Thursday, July 12, 2007

Seconds Challenge


In an effort to get the TBR bookcase less cluttered (yes, I no longer have a TBR pile, I have a full 3 shelf book case), I've decided to join Joy's Seconds Challenge. I really wish I would've discovered Joy's blog earlier. She's a wonderful blogger who is also hosting the Nonfiction challenge that so many of you are participating in. I only found 3 books on my shelf that are seconds offerings of authors I've read. They are:

1. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - I bought this book about 5 years ago and I've never read it! I've always loved the title...that's the reason I bought it. I read Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 for the Banned Books Challenge and loved it, so I'm looking forward to this one. It will fit in nicely with the R.I.P. challenge as well.

2. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin - This is the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. I read A Game of Thrones for the Once Upon a Time Challenge and it was one of my favorite reads so far this year. I've heard that this one is a little slow, but that the series picks up again after this one. I just don't know if I can wait til October to start this one! But I have plenty to keep me occupied until then.

3. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris - You may know David Sedaris if you ever listen to This American Life on NPR. I read his book, Dress Me Up in Corduroy and Denim last year and laughed throughout the whole thing. His writing is hilarious, touching, and very meaningful. He captures moments in his life perfectly and I'm looking forward to reading this one.

The challenge runs from October through December.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cool have fun with your challenge. I can't do anymore this year as I am maxed out! Don't feel bad about your TBR bookshelf, I have pretty much a whole room!!!

Jeff S. said...

Yeah! For A Clash of Kings! I didn't think it was slow at all. I thought the first 3 books each got better and better. The 4th is the first one I think leveled off some because he pushed some of my favorite characters storylines to Book 5. Good luck with the challenge.

I with rhinoa and you too. My TBR pile takes up practically a whole bookshelf now.

As for packing. I'm also a last minute; 5 minutes kind of guy myself, too.

Ana S. said...

Couldn't resist for long, could you :P

Chris, I think you are going to LOVE "Something Wicked This Way Comes". It is, shamefully enough, the only Bradbury I've read, but I loved it. It'd be perfect for RIP too, because it's a quite disturbing book. I'm not the kind of person who gets disturbed by books easily, but some of the descriptions in this book honestly gave me chills. Plus the writing is just great.

I really have to read Fahrenheit 451.

chrisa511 said...

Rhinoa, A whole room! I feel much better now..thanks ;) I really shouldn't have joined another challenge either, but I figured it's only 3 more and I plan on reading one for another challenge as well. Yes, I'm cheating, but oh well :p

Jeff, Figured you'd like that one ;) I'm glad to hear that you didn't think it was slow! I hope I find the same.

Just did a quick count of the TBR shelf and it consists of 109 books! Isn't that horrible!

Packing for me involves pulling things out of the closet and just stuffing them into the suitcase until things don't fit anymore :)

Nymeth, I REALLY tried to resist another challenge. I'm nervous now that I'm not going to complete some of these challenges! I still have a bunch left for the classics and newbery challenges and just wait til you see what I have in store for the R.I.P. challenge. It's only 9 books as of now, but they're VERY long books.

I'm so glad to hear that I'll love Something Wicked This Way Comes! It's been on my shelf for so long and it's been neglected for so long. Poor book :( I like disturbing :) You should put Fahrenheit 451 on your list for another alternate for the seconds challenge. Great book and a short read!

Anonymous said...

For me challenges are just a way to select books out of the big stack. Otherwise I look at them and think "Hmm... which of you is next? Perhaps that new one I saw over at so -and-so's blog"

And then I have yet another book that beats out all the poor ones waiting on the shelves.

chrisa511 said...

Kim, That's what challenges are for me too ;) Picking books that fit out of the TBR pile :p It lowers my piles and helps me choose which ones to read next.

PamiP said...

me talk pretty one day = so so so so so much better than dress your family in corduroy and denim. so is naked. I lost all my sedaris books in the hurricane including the cd collection, so jared got me all his publications this past christmas to replace them. in fancy hardback i might add.

chrisa511 said...

Pamela, Look at you moving up in the world with Sedaris in hardback ;) I lost so many books in Katrina...that sucked! Just the title of Me Talk Pretty One Day had me cracking up...I'm sure I'll like that one. I've heard tons of great stuff about Naked too...I'll have to get to that one next.

Joy said...

Hi Chris! Welcome to the 2nds Challenge. I haven't read any on your list, but have heard of two of them. I hope you enjoy these seconds as much as the firsts. Happy Reading! :)

DesLily said...

What can I say?
You are a Challenged Individual!

(not the least of which is to read 3 books ONLINE!)

My TBR books are few..but then it remains "never ending" heh..just works out that way somehow.

Jeff S. said...

109 TBR books. Hmmm. I just counted and I cracked up because I have 108. Really I mean it. We have a lot of reading ahead of us and I don't think either of us would have it any other way. :)

chrisa511 said...

Thanks Joy, Looking forward to it!

Deslily, I am indeed challenged...Your books always remain at the top of the pile ;) I'm sorry I'm so slow! I've been a horrible reader lately

Jeff, Now that's just eerie, lol...I definitely wouldn't have it any other way. The number on the TBR pile constantly rises because I'm constantly buying books faster than I can read them! It's really an addiction.

Bookfool said...

Have fun. I couldn't even fathom this challenge; I'm too into variety, I guess.

chrisa511 said...

Bookfool, I think I really need to be MORE into variety...I tend to read the same authors over and over again. My bookshelves consist mainly of the same authors over and over again. When I find an author I like I tend to consume everything they've written. I'm enjoying the Newbery Challenge because of all the different authors.

Framed said...

Great choices. "Something Wicked" sounds like a good one for the RIp challenge which I want to join this year. I'll be back to read your reviews.

Stephanie said...

I love David Sedaris! Both he and Amy just CRACK me up! I can't even tell you how many books I have in my house that I haven't read yet! Let's just say, I have them everywhere! Then, for some reason, I just head off to the library and come home with 15 more books!

So the fact that you only have 3 shelves is actually pretty good (considering how many times you just "happen" to be in Barnes & Noble!) LOL

Bookfool said...

That's true; it can be a rut to get stuck on the same authors. BTW, I forgot to mention that Something Wicked This Way Comes is in my RIP pile. I didn't get to it, last year. I'll look forward to your thoughts on that one.

chrisa511 said...

Thanks Framed...I'm really looking forward to reading some more Bradbury. RIP should be fun!

Steph, Amy Sedaris cracks me up too. I love Strangers With Candy...did you see the movie? I do wind up in B&N an awful lot, don't I ;)

Bookfool, Yay! If you get to it this year we can compare notes...from what I've heard it's quite disturbing :/

Carl V. Anderson said...

I honestly think I read Something Wicked back in my youth when the film came out, but it is a pretty vague memory. I look forward to your thoughts on it.

chrisa511 said...

I'm really looking forward to that one Carl. I didn't know they did a film on that one! I'll have to check it out after.