Collecting Dust March 2014 Challenge

[Katy, Old School Classics]

This is a monthly challenge for those readers who have had books forever on their TBR list.

This challenge will help you get those books finally read.

If you wish to participate then from your TBR bookshelf list 5 books that you would like to read for the month of March. The next member who comments will pick two choices from your list. You are only obligated to read 1 of those books, but you may choose to read both. Once you read it, let us know and you may add your review or link to your review!

I think you know the rules by now.

Let's have fun reducing our TBR piles.

[Daisy]

1. Fables, Jean de La Fontaine
2. Lost Illusions, Honoré de Balzac
3. The Unfortunate Traveller and Other Works, Thomas Nashe
4.An Ethiopian Romance, Heliodorus
5. The Princesse de Clèves, Madame de La Fayette

[Connie]

Daisy,

For you I choose Fables and Lost Illusions. I haven't read either but have been meaning to read some Balzac.

My list of 5 is:

1) So Big by Edna Ferber
2) The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
3) Trying to Save Piggy Sneed by John Irving
4) Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
5) If Morning Ever Comes by Anne Tyler

[Connie]

Bookworm wrote: "I don't know any of those Daisy, however, the two i choose would be 'The House of the Seven Gables' and 'If Morning Ever Comes'!

It's not Daisy you are choosing for, it is me, Connie. I chose for Daisy. Now my job is to try and read the 2 you chose for me and someone else will choose 2 off your list for you to read. Thanks for your choices. these 2 have been sitting in a TBR pile for awhile.

My List of five are:

1. Persuasion by Jane Austen
2. Tess of the D..."

[Diana S]

Hi Bookworm,

I choose for you:
Northanger Abbey and Madame Bovary

My List of Five is:
The Violin of Auschwitz
Swallows of Kabul
The Four Ms. Bradwells
Dreaming in English
Jane

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Hi Diana.

I choose for your two books:
Swallows of Kabul and The Violin of Auschwitz

My Five
1) Elfland
2) Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story
3) A Monster Calls
4) Dave At Night
5) Dreamsnake

[Shawn]

Kathy,

I choose A Monster Calls and Dave At Night

My five are:

1.Hard Times, A Longman Cultural Edition by Charles Dickens
2. Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore
3. Life by Keith Richards
4. At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft
5. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

[Dani]

Duane,
I choose for you The Golden Notebook and March

My five
1. The Alchemist
2. Slaughterhouse-Five
3. One Hundred Years of Solitude
4. Romeo and Juliet
5. A Tale of Two Cities

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Tullia,
I choose for you To Kill a Mockingbird (one of the best ever) and The Time Machine.

My five:
The Game
An Old Captivity
A Night to Remember
Of Human Bondage
The House on the Strand

[Andrea]

Bob,
I am choosing Of Human Bondage or The House on the Strand for you to read in the month of March.

I took the top 5 that have been sitting on my TBR list the longest:
The Book Thief
Moloka'i
The Historian
Cutting for Stone
These Is My Words

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Daisy, as you were the first to post your books for March; will you choose for the last person again? Thanks

Anyone else in for March? February ends on Friday!

[MK]

I'll be sneaking in on the last day again ;-)

[Katy, Old School Classics]

:) LOL

[MK]

heh ~

[MK]

Andrea wrote: "...I took the top 5 that have been sitting on my TBR list the longest:
The Book Thief
Moloka'i
The Historian
Cutting for Stone
These Is My Words "

Andrea, I'll be right back with your choice. Still clicking through the titles ;-).

And for my books, here are my remainders from February, plus an addition:

1. Oh, Waiter! One Order of Crow!: Inside the Strangest Presidential Election Finish in American History, by Jeff Greenfield
2. The Time in Between, by Maria Duenas
4. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford
5. The House At Riverton, by Kate Morton
6. The Valkyries, by Paulo Coelho


Brb! :)

Edit ... Ahhh that was hard! I changed my mind six times! Great books. I'm surprised I'm not choosing The Book Thief, because I just finished it myself (and loved it!). But... for your two books, Andrea, I choose:

· Moloka'i, by Alan Brennert, and/or
· The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova

(I almost changed my mind again, when I was typing title name in the add book dropbox!

[Andrea]

MK wrote: "Andrea wrote: "...I took the top 5 that have been sitting on my TBR list the longest:
The Book Thief
Moloka'i
The Historian
Cutting for Stone
These Is My Words "

Andrea, I'll be right back with yo..."

