge.



**While you're writing your post, let us know how the challenge went for you.

Were there any surprises in your book choices? Did you end up liking/hating classics more than before the challenge? Will you be picking up more/less classics in the future? What went well with the challenge? What advice do you have for ME as a hostess in the future (besides getting the darn monthly review posts up on time)?

And now a few poll questions to help me gear up for next year:

December Reviews

Use Mister Linky below to link to your December reads. Make sure to link directly to the specific post so others don't have to search for it.

Happy Reading! (And come back soon for the wrap-up post and prize drawing!)

November Reviews

Use Mister Linky below to link to your November reads. Make sure to link directly to the specific post so others don't have to search for it.

Happy Reading!

October Reviews

Can you believe we're halfway through!

Use Mister Linky below to link to your October reads. Make sure to link directly to the specific post so others don't have to search for it.

Happy Reading!

September Reviews

Use Mister Linky below for your September reviews! We're a third of the way through the challenge and you guys are doing great--some of you have even finished. Keep those classics coming! Don't forget to leave me a comment letting all of us know how it is going.

Happy reading!

If you're new, please see the August post below for how to format your submission (don't forget to link directly to your post!).

August Reviews

Post your August reads in the Mister Linky below using the following format:

Your name: Trish (Tess of the D'Urbervilles)
Your URL: http://trishsbooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/tess-of-durbervilles-thomas-hardy.html

If you don't have a blog, you can simply fill out the name portion with the title of the book you read leaving the URL field blank.

Happy reading! I think my posts are too verbose, so I'm cutting it short this month, but let me know in the comments how it's going!! :)

July Reviews

Ohmygoodness is it July already? It's time to get rollin' on those pesky classics and post your July reads in Mister Linky below. Please only link to your specific review--if you're not sure how to do that all you need to do is click on the title of your post (using this post as an example, I would click on "July Reviews") and copy the web address that pops up on your browser as your URL.

Please use this format for your name: Trish (Oliver Twist)
If you don't have a blog, you can just put your name and book in the "name" field and leave the "url" field blank. Feel free to pester me in the comments section with any problems. ;)



Haven't signed up for the challenge yet? No worries--you can sign up below any time during the challenge!

Have a great month of reading!! And I leave you with one of my favorite clips from a classic-made-into-a-movie (Pride & Prejudice--the new version).



Have a suggestion for the August clip? Let me know!! (otherwise we may be stuck with six P&P clips!)

***NOTE: I'm having issues with the comment tag below not showing up. If the tag isn't there click HERE and scroll down to see/leave comments (yes, it will take you back to this post, but the comments will be below). Does anyone know how to fix this issue??

Classics Challenge Sign Ups

It's officially here--the sign-ups for The Classic Challenge 2008. I've changed the options up a bit to make them more appealing; to read the rules of the challenge click HERE. The list on the right side bar contains all of the suggestions for the optional bonus round. If you see a book on there that you think is already a classic, feel free to use it as part of the five classic book--use your best judgment. If you have any other suggestions for bonus books, continue to give them!

To sign up, use Mister Linky below. (Please link directly to your post so others don't have to go searching for it--if you aren't certain how to do that, click on the title of your specific post and use the address in the browser). If you don't have a blog--no worries, you can leave your list in the comments below. Your lists don't have to be set in stone (I haven't even finalized mine yet!). Each month I will put up a new Mister Linky so you can link your review.

Also, don't forget about the classics meme in the last post! We've had some great answers so far and I look forward to what others have to say about classics.

Finally, have fun and thanks for signing up! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Pre-Challenge Fun, I think...

Part of the problem in creating the challenge so early is the darn anticipation of its start! So, I thought we could have a little fun with a classics meme (and a little practice for me with Mister Linky). I'm going to start it off as a fill-in, but feel free to change the formatting of the meme to suit your own preferences (for example, you don't have to use this specific wording).

1. My favorite classic is

2. The classic I had the toughest time finishing is

3. I would recommend...........to someone who doesn't read a lot of classics or who doesn't generally like classics because

4. To me, a classic book is a book that

5. The type of relationship I have with classics is

I'm hoping this will allow participants to get to know the other participants AND to get ideas for what to read for the challenge. To participate, simply post your answers on your blog and link them back here using the below Mister Linky. *Make sure to just link to your specific post, not your entire blog, so other participants don't have to search for answers*

I hope to have the sign ups ready to go in the next few weeks (maybe even sooner since I'm impatient!!). Feel free to continue suggesting "should be/will be" classics--the list is such a great one and I'm thrilled with the participation. And if you have any questions, ask away and I'll do my best to answer.

*NOTE: The below Mister Linky is NOT the sign-up for the challenge, just for your meme answers! Sign-ups are coming soon. :)

Welcome! Beginning Business...

Welcome to the Classics Challenge 2008

Classics: We love them, we hate them, now we are going to challenge ourselves to reading more of them. Because there are so many different types of classics, different genres are acceptable and encouraged--for example, novels, short story collections, non-fiction, poetry, essays--I'm open for other suggestions!

RULES (keep reading for the bonus):

• OPTION 1: Read FIVE classics.
  


• OPTION 2: Read FIVE classics from at least TWO different countries
  


• OPTION 3: Read FIVE classics with any combination of at least TWO different countries and TWO different genres (see above for genres).
  


• Cross-posting with other challenges is allowed (and encouraged!); Audiobooks are fine; books must be finished after July 1st to count for the challenge although re-reads are acceptable.

• Lists don't have to be set in stone; you can change your selections at any time.
  
  
• Have Fun. Oh ya...there will be a drawing for a prize or two. To be entered you must complete any one of the above options. You do NOT need a blog to participate.
  

Am I going to define what a classic is? Nope! There are lots of definitions offered on the Internet, but essentially we all have different opinions so don't stress too much--and see the bonus below.

BONUS!! (optional)

As you can see, I'm requiring FIVE classics for six months. For the sixth book, I would like the participants to offer suggestions for books that may not be considered classics but that you think should be or books that you think will be a classic one day. Leave your suggestions in the comments below. I'll compile a list of the suggestions and you choose a book from the list and make that your sixth read. I realize this means you may have to wait to make your list if you choose to participate in the bonus round, but I'm hoping this is a modern twist on the old classics challenge.

For example, I am going to suggest The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Remains of the Day by Kazou Ishiguro.

SIGN UPS...COMING SOON

Alright, let's do it this way... At the beginning of June I will put up the official Mr. Linky. By then, hopefully there will be a decent sized "should be/will be" classics list for participants to choose their sixth book. I hope I hope I hope at the beginning of June there aren't just the suggestions of The Handmaid's Tale and Remains of the Day. Won't I feel silly? ;) If you don't want to do the bonus (shame on you!!), please check back at the beginning of June to officially join. Feel free to leave a comment below, though, if you are interested!

Thanks everyone for your interest! I've been an avid challenge participant for almost a year and I'm thrilled to finally have the guts to host my own. Thank you to everyone who has given me support and suggestions along the way!

Finally: Happy Reading!