Friday, February 23, 2007

Hallo, all!

The New York Times Notable Book Challenge was the brainchild of the brilliant Wendy at caribousmom, who proposed a personal (and later, group) challenge based on the New York Times'* annual list of Notable Books. In 2007, the challenge goes, choose a feasible number of books from the 2006 list that you would like to read over the course of the year (Wendy chose 20, like a champ) .

There is a certain distinctive beauty to this as a group challenge, I think. We are all choosing our challenge books from a relatively limited list, so there is considerable overlap (as well as room for inspiration and temptation to include previous unconsidered books in our annual reading). To take advantage of this, I thought it would be convenient to have a single, group blog where participants in the challenge can cross-post the blog entries and reviews that relate to the challenge, where those who are interested can find all these reviews in a single place, and where a central discussion can be fostered that will be in dialogue with our individual blogs.

If you already are participating in the challenge and would like to join this blog (or if you are new to the challenge but would like to join our illustrious ranks), please leave your email address in a note in the comments on this message, and I will drop you an invitation to become a co-author. If you would prefer not to post your email address publicly, you can leave it for me in a private message on the LibraryThing account I have created for this blog: NYTNotable. Be sure to click the button that says "private."

The LibraryThing account is also helpful because it includes all the books on our "long list," and you can use it to access all kinds of LibraryThing features relating to these books: all the reviews and ratings by fellow Thingers, discussions that mention these books in their forums, publication date, author websites, and a chance to examine what the libraries of those who have read or own these books look like.

To get things rolling, I will now head off to cross post a review of the only book I have read so far for the Challenge (my goal is 12): Suite Française by Irene Nemirovsky. When you have joined, pop on over here and introduce yourself. Let us know what your challenge goals are, and be sure to post any reviews or comments you have accumulated over the first two months of the challenge.



* OK - here's a question relating to my ongoing obsession with the plural "'s". Is the possessive of "New York Times" "New York Times' " because the word "times" is plural, or "New York Times's" because the newspaper itself is singular?

27 comments:

kookie said...

I'll join up.

My e-mail is kookiejar at hotmail dot com.

I wrote it out like that so I wouldn't get spotted by spambots. You know how they are.

I think it's Times' because the times are plural, but I could be wrong.

Loose Baggy Monster said...

I'll join--perhaps it will spur me on to get to my challenge selections in a more timely manner.

email: baggymonster (at) gmail (dot) com

Stephanie said...

Hey Gals! GREAT idea! I might just have to join up with you!!

My email is stoland at ameritech dot net.

Sycorax Pine said...

Welcome, kookiejar, loose baggy monster and stephanie! What an exciting groups of contributors to an exciting project!

Kim said...

I would like to join! My e-mail is:

loverofbooks77 at yahoo dot com

I am off to look over the list and see which ones I want to read :0) Thanks for this great challenge!!!!

Joy said...

I'd like to participate, please. :)

I am going to your library thing to give my addy.

Joy said...

I'm sorry, but I can't find where I would leave a "private" message on Library Thing. I need help.

Sycorax Pine said...

Hi, Joy!
I am sorry this is proving so troublesome! I hope that the following instructions help:

1) Click on the link in the above post marked "NYTNotable." This should bring you to the profile page for the LibraryThing account "nytimesnotable."

2) If you scroll down the profile page, you should see a box that instructs you to "leave your comment." [This may require a LibraryThing account, but accounts are free and don't require giving up any personal information at all, so feel free to create one if this causes you trouble. You can create a new account at www.librarything.com .]

3) Write out your comment in the space provided and click the box marked "make private" at the bottom right-hand side of the message box. Click Submit.

Your message will then be available to me, but not to the rest of the LibraryThing or outside community.

Let me know if this still gives you trouble, and we will figure out an alternate solution.

Joy said...

Thank you so much for your help. There was more information at Library Thing this time, so I was able to leave you a message. :)

I'm excited!

sally906 said...

Hi I would like to join up - I have sent a private message to you via librarything :)

sally906 said...

G'day

I have left a message for you at librarything - am dying to get on board - like I need more encouragement to get more books!!!!

Nyssaneala said...

Resist the temptation, resist! Alas, I can't.

I decided to join up, after seeing the some of the books I plan to read this year anyway. Thanks for putting this together, Wendy!

my email is: alisiab at mail2world dot com

Wendy said...

Welcome, Alisia!!!!

Lisa said...

Ok, ok, I think I can join one more challenge!!

My email is psychomamma (at) gmail (dot) com.

I've already read three on the list and 6 more are on my TBR list, so I can join this challenge without actually adding anything to my reading pile!

Laura said...

Hello all, I signed up and follwed the link that was sent to me to log on with my Google id. I am listed as a contributor, but I cannot figure out how to create a post i.e.; to post my reviews.

Seems like it should be obvious. Help?

Sycorax Pine said...

Hi Laura!
I am sorry that this is proving to be a bit of a hassle for you. I am not sure your acceptance of the invitation went through properly, since your invitation is still listed as pending in the "settings" for the blog. I have resent the invitation, and we will see if it works properly this time. (This happened to me too on another group blog. It might help to be signed in to blogger before accepting the invitation.)

Once we have gotten the invitation to work properly, you should see a button at the top right of your window that says "New Post."

Let me know if you have further problems - I am glad to help in any way I can.

Laura said...

Thanks Pour of Tor! Happy to be a contributor now.

Nattie said...

Is it too late to join?
nattieyork(at)gmail(dot)com
http://nattierosewrites.com/mt/

Anonymous said...

I'm going to join. I think I will do 10 books. I've read and loved Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

my email address is piperoliveravram (at) yahoo (dot) com

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'd like to join! Kookiejar says it's probably not too late. Many of these books are on my TBR list anyway.

My email is dewpie at gmail dot com. Thanks!

raidergirl3 said...

I may as well join up, since you all are writing about some very interesting books. I was going to try to be all unofficial aobut it, but the more the merrier, eh?
raidergirl3 at gmail com

Judith Lautner said...

I'd love to join! my email address is judith dot lautner at gmail dot com.

Tammy said...

I'd like to join, too. My email is missporkchop at yahoo dot com.

mks said...

Hello I am coming to this so late in 2007 and I have a stack of books in my queue already but I would love to participate next year. Can you point me to a list of the NYT Noteable Bools for 2006 so I can see what was on there? thanks and my email is smoochdog[at]gmail[dot]com.

This sounds like fantastic fun!

Lisa said...

I would like to join, hope it's not to late, this challenge would have me read books that I would have never read on my own.
My e-mail address is
LLuvsReading@yahoo.com

Happy Reading
Lisa

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

so is there another NYT notable book challenge going for this year??

Sycorax Pine said...

This year's (2008) challenge has been expanded to include other awards - you can find an explanation and a link to the new blog at http://nytnotablebooks.blogspot.com/2008/01/future-of-nyt-most-notable-challenge.html