New Year - New Challenge

The Joyce Carol Oates challenge did not end for me as well as I'd hoped. I had planned on reading What I Lived For, but, like Blonde it is well over 600 pages and hardcover. After toting Blonde around for two weeks in a tote bag with my lunch, I wanted a book I could shove in my purse. So I read Penelope Ayers and I love You, Beth Cooper. I did start What I Lived For with ambitious intentions, but the book failed to hold my interest. Many critics discuss Oates' use of a male narrator, as it was new territory for her. From what I read, the narrator of What I Lived For was a rather despicable, pompous man who selfishly mistreated woman and let his anger get the best of him. He appears unsympathetic and mean, make 600 pages a long journey. Perhaps I will finish this novel at a later date, but right now it does not hold my interest. And is rather large to fit in my purse.

In the new year, us rompers hope to read at least one book a month from 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die throughout the year - most of which were published between 1900-present. We are also hoping to include some books that have historically been banned. We will complete this challenge along with other challenges, but our yearlong goal revolves around reading at least one book per month from the list.

It's tough to choose where to start, but some of my top choices include:
Lady Chatterly's Lover
The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
White Teeth
Alias Grace
Rabbit, Run
Midnight's Children
Interview with the Vampire

Part of what is exciting about this challenge for me is that I own several of the books mentioned in this tome because I thought they might be interesting and picked them up at a used book sale. Now I can raid my own library and motivate myself to read the books already sitting on my shelves. Though, those holiday gift cards to local bookstores won't stop me from adding my library!

Happy New Year!

- KER