Challenges: Chunkster and LOST.

Since I am rather new to book blogging, I didn't sign up for many challenges in December when it seemed like Challenge mania on most books blogs. Part of that is that since I am reading a particular list of books, I couldn't sign up for many that I was interested in. Since then, I have found a couple that interest me and fit the needs of my blog.

So, I am signing up to join two book challenges. Let's start with the LOST challenge, shall we?


The LOST Books Challenge is obviously inspired by the TV show, which I am still making my way through (I am still in Season 2). Throughout the show, many books are seen either being read by the characters, in the background of scenes, or talked about. Books are a large part of life on the island.

For me to win this challenge, I have to read 5 books seen on LOST. These are the five I have chosen:

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell-FINISHED
2. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
3. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding- FINISHED
   
5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - FINISHED
   

I have also chosen 2 alternates in case I simply can't get one of those novels complete in time, or if I get bored:

1. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather- FINISHED
   
2. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

One catch to this challenge is that I must complete my five novels by the time the series ends (sometime this spring). Wish me luck!



The second challenge I am joining is the Chunkster Challenge.


A "Chunkster" is a a piece of ADULT LITERATURE over 450 pages. You can imagine that with a list full of classics there are quite a few "Chunksters" on the list.

There are three levels to this challenge:

1. The Chubby Chunkster - this option is for the reader who has a couple of large tomes on their TBR list, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. 3 books is all you need to finish this challenge.
2. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to 4 Chunksters over the next twelve months.
3. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to 6 or more chunksters OR three tomes of 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

I am choosing to complete the "Mor-book-ly Obese" level and get through 6 of the big books on my TBR list.

In choosing my titles, I made sure to double check all of my books to make sure they hit the requirement. I have also added page numbers to the titles so you can verify (these page numbers are according to my editions of the books).

*EDIT* I have decided that since there are so many large volumes on my list, I am going to double the challenge to 12 Chunksters that will be taken from this list of possibilities*

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (547 pages)
2. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (608 pages): FINISHED
   
3. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (506 pages)
4. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (982 pages)
5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (489 pages): FINISHED
   
6. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (859 pages)
7. Emma by Jane Austen (453 pages)
8. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (838 pages)
9. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (463 pages )-This will double with the LOST Challenge
10. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (647 pages)
11. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (1536 pages)
12. Native Son by Richard Wright (504 pages)
13. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (521 pages)
14. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell (661 pages)
15. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (635 pages)
16. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky (696 pages)
17. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (737 pages)
18. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (468 pages): FINISHED
    
19. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (796 pages): FINISHED
    
20. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1462 pages): FINISHED
    

I have a quite a bit of heavy reading on my hands, but I have until January 31, 2011 to finish these 12 novels. I am sure I can do it.