I know many of you participated in Orange July last summer - here are details on round II - Orange January! This is cross-posted from my blog, so please excuse the Sunday Salon references. I hope you will join us!

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It is hard to believe that January is right around the corner, especially if you're like me and too preoccupied with getting ready for the holidays.

But keep this in the back of your mind as you shop, bake, wrap, and read: Orange January!

Last summer, I hosted Orange July, which was a personal challenge to read books nominated for or had won the Orange Prize. Many of my fellow readers joined me, and a lot of fantastic books were read. Since that time, Wendy at Caribousmom has started the Yahoo Orange Prize Group, and we've declared that there should be two months in a year dedicated to reading Orange Prize Books - and waa laa, Orange January was born!

The rules are simple: Commit to read at least one book that has been nominated for or won the Orange Prize. Some readers devote the entire month to Orange books while other readers read one or two. It's a personal challenge, so make it work for you. The point is to discover some great fiction by talented female writers.

While it's not necessary, you can post your review to the Orange Prize Project Blog if you like. You can also visit this blog for a complete list of books short-listed, long-listed and receipients of the Orange Prize.

I hope you will join us on our Orange adventure! Happy Sunday!

Hooray! I've been waiting for this. I've managed to only read one more since July, but I have several around the TBR stacks. I'm hoping to get a couple more from the library.

Thanks so much for doing this... I loved it the last time.

I'm in, too! I am planning to read three Orange Prize books: The Road Home, Property, and When I Lived in Modern Times.

Ok, I am doing this this time! I need to make a list, but I know I am going to read Alias, Grace. I hope I get a gift card to buy books for Christmas!

Count me in, I am going to read Small island by Andrea Levy.

I'm going to read The Girls and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

I have a very ambitious list for January, I probably won't get to all of them, but I'll do my best! These are on my Orange prize TBR shelf:

Ursula Under
What I Loved
Property
The Bonesetter's Daughter
When I Lived in Modern Times
Fall on Your Knees
Amy and Isabelle
Old Filth
The Inheritance of Loss
Caramelo

I take these Orange months very seriously! And I have fun too!

I shall be reading quite a lot of Orange books for my 999 Challenge and shall be glad to join you in an Orange January.

It will be fun to find more Orange books in January. I have The Girls, and can find White Teeth, Purple Hibiscus, What I Loved and Hotel World at the library.

Message edited by its author, Dec 11, 2008, 6:15am.

I'd like to try Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Goff and maybe Small Island by Andrea Levy.

I will also try to get at least one read from my list left over from July!! I have still sitting on my shelf, staring at me - Small Island, The girls and Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and Fingersmith.

I have to thank you mrstreme, I have found myself referencing the list of Orange nominees many times and my tbr list has grown. Its a wonderful challenge and definitely deserves two months!

You are more than welcome! So glad everyone is enjoying it!

Thanks for posting this challenge. It will motivate me to read On Beauty by Zadie Smith which has been on my shelf for at least 1 year.

I had not reviewed the Orange Prize lists before. It is an interesting mix of works I loved, such as Poisonwood Bible, Bel Canto, Amy and Isabelle, Larry's Party and others. However, I see a number of books I recently tried to read and abandoned, including Small Island, History of Love, and Inheritance of Loss which is very unusual for me.

Either way, this is a great idea. Thanks!
Laura

Message edited by its author, Dec 26, 2008, 3:11pm.

>11 sydamy - your January reading is stellar! Some of my very favorites there.

I must join in on this. 'Orange Prize winners and nominees' is one of my categories for my 999 challenge so this should give me a good start.

I've just checked the Orange Prize list on a previous thread and I seem to have sixteen unread 'oranges' on my TBR so I have plenty to choose from. I will probably start with The Idea of Perfection as I've wanted to read this for ages and just received it from my wonderful Virago secret santa (Lindsacl)!

Message edited by its author, Dec 29, 2008, 5:41am.

>16: yea Soup! My Virago Secret Santa also sent me one of the books I planned to read for Orange January: The Road Home. I requested my other two from the library yesterday and am all ready to begin 2009 reading Oranges!

As part of my 999 Challenge I shall be reading Orange books throughout the year. For Orange January I shall be reading:
A Crime in the Neighbourhood by Suzanne Berne
Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk
Harbor by Lorraine Adams
Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel

#17,
I loved The Road Home. One of last year's unputdownables!

Message edited by its author, Dec 29, 2008, 11:01am.

I'm starting early. I just finished Breath, Eyes, Memory and decided it's close enough to January to start my Orange challenge.

