LOST Challenge: COMPLETE.

I am posting to say that while not all of my reviews are up (I am a little back-logged on reviews still), I have completed the LOST books challenge!

To complete this challenge, I had to read 5 books that were featured on the TV show Lost before the series finale (which is tomorrow). If you are unfamiliar with the show, there is a lot of focus on literature and mythology.

I went to the Lostpedia to search for the books I wanted to read and came up with a list of seven books I was considering:

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell
2. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
3. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
   
6. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
   
7. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

However, plans changed and I managed to read and complete the following, all of which were featured on Lost at some point:

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell
2. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
3. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
4. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
5. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

All of my reviews are not complete (I just finished the Steinbeck this week), but I managed to read 6! Woot!

One of the best parts about this challenge is that knowing the literature really made more click within the show. I think that in the future (a couple years from now), I will definitely need to go and read more of the books featured in the show.

Sunday Salon: May 16, 2010.

I finally feel like I have a chance to breathe this weekend! I have been on the go at work for a while and I thankfully am enjoying a 4-day weekend that started yesterday. The break is much needed and I have a lot of plans for what I want and need to accomplish.

We went to a wedding yesterday for a good friend I went to college with. We really are at that age where everyone we know is starting to settle down a bit.

Today I am going to relax with my little sister, bake some goodies, and have a Disney movie marathon. It will be a great time to relax and chill out, and cuddle with the kitties.

Yesterday I made a post giving the details of the Cranford Read-Along. If you haven't already, go and visit (and perhaps sign up) to participate! Later on today, you're going to see the sign-up for Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift if Cranford is not your cup of tea. Either way I hope you will consider reading at least one of these with me.

I went to my library's used book sale on Friday, which I had been looking forward to for weeks. Imagine my disappointment when I went in to find that there were not nearly as many books as in past sales. I made it a point to ask a volunteer if donations were down, but she told me that on Thursday a man and a woman came and loaded up 35 boxes of books. When they were asked about the quantity they were buying, they said they were buying them to sell on Ebay.

I was really upset with this. I understand that the sales are open to the public and anyone can come in and buy the books, but I was always under the impression that the sales were also for the community, not for someone to make a profit. I said as much to the volunteer, but she told me the library still made money off what the couple bought, so it was all the same to them.

When I went to the sale in September, I went armed with the list of books I am planning to read. I found a great selection and ended up bring home something like 40 books. I even left a great number there that I wanted so I wasn't going overboard. However, by the time I made it to the literature and classics section, I was lucky to find a grand total of 30 or so books there (there were hundreds at the previous sale). I picked through and found a few that I wanted, but it is obvious that the couple who purchased so many really picked out everything.

So, that was a huge bust and I am sorely disappointed, but I ended up with a couple of great finds, including a beautiful green hardcover collection of some of Mark Twain's novels. I also found a great teaching resource book, as well as 4 more books off of my list. I also bought a couple of fun things for the future, including a two book collection of D.H. Lawrence short stories, and another Willa Cather novel.

I managed to finished The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy yesterday, and I rather enjoyed it. I was worried I wouldn't like it, since I have quite a number of Hardy novels on my list, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a wonderful novel.

I think I am going to dive into Of Mice and Men to finish off the LOST books challenge, and try to get through some more of Holmes.

Happy Reading!

Book 37: Finished.

In my last post, I talked about Vonnegut's style and his way of writing a distinct anti-war book.

However, his book is often classified as slightly science-fiction, since there is a lot of conversation about time and place.

Now, stick with me, but in numerous portions of the book, Billy Pilgrim (the main character) travels to another world where he is on display as a representative from Earth. This serves a great purpose for helping to explain Vonnegut's point.

The novel does not flow in a linear fashion like readers are used to. We are used to things going in order, as they happen, with perhaps a minor flashback or two. That is not the case in Slaughterhouse-Five. At times it can be really difficult to see when and where Billy is, since he flows in and out of his own life and memories.

