I've decided to join this challenge to give my reading a little more focus for the coming year and to help empty out my groaning bookshelves and free up some floor space too. I am chipping away at the 1001 books to read before you die list and I am in the 75 book challenge for this year and plan to continue with both next year. My pace for the latter part of this year has been between 3-4 books per week, so I am hoping that I can accomplish the 1010 category challenge and put a dent in my 1001 book list as well.

I'm thinking my categories will be:

1. 1001 books before you die 2008 list

2. 1001 books before you die 2006 list

3. Non-fiction biographies and memoirs

4. Non-fiction History

5. Historical fiction

6. TBR pile from bookshelf

7. Mystery and suspense

8. Romance and Chick Lit

9. Published in 2009 and 2010

10. Authors A-Z (I stole this from someone else and I think this is a fabulous idea)

11. Bonus category: Jokers are Wild

1. 1001 books to read before you die 2008 list
The House of The Seven Gables read 10/12/2009
Dangerous Liaisons read 12/13/2009
The Poisonwood Bible read 12/15/2009

Message edited by its author, Oct 16, 2009, 12:36pm.

2. 1001 books to read before you die 2006 list

3. Non-fiction biographies and memoirs
John Adams by David McCullough
The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall

Message edited by its author, Sep 2, 2009, 3:25pm.

4. Non-fiction history
Red Orchestra by Anne Nelson read 10/28/2009
The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan read 11/03/09
Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

Message edited by its author, Nov 4, 2009, 4:11pm.

5. Historical fiction
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory read 10/20/2009

Message edited by its author, Oct 22, 2009, 9:11am.

6. TBR pile from bookshelf

7. Mystery and suspense
Final Jeapardy by Linda Fairstein read 11/12/2009

Message edited by its author, Nov 13, 2009, 12:07pm.

8. Romance and chick lit
Queen of Babble Gets Hitchedby Meg Cabot read 10/16/2009
The Discarded Duke by Nancy Butler read 10/29/2009

Message edited by its author, Oct 29, 2009, 10:01pm.

9. Published in 2009 and 2010

10. Authors A-Z
A.
B. A Royal Pain by Rys Bowen read 11/16/2009
C. Foreign Body by Robin Cook read 10/15/2009
D.
E.
F.
G. Nightwalker by Heather Graham read 10/16/2009

Message edited by its author, Nov 16, 2009, 7:13am.

11. Bonus Category: Jokers are Wild

welcome!

Thank you Victoria!

@4 :: I'm planning to read John Adams next year as well. I was talking to someone else about doing a group read - would you be interested?

I would love to be in a group read for John Adams. Just let me know when to start!

I added The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall to my biography category and Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick to my history category. Both have been sitting on my bookshelf for years waiting to be read.

I'm going to try not do any double dipping next year. One book per category even if it qualifies for more.

Message edited by its author, Sep 2, 2009, 3:29pm.

Good to see another person with 1001 categories, I just have the one, but that is because a stack of the books I have could go into other categories. I also had a 1001 category in the 999 challenge, which really helped me knock quite a few books of the lists.
I'll be interested to see which ones you read (always looking for recommendations with 1001 books, as the list can be rather daunting!).

My 1001 TBR list is huge as well. It's not that I don't want to read them, just more tempting books pop up along the way. I'm hoping this will keep me more focused next year.

I have a couple of stacks of books at home to read which will help clear out the shelves, but I'm always trolling the library for new books too so we'll see what I end up reading. I'm hoping to knock off more than 10 total, but time will tell.

I'll have to check out your list too to get some ideas as well. Can never get too many book recommendations!

I've decided I'm going to start on October 10 of this year. That gives me 10 days to decide what book to begin with. Decisions, decisions!

I'm realizing this challenge is going to take some planning to complete successfully and still be able to enjoy reading throughout the year.

I'm still trying to decide what my first read will be. I'm chomping at the bit for the 10th to get here!

Hi, Amy Sue. I, too, plan to start my Challenge on Oct. 10.

It is a challenge, isn't it, just deciding which book should be first?

