Spring Reading Thing 2007 Wrap Up

Katrina at Callapidder Days hosted the Spring Reading Thing 2007 this year. She offered readers the opportunity to do a little spring cleaning with their reading by finally getting caught up, getting to those books that just seem to lanquish of the shelves, or to read a book a friend recommended a long while ago that you never got to.

My own list was a compilation of titles I had planned to read either for other challenges or because I knew I had put them off too long as it was.


Spring Reading List
1. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
2. The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
3. The Inhabited World by David Long
4. The Angel of Forgetfulness by Steve Stern
5. April Witch by Majgull Axelsson
6. The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer
7. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
8. Atonement Ian McEwan


What was the best book you read this spring?

I was able to fit in 19 books this spring, all but one of which I enjoyed reading without a doubt. The two books that stand out above the rest this season just happen to be books I read for the Spring Reading Thing 2007 Challenge.

Ian McEwan's Atonement is a well-crafted and beautifully written novel and Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a powerful and moving book. Half of a Yellow Sun was the most gripping and emotionally charged of the two, the one that had me enthralled from the very first sentence. In the end that is why Half of a Yellow Sun will go down as my favorite book this spring.

What book could you have done without?

The Angel of Forgetfulness by Steve Stern was my least favorite. It was based on an interesting premise, and I am sure will find an audience who will love it, however, it did very little for me. It had it's good moments, but I was too often bored and wished it would end so I could move on to the next book.

Did you try out a new author this spring? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

This spring I took on several new authors. In fact, of all the books I read this spring, only two are ones I have read before. For this particular challenge, there was only one of which I'd read before, that being Wally Lamb. All the rest were new to me. I most definitely will be seeking out more books by several of the authors I was introduced to during this challenge: Ian McEwan, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Colleen Gleason, David Long, and if possible Majgull Axelsson.

What did you learn -- about anything -- through this challenge? Maybe you learned something about yourself or your reading style, maybe you learned not to pick so many nonfiction books for a challenge, maybe you learned something from a book you read. Whatever it is, share!

Well, I learned that there is such a thing as biting off more than you can chew in regards to reading challenges! The advantage to this challenge was that I was able to read books that crossed over into other challenged, otherwise, I would have been drowning by now. And to be honest, I am still having difficulty treading through the water I call books. Don't get me wrong though; I am in no way complaining.

What was the best part of the Spring Reading Thing?

I felt I had been neglecting the New York Times Notable Book Challenge and the Spring Reading Thing gave me the perfect excuse to remedy that situation. Since the NYT Challenge is so open, I think I needed the structure this challenge offered to get a kick start.


All in all, the Spring Reading Thing was an enjoyable experience. Many thanks to Katrina for hosting the challenge.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Knopf, 2006
Fiction; 435 pgs

Completed: 06/18/2007
Rating: (Very Good +)


First Sentence: Master was a little crazy; he had spent too many years reading books overseas, talked to himself in his office, did not always return greetings and had too much hair.

Reason for Reading: I was drawn to this novel from the very first time I heard about it several months ago, and the more I heard about it, the more I was sure I wanted read it. And so it was with great anticipation that I opened the book to the first page and began to read. This is my third selection for the New York Times Notable Book Challenge and my eighth and final selection for the Spring Reading Thing.

From the Publisher: With the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Adichie weaves together the lives of five characters caught up in the extraordinary tumult of the decade. Fifteen-year-old Ugwu is houseboy to Odenigbo, a university professor who sends him to school, and in whose living room Ugwu hears voices full of revolutionary zeal. Odenigbo’s beautiful mistress, Olanna, a sociology teacher, is running away from her parents’ world of wealth and excess; Kainene, her urbane twin, is taking over their father’s business; and Kainene’s English lover, Richard, forms a bridge between their two worlds. As we follow these intertwined lives through a military coup, the Biafran secession and the subsequent war, Adichie brilliantly evokes the promise, and intimately, the devastating disappointments that marked this time and place.

Comments: Between 1967 through to the beginning of 1970, Nigeria was in the midst of a civil war. A coup over the government by the Igpo people was short lived when another coup by the Hausa followed hot on its heels, becoming a nightmare for the Igbo people in Nigeria. On the back of a massacre that would continue throughout the war, the southeastern provinces of Nigeria declared themselves the Republic of Biafra and attempted to secede from the rest of the country. Although atrocities occurred on both sides, the use of starvation as a weapon to the isolated and war torn Biafra has become one of the grim trademarks of that vicious war.

