Book Challenge 2017: My Picks

In her thank you card after Christmas, my Auntie included a sheet of A4 describing the 2017 Book Challenge, which had been circulated by one of her colleagues.

I'm not sure who originally put the list together, but I'm taking up the challenge and reading a book per month, each based on one of the twelve categories. I do read a lot more than one book a month, but this will be a great way to get me picking some things I might not normally have come across.

The best way to kick this off seemed to be to choose my twelve books. I won't necessarily read them in the order shown below, but I thought I'd share them to hold myself accountable. I'll then share my thoughts each month on whichever book it is I've read.




My choices:

A book written by an author with the same initials as you
The Sorrows of an American, Siri Hustvedt

A book recommended by a friend (by my friend Jenny, in fact)
American Gods, Neil Gaiman

A non-fiction book based on a popular or topical subject
The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking

A book that has previously been banned
Beloved, Toni Morrison

A collection of short stories
Nocturnes, Kazuo Ishiguro

A book with more than 400 pages
Don Quixote, Cervantes, translated by J M Cohen

A book with an unusual setting
The Book of Strange New Things, Michael Faber

A book by a writer from a minority group
Passing, Nella Larson

A book that's set in another country
City of Joy, Dominique Lapierre

A book by a female author
Mansfield Park, Jane Austen

A book with a plot set around books, a library or bookshop
Farenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

A book you chose based on its cover
Wicked, Gregory Maguire


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