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Thursday, December 14, 2006

The Chunkster Challenge


Another challenge - Hip, hip hooray! These challenges help me branch out and to get books read that are piling up on my shelves or on my TBR list. So I'm grateful for the instigators and their encouragement to 'get it read!'. This challenge is a doosey! Thanks go to Bookfool for coming up with the term and the challenge - CHUNKSTER. Don't you just love it?

I picked out 12 books for this challenge before I knew it was only going to last 6 months. So I'm going to post all 12 and then I'll choose 6 from the list as the whim hits me when it's time to pick up a new book. Maybe if I get in the habit of really really BIG books, I'll continue to read all 12 by the end of the year. More likely, I'll chuck the Chunkster in favor of slim books! Anyway, here's my list:

Woman in White by Wilke Collins

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (I've read this book, but it's been awhile and I feel like I need to read it again before reading Inkspell.)

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Dreams Under Foot
by Charles deLint

Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth

Quincunx by Charles Palliser

The Way the Crow Flies by Anne-Marie McDonald

The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea

Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Green Darkness by Anya Seton

A Traitor to Memory by Elizabeth George or The Snow Fox by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer

These are all books I own, so it will feel great to read some and then pass the books along to somebody else. That way I free up shelf space for NEW-TO-ME books.

25 comments:

jenclair said...

Quincunx is excellent, but it should count as two! It reminded me so much of Bleak House by Dickens...but longer. Good list, Cheya!

hellomelissa said...

don't tell anybody, but the large forest-green temptation on my bedside table (you know which one, it's on your list) got cracked open in a moment of great stress. i needed comfort, it was there, waiting with open pages. even worse... at barnes & noble i bought the sky-blue sequel. gasp! i know, i'm terrible, and i haven't even finished the stacks challenge yet. sigh.

Lotus Reads said...

I love your list, booklogged! I am especially excited to see "Sacred Hunger", "The Hummingbird's Daughter" and "The Way the Crow Flies"...I wonder which 6 books you will end up reading?

Good luck with the challenge and happy reading!

Heather said...

The Way The Crow Flies is an excellent book. I'm still trying to decide on my books for this challenge.

Les said...

The Way the Crow Flies is on my list, too. I think I'll start with it in January. I LOVE The Shell Seekers!! I think it was my first experience of reading something "lyrical." Lovely book!

Heather said...

Oh you have some great reads on there! The Woman in White was excellent, and, for such a big book didn't really take that long to read. Gone With the Wind is the same way.

I love Diana Gabaldon! I've been wanting to reread Outlander, my favorite, and hope to do it soon!

Cornelia Funke's books are excellent. Great adventure stories!

Good luck!

nessie said...

I've got Inkheart on my TBR list (not the challenge just general) am looking forward to reading it before the film comes out.

I love Gabaldon as well though after the forth in the series it dwindles down. Voyager is the third... you knew that right? Because I had actually read that one FIRST then had to go back and read the first 2. Talk about silly!

Anonymous said...

Great list! I have been choosing from my stacks for all of these challenges too.

Bellezza said...

Booklogged, California Teacher Guy left me a clue on how to leave a comment, because believe me, I've been trying for the past five days! What I wanted to say is, I totally recommend A Woman In White. If you just pick six, I think you should make that one of the six. I also loved Shell Seekers. But, Woman in White was so worth its weight. (Hey, a little alliteration for you!)Bellezza

Anonymous said...

A Woman in White was really good. I loved the Outlander series at first but after the 4th one it just seemed to drag on a bit.

Booklogged said...

Jenclair, I'm glad to hear you liked Quincux. I ordered it because of the name. I looked up the definition and when the book came, the cover didn't quite jive with the definition. I decided to allow for creative interpretation.

Hello, Melissa. How's the large green book? I'm envious. I imagine this is the book that takes them to America? uhhh... you even have the sequel. I'm green with envy. I'll catch up someday.

I wonder, too, Lotus. I so want to read them ALL and more. If I could only read for long periods of time it would help, but I have to change activities every hour or so. I've never been a marathon reader. Darn it all, anyway.

Heather, I've heard a lot of good about the Crow Flies. It's a good thing, because it's the one that is going to be the hardest for me to start. I'm dragging my feet.
So encouragement is much appreciated.

Thank-you, Jenclair, I'm glad to hear you liked Quincux. I ordered it because of the name. I looked up the definition and when the book came, the cover didn't quite jive with the definition. I decided to allow for creative interpretation.

Hello, Melissa. How's the large green book? I'm envious. I imagine this is the book that takes them to America? uhhh... you even have the sequel. I'm green with envy. I'll catch up someday.

I wonder, too, Lotus. I so want to read them ALL and more. If I could only read for long periods of time it would help, but I have to change activities every hour or so. I've never been a marathon reader. Darn it all, anyway.

Heather, I've heard a lot of good about the Crow Flies. It's a good thing, because it's the one that is going to be the hardest for me to start. I'm dragging my feet.

