Well… it’s been fun. No, really, it has. I’ve really enjoyed finding and reading the books that were on my list (most of them). But what I’ve really liked is reading everyone’s reviews and finding more books to put on my book list. That’s what’s been the most fun.
So, the Challenge is winding down — technically you have until April 30th, and so I’ll keep this post open until then. Please put a link to your final review post, or a roundup post if you’d rather do that, in the comments. (I’d do a Mr. Linky, but I’ve had problems with multiple linkies before, and I don’t want to lose the review links.) I’ll do a drawing (the fourth daughter needs a turn!) for the final prize — any book from Amazon, under $25 — and some consolation prizes (something like bookmarks, or chocolate, or something along those lines) for those who participated but didn’t finish (let me know about those in the comments, too). I’m hoping we’ll get to 100 reviews… that would be fun. Maybe I’ll even give a prize out for that (I need an excuse to buy a copy or two of Bride and Prejudice…).
I think this has been a good first challenge experience. Maybe I’ll even do another one another time (if I can come up with another good idea). Thanks so much to all those who have participated. It would have been very lonely without you. I think the real challenge, now, is to not let myself fall back into the rut I was in before and keep reading books from different cultures and countries and ethnicities. Different stories from different places are just one thing that makes life richer. Thanks for expanding your horizons with me. 🙂
The Book Nut 
Melissa, this has been SUCH fun! Not only have I expanded my horizons with some amazing books, but actually doing a reading challenge expanded my horizons too 🙂 OH. And Bride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite movies. Hands down.
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Okay, so I came upon this challenge a little late, and didn’t officially sign up, but I really loved the idea. So, I’ve fulfilled the challenge, and just wanted to say thank you for the motivation. My books were (it helped that two of the Nook books fit the bill):1. The Hummingbird’s Daughter (Mexico)2. The God of Small Things (India)3. Tropical Fish: Tales from Entebbe (Uganda)4. Atonement (Britain)5. The Winter Queen (Russia)6. The Power of One (South Africa)I’ve done short reviews of each book on my sidebar segment “Got Books?”, if you’re interested. Thanks again for introducing me to this idea- I guess I never really thought about the author’s cultural or national backgrounds, and I’ve been exposed to some books I probably wouldn’t have found on my own as a result. Thanks, man!
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Oh yeah, I’m also almost done with a 7th book that fits the challenge- Smilla’s Sense of Snow (Denmark). Yeah!
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Dawn, that’s awesome! I’ll have to pop by and read the reviews so I can see what you thought… Thanks for participating. 🙂 Corrine — I hope I haven’t created a challenge monster… 🙂 And, B&P is one of my all-time favorites, too. I’m surprised I don’t own a copy. Yet.
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I’d highly recommend the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis as a great read. The author’s imagination and creativity never cease to amaze me. Although most might think that they are for children.,I think most adults would also enjoy reading them. In fact, Disney is coming up with the latest Narnia movie-Prince Caspian, this May 16th. It promises to be awesome by the looks of the trailor. I think its very well-timed also, especially for the kids who’d be on summer break. So dont miss it!
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Here’s my final post about the challenge: http://amiralace.blogspot.com/2008/04/expanding-horizons-challenge.html
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Eeeeks! Not done! Not done! (I had somehow neglected to realize that this wasn’t a full-year challenge!) Quick! Stop all other reading and read Expanding Horizons Challenge Books! Since this is my first challenge ever, I MUST complete it, otherwise it would not set a great precedent. I’ll see what I can do Melissa. I’ve still got a few weeks.🙂 Regardless, it’s been a lot of fun.
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Congrats on how the challenge has gone!
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Melissa, thanks so much for promoting and coordinating this. It was my first challenge as well, and it’s been great fun. As I look back on what I’ve read, only a couple of them were on my original list- due to all the great reviews that everyone else has written. I now have a much longer TBR list than when I began, and I’m thinking that you’ve started something….
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Well, I never managed to sign up for this officially but I did read along with it and finished it the other day. Haven’t written all the reviews yet but had a lot of fun expanding my horizons. Here’s what I read for it in case any of these pique anyone’s interest:African: The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria)Asian: Sky Burial by Xinran (Tibet)Hispanic: Finding Manana by Mirta Ojito (Cuba)Indian: Snakes and Ladders by Gita MehtaMiddle Eastern: Persian Girls by Nahid Rachlin (Iran)Native Peoples: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexia (Native American)
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Hello I write for a bookzine called Estella’s Revenge (http://www.estellasrevenge.com) and I was hoping you might be able to help me pull together a feature for our ‘Travel’ issue. I’m popping around various international reading challenges and asking the organisers to tell me what are the best books they have encountered so far in their challenge experience. I would love it if you could let me know what some of your favourite challenge reads have been for the ‘Expanding Horizons’ challenge have been and perhaps provide a short sentence about why you have enjoyed them so much. The goal of this investigation is to get 80 books from around the world into this feature and so go ‘Around the World in 80 books’ (kind of dorky I know but also kind of fun). If you’d like to participate please send me your choices at bakerjodie at googlemail dot com by 24th April. If you’d like it would be wonderful if you could ask those taking part in the challenge to help out as well.
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So I was looking at my book list today, wondering if I could pull this challenge off after all. I’ve had two books left for what seems like forever. I discovered I’ve read a Middle Eastern book I hadn’t counted, Pomegranate Soup, so now I don’t have to finish Istabul. Now I just have to finish a South American writer, and I’ll be done. I’m trying Isabel Allende’s Daughter of Fortune. Bleh.
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http://ilivedonrum.blogspot.com/2008/04/and-were-done.htmlHere’s my wrapup post. This was a great challenge.Also, Bride and Prejudice is such an awesome movie!!
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Done!http://fizzybeverage.blogspot.com/2008/04/daughter-of-fortune.htmlThanks for hosting this one!
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Yay, softdrink and veronica! Glad you finished up. Kristen — glad you read, even if you didn’t sign up. 🙂 And Sarah, as always, my pleasure.
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Melissa, I’ve finished the challenge. And here is < HREF="http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2008/04/expanding-horizons-challenge-completed.html" REL="nofollow">my finished list<>.
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I finished–thanks so much for hosting!!< HREF="http://1morechapter.com/2008/04/25/expanding-horizons-challenge-complete/" REL="nofollow">My wrap-up<>
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Hi Melissa, < HREF="http://fondnessforreading.blogspot.com/2008/04/reading-challenge-update.html/" REL="nofollow">Click here<> to read my wrap-up of this challenge.Thanks so much for hosting it. It was a great experience for me, and I hope you will host it again next year. I’m ready to sign up again, anytime!
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I don’t think I ever came and put my review links in Mr Linky. I hope you saw at least one of them anyway!
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Finished! (Pant, pant! Had to run to finish in time!) My wrap-up is < HREF="http://scribacchina.freehostia.com/Blog/archives/101" REL="nofollow">here<>.Thank you Melissa, it was my first challenge and it’s been a good experience!
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