Friday, October 1, 2010

The OKRA Picks Challenge

I'm officially joining The OKRA Picks Challenge!

I know! I know! You might be asking yourself , "Why are you joining another challenge when you're already failing miserably at so many?" But I just swear I couldn't help it. First of all, it's being hosted by one of my very best friends Kathy/Bermuda Onion. Secondly, I do have a soft spot in my heart for Southern fiction. And lastly, have you seen the books? They are fantastic!

Here are the details straight from Kathy's blog:

Since I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy the hospitality of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance at their last two trade shows, I know just how passionate those folks are about books.  Each season, SIBA selects a dozen Southern books to handsell and those books are called Okra Picks.   Okra Picks authors are given a sash to wear at the trade show, and believe me when I tell you those sashes are worn with pride!  Since I love Southern books, I thought it would be fun to host an Okra Picks challenge.  The picks this season are:

Fiction:
A Perfect Love Song by Patti Callahan Henry

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

I Still Dream About You
by Fannie Flagg


Love, Charleston
by Beth Webb Hart


My Only Sunshine
by Lou Dischler


Virals
by Kathy Reichs


Zora and Me
by Victoria Bond
and T.R. Simon

The Typist
by Michael Knight


Nonfiction:

Carry the Rock
by Jay Jennings


Greek Revival
by Patricia Moore-Pastides


My Reading Life
by Pat Conroy


Southern Plate
by Christy Jordan


They Came to Nashville
by Marshall Chapman


To make this challenge fun for everyone, I’m going to include four different levels:
1-3 Books:  Goober
4-6 Books:   Tater
7-9 Books:  Peach
10-13 Books: Okra


Details:
The Okra Picks Challenge will run from October 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011.  To join this challenge, all you have to do is pick your level of participation (you can always go up levels, but not down.)  Then after you read any of the books,  write a review to share your thoughts with others!

Sign Up:
You can join this challenge at any time.  Just  grab the Okra Picks logo at the top of this page and write a post announcing your intention to participate in the challenge — remember you don’t need to pick the specific books, just your level. Once you have posted your Okra Picks challenge post, come back to this post and click on Mr. Linky. Please leave your name and link directly to your introductory post (not just to your blog’s home page.) If you don’t have a blog, no worries — you can just leave a comment on this post telling me you want to participate.

In the next few days I will add an Okra Picks Challenge tab to the top of my blog. When you click on the tab, you will see a list of all the participants as well as a place to link your reviews.

I haven’t worked out all of the details yet, but I promise that there will be some prizes. I do know that your chances of winning will increase with each review you write. In other words, your name will be thrown in the hat each time you post a review.

I'm going to start small and go with the "Goober" level (1-3 Books.) I feel so funny calling myself a goober, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Maybe I'll manage to move up a level --that's allowed in this fun, no pressure challenge. Won't you consider joining us? 

4 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I'm so glad you've decided to join and I didn't even have to twist your arm! I'm sure you'll love the books you read!

Audra said...

Oh, what a great challenge -- and I appreciate the allure of a challenge! I think I'm going to swear off 'em for the rest of the calendar year and try all over again in Jan -- I'm going to fail on at least two of mine, I think. Oh, well, such is life -- regardless, I look forward to your reviews and the growing of my TBR! ;)

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I actually have two reviews of southern books coming up - one is on your list: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (which I **loved**) and one isn't: Gods of Alabama which I also loved. And I hope to read Kathy Reichs new book somewhere along the line. But even with that, I would just be a Goober. Is being a Goober better than being a Ding Dong? I don't know! :--)

Dawn @ sheIsTooFondOfBooks said...

I had the same thoughts as Rhapsody - you've been a DingDong, why not be a goober!

I saw Kathy's post about the Okra Picks Challenge, and thought "I can't join (and fail) another challenge!" But, CROOKED LETTER CROOKED LETTER is on my TBR, and there are so many great books to choose from ... I'm weakening ... it may be time for some okra!