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Africa Reading Challenge
January 1 – December 31, 2008

Dave from Siphoning Off A Few Thoughts was the host for the Africa Reading Challenge.  The goal of the challenge was to read a minimum of six books which:

…either were written by African writers, take place in Africa, or deal significantly with Africans and African issues.

The books I read:

1. The Translator by Daoud Hari (Sudan/Chad)
2. Life & Times of Michael K by Coetzee (South Africa)
3. The Only Road North by Mirandette (multiple countries)
4. Things Fall Apart by Achebe (Nigeria)
5. Purple Hibiscus by Adichie (Nigeria)
6. Zenzele by J. Nozipo Marrire (Zimbabwe) (review to come)

I enjoyed all the books I read, but my favorite by far was Purple Hibiscus.

Thanks, Joy, for hosting this challenge.  I’m glad I finally read Xinran and some other authors I’ve been meaning to get to.

I cut it close, and I still have to write some reviews, but I finally finished this challenge with the completion of Zenzele.  I was also successful in this as a personal challenge in 2007, so I’m not sure if I’ll do it again in 2009.  I might actually attempt it one more time because I have a good handle on the books I would want to use for the most difficult letters.  If I do, though, three years in a row will definitely be enough!

Here are my titles:

Authors:
A – Atwood, Cat’s Eye

B – Baricco, Silk

C – Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey

D – Dickson, Winter Haven

E – Endo, Silence

F – Fermine, Snow

G – Galloway, The Cellist of Sarajevo

H – Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I – Ireland, A Certain Mr. Takahashi

J – James, Children of Men

K – Kertesz, Kaddish for a Child not Born

L – Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth

M – Morton, The House at Riverton

N – Nabokov, Lolita

O – O’Flynn, What Was Lost

P – Plath, The Bell Jar

Q – Quindlen, Blessings

R – Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

S – Schlitz, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

T – Thompson, Blankets

U – Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter II: The Wife

V – Vapnyar, Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love

W – Eva Wiseman, Kanada

X – Xinran, Sky Burial

Y – Yamada, Strangers

Z – Zindel, The Pigman

Titles:
A – After Dark by Murakami

B – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

C – The Cloud of Unknowing by Thomas H. Cook

D – Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell

E – Embers by Sandor Marai

F – The Forgery of Venus by Gruber

G – The Gathering by Enright

H – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

I – Independent People by Laxness

J – Jacob Two-Two’s First Spy Case by Mordecai Richler

K – Keeper and Kid by Edward Hardy

L – Life & Times of Michael K by J. M. Coetzee

M – Maus by Art Spiegelman

N – Netherland by Joseph O’Neill

O – The Only Road North by Mirandette

P – The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Q – Quite a Year for Plums by Bailey White

R – The Road Past Altamont by Gabrielle Roy

S – Sitting Practice by Caroline Adderson

T – The Translator by Daoud Hari

U – Undiscovered Country by Lin Enger

V – Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi

W – Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

X – X-Kai by Asami Tohjoh

Y – A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

Z – Zenzele by J. Nozipo Maraire

Kristi of Passion For the Page hosted the What An Animal Challenge challenge, which encouraged participates to read SIX books that:

• have an animal in the title of the book, OR
• an animal on the cover of the book, OR
• an animal that plays a major role in the book, OR
• a main character that is or turns into an animal

Although the challenge lasts until next June, I’ve read seven that qualify so I’m calling this one quits.  I really liked all my titles but probably enjoyed the last two the most.

The books I read:

1. The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
2. The Pigman by Paul Zindel (pig on the cover)
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4. The White Tiger by Adiga
5. The Pets by Bragi Olafsson
6. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
7. Kristin Lavransdatter II: The Wife by Sigrid Undset (horse on the cover)