It is really this concept of time that makes the novel more powerful. Time and its movement is also the driving force behind the TV show LOST. I read this novel when I did in part to coincide with the LOST Books Challenge, so I have to explain both because they are very similar. In LOST, the characters have flashbacks and flashforwards, and sometimes even flashsideways. For many people who have tried to watch the show, this has become confusing. Moving in and out of time with characters is disorienting since you don't see them live their life in order. It is only after seeing a flashback that we understand who and what they are. Then the story falls into place.

Vonnegut's book is the same way. Billy changes age and location throughout the novel. And while the book is written about the Dresden bombings, the bombing doesn't take place until nearly the end. And there is a reason for that. By manipulating time and the linear structure of the book, Vonnegut helps explain who Billy was before the bombings, and the man he became after. Essentially, all events in a person's life shape them into who they are.

Vonnegut hints at this using the aliens I mentioned before. They try to explain to Billy their own concept of time. Here are some of their thoughts:

"Earthlings are the great explainers, explaining why this event is structured as it is, telling how other events may be achieved or avoided. I am a Tralfamadorian, seeing all time as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains. All time is time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber," (85-86).

"If what Billy Pilgrim learned from the Tralfamadorians is true, that we will all live forever, no matter how dead we may sometimes seem to be, I am not overjoyed. Still-if I am going to spend eternity visiting this moment and that, I'm grateful that so many of those moments are nice," (211).

To them, time is nothing. They can see each memory and moment at once and that influences their life. There is no separation between who they once were and who they are now because they are always all of that in one. That is an interesting concept of time, and one that LOST uses fairly well.

The TV show's characters move in and out of time just like Billy Pilgrim and while the view thinks, "Wow, that is different from how I saw them" it is not different than how the character saw him or herself. They have always been that way and always will be. Their memories and pasts have turned them into who they are, just as their futures will continue them down that path.

You can think of it in your own life. We all have moments that have made us who we are, but the moments never really leave us. They have transformed us and we can recall it in an instant by simply remembering it.

It is heavy to think about-time. But Vonnegut does it well and it serves his story. When Billy finally gets to Dresden and lives through the bombing, it all makes sense. The bombing is a part of him that he will never forget. It changed him and made him into who he is. It forever altered his life and will always remain with him.

Book 37: Book Stats.

Title: Slaughterhouse-Five
Author: Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)
First Published: 1969
Also Called: The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death

My Edition: Laurel Paperback (as seen on right)
Pages: 215

Other Works Include: Cat's Cradle (1963), God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (1965), Breakfast of Champions (1973), Galapagos (1985), Hocus Pocus (1990), A Man Without a Country (2005)

He also has written numerous short stories. One that is really well known is "Harrison Bergeron," and you can find it here if you would like to read it.

For my challenge, this will be the sole Vonnegut book I will be reading. It is a common book that makes modern classic lists, and is well deserving.

I have read Slaughterhouse-Five once before, and I vaguely remember it being an odd little book, full of weird characters and twists. I have also read Cat's Cradle (in high school for our mystery/sci-fi class), as well as A Man without a Country. The latter is one of my all-time favorite books. It truly inspired me and find Vonnegut's humor and attitude towards life...well, very true.

I am also counting the completion of this novel towards the LOST Books Challenge and it will be my 4th book finished out of 5 needed!

Sunday Salon: April 4, 2010.

It seems like 2010 is flying by! It is hard to believe that the year is already a fourth over (depressing? yes), but there are great things yet to come.

In reading news...

I wanted to wrap-up a few things from March. I managed to read 11 books during the month, which is a number I have been pushing for. It is definitely an amount I used to hit every month and it has taken a lot of effort to get back there. The titles I finished were:

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
3. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
4. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
5. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
6. The Misanthrope by Moleire
7. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov
8. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
10. The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
11. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

It was a great reading month and I read some phenomenal titles. I was glad to dive into the Sherlock Holmes stories and I hope to get through all 9 titles by June (perhaps that is wishful thinking). I also managed to read a few plays to balance out all the heavy titles I have been reading, as well as get through one chunkster for the Chunkster challenge, bringing me up to 3 completed (I'm aiming for 12).

