Mirrani does an Orange year.

2013 is the year that I've really decided to push myself to actually participate in these group challenges. I've done them on my own for a long while now, but the number of groups I'm in and the number of posts from each are so overwhelming, I never shared on LT... so I'm forcing myself to make a post that I can keep up with. :) Can't guarantee much else, but I can guarantee I'll be watching this one.

This year I wanted to read one Orange book each month, because I have enjoyed all the others I've read in previous years and keep feeling like I'm way behind. Going to make a few yearly attempts to catch up. This year's reading list has already been made:

January - Song of Achilles
February - A Spell of Winter
March - Ladder of Years
April - Eveless Eden
May - I Was Amelia Earhart
June - The Ventriloquists Tale
July - The Short History of a Prince
August - Property
September - The Book of Color
October - Unless
November - Home
December - Purple Hibiscus

I welcome comments and suggestions on how to share my reading with the group beyond just making up this list. :)

I read Purple Hibiscus last month and loved it. Song of Achilles was great too. Good luck!

Thanks, Bucketyell! It's always fun to read an award winner. I collect them, really.

Welcome to the challenge.
That's a great list you have. I've read 5 of them, and Unless is one of my favorite Orange books. You have a number on your list (March, April, June) I haven't even heard of!

I hear ya! I had never heard of the Orange before coming here but as it turns out, I had about 50 winners/nominees on my shelves already so I guess I was a fan without realising it. Now I find that despite the massive TBR pile, these ones tend to get bumped to the front of the line.

Just finished Book of Colour and I while I enjoyed it, it is a rather odd choice (touchstone doesn't seem to want to work for me). I will second that Unless was good too! Purple Hibiscus is my fave overall though.

raidergirl3, I usually go straight to the award's site and snag the books listed there... whatever I can get my hands on, that is. :)

bucketyell, I also tend to notice that I fall madly in love with a book well before they win an award... then I find out that whatever I've read has usually won something.

Oh my gosh... HOW did Ladder of Years ever get into consideration for anything? This was a horribly bland, useless book for me to muster my way through. And if you think about it, all books are technically useless. Blasphemy, I know! But think on it... Storytelling can be passed down through word of mouth. These rectangular objects that take up all of the space in my household are NOT going to help me survive. They're not food, clothing or shelter. TECHNICALLY they are useless to survival. (Just trying to point out how even MORE useless this one was.)

Welcome mirrani.
If you are not used to Anne Tyler she can drag you right down, I will give you that. She even has a book called The Dragging Down Years I believe.....perhaps not though as nothing came up on Touchstones. No, no it is titled A Slipping Down Life. I think I read 4 or 5 of hers before I finally 'got' her and began to appreciate her works. Now I think I have between 15 and 20 of her books and after I have read them sufficient times to satisfy me, I pass them along to another fan or would be fan. I won't say that I always like her books because I don't, especially on the first read but I do always appreciate them. She takes the humdrum of life and makes into something worthy. At least that is this reader's take on her.
You have a wonderful reading list up above and I have read a little over half of them. I would have to say that I loved Purple Hibiscus, The Song of Achilles. Ladder of Years, Property and Home were good solid 4* reads for me but my very, very favorite Orange still yet was and is Helen Dunmore's A Spell of Winter, which was the first Orange winner in 1996.
I am so glad you have joined us and I hope you enjoy your year of the Orange. (I can't help but to continue to call it that) :-)
welcoming hug,
belva

Thanks rainpebble, I've actually done this two years now, I think... It's just that I'm finally actually posting about it. :) It's good to be sharing. Don't know why I hadn't before.

I don't either but I am certainly happy that you are now. And so happy too, that you enjoy the Oranges so much. They rank really high on my list. (but somehow, this year, not so much)

Well, as I've told others I sort of collect sets of award winning books, like the Edgars, the Newberys, etc... So for me it was an excuse to make sure I read all of the books of an award list. :)

Good thinking!
I used to do that as well but as the books on my shelves grew to over 3,000 I had to rethink it. So now I just keep them if I think I will read them again. However I find it nearly impossible to give up my bios, memoirs, diaries, books of letters, etc and that type of thing. Also I keep most all of my classics.

My biggest problem is my favorite books I collect multiple covers of. And they're generally series.. like Pern or the Black Stallion... So whenever I see a cover of the Black Stallion that I don't have, I simply HAVE to buy it. :p

OHhhhhhhh; That would cause me incredible grief. (in my pocketbook)
But what fun. And as far as I can see, it is only a problem if you can't afford to collect them. So enjoy mirrani.

Wondering what you are planning to read in Orange July? It's almost upon us.

Rainpebble, so far I've been right on target, January - Song of Achilles, February - A Spell of Winter, March - Ladder of Years, April - Eveless Eden, May - I Was Amelia Earhart, June - The Ventriloquists Tale, and for July - The Short History of a Prince.

Next up is Property by Valerie Martin. Doing one book each month until I catch up and have read everything... which is going to take a while, but I have so many other challenges going on at once...

Keeping each year on this thread, because it just makes sense that way in my mind. My posts all in one place and all that.

My reading list for 2014 goes something like this:

January - Fugitive Pieces
February - Hundred Secret Senses
March - Alias Grace
April - Accordion Crimes
May - The Magician's Assistant
June - The Weight of Water
July - Larry's Party
August - A Crime in the Neighborhood
September - The Poisonwood Bible
October - Paradise
November - When I Lived in Modern Times
December - Amy and Isabelle

I have already read and LOVED Fugitive Pieces, by the way! Also, those of you who said Purple Hibiscus was good were not wrong. I think that was one of the best ones I read last year.

mirrani, you have some great titles upcoming this year for yourself. I have read & loved quite a few of them though not all. I do not have nor have I read Accordion Crimes & The Magician's Assistant. And I have but have not read the Tan, the Attwood & the Kingsolver. I will most likely get to those three this year since I do have them. It will be fun to compare our comments on them.
Purple Hibiscus is one of the best books I have read in all the years I have been on L.T. It's just a beautifully written novel. But then everything by this writer is. I am glad we didn't steer you wrong.

While I was in England, I also read The Lowland and State of Wonder, so I can add that to my 2014 reading list. :)