2012 book challenge So this is what I’m pledging to read this year. I hope to get through at least 45 books in 2012 (thus beating my 2011 record). But these are the 30 I must read (with alternates in the event of extreme aversion to any two). I’m participating in two organized book challenges, TBR (books that have been in your to-be-read pile for at least a year) and Chunkster (books longer than 450 pages & I’m doing level three which means at least two books over 750 pages). My list is annotated accordingly. My other little goal is to read a clutch of recent fiction that’s likely to appear in The Morning News’ Tournament of Books in March. As for the rest—a solid mix of fiction and nonfiction, old and new, long and short, female and male authors, music, history, crime, philosophy, biography, poetry, lit fic and, of course, infectious disease. Finally, I’m actually going to “review” all of these. (I said that last year too, but this time I intend to write at least a couple sentences on every book I finish!) 1. Chris Adrian, The Children’s Hospital (C, TBR) 2. Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin (C) 3. Kate Beaton, Hark! A Vagrant  2/3, 166 pp., notes 4. John Burnside, The Devil’s Footprints  4/23, 224 pp., notes 5. Jennifer Carrell, The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox (TBR)  4/19, 400 pp. 6. Aaron Cohen, Amazing Grace (33 1/3) 7. Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White (C, TBR)  1/23, 672 pp. 8. Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby (C) 9. Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad  1/6, 340 pp., notes 10. Jonathan Evison, West of Here (C) 11. Tana French, Faithful Place  1/2, 400 pp., notes 12. Stella Gibbons, Nightingale Wood 13. George Gissing, New Grub Street (C) 14. Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point (TBR) 15. L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between (TBR) 16. Eleanor Henderson, Ten Thousand Saints 17. Alan Hollinghurst, The Stranger’s Child  2/15, 435 pp., notes 18. Susan Howe, Souls of the Labadie Tract (TBR)  5/12,127 pp., notes 19. Denis Johnson, Train Dreams 20. Margaret Oliphant, Miss Marjoribanks (C, TBR), 5/10, 519 pp. 21. Ann Patchett, State of Wonder  2/25, 353 pp., notes 22. Katherine Anne Porter, Pale Horse, Pale Rider (TBR) 23. Marilynne Robinson, Absence of Mind: Dispelling of Inwardness from the Modern Myth of the Self 24. Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise: Listening to the 20th Century (C, TBR) 25. Dan Simmons, Drood (C)  3/31, 775 pp. 26. Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost (TBR)  4/8, 206 pp., notes 27. Alison Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine (TBR) 1/18, 345 pp., notes 28. Rebecca West, The Fountain Overflows 29. Colson Whitehead, Zone One 30. Geoffrey Wolff, Black Sun: The Brief Transit and Violent Eclipse of Harry Crosby (TBR) Alternates: Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Angel’s Game & Jessica Mitford, Hons and Rebels My Goodreads account (above, WPA poster for Library Project Illinois, 1941)

2012 book challenge


So this is what I’m pledging to read this year. I hope to get through at least 45 books in 2012 (thus beating my 2011 record). But these are the 30 I must read (with alternates in the event of extreme aversion to any two). I’m participating in two organized book challenges, TBR (books that have been in your to-be-read pile for at least a year) and Chunkster (books longer than 450 pages & I’m doing level three which means at least two books over 750 pages). My list is annotated accordingly. My other little goal is to read a clutch of recent fiction that’s likely to appear in The Morning News’ Tournament of Books in March. As for the rest—a solid mix of fiction and nonfiction, old and new, long and short, female and male authors, music, history, crime, philosophy, biography, poetry, lit fic and, of course, infectious disease.

Finally, I’m actually going to “review” all of these. (I said that last year too, but this time I intend to write at least a couple sentences on every book I finish!)

1. Chris Adrian, The Children’s Hospital (C, TBR)

2. Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin (C)

3. Kate Beaton, Hark! A Vagrant  2/3, 166 pp., notes

4. John Burnside, The Devil’s Footprints  4/23, 224 pp., notes

5. Jennifer Carrell, The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox (TBR)  4/19, 400 pp.

6. Aaron Cohen, Amazing Grace (33 1/3)

7. Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White (C, TBR)  1/23, 672 pp.

8. Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby (C)

9. Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad  1/6, 340 pp., notes

10. Jonathan Evison, West of Here (C)

11. Tana French, Faithful Place  1/2, 400 pp., notes

12. Stella Gibbons, Nightingale Wood

13. George Gissing, New Grub Street (C)

14. Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point (TBR)

15. L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between (TBR)

16. Eleanor Henderson, Ten Thousand Saints

17. Alan Hollinghurst, The Stranger’s Child  2/15, 435 pp., notes

18. Susan Howe, Souls of the Labadie Tract (TBR)  5/12,127 pp., notes

19. Denis Johnson, Train Dreams

20. Margaret Oliphant, Miss Marjoribanks (C, TBR), 5/10, 519 pp.

21. Ann Patchett, State of Wonder  2/25, 353 pp., notes

22. Katherine Anne Porter, Pale Horse, Pale Rider (TBR)

23. Marilynne Robinson, Absence of Mind: Dispelling of Inwardness from the Modern Myth of the Self

24. Alex Ross, The Rest is Noise: Listening to the 20th Century (C, TBR)

25. Dan Simmons, Drood (C)  3/31, 775 pp.

26. Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost (TBR)  4/8, 206 pp., notes

27. Alison Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine (TBR) 1/18, 345 pp., notes

28. Rebecca West, The Fountain Overflows

29. Colson Whitehead, Zone One

30. Geoffrey Wolff, Black Sun: The Brief Transit and Violent Eclipse of Harry Crosby (TBR)

Alternates: Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Angel’s Game & Jessica Mitford, Hons and Rebels

My Goodreads account


(above, WPA poster for Library Project Illinois, 1941)

Photo tagged as: books book_challenge 2012 wpa_poster 1940s
  1. gay-straight-alliances reblogged this from anythingcouldhappen
  2. marathonpacks said: This is awesome and I’m jealous I can’t try it. Good luck!
  3. anythingcouldhappen posted this
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