Classics Challenge 2011

Posted on January 11, 2011 by pagesofjulia


I’ve decided to take on another challenge, because this one is just my cup of tea. I studied Political Science as an undergrad, but sort of still regret not studying English Lit. I continue to consider going back for… a second BA? a second master’s? or a PhD someday? (am I crazy?) in literature. I earned a master’s degree in Library Science as a career choice, in part because of my love of books, classic and otherwise, but with a special passion for the classics. So it sounds like I have a lot in common with Courtney over at Stiletto Storytime.

The Classics Challenge she’s putting on offers several levels, and I guess I AM crazy for even mentioning the PhD above, because the PhD level is 40 classics this year!! You might want to be a PhD candidate (and not otherwise employed) to do that. I guess it’s possible for the rest of us, but with my busy life I’d probably have to read ONLY classics to make it work, and I’m not interested in specializing quite that much. For one thing, my library job is best done if I can discuss the latest, greatest bestsellers with my patrons, and these do not tend to be classics.

I think I’m going to jump on board at the bachelor’s degree level. This means reading 10 classics before the end of the year. I think this is a reasonable goal. Thanks so much Courtney for getting me involved! Now where to begin? Mmmm.

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Challenge: What’s In a Name 4

Posted on January 4, 2011 by pagesofjulia

Well I’m just thrilled to have found this. What’s In a Name is hosted by Beth Fish Reads, and it works like this:

Between January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories:

  1. A book with a number in the title: First to Die, Seven Up, Thirteen Reasons Why
  2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title: Diamond Ruby, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Opal Deception
  3. A book with a size in the title: Wide Sargasso Sea, Small Wars, Little Bee
  4. A book with travel or movement in the title: Dead Witch Walking, Crawling with Zombies, Time Traveler’s Wife
  5. A book with evil in the title: Bad Marie, Fallen, Wicked Lovely
  6. A book with a life stage in the title: No Country for Old Men, Brideshead Revisited, Bog Child

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

A whole year to do it? I’m in. What fun. In fact, ahem, I daresay my current read, Running Blind, will work for category 4 above, so there you go!

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How to Start a New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2011 by pagesofjulia

I’m very excited today to be beginning 2011 with a reading challenge: Where Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey. (See my original post, if you like, here.) It involves reading a book set in each of the 50 United States, with bonus points for books set in other countries, too. Nonfiction or fiction count the same, and the definition of setting is up to me, with an honor-system understanding. I have all of 2011 to complete the reading of 50+ books. I don’t expect this to be too terribly hard but I’m not sure I’ve kept track of books read before, so it will be interesting to see. I don’t plan to pick and choose books by location, at least not at first; but we shall see in 9-10 months how poorly I’m doing! I’m sure I’ll be cherrypicking a few locations by the end of the year.

I will be keeping track of the books I read and “where” I’m reading at this map:


So! We start today with… the continuation of Frederica. The more I read, the more I enjoy! I would never in 2011 years have believed I would enjoy a romance this much. But really, Heyer’s writing style and sense of humor remind me rather much of Austen, and there are worse things! I love the dialogue. Thanks so much Amy for encouraging this!

I’m going to be MIA all day tomorrow, but look for me on Monday with Plans for the New Year. 🙂 Have a great start!

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I’m Mad for Maisie!

Posted on December 22, 2010 by pagesofjulia

I’m getting a little crazy, because I don’t have enough books in my life as it is, and I’m going to go ahead and read a little bit about Maisie Dobbs along with Book Club Girl, who’s hosting the Maisie Dobbs Read-Along.

Courtesy of Book Club Girl: About Maisie Dobbs – The First Maisie Dobbs Novel

The daughter of a struggling greengrocer, Maisie Dobbs is only 13 when she’s sent to work in the house of the wealthy Lady Rowan Compton. A voracious reader who longs to learn, she is discovered late one night reading in the library. Fearing dismissal, Maisie is shocked when she discovers that her thirst for education is to be supported by Lady Rowan and a family friend, Dr. Maurice Blanche. But The Great War intervenes in Maisie’s plans, and soon after commencement of her studies at Girton College, Cambridge, Maisie enlists for nursing service overseas.

Years later, in 1929, having apprenticed to the renowned Maurice Blanche, a man revered for his work with Scotland Yard, Maisie sets up her own business. Her first assignment, a seemingly tedious inquiry involving a case of suspected infidelity, takes her not only on the trail of a killer, but back to the war she had tried so hard to forget.

I’ve never read any Winspear, but it sounds intriguing. I have already requested this book from my local PL and will be looking forward to being involved in the read-along! For now (because, again, of all those books in my life) I’m only committing to read the one, and see how it goes. Thanks Book Club Girl for piquing my interest!

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2011 Where Are You Reading? Challenge

Posted on December 7, 2010 by pagesofjulia

I’m getting ambitious and trying to *really* join the reading blog community by entering a challenge hosted (appropriately) at One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books. The idea is to read a book set in each of the 50 states, over the course of all of 2011, with bonus points for additional locations. I don’t think the challenge itself will be too hard; I do a lot of reading. Of course I might have to do some purposeful seeking out of my missing locations towards the end of the year; but that’s part of what’s curious about this challenge. I’m interested to see how randomly scattered the books I read are before making any special effort.

My efforts will be kept track of (and herein lies the challenging part, I suspect) at this map:


So you can keep track of me here. The challenge doesn’t start til Jan. 1, so don’t be anxious that the map is empty so far, k? 🙂 And feel free to join us. I think it’ll be fun!

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