Thursday 9 February 2017

Reading Challenge 2016


Another new and interesting challenge with many different kind of suggestions. I have managed to read at least one book from each category though many of them can be listed under several points (the number in brackets indicates how many of my books fell under that category. Where I haven't fulfilled the challenge, there usually is a reason and I've explained it under that number.

1.   A book based on a fairy tale (1)
Grimm, Jacob und Wilhelm "Jorinde und Joringel. Acht Märchen der Brüder Grimm" [Jorinde and Joringel. Eight Fairy Tales] - 1812
2.   A National Book Award winner (4)
Nguyen, Viet Thanh (Việt Thanh Nguyễn) "The Sympathizer" - 2015
3.   A YA bestseller (4)
Oates, Joyce Carol "Sexy" - 2005
4.   A book you haven't read since high school (6)
Borchert, Wolfgang "Schischyphusch oder Der Kellner meines Onkels" [Shishyphush or my uncle's waiter] - 1947/2016
5.   A book set in your home state (country) (11)
Schwarzer, Alice "Lebenslauf" [My life] - 2011
6.   A book translated to English (20)
Alexijewitsch, Swetlana (Alexievich, Svetlana) "Second Hand Time. The Last of the Sovjets" (Время секонд хэнд/Vremja sekond khend/Secondhand-Zeit: Leben auf den Trümmern des Sozialismus) - 2013
7.   A romance set in the future (1)
Mitchell, David "Cloud Atlas" - 2004
8.   A book set in Europe (44)
Mercier, Pascal "Perlmanns Schweigen" (German: Perlmann's Silence) - 1995
9.   A book that's under 150 pages (3)
Štimec, Spomenka "Kroata Milita Noktlibro" (Kroatisches Kriegsnachtbuch/Croatian War Nocturnal) - 1993
10.   A New York Times bestseller (6)
Obama, Barack "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" - 2006
11.   A book that's becoming a movie this year
I don't really follow when they make a movie of one of the books I read so I might have read one in previous years that they made a movie of or I read one this year that they'll make a movie of next year or even this year but I have no idea.
12.   A book recommended by someone you just met (2)
Kulin, Ayşe "Rose of Sarajevo" (Turkish: Sevdalinka) - 1999
13.   A self-improvement book (2)
Hooks, Bell "All About Love: New Visions" - 1999
14.   A book you can finish in a day (24)
Angelou, Maya "Mom & Me & Mom" - 2013
15.   A book written by a celebrity (9)
Obama, Barack "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" - 1995
16.   A political memoir (14)
Grass, Günter "Mein Jahrhundert" (My Century) - 1999
17.   A book at least 100 years older than you (6)
Anonymous "Lazarillo de Tormes" (Spanish: La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades) - 1554
18.   A book that's more than 600 pages (8)
Pamuk, Orhan "Cevdet und seine Söhne" (Turkish: Cevdet Bey ve Oğulları/Cevdet Bey and His Sons) - 1982
19.   A book from Oprah's Book Club 
Since Oprah doesn't publish much new stuff, I didn't add any new books to this list.
20.   A science-fiction novel (2)
Adams, Douglas "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - 1979-92
21.   A book recommended by a family member (3)
Filipović, Zlata "Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo" (Zlatin dnevnik: otroštvo v obleganem Sarajevu) - 1993
22.   A graphic novel (4)
Satrapi, Marjane "Persepolis. The Story of a Childhood" - 2000
23.   A book that is published in 2016 (5)
Oates, Joyce Carol "The Man Without a Shadow" - 2016
24.   A book with a protagonist who has your occupation (8)
Ali, Sabahattin "Madonna in a Fur Coat" (Turkish: Kürk Mantolu Madonna/Die Madonna im Pelzmantel) - 1943
25.   A book that takes place during Summer (11)
Twain, Mark "The Innocents Abroad" - 1869
26.   A book and its prequel (7)
Mantel, Hilary "Wolf Hall" - 2009
- "Bring up the Bodies" (Falken) - 2012
27.   A murder mystery (5)
Aaronovitch, Ben "Whispers Under Ground" (Ein Wispern unter Baker street) - 2012 (Rivers of London 3)
28.   A book written by a comedian (28)
Perkins, Sue "Spectacles" - 2015
29.   A dystopian novel (1)
Mitchell, David "Cloud Atlas" - 2004
30.   A book with a blue cover (14)
Grossman, David "The Zig Zag Kid" [יש ילדים זיגזג/Jesh Jeladim/ Zickzackkind) - 1994
31.   A book of poetry (1)
BBC "The Nation's Favourite Poems" - 1995
32.   The first book you see in a bookstore (10)
Arnold, Catharine "Globe: Life in Shakespeare's London" - 2014
33.   A classic from the 20th century (14)
Camus, Albert "L'étranger" (The Stranger/The Outsider) - 1942
34.   A book from the library (14)
Joyce, James "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" - 1916
35.   An autobiography (21)
Grass, Günter "Beim Häuten der Zwiebel" (Peeling the Onion) - 2006
36.   A book about a road trip (9)
García Márquez, Gabriel "The General in His Labyrinth" (El general en su laberinto/Der General in seinem Labyrinth) - 1989
37.   A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with (20)
Abulhawa, Susan "Mornings in Jenin" - 2010
38.   A satirical book (1)
Ephron, Nora "I Remember Nothing. And other reflections"  - 2010
39.   A book that takes place on an island (2)
Stevenson, Robert Louis "Treasure Island" (Die Schatzinsel) - 1881/82
40.   A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy (9)
Bryson, Bill "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail" - 1998

I did a similar challenge last year. You can see the results here.

4 comments:

  1. You are so widely read. I've read a few of these, but not many.

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    Replies
    1. It's my international environment that always makes me curious to read more about it. I hope you will find one or two books from my lists that you might not have found and will enjoy. I will publish a few more lists, like my favourite books from last year, we'll see.

      Have a good weekend,
      Marianne

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  2. It took a little sleuthing but now I know you are an artist by profession. Did I already know that? Excellent work on the challenge!

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    Replies
    1. How did you get that idea? I'm no an artist, I have alwasy admired artists of any genre but, unfortunately, I'm not one myself. I love taking pictures and make my own cards (stamping) but that's about as artistic as it gets. I doubt anyone would want to pay me for that. LOL

      But thanks for the compliment and I'm glad you like the challenge. I will post other results of other things I did in 2016, I am terribly behind.

      Anyway, have a great day,
      Marianne

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