Victorian Challenge 2012.

OKAY! One more challenge! Then I am cut off! I swear!

Actually, I have been looking for a Victorian Challenge to join for a couple of weeks, so here I am, signing up for yet another challenge. This challenge is hosted by Laura at Laura's Reviews (link will take you to sign-up post).

My 2011 Victorian Challenge was actually a huge success. I happen to be quite fond of the Victorians, and I have a lot of their work on my project list (probably more than any other era).

It should be easy to get through this by the end of the year, since I gravitate toward their work.

Here are the details:

1. The Victorian Challenge 2012 will run from January 1st to December 31st, 2012. You can post a review before this date if you wish.

2. You can read a book, watch a movie, or listen to an audiobook, anything Victorian related that you would like. Reading, watching, or listening to a favorite Victorian related item again for the second, third, or more time is also allowed. You can also share items with other challenges.

3. The goal will be to read, watch, listen, to 2 to 6 (or beyond) anything Victorian items.

4. Please sign-up by posting your blog entry on the number of items and what items you would like to do for this challenge below in Mr. Linky (Don't just post your blog's URL). Don't worry, you can do different things than you have listed. I myself am not always good at sticking to lists!


I read 10 Victorian works in 2011, so I am going to shoot for the same number in 2012. I know that some of these authors aren't necessarily true Victorians (as in, being from England and the dates of publication), but many were writing in that same time period, or were heavily influenced by those British authors. I have listed the titles I have left on my main project list, and I will choose from these to finish this challenge. Anything marked with an asterisk* is a book on another challenge list for 2012-meaning it will get read for sure (I hope).

• Tess of D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
• Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
• Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
• Middlemarch by George Eliot
• Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
• Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackerary*
• Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad*
• Kim by Rudyard Kipling*
• The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins*
• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens*
• Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens*
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe*
• Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

I may also read the following, which are not on my project list:

• The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling
• The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell
• North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
• Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

There are 19 titles up there, and my intentions are to read 10. I think it is a good plan, especially since there is a lot of crossover to other challenges!

The 2012 "Books I Started but Didn't Finish Challenge."

I know, I know. I have signed up for so many challenges, but hey, here is one more. :)

This challenge is being hosted by Jillian at A Room of One's Own.

It all started when Jillian discussed the stress of having a pile of "unfinished" titles going into the New Year. I know how she feels-I like to have everything wrapped up and ready to go come January 1! But, sometimes it doesn't happen, and sometimes, we set aside books for a moment. Before you know it, months have gone by and that book is still sitting there, unfinished.

This is a challenge to fix that, since all the books to complete this challenge, are well...incomplete!

Here are the details:

The goal:

• Commit to finish some or all of the books you began to read in 2011 (or before) and never completed.

Prizes:

• I will not give away prizes or otherwise motivate people to complete their goals for this challenge.
• Instead, I encourage you to self-motivate.
• Keep your list central on your blog (or elsewhere) and commit to buy yourself some sort of reward when you finish the task. (A book? A bookmark? Whatever you know will inspire YOU.)

The rules:

• Post a list of the books you began reading in 2011 (or at some point in your life) and never finished reading. (Maybe even say why you stopped reading!)
• You can list as few or as many titles as you intend to complete in 2012. One or twenty or a hundred – it’s YOUR challenge.
• You can include whatever genres you please in this challenge.
• It doesn’t matter how you go about finishing these books. You can combine them with any other challenges.
• You do not need a blog to participate. You can simply list the books you want to finish in the comments below.
• List the prize you will gift yourself when you complete this challenge in your challenge post (to make it official.)
• Write yourself a little manifesto about how you intend to approach these left-over books.
• Commit to finish your list by the end of 2012.
• You are NOT allowed to stress if it takes longer than 2012 to finish your list! Just commit again in 2013!!

Doesn't it sound like a good time? ;)

I've decided to tackle a few of the books I've set aside during this project. I do have some books that I stopped reading from years ago, but I want to get through my 250 list before I worry about them.

Here is what I am going to read for this challenge:

1. Kim by Rudyard Kipling: I started this one back in the spring and made it about 30 or so pages before I set it aside. I was having a hard time getting into it, so I took a short break. That break has lasted until now.
2. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad: I actually think I started this one in 2010. I made it 50 pages in before wanting to stab my eyes out. Maybe a second try will work out for me?
3. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray: I find it kind of hilarious that I hosted a readalong for this and never finished. I was 200 pages in when the end of school took over in June. The book got shoved aside on my nightstand, then somehow got reshelved. It is sitting right next to me on the bookshelf with the bookmark still in place.
   
4. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak: This is another title I attempted to read and has a bookmark about 40 pages in. I think, like Vanity Fair, it just got shoved aside when I found other things to read.
   
5. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding: This one has been sitting on my nightstand since we moved into this apartment over a year ago. And it sat on my nightstand for a year before that! Again, I probably stopped reading it about 50 pages in...for no real reason. This one is on another challenge list for the coming year.

My Prize:

My next project after my 250 is to read some complete works by some authors. When I finish this challenge, I am going to buy myself the rest of Gaskell's and Cather's novels. :)

Manifesto:

I will read all of these to get closer to finishing my 250 classics! And I will enjoy them and cherish them (except maybe Conrad).

Chunkster Reading Challenge 2012.

I have a post on Walden that I can't get quite right, so instead I am signing up for another challenge.

:)

I'm really excited to be joining in for the 2012 Chunkster Challenge. I actually took part in the 2010 Challenge, but somehow never signed up for 2011. Who knows why!

Anyway, the goal of this challenge to to read those big, chunktastic books that you other wise avoid. I think we all avoid them because they take so much time to get through, and as bloggers, we need content! BUT, I prefer longer books for their depth and soul.

Here are the specifics:

-A Chunkster is is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature, whether non-fiction or fiction. A chunkster should be a challenge.

-If you read books in large print, your books will need to be 525 pages or more. The average large type book is 10-15% larger or more so it’s a fair estimate.

Other Rules:

• No audio books. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• No e-books allowed. This was discussed in much detail in the 2011 challenge. The short version: a chunkster isn’t a challenge if you’re reading it on an e-reader. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• This year for the first time, essay, poetry, and short story collections will be allowed. Collections have to be read in their entirety to count. If you’ve needed a reason to finally pick up your copy of The Collected Works Of ____ now is the time.
• Books may crossover with other challenges.
• Anyone may join. (If you don’t have a blog, just leave a comment on this post with your challenge level and your progress throughout the challenge.)
• You don’t need to list your books ahead of time.
• Once you’ve picked a level, that’s it. You’re committed to it!

Here are the levels:

1. The Chubby Chunkster– this option is for the readers who want to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.
2. The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months
3. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX Chunksters from the following categories: 2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length; 2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length; 2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions page for some books which fit into these categories).
4. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

Sounds like fun, right?

I am signing up for the "Mor-book-ly" Obese level of 8 ginormous Chunksters. And while I don't HAVE to pick the books ahead of time, I am anyway. I can always switch them out if I decide to.

I am also crossing this challenge over with some of my others, so you'll see a few repeats. :)

My Eight Chunksters:

1. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson (1534 pages): This one is also on my 2012 TBR Challenge List
2. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (982 pages): Also on my 2012 TBR Challenge List
3. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (1232 pages): I am reading one with Kate from Kate's Library over the course of 2012
4. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1273 pages): I know, I read this one last year. But to be honest, I read it VERY fast and I feel like I missed some things. I am reading this one with Jillian through June 2012.
5. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (737 pages): Yet another title on my 2012 TBR Challenge List. :)
6. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens (816 pages): I was supposed to get to this one this year. While there is still time, I doubt it. So here it is.
   
7. Middlemarch by George Eliot (892 pages): This one is also included in my "Back to the Classics" Challenge list.
8. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (463 pages): The shortest Chunkster on the list, but one I have been avoiding!

There are many other books on my list that would qualify as Chunksters as well, but these are the eight I am aiming for!

You guys should join in on this one!

2012 TBR Challenge.

Challenge season is in the air!

This is one of the challenges I was waiting for, so I am excited to announce that I am joining in on Adam's (Roof Beam Reader) TBR Challenge for 2012! I am currently participating in the 2011 Challenge, and while I am slightly behind (I am currently reading book 7 of 12), I know I want to join in for another year. You can go to the link above to see the specific instructions. I love that Adam motivates his participants with prizes (even though I won't qualify this year if I don't get my butt in gear!).

Participants are allowed to choose 12 books and 2 alternates (just in case). Like my 2011 list, I wanted to include a mix of titles-challenging reads and books I am looking forward to (all are classics). I think my list reflects that.

Here it is.

