I must be out of my mind. I joined a few more challenges for 2008. I think I can overlap many of those. Click on the icons to know more about those challenges. Join as many as you can.

The challenges in alphabetical order are:

Total 52 books. 26 each for authors and titles.

I had thought of joining this challenge. However, I am not much familiar with southern authors. As an Indian, I go by country or continents. However, on Maggie's insistence, I am giving it a go.

Here is my list:

(1) Roots by Alex Haley
(2) Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
(3) In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
(4) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

As I have already read the first two, that too in May, those may be counted for the challenge. I only need read one more. The last two are very much with me and so reading those won't be a problem!

And now for a Southern haiku:

your very own greed

There are too many books piled up on my book shelves waiting to be read. Hence I joined From the Stakes Winter Reading Challenge. That way I can read atleast 5 books from that pile from Nov 1, 2007 to Jan 30, 2008.

My tentative list:

Roots by Alex Haily

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

Deep Freeze by Lisa Jackson

I have listed the Nobel Laureates and their books I have read so far. I have not reviewed all of those on my blog as I read a few, long time back. If I do, I will link those here. I am in the process of reading another book by Steinbeck, three by Marquez and one by Orhan Pamuk.

1907 - Rudyard Kipling
Jungle Book

I finished six books for RIP II Autumn Challenge.

Here are my reviews:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowlings

Checking it twice. Okay, I'm making my book lists for 2 future challenges:

The 2nd Canadian Book Challenge hosted at The Book Mine Set. I'm picking The Free Spirit approach. I don't like being boxed in. Well, mostly it's because I still have a bunch of books I haven't finished for the last challenge. I will do better this time. Here's my list:

In this week I could manage to review only one book, that too a Tintin one, The Lake of Sharks. Comic books take less time to read and review. A new house entails a lot of work. Although I am nicely enconsed in my new home, all those paperwork for banks etc has to be completed. In India, nothing gets done by telephone or the internet. One has to go there and get things done.

What’s your favorite book that nobody else has heard of? You know, not Little Women or Huckleberry Finn, not the latest best-seller . . . whether they’ve read them or not, everybody “knows” those books. I’m talking about the best book that, when you tell people that you love it, they go, “Huh? Never heard of it?”

I would call this a fruitful week in the sense that I finished two difficult books. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, which took me a long time to finish. However, when I finally completed, I felt it is worthwhile. I have a good mind to re-read it again and I know I will savour it.

I also finished The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. This I read, while travelling to and fro for my seminar being conducted in another part of Delhi. I liked this very much. This is Eco's first book and he has done a great job of it. I look forward to read more from him. I will check out his other works. What I loved about this book is that it is entirely based on a library and revolves in and around it. By the description one can almost feel as if one is inside that mysterious library.

I have not listed here those books, I have not reviewed as yet. have put this link up on my rightside bar, too. Click on the title for the review and feel free to link it to your review post! I You too can leave a link for me. I am way behind my target of 150 books to be read this year!

May (10)

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
The Second Journey by Joan Anderson
Tintin: The Black Island by Herge

Kristin Gorski of "Write now is good" has tagged me for this.

10 signs that I have written a book:

1). It is set in, of all places, Australia. Frankly I don't know, why. I have never been there. However, I would like to write a book set in Australia.

2). It is about a man lost in the forests trying to find his way out. He can talk to animals and commune with trees. He is not your macho man.

3). No fairy tale like endings. Our man will cry when he is hurt.

4). There is lot of internal dialogues. Symbolism is must.

5). It would be a third person account. I cannot write in first person.

• Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)
• Turn to page 123.
• What is the first sentence on the page?
• The last sentence on the page?
• Now . . . connect them together….
  (And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)

I am currently reading My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

1. How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?

2. Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?

Another read challenge, which goes up from March 20 to June 19th, 2008! I might as well join this. There are many books I wish to read even though I am moving house which wil involve major work. Well, let me put up a list for it:

1) White Widow by Jim Lehrer
2) Magical Tales by R J Stewart
3) The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

These book are with me and do not figure in any other read challenges! I might add two more!

As it was BAFAB week from Jan 1-7, I bought books for my nephews, nieces and friends. I donated 50+ assorted books to an old age Home. I suppose I was just plain lucky to win three books I had put my name for. Thanks Melody, Dewey and Rhinoa. I look forward to read those. "The Road" was a coveted one!

The Road by Cormac McCarthy from Melody's Reading Corner
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher from Dewey

I could only read two books in the past book. Considering, one was 688 pages and the other 415, I think I did well. Both were difficult and thoughtful reads.

One was Roots by Alex Haley and the other, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Both deal with the slave trade in America. After reading the former, I had to re-read the latter. Both left me asking questions and made major impact on my mind. That too despite knowing about slavery all along.

This is my tentative list for the Decades Challenge 2008. At least 8 books to be read from consecutive decades. I can change my list at anytime.

Before 1800
1719: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

1810's
1816: Emma by Jane Austen
1817: Rob Roy by Walter Scott

1820's

As it is Buy A Friend A Book Week, there are many book giveaways going on. I will keep on adding to this post about new giveaways! Don't forget to check this out!

1) Dewey at The Hidden Side of the Leaf is holding one here. Do check out her link for further details!

2) Literary Feline at Musings of a Bookish Kitty is giving out two books. Check it for further details!

I was tagged by Melody for this fun meme.

The rules of this particular meme are:

1). Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages)
2). Open the book to page 123
3). Find the fifth sentence
4). Post the next three sentences
5). Tag five people

Although I am currently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan was the nearest book. Here I go:

What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular that you’re planning to read in 2008 that you’re looking forward to? A classic, or maybe a best-seller from 2007 that you’re waiting to appear in paperback?

Every day when I wake up I ask myself the same question, "Is today going to be it?". Then I think about the date and think about how it sounds as baby's birthday. So here I am on March 26th still asking, "Is today going to be it?". I at least got a good long stretch of sleep last night and a good morning nap today. I have nothing more exciting than dishes and towels to be put away and carpet to be vacuumed. My mom bought her plane tickets today for coming to Texas a week from Sunday. I think everyone is thinking this little guy doesn't plan to come out of his own free will : )

Tigers won against Houston, 10-9 yesterday. Today they play the Pittsburgh Pirates... Arrrrr

* When somebody mentions “literature,” what’s the first thing you think of? (Dickens? Tolstoy? Shakespeare?)
* Do you read “literature” (however you define it) for pleasure? Or is it something that you read only when you must?

"Literature" means classics, in most cases. Those books which are timeless and are full of substance. Most tend to think of literature as heavy reading. Not necessarily so. Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland qualifies as a classic and IS a great piece of literature. And no one can call it as serious! I do not think classics are difficult to read unless one gets the gist of those. They do tell us about an era otherwise forgotten. Isn't that what literature is supposed to do?

Here is a lot of book giveaways going on. Do check those out!

Booking Mama is giving out a copy of The Woman who is always Tan and has a flat Stomach by Laren Allison and Lisa Perry. It endes on March 16, 2008. Check that out too!

Stone Soup is offering two copies of A Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond: check it out too. It is on until March 17, 2008.

Christina of ardently book reviews is giving away a copy of Breaking her fall by Stephen Goodwin.

Kinsmen of the shelf is giving away Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder. It is on till midnight of April 12!

Stolen...(again lol) from Literary Feline.... (thanks!!)

1. Plans and schedules keep me sane, but routine bores me (go figure!)

2. I'm happy when things are calm.

3. The last thing I drank was a bottle of water.....(excuse me, bathroom break!)

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is right now.....my health for my unborn child!

5. I like pepperoni and green peppers on my pizza.