I’m blogging this from Arizona, where it hasn’t rained in, oh, at least 24 hours. The sun is shining, I haven’t had a wool sweater on since I got here, and there has been plenty of bourbon consumed. I suppose I might get bored living someplace where the weather stayed the same all the time, but at least it wouldn’t be rain all the time.
I joined TBR (To Be Read) as part of my NY resolution to read more. Here’s my list.
TBR List for 2007
Madison Smartt Bell, All Souls’ Rising
Dorothy Dunnett, Niccolo Rising
Louise Erdrich, The Master Butchers Singing Club
Margaret Atwood, The Robber Bride
A. S Byatt, Babel Tower
Carolyn Chute, Merry Men
Sebastian Faulks, Birdsong
Guy Gavriel Kay, Sailing To Sarantium
Peter Matthiessen, Lost Man’s River
Nuala O’Faolain, My Dream Of You
Joyce Carol Oates, The Falls
Orhan Pamuk, Snow
12 books, 12 months. These were chosen randomly from my shelves. I would note that a few of them are “firsts” in their series (the Bell, Dunnett, and Kay books), so I may end up sidetracked. Whatever. (Deb, note that Niccolo made the list!)
And,
An Alternate List, in case of fast reading, or if I despise a book and can’t finish it.
Italo Calvino, If on a winter’s night a traveler
John Updike, In the Beauty Of The Lilies
Ahdaf Soueif, The Map Of Love
Jane Smiley, Moo
John Cowper Powy, A Glastonbury Romance
Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country Of the Pointed Firs
Wallace Stegner, All The Little Live Things
If you want to join, there’s a Yahoo group. The rules are that you choose 12 books that have been hanging around your house collecting dust, and read them over 12 months. There are prizes along the way for those who keep up. They have to be new-to-you books, not re-reads. I think I can find 12 from that list that will work for me in the coming year.
Oh, and you have to sign up by the end of this month, or you’re out of luck.
And now it’s cocktail hour. Until next time…
Oooh, the Erdrich and Atwood books are among my all-time favorites. I haven’t read that Stegner…I so loved his Angle of Repose that I haven’t read anything else by him, afraid they’d disappoint.
Have a bourbon for me!
I did this a couple of years ago on my own, time to get back to it with this great group idea.
What a good idea; there are so many books on my shelves I’ve been meaning to read. You’ve got a nice list. Birdsong is one of my favorite books. I read it right after visiting WWI battlefields in France and it just seemed so real to me. Hope you enjoy it.
I DID notice that Niccolo was on there! Woohoo!
Enjoy the warmth and dryness! Even though I’ve lived here forever and should know what to expect, I’m starting to feel a little water-logged.
The Guy Gavriel Kay book is a stunning read. You won’t be able to keep yourself from starting the second one. I was sad when the world ended, or when the book finished. It FELT like the world ending to me. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t written a third.
Sounds like a great book thing! I CERTAINLY have 12 books just waiting for me!…the weather thing…trust me..coming from FL to SanDiego…you miss SOME kind of weather! It does get boring. 😉 Of course, I think I’ve had a heavy dose of it lately…
Looking forward to some book reviews to come, Li
Have one for me! And a book too! There sure is lots of activity going on already. I see a very productive and enlightening year ahead!
This is a great list. I just checked out The Country of the Pointed First from the library. Looks good, and peaceful, you know?
It’s a great idea with a support group to back up the resolution. Do audio books count? I just can’t seem to be able to read and knit at the same time, so I don’t get much reading done!
Great books. I “read” The Master Butcher’s Singing Club for my book group this year. I actually listened to the book and loved it. The rest of the group didn’t get into it or didn’t like it. They thought the book too fragmented. I recommend listing to the CD’s of it. Very well read. I also loved “Moo”. I worked for 20 years for a midwest University and found the university related stuff to be right on. Very funny book!
I should probably do this! So many books lurking around not getting read… (Oh, Moo is great! Hopefully you get a chance to read it.)
This is one thing I can’t do. I have to pick my next book right before I read it. It is such an organic process. I wish I could be more disciplined about it!
btw – i love the anti-meme button!