12 Books, 12 Months (x-post from LDB)

It’s on!  Since 6 people have expressed interest in my Virtual Book Club Challenge, I think we have a quorum.  After some discussion with Shane, here are the rules:

12 Books, 12 Months Challenge

• Pick 12 titles from your To Read Pile.  These should be titles you currently own in whatever format you prefer.
• Acquisition of other formats or translations is permitted.  So, if you have a paperback but want to read on your Kindle, you can get a Kindle copy.  If you have a library copy but want to buy your own, that’s kosher.  Heck, if you own a copy and want to check another out from the library, I’m not gonna stop you.
• Post your list in your public space of choice by September 1, 2010.  If you prefer not to post, you can just leave a comment with your list.
• Read all 12 titles between now and September 5, 2011.  Might as well tack on an extra long weekend at the end for cramming.
• When you finish a title on your list, post about it in your public space of choice.  If you prefer not to post, you can just leave a comment with your review.
• Once a month, I’ll post a round-up of the reviews posted from that month so that we all know what everyone else has read.

My list:

1. Boris Akunin – The Winter Queen
   I don’t remember how I came to have this one on my wishlist, but it looks interesting, and I don’t read enough fiction.
2. Mikhail Bulgakov – The Master and the Margarita
   We each brought a copy of this to our collection, but I don’t know that either of us have read it.
3. Lawrence Durrell – Reflections on a Marine Venus
   Durrell’s prose is intoxicating, and I’ve been intending to read more of his work since ~2003.
4. William Least Heat-Moon – Blue Highways
   I loved River-Horse, and would like to read more of his work.
5. Henry Miller – Tropic of Cancer
   I’ve owned and intended to read this book since college.  By my calculations, that means I have moved it at least 12 times.
6. Barack Obama – Dreams from My Father
   I meant to read this in advance of the 2008 election. Now we’re 2 years into the Obama presidency…
7. Michael Pollan – The Omnivore’s Dilemma
   Because every other foodie person on the planet has read it, but it put me to sleep.
8. J.R.R. Tolkein – The Hobbit
   I’ve read Lord of the Rings, but not The Hobbit.  It’s time.
9. Anne Tyler – The Accidental Tourist
   Need to confirm that I actually own this one. The movie based on the book was nominated for Best Picture, not that that means it’ll be a good book.
10. David Foster Wallace – Infinite Jest
    I missed Infinite Summer. This is also one of Shane’s favorite – if not THE favorite – books. No more excuses. See also: The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
11. Duncan Watts – Six Degrees
    I picked this up my first year of grad school because Duncan Watts’s research is interesting and also he is dreamy.
12. E.B. White – The Points of My Compass
    My good intentions for this book date back to my first attempt at organizing a book club.

What are YOU going to read?