Good morning, fellow book lovers! This post links up with the It's Monday meme, hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. I haven't posted on It's Monday for a while, but I do have a few things to update, so . . . .
Last week I posted a new discussion topic for book bloggers and other book lovers: Do Literary Prizes Influence Your Reading Choices? I started thinking about this issue last week when the winner of the Man Booker Prize for 2014 was announced. Please make a comment if you have any thoughts!
I posted reviews of these books last week . . .
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves is Karen Joy Fowler's moving and powerful novel from 2013 about family, memory, and what it means to be human. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize--the first novel by an American woman to have that honor. You can read my review here. And I also reviewed Jane Smiley's latest novel Some Luck, a multi-generational family saga of an Iowa farm family. You can read my review of Smiley's novel, which I found unexpectedly riveting, here.
I also posted some Mini Reviews of Fall Reads--just a few thoughts I had on reading Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel and How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran. I have learned that sometimes I have to post mini reviews rather than lengthy full reviews; otherwise I will get so behind in reviews that I will never catch up!
On Saturday, for the first time, I participated in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon! It was fun; a day to celebrate reading is always a good thing. I didn't keep a page count, but I read most of two full books and a good chunk of a third. That was fine--I hadn't set any specific goals for myself, other than enjoy myself and see what the read-a-thon was all about. There are a few things I'd do differently next time:
1. Plan out the food, and make sure the spouse is in town to handle all the parenthood responsibilities!
2. Use the read-a-thon to catch up on some lighter books, YA, or graphic novels! I was trying to read a very deep, intense literary novel much of the day, and that just clearly doesn't work best for a long haul reading session.
3. I want to come up with a good way to link my read-a-thon to raising money or collecting books for a literacy charity, maybe for a Head Start center or an underfunded school library in my area.
The coolest thing, for me, about this whole experience was that my 12-year-old son said he wanted to join me in the next read-a-thon! Of course, I won't let him stay up all night. But a middle schooler wants to spend his Saturday sharing his love of reading with me? That's awesome. :)
I wish everyone a great week in reading!
Just love that your son wants to do readathon next time around!! Hoping I can participate in the spring, too. You've added at least a couple of books to my reading list this week ;-)
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry to add to your pile! But I do think they are good novels, so . . . :)
DeleteYes, hope you'll join in the spring!
That's great that your son wanted to join you! I haven't done a readathon yet, but I definitely won't be staying up all night when I do participate!
ReplyDeleteHa, no--I didn't stay up all night (shh!). I may love books, but not much comes between me and my sleep. I'm way past the age for all-nighters! :)
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the readathon and I think it's GREAT that your son wanted to join in :D I always try to talk my husband or kids into playing along and they want nothing to do with it, lol. Well, my hubby did read for a little bit this time but mostly he napped and ate a lot of the food I prepared for the day, ha!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read for charity next time around if I can come up with a good way to make it happen.
Have a great week!
I think I should force all my family members to either read or make food! HA. The teen will never agree to either one! :)
DeleteThat's so cool your son wants to join you next time!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I love it! Maybe I'll let him post updates on Twitter, even. Why not get kids involved--they would love the group participation aspect, and even the "competition" for page counts, etc. He said I need to have better snacks, though--LOL!
DeleteIt's so fun to read with your kids during Readathon! My son curled up and read a few books in the morning, before he ran off to his other love - Legos.
ReplyDeleteSome Luck is supposed to be great. I finally added it to my tbr list, so I'm going to check out your review!
I did think it Some Luck was great! I can't wait to read the next installment in the saga.
DeleteMy son likes Legos, too--and Lego robotics, which is an awesome way to let older kids continue building with Legos, at the same time that they are learning computer programming and robot building. Keep your eye out for a team when your son gets older, if he seems interested (the First Lego League is for kids ages 8-14. Fantastic program!)
SO COOL that you son wants to get involved in the Readathon next time!!!! I love it!
ReplyDeleteI am having visions of a Family Team, reading all day in harmony . . . OOPS, forgot that my teenage child would never, never agree to it. Oh well, I will be very happy to partner up with the 12 year old!!
DeleteI really need to do a read-a-thon sometime!
ReplyDeleteMissie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
I thought it was a very cool event! It's nice to feel part of a group enterprise while doing something as solitary as reading. The next one will be in the spring--hope you can join in!
DeleteGreat fun, and nice that your son wants to join in and shares your love of reading. Why not ask your hubby next time and make it a family-wide splurge? :)
ReplyDeleteYes, hubby might join in, too . . . Or maybe, if I"m lucky, make all the food, since he's a great cook!!
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