So there’s this new book reading challenge thing going around the block, called the Lit Flicks Challenge @ Bitchin’ Film Reviews (cool blog name, huh?) – it’s all about books with movies based off them. The idea for this challenge is to see 5 movies that have been made from books and read two of the books – that sounds pretty easy, seeing as you have until the end of February to finish – I think the idea is one movie a month-ish?

But here’s the thing – one, choices, choices, choices – I made a quick list of potential movie / books to look into – then trimmed it down. I’ve got it narrowed down to 11 so far… 11. That’s a lot more than 5. Also – I am right now reading Breaking Dawn – I’m doing a terrible job of reading lately – I’ve been doing this thing lately called Living My Life and a result of that is that at night – I’m tired. Too tired to read. TOO TIRED TO READ BREAKING DAWN – WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME?

And okay so there’s this little whispering voice in me that says, “When you finish the book, it will be over.” I know that sounds pretty captain obvious – it sounds a lot like the “sex talk” I was given as a young girl (tmi I know) to be perfectly honest. But it’s true. When you have sex, you won’t be a virgin anymore. I mean, when you finish a book – it’s read and over and done – and I’m not one of those re-readers. I almost never re-read a book. It will be over. The series? Pretty much over. I’m not sure I’m ready for that and I might be “making myself tired” to prolong it. But then there’s this little thing where I also “need” to read Jane Eyre by the first Tuesday of October for the Classics Book Club @ 5 Minutes for Books (need to? I’m still wondering how I feel about mandating books for an online group – no offense, you guys are great – but I really don’t want my blog to become homework – I want to read Jane Eyre anyway so if I can I totally will but if I force myself to read it then I might not read it because it feels like homework… I know myself, I went to college…) and I’ve got like 6 of my closest friends breathing down my neck, saying, “Jen have you finished Breaking Dawn yet? No?? No?? What’s wrong with you? Oh my god, you’ll never believe what happens, you need to finish it.” And I’m like, “I know, I’ll try…” but then I think of great amazing books like Gone With the Wind, the Harry Potter series, Lamb by Christopher Moore (can you all please go read Lamb like right now? Please? You need to – it’s amazing – and I can’t read it for the first time anymore so maybe I can live vicariously through you? Please…) Because I read and devoured those books without abandon and now they’re over and I can never have them back. I’m just not sure I’m ready to be done with Breaking Dawn, too. I know I’m repeating myself.

But ALSO my real life book club is maybe starting up again – sort of – we’re being all sorts of anticlimactic about that one – like “oh yeah, book club? what book should we read? you know a book… when should we meet? definitely let’s meet… okay, bye…” But like any little second we might be like “We’re reading this amazing book and we’re meeting in 3 weeks” and then I’d have to be like, “Let’s get this show on the road folks!”

So I’ve got Breaking Dawn…

And Jane Eyre…

And [insert book club pick here]…

And like 17 books I’m craving that are sitting pretty in the back of my mind….

And the other 800 I want to read you someday books sitting pretty on my Good Reads list…

And then this Lit Flicks Challenge… I think I’m going to do it anyway because I’m insane, but I’m just saying when I fail miserably and don’t read or see the movies on time, and write a post next month about why I never read Jane Eyre and my friends are still like “how have you not finished Breaking Dawn yet, Jen?”

You know why. [Just don’t junk punch me, please.]

Anyhow, here are the 11 books I’m tossing around in my mind for the Lit Flicks Challenge in between dodging mental junk punches and complaining that I’m le tired…

• pride and prejudice
• jane eyre
• other boleyn girl
• twilight
• gone with the wind
• little women
• charlie and the chocolate factory
• da vinci code
• princess bride
• memoirs of a geisha
• breakfast at tiffanys

And here are the rules for the contest for all you people out there who want to play along:

RULES
1. Challenge runs from September 1, 2008 to February 28, 2009.
2. Read 2 books/pieces of literature that have been made into movies.
3. Watch 5 movies, including the two films the books you read are based on.
4. Your list may change at any time and may include overlaps with other challenges.
5. Sign up after you’ve posted about this challenge using Mr. Linky here.
6. Check in here around the first of each month to find activities and giveaways for participants.
7. Link to your reviews and posts using the second Mr. Linky here.
8. No worries if you don’t want to/can’t complete the whole challenge. We just want to hear what you have to say. (this is why I’ve decided to try anyway – no pressure, right?)