I'm part of the October Halloween "group read" over on the 75 challenge, so I'll probably use one of the books from that for my first book of this challenge -- I have a category called "scary stories" (horror/gothic/ghost stories), so it will work!

I'm on the 75 challenge page too and I just found the thread for the Halloween reads. I wish I found it sooner. A spooky book sound like a great way to start the challenge. I think I'm going to look at 1001 list to see what would work.

I know The House of the Seven Gables by Nataniel Hawthorne would work. I actually worked there as a tour guide for 6 seasons through high school and college and have never read the book. Quite embarrassing, actually. I gave the tour from the point of view as the history of Hawthorne, the history of the home and the importance of Salem at that period of time. I knew the plot of the book so I could get by. But enough is enough, time to read the book!

#22 I forgot to ask. How are you doing on the 75 challenge. I plan on doing that again next year with the 1010 as well. Seeing there will be over 100 books on my list, completing one hinges on me completing both!

I have a non-fiction history section too, will be checking your list to see if you have any recommendations

I'll have to check yours too for ideas. I have several waiting in my TBR pile, so I'll probably start with whatever screams the loudest. Right now it's Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick.

#24 I started the 75 Challenge sort of in a hole . . . in the summer with only twenty-some books done for the year at that point, trying to get to 75 by the end of 2009. But they are mellow over there, they cheer you if you reach 75, but no complaints if you don't. The fun is in seeing what different people are reading, and what people liked and didn't like.

#23 I'm in the middle of The House of Seven Gables right now, and bogged down a bit (as I indicated on the Halloween thread today). That must have been cool, to work as a guide there. I saw the outside of the house when we visited Salem, but I've never done the tour.

#27 It was so cool to work as a guide there. It was hands down the best job I have ever had(except being a Mom). The worst paying job, but that was okay. We actually named our youngest daughter Phoebe because I have loved that name ever since I worked there and because of the symbolism of love and hope in the book.

I have gotten bogged down every time I have tried to read the book. I'm hoping this time I will be able to plow through it. I'm going to read it on my Kindle, so I'm hoping that might make it a little more enjoyable. At least I will be able to look up some of the more obtuse words more easily.

I'm very excited by the talk about The House of the Seven Gables - I'm planning to read it this month for my 999! The good buzz has made me optimistic. :)

I'm really excited that so many people are reading H7G right now. It will be so nice to be able to discuss it with people or moan about it, whatever the case may be! I'm looking forward to starting it on the 10th.

Hi Amy-Sue, just saw the discussion on The House of the Seven Gables and had to chip in. I took a tour there a few weeks ago and heartily enjoyed it (especially the climbing the hidden staircase!). It is such a great place and the tour was very well done I can see why you would of enjoyed it. I picked up a copy, since its so popular on LT must make it my next read.

Good luck with the challenge.

I am also combining my challenges into one. I am doing the 75 books challenge also, moved on from the 50 books challenge. The 75 BC group is so much more talkative! I love it there! I am also doing the 1001, but very slowly. I am using the 1001 list more as a TBR inspiration list than that I have the feeling that I really must read all 1001 (I don't think I can read James Joyce...).
My 1001 books will show up in my classics category, and probably in some others too.

I'll be watching yours, especially the History category....

#31 Glad you liked your tour. The secret staircase is a trip, isn't it? Definitely the highlight of the tour.

#32 I'll have to follow your challenge too seeing that we have so many categories in common. The 75 board is awesome and this one is looking pretty good too. My 1001 is going very slowly, but I have been enjoying it so far and that is my goal.

Well, today is the day and I am chomping at the bit to get started. Too bad a little thing called life is getting in the way and I won't be able to start until later on today, lol.

Same here, my life got in the way. Luckily, today's life included a trip to the bookstore where I got three more challenge books. I won't be able to read this weekend, but I consider myself started with the book I started in (just a couple of pages) last Thursday, with 1984.

1984 is one of my favorite books on the 1001 list. Even though I have read it a few times I haven't checked it off because I plan on re-reading it. What books did you get at the bookstore? I love bookstores, but they are too tempting for me so I try to go to the library instead.