Allie's 2012 TBR Challenge List-12 Books:

1. Volpone by Ben Johnson
2. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyon
3. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
5. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
6. The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf
7. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
8. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
   
9. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
10. Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
11. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
12. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Two Alternates (just in case):

1. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
2. I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I think I created a fairly challenging list, but I am excited to get started! Who else is participating?

Three 2012 Classics Challenges.

You know, I probably shouldn't be signing up for challenges when I am most likely only going to succeed at 1 out of the 3 I signed up for this year. But it is challenge season and I get all excited about making lists.

However, there are three that have been circulating around the blogs that I can't escape from. All are "classics" challenges. Usually, I stay away from them because I almost feel like I'm cheating.

BUT, I will be using them to read some titles I have been putting off. Plus, they seem like fun. How can I NOT join in?

For my own sake, and to give myself a bit of a challenge, I am going to try not to "double-dip" any of my selections for challenges. Meaning, if I can help it, all classics-themed challenges will have different titles.

Unless I lose my mind. And decide I need to do that. Then I will.

The Back to the Classics Challenge is hosted by Sarah at Sarah Reads Too Much. I linked directly to the sign-up if you are interested.

The goal of the challenge is to read 9 classics in 9 categories. Half the fun of this one is deciding what to read to fit each category!

Here are the categories:

• Any 19th Century Classic
• Any 20th Century Classic
• Reread a classic of your choice
• A Classic Play
• Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction
• Classic Romance
• Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language - To clarify, if your native language is NOT English, you may read any classic originally written in English that has been translated into your native language.
• Classic Award Winner - To clarify, the book should be a classic which has won any established literary award.
• Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime - To Clarify, this does not have to be a country that you hope to visit either. Countries that no longer exist or have never existed count.

Here are my choices-I tried to pick titles I want to get to, but seem to have been "forgotten" on my list.:

• Any 19th Century Classic: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
  
• Any 20th Century Classic: The Sound and Fury by William Faulkner
  
• Reread a classic of your choice: My Antonia by Willa Cather
  
• A Classic Play: Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman
  
• Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
  
• Classic Romance: Middlemarch by George Eliot
  
• Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language - Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
  
• Classic Award Winner - Beloved by Toni Morrison (Pulitzer 1988) OR The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The second challenge I am joining in on was created by Katherine over at November's Autumn (again, I linked directly to the sign-up post).

For this challenge, the goal is to read seven classics, of which only 3 can be rereads. What makes this challenge different, however, is the way that you participate. Here is the explanation:

"I've organized this challenge to work a little like a blog hop. I hope this will make it more interactive and enjoyable for everyone. Instead of writing a review as you finish each book (of course, you can do that too), visit November's Autumn on the 4th of each month from January 2012 - December 2012. You will find a prompt, it will be general enough that no matter which Classic you're reading or how far into it, you will be able to answer. There will be a form for everyone to link to their post. I encourage everyone to read what other participants have posted."

Sounds like a blast to me!

It is especially awesome that you don't have to pick the classics ahead of time. But you know me. I like lists, so here are the seven I am counting on reading for this challenge:

• Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya: I continually give this one the eye when I stare at my bookshelves (who doesn't stare at their shelves, anyone?), so I think it is time to give this one a read.
• The Fall by Albert Camus: My first Camus was a complete failure (The Stranger), so I need to try again.
• Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe: I really liked Robinson Crusoe, so we'll have to see how this one measures up!
• The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald: I have mad love for Gatsby, which is probably why I have avoided all his other work. No more!
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: I know, this one is a reread and won't help me make any progress on my list, but who cares? :)
• Enemy of the People by Henrick Ibsen: I don't know much about this one, except that it is a play, but it should be a good read!.
  
• Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand: Another title I know nothing about, so I am looking forward to it!

The third challenge I am officially joining is the Greek Classics Challenge hosted by Howling Frog Books (Link will take you to the sign-up post).

This challenge has levels, going from 1-4 titles, all the way up to 11+!

While I am definitely behind on my Ancient texts for my project list, I think it might be best to stick with a lower number (hey, I'll be excited if I get one more read!).

The lowest level is Sophocles with 1-4 books being read.

Here are the titles I am considering:

• Medea by Euripedes
• Antigone by Sophocles
• Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
• The Trial and Death of Socrates by Plato

There you have it, the first three challenges I am joining in for 2012. To be quite honest, the only other challenges I am going to consider is a Victorian Lit challenge (since that is the only one I am ROCKING this year) and a potential TBR Challenge. Unless something is really tempting, I need to limit myself.

Let me know if you are participating in any of these as well!

Book 114: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Book Stats.

