CHALLENGE: Fall Into Reading 2010

I guess I'm a little late jumping (or "falling") into this reading challenge, which means I won't be eligible for the prizes being awarded at the end of the challenge. However I need a little focus for my reading, so I am joining in anyway. This is one of my favorite challenges after all!

This challenge runs from September 22 through December 20, 2010. There are no rules regarding how many books you have to read, or any such thing. It's simply a time to enjoy some reading!

So here is my list of books. I don't really expect to get through all of these books (I've said before what a slow reader I am), but it will help me to stay focused on what I need to read the remainder of this year. The dates in parentheses are the dates by which I want to review the books:

1. Queen's Pawn by Christy English, 400 pages (October 15, 2010)
2. Falling Home by Karen White, 352 pages  (November 15, 2010)
3. Vixen by Jillian Larkin, 421 pages (November 30, 2010) 
4. Purgatory Inn by Ernesto Jose Herrera, 196 pages (December 31, 2010) 
5. California Roll by John Vorhaus, 264 pages (December 31, 2010)
6. Darling Jim by Christian Moerk, 320 pages  (December 31, 2010)
7. The Maze Runner by James Dashner, 416 pages 
8. Under the Dome by Stephen King, 1088 pages  
9. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, 400 pages 
10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, 390 pages
11. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, 464 pages

Sign up over at Callapidder Days, and get going today! It's too late to qualify for the prizes, but it's a fun challenge anyway!

Guest Blog Post by Reviewer Sarah Johnson

Sarah Johnson of Historical Novels Review will be stopping over by literary publicist Stephanie Barko's blog on Monday, October 4 to do a guest blog post addressing how she selects titles for review. Stephanie says, "The post will be especially useful for writers who are trying to figure out what it takes to get reviewed and for historical fiction writers and readers."

Sarah will be inviting visitors to comment on what they look for in historical fiction, and a winning commenter will be randomly selected from those who respond to her question by midnight PDT, and will win a signed copy of John Pipkin's award-winning historical Woodsburner (Random House).

Set against the backdrop of a devastating forest fire that Henry David Thoreau accidentally set in 1844, John Pipkin's novel brilliantly illuminates the mind of the young philosopher at a formative moment in his life and in the life of the young nation.

The Thoreau of Woodsburner is a lost soul, resigned to a career designing pencils for his father's factory while dreaming of better things. On the day of the fire, his path crosses those of three very different people, each of whom also harbors a secret dream. Oddmund Hus, a shy Norwegian farmhand, pines for the wife of his brutal employer. Eliot Calvert, a prosperous bookseller, is also a hilariously inept aspiring playwright. Caleb Dowdy preaches fire and brimstone to his followers through an opium haze. Each of their lives, like Thoreau's, will be changed forever by the fire.

 I think I need to add that book to my Wish List! I hope to see you over at Stephanie's place on Monday!