I started H7G last night and I'm enjoying it after I made it past the first chapter. I already know the story, so in some ways it's like returning to an old friend. It also helps that I know the setting so well that I can picture it clearly in my head. It is making me homesick for Salem though and the old tour guiding days.

At the bookstore I got Jane Eyre, The Charlemagne Pursuit (Indiana Jones/Da Vinci Code like adventure) and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I am just going to work all my new buys into the 1010 challenge, because I feel I must read what I buy to justify it :D

Ohh...they all sound good. I have actually never read Jane Eyre. I some how escaped high school without reading it, how I do not know. I should put it down on my list to read for this year. The others sound really good too. DH loves Steve Berry and I have a bunch of his books on my TBR pile so we can donate after I have read them and the last book sounds interesting too.

Too many books, too little time. I should stop asking for recommendations but I can't stop myself and I don't really want to stop. My TBR pile just keeps getting longer. I figure that means I just need to live longer, right?

Almost done with the H7G. I'm reading on my Kindle so I have no clue how many chapters I have left, but by the little ticker on the bottom it looks like I should be done with it sometime today. I'll summarize my thoughts on the book after I have finished it.

Hurray for Kindle! Which one do you have?

I have the K1. I've had it since July 2008 and I love it. I use it a ton and it has given me no trouble (knock on wood!). Do you have one?

I finished H7G and I enjoyed it tremendously.

My thoughts:
Once I finished the first chapter I found it very readable. I enjoyed the story, but I was glad I had the dictionary on the Kindle to look up some of Hawthorne's more obscure words.

I am surprised that Holgrave did not play more into the story seeing how he tied so importantly into the end.

Hawthorne believed that the sins of previous generations were passed down and he used his writing to "absolve" himself of these sins. This was even mentioned at one point in the book. He used H7G to absolve himself of the sins of his ancestor who was a judge during the Salem Witch Trials.

It was a bit slow moving, but I know that Hawthorne was a very descriptive author so I expected this and just enjoyed the ride.

The house was described very well in the book and in some ways is actually one of the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I am sorry I did not read it sooner! I can see myself re-reading it again in the future because of my connection with the house, Salem, and my interest of Hawthorne.

I think I'm going to read The Poisonwood Bible next. It's been on my TBR list forever and it's due back at the library soon

Message edited by its author, Oct 12, 2009, 12:06pm.

>39
I do - currently the K2. I had a K1 and gave it to my niece, who's away at college. I can't remember if this is possible on K1, but I recently discovered I can jump to next or previous chapters quite easily. Not that it usually matters - as you say, you can tell from the indicator at the bottom how much farther you have to go.

I figure about 2/3 of my 101010 books will be on my Kindle.

#37, I escaped high school without reading over half my required (Dutch) reading. I never read any Dutch classics, let alone English ones. But I figured it is never too late to start!

Steve Berry is just my guilty pleasure. It is never very intellectual what he writes, and the ideas are absurd, but I can always count on a good story that doesn't require too much thinking. Everyone needs to have a couple of writers like that in their collection :D.

#40 That was so nice of you to give your niece your K1! How do you jump chapters on the K2? I'll have to try that on mine. I'm actually thinking of asking for the new Sony pocket reader for Christmas so I'll have something more portable to put in my purse and then I can easily take out books from the library with it too. Sad, I know, to want two digital readers. But I love my Kindle so much I can see both of them getting a workout.

#41 I have many guilty pleasures too. Right now Charlaine Harris is mine. She writes the Sookie Stackhouse books. I have been whipping through those pieces of candy the last few weeks. If you want to see more of my guilty pleasures, pop into my 75 book thread over on the 75 challenge board.

Started The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I think I'm going to like it but I don't think it's going to be a quick read. We'll see.

>42
The K2 has a five-way button for various purposes. One direction jumps to the next chapter, the other backward a chapter. I thought there was a way to do that on K1, but I've forgotten. If you ask on KindleBoards.com someone could probably tell you for sure. I love my Kindle too, and I can't imagine going back to DTB.

@39 :: I just finished H7G today as well! I must admit, though, I didn't enjoy it...I prefer novels that have more going on in terms of plot.

