2012 Challenge! What are you reading?

[Robin]

Unfortunately, the monthly group read didn't really take off. So I decided instead to open up a challenge for the year that will hopefully appeal to everyone. After all, if you're a member here you presumably are already reading books on women in history so this will hopefully just get people talking about it. I know we're already half way through the year but whatever you've already read this year that applies will count (just set up a shelf like "women-in-history" and then add all applicable books to it - then make sure the "date read" field is correctly filled and it will automatically count in the challenge when you join!).

So let's see what you've got! Tell what you've read, are reading, and/or plan to read.

So far I have read 16 books that apply, mostly novels that feature a female protagonist (both historical and fictional) but also some non-fiction. I set myself the challenge to read 25 by the end of the year but I might increase this.

White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke
The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown
Robin: Lady of Legend
Murder In the North End
Silver Lies
Willow Pond
Uneasy Spirits
Bess of Hardwick: First Lady of Chatsworth, 1527-1608
Yellow Crocus
Hetaera--Suspense in Ancient Athens
The Queen's Secret
Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War
For the King's Favor
His Last Duchess
The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister
Murder on Black Friday

[Kit]

I've been doing a Royalties reading challenge-several of past queens and princesses. Recently read A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France. I really enjoyed Train. I like this subject (women spies). I think I may run with this theme for the rest of the year! :D

I just finished Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue; and have The Woman Warrior & Spy Princess: The Life Of Noor Inayat Khan on my to-read list.

[Elizabeth]

I made a couple lists a while ago that the group might be interested in. A bunch of them can be found for free in various ebook formats too.

Women's Journals and Diaries in History 80 books

Women's Correspondence - Letters in History 62 books

Feel free to add to them if you know of more :)

[Robin]

Great lists, Elizabeth, I'll have to check some out.

Oh, and off the top of my head, it doesn't look like A Confederate Girl's Diary is on there? Should I add it?

[Elizabeth]

Its #55, which is sad because its one of my favorites, but that's how the voting went. You should definitely vote it up! :)

[Kit]

I'm in reading royality chanllnge and other groups. I have ten books in my Women's Studies shelf and seven on the royality shelf. Do these count? Or are we only counting from June forward?

[Robin]

Yep, they count, it's for the whole year!

[Kit]

Robin wrote: "Yep, they count, it's for the whole year!"

Yeah, Thank you! I have several others-hoping to read double what I have. Reading list to be announced-I still working on it!

Love Elizabeth's lists!

[J.]

I just put up a review of a Canadian history book: Petticoats And Prejudice: Women And Law In Nineteenth Century Canada. If you're interested in Canadian women's legal history, including topics such as marriage, divorce, child custody, abortion, infanticide, employment, seduction, and rape (it's not really a cheery book), as well as stories about Canada's first female doctor and lawyer, check it out! While it's an academic history, I think it would be a great read for the layperson too.

[Kit]

What are we doing for 2013?