Personal Challenges and a last Sneak Attack

[bookgazing]

I just couldn't resist signing up for this one last challenge.

The 9 for 09 Challenge

This challenge has funky categories, which is one of my favourite things in a challenge. Check out the descriptions of what you're required to read. You can use three books from other challenges. My list is as follows:

A long book: The Confusion - Neal Stephenson
A dusty book: Brick Lane - Monica Ali
A free book: The Turn of the Screw - Henry James
A strange book: The Anatomy of Melancholy - Robert Burton
A book with a pretty cover: The Various Flavours of Coffee - Anthony Capella
A book 1000 km from your location: Unsure what to read for this yet
A book that was previously owned: Dedication - Nicola Klaus and Emma McLaughlin
A book by a prize winning/shortlisted author: The Tenderness of Wolves - Stef Penney
A book with any letter of your name in the title: The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addisson Allen

Today I came across the 2012 Olympic Reading Challenge which is a challenge to read a book from each country that will be taking part in the 2012 Olympics by 2012. Now I don't know if you heard but the next Olympics will be taking place in a little place called Great Britain baby. I'm so excited that the Olympics will take place in my country in my lifetime and that 2012 looks set to be a medalful Olympics (based on GBs performance in 2008). Last year was so amazing for our Olympic and Paralympic team, they gave the Isles so much to be proud of and I'm sure they'll do their best in 2012.

I've decided to really invest in the Olympics by setting up my own personal 3 year Olympic reading plan. Not only do I hope to read books from the 202 countries who will be taking part in the summer Olympics in 2012 I want to explore other areas of interest. Up until 2012 I'll be looking for books like the following:

Books from or about the participating countries
Books about the metals the medals are made from
Books from or about the countries that have hosted both summer and winter Olympics
Books about the 26 sport categories that will be included in 2012
Books about prominent Olympic athletes (I need to overcome my reading snobbery about books on or by sports personalities)
Books about the winter Olympics
Books about Olympic history (ancient and modern)
Books about Olympic or general sporting spirit (not sure if there will be much material here - perhaps books on amazing stories like SeaBiscuit, Chariots of Fire, Oxford Blues)

This year I'm working on expanding my knowledge of the 17th century, which is one of my favourite periods of history. I have lots of non-fiction lined up and a fair few works of fiction written in the 17th century. I couldn't think of much contemporrary fiction set in this time period but luckily I had a great book blogger to turn to. Danielle at A Work in Progess made me this interesting list of novels:

Heretics Daughter, Kathleen Kent
Rosetti Letters, Christi Phillips
Potrait of an Unknown Woman, Vanora Bennett
Girl With a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
Captain Alatriste, Arturo Perez-Reverte
Mary Queen of Scotland, Margaret Geoge
City of Dreams, Beverly Swerling
Book of Splendor, Frances Sherwood
Poison, Kathryn Harrison
Havoc, In its Third Tear, Ronan Bennett
Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks
Blood of Flowers, Anita Amirrezvani
Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Now that's a lot of books!