With the 11 books I completed this month, my grand total for the year is 23. It puts me off pace for hitting 100 by 2, but that is still doable. I can make it people!

This coming month I am hoping to get through a similar amount of titles. Again, I am going to mix it up a bit and try to get in some more plays, as well as some new authors. Besides Doyle and Shakespeare, I am launching into my second exposure of another author-Dostoevsky! I read Crime and Punishment way back in September as my second book. I was going to wait to tackle another book by him, but it has been 6 months and an opportunity presented itself! I am participating in a read along hosted by Dolce Bellezza of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. I think I got through Crime and Punishment so easily by myself since it was my second book and I had a lot of excitement built up about this process. Now I am staring at Dostoevsky and having heart palpitations, so perhaps this process will help. Like the other participants, I will be reading one of the four sections per week and posting my thoughts on each Thursday of this month (April 8, 15, 22 and 29). That will be different from my usual process, but change is good.

So on Thursdays this month expect Dostoevsky in addition to my Thursday Treat posts.

I am also going to try and wrap-up the LOST challenge to give myself some breathing room. I am still stuck on the four novels left on my list (Catch-22, Slaughterhouse-Five, Heart of Darkness, and The Turn of the Screw). I have to pick 2, but perhaps I'll just finish all of them and be an overachiever (we'll see).

I also have to get through The Count of Monte Cristo and another Dumas (The Three Musketeers or The Man in the Iron Mask) by the 23rd for the Classics Circuit.

See? April is going to be an extremely busy month for me! Anyway, I hope you all have a great reading week!

Book 30: Finished.

If I told you that I had to make myself finish this book would you hate me?

I just didn't like it.

I really tried to read it with an open mind...and not get angry or upset by the horrid writing, and the confusing narrative, but I still just don't like it.

I can "Get" why it is taught so often, and why it is an important piece of literature. And by all means, I should have liked it since I usually like novels like this. But I found it to be boring. And when the tragedies and violence finally struck, I wasn't even moved by it.

It was more of a "that sucks" kind of reaction.

But I tried, I really did. I attempted to like the characters, but the only ones I enjoyed were Piggy and Simon. They were the only two with any sense and the only two I didn't cringe at when they spoke.

So yeah. You could say I am not a fan of Golding's masterpiece. It happens and there is no harm done.

I will say that I liked the idea of the book. A group of schoolboys alone on an island and forced to survive. Kids will obviously handle such a tragedy different than adults will, so it was interesting to see how they tried to set up leadership and what their priorities were for survival.

As I pointed out before I began the book, I read this in part for the LOST Books Challenge and yes, there were a ton of similarities:

• The struggle between two leaders (Jack and Locke) that threatens to tear apart a group of survivors)
• Being lost on and island and forced to survive
• The savagery of certain individuals vs. those who want to survive and be rescued
• The plans for eventual rescue by different individuals vs. the needs of the group to survive
• The hunting of the wild boar
• Violence between individuals in the groups

There is more, but those are the biggies.

Anyway, I'm glad to be done with this and not have it hanging over my head any longer. On to something more interesting....


*I'm sorry about the "downer" way this post seems. I just really didn't enjoy the book and I really just don't enjoy writing about it. It happens and I hope to have better things to say about my next book.*

Book 30: Book Stats.

Title: Lord of the Flies
Author: William Golding (1911-1993)
First Published: 1954

My Edition: Perigee
Pages: 208

Other Works Include: The Inheritors (1955), Free Fall (1959), The Pyramid (1967), Rites of Passage (1980)

While most children growing up in America have to read Lord of the Flies in middle or high school, I never had to. It was not on any of our school's reading lists when I was in school, so I was never forced to read it. By the time I got to college, it was simply assumed we all knew the story and I can recall countless professors referencing it in class to make points.

