A sad, but interesting topic for readers everywhere...

public domain

 

The status of any creative work, invention, or device that is not protected by copyright law. Such items are available for use without permission. Often, works enter the public domain after patent, copyright, or trademark rights have expired or been abandoned.

-NOLO Law Dictionary

Ordinarily, January 1st of any year is cause for celebration (for numerous reasons), but it is also the happy day on which any copyrighted works whose term is expiring will enter the public domain.  This year, that should have meant that seminal works like Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and Arthur Miller's  The Crucible became free and clear for public use. But sadly, we won't be getting free use of these works, or any works.... until at least 2019!

This site, produced and maintained by the Duke University Law School's Center for the Study of the Public Domain, has a very interesting and informative explanation of the issue.

As I mentioned previously, I've decided to undertake a "Reading Challenge" to help me stick to my goal of reading more for fun this year.  I think this is partly due to my Teach For America brainwashing that I need to set measurable goals, but after all, having a clear goal in mind isn't a bad idea either so, here we go...

The challenge I've chosen is the 2010 Global Challenge, which I imagine is going to overlap quite a bit with other challenges throughout the year. I'm going to rein my inner over achiever and not go for the "Expert" but moderation is the key so I am undertaking:

The Medium Challenge
Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010:

1. Africa
2. Asia
3. Australasia
4. Europe
5. North America (incl Central America)
6. South America

Try to find novels from twelve different countries or states.

So here are my proposed picks.  As the year progresses, I will revisit this page and cross them off as I read them.  This list (like anything) will change (a lot) over the year, so feel free to send along any recommendations you might have.  I would especially appreciate recommendations of authors from continents I haven't hit yet...

(Note: Clicking on any of the photos will take you to the amazon page for that book.  I've tried to stick to paperbacks or kindle editions, to keep the cost down.)

1) Africa:

 

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan - Nigeria

To say that I have heard good things about this book would be an understatement. It's a collection of five short stories by a Nigerian Jesuit Priest about life in Africa.  I am really looking forward to reading this one!




 



2) Asia:

 
COMPLETED: January 9th, 2010





 
The Bone People by  Keri Hulme - New Zealand

I have to admit that I was stretched to come up with books for this one.  I've been really curious about New Zealand ever since the amazing endorsement it received via Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I thought a good Kiwi book would be a worthy choice.  I don't really know a lot about this one, but it is described as being a blend of Maori mythologies and modern narrative.






4) Europe

 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - Ireland/Britain

This is one of those books that I have heard about over, and over, and over..... So I am using this challenge as an excuse to finally sit down and read it.  I absolutely loved The Importance of Being Earnest, so I am hoping that I will love this one as much.  Best part... it's a classic so it's FREE at Gutenberg!







5) North America (Including Central America)

 

Monkey Hunting by Cristina García - Cuba/America

This is a book that I have seen sitting on other people's bookshelves, but that I have never picked up myself. The book is the story of a family split between two countries, Cuba and China.  The novel is a story of hardship, tradition, love, and struggle.







6) South America

 

The Storyteller by Mario Vargas Llosa - Peru

I haven't really read much South American literature so this one was tough.  But, this book stood out at me from a mile away.  A Peruvian Jew is determined to preserve the culture and story of an Amazonian tribe, so he becomes their "habladore"(storyteller). 












Ok, so there's my list.  Please feel free to leave me comments, suggestions, critiques, or encouragement!

In an effort to read more this year, I have decided to start the year off with a bang by collecting recommendations from other sources, and "challenging" myself a bit.  Not that I don't already have a list about a mile long of books I want to read, but listening to/reading what others have to say about their favorite books is really a great motivator to actually sit down and get some reading done myself!

It is in that spirit that I began listening to a great podcast called "Books on the Nightstand." The podcast (subscribe via iTunes or enjoy the feed directly from their site) is put out by two passionate and well read book reps working for Random House.  However, don't let that lead you to believe that they are biased or untrustworthy.  They are highly objective and consider books by any publisher.  But, one cool perk of their inside connection is that you often get the scoop on books before they are published.

One side-effect of listening to their podcast and reading their blog is the discovery of a new concept (for me) known as the Reading Challenge. If you (like me) are new to the world of book blogging, you may also be scratching your head right now trying to figure out what this is... well prepare to be wowed my friend:

A reading challenge is an "competition" (for lack of a better term) that encourages, inspires, and motivates people to flex their mental muscles a bit by reading books in a certain category.  So, for example, one challenge might ask you to read 4 books, each with a different season as their theme (i.e. read a winter themed book in winter...) others might challenge you to read books from different centuries, countries, genres, etc.

So this sounds like a great way to get started on my own reading.  As per the recommendation of BOTN podcast, I went to "A Novel Challenge" and picked a challenge.  The site has a HUGE list of ongoing challenges, and a list of previous/perpetual challenges. I've always loved reading international authors, so a natural choice was the 2010 Global Challenge. This challenge asks you to read at least one book from 6 different continents. I'm posting a separate entry with my picks, which you can follow throughout the year as I update it.  Please feel free to recommend your favorites too (especially if it's from a continent I haven't hit yet!!)

Ok, off to the races...