Another challenge hosted by J. Kaye; the goal of the 2nds Challenge 2009 is to read 12 books by authors that you have only read once.
How did I do?
- Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Brightest Moon of the Century by Christopher Meeks
- Resistance by Anita Shreve
- Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
- Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story by Janet Halffman
- Beg, Borrow, Steal by Michael Greenberg
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
- When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge
- What Can I Bring? Cookbook by Anne Byrn
So, yes, I completed the challenge.
How do I feel about completing it? Honestly, I’m ambivalent. While I’m pleased that I finished the challenge (there are a whole bunch I didn’t complete!), I kind of fell into it, and didn’t choose to read these books intentionally to fit the challenge.
I like the idea of reading more across an author’s body of work. I used to do this often; when I really enjoyed a book I would seek out others by the same author. I think I read all of Carol Shields, Anne Tyler, and Barbara Kingsolver this way. Maybe I’ll make that more of a personal goal for 2010, not an official challenge 
Do you tend to read an author’s back list, if you pick up a recent work that you enjoy?
Before I started blogging, this was my modus operandi. But no more. I think I just get in such a big hurry to read other things, that I don’t take the time to explore other works by an author. Some exceptions to that was Connie May Fowler – I consumed everything of hers this year – and Sarah Waters (I’m now in the middle of her third book). I need to take more time to do this!
Like Sandy, I used to regularly read an author’s back list if I really liked something I’d read by that author. Since I started blogging, however, I tend to do that less. So many new authors and new books are being brought to my attention (and by new I mean new-to-me, not necessarily new to the publishing world). I have good intentions. I do want to go back and read more by many of the others I’ve learning about. I just need to actually do it.
Congratulations on completing the 2nds Challenge, by the way! If I finish my current book before the year is out, I’ll be able to up my number for the challenge from 8 to 9. Not a success per say, but closer.
I have a lot of times after reading a recent work of an authors gone back and picked up some of their others. It just seems now that I’m always so busy reading the next one on the list that I don’t have a chance to read back works of an author. I hope to make more time for stuff like that this year but I’m already getting booked with other stuff. I need to take a couple of months for just me. lol.
I do like to read more writing by the same author. This summer I read Howard’s End by E.M. Forster and then subsequently read A Room With a View; I’ve read all of Maeve Binchy’s books by doing this as well; and Tamora Pierce…I think it’s a habit
I used to do better at reading more by an author but I think that was because I was far less away of how many wonderful authors there are out there. I really was unwilling to take a risk with my book dollars. Now that I can get so many recommendations via blogs, I’m more likely to spread my reading love to authors I haven’t read before. But there are also so many authors I want to get back to.
I’m very impressed with you! Way to go!
Hey … like the new look! : )
And if I find an author I like, I definitely seek out and read the rest. I could have done this challenge with my eyes shut if I’d signed up for it. Authors I “discovered” and read more than one book by this this year alone include Christopher Moore, Tom Perrotta, Jen Lancaster, and Jhumpa Lahiri. I’m a very faithful fan … unless you turn bad (I’m thinking of Patricia Cornwell) or I get tired of your formula (Janet Evanovich).
I did a seconds challenge once but I used it more for series books. Which was great as I got to read more in a mystery series. If I find an author I like of course I want to read more by them but I try not to read books back-to-back. I like to space things out to save some and not get too burnt out
I hadn’t heard of this challenge before. If I find an author I like, I try to read their other works too. Congrats on finishing
Well, unless it’s a series which I’ll grab immediately and start burning my way through, an author’s backlist is a large reason why my wishlist is closing in on 2000 books… and the same problem everyone else says: there’s just SO MUCH OUT THERE.
Sometimes, I look at the flood and wish I wasn’t part of it.