I will start with The Girls by Lori Lansens. I have heard many wonderful things about this book, I hope I'm not disappointed due to high expectations.

I just started The History of Love and am loving it... can't wait to discuss it here on this group...
This has also been a great nudge for me to start White Teeth this month.

I have a pile of possible books lined up:

The Dancers Dancing by Eilis Ni Dhuibhne
Baby Love by Louisa Young
White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo
Monster Love by Carol Topolski
Fault Lines by Nancy Huston

I won't be able to read them all so I am currently seeking advice from the Book Nudgers group!

Read A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne - a very good first novel. More of a coming of age story. Marsha recalls events around the murder of a local boy when she was 10 years old, and the consequences of her actions to the people around her.

I have started with Sorry by Gail Jones - a great read so far...

Hi everyone,

#22 - Monster love is disturbing but brilliant. I read this middle of last year on a friends recommendation.

I have just finished Small Island by Andrea Levy. Set in 1948 England with 4 main characters who tell their stories before, during and after the war. Queenie, whose husband does not initially return from the war, takes in lodgers from Jamaica to help make ends meet. Gilbert, who met Queenie when he was stationed in England during the war, asks Queenie for a room when he first arrives in England and no other doors open for him. When Bernard does eventually return he is not pleased to find coloured people living in his home. This book touches on the racism experienced by Jamaicans who enlisted during the war and the following years afterward as they try to make England their home. This book had enough twists and turns to keep everything interesting and flowing.

As it is only the 3rd of the month I am going to look for another Orange book to read. Holidays are brilliant for reading.

Edited for a spelling mistake

Message edited by its author, Jan 2, 2009, 9:05pm.

I finished The Road Home tonight and really enjoyed it (correct touchstone won't load). Here's my review. Next up: Property.

I finished The Girls and was not disappointed. I have started Fingersmith for my next book. Looking through the Orange list I realized my audio book in the car qualifies for this challenge, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. That was a pleasant surprise.

This is such a great idea. Jill, I went to your blog a while back but got sidetracked reading your older book posts!

#16, hope you're enjoying the Idea of Perfection!

I'm trying not to buy new books (failing but trying) so will find something from the mountain range, probably Larry's Party. It's been there for ages. Ooh, didn't realise Half of a Yellow Sun and Girl with a Pearl Earring were Orange books too. Too much choice! Maybe not Larry's Party after all...I've seen too many raves on here for Half of a Y.S.

I've enjoyed most of the Orange list books I've read and some are favourites, including Small Island and The Idea of Perfection. I really enjoyed When I lived in Modern Times and it made me want to read more about Israel. I didn't love Bel Canto but can't remember why - it was ages ago - and I really couldn't see what the fuss was over On Beauty, so I'm not rushing to read White Teeth, but I know both were very popular.

cmt - I've not read either, but have heard a lot of people say that White Teeth is way better than On Beauty. For what it's worth....

cmt- The Idea of Perfection is wonderful! Unfortunately I'm not getting through it as quickly as I would like, as my children are on holiday and I have course work due in on Tuesday. Neither stopping me from spending too much time on here, however! I will report back when I manage to finish it.

I've also enjoyed most of the Orange list books I've read. The ones I didn't enjoy so much, such as The Inheritance of Loss I admired but couldn't engage with the characters in the way that makes a book special for me. I think Bel Canto, might have also fallen into this category but like you it's a while since I read it and I don't have strong memories of the book.

Edited to add a bit missed out after demands from my boys for breakfast. I'm in the U.K so it's not actually 4.21 am here. Fortunately....

Message edited by its author, Jan 4, 2009, 5:21am.

Thanks for visiting my blog, cmt!

I posted my review of Sorry by Gail Jones here on LT and on my blog. A GREAT book - highly recommended.

I am now reading The Girls by Lori Lansens, which is shaping up to be another excellent read.

(The touchstones are not cooperating for me this morning!).

cmt, #28, I was one of the people who didn't like On Beauty either. Looking at what's on my TBR that's also Orange, The Idea of Perfection seems to be about it, although I've read quite a few of the short list titles already. Maybe this will inspire me to go out and buy something new (not that I need much pushing . . .).

I'm reading What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn and am completely enthralled. I have an entire category of Orange Prize for my 999 challenge, so maybe I'll read more this month.

Grrr. I'm about 100 pages in to Monsters of Templeton and just can't decide whether to continue with it or not. I like it for a moment and then feel that its chick lit with heavy makeup and smelly perfume. I don't always dislike chick lit, but I don't want it all dolled up and pretending to be something else either. I guess this is what the prize for new writers brings. I think I'll try for a little while longer.