Title: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

First Published: 1886

My Edition: Signet Classic (at left)

Pages: 144

Other Works Include: Treasure Island (1883), Prince Otto (1885), Kidnapped (1886), The Black Arrow (1888), Catriona (1893), as well as various short story collections and co-written novels

I am still working my way through the massive Moby-Dick, and while I love Melville's masterpiece, I need a little breather before diving back in. I decided it might be a good idea to grab a book off my R.I.P. Challenge list to get working on it.

I read Stevenson's Treasure Island last month and really LOVED it, so I was excited to get to it anyway. I have a huge pile of his work that I picked up at all those book sales, so I am hoping this is just as positive as Treasure Island was.

Hopefully, given Darlyn's recent review, this will be a fast, fun read that I will absolutely LOVE. I read the first chapter last night and only set it down because I was exhausted....so who knows, maybe I'll even finish it tonight!

If you are curious, here are my thoughts on Treasure Island.

2011 TBR Challenge.

Well, I caved and decided to join one last challenge. I have actually been contemplating joining ever since I saw the sign-up post, but I finally convinced myself that I want to do it. And I am making sure to choose books that are not on any of my other challenge lists or in my readalongs.

The 2011 TBR Challenge is hosted by Adam over at Roof Beam Reader. Here is his explanation of the challenge:

The Goal:
To finally read 12 books from your "to be read" pile, within 12 months.

Specifics:

1. Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or "To Be Read" list for AT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2010 or later (any book published in the year 2009 or earlier qualifies, as long as it has been on your TBR pile - I WILL be checking publication dates). Caveat: Two (2) alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the "can't get through" pile.

2. To be eligible, you must sign-up with Mr. Linky below - link to your list (so create it ahead of time!) and add updated links to each book's review. Every listed book must be completed and must be reviewed in order to count as completed.

3. Your list must be posted by Friday, December 31st, 2010.

4. Leave comments on this post as you go along, to update us on your status. Come back here if/when you complete this challenge and leave a comment indicating that you CONQUERED YOUR 2011 TBR LIST! Every person who successfully reads his/her 12 books and/or alternates (and who provides a working link to their list, which has links to the review locations) will be entered to win a $50 gift card from either Amazon.com or The Book Depository!

5. There may be mini-challenge "check-ins" throughout 2011, to award and recognize those participants who are progressing through the challenge, such as a "Spring Break Check-In!" or a "6 Month Pit Stop!" Participants who are making equal progress to-date (6 books at the 6 month check-in, for example) could win a prize!

6. Crossovers from other challenges are totally acceptable, as long as you have never read the book before and it was published pre-2010!

*Note - You can edit your list through Dec. 31st. As of 1/1/2011, the posted list needs to be final. Also, you can read the books on your list in any order; they do not need to be read in the order you have them listed. :)


Alright, sounds fun, doesn't it?

I have put a lot of thought into my list. I wanted to select 12 books (and 2 alternates) that I really want to get to in 2011. None of them are going to be books for other challenges, and they aren't books for my readalongs. I also tried to choose a few books that I am not so excited about, but need to read. You'll understand when you see the list. :)

My Chosen 12 Books:

1. Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
   
2. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
3. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
4. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
5. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
6. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
7. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
8. The Dubliners by James Joyce
9. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Conner
10. Pamela by Samuel Richardson
11. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon
12. The Once and Future King by T.H. White

My Two Alternates:

1. Winter in the Blood by James Welch
2. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
   

I think this will be a great challenge and will actually push me to get some of the...ickier...things off my list in the coming year. :)

Banned Books Reading Challenge 2010.

I am not one to sign up for a lot of challenges. I mean, my personal project is ENOUGH of a challenge some days, but the Banned Book Challenge is something very important to me. Steph, at Steph Su Reads, is hosting the challenge.

The goals of the challenge are simple:

• To bring attention to books that have been challenged or banned
• To support authors whose freedom of expression have been questioned or challenged by buying and reading their books
• To increase awareness of censorship

And since some people don't realize that many, MANY classics have been challenged and banned in the past, I figured it was my duty to participate and read some of those banned and challenged books. I used this list from the ALA to reference my list and I encourage you to check their site for more information.

Between September 1 and October 15, I am planning on reading at least SIX novels from the following list (I am hoping for ten, but we'll see):

1. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
5. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
6. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
7. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
8. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
9. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
11. Native Son by Richard Wright
12. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
    

I hope you plan on joining in!

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.

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.