Winter Reading Challenge: The Wrap-Up

It seems I've officially completed the Winter Reading Challenge, even though I still have most of the reviews to write. At the start, I said I was aiming for at least five books, since that's what I managed to read in last year's Challenge. As it turns out, I actually read twelve books during the three months the Challenge has been in progress. Here's what I read (I'll add more links to reviews as I get them posted in the next few days):

Drawers & Booths by Ara 13 [See Review]
Cover Her Face by P.D. James [See Review]
The Master by Colm Toibin
Rest In Pieces by Rita Mae Brown
Hotel Du Lac by Anita Brookner [See Review]
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
Index to Murder: A Miss Zukas Mystery by Jo Dereske
Land of Marvels by Barry Unsworth
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton [See Review]
The Great Victorian Collection by Brian Moore
Blasphemy by Douglas Preston
Angels & Insects: Two Novellas by A.S. Byatt

That's a really eclectic mix, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed all the books, although I struggled a bit with the Byatt and the Unsworth. Still had a good time reading them, though. Many of the titles were works I'd had on my TBR list for years, although a few were new finds. A couple were from series that I'd read in the past, and I discovered one new series (the Miss Zukas Mysteries) that I intend to dip into again in the future. I suppose if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Wharton's The Age of Innocence, but The Master and The Great Victorian Collection would be tied for a close second-place.

So I did quite a bit better than last year. Now if I can just stay on track, I should just about reach my next big goal which is fifty books by year's end. Thanks so much to Robin of My Two Blessings for hosting, and to everyone else who took part and posted all those great reviews.

The Winter Reading Challenge

The Winter Reading Challenge sounds like it should be painlessly doable. Hosted by Robin of My Two Blessings, it started December 21st (so I'm a little late arriving), and runs until March 20, 2009. Books can be fiction or non-, and e-books and audiobooks are allowed. Overlaps with other challenges are OK, too, which means I can read some of the books I'd be reading anyway.

Participants can choose any number of books they think they can read during the run of the challenge. In the 2007-2008 Winter Reading Challenge, I read five books – so that's what I'm aiming for this time. But I'm adding a second list, just in case I manage to push myself a little farther. Together, they represent quite an eclectic mix.

My Primary List:
Santa Clawed, by Rita Mae Brown
Crewel Yule, by Monica Ferris
Daughter of the Stars, by Phyllis A. Whitney
Cover Her Face, by P.D. James
Drawers and Booths, by Ara 13 (an ARC)

My Secondary List:
The Master, by Colm Toibin
The Wench is Dead, by Colin Dexter
The Great Victorian Collection, by Brian Moore
The Double, by Jose Saramago
Three Junes, by Julia Glass