I managed to finish my 12th, and last, book for the challenge with just a couple of days to spare before it officially ends tomorrow. Whew! I really enjoyed the challenge though and that extra push to read some of the award winners hanging out on my shelves. I only read 6 that I originally intended to, but they were all worth reading so I can't complain.Books completed:
(clicking on the title will take you to my review)
1. them - Joyce Carol Oates (National Book Award 1970)
2. Snow Country - Yasunari Kawabata (Nobel Prize for Literature 1968)
3. The Love of a Good Woman - Alice Munro (Giller Prize 1998)
4. Kira-Kira - Cynthia Kadohata (Newbery Medal 2005)
5. The Road - Cormac McCarthy (Pulitzer Prize 2007)
6. Birds of a Feather - Jacqueline Winspear (Agatha Award 2004)
7. Every Secret Thing - Laura Lippman (Anthony Award 2004)
8. How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff (Printz Award 2005)
9. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami (World Fantasy Award 2006, Franz Kafka Prize 2006)
10. The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo (Newbery Medal 2004)
11. The Tenderness of Wolves - Stef Penney (Costa/Whitbread 2006)
12. The Scortas' Sun -Laurent Gaudé (Prix Goncourt 2004)
Best book(s) I read for the challenge?
The Road and Kafka on the Shore. They're both already on my Best of 2008 List.
Book(s) I could have done without?
None. They were all worth reading. I didn't perhaps enjoy Them, and Every Secret Thing as much as I'd hoped to but I don't regret reading them.
Any new authors? Will I read them again?
8 of the 12 were by authors I hadn't read before and I'd be willing to read something else by any of them. Of those, I'd especially like to read more by Cormac McCarthy, and Yasunari Kawabata though.
Best thing about the challenge?
The best thing was probably reading a variety of books from a variety of literary awards. Not a requirement this time around but, quite unintentionally, I ended up choosing books from different awards. Except for two Newbery Medal winners, the other 10 books I read all won different awards.
I still have many award-winning books in my TBR stacks so I'm glad that there will be a second round of the challenge beginning in August. I've already been thinking which ones I hope to read this time around and I'll be posting about it later this week.
A big thanks to 3M for hosting!
6 Comments:
Congrats on finishing! Most of the authors I read were new to me, too.
Congratulations on finishing!
Congratulations on finishing your challenge! I'm off to read your reviews now. I noticed you are currently reading Matrimony, I finished it this week. Enjoy!
Congratulations, Nat! You read several books that I am looking forward to read one of these days.
hi tanabata! congrates on yr completion.
I've got awards for u & bailey! :)
Nyssaneala- Thanks. It was a fun challenge.
Nymeth- Thanks. :)
My Journey Through Reading- Thanks. I'll come read your review of Matrimony after I'm done.
Wendy- Thanks. I do enjoy reading award winners so it was fun. :)
Jean Chia- Double thanks!! :)
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