A number of books have been popping up recently describing life and war in Africa, from a variety of cultures and perspectives. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel is one among many; however, it is one that stands out. The author is a gifted storyteller and her novel drew me in from the very first page and did not let go until long after I breathed in the last word. I am struggling with what to write about this book. The story moved me beyond words. I found myself chuckling during the lighter moments of the book, bubbling with anger at the atrocities described, fearful for the lives of characters I had grown to care very much for, and as if covered by a great veil of sadness, knowing that although Adichie’s novel is a work of fiction, there is much truth there as well.

The author’s words breathe life into the characters. How typical Ugwa was as a thirteen-year-old boy! There was Olanna with her kind heart and self-doubt; Odenigbo, so full of passion for what he believes; Richard whose outsider status never held him back from believing he belonged and yet whose uncertainty made him unsteady on his feet; and Kainene, who stood apart and kept her distance more often than not, hiding behind her sarcastic comments. It was Kainene I was most fascinated by, surprising even myself. I would have expected to be taken in more by Olanna’s gentle but tough character for she is the character I could most identify with.

Adichie painted a vivid picture of the brutality of war and the impact it had on her characters. No one went unaffected in some way, whether they paid the ultimate price or were oblivious throughout most of the war. I especially remember the scene near the end when a woman visits the Nsukka home searching out her old friend, Odenigbo. She makes a comment about how life had gone on for her almost like normal during the war and that she had no idea the extent of the war on her Igbo friends. She only learned of the terrible conditions her Igbo friends endured by reading a London paper while attending a conference. The irony, the dichotomy, of the situation was like a hammer hitting a nail home.

From the interactions of the characters and their relationships, and in the war itself, the author was able to touch up the issues of race and class struggles, the prejudices surrounding them. One aspect I found intriguing throughout the novel was the underlying influence the British colonization had on the various tribes and cultures in Nigeria and how much of that played into the events that would unfold in that country as well as in the book itself. It came as no surprise, mind you; however, it is a reminder of how all actions have consequences, some of which are unforeseen until they completely unravel.

The morning after, I still feel the affects of this marvelous book. Half of a Yellow Sun is a haunting story that took me right into the hearts of the characters and a country torn by jealousy, greed and hate. The story of Nigeria’s Civil War is not so unusual in the grand scheme of things, but it is a story that needs to be told and remembered. Still, Half of a Yellow Sun is not just about the war, it is about the people, their relationships, and their struggle to survive.

Favorite Part: With a novel like this, it is hard to pick out one favorite part, or even two or three. There was not a moment while reading this book I was not riveted to the words on the page. The characters were well drawn and interesting and the story flowed so smoothly that I was surprised at how quickly I moved through the book.

I liked how the author divided up her sections, at times going back and forth in time. The break from the war to return to the pre-war period was a short reprieve from the darker moments in the story, while at the same time proved quite revealing in better defining the characters and their relationships with one another.

Miscellaneous: There is a section on the author's website where people are allowed to share their own experiences regarding Biafra, which I spent a little time perusing and hope to revisit again to read at more length in the future.

The Inhabited World by David Long

The Inhabited World by David Long
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006
Fiction; 277 pgs

Started: 06/01/2007
Completed: 06/03/2007
Rating: (Good +)

First Sentence: When he looks at his hand, he sees the hand he remembers—ropy branching veins, a ridge of waxy skin on the inside of the wrist where he fumbled a glowing iron rod at his father’s forge one afternoon in 1966.

Reason for Reading: This is my second selection for the New York Times Notable Book Challenge and my seventh for the Spring Reading Thing. I first came across this title through Kookiejar at A Fraternity of Dreamers. The author had visited her blog to recommend she consider reading his book. Out of curiosity, I did a little research and discovered that the subject matter intrigued me, and so onto my list it went.

Comments: The Inhabited World is not an easy book to describe. It is not quite a ghost story. It is more of a story about life, redemption, and moving on. The main character just happens to be dead. It is about a man, Evan Molloy, who died by his own hand. He is stuck in a state of limbo, unable to leave the property his Washington house is set on, and so his days and nights are spent observing the new residents as they come and go. Evan does not understand where exactly he is or why.

