I tried to resist, I really did. But I was no match for Michelle’s Book Awards Reading Challenge. I noticed this one popping up on various blogs and it looks so interesting, getting to choose from a variety of awards, reading the best in literature. I had fun picking out my selections, and to make it extra challenging, I’m opting not to cross-post any books and each book will be from a different award. I also managed to restrict my choices to those books that I already own, but have not yet read. So, without further ado, here are my selections:
Agatha Awards ~ Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear (2004)
Man Booker Prize ~ The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize ~ A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (1996)
Giller Prize ~ Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (1996)
Governor General’s Award ~ The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (1993)
Hugo Award ~ Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2005)
IMPAC Dublin Literary Award ~ The Master by Colm TóibÃn (2006)
Miles Franklin Literary Award ~ The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard (2004)
National Book Award ~ Ship Fever and Other Stories by Andrea Barrett (1996)
National Book Critics Circle Award ~ Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (2004)
Nobel Prize in Literature ~ Orhan Pamuk (My Name is Red) (2006)
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction ~ Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2003)
I had the most difficult time choosing a title from the Booker Award and Pulitzer Prize, since I have a good number of books that won those prestigious honors. So, I decided to choose a few for possible bonus or alternate selections:
Booker ~ The Sea by John Banville (2005)
Booker ~ Amsterdam: A Novel by Ian McEwan (1998)
Booker ~ The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1997)
Pulitzer ~ The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2007)
Pulitzer ~ March by Geraldine Brooks (2006)
Pulitzer ~ The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (2001)
Whew! Is there a challenge addicts anonymous group?
LOL, Lesley – it’s why I started a Yahoo group devoted to readers addicted to challenges … sort of like a support group, only we keep joining MORE challenges, not less!
Hah! I am trying very, very hard not to join any more for the time being. But they are so tempting!
LOL. Great list! I’ve read a few of those and mostly enjoyed them. I plan to read My Name is Red too. It’s been in my tbr piles for ages.
Good to know – I’ve had a lot of these on my ‘tbr’ shelf for far too long. My poor copy of My Name is Red has been shuffled from my nightstand back the bookshelf so many times. But I’m determined to read it.
I wish the 3rd in Winspear’s series had won an award. I need to read it but have to many challenge books standing between me and it. Looks like you’ve chosen some awesome books.
I’ve got the third one on my shelf as well, but I won’t be reading it anytime soon! I’m really excited about this challenge, so many of these books are ones I’ve been wanting to read for awhile.
LOL, an addiction group I fit into! Good list, some I’ve read and loved, some I have on my list, too! I loved Gilead, by the way–slow to start, though, so give it time. I’d love to hear what you think of the Orhan Pamuk, I’ve been wanting to read something of his.
I think there’d be quite a few of us in that group.
Thanks for the tip on Gilead. Some of my favorite books were slow to start, so I’m always hesitant to give up on one unless I’m really not enjoying it at all. I’m curious as to what I’ll think of the Pamuk book, too!
Sign me up for the Challenge Addicts Anonymous group
Oh and guess what? I’ve just added my name to your challenge. Yes, I’m joining in! I’ll have to add the graphic on my blog soon.
Great! Thanks for joining – and posting about it on your site. Good luck!
Read The Road by McCarthy it is an amazing book, one of the best I read last year.
So I’ve heard!