Les, I probably won't be able to start Crow Flies until later in the year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you like it.

Heather, it sounds like we like some of the same books. So that means I'm going to love Woman in White, right?

Booklogged said...

Nessie, I was lucky enough to start of with the first in the Outlander series. I thought I was absolutely crazy to pick such a thick romance. (I really don't like romance) It was for a summer reading challenge - to read a romance. I loved it and so I read the second. The chunkster challenge gives me the perfect excuse to read book #3.

Iliana, we are into a year of terrific challenges, aren't we? It's going to be fun.

Meredith, what's the trick to leaving comments? I think you're meaning when blogger is acting up, aren't you? For some reason the link won't take me to your blog. URG!

Oh good, Carrie, that means I can quit after book three?

Joy said...

Hi Booklogged!

I read THE WAY THE CROW FLIES (MacDonald) and gave it a 3/5. I think the reason I didn't give it higher was because I read it with a slow moving book club. We would read a certain amount of pages and talk about them every couple of days. It takes away from the fun of spontaneous reading (at least for me), especially with a long book.

I've been wanting to read THE SHELL SEEKERS (Pilcher) for the longest time now; however, THE LONESOME DOVE (McMurty) won for the challenge. :)

dancechica said...

I read Katherine by Anya Seton maybe about 2-3 years ago and enjoyed it. I have Green Darkness, too, but it's been on my shelf for a while now...I really need to join this challenge myself! Lol. I have so many books in my TBR that have been there since forever. I have Inkheart on my wishlist though. I've heard so many good things about it, I can't wait to read it. Good luck with your challenge! :-D

hellomelissa said...

i'll send you "drums in autumn" when i'm done. you can email me (melissa@tommyleeedwards.com) or send me a pm on bookcrossing, if you're a member. i'm hellomelissa there, too.

"voyager" is almost done, and i've enjoyed it more than "dragonfly." but i've neglected the entire "stacks" challenge for the comfort of this book. BAD BAD hellomelissa. BAD.

Bookfool said...

Let's see if I can post, here. This should be interesting. I love your list, Booklogged! I read Outlander and loved it till the very cruel and evil ending, which ticked me off. Incredible writing, though. I really ought to get back to that series. Great titles - best of luck!! And, thanks, I'm glad you like the non-word, "chunkster". :)

Bookfool said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Bookfool said...

Oh, look, I managed to post! And, I forgot to say it was really cool to hop over to your blog and see "myself". Hahaha. I just love that thinking cap. ;)

bookish lore said...

What a GREAT list! You've given me some wonderful ideas. I read The Woman in White a while ago and it was just fabulous. I read it in English and couldn't find a copy in Spanish for my mother, so imagine, each day she would ask me what was going on and she would curse along with me whenever an evil character got the upper hand. I hope you enjoy it as much as WE did :)

Booklogged said...

Joy, I'm a bit hesitant about The Way the Crow Flies - its fatness makes it a bit scary, but mostly I read Fall on Your Knees and didn't like it.

Dance Chica, I have both those Anya Seton books to read. Inkheart is a fun read, I think you'll enjoy it.

Hello, Melissa. Thank-you for that nice offer. What a sweetheart you are. My email is not working properly. I can receive email, but can't send it out. Go figure! So I'll try to send my address from another computer. I'd be happy to send you a book in return. Let me have some time to check out Bookcrossing. If I can understand it, we could swap that way.

Bookfool, I love the thinking cap, too. Your challenge provided the perfect opportunity to add it to my blog. Thanks.

Bookish Lore, I've heard only praises for The Woman in White, but it, too, scares me. Size, yes, but also the small print. It's going to be my first book of the new year.

Anonymous said...

Oh, yowzers, though this one tempts I'm afraid to commit! I love love love the HUGE books, I really do, but life tends to intervene more and more in my reading every year. Oh, but the temptation of a wonderful list like yours.

Bellezza said...

booklogged, it's me, Meredith. Also, known as Bellezza. For awhile, blogger wouldn't let me comment as Bellezza, only as Meredith (my gmail account). Hence the confusion. Anyway, things seem back to normal now, thank goodness!

Booklogged said...

Bluestalking Reader, we need to find something to do about these lives of ours that keep tugging us away from our reading, don't we?

You know what's nice about the Chunkster Challenge is you decide the number of books to read in the 6 months. You could choose just one. How can you resist? *!*

Bellezza, I understand. I have done my share of grumbling over blogger myself. When it works it's so wonderful, but when it doesn't it is horrid. It's nice to see you back again.

Christina said...

I wish you luck. I have not yet joined one of these challenges but I am seriously considering it. With my husband gone to Iraq I have a lot more reading time to keep me occupied and I am just getting back into the swing of reading more than a book a month. Of course I also read a huge amount of magazines.

Imani said...

Oh, oh, oh if you manage to read at least half of the novels on that formidable list make sure The Hummingbird's Daughter is in that group. It was one of my favourite favourite novels last year and I can't wait for Urrea to write the Part II.

Thanks for commenting on my blog!