The Europa Challenge

  I am very excited to be participating in The Europa Challenge, which I found out via Indie Reader Houston.  As I've mentioned before, if I could claim to have a favorite publisher, Europa Editions would be it;  I've enjoyed every book I've read from their list, and I have several more waiting on my shelf as well as more on the to-read list.  Their distinctive covers make them "stand out" to me when I'm browsing the bookstores and in the mood to make a purchase, but it is ultimately the quality of the books they publish and the exposure they give me to world literature (mostly in translation) that makes me return to them again and again.

  I aim to become a Europa SuperFan, and read their entire list (here), but for now I will start with the books I already own and have yet to read.  I am aiming to qualify as a Conoisseur at the Europa Haver level by reading 7 books by the end of 2011.  I currently have 10 Europa Editions titles on my to-read shelf, so the lack of books will certainly not hamper me in my effort!

  The books I currently have (in alphabetical order by author) are:

• From the Land of the Moon by Milena Agus
• Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky
• The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky
• The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
• In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut
• Old Filth by Jane Gardam
• Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton Paterson
• Hygiene and the Assassin by Amelie Nothomb
• The Most Beautiful Book in the World by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
• First Execution by Domenico Starnone

Titles I have already read include:

• The Homecoming Party by Carmine Abate
• A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth (link to review)
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
• Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery
• A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse  (link to review)

This is going to be a lot of fun -- stay tuned to The Europa Challenge blog for reviews from other readers across the blogosphere (including yours truly!)