Maureen Keniston is the most recent tenant, a woman who is running away from her old life, trying to reestablish herself and find her footing after a long affair with a married man. Although her story is an important part of the narrative, Evan's story is the main focal point throughout most of the novel. As Evan watches Maureen and begins to understand her situation, all the while wishing he could offer her some solace, he is lost in his own memories, the recounting of his life and how he ended up where is today, including what led him to pull the trigger.

David Long's novel had an "it could happen to me" feel to it right from the very start. Evan was an average man whose life did not stand out much beyond the norm. His families, both in childhood and adulthood, were no more dysfunctional than most in today's society. Evan was really never made out to be a victim of his circumstances, which is a definite strength in this novel, fitting in with the overall atmosphere set by the author. I never felt sorry for Evan, although I could empathize with his plight.

I was most drawn to Evan's experience with depression, including the onset and his cycles in and out of it. Although it's named, the illness is never fully accepted by Evan for what it is, which itself is not too uncommon. There is a stigma about depression in its many forms and other mental illnesses as we see with not only Evan, but his stepdaughter, Janey as well. Physical health problems have always been more acceptable; those of the mind, even if the root may be physical, are still hard to accept.

There was a constant layer of melancholy that settled over the novel, both in the author's prose and woven into the lives of his characters. The Inhabited World is not one that stands out in the sense of climax and melodrama, and yet there is a quality about it that lingers because of the subtleness and the realness of it.

One side effect of having read this book is that now I find myself wondering if I am truly ever alone. Is there a spiritual being sitting in the pink (Anjin says it's brown) armchair, watching as I write this?

Note: You can learn more about the author and his other works by visiting David Long's website. Lovers of book lists might especially enjoy reading through the author's own lists.

Miscellaneous: It didn’t take long to fall asleep once my head settled onto my pillow for my afternoon nap today. I had a blog related dream in which I was writing a very long and involved post in which I had hoped to challenge an unnamed blogger to read a particular book (title and author of said book unknown) and write a review. I could not get a hold of the blogger and so I decided to instead offer the friend of the blogger a chance at the challenge. I only hoped that The Literate Kitten would agree. As with most of my dreams, I awoke before I could see the outcome and no attempts to recapture the dream worked.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Atonement by Ian McEwan
Anchor Books, 2001
Fiction; 351 pgs

Started: 05/07/2007
Completed: 05/19/2007
Rating: (Very Good +)

First Sentence: The play—for which Briony had designed the posters, programs, and tickets, constructed the sales booth out of a folding screen tipped on its side, and lined the collection box in red crêpe paper—was written by her in a two-day tempest of composition, causing her to miss a breakfast and a lunch.

Reason for Reading: A couple of years ago, a reading buddy of mine (Christine) recommended I read Atonement. When the TBR Challenge came around, I knew that this was my chance to get to at least twelve of the books that I have been eager to read, however, have not managed to do so. Atonement is my 5th TBR Challenge selection and my 5th selection for the Spring Reading Thing.

Comments: As I first began reading Atonement, I got lost in the author’s prose. Ian McEwan has a way with words. I commented to my husband at one point that the writing was “pretty”, not in any way meant to be an insult, but simply because each sentence flowed through me and had a melodious quality. The author’s writing was not overly indulgent and fit the story well. Not every writer can carry it off. Ian McEwan did.

Although I felt myself pulled into the story by the writing style in the beginning, I soon found myself wishing the story would move a little faster during the first 50 or so pages. The author takes his time introducing the characters and setting the stage, which I later came to appreciate and by the end felt was done exactly right.

It was impossible not to be swept up in the story and the lives of the characters the more I read. I felt the guilt and frustration of so many of the characters as they suffered and survived through the consequences set in motion by the accusation of a 13 year old girl in the summer of 1935. In innocence and misunderstanding, people’s lives are irrevocably changed by the assumptions made.

Set in the English countryside with the threat of war in the air, the characters come to life: Emily and Jack, the parents, distant from one another and from their children, Jack taking advantage of a physical distance that his job allows for and Emily distancing herself with her illness, deluding herself that she is there when her children need her. There is Cecilia, the older sister who is still working out what it is she wants to do in life, wanting to be free of the motherly role she has been cast in and yet afraid still of going out on her own. She is conflicted by her feelings in love and life. Robbie is much more confident, knowing what it is he wants. He is in love, tormented and yet thrilled. He has high hopes for the future and the support of Jack Tallis who has taken him under his wing. Then there is Briony who at 13 still has a child’s innocence and yet is beginning to feel the pull of the adult world that will one day be her own. She often loses herself to her imagination, weaving stories of her own both in writing and in thought.

