Tournament of Books Reading Challenge

Hey y'all!!! I love a personal reading challenge, so I think I'll personally challenge myself. My personal reading challenge throughout the remainder of the year is to read the 2011 Morning News Tournament of Books contenders!!!

For some readerly bloggerly types this was probably a challenge DURING the Tournament of Books, but for a slow-as-mole-asses reader such as myself, it's a challenge that will likely take the rest of 2011.

I had such fun watching the unfolding of this year's Tournament, I can't leave it behind just yet. I even printed a copy of the Tournament poster brackets and put it on my office door when the contest was going on. Several in my office called me a huge nerd, but they also followed the Tournament from then on, so BOO-YAH!!!

The majority of these books were already on my Lust List, and some have gone on to win really big prizes since the Tournament.

Here's the illustrious list:

• The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (in progress)
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
• Next by James Hynes
• So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
• Nox by Anne Carson
• Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
• The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
• Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
• Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky
• Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
• Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
• Kapitoil by Teddy Wayne
• Room by Emma Donoghue
• Bloodroot by Amy Greene
• Model Home by Eric Puchner
• Savages by Don Winslow

And I hereby forbid myself to slave and stall over sucky books, so if I hate any of these, I will not hesitate to toss.

If anyone wants to join me, please do! I will likely need some moral support at some point. However, since I'm a sucky leader of groups I will not provide any prizes, giveaways, or other stuff. The prize is knowing I finished more than five books for the year. And I'm only sort of kidding!