In an effort to simplify my blogging life, I’ve decided I will no longer host the quarterly Martel-Harper Challenge. That challenge was to read two works per quarter from the list of books that Yann Martel sends to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Dewey started the project in October 2008, the month before she died, and I wanted to continue it in her memory. However, there has been little interest in the project and I don’t feel able to “advertise” it properly. I still personally intend to read books from the list, but from now on, I’m considering it a personal project rather than a public challenge. If anyone else wants to take lead of the quarterly challenge, please let me know. I’d be happy to send links your way.

At the same time, I made my life more complicated by starting The Classics Circuit. The first author tour will be Wilkie Collins (sign up by Saturday morning), followed by Elizabeth Gaskell (sign up begins next week).

My reading this month was more subdued, meaning I read more classics and not much nonfiction or modern stuff. I also read less because BBAW got me busy blogging and not reading! BBAW gave me a confidence boost I felt I needed and I look forward to the future of Rebecca Reads. I’ve added tons of new bloggers to my Reader and I am so excited to “meet” so many people through the community projects that I’m a part of.

Although I finished just nine books in September (as opposed to August’s 16 books), I feel it was a great month, and I think it’s good to slow down my reading occasionally.

Fiction and Nonfiction Reviews

In September, I reviewed a few things I finished previously.

• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift (355 pages; fiction).
• Nineteenth-Century Mormon Architecture and City Planning by Mark Hamilton (140 pages, plus 50 pages of notes; nonfiction).

I also read or reviewed the following things:

• The Pooh Sketchbook, drawings by Ernest H. Shepard for the Pooh stories (95 pages, illustration only; nonfiction). Began in August.
• Beloved by Toni Morrison (275 pages; fiction). Began in August.
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (280 pages; fiction).
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (480 pages; fiction).
• Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (280 pages; fiction).
• The Pooh Bedside Reader by A.R. Melrose (about 110 read of 160 pages; nonfiction/fiction).
• Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (187 pages; fiction).
• Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (215 pages; nonfiction in comic format).
• Dracula by Bram Stoker (librivox.org audiobook, 27 segments, about 16 hours total; fiction).

Children’s Projects

I reviewed Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathon Swift for my history of children’s literature project history of children’s literature project.

I also mentioned a few Winnie-the-Pooh picture books this month, and I decided to write a children’s book post every week or so.

Other Posts

Not all my posts were reviews this month.

• August in Review
• Reading Journal (2 Sep): Vacation Prep
• BBAW Voting is Open and Rebecca Reads Shortlisted
• Reading Journal (9 Sep): What is Rebecca Reads?
• My Life According to Literature
• Rebecca’s BBAW Winners
• Celebrating the Classics: A Dead Author Blog Tour (An Idea)
• BBAW Interview with Genre Reviews
• Reading Journal (16 Sep): What is Rebecca Reading?
• Blogging Goals for the Coming Year
• Reading Journal (23 Sep): The Classics Circuit
• Reading Journal (30 Sep): The Gift of Choice (Thoughts on Banned Books Week)

Challenges Update

As I mention above, I’ll no longer be hosting the quarterly Martel-Harper Challenge.

Past and Ended Challenges

• Beowulf on the Beach Challenge (until 7 Sep 2009). 1/1 I read Beloved for this Challenge.
• Summer Lovin’ Challenge (until 22 Sep 2009). 2/3 I reread Wit and Beloved for this challenge. I also am in the middle of Catcher in the Rye, which I should review next week.
• Take a Chance Challenge (until 30 Nov 2009). 3/10 Although this challenge doesn’t end for another two months, I’m officially stopping my participation now. I enjoyed my random-ish reads, but I have other things I’d like to focus on.

New Challenges

• Banned Books Challenge (1 book in September). 0/1. I joined this at the beginning of September, and I am currently rereading Catcher in the Rye for this challenge.
• Hispanic Heritage Month (1 book between 15 September to 15 October). I plan on rereading The House on Mango Street in Spanish.

Challenge Progress

Some projects appear on more than one list because part of the challenge is timed, but the overall project is not. I’ve made a note if I’m currently reading a book that applies to a particular challenge.

Timed Challenges

Banned Books Challenge (1 book in September). 0/1 (Currently reading Catcher in the Rye.)
Hispanic Heritage Month (1 book between 15 September to 15 October). 0/1 (Coming Up: The House on Mango Street in Spanish, Pablo Neruda’s poetry).
The RIP IV Challenge (until 31 Oct 2009). 2/4 (I finished Dracula and last night I finished The Graveyard Book. Coming up: A Tale of Two Cities, MacBeth, and maybe some more Gaiman, if I join the readathon.)
9 for 09 challenge (until 27 Dec 2009). 3/9 (I do want to read these books, they are just low priority right now.)
BiblioShakespeare Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 3/6 (Coming up: MacBeth)
Dewey Decimal Reading Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 7/10
Everything Austen Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009) 2/6 (Coming up: Sense and Sensibility)
Science Book Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 0/3 (Coming up: Proust was a Neuroscientist, Uncle Tungsten)
The Spice of Life Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 6/8 (Coming up: Julie and Julia)
World Citizen Challenge (until 31 Dec 2009). 5/7 (I haven’t decided which category to read next. The history book is calling to me, but it’s 700 pages!)
The Japanese Literature Challenge (until 30 Jan 2010). 0/1 (Coming up: The Pillow Book. I will read this over the next few months.)

Personal Projects

HTR&W project: poetry. 0/21 poems (Coming up: poetry by Houseman)
Nobel Challenge. 14/101 authors
Pulitzer Challenge. 11/82
Newbery Medal. 28/88
Caldecott Medal.  39/72
My History of Children’s Literature Project. 6/15 chapters (I’ve read 9 chapters, but am reading novels from chapter 6 still. Coming up: Treasure Island)
U.S. Presidential Reading. 2/44 presidents
Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1/15 presidents (Coming up: Brigham Young, American Moses by Leonard Arrington)
My Short Story Author Project. (In progress: John Cheever)
My Poets Project.
Favorite Authors to Read.

Classics/Must Read Lists

Beowulf on the Beach Challenge . 15/50
101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers. 42/101
Martel-Harper Challenge.  18/59