The Dewey Decimal Challenge

Now you know that I can never turn down a nonfiction challenge! This one has participants read one book from each dewey decimal category a month, so ten books between January and October. Here’s my pool:

000-Generalities: Rereadings, edited by Anne Fadiman (028.9 R428) or The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel (020. M277L). I love reading books about books, and I’ve had my eye on both of these for awhile-I’m excited that they fall under generalities!

100-Philosophy and Psychology: The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton (101 D287C). I’ve been curious about de Botton for quite awhile, since I saw him mentioned by some blogger, and apparently this survey of philosophy is quite accessible (I used to love philosophy in my silly youth).

200-Religion: Pathways to Bliss by Joseph Campbell (201.3019 C188P). I’ve loved Campbell for years, but I’ve never gotten around to reading this volume.

300-Social Sciences: Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes (398.353 E79W) or Trading in Memories by Barbara Hodgson (306.4609 H691T). The former is on my TBR case: it’s definitely one of those classics. The latter sounds like a neat travel memoir based on Hodgson’s visits to various flea markets.

400-Languages: Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin by Nicholas Ostler (470.9 O85A ), The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (420.9 B916M ), The First Word by Christine Keannelly (400. K34F), Spoken Here by Mark Abley (417.7 A152S ), or Words, Words, Words by David Crystal (401.4 C957W). Um, did I ever mention that in addition to my international relations major, I did one in modern languages too? I studied Latin in high school and considered becoming a classics major in college (hence the first selection here), but ultimately ended up studying Rusian and French (and I took an intro class in linguistics). The Bryson book focuses on English, the Keannelly looks at language in a scientific evolutionary sense (something touched upon in a book I read this year-Wisdom of the Bones-and which intrigued me), Abley is a journalist who travelled the world learning about rare lanuages. Finally, Crystal talks about words in English and how we are all wordsmiths.

500-Natural Sciences and Math: I’ll just pick one from my rather extensive Science Book Challenge Pool.

600-Technology: Sewing Lingerie That Fits by Karen Morris (646.4204 M876S). I started learning how to sew earlier this year, and I’ve been on the waiting list for this copy at my library since July! I’m finally getting close to the top, which is exciting, because I can never find full-length slips that fit, or even nicely made half slips for a reasonable price. Nightgowns off the rack are almost always too big for me too, so this way I can make whatever design I want. :)

700-The Arts: Hidden in the Shadow of the Master by Ruth Butler (759.4 B986H) or Frida Kahlo: Her Life and Works by Helga Prignitz-Poda (759.972 K12P). I’m already doing the Art History challenge, but I definitely want to look at women in art as well. Frida is one of my favourite woman artists, while the former is about the wives of several impressionist painters.

800-Literature: The 8:55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames (823.912 E12E). This is on the TBR case-Eames follows Agatha Christie’s trip to Iraq and discusses her books along the way.

900-Geography and History: Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman (951.058 S186I) or Black Elk Speaks (970.2 B6272B) or Jihad by Ahmed Rashid (958.0429 R224J). It’s so funny-most of the nonfiction on my TBR ended up in this category! The first choice is a book about China by Salzman, whose True Notebooks I loved. The second is a memoir of a Native American chief. And the final is an analysis of ‘the rise of militant Islam in Central Asia,’ as the subtitle explains. I’ve heard really good things about this author.