Monday 11 March 2013

Orange you glad I joined the party?

Call me crazy, but I've joined another challenge. The Orange Prize Project.

Crazy!!

If reading 75 classics in 5 years for the Classics Club wasn't enough to keep me busy, I'm also reading Booker, Nobel, Pulitzer and now, Orange prize winning books!

But I figure that it wont be that hard for five reasons.

1. a number of the books appear on several lists.
2. my four new challenges have no time limit attached to them.
3. I've already read quite a few of the titles but just haven't blogged about them all.
4. I need to read a number of these award winning titles for work anyway.
5. I want to read more women writers and the Orange challenge in particular will help me with that.

In January, the Orange prize changed it's name to The Women's Prize for Fiction.

The longlist for 2013 is due out on Thursday.

Of the list below, I've only read one title - Fugitive Pieces from 1997.

However, when I scan the shortlists I can see another 8 books to tick off. There are many more titles on the longlists as well as all the books from the six year 2005 -2010 where they also awarded a prize to new writers.

So many books, so little time!
Time to stop blogging and time to get reading.

Past Winners of The Orange Prize for Fiction

  • 1996: A Spell Of Winter, Helen Dunmore
  • 1997: Fugitive Pieces, Anne Michaels
  • 1998: Larry’s Party, Carol Shields
  • 1999: A Crime In The Neighbourhood, Suzanne Berne
  • 2000: When I Lived In Modern Times, Linda Grant
  • 2001: The Idea Of Perfection, Kate Grenville
  • 2002: Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
  • 2003: Property, Valerie Martin
  • 2004: Small Island, Andrea Levy
  • 2005: We Need To Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver
  • 2006: On Beauty, Zadie Smith
  • 2007: Half Of A Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • 2008: The Road Home, Rose Tremain
  • 2009: Home, Marilyne Robinson
  • 2010: The Lacuna, Barbara Kingsolver
  • 2011: The Tiger’s Wife, Téa Obreht
  • 2012: The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
  • 2 comments:

    1. I started reading Booker nominees back in 1999. I'm dreadfully stalled I must say. I think reading the Orange winners is a great idea. I think I've only read one-the extraordinary We Need to Talk About Kevin- so much better than the film Although I may have read Larry's Party- the memory is failing.... I signed up for a new reading challenge today too! Must be the day for it.

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    2. My sister has been working on reading all the Pulitzer winners for several years now. Some are apparently harder work than others. I have read several of the Orange Prize books: On Beauty was very good; Bel Canto was outstanding; Home is one of the best books I have ever read. I re-read it and it was even better the second time. You have some wonderful books ahead of you with this challenge. Have fun!

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