Thanks MK! So funny about the Book Thief…I was secretly hoping someone would pick that one but I'm very happy with your choices and I'll probably read both of them!

Who is supposed to pick for you? Last day of February….

[MK]

D'oh! Now I wish I did pick The Book Thief! I really had a hard time deciding between your books, Andrea!!

If no one else signs up by morning, then Daisy is supposed to pick for me since she was first. But if she doesn't wander in tomorrow morning, I'll be happy with anyone picking :-)

[Tytti]

I am currently stuck in the middle of The Historian. Still 400 pages to go... And it's already abridged! It has its good parts but should have been shortened even more.

[MK]

Tytti wrote: "I am currently stuck in the middle of The Historian. Still 400 pages to go... And it's already abridged! It has its good parts but should have been shortened even more."

that sounds like a good book!

[Tytti]

MK wrote: "that sounds like a good book!"

Well it's thick. If it were very good I would have finished it already... IMO it's not good enough to be 845 pages long.

[MK]

heh ... I hear ya, Tytti.

[Andrea]

Tytti wrote: "MK wrote: "that sounds like a good book!"

Well it's thick. If it were very good I would have finished it already... IMO it's not good enough to be 845 pages long."

Thanks for clearing things up for me Tytti.

I'll read Moloka'i first, then The Book Thief which will also knock-off the letters M and B in the A-Z challenge. I'll squeeze The Historian in at the end of March if I have any time left.

[MK]

So far, I've only ever managed to finish one of my tbrs in the 'collecting dust' challenge. If you know off THREE~! wow, that's impressive :D

[Tytti]

Andrea wrote: "I'll read Moloka'i first..."

My friend gave it four stars so it's not bad and I'd like to finish it because it IS actually almost scary at times (for me anyway, I don't read horror). It's just moves on different times so I feel there is too much repetition. And it's great if you like travelling.

[MK]

March is closed to new signups (signup for April is here!). Let's have some fun reviews, happy reading :).

Will some kind Samaritan please pick a tbr from my list for me, por favor? Danke! :)

[Tytti]

Can I pick? Then I would choose:

The House At Riverton
and
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

[MK]

Thankyou, Tytti! (And, yes, of course!)

[Tytti]

I took a look at that Riverton book in a store some time ago, someone recommended to people who like Downton Abbey.

[MK]

I read her The Forgotten Garden for the January Collecting Dust Challenge, and enjoyed it very much.

[Katy, Old School Classics]

So I loved A Monster Calls, I really had no idea what the book was really about. Well worth my reading time.

[Connie]

I read one of my books for this challenge - If Morning Ever Comes . I was rather disappointed in it. The characters were rather bland and the story wasn't that interesting. I have read other Ann Tyler books that I have enjoyed so was looking forward to this one. Oh, well! At least it won't be taking up room on my shelf any more.

[MK]

Nice job, Kathy and Connnie! Finishing early. I started mine the first day or two -- then an avalanche of books came in at the library, so I had to set it aside until the end of the month.

I've read one Ann Tyler, Connie. Thx for steering me clear of a bland charactered one!

Kathy .... skeeryyy!! (I'm such a wimp :p)

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Yes, but it is not a scary book -- I thought it was too.

[MK]

huh! I thought it would have been, from the description! Good to know :)

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

It's the last week of the month and I have finally started Of Human Bondage, I should finish before the end of the month, but there's not a chance of reading The House on the Strand, so back on the shelf it goes. Reading was limited this month 14 days spent on Moby-Dick; or, The Whale and five days out of town for business has left a big hole in my reading. Its hard to catch up once you fall behind.

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Yes, I am still not done with Moby Dick. I plan to get back to it this week.

[MK]

Bob wrote: "I Its hard to catch up once you fall behind. ..."

So true! Welcome home. Hope you had a successful trip :)

[Daisy]

Bob wrote: "I should finish before the end of the month, but there's not a chance of reading The House on the Strand."

Have you all any idea how many Fables are in Fables de LaFontaine...? Let me tell ya . . . zillions. And, written in 17th century French. And, with multitudinous references to Greek mythology of which I know next to nothing (although my knowledge on this subject is a little less sketchy now).

Which means, like you Bob, my second choice is going back on the shelf.

[Katy, Old School Classics]

The goal is to finish one, so hey we are all doing okay here.

[MK]

Tytti wrote: "Can I pick? Then I would choose:

The House At Riverton
and
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"


Tytti, I'm late! I'm still in-progress with Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, but I'll finish it this month :p