#42 Charlaine Harris is high on my wishlist. The local bookstore has an omnibus of the first three books, but I saw yesterday that in November a new boxset of 8 books will be released, so I think I will go for that. I'm pretty confident I will like them, so no worries buying the whole set in one big buy :D

#44 I have to agree that there wasn't a ton of plot in H7G. Sorry you didn't enjoy it more Christina!

#45 I think you will love the books Nancy! I have books 8 and 9 screaming my name in my pile right now. I'm trying to finish a few other books that are due back at the library first before I give in to reading those.

I'm about halfway done with The Poisonwood Bible but I finished Dangerous Liaisons which I had started this summer but never finished. So, I'm counting that as book two. That is also going to be off my 1001 category.

Thoughts on Dangerous Liaisons:

I loved this book. I can't believe that a book written over 200 years ago could be such a page turner.

I loved and hated all the characters at different points throughout the book. Great character development.

I loved the way the book was written by letters from one character to another. It was a neat perspective to have.

Great, satisfying ending.

Message edited by its author, Oct 15, 2009, 9:22am.

3. Foreign Body by Robin Cook. Due at the Library tomorrow and out of renewals. I hate it when that happens. A fun medical thriller about "medical tourism" in India. I'm going to count this as my C author in my A-Z category.

4. The Poisonwood Bible by Babara Kingsolver. I think my expectations were too high going into this book. I had glowing recommendations from several friends and family members, so I think I expected too much of the book. I really enjoyed the first half of the book but felt the second half moved really too slowly and was much too long. I really struggled through the last 100 pages. This is going in the 1001 books category.

On a happier note, I really scored at the perpetual book sale at the library I sometimes frequent in our system. They have a fabulous children's room and I like to take the kids there when the weather is bad for a change of scenery. Anyway, I scored four books for $4! Two trade paperbacks and two hardcovers. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry, The Known World by Edward P. Jones, and Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I'm especially excited about the Team of Rivals because I almost bought that full price when we were in Washington D.C. recently and it has been calling my name ever since. Yeah!

And here I am, proud to have finished my first 2 in the first week, right on schedule... Then I come here and you have #4 done and gone... ;) Just kidding, good going!

That's only because I was already halfway through Dangerous Liaisons and I'm throwing in some brain candy too right now. When I get to the heavier stuff I'm sure my pace will slow down!

Finished two more books yesterday. It was a cold and rainy night and I had several mugs of good tea and a wee bit of insomnia too!

5. Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot. The third book in the Queen of babble series. Light, chick lit. Not too much else to say about it. A quick, fun read. First book in the Chick Lit/ Romance category.

6. Nightwalker by Heather Graham. A mystery, suspense book with some supernatural elements. A perfect read for a cold, rainy, and windy October night! Even though this was a mystery, I'm counting this in my alphabet category.

Amy Sue, Nightwalker sounds like something I'd like, and our public library has it. I notice that this book is part of a series. Have you read the previous books in the series, or did it work for you as a stand-alone book?

I'm glad you loved Dangerous Liaisons - I read it a few months ago and loved it too. You are right - it is not the type of book that reads as though it is 200+ years old.

Too bad about the Kingsolver, I've had a ton of people recommend it and plan on reading it soonish.

Are you going to read The Blind Assassin for Atwood in April? It is one of my absolute favourite books!

Re The Poisonwood Bible

I'm convinced that expectations can sometimes cause disappointment. The Poisonwood Bible didn't sound like my kind of book -- Christian missionaries in Africa?? -- and I didn't really want to read it. My daughter pretty much insisted, so I did read it, not really expecting to like it (although we agree on many books, we also disagree about many). I was pleasantly surprised, and ended up liking the book very much. I do agree, Amy-Sue, that the first half was better.

Re your recent purchases: both my daughter and I really enjoyed The Lace Reader.

#52~I wasn't aware that Nightwalker was part of a series, so it definitely worked as a stand alone book for me. I'll have to look for the others in the series. I was thinking that it would make a good series as I was reading it!

#53~I'm planning on reading The Blind Assassin in April along with re-reading The Handmaiden's Tale, if I can wait that long. Don't let me turn you off to The Poisonwood Bible, I think I am more of the exception than the rule with my feelings on that book.