The cousins, Lola, Jackson and Pierrot, are sent to the Tallis’ home during a tumultuous time in their lives when their parents’ marriage dissolved. They are confused, angry and hurt. Lola, at 15, wants nothing more than to be a part of the grown-up world. The younger twins hate their circumstances and rebel as much as they try to fit in in their own way.

The Tallis brother, Leon, and his friend Marshall enter the scene for a visit. Leon had struck out on his own path, and his presence is highly anticipated by his sisters, who adore him.

As the story unravels, the die is cast. The author takes the reader into France during the Second World War as British troops flee for the coast in hopes of surviving the German invasion. The horrors of war, the desperation and the will to survive are ever present. This was my favorite part of the story with its detail and raw emotion. It is Robbie’s story. As he leads his fellow soldiers to the coast, he recalls the past, the direction his life has taken, and where he will go from there.

Back in England, Briony, now grown, has set out on her own, and in many ways, she is following the path of her estranged sister. She struggles with the weight of the untold truth, now fully understanding the mistakes she has made. Can she atone for her actions? Will there be forgiveness?

With tears filling my eyes, I closed the cover of the novel having reached the end. The characters had become a part of my life for a short while, their suffering and experiences my own. My first experience with Ian McEwan has been a great success. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Favorite Part: I like the way the story ended. It had an irony to it that was quite fitting to the tale from the perspective the story was told. It had symmetry to it, you could say. Do not worry, no spoilers offered here.

For some reason, I was most pulled into the war scenes, the time Robbie spent in France, traveling toward the coast than any other part of the book. It was a time for reflection on Robbie’s part and through that, an unfolding of several events that took place since that fateful night five years before. I could not help but see the contrast in the writing at this point as well. As beautiful a writer as Ian McEwan proved to be in this novel, he still captured the horrors of the war and all that Robbie saw and experienced with great clarity.

Take a look at the the author’s website to learn more about the author and his writings.

Read what Melody has to say:
Melody's Reading Corner

The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason

The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason
Signet Eclipse, 2007
Fantasy; 347 pgs

Started: 05/05/2007
Completed: 05/06/2007
Rating: (Good)


First Sentence: His footsteps were soundless, but Victoria felt him moving.

Reason for Reading: I first saw mention of this book in the blogsphere and became curious about it. After reading an interview with the author on Carl V’s Stainless Steel Droppings decided reading it was a must. The Spring Reading Thing gave me the perfect excuse to finally get around to reading it, something I’d intended to back at the beginning of the year.

From the Publisher: In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy of vampire slaying, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake. But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget. And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

Comments: The growth of this particular genre, specifically paranormal romance novels involving vampires, appears to have taken the industry by storm. Audiences are eating them up at an alarming rate. To a small extent, I too have jumped on the bandwagon. I have my favorites, I admit, and stick pretty close to them. I venture out occasionally but not always with success. And so, although I was eager to try the first of Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles, a tiny part of me was worried. And yet, you wonder, with so many positive reviews by respected bloggers,how could I go wrong? In this case, I lucked out.

The Rest Falls Away is the first in what has started out as a promising series set in Regency London about a vampire slayer. Victoria Gardella Grantworth is one of the chosen, a Venator, destined to hunt vampires and ward off the evil they bring. While the idea is not a new one, Victoria herself is a charming leading lady whose adventures are bound to attract fans of the genre. She is independent, stubborn and a quick study. The men in her life are no less intriguing, each of them seductive in their own way.

As a reader who prefers more action to romance, I was relieved to see that the author found a balance between the two. Although the love story was a major component in the novel, it did not overwhelm the story.

Overall, The Rest Falls Away was an entertaining reading experience. I look forward to watching the characters in the series evolve and seeing where Colleen Gleason takes us in the next installment.

Favorite Part: I’m not much of a fashion-oriented person, but I have to say that I was quite taken with the creative ways in which Verbena made up Victoria’s hair to hid the stacks and in her design for Victoria’s fighting dress. Verbena reminded me a lot of Charlotte Pitt’s maid from one of Anne Perry’s mystery series, who is always ready to assist her mistress when there is a mystery to be solved.

