2012 Challenge - Orange January

Reading a lot of book blogs' end of year posts, it has become clear that there are book bloggers who excel at conquering reading challenges. I might never take on as many as Emma from Words and Peace, but I am intentionally taking on TWO in the new year. One of the two challenges I am taking on in 2012 is Orange January.  Orange January/July is a twice-yearly personal challenge where you commit to read at least one book that has won or been nominated for the Orange Prize.  Jill at The Magic Lasso hosts the challenge, and invites other bloggers to contribute reviews. The link to the challenge links to all the lists - winners, nominees, long lists, short lists, and so on.  The Orange Prize is something I have read a lot of by accident, but never intentionally.

CUE LIST MAKING!

The fun thing about going through the lists was my discovery that quite a few books were novels I was already planning to read for the Around the World in 52 Books challenge.  I simply moved those books to the front of the line, which includes the following:

• The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
• Frangipani by Celestine Hitiura Vaite
• A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This might be enough of a challenge for some people but I have a bunch more Orange titles physically sitting on my to-read shelf crying out for attention.  I might get to a few of the following as well:

• Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (already halfway red, my bedside table book right now)
• Brick Lane by Monica Ali
• American Life by Curtis Sittenfeld
• Gut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson

I'm excited to get started! The Tiger's Wife will be the first cover I crack in 2012!