#54~I think if The Poisonwood Bible was 100 pages shorter I would have liked it a lot better. I think it dragged out just a little bit too long for me. I'm really looking forward to The Lace Reader especially because it takes place in Salem which is where I grew up. I'm glad it comes with some good recommendations!

My reading is a little stalled so far this week. I'm reading The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. I'm really enjoying it, but I find her books a little slow going. Plus, my new computer came in so I'm not dependent on DH's work computer or our ancient desktop computer deciding to not be tempermental for a 15 minute span to allow me to log in quickly. Yeah!

Message edited by its author, Oct 20, 2009, 11:06am.

#52, 55 I did a little more checking. LT's series function lists Nightwalker as "Harrison Investigation Book 8", but in reading the descriptions of the other "Harrison Investigation" books, I don't really see common characters and locations mentioned -- just that they all involve the paranormal in some way. So it may be a "series" only in a very loose sense (like "Twilight Zone" stories).

Anyway, Nightwalker does sound like a book I'd like to read, and I can easily get it from the library, so I'll definitely give it a try.

Congrats on the new computer! Enjoy!

I'll have to find the other "Harrison Investigation Books." I did come across a Flynn trilogy yesterday at the used book store by Heather Graham which is a paranormal series which takes place in NE, so it is totally up my alley. They had the entire trilogy and I had credits, so I was really happy!

I finished The White Queen by Phillippa Gregory, so number 5 is done. I really enjoyed this book. It was the first book in a new series on the War of The Roses and I am looking forward to the next in the series. I found it very well done, as I do all her books. This will go in the historical fiction category.

I am now reading a non-fiction book on WWII that is very good called Red Orchestra by Anne Nelson. I am about halfway done with that and I hape to finish that in the next day or so as my library due dates are working against me again!

The Lace Reader is on my list too. It has some good reviews around here.

I'm glad The Lace Reader comes with so many good reviews. I'm looking so forward to reading it.

Finally finished with Red Orchestra! I can't believe it took me a week to make it through that book. It was a great book, just really heavy and slow going. A lot of names and a lot of foot notes. I ended up taking it out by accident because it was shelved wrong with the new fiction instead of non-fiction, ironically enough. I'm glad I read it though.

It was about the German underground during WWII and there determination to bring down the Nazi regime. The name Red Orchestra (English Translation) was the term given them by the Nazis. The research to complete this book was immense and it was a side of WWII I had never though of before. Even though the book was dense, I consider it a book that was well worth reading. I am counting this under Non fiction History. This is my 7th book in the challenge.

8. The Discarded Duke by Nancy Butler. An old Regency Romance that was sitting on the self that got book mooched up that I realized I never read. I needed to fix that! Light and fluffy after the last non-fiction book. I'm putting this in the Romance category now...I may shuffle it to the TBR from bookself category later. We'll see how the categories fill in.

Finally finished number 9: The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. It was a very good non-fiction book about the dustbowl during the Great Depression. I went into detail about the events that led up to the formation of "the dust bowl" too. It was very good. I highly recommend it. This is going into the Non-fiction history category.

10. Final Jeapardy by Linda Fairstein. This is the first book in a mystery series about an assistant D.A. in NYC who prosecutes sex crimes. I've been wanting to start this series for sometime and finally came across the first book. I enjoyed this book a lot and I am looking forward to the rest in the series. I'm putting this in the mystery category.

I've read most of the Fairstein books, and I have really enjoyed them. (However, when I read one, I've learned to begin when I know I won't have to get up early the next day, as often I wind up reading in the wee hours because I can't put the book down! :)

61 - I really enjoyed Worst Hard Time. Great storytelling. I felt like I needed to wash the dust off when I was done.

#63. I have a feeling I'm not going to be sleeping tonight because I'm going to the library to get the next book in the series today.

#62. I agree about washing the dust off after reading The Worst Hard Time. That book was really well done.

11. A Royal Pain by Rys Bown. The second book in a mystery series about a minor British royal who sleuths for Her Majesty during the time of the Great Depression. An entertaining series. I'm putting this one under B for author category.