However, I have never read Lord of the Flies. I attempted to read it in college when I was sick of not understanding the references, but I made it only a few pages in before I determined I hated it. So, needless to say, this will be my first reading of it.

I am also counting this towards the Lost Books Challenge as one of the five books I am reading.

Sunday Salon: March 21, 2010.

I had a really great week this week! One of the biggest accomplishments was getting caught up on the piles and piles of laundry that were taking over our bedroom. It is so nice to have clean clothes to wear! But I am amazed at how much laundry two people can have.

Tuesday night was the return of our community band after a 2 week break. Matt and I both play (trumpet), so we were glad to get back into the swing of things. We have some great music this half of the semester and I am pretty excited. We're playing a piece inspired by Whitman's poems! I have mad love for Whitman, so I am really into the piece we're playing. I even have a solo!

Wednesday was St. Patty's Day, so we had grand plans (this is where it is nice to not be working). Unfortunately I woke up with a nasty migraine, so after nursing me for a bit Matt met some friends for breakfast and early beverage consumption. Thankfully by the time they returned here I was feeling better. We all hung out for awhile until I went to work from 4 to 8, then partied some more after. It was great to see friends and family and just relax. Also, it was gorgeous outside so the windows were wide open and we all enjoyed some fresh air.

Thursday was also a great day. We slept in before cleaning up from the night before. Thursday night I got to meet Carrie Ryan! I also picked up some extra copies of her books for her to sign and for me to give away! It was a great experience and I really need to make it a point to go to more book signings. I love hearing writers discuss their writing process and the stories behind their novels. It is simply fascinating. Carrie was especially wonderful and offered great insights to up and coming writers.

Last night we were originally going to travel into the "thumb" of Michigan to my in-laws' cabin for a maple syrup making party, but I woke up with a sore throat and came home from work with those dreaded white spots in my throat. Matt decided to stay home and nurse me, which was a wise decision since our power ended up going out!

In book news...

Earlier this week I got a newsletter from Penguin Classics announcing the release of more titles to their Hardcover Classics line. I mentioned in an earlier post how I am desperately want all of these editions. In general, I really like Penguin Classics. They are well done and beautiful editions. And these gorgeous hardcovers are no exception. I own the editions of Wuthering Heights, Cranford, and Tess of D'Urbervilles, but I really want all of them (Note: If anyone wants to butter me up, please buy me these. Thanks.). Here are the five new editions:

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Emma by Jane Austen

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson

The Odyssey by Homer

I would like one of each, thanks! I personally love the new edition of The Odyssey, I just love the color and the image of the waves, but each one is beautiful. I would love to have all of them on my shelves. If you want to see the whole line, here is the place to look. I should probably add here that Penguin has no idea who I am, so I am not specifically endorsing their products for them. I just love them!

I also had a pretty good reading week. I finished Lord of the Flies, which was an odd little book. I also read Death of a Salesman and Misanthrope. I am also working on number 55 on the original list, which is the "Complete" Sherlock Holmes novels and stories. It is a huge task, but I am working on the first novel, A Study in Scarlet. To get through all four novels and 56 short stories will be a long process-bear with me! I have The Cherry Orchard by Chekov on my desk, as well as The Picture of Dorian Gray. To be fair, I'm not sure what is up next. I think I might have a long visit with my bookshelves to see what pops out.

I am probably going to work on finishing up the Lost Challenge in the next couple of weeks. I only have two more books to read for it, but I am not sure which. I have these four titles to choose from: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Any suggestions?

I also need to work on completing two Dumas novels for the Classics Circuit. I am going to read two novels for the circuit, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, so I should get going on those.

It seems like I have a lot of reading to take care of in the next few weeks!

Happy Reading everyone!

Book 25: Finished.

