Friday, December 18, 2009

Support Your Local Authors Book Challenge 2010


Since my foray into book blogging, I’ve developed a love/hate relationship with book challenges: I love the “challenge” of reading a certain number of books over a designated period of time for a purpose, however, I hate to feel “forced” to read a book, especially when I’m not “in the mood” or some other title is calling my name. Couple that with my normal reading schedule and my book club books, challenges then begin to overwhelm.

With that, I’m only committing to one challenge this year – Women Unbound (on my side bar) – I’ve selected 8 wonderful books (I think I may add a ninth) that have languished on my shelves for years, and I really look forward to reading all of those.

In spite of this, there is a challenge I stumbled across that really piques my interest, and if it weren’t for my prior commitment, I would sign up. It is Support Your Local Authors, sponsored by It’s All About Books. The beauty of this challenge is there are no rules, no set requirements, no floggings or guilt if you don’t finish.

Guidelines are:


The idea: Learn who your local authors are, famous and not so famous, and read their books! Then review their books and promote them to us. I'll have a different post for linking to your reviews.

The rules: No rules. Just have fun keeping up with and promoting your local authors! This is an ongoing, perpetual challenge with no time limit. Make a goal for yourself regarding how many books you'd like to read this year, then post about them.

What a great idea!!

I think most people have the impression that Arkansas is some hillbilly, illiterate wasteland – but I’m proud to say we have a vast literary heritage. There are so many authors to choose from:

The late, Donald Harington, whose works include, the Stay More, Arkansas series.
The legendary poet, Miller Williams, who spoke at Pres. Bill Clinton’s second inauguration.
National Book Award winner, Ellen Gilchrist.
Charlaine Harris – author of the the Sookie Stackhouse series; Lily Bard series and Aurora Teagarden series (among others)
Kevin Brockmeier, author of The Brief History of the Dead, Things That Fall from the Sky and The View From the Seventh Layer
Trenton Lee Stewart, author of The Mysterious Benedict Society
John Grisham, author of so many I’ve lost count
Charles Portis, author of True Grit, Norwood and Dog of the South, and others.
Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heat at Wounded Knee.
Joan Hess, author of the Clair Malloy and Maggody mystery series, “"Joan Hess has won a heap of praise for her wry and wildly funny series of whodunits set in the unforgettable town of Maggody, Arkansas. A small-town Arkansas dweller herself, Hess brilliantly captures the local color of a sleepy backwoods Southern community."

Gosh, I’m energized just listing all of these wonderful authors!

Although I’m not fully committing myself to this challenge, I will be adding more Arkansas authors to my reading repertoire this coming year.

And my challenge to you -- become an adopted Arkansan, by adding some of these worthy authors to your reading list too!

1 comment:

Suey said...

Welcome to the challenge! I'm glad you are unofficiallly with us! :) It's fun seeing the list of your local authors.