The first book I’m tackling for the challenge is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo for the simple reason that I was already reading it when I decided to take THE CHALLENGE. This may seem like cheating, but it’s not - because I designed the challenge and I say it’s not cheating.
It’s technically an “unread” book and as of yesterday when I devised THE CHALLENGE, I was only on page 207 (of a 590 page book). Since yesterday afternoon, when THE CHALLENGE was hatched, I’ve read exactly 163 pages, so I think it qualifies. I designed THE CHALLENGE and I say it qualifies.
I bought this book right after it came out in paperback, which according to borders.com was June 23rd of this year. I should mention that I don’t believe in hardcovers. I’m fundamentally opposed to them. I don’t dislike them because they’re heavier or more expensive. I dislike them because they’re just not as aesthetically pleasing as paperbacks. They’re not as sexy. You know I’m right. Deep down, you know. There is one hardcover book on THE SHELF and coincidentally, it’s the follow up to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - The Girl Who Played With Fire. There are two simple reasons why I have this book in hardcover: 1) it came out two months ago and 2) it was a gift. I never look a gift book in the mouth and was so surprised and excited to receive it from my book buddy, Shannon. She gave it to me as thank you gift after seeing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on my bookshelf. (Not knowing, of course, that I hadn’t yet read it.) I think that was the beginning of the idea for EMPTY THE SHELF. I realized that Shannon assumed I’d read all the books on my shelf and when I stopped to look at how many I hadn’t gotten to…shame. So thanks, Shann-o, for being part of the inspiration behind THE CHALLENGE that is sure to make me lose my mind. I can’t wait.