I think it might be official. Willa Cather is totally one of my girls now. I fell in love. And I feel guilty because when Mrs. P was trying to get my little ninth grade self to understand the beauty of Cather's language, I may have mentally told her some things that I cannot repeat here (sorry Mom).

Yes, I have fallen in love. And even though the story might not have been the strongest, the language and the beauty of Cather's writing totally made up for it. This slim little novel sucked me in and wouldn't let me escape. So yes, I am a Cather fan through and through and now I cannot wait to go and read My Antonia so that I can offer apologies to Mrs. P for doubting its excellence.

The beauty of O Pioneers is in its simplicity. The story begins uncomplicated and seems to remain so until the climax. Even with that issue, the book and characters remain simple and pure. I love that.

I also loved that this offered a snapshot of life in America at this time. Being the huge history nerd that I am (I do have a history degree), I can appreciate this representation of American life on the frontier. With the passage of the Homestead Act, so many individuals strove to become successful as farmers and to own their own land. For those who came from Europe, this was the chance to make a life for themselves and to own their own property. So when Cather says,

"The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman," (35)

you know she is speaking the truth. The United States grew on the backs of dedicated men and women who were striving for new lives and success.

And I love that Cather captured this. This novel truly is a representation of the American frontier.

"There are always dreamers on the frontier," (157).

I also wanted to share a few of my other favorite lines. Like I said before, Cather has a gift with language. She has the ability to say exactly what she means in a very simple way. I wish I had that ability.

"'There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before; like the larks in this country, that have been singing the same five notes over for thousands of years,'" (63).

"'I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do,'" (78).

I can truly appreciate that language and the images it provokes.



I need to also say before I close out this entry that I read this novel in part for the LOST books challenge. As part of that challenge, I am supposed to draw comparisons between the book and TV show. However, I had a really hard time making any connections other than the characters' names: Alexandra and Carl. I even talked it over with Matt and he had nothing else to offer as well. I suppose I could attempt to draw comparisons between all of the characters and the idea of being on a frontier, as the island is a new place to many of them, but that seems so shallow I won't develop it.

Happy Reading!

Book 25: Book Stats.

Title: O Pioneers!
Author: Willa Cather (1873-1947)
First Published: 1913

My Edition: Barnes and Noble Classic Edition
Pages: 176

Other Works Include: The Song of the Lark (1915), My Antonia (1918), One of Ours (1922-Pulitzer Prize Winner), A Lost Lady (1923), My Mortal Enemy (1926)

This novel was partially inspired by Walt Whitman's poem, "O Pioneers, O Pioneers!"

For my reading challenge, I will be reading this as well as My Antonia. I read My Antonia in high school, but have never picked this up.

Reading this is also counting as a book for the LOST Books Challenge as one of the five books I am reading before the series ends in May.

Book 23: Finished and LOST discussion.

This is probably one of the fastest reads ever. This is such a slim book that is so involved you have no choice but to finish it as soon as you sit down to start it.

Since this was my fourth or fifth reread of Animal Farm, I flew through it even quicker and still found more to love. I now have a larger fondness for the donkey, Benjamin. He is the pessimistic old man of the group, who doesn't always have a lot to say. Because of that, the other animals seem to ignore him without realizing that he is really the one they should be listening to.

I also really like the character Squealer. Squealer is a pig and if you are familiar with this novel, you'll know that the pigs kind of run the show. Squealer is the spokespig and has the task of explaining to the other animals new rules and procedures, while also dissipating unrest and confusion. Squealer is a fitting name for his occupation.

I also love Boxer, the large and muscular horse that sacrifices himself to try and better the farm. He continues to push himself until he breaks. Boxer is the unsung hero and every time I read about him, I get a little upset. I love that big horse.

I love the political turmoil and the changes the pigs continuously make to the commandments to fit their needs and desires. Obviously the novel is full of these references and a lot can be learned from it:

• Those in power often change rules to protect themselves.
• Corrupt regimes will do anything to continue holding power.
• Those with higher intelligence often manipulate those without to get what they want.
• Excuses can be made for everything.
• Lies can be very convincing when you are unsure of what is the truth.

