By the Decades Challenge

It has been pointed out to me that I can join this challenge without adding any more books to my list! So how could I not?

Here's my list:

• 2000s-Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro
  
• 1990s-The Giver by Lois Lowry
  
• 1970s- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
• 1980s- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
  
• 1960s- Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
  
• 1950s- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• 1940s- The Little Prince by Antoine St. Exupery
• 1930s- Brave New World by Huxley
  
• 1920s- Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
  

I have already read The Little Prince half a dozen times. This is my very favorite book, and when I saw it was written in the 40s I couldn't resist adding it. Perhaps it does not qualify for the challenge as I have read it, in which Animal Farm is also from the 40s. There are actually lots of great novels from the 40s that I could have added- Gigi (which I have), Cheaper By the Dozen, The Heart of the Matter, The Pearl, Cannery Row, Stuart Little. I'm going with The Little Prince because it's my favorite.

Reading the lists on wikipedia sure does make me want to read a lot of classics that I never got around to. There are just so many good books out there, and not enough time in my life to read them all.

Newbery Challenge

I've decided to join the Newbery Challenge. This challenge runs May 15- December 31, 2007.

I'm not sure where I'll find the time to read them, but I can't help myself. I figure just entering the challenge will have me reading at least a couple books I'd otherwise skip over. I had a really hard time choosing as so many of them brought back memories for me. I managed to only pick one that I had read before (#6). Here's my list:

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry (1994 Newbery Winner and on my Dystopian Challenge list.)
2. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (1990 Newbery Winner)
3. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1979)
4. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
5. Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt (1967)
6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1963)
7. (alternate title) The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1959)

Dystopian Challenge

For a list of participants, see this post on my main blog.

In case you missed the first post, the rules were as follows:

1. Pick any number of books you wish to read that fall into the Utopia/Dystopia genre.
2. They do not have to be books you've never read, but hopefully they aren't books you last week.
3. Challenge is open now, and will last until November 6th.

I followed that up with post #2, which has some lists of books and links to lists.

A couple of brave souls actually agreed to play along with me! Ok, so there aren't many, but at least I'm not alone. I plan to convince my husband to join in too. I had a hard time narrowing down my list, without it being the first 5 books listed. I think I have it now though.<

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry. (I really want to read Lowry's Number the Stars too, but it doesn't fit the challenge. Or really, any of her books. )
2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. (I read this in 10th grade and loved it so much. It was the first books that really made me *think*. Then I had to do a presentation to my class, much of which revolved around sex and drugs, and I was mortified.)
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. (I've also read this before, but I'd like to read it again as an adult and mother.)
4. Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm. (Susan at West of Mars keeps recommending it, so I chose it.)
5. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. (This one was on the list at wikipedia and looks interesting.)
6. Either Animal Farm or 1984 by Orwell. I have not decided which yet.