Of the characters, I am most curious about Max. I normally do not care for brooding macho men, but there’s something about Max that draws me in.

A Must See: Colleen Gleason's blog

Miscellaneous: I am home at last and back in front of my computer. I am happy to say that I did not got into withdrawals at not having access to a computer for a the last few days. Still, it is good to be back. Now to catch up!

The conference in San Francisco was good. I came away satisfied and have some great ideas to share with my colleagues. The downside of the trip (there always is one when it comes to trips I take), is that my luggage, along with that of about half of the passengers on the plane, got left in San Francisco. Evidently a conveyor belt of some sort broke and no one noticed. The airline has said that our luggage will be delivered tonight right to our doorstep. Let’s hope so!

April Witch by Majgull Axelsson

April Witch by Majgull Axelsson
Translated by Linda Schenck
Villard, 2002, English Edition (1st published in Sweden in 1997)
Fiction; 408 pgs

Started: 04/07/2007
Completed: 04/09/2007
Rating: (Very Good)


First Sentence: “Who’s out there?” asks my sister.

Reason for Reading: A friend of mine from The Netherlands first mentioned Majgull Axelsson's April Witch to me, and I was able to find a copy online in October of 2004. Since that time, it has made its home on my To Be Read shelf waiting its turn. When choosing books to read for the TBR Challenge, I tried to select books I have wanted to read above others and yet have not had the chance to get to. April Witch was one of them. It's one of those books that leave me wondering why I waited so long.

4th book for the TBR Challenge and 2nd book selection for the Spring Reading Thing.

Comments: April Witch reminded a little of White Oleander by Janet Fitch and Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, and yet it has a mystical side to it that adds an interesting dimension.

April Witch is a multi-faceted story about four foster sisters, linked together by one woman, Ella Johansson. Desirée, the deformed and crippled daughter who was abandoned to institutional care at birth, has an unusual gift. She is an April witch, one who has a disabled body but a very strong mind. She is able to transport her spirit into other living beings to observe, influence and sometimes control their behavior. All of her life, Desirée has felt unwanted and she struggles to find meaning in her life. With the help of Dr. Hubertsson, with whom Desirée shares a special bond, Desirée unravels her past in search of her own story. Putting to use her special gift, she sets out to discover which of the three foster children her birth mother took in is living the life that she should have had.

Margareta was abandoned at birth by her own mother, taken in by Ella Johansson. Most of her life Margareta has felt empty inside and continues to search for something to fill that void in her life. Christina was a victim of a horrific physical abuse at the hands of her mother, a young girl shut inside of herself, not trusting anyone when she first comes to Ella's. She now appears to have the perfect life, at least on the surface. And then there is Birgitta, the daughter of a neglectful alcoholic mother. While Margareta and Christina have both found some success in life, one a physicist and the other a physician, it is Birgitta who has fallen the farthest, becoming a drug addict, living her life on and off the streets.

Each of the women carries their own baggage, struggling to come to terms with their pasts, who they are, and the direction their lives have taken. They are full of fear, frustration, bitterness, and need--yet all still maintain some semblance of hope. It is their inner struggles that bring them together and yet also keep them apart. Majgull Axelsson has created authentic characters with very distinct voices and experiences. Their stories creep under the skin and settle there to percolate.

From a social perspective, the novel touches on such issues as socialism, institutionalization, and the child welfare system in Sweden during the 1950's. The latter two topics were especially interesting to me from a professional aspect and ultimately, I did not see many differences in thoughts and theories between Sweden and the United States--at least not on the surface.

There was a scientific thread throughout the novel that concerned me at first. I worried that it would get in the way of my enjoyment of the story, however, that proved not to be the case. Once I got over my initial concern, I was swept into the story and the lives of the characters. What followed was a heart wrenching and insightful novel that I will not soon forget.

Favorite Part: I could probably fill pages with my favorite moments in this novel. The author did such a good job of bringing the characters to life and tackling difficult issues. Some highlights:
I thought the author did a good job of showing the differences in attitudes about the severely disabled during the time that Desirée was a child. There were doctors like Redelius and Zimmerman who saw no hope for growth or learning by someone as disabled as Desirée, and yet there were also doctors like Dr. Preben who took a completely different view, encouraging growth and development in his patients no matter their medical diagnosis.