So yes, this is a powerful little novel. When the pigs change the commandments to one single rule at the end of the novel, you get the full impact of what Orwell is trying to say:

"All animals are equal.
But some animals are more equal than others," (133).

We can obviously change this to get to the real message of the book:

"All men are equal.
But some men are more equal than others."

The possibilities are limitless.

If you really want to question corruption, politics, and leadership, this little novel really says it all. It is surprising how deep 139 pages can be.

*LOST Discussion*

Finishing this novel also means that I have completed one book for the LOST Books Challenge. While I have still not finished all the seasons, I did find quite a few comparisons for what I have seen in the show.

Early on in the show's run, it is made clear that there are a few survivors who hold more power than the others (the main characters obviously). As a group, they call the shots and run things, often making the minor characters their little puppets. Since it is a show and they are the main characters, the audience has to sympathize with them. After all, they are the ones we are introduced to and care about.

However, you get a glimpse of this kind of Animal Farm corruption in an episode in Season 2 where a minor(ish) character is attempting to build a sign on the beach to get rescued. The characters simply dismiss it. There is also a lot of discussion about who is in charge and who is calling the shots.

It is interesting, to say the least.

Anyway, I have finished 1/5 LOST books! 4 to go!

Book 23: Book Stats.

Title: Animal Farm
Author: George Orwell (1903-1950)
First Published: 1945

My Edition: Signet Classic w/ preface by Russell Baker
Pages: 139

Novels Include: Burmese Days (1934), A Clergyman's Daughter (1935), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936), Coming up for Air (1939), Animal Farm (1945), and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

Orwell also wrote books about his personal experiences.

For this list, I will be reading Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. I have previously read both of these novels.

I am also fulfilling part of the LOST Books Challenge with this!

Sunday Salon: February 14, 2010.

First I just want to say, "Happy Valentine's Day!" to everyone! I hope you are able to spend some time with your loved ones today. Even if some say that V-Day is just a Hallmark holiday, I still think it is a special and wonderful day that gives you an excuse to be with your family and that someone special.

I am working today, so I will be spending time at the park in the cold. Unlike some other regions of the United States, Michigan really hasn't gotten a great deal of snow this winter. Usually we are the ones digging ourselves out, but we managed to miss the big storms. We did get about 5" on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, so it is great to finally have snow on the ground and the sled hill open at the park! I love working during the winter and seeing everyone coming out to enjoy the snow.

After work I'll probably be cooking Matt and I some dinner so we can spend the evening together. We don't have any special plans, but I assume after dinner we'll sit down and watch a movie, or better yet "Lost." I am still catching up, but I am getting there! Promise! And now that I am doing the LOST book challenge, I NEED to catch up to make more connections!

I had a good reading week this week. I finished up Washington Square by Henry James, which I found to be a pretty deceiving little book. I have a lot to say about in my posts, which will go up sometime this coming week.

I also signed up for two challenges in addition to reading 100+. The first is the LOST challenge I mentioned, and I think I picked some great things to read for it. I only have until May 23, but that seems to be plenty enough time.

The second challenge was the Chunkster Challenge, where I am going to read 6 of the Chunkster type novels on my list in the come year. It wasn't really hard to find 6 (I mean, I'm reading the CLASSICS for goodness sakes!), but I narrowed it down to 6 with 2 alternates. I decided to be proactive and start one this week. I'm now in the middle of The Mill on the Floss, which is one of two novels I haven't read by George Eliot (the other being Daniel Deronda, which is not on my list). It is a bigger book than what I have been flying through at 608 pages, so it might take me a little longer.

Anyway, goals for this week:

• Have all my Washington Square posts up by the end of the week
• Finish The Mill on the Floss
• Start reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding (for the LOST challenge).

It should be a good week.

Happy Reading everyone!

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.