#35 Interested in what you decide re: Monsters of Templeton. It was also one of my choices Orange January.

I'm also just starting White Teeth (which I meant to read all of last year and just never quite got to it).

I've named one of my catagories in the 999 challenge 'girlybooks' after this group.

This group is so dangerous to Mt TBR which increases at an ginormous rate.

this is not a spoiler, just a silly detail

#36 - I read another 20 pages. Turned out she was the prom queen and the guy trying to tow her car was her king. I dropped it.

#38 Ha! Perhaps I'll find another Orange read. Thanks.

Hi, everyone. I just started my Orange book--Larry's Party, by Carol Shields. It's been buried on Mnt. TBR for years, so this is its opportunity to get itself read.

Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk - just started this one.

LOL, Nancy, the prom queen and king scene is a definite giveaway. It's probably a good book to abandon!

Finished The Girls by Lori Lansens - a WONDERFUL book. I loved it. My review is posted on LT and on my blog.

The Girls sounds like a great read - added it to my wishlist.

I've been reading from the 1001 must read list and it appears that it is linking up with Orange January. Recently finished 3 excellent books (although some were in December) Half of a Yellow Sun, Unless and Fugitive Pieces. I have a few others on Mount TBR such as White Teeth , The inheritance of Loss and The Poisonwood Bible, also all on the 1001 list.

I think The Road Home and Sorry are coming my way soon but I'm not sure they'll make it here by the end of Jan. Might have to make it an Orange 2009.

#38: I don't know why that hit my funny bone this morning, nancyewhite, but it did. I think it was the terseness of your "I dropped it". hehe

I wasn't as prepared as I meant to be for this month, so I just grabbed something off my TBR shelves, and got an Orange book after all--Unless by Carol Shields. I loved it, but that is not a surprise, coming from Shields. I really like her.

So, last night I got my list out and gathered up a big stack of books. I had four books, bought two and got two from the library. I don't know if I will get to them all, but here is my stack:

The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville--library
When We Were Bad by Charlotte Mendelson--library
The Accidental by Ali Smith--bought
The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan--bought
Unless by Carol Shields--already had and read this week
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt--already had
On Beauty by Zadie Smith--already had
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood--already had

I thought I had Arlington Park, too, but I can't seem to find it, so I guess not. I had only read 5 of the books from the short list and winners before this month, so this is a great challenge for me. I can see myself getting more books from this list as the year goes on.

I am reading The Idea of Perfection now, and having a hard time getting into it, but I am hanging in a bit longer. I am only on page 61, and I don't dislike it, but I was expecting to be blown away from all the reviews. I am guessing it gets better as you go.

Message edited by its author, Jan 7, 2009, 10:41am.

Hi Kimb--I read The Poisonwood Bible during last year's Orange July and really enjoyed it. I'm also keeping track of the 1001 that I'm reading.

sussabmax--Thanks for mentioning The Hundred Secret Senses. I've got that one in my physical M2BR and had forgotten about it. OK, into the January read pile it goes when I am done with White Teeth.

Question for all--do you use tags for 'Orange short list' and 'Orange long list'?

Message edited by its author, Jan 7, 2009, 10:53am.

Streamsong, I use both of those tags. Makes it easier to find them on my print-out sheets.

I have not used those tags, but I think I am going to start, streamsong. That is a good idea.

#47 I remember thinking when I read The Idea of Perfection that the writing was beautiful but not much was happening to start with. It cranks up (can't remember when, but maybe around 100 pages?).

I just read Valerie Martin's Property. I started out really loving it but by the end I was a bit disenchanted. Here's my review.

I loved What Was Lost. I haven't done a review yet (I usually don't, but it's one of my goals for each 999 challenge book I read), but this novel has really stuck with me days later. Of course I've also decided that I shouldn't read reviews after I've read a book because some of them weren't so great and now I feel upset for the author. :)

Want to read Monsters of Templeton once it comes in at the library. You all have me worried about prom queens now though. :)

I picked up an Orange book unintentionally, so thought I'd join in. I'm now reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka, which was shortlisted in 2005. I'm not very far in, but am enjoying it so far.

I've just finished The Idea of Perfection and thought it was excellent. I have written a review but being completely rubbish, I don't know how to put in a link. It's with the others on the usual LT book page, anyway!

#47, Looking at the other reviews and ratings, the book seems to be one that you either love or are left cold by. It's more character than plot based, at least until a long way into the book, so if the characters don't get under your skin, I imagine it could be hard work. I hope you enjoy it more as you get further in!

Edited to say that I'm just nipping out of Orange January to read my library edition of Saplings before I have to give it back. Should be back before February!

