2011 Baker Street Reading Challenge

Ahem. I know, you're thinking "what on earth is Ruth doing signing up for yet another reading challenge?" Well, back in 2009 when I first started this blog, I signed up for the inaugural Baker Street Reading Challenge and only posted two reviews. I am looking on this as an opportunity to further my Sherlock-related reading goals through a challenge that's lay dormant for far too long.

Here's the challenge info from the blog, hosted by Ruth of Bookish Ruth:

Welcome to the Baker Street Challenge, an annual reading challenge for one of the most iconic and enigmatic literary figures, Sherlock Holmes. Join us as we celebrate Doyle's original stories as well as the rich world of new adventures his works have inspired.

The Rules

1. Choose a goal from the reading tier below and add your name to the sign up page.

2. The challenge will run from January 1 to December 31, 2011. You can sign up for the challenge at any time before December 31, 2011.

3. You do not have to choose your books in advance. You may change your reading list at any point in the challenge.

4. Overlapping with other challenges is fine.

5. Audio books and eBooks are allowed.

6. Feel free to post reviews or general thoughts about your reading to the Baker Street Challenge blog. Please e-mail me at bookishruth [at] gmail [dot] com to be added as a contributor.

Reading Tier

• Three Pipe Problem: 3 books
• The Sign of Four: 4 books
• Five Orange Pips: 5 books
• Seven Percent Solution: 7 books

Book Guidelines & Suggestions

The Canon: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear) and 56 short stories (compiled in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow and The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes).

Pastiches: Sherlock Holmes stories by authors other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, such as The Seven-Per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer, The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King, The Montana Chronicles by John S. Fitzpatrick, The Sherlockian by Graham Moore, etc.

Non-Fiction: Books about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or the Holmes phenomenon.

Other Doyle Works: Books such as The Lost World, The Coming of the Fairies, The Maracot Deep, and non-Holmes short stories do count for this challenge.

Since 2011 has already begun, please note that any books read between the start of the year to January 17, 2011 that qualify for the challenge will count toward your total if you wish to count them.

Ready to sign up for the challenge? Head over to the Sign Up page.

***

I'm signing up for this challenge at a conservative level - four books, or "The Sign of Four." If I really blow through all of my reading challenges this year, I may be able to add some bonus selections to this list.

• A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
• A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King
• The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer
• The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer

Here are links to the reviews of my entries in this challenge in 2009:

• The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
• The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

With Series 2 of Sherlock to look forward to this fall as well as a new Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes film over the holidays, 2011 is a great year to revisit Sherlock and the work the icon has inspired!