2010 EW Summer Books Challenge

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you'll know that I don't usually do book challenges.  It's not because I don't like them or don't get inspired by them, it's just that I don't usually complete them and that makes me feel guilty.  I feel like I've not finished something I started, and that's not like me.  

But...There's always a but isn't there?  I've been on Twitter a lot in the last week, thanks to summer vacation, and I've added many new book titles to the TBR pile, blogs to the reader, and friends on Twitter.  I've also been able to reconnect with some great blogging buddies that I have missed due to the busyness of the school year with my new job.  That being said, I was on Twitter this morning and happened to see a post from @jodipicoult raving about a book:  The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  Having just gotten that book last week, I replied that I would have to move it to the top of the TBR pile based on her recommendation.  Well, what do you know?  @BookingMama or Julie of  is hosting a challenge that involves just that book, and she tweeted that I should join.  So, here I am writing an introductory post to join the 2010 EW Summer Books Challenge that I probably won't finish. No, wait, I will because it's not an all or nothing book challenge.  This I can do!  Besides, I already have some of the books.  Here are the details:

Read any or all of the books on Entertainment Weekly's 18 Books We Can't Wait to Read this Summer list.  You have the rest of the summer to do it because the challenge ends on September 6th.  It started on May 1st, so if you read any of these from then to now, they would count for the challenge.  The best part about this challenge is that it allows you to read at your own pace and not feel stressed about reading ALL the books.  Here are the levels of the challenge, just like swim lessons when you were a kid.

Levels:

1-3 Books: Polliwog
4-6 Books: Guppy
7-9 Books: Minnow
10-12 Books: Fish
13-15 Books: Flying Fish
16-18 Books: Shark

The books are listed below, and if I only read the ones I have in my TBR pile, then I will officially be a Polliwog.  But...There it is again, the inevitable but.  I have it on good authority that So Cold the River is fabulous, so I'll be picking that one up to read and therefore, I will be going for Guppy status!

Here's EW's list of the summer's must-reads:

THIS BODY OF DEATH by Elizabeth George (April 20)

HALF LIFE by Roopa Farooki (April 27)

GIRL IN TRANSLATION by Jean Kwok (April 29) - I have this one

THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE by Julie Orringer (May 4)

THE LAST STAND by Nathaniel Philbrick (May 4)

SLOW LOVE: HOW I LOST MY JOB, PUT ON MY PAJAMAS AND FOUND HAPPINESS by Dominique Browning (May 9)

WAR by Sebastian Junger (May 11)

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST by Stieg Larsson (May 25)

THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE by Aimee Bender (June 1) - I have this one

THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER by Stephenie Meyer (June 5)

THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin (June 8) - I have this one

SO COLD THE RIVER by Michael Koryta (June 9)

THE COOKBOOK COLLECTOR by Allegra Goodman (July 6)

LUCY by Laurence Gonzales (July 13)

RED HOOK ROAD by Ayelet Waldman (July 13)

I CURSE THE RIVER OF TIME by Per Pettersson (August 3)

YOU LOST ME THERE by Rosecrans Baldwin (August 12)

MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins (August 24)


How many of you will be joining me?  To check out all the details and enter for yourself, hop on over to Booking Mama's blog and read all about it!