Message edited by its author, Jan 8, 2009, 7:51am.

I have just finished A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne. I rated this 4 stars, this was a thoroughly enjoyable book.

I had to put The Idea of Perfection aside, because I just wasn't looking forward to reading it. So, now I am reading The Accidental by Ali Smith and really enjoying it, but I find that I am still thinking about the characters in TIoP. I think I may have liked it more than I realized, and I may get back to it.

I also borrowed How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff from a friend, so I have another one to add to the stack. Somehow I don't think I will get through all these this month, but it will be fun trying.

Read Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk - shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 2007 - I enjoyed this story of a day in the lives of a group of women living in a suburban neighbourhood.

I'm now reading When I lived in Modern Times. It's interesting so far, although I haven't had as much time to read the past couple of days as I'd like. I am hoping to get immersed in it over the weekend. Helpfully, I have to take my car in for service early Saturday morning and will get in some reading time while I wait ...

You know, I find life so much happier when I am able to look at what might be an annoying chore as a wonderful opportunity to get some reading done!

>60: exactly, sussabmax. In fact it was the first thought that came to mind when I made the service appointment!

For my Orange January book, I read Larry's Party. Unfortunately, due to my assigned school reading, I won't have time to read any other Orange books this month. Are we doing this again in July?

What did you think of Larry's party? I have had that sitting on my shelf for a long time.

Oops. Forgot to link to my comments on Larry's Party (Post 24). I liked it, didn't love it.

Message edited by its author, Jan 9, 2009, 6:40pm.

Reading Harbor by Lorraine Adams from the Orange Longlist 2006. Interesting so far.

I have Larry's Party on my shelf too - I will be eager to read your thoughts! And a definite yes on Orange July!

I finished two more books this weekend--The Accidental and How I Live Now. I really enjoyed both of them, although the end of both was a bit off for me. Actually, I don't know how I feel about the end of The Accidental--it was weird, and not really appealing, but it seems to make more sense the more I think about it.

In HILN, I thought the voice of the fifteen year old girl was really well done, and I liked the progression as Daisy and her cousin try to survive the war, but I was a bit disappointed that her voice was almost exactly the same in the ending, which was supposed to be 6 years later. Maybe I am ermembering 21 incorrectly, but I seem to remember it being a bit more mature than 15, and I hadn't even gone through a harrowing experience that quickly matured me, as Daisy did. Still, I am glad I read it.

I finished Fingersmith - loved it. I had no clue what the story was about and could not even guess where it was going while I was reading. It was a great book. I still listening to Gilead on my ipod.

I finished When I Lived in Modern Times and it was just OK for me. The real essence of the novel is the political situation in Palestine in 1946, on the brink of Israel being formed. There wasn't enough character development for my taste; the characters were just there to move the political action along.

Now I'm off to read non-Orange stuff ...

Am about two-thirds through The Monsters of Templeton and am still interested even after the Homecoming Queen stuff. :) The story is intriguing even though I don't actually like the main character that much. Also I love that the CIP data is 1. Single women, 2. Women genealogists, and 3. Sea monsters.

Have started In the Dark by Deborah Moggach. So far so average...

Edited to say that I've now finished it and it didn't get any better. There are some glowing LT reviews for it though, so I'm wondering if it's just me. It was long-listed last year...

Message edited by its author, Jan 14, 2009, 7:50am.

I've just finished The bonesetter's daughter and before that The Road Home both excellent books. Although I did find the earlier part of The bonesetter's daughter set in San Francisco was not really to my taste, once we went back in time to China, I found that the story seemed to flow better and the ending was lovely.

The Road Home was a great read, there are already a number of excellent reviews (hey, lindsacl ;-) so I'm not going to write one myself, but i did find I kept asking myself who I would like to play the main character, Lev, if it was made into a film. Came up with (dont laugh) Eric Bana (ok, you can laugh now).

I was going to read A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian but hubby is still reading it himself, so I've decided on The Poisonwood Bible partly thanks to streamsong's recommendation :-)
The Poisonwood Bible looks like a huge read so that might take me to the end of the month or not here come some late nights.

Hey there KimB, glad you liked The Road Home!!

Sounds like I need to find a copy of The Road Home to add to the continent formerly known as M2BR.

I'm still working on White Teeth. Although I'm enjoying the humor and the author's view on life, the story itself is just not gripping me. I read Brick Lane last year and keep contrasting these two stories, both involving immigrants from Bangladesh in London. I'm thinking that reading Brick Lane first has taken the punch out of White Teeth for me. Has anyone else read the two of them?

