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April 1 through November 30.

Click on the button for more info.

Since I’m reading the Harry Potter series right now, this will be easy to complete. Here’s my list:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

• Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
• Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

I’ve finished this challenge as my goal was 24 books, but I’ll still keep adding any award winners that I read until June 30. I finished 19 books in 2007, and so far, 5 11 in 2008. Here’s the breakdown on how many of each type of award winner I read:

Pulitzer: 6 8
Booker: 4 6
Nobel laureates: 5 6
Newbery: 6
Orange: 1
Costa/Whitbread: 1
Bram Stoker: 1
Prix Renaudot: 1
NBCC: 1
IMPAC: 1
Hugo: 1
Caldecott: 1
Alex: 1
Governor General: 1

There are more than 24 listed above because some books won multiple awards.

My favorites were Half of a Yellow Sun, The Tale of Despereaux, Kristin Lavransdatter I, Suite Francaise, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. My least favorite by far was The Sea by John Banville.

As for Book Awards II, I have decided that right now there are so many challenges out there that it would be best to wait for 2009 for the next challenge. Tentatively, the challenge will go from February 1 through November 1 with a requirement of 9 books in at least 5 different categories. I’ll post more details in the last quarter of 2008.

Here’s my list of books read:

1. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Booker 2000)
2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Booker 1997)
3. The Sea by John Banville (Booker 2005)
4. A Death in the Family by James Agee (Pulitzer 1958)
5. The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (Newbery 2007)
6. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (Newbery 1950)
7. The Known World by Edward P. Jones (Pulitzer, IMPAC, NBCC)
8. The Hours by Michael Cunningham (Pulitzer)
9. The White Stag by Kate Seredy (Newbery 1938)
10. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (Pulitzer)
11. Lisey’s Story by Stephen King (Bram Stoker 2007)
12. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Orange 2007)
13. Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newbery)
14. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Newbery)
15. Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather by Gao Xingjian (Nobel Laureate)
16. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (Pulitzer)
17. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Pulitzer)
18. Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath by Sigrid Undset (Nobel laureate)
19. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (Prix Renaudot)
20. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (Costa/Whitbread)
21. Independent People by Halldor Laxness (Nobel)
22 The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (Nobel)
23. Life & Times of Michael K by J. M. Coetzee (Booker Prize, Nobel laureate)
24. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz (Newbery)
25. Kaddish for a Child not Born by Imre Kertesz (Nobel)
26. Detective Story by Imre Kertesz (Nobel)
27. Beloved by Toni Morrison (Pulitzer/Nobel)
28. Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegelman (Pulitzer Special Award)
29. The Gathering by Anne Enright (Booker Prize)
30. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Hugo)
31. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Caldecott)
32. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Booker)
33. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Alex)
34. Bear by Marian Engel (Governal General’s)

Some of us have been reading and reviewing books by Nobel winners at Read the Nobels, and Aloi has just challenged us to read and review 5 books before the end of the year. I’ve already read three so far in 2008: Independent People, The Bluest Eye, and Life & Times of Michael K.

Here’s my list for the rest of 2008 (I might substitute if necessary):

1. Kaddish for a Child Not Born by Kertesz (2002 laureate)
2. Detective Story by Imre Kertesz (2002 laureate)
3. Beloved by Toni Morrison (1993 laureate)
4. A Mercy by Toni Morrison (1993 laureate)
5. Kristin Lavransdatter 2: The Wife by Sigrid Undset (1928 laureate)

• Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (1958 laureate)
• ? by Steinbeck (1962 laureate)
• The Fifth Child by Lessing (2007 laureate)

March 21 – June 20, 2008

Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings is again hosting the Once Upon A Time Challenge. There are three quests to choose from.

• Quest 1 — Read five books from any category or combination of category from the fantasy, mythology, fairytale, or folklore genres.
• Quest 2 — Read one book from each of the four categories.
• Quest 3 — Choose EITHER Quest 1 OR 2 AND also read Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I’ll be choosing Quest 1. Here are my choices (yes, this is my first time for the HP’s!):

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Thanks, Carl, for hosting again!

Lasts March 20 through June 19

For more info, click on the button. All of these are ARCs and/or free new books that I’ve received from various sources. I plan on having 12 titles in total, and I’ll choose them from the following list:

1. Winter Haven by Athol Dickson (4/1/08)
2. Belong to Me by Marisa De Los Santos (4/1/08)
3. The Sister by Poppy Adams (6/17/08)
4. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (5/15/08)
5. The Mayor’s Tongue by Nathaniel Rick (4/17/08)
6. Keeper and Kid by Edward Hardy (1/08/08)
7. The Forgery of Venus by Michael Gruber (4/01/08)
8. Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski (LT ER)
9. Imagine Me and You by Billy Mernit (4/8/08 — LT ER)
10. The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (5/27/08 — LT ER)
11. The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton (8/11/08)
12. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O’Nan (10/30/08)
13. The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky (1/22/08)
14. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore (2/12/08)
15. The Story of Forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block (4/1/08)
16. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (3/25/08)
17. The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner (3/3/08 — LT ER)
18. Tigerheart by Peter David (6/17/08)
19. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton (6/17/08)
20. The Island of Eternal Love by Daina Chaviano (6/12/08)
21. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (8/5/08)
22. Dervishes by Beth Helms (LT ER)
23. Nick of Time by Ted Bell (5/13/08)