Finished 1% Well-Read Challenge!!

So I finished my 1% Well-Read Challenge a day early!! I was a little worried I wasn't going to get it done. Two weeks ago I had three more to read and was pretty busy. I started a new workout program at the gym that has been leaving me exhausted and unable to get any reading done before I go to bed. But I plugged away and got it done. Last year I only got to 94 books done on the 100 Book Reading Challenge and I was pretty disappointed with myself because I knew that if I pushed myself and gave up a few hours of television I could have finished that challenge. Well this year I have decided to try as hard as I can to finish all my challenges (and not just book related challenges either!!).

The books I read for the 1% Well-Read Challenge are:

The Black Dahlia - James Ellroy
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Arcadia - Jim Crace
Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
Santa Evita - Tomas Eloy Martinez
Jazz - Toni Morrison
Disgrace - J.M. Cotezee
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut

I absolutely loved a few of these books (and these are books that I would NEVER have normally picked up for myself) and some just brought of strong emotions. I really enjoyed The Black Dahlia and Arcadia. I took my time readings these and was happy for that. Half of a Yellow Sun was on my reading radar anyway and I am so happy I gave God of Small Things another chance because it turned out to be a wonderful book!

I found Jazz a bit hard to read - confusing until I got to the end. I have to say I enjoyed Toni Morrison's other books a lot more. I read Disgrace on vacation (and it is NOT a vacation book!!!) and found it just made me really angry. I hated the characters decisions and there ideas of right and wrong. But I can't say it was a bad book because it did what some books are supposed to do - it brought up strong and difficult emotions.

All and all I am glad I participated in this challenge. I will definitely be participating in the 1% Well-Read Challenge of 2009/2010!!!!