One of my favorite scenes in the book was the beginning of Desirée’s lessons, when her roommate Elsegard at the crippled children’s home practiced her teaching techniques on Desirée. The other roommates joined in as well. All of this despite Dr. Redelius belief that Desirée’s disabilities were so bad that she was not capable of learning.

There was also a scene in which Elsegard visits Desirée at her apartment when they are adults. It was a significant moment for both women, and showed a softer side to Desirée.

Of the foster sisters’ stories, I was most taken with Christina’s story. It is the one that impacted me the most, although each of the characters’ stories was powerful in their own right. My least favorite character was Birgitta, but not because the author failed to adequately represent her—her anger and bitterness flew out of the pages, and at times I had difficulty empathizing with her because I more often wanted her to wake up and realize she was headed down the wrong path.

Interesting Factoid: The author, in her research, was only able to find one reference to an April witch, and that was through one of her favorite author’s Ray Bradbury’s short story.

The names of the four sisters, Christina, Margareta, Birgitta and Desirée, are also the names of the four sisters of the Swedish king.

Note about the Author: The Swedish author received the 1997 August Prize for April Witch.

Miscellaneous: Our late night action: Some hit the fire hydrant and two giant wooden phone poles outside my house just after midnight this morning. He lost his fender and front driver side tire right where the fire hydrant used to be. He sent the fire hydrant flying about 7 feet into our front yard, water shooting up into the air. We had our own geyser right outside our window. The driver also ended up hitting our neighbor’s car which was parked in the street, his own vehicle coming to a stop about three houses down the street. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Spring Reading Thing 2007

MizB from Literary Cache asked the question that I most wanted to ask regarding Katrina's Spring Reading Thing 2007. I was curious about whether or not crossover books from one challenge to another were allowed. I can only read so many books after all. And do I really need to participate in another challenge? Probably not. Will that stop me? No, but I am going to get a little creative to make this work for me.

Like MizB, I am participating in MizB's 2007 TBR Challenge. There's also Bookfool's Chunkster Challenge for which I hope to start on my final book early next month. And then there is the New York Times (NYT) Notable Book Challenge, which fortunately has such loose rules and requirements that I could read one or two books and meet that goal. I have signed up for Joy's Nonfiction Five Challenge which begins in May and am very much looking forward to that.

I saw mention of a fantasy challenge on Carl V.'s blog, Stainless Steel Droppings, which peaked my interest (I'll have to wait and see what the criteria are before making a decision about that one).

Nessie and M over at Biblio Files are hosting a challenge of their own, M & N's Summer 7 Challenge, which involves reading a complete series (of 7 books) from start to finish (visit her blog to see the choices available--and don't be afraid to ask if what you want to read is something not yet mentioned as Nessie is open to suggestions!). This is one I will be forgoing because I do not think reading seven books in the Banned and the Banished Fantasy series (James Rollins), Inspector Monk mystery (Anne Perry), Jack Reacher (ex-military policeman) series (Lee Child), or Rosato & Associates series (Lisa Scottoline) for example quite meet the requirements. All of these being among of the gazillion series I want to get to. Someday.

These reading challenges will be my downfall yet, I tell you.

The Spring Reading Thing 2007 sounds like the perfect excuse to do a little spring cleaning, setting myself a plan to not only continue on with the task of clearing off someof that TBR shelf space, but also getting to a couple of the books in the NYT Challenge that I have been considering reading but have not yet committed to. If you are curious about the Spring Reading Thing Challenge, hop on over to Callapidder Days for details. The challenge will begin March 21st and go through until June 21st with the start of summer. There is no set number of books you are required to read during the designated time frame (always a plus!).

What I have come up with so far:

1. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (NYT Notable Book Challenge) [read]
2. The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason [read]
3. The Inhabited World by David Long (NYT Notable Book Challenge) [read]
4. The Angel of Forgetfulness by Steve Stern [read]

Most likely I will be reading the following during the course of the Spring Reading Thing Challenge also. I am listing these separetly because I have committed to reading them for other challenges.

5. April Witch by Majgull Axelsson (TBR Challenge) [read]
6. The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer (Nonfiction Challenge) [read]
7. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (Chunkster Challenge) [read]
8. Atonement Ian McEwan (TBR Challenge) [read]

I guess I won't have to wonder what I am going to read next for a long while!