The rules

So, the rules of the game are as follows: we must both read ten different books within ten different categories, being one hundred books in total, over the course of 2011. We've put our heads together to come up with a list of categories that will broaden our horizons, read some things we've been meaning to for the last decade or so, and still hopefully be able to squeeze in a few guilty pleasures.

Books can be read in any order and though ideally they should be different, multiple books by the same author are permitted – sometimes you just have that uncontrollable urge to read the Harry Potter series from start to finish.

We are using the same categories, but don't have to read the same things. Having debated at length, with some side input for initial inspiration, the list has been shaved down to the following ten chosen groups:
Chris' choice (a get out of jail free card for me; the chance to impose my will on her)
Charlotte's choice (see above, but t'other way round)
Pre-20th century literature (I largely don't read anything this old because I've rarely found it particularly appeals; I hope to cover some things I probably should have read by now)
Crime (despite it selling books by the shedload, this is a genre I know pretty nothing about)
Non-fiction (I've been enjoying more non-fiction in the last couple of years; Charlotte doesn't read much of it, so this seemed like a sensible choice)
Pulitzer Prize winners (I'm in a pro-America phase right now, this was a bit broader than some suggested categories, and it's always interesting to see whether I think prize-winning books deserve their awards)
Books by authors I've never heard of (does exactly what it says on the tin; a good way to discover something new – and ideally good)
Books that have been sat on my bookshelf for too long (self-explanatory, no shortage of choice)
Book club choices/recommendations (a dozen book club choices, most of which I'll have no input on means that I need a way in; these are often things I wouldn't necessarily pick up anyway so expanding my horizons this way)
Books with colours in the title (a bit of a wild card; the same colour can't be chosen more than once; amongst others we also considered titles with fruit, months and fish in, as well as authors with the same name as current England footballers)

I think that covers everything, the first book is underway, review to follow soon...