Coming briskly on the heels of the 12 Books wrap-up is another book club challenge from my friend Mark. He, like many others, didn’t finish his 12, but did make an earnest effort and felt like the challenge encouraged him to commit to reading – though that hardly seems to be a problem for him! He has set forward the Two-Thirds Book Challenge:
- Make a list of books that you would like to read in the next year. It can be as long or as short as you like. Post it somewhere, if moved to.
- Read 2/3rds of them between now and 30 September 2012.
- If you like, write about them on your blog, in goodreads, in your journal, or wherever you like. If you so desire, let Mark know where you post your writing and he will compile a sort-of-monthly post here that aggregates them.
I, of course, signed up immediately. I like challenges that build in a margin of error. I like having extra motivation to read. And I like signing up for things.
In the next 12 months, I would like to read 15 books. I would like that list to include the following 10 titles, plus 5 wild cards to be determined by whatever looks good at the library or sounds appealing on The Diane Rehm Show.
Nonfiction:
- 52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander – though it is a bit cruel to set out to read about bread while simultaneously restricting it from your diet.
- The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
- Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity by Frank Viola
- Fair Shares for All: A Memoir of Family and Food by John Haney
- In the Land of Invented Languages: Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers, and The Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build A Perfect Language by Arika Okrent
Fiction:
- Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
- Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
- The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
- The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory – yeah, yeah. A little escapist historical fiction never hurt anyone.
- Runaway by Alice Munro
With those parameters and a 33% margin of error, I think I can do it. Who’s with me? Or, more accurately, who’s with Mark?
latterdaybohemian 
I hope you enjoy the Okrent book on invented languages. Sara and I both read it via Urbana Free before we moved and quite enjoyed it. It comes up in conversation frequently. Umberto Eco has two books on the topic but they are far more academic and arcane. The main one, The Search for the Perfect Language, has some awesome moments but is mostly a slog. The much shorter, Serendipities, is actually the “outtakes” of the other (what he had to cut) but, in the end, is more interesting, shorter, and somewhat less academic.
We’re looking forward to hearing what you think about Okrent. Also, I have this feeling I should read some Alice Munro so looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that, too.
LikeLike