November 2, 2008
Good morning! I have missed the last two Sunday Salons, so this post will hopefully catch me up. Two weeks ago I participated in Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-A-Thon (check out how I did) and raised $235 for charity. Last weekend I attended a fantastic Book Group Expo in San Jose and met some interesting authors, participated in some wonderful panel discussions and spent far too much money on more books. To see photos and read all about it, check out these posts:
Since my last Sunday Salon post I’ve read the following books (click on the book title to read my reviews):
- The Secret River, by Kate Grenville
- The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly
- Testimony, by Anita Shreve
- Tomato Girl, by Jayne Pupek
- Months and Seasons, by Christopher Meeks
- An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination, by Elizabeth McCracken
- After Dark, by Haruki Murakami
- Gift From the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- The Believers, by Zoe Heller
Yesterday I read straight through a beautiful coffee table book titled: Alpine Americas with essays by Don Mellor and photography by Olaf Soot (read my review).
Today is a rainy, dreary day…perfect weather to stay inside and read. And I think I’ve found the perfect gloomy day book: Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier. This book has been on my shelf for awhile now, and I do not know why it has taken me so long to read it. I’m about 70 pages into the novel and completely enthralled. Du Maurier is a atmospheric, Gothic-style writer who writes with tension and suspense. I’m loving this book!
As the days grow shorter and the hours tick down to the end of 2008, I have been thinking about my reading for 2008 and anticipating 2009. This year I have read a lot of Advance Readers Editions and Review Copies of books – and they have been fantastic (for the most part). I am looking forward to doing the same in 2009. But one big change for me will be limiting my time-restricted reading challenges. I joined too many in 2008 and found myself being a bit overwhelmed. In the new year, I intend to focus on my perpetual challenges like the Pulitzer Project, Orange Prize Project, Complete Booker, Read the Nobels, Costa Book Award Challenge, National Book Award Project, 5 Under 35 Challenge, and Reading the World (to read more about these challenges, visit my page about Reading Challenges). There are so many wonderful books out there – I wish I had more time to read them!
What about you? Have you thought about your reading goals and projects for 2009? Are you a goal-setter, or do you like to choose books by mood?
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday of reading!
= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
My reading goals for next year are to read at least 70 books. (I know, not much of a goal by the standards of those kept around here – but i’m trying!) I also want to participate in at least one reading challenge next year.
Someone agrees with me about shorter days!!! That’s a great list of books you’ve been reading…except for AML, I haven’t read any of them, so all potential discoveries too. Unexpectedly dreary outside here today, too, so a good day for reading.
Audrey
I love the dark rainy days for reading too, absolute bliss
Have to confess I never set any goals or challenges for reading, I love to just go with whatever takes my fancy
Wow! You’ve had a great couple of weeks. Congrats on raising all of that money for charity. Group Book Expo looks like it was so much fun – I’m envious.
Oh, Rebecca is such a great read! I read it a few years ago for a young adult lit class, and it was also pretty gloomy outside when I read it. But I remember thinking, “Wow! Where has this book been all my life?”
As far as reading goals go, I’ve got a few (read: a ton) of spreadsheets and hand-scrawled lists of books I want to read at some point, but I always seem to get distracted by other book reviews, displays in book stores, etc. I’ve even been known to add a book to a list as I’m reading it to justify the distraction to myself. I try not to beat myself up over it too much. As long as I’m reading *something*, life is good.
It’s a rainy day here too – and perfect for reading! I hope you enjoyed your day!
=) Jill
Rebecca is a great book. I just read it for my book club last month. If you like then you might want to check out the movie Hitchcock made based on it.
I’ve decided that I’m dedicating 2009 to reading some classics I haven’t read. It became clear to me a few weeks ago, while in a discusiion of literary couples that I wasn’t as familiar as I should be. I’m starting with ‘Jane Eyre’ and moving on from there.
With only a few weeks left in the year I’m yet again overwhelmed by my challenge books still lurking on the shelf. I have no doubt I’ll finish, but next year I’m going to try to refrain from so many LONGER challenges–the ones that last 12 months. I’ve found that I like the shorter ones (or at least don’t require 12 books).
I am reading the perfect book for a rainy day today too. If only I had the big old fashioned Southern house to go with it. It sounds like you have gone for a great atmospheric book in honor of the day.
I haven’t started thinking about next year yet, but I know I won’t be able to avoid it soon. I’m planning to make a few changes in my reading habits too. Exactly what though is still in the works.
I hope you have a great week, Wendy!
Sounds like you’ve had a good reading week. I recently read Rebecca and loved it. A great read and I hope you enjoy.
Great job raising all that money! I wasn’t all that successful in my reading during the Read a Thon.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about Rebecca. I have wanted to read it for awhile.
I must admit I am a “mood” reader – I have to go with what I feel like reading although in all other aspects of my life I am a huge goal setter. I have enjoyed joining in some of the challenges this year though because it is helped steer me towards books I might not otherwise have discovered. Having said that – not sure I will have the reading stamina/time to complete all of my challenges!
Typ0: I think that is a great goal…especially when you consider the national average is like 2 books a year (or something like that!).
Audrey: Hope you had a great reading day…I’ve been lucky with the books I’ve read lately; mostly very, very good.
readasllight: Reading as the mood takes you is good
And yes, gloomy days are the best days for curling up with a good book!
Kathy: Thank you! The Expo was wonderful…maybe you can come next year?
Megan: I am so loving Rebecca! You sound like me with lists *laughing* but I also get distracted. If I could just stop buying books, I’d probably be more organized…but, I just can’t!
Jill: Hope your day was great too!
The Duck Thief: I didn’t realize Rebecca was made into a movie by Hitchcock – I’ll have to check it out.
Lisa: That sounds wonderful – I sometimes think I need to read more classics as well.
Trish: I know exactly what you mean!
WendyCat: one can only procrastinate just so long *laughs* Hope you had a great reading day…and stayed DRY!
Samantha: I have yet to hear someone say they did not like Rebecca – I am enjoying it immensely.
Mari: Thanks! I should have a review up hopefully mid-week
Karen: I agree about the challenges helping to focus reading – I try to pick challenges where I have the books already on my shelves as it gives me incentive to read them!
Rebecca is next month’s selestion for my f2f group. Since it was my suggestion, I’m hoping they all have the same reaction as you! I look forward to a re-read before then, too.
What a great list of books you’ve read in the past couple of weeks. I REALLY want to read Tomato Girl so I’m going to go check out your review.
No reading goals for 2009 as yet. The writing goals are stacking up, however, and that’s a good thing!
JoAnn: I bet Rebecca will be a fun book club discussion book!
Karen: Writing goals are good
I need to get back to my novel one of these days and start re-writes. It has been looming out there, begging me to return!