Now that December has arrived and I had a good and hard look at my reading challenges, it seems like the right moment to add another on the brink of the new year… Am I crazy? I assure you I’m not. ;)
Loving Books’ Get Read-y for 2012 Challenge is meant to help me get the books read I already wanted to finish!
Here’s my TBR pile for the rest of the year…
XY, by Sandro Veronesi. It’s the December read for my online book group, the Boekgrrls. I’m currently halfway this intriguing novel — giving me lots to think about!
Kandy, by the recently deceased F. Springer. A friend is visiting her place of birth, Sri Lanka, starting December 9th. Would love to read this book while she’s there!
I promised Elsje to buddy read Haruki Murakami’s The Elephant Vanishes before the end of the year. Have to make good on my promise! This collection of short stories will also count for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge and Japanese Literature Challenge #5.
Ian Buruma’s Dromen van China (The China Lover). The book I pledged to read for the Chinese Literature Challenge. Come on… I need to read just one book for this challenge. Host Chinoiseries cheered me on so I can’t let her down!
These three books are absolute MUSTS for me. Then there’s a few more I’d love to finish before the year is over. To begin with, these 3 are not enough for the 6 I need to accomplish my +11 in 2011 challenge, in which I try to read 11 more books than I did last year. Also, I’m currently 2 books short for the What’s in a name challenge #4. So, here’s what I’d further LIKE to read this month… (though I already know I will never manage to ;)
Kokoro, by Natsume Soseki. I had wanted to join in the Japanese Literature Book Group read of October & November, but missed out. As the book is on my shelf (and ‘just’ 254 pages long) I may be able to submit a late contribution?!
The Moonstone (Wilkie Collins) for the JEWEL/STONE categorie in the What’s in a name challenge.
DBC Pierre’s Vernon God Little for the SIZE categorie in the What’s in a name challenge, or Little Bee by Chris Cleeve which I borrowed from Elsje and should be returned to its lawful owner. But that would be a good one for next year’s CREEPY CRAWLIES as well.. ;)
Of course I may just cheat to get to my goal of 40 books in in the +11 challenge and pick up some shorties as the month comes to an end… 
Like the most recent Dutch publication of a Murakami novel: Slaap (Sleep). ;)
You can still sign-up for the Get Read-y for 2012 challenge!
The Sunday Salon is a virtual gathering of booklovers on the web, blogging about bookish things of the past week, visiting each others weblogs, and oh — reading books of course ;)
Graasland 
8 reacties
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zondag 4 december 2011 bij 16:25
Leeswammes
Nice to see that you have joined this challenge, but even though I’m a fast reader, I’m getting a bit dizzy seeing all these books here – is that really feasible? Well good luck!
I’m also going to read XY and if it’s as easy and good as you say, that should be a quick read for both of us.
zondag 4 december 2011 bij 16:28
laurelrainsnow
I’ve joined one 2012 Challenge so far…Cozy Mysteries Challenge. I am trying to curb my impulses, or I’ll end up with more challenges than I can handle! lol
Good luck with yours….
Here’s MY SUNDAY SALON POST and
MY WEBSITE
zondag 4 december 2011 bij 16:41
Karen @ Scobberlotch
That’s a great challenge you have there, and a great way to start looking ahead to 2012. You’ve inspired me!
zondag 4 december 2011 bij 18:02
Chinoiseries (@Chinoiseries)
Glad to see you’re also in! Of course, I think you really should read that one book to qualify for the Chinese literature challenge ;) But it would be nice if you could more reading done of course. It’s like you say, you can always pick up a few smaller books to read :)
zondag 4 december 2011 bij 19:16
JannyAn
Thanks for the reminder. I do want to participate in the 2012 challenge. I think I only want to read about a hundred books. So, that won’t be a problem ;-)
maandag 5 december 2011 bij 01:59
Laura Cline
Looks like some good reading. I signed up for the Murakami challenge and I haven’t read any Murakami this year, so that might be on my list as well. I want to tackle IQ84, but I’m pretty sure it won’t happen by the end of the month.
maandag 5 december 2011 bij 11:03
Helen Smith
I have read the Moonstone and Vernon God Little and recommend both of them so I hope you enjoy them. I also read the Elephant Vanishes – I love Marukami though I didn’t enjoy this collection of stories quite as much as his earlier novels. The others on your list look interesting so I’ll check them out.
Have a good week.
zaterdag 10 december 2011 bij 15:14
Gnoe
Thank you all for dropping by and sharing your thoughts!
@Leeswammes: by now I know you’re not liking XY that much.. :\ Still, it’s a fast read, right? ;)
@laurelrainsnow: uh-oh. Checking out that Cozy Mystery Challenge *right now*… ;)
@Karen: that’s great! Love to be an inspiration! *blush*
@Chinoiseries: planned to pick up Dromen van China after The Elephant Vanishes but got sidetracked by Vernon God Little (next to Murakami). Blame Helen! ;) I still want to read Buruma after that though. Honestly. It’s been on my shelf for aaaages!
@JannyAn: hehe. So, did you write up a post about the Get read-y for 2012 yet? *hopping over*
@Laura: Laura! No Murakami yet??? Pick it up next!!! :) Of course it doesn’t mean anything but as a slow reader I managed to read all three volumes of 1q84 in only two weeks! :) But you could try less of a chunker, like After Dark?
@Helen: thanks to your ‘plug’ I’m picking up Vernon God Little now that I’ve finished XY. Will be reading it alternating with The Elephant Vanishes. So far I’ve only read The Second Bakery Attack (I’m reading this collection of short stories in a seemingly disorganised fashion) and I LOVED IT! Such a great story, loaded with Murakami elements! If this one sets the tone I think I’m in for a treat.. :)