I'm in, I'm always looking for a new reading challenge, and this will help me knock off some books on my TBR Pile.
Here's the topics/books I've come up with so far...

1001 Books to Read Before I Die:
1. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
3. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
4. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood
5. Saturday by Ian McEwan
6.Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
7. Dracula by Bram Stroker
8. Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Classics
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen
3. Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte*
4. Villette by Charlotte Bronte
5. Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
6. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
7. Dracula by Bram Stroker
8. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Historical Fiction:
1. The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson*
2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
3. The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan*
6. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran*
7. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
8. Pope Joan by Donna Cross

Books About Books:
1. The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton*
2. The Uncommon Reader by Allen Brennet
3. The Muse Asylum by David Czuchlewski*
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak*
5. How Reading Changed my Life by Anna Quindlen
6. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
7. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
8. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

To Be Read:
1. Mercy by Jodi Picoult
2. The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow
3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingslover
4. Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett
5. Ada or Ardor by Valdimir Nabokov
6. Moloka'i by Alan Brennet
7. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
8. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama

Young Adult
1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer*
2. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer*
3. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan*
4. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket*
5. The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket*
6. The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket*
7. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous*
8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank*

Pages to Screen
1. The Princess Bride by William Goldman*
2. Atonement by Ian McEwan*
3. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis*
4. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby*
6. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis*
7. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer*
8. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien

Book Club Books
1.The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezani*
2. Peony in Love by Lisa See*

* means finished

Message edited by its author, Jun 9, 2008, 2:50pm.

Book #1
Category: Young Adult
Title: a series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room
Author: Lemony Snicket
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 162
Rating: 5/5

Another great book and fast read in the series. I know this books are written for young adults but I find them extremely fun to read and very amusing. I really get a kick when ever they put a definition to a word in the book because it's always semi correct but is also altered {a word which here mean to change} to fit the storyline. I felt so sorry for the Beldalaire Children in this book because they finally found a guardian they liked--Dr. Montgomery Montgomery but of course Count Olaf puts a stop to that with another dastardly deed... I've gotta say how many more miserable unfortunate events can this kids handle? I guess 13.

Message edited by its author, Jun 9, 2008, 2:53pm.

I'm glad you enjoyed the first SoUE book - I actually liked it least of all of them so far (just finished #9) - they get a lot less simplistic, while still retaining their dark humor. I've recently realized that they are actually a lot more sophisticated than the Potter books, in terms of their subtle social commentary and their massive number of literary and cultural allusions. Good luck with your challenge!

A whole category of Margaret Atwood books - wow! What is the motivation behind that? Did you read one of hers (The Handmaid's Tale?) and fall in love with her style? I'm really curious. (Obviously, lol.) :-)

I've read The Handmaid's Tale but really fell in love with Margaret Atwood after reading The Blind Assassin I love her written style and take on subjects i.e. he consequences of religious extremism gone too far, in The Handmaid's Tale. I don't know, just something about her books keeps me spellbound.

Book #2
category: Book Club Books
Title: The Blood of Flowers
Author: Anita Amirrezvani
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 368
Rating: 5/5

Another spectacular book club book. The Blood of Flowers was spellbinding and really took you to 17th century Persia. The descriptions of the process of rug making was very interesting and the colors and patterns the characters used sound gorgeous. I loved the idea of the girl's ''secret marriage" and had me holding my breath every time her marriage contract was up for renewal; especially since that was both her and her mother's bread and butter and earned themselves their keep in the Uncle's home. Although, I was extremely surprised to learn that when the "husband" did choose a first wife it was some very close to his mistress which caused conflict between the two women and led to the girl's decision to leave the marriage and try to better her life and started anew. This was such a fulfilling novel with surprises and twists behind every corner.

Message edited by its author, Jun 9, 2008, 2:54pm.

Book #3
Title: Atonement
Author: Ian McEwan
Category: pages to Screen
Pages: 330

I saw the movie first with a group of friends and enjoyed it so much I checked it out at the library later that week. I was presently surprised how little they left out in the film. Atonement was a throughly enjoying book, it was a little slow at times but overall very good. The middle, where Robbie goes into the army I found to be rather tedious as it was mostly descriptive of his troop walking and sharing the occasional meal with fellow travelers. It's really amazing how one action can effect so many people's lives.

Message edited by its author, Jun 9, 2008, 2:55pm.

Have you checked out The Lightning Thief, the first book in the Percy Jackson series? I thought those books were a better Harry Potter replacement than the Lemony Snicket books.

Thanks I'm adding The Lightning Thief to the list.

Finished the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer...or a least almost. I've finished Twilight and New Moon, the first two in the series and am more than half way through the third, Eclipse I'm really enjoying these books and have kept me up late at night reading.

I'm reading Into the Wild right now. Started it yesterday and am loving it. I should post my list here in addition to my blog. Would love some input from people, too.

two more finished one from the historical fiction category and another from YA. The historical fiction was Nefertiti by Michelle Moran and the YA was Go Ask Alice.

Another two finished. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak in the YA category, and Peony in Love by Lisa See for the book club reads.

Comments on 2 of your books -

I've heard good things about Pope Joan, so I'll be interested to hear what you think.

And I love The Lightning Thief. I went to a book signing by the author and got a copy of it for my son's birthday. He was completely hooked, and now he's all interested in Greek myth. Lots of fun.

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I'm glad to hear that you and your son enjoyed The Lightning Thief I'm looking forward to reading it, but it's checked out at the library and I'm to cheap to buy it.

ABSOLUTELY!!! My kids AND I line up to get these and anytime Rick Riordan is speaking/signing nearby. If you get a chance to hear him, go - he is very entertaining and educational just like his books!!!

o.k. I'm seriously behind on posting. so instead of writing a lengthy post I'm just going to list them with the date read behind it.

4. The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket 1/6/08
5. The Princess Bride by William Goldman 1/25/08
6. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer 1/26/08
7. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer1/30/08
8. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer 2/4/08
9. Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte 2/14/08
10. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous 2/18/08
11. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 2/24/08
12. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran 2/29/08
13. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 3/2/08
14. Peony in Love by Lisa See 3/18/08
15. The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson 4/2/08
16. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 4/6/08
17. Middle Sex by Jeffery Eugenides 4/28/08
18. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis 5/5/08
19. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan 5/13/08
20. The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton 5/19/08
21. The Muse Asylum by David Czuchlewski 5/26/08
22. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 6/3/08
23. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly byJean-Dominique Bauby 6/5/08
24. The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander 6/8/08

I just finished The Lightning Thief this week as well. What did you think of it? I listened to the audio version, and I think it may have caused me to like it less than I might've had I listened to the voices in my head (of the characters...as I read them...I don't hear voices ordinarily). The narrator's voice was rather annoying to me.