2012 Challenge: Venice in February

February 1 to February 28, 2012

Venice in February Reading Challenge

FINISHED

Snow Feathers and Dolce Bellezza, are hosting a short, simple, and marvelous reading challenge: read one, two or how many books you would like and have the time for, that are related to and/or based in Venice.

They chose Venice "because it's a unique city, with a dreamlike atmosphere and yet, with secrets to discover. Whoever visited Venice once still wishes to go back and this challenge may be the next best thing."

Like so many people, I love Venice.  And since it doesn't look like I'll be going back any time soon, I am always in the mood to read books about La Serenissima.

Ideas

I made this list of Venice books a while back.  There is also a list on the Venice in February site.  And there is a much lengthier list of Venice books on a great website called Fictional Cities.

BOOK POSSIBILITIES AND REVIEWS

I ended up reading two books for this challenge, but I only reviewed one of them:

• Serenissima by Erica Jong (novel), reviewed here

• Dressed for Death by Donna Leon (third in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series)

One will also count as my Italy book for the European Reading Challenge.

17 Days to Christmas!

2011 Battle of the Prizes, American Version -- Wrap Up Post

I finished the 2011 Battle of the Prizes, American Version (click here for the 2012 challenge).  The challenge runs through January 31, 2012, so I finished early this year.  I still have to finish the British Version. 

This challenge pits winners of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction against the winners of the National Book Award.

I did not draw any grand conclusions from a comparison of the books that won the Pulizter compared to those that won the national, but I have a half-baked theory: I think that Pulitzer winners tend to be more accessible, more in the "good yarn" category; and National winners tend to be a bit more challenging, more willing to take chances.  Because of this split, I think it is more likely that a random Pulitzer winner will still be enjoyable, while any given National winner may not have aged so well -- what may have seemed commendably edgy when it first came out now can be just trying to a reader.

Like I said, this theory as, at best, half baked.  I'd say it holds true for the two Pulitzers I read and, somewhat, for the two Nationals.  Both Nationals were more challenging and had experimental components to them, but The Hair of Harold Roux was knockout entertainment.  

Here is my list of books -- links click to my reviews:

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler on Rose City Reader (Pulitzer)

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren on Rose City Reader (Pulitzer)

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier on Rose City Reader (National)

The Hair of Harold Roux on Rose City Reader (National)

Please visit the main challenge page to see the 2011 list of other participants and their reviews.

Please visit the 2012 Battle of the Prizes, American Version, to sign up for the 2012 challenge.

18 Days to Christmas!

19 Days to Christmas!