1. contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc): The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mosin Hamid February

2. work by one author that alludes to an earlier work: not sure yet

3. work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen January

4. non-fiction: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

5. science fiction/fantasy: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

6. work by an author from a "developing" country: The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther (India) March

7. work made into a film: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

8. work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

9. work by a contemporary author that takes place in another century: My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

10. mystery/horror: The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

11. "non-novel" (short stories, play, poetry, essays): Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (stories) February

12. work translated into English: Mr. Muo's Travelling Couch by Dai Sijie (translated from French) January

13.  major literary prize winner: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Man Booker Prize, 1997) February

Hoping this will kick me into high gear and thin out my TBR list.

Challenge: Read 12/13 (or 6/12 for a "lite" challenge).

1. contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc): Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time  Completed 3/11

2. work by one author that alludes to an earlier work:  Magic's Child by: Justine Larbalestier    Completed 1/11

3. work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read: The Help by: Kathryn Stockett   Complete 12/11

4. non-fiction:  Omnivore's Dilemma by: Michael Pollan    Completed 2/11

5. science fiction/fantasy: The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Bk 1) by: Suzanne Collins   Completed 3/11

6. work by an author from a "developing" country: A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini       Completed 3/11

7. work made into a film:  The Friday Night Knitting Club by: Kate Jacobs  Completed 9/11

8. work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers: Middlesex by: Jeffrey Eugenides Completed 10/11

9. work by a contemporary author that takes place in another century: On Agate Hill by: Lee Smith  Completed 6/11

10. mystery/horror: Death is Now My Neighbor by: Colin Dexter Completed 5/11

11. "non-novel" (short stories, play, poetry, essays): Eat, Shoots and Leaves by: Lynne Truss

12. work translated into English: The Alchemist by: Paulo Coelho (translated from Portuguese) Completed 5/11

13.  major literary prize winner: Life of Pi by: Yann Martel    Completed 6/11

     

Awesome idea for the "contemp political" book, Amy. Love it!

 2011 Contemporary Fiction Challenge

   1.      contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc):  Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson completed
            9/14/11,

   2.      work by one author that alludes to an earlier work:  The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown completed 4/25/11

   3.      work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read:   The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton completed 5/15/11

   4.      non-fiction:  Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson (about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane) completed 1/20/11

   5.      science fiction/fantasy:  Event by David Lynn Golemon finished 2/4/11

   6.      work by an author from a "developing" country:  Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

   7.      work made into a film:  The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson

   8.      work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers:  Ape House by Sara Gruen completed 2/27/11

   9.      work by a contemporary author that takes place in another century:  Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier completed 2/20/11

  10.      mystery/horror:  Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill completed 4/2/11

  11.      "non-novel" (short stories, play, poetry, essays):  Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout completed 1/23/11

  12.      work translated into English:

  13.       major literary prize winner:  The Plot Against America by Philip Roth completed 3/26/11.  Won the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction.

Completed 081311

• contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc):  Snitch (gangs) - done 03/11
• work by author that alludes to earlier work: Knit The Season by Kate Jacobs - done  02/11
• work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read: Melissa de la Cruz – done 08/11
• non-fiction:  The G Free Diet – done 7/11
• science fiction/fantasy:  Deeper Than Midnight - done 09/11
• work by an author from a "developing" country:  Beautiful Place to Die – done 01/11
• work made into a film:  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest – done 1/11
• work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers:  The Irish Princess by Karen Harper - done 08/11
• mystery/horror:  Mercy Kill - done 05/11
• "non-novel"   Gluten-free Girl and the Chef - done 06/11
• work translated into English: Madame Bovary - done 01/11
•  major literary prize winner:  The Shadow of Gotham - done 1/11

BUMP

Challenge: Read 12/13 (or 6/12 for a "lite" challenge).

Also, since 50 years seems to be a commonly accepted standard for establishing a "classic" (and because people like clarity), I'm considering "contemporary" literature anything written within the past 50 years.

1. contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc):

2. work by one author that alludes to an earlier work:

3. work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read:

4. non-fiction:

5. science fiction/fantasy:

6. work by an author from a "developing" country:

7. work made into a film:

8. work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers:

9. work by a contemporary author that takes place in another century:

10. mystery/horror:

11. "non-novel" (short stories, play, poetry, essays):

12. work translated into English:

13.  major literary prize winner:

I hope I'm not too late to get into this.  I realized most of what I had been reading fit here; so I compiled my list.

1. contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc): Little Bee, Chris Cleave (on TBR list); suggestions?

2. work by one author that alludes to an earlier work: An Incomplete Revenge (Maisie Dobbs, Bk 5), Jacqueline Winspear (on TBR list); This Body of Death (finished), Elizabeth George; One Step Behind, Henning Mankell (finished); the rest of Laura Joh Rowland’s & Akira Yoshimura’s books (planned);

3. work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read:The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy (finished); Dead Man's Walk,Larry McMurtry (on TBR list); Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, Elizabeth Gilbert (on TBR list)

4. non-fiction: Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale or How I Learned About Life and Love with a Blind Wonder Cat, Gwen Cooper (finished)

5. science fiction/fantasy: My favorite SF/F author is Sherri Tepper. She usually writes one book a year, but haven’t heard anything about a new one.  Anybody have any suggestions?

6. work by an author from a "developing" country: Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (on TBR list); other suggestions?

 7. work made into a film:Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia,Elizabeth Gilbert (on TBR list)

 8. work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers: The Chimney Sweeper’s Boy, Barbara Vine (finished); The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy (finished); One Step Behind, Henning Mankell (finished); This Body of Death (finished), Elizabeth George

 9. work by a contemporary author that takes place in another century: Fall of Giants, Ken Follett (finished); The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford (finished); Shanghai Girls, Lisa See(finished); Shinju, Laura Joh Rowland (finished); The Swan Thieves, Elizabeth Kostova (finished); A Most Dangerous Method : The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrein,John Kerr; (partially read);

10. mystery/horror: The Chimney Sweeper’s Boy, Barbara Vine (finished); One Step Behind, Henning Mankell (finished);Shinju, Laura Joh Rowland(finished); This Body of Death, Elizabeth George (finished);

11. "non-novel" (short stories, play, poetry, essays): The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, Siddhartha Mukherjee;

12. work translated into English: The Fourth Man, K.O. Dahl (Norway) (finished); One Step Behind, Henning Mankell (Norway) (finished);One Man’s Justice, Akira Yoshimura (Japan) (finished);

13. major literary prize winner:A Visit From The Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan  (on TBR list); The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, Siddhartha Mukherjee; The Finkler Question, Howard Jacobson; Room, Emma Donoghue; Suggestions?

Other books I’ve read this year:

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford

The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton

Somebody Else’s Daughter, Elizabeth Brundage 

I'm late joining but hope it will help me read something other than mysteries ;-)

Challenge: Read 12/13 (or 6/12 for a "lite" challenge).

Also, since 50 years seems to be a commonly accepted standard for establishing a "classic" (and because people like clarity), I'm considering "contemporary" literature anything written within the past 50 years.

1. contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc):

2. work by one author that alludes to an earlier work:

3. work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read:   Henning Mankell

4. non-fiction:

5. science fiction/fantasy:

6. work by an author from a "developing" country:

7. work made into a film:

8. work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers:

9. work by a contemporary author that takes place in another century:

10. mystery/horror:

11. "non-novel" (short stories, play, poetry, essays):  Our Town  Thornton Wilder

12. work translated into English:              The Flanders' Panel, by Arturo......   Translated from Spanish

13.  major literary prize winner:

     

1. contemporary political issue: (terrorism, immigration, etc):

2. work by one author that alludes to an earlier work:

3. work/author you keep hearing about but haven't yet read:

4. non-fiction:

5. science fiction/fantasy:

6. work by an author from a "developing" country:

7. work made into a film:

8. work by one of a country's greatest contemporary writers:

9. work by a contemporary author that takes place in another century:

10. mystery/horror:

11. "non-novel" (short stories, play, poetry, essays):

12. work translated into English: 

13.  major literary prize winner:

BUMP

I HAVE COMPLETED THE CHALLENGE

Mary

I wish I would have been able to finish the challange so early.  Just finished it this past week.