I’m not really posting this for anyone to join me, as this is something I’m doing just for me, ahead of time, to make sure I get to read most of the books I want to next year. I still plan on joining a few group challenges in 2008, but I felt I needed to make these lists for myself to keep my own reading priorities straight.
I’m having a personal Triple 8 Challenge. Meaning, I am going to read 8 books in 8 different categories in 2008. That’s 64 books. I am allowing 8 overlaps, which means I have to read 56 separate titles for this.
I only have 7 categories so far, and not all lists are filled in yet. They are also listed in the ‘08 books tab above under ‘08 challenges.
8 Pulitzers
- Empire Falls (Russo)
- Interpreter of Maladies (Lahiri)
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Wilder)
- So Big (Ferber)
- The Magnificent Ambersons (Tarkington)
8 Bookers
- Life of Pi (Martel)
- Possession: A Romance (Byatt)
- The Remains of the Day (Ishiguro)
- Hotel Du Lac (Brookner)
- Life & Times of Michael K (Coetzee)
8 Sci-fi
- 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark
- Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
- Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
- Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
- That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (and possibly sequels)
8 books in translation
- Independent People by Halldor Laxness (Icelandic)
- The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (German)
- War and Peace by Tolstoy (Russian)
- Sophie’s World by Jostein Gardner (Norwegian)
- Solaris by Stanislaw Lem (Polish)
- If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino (Italian)
8 books ‘Around the World’
- The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
- Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
- A Thousand Splendid Suns
8 female authors of the 19th century
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
- Adam Bede by George Eliot
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
- Villette or Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
8 detective novels
- #3 in No. 1 Ladies series by Smith
- #4 in No. 1 Ladies series by Smith
- #3 in Thursday Next series by Fforde
- #4 in Thursday Next series by Fforde
- ? by Agatha Christie
- ? by Agatha Christie
8 ? (to be determined)
This way when a challenge comes up, I’ll be able to see if it fits with what I’m already planning on reading. Obsessive, I know. 
Yeah…I think obsessive must just be the right word!!
I do love that you are planning out all your reads ahead of
time, but do you have room for any “spur of the moment”
reading?
Whoa! So many lists! ‘Sophie’s World’ is one of the most thought provoking books I’ve ever read and I’ve never met anyone else who has read it, so when you are finished I’d very much love to hear your thoughts on it. Good luck.
Stephanie, yeah, I still have a few slots open!
Kookiejar, I’m looking forward to reading it. My sister has read it and liked it as well. I’ll let you know when I finish the book.
Quite the list there! Best of luck to you. I would frankly suck because I suck at making lists.
Just so you know, Carl V. of Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting a sci-fi challenge in January.
Kailana, oo, that sounds interesting. Do you have the link with the details?
Hi, no the challenge hasn’t been announced officially or unofficially. How I found out was one of the blogs I read posted some Orson Scott Card books and Carl said that he hoped they would fit into the sci-fi challenge he was hosting in January. After reading that I emailed Carl because I love sci-fi, and he told me it was going to happen. I imagine the rules will be very similiar to the R.I.P. Challenge he is hosting right now, but he didn’t tell me anything other than he was planning it.
Very interesting idea! I don’t know if I could plan everything out that far in advance, but I love the idea of expanding what you typically read and trying new things. I love reading a variety of genres myself. I might just have to do something similar for next year. Your challenge would mesh well with my challenge though, the Cardathon, because OSC both reads and recommends so many different types of books
Wow, what a fun looking list. Good luck with them all!
(I liked Shirley much better than Villette, just in case you wanted an opinion there!)
Oh wow, I absolutely love this. I almost wish this were a challenge for everyone to join, because I would want to. And you’ve got a lot of great reads ahead of you!
I like this challenge. Although, for me, I might just make it one book from 8 categories. Then build it up. Of course, soon I’ll have a lot more time for reading…
I can also give you a book of Agatha Christie’s to AVOID like your life depended on it. Let me know if you’re interested, or if you’d like to find one and take the chance!
What a great idea….especially as I began pulling books off my shelves to read next year for the ’seconds’ challenge, and firsts, and discovered i had way more series than I thought…..then a whole lot of stand alones…..now I have to get them into categories, as soon as i do I will post my 8 categories, count me in!
I would love to participate I have tons of books. I have already picked them out on my blog.
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