New Challenges

Sometimes I think I may be starting to obsess about reading challenges as much as I do about books themselves. Because I haven't got enough challenges (or books) already, I decided to sign up for a few more.

First, the Colorful Reading Challenge hosted by Rebecca. The point of the challenge is to read 9 books with 9 different colors in the title. Six colors are required, while the last 3 can be your choice. Books may be overlapped with other challenges. At least 6 of the books should be new to you (doesn't matter which 6). They must be read between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.

• Blue: Blue Angel by Francine Prose


• Red: Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammet


• White: A Heart So White by Maras


• Black: Black Swan by N. Taleb


• Silver: Silver Swan by B. Black


• Gold: The Golden Ass by Apuleius


• Purple: The Riders of the Purple Sage by Z. Grey


• Green: Green Knight by Iris Murdoch


• Yellow: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Second, the Numbers Challenge. Five books with numbers in the title between January 1, 2009 and August 1, 2009. Three can overlap with other challenges.

1. 39 Steps by John Buchan (overlap)


2. Number9Dream by D. Mitchell (overlap)


3. A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by J. Barnes (overlap)


4. At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien


5. Arcanum 17 by A. Breton

Finally, the Orbis Terrarum Challenge hosted by Bethany. For this challenge, the reader should choose 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries, and read them between March 1, 2009 and December 31 2009. A list is not mandatory, but I do have a tentative list in mind already.

1. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa - Japan


2. The Plague by A. Camus - Algeria


3. All the Names by Jose Saramago - Portugal


4. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin - Russia


5. A Heart So White by Javier Maras - Spain


6. Madame Bovary G. Flaubert - France


7. Number9Dream by D. Mitchell - England


8. Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth by M. Atwood - Canada


9. Silver Swan by Benjamin Black - Ireland


10. The Golden Ass Apuleius - Ancient Rome/North Africa