BTW, Brick Lane was released on DVD in the US this week. I enjoyed seeing the scenes shot on the real Brick Lane, which was much different than I had pictured it.

#74,

I loved Brick Lane. Gave up on White Teeth. I heard Zadie Smith being interviewed once and she said she didn't find writing about young women interesting because they have no "political consciousness"!

I thought at the time- no wonder I didn't care about her characters if she doesn't!

And yes, you do need a copy of The Road Home (:

Message edited by its author, Jan 15, 2009, 9:53am.

Soupdragon, thanks for that comment about Zadie Smith. It does help me focus on the different styles of the two books.

Brick Lane is about one woman's growth from 'village girl' to independant woman. So far I'm not seeing a lot of growth in **any** of the characters in White Teeth whether they are male or female, young or old. I've just started the second part focusing on the kids so I've a long way to go. Perhaps White Teeth is more a telling of the journey of generations rather than individuals within a specific generation.

Just finished Small Island - ready to move on to something else.

My review if you are interested....

Reading Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel - did not care much at the start of this story about a medium and her business partner, but now I'm halfway through and loving it.

I finished Alias Grace last night. I really enjoyed this one, especially the ambiguous ending. I really like this type of novel (when it is well done), where an author takes a real story and fleshes it out in fiction. Of course, there is no way to know so much about what the real Grace Marks thought, but the skeleton of the story is put together using articles and books from the time (mid-nineteenth century; Grace was convicted an accessory to the murder of her employer).Very interesting, and well done.

I read the The Monsters of Templeton last year. It is a really good read. Some of the historical sections aren't very realistic, and I found I was getting bored by them. It is worth skipping over those bits, as the modern part of the story is really good.

For Orange January I have read We Need to Talk About Kevin which was excellent, very thought provoking, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Fugitive Pieces Excellent writing, but a bit too disturbing for me
Digging to America which was a bit lost on me. Nothing really happened, and I didn't enjoy it very much.

Full reviews are all on my blog:
http://www.farmlanebooks.co.uk

I finished and was quite affected by Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill. The story of a little girl who lives in the dirty streets with her junkie father and through the power of her imagination and intelligence tries and usually succeeds in seeing magic. Nonetheless, eventually even she must capitulate to the horrors that a life of poverty often brings. It is certainly not a book for the fainthearted, but if you like lyrical descriptions and insight, you might like this.

Well, even though I stated I would start On Beauty, I actually started with a book that has been an LT recommendation over and over: The Great Fire. I loved it!!!

I still hope to get to On Beauty soon...

farmlanebooks - I will start We Need to Talk about Kevin tonight - I will let you know what I think (of course, I will post a review on my blog - thanks for always dropping by!). =)

Just started The Remedy by Michelle Lovric, Orange Longlist. Quite good so far.

I've finally made time for my Orange January reading. I've begun Fingersmith and am really having a great time with it. So far, I wish I could just stop everything and read.

Message edited by its author, Jan 28, 2009, 11:19am.

Oooh theaelizabet - I just read it. I had no idea what it was about or where it was going. I loved it! A wonderful story.

sydamy--I can hardly put it down! Darn those obligations!

Finished my last Orange January book and really didn't like it: We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (review)

Thanks to everyone for participating in Orange January! We will be running another Orange July this year!

{spoilers included in these comments}

I finished One Hundred Secret Senses yesterday. I really liked it, but I can't help but notice that Tan has a fondness for ending her books with married couples sort of reconciling, but sort of not (getting along, but not living together--there was a similar situation in Saving Fish from Drowning). It feels a bit anti-climactic to me. But the writing is beautiful.

This makes, what? 6 or 7 Orange reads this month? Maybe only 5--I need to go check my list again, but I am posting quickly on my new laptop and I need to go change to go out tonight. This has been so much fun, reading from the list this month. I am so glad I was able to participate!

Just to add before January is over, I finished Gilead. It was a lovely book. I listened to it and the narrator was perfect. He actually sounded like an elderly preacher, which is luckily the character telling the story, lol! I felt the book was very honest and thoughtful. Definitely a good one to end my Orange challange on.

Thanks again mrstreme!

Better late than never. Just finished The Road Home by Rose Tremain. Loved it!!! Thanks for encouraging me to read this wonderful book that I would not have otherwise picked up.

The 2009 Orange Prize long-list has been announced...

http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/show/featur...

Ooo, I've actually read two of those--Love Marriage, which I got as an Early Reviewer's book, and American Wife. I will have to print out the list and head to the store soon. Thanks for posting the list, Soupdragon!