I will be taking part in the Back to the Classics 2017 challenge to read classic books that fall into twelve categories. The more you read, the more entries you receive for a draw at the end of the year. Complete six categories, and you get one entry in the drawing Complete nine categories, and you get two entries in the drawing Complete all twelve categories, and you get three entries in the drawing Here are the categories and my tentative choices: A 19th Century Classic: The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope A 20th Century Classic: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank A classic by a woman author: The Prime…

The second challenge I took part in this year was the Foodies Read challenge. My goal was the 4 – 8 book level, and I ended up just barely coasting in having read four books. French Milk by Lucy Knisley Heat by Bill Buford Double Cup Love by Eddie Huang Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang I enjoyed all four, but French Milk was probably my least favourite. I wanted it to be more about food and found it to be mainly about moping about in Paris. Both of Eddie Huang’s memoirs were entertaining and interesting, and I’m excited to to see what he comes out with next. He’s…

The Back to the Classics Challenge 2016 was one of the two challenges I took part in this year. The goal was to read classics from twelve categories. There’s a draw associated with how many you read, but I mainly take part because I love lists. When I first joined in on this, back in 2012, it really gave me a push to incorporate more classic fiction into my reading. This and The Classics Club actually changed how I read for the better over the years, so I’m a big fan of taking part in these reading prompts. Here’s my 2016 list: A 19th Century Classic: Three Men in a…

I know this blog has turned into a series of book lists lately, but I promise this is the last one for a while. I saw this challenge last year a little too late, but I think it’ll be a fun one to join. I love food literature and haven’t really been reading enough of it, so this will help clear some of those books off the shelf. I’m doing the ‘Pastry Chef’ level, which is 4 – 8 books. The choices have to prominently feature food in some way, but aren’t bound by genre or format. It’s not a requirement to list any books before beginning, but it’s my…

I’ll be giving the Back to the Classics challenge another go. The idea is the same as last year, to read a novel from each of the 12 challenges within the year. In this case, a classic is anything published over fifty years ago. I’d like to read all twelve, but even an incomplete list will garner entries for the year-end draw: Complete six categories, and you get one entry in the drawing Complete nine categories, and you get two entries in the drawing Complete all twelve categories, and you get three entries in the drawing Here are the categories and my initial tentative picks. These can be changed throughout…

Hey, I succeeded on this one! I knew I’d read at least twelve books from my to-read pile, but I’m happy to have specifically read twelve books from this list. I love making lists of books, but I often have trouble following those lists, as I tend to add books I feel I’ve been ignoring, which may or may not be the books I feel like picking up when I’m browsing the shelf. The list also must consist of books you’ve had on the shelf for at least a year, which makes you dig around the shelves a bit more. I completed 12 out of the 14 books: A House…

One of the two challenges I took part in this year was the Back to the Classics Challenge, in which the participant had to read books that matched twelve pre-set categories. There’s a $30 Amazon.com prize on the line: Complete six categories, and you get one entry in the drawing Complete nine categories, and you get two entries in the drawing Complete all twelve categories, and you get three entries in the drawing I only finished eight of the twelve books. Technically, nine of the books, but I just finished the The Metamorphosis and haven’t had a chance to do a write-up on it. Despite failing somewhat, it was still…

My second and final book challenge this year will be the 2015 TBR Pile Challenge. The goal is to read 12 books that have been on your shelf for at least an entire year. A noble ambition, I think, so here’s my proposed list: A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde For Whom the Bell Tolls by Earnest Hemingway The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler The Captain and the Enemy by Graham Greene Atonement by Ian McEwan Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee Stephen Fry in America by Stephen Fry The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi A Hat Full of Sky by Terry…

The Back to the Classics Challenge was a fun motivator when I participated a few years back, so it seemed like a no-brainer to sign up again. It’s now hosted by Books and Chocolate and is organized a little differently. There’s now a draw at the end of the year for an Amazon gift certificate, and you enter by completing categories – six categories will amount to one entry, nine categories for two entries, and all twelve categories for three entries. The choices below may also be changed throughout the year. A 19th Century Classic – The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells A 20th Century Classic –…