Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #22


Happy Sunday everyone! I am still having a hard time believing that May is over. (You can read my "May Accomplishments" post if you like.) I've gone from being overwhelmed to calm to a little whelmed to overwhelmed and back again. I've been all over the place essentially. I've joined a handful of new challenges. Take A Chance. (You can sign up here.) Beowulf on the Beach. (You can sign up here.) Book Awards 3. (You can sign up here.) Southern Reading Challenge. (You can sign up here.) And last but not least, the Summer Reading Blitz. (You can sign up here.) And I should not forget the 48 Hour Book Challenge. Hosted by MotherReader. Sign ups are still going on. It's not too late. And it's next week, by the way. Start on Friday and finish up on Sunday. Or start on Saturday and finish up on Monday. But by Monday at 7AM, your time is up. Do I know what I'm reading yet? It might be wise to read some of my library loot. I know a certain someone wants me to read Howl's Moving Castle. And there is a person (maybe two?) on twitter that highly recommended Skellig a while back. And was it Renay that wanted me to read The Body of Christopher Creed? I think it was. I know someone was pushing it :) I'm always torn between reading my review copies and reading some of these slightly older (but not really that old considering) titles that I haven't read but really, really want to like Tender Morsels. And Nation. Are you planning on participating? If you are, I'd love a hint as to what you plan to read next weekend! If you're not participating and want to chime in with what you want me to read, feel free to do that as well. I love getting recommendations!

I thought I'd take a few minutes to explain the categories by which I'm sorting and presenting what I'm doing. "What I Read In A Previous Week, But Reviewed This Week." Pretty self-explanatory. These are books that I read anywhere from eight to thirteen days ago. These are just books that I've reviewed in the past week. "What I Read This Past Week and Reviewed." These are the books that I've both read and reviewed since the last Sunday Salon post. "What I Read This Past Week And Haven't Reviewed Yet." These are books that I've read (in the past week, since the last Sunday Salon) but not reviewed yet. "What I've Read And Really Really Need To Review." This one's a deceptive pile really. Because it contains books that I've already reviewed (and not posted the review yet). OR books that I sincerely, desperately need to review. Books that I may have read two or even three weeks ago. Books that if I don't get written up soon, I might get hazy on. "What I'm Currently Reading" contains books that I'm actively reading. "What I'm Just Fooling Around That I'm Reading." This category started out as the "What I'm Semi-Reading" category. And this is probably the most dangerous category of all that I list. Because it contains books that I've NOT abandoned; (Books that I'm not planning on abandoning, by the way.) Yet at the same time, I'm not actively reading them either. These are books that are neither here nor there. They're not quite in the to be read pile--I've started them--but they're not in the currently reading pile either. What's the difference between this stack and currently reading? Well, currently reading means it sees action just about every day or every other day. These semi-reading books are books that are on my to-do list. They're on my radar. I have every intention of reading them. Just not at that precise minute. So if you're an author and you see your name on the list. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't assume the worst. The truth is, it doesn't mean that much. Because the turnaround between the two is constant. What's 'current' one week may be 'semi' the next. And vice versa. Sometimes it means I'm busy and overcommitted. Sometimes it means my focus was on the library books that were due. Sometimes it means I was anxious about completing a challenge and shifted my attention away for awhile. Sometimes it means I was simply indecisive and ambitiously curious. So don't assume your book appearing there is my final judgement of it and that it's doomed for either abandoning or a negative review.

What I read in a previous week, but reviewed this week:

Starfinder by John Marco. 2009. Daw Books. 326 pages.
Sprout by Dale Peck. 2009. Bloomsbury. 277 pages.
Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee. 2009. Bloomsbury. 368 pages.
Fat Cat by Robin Brande. 2009. Random House. 336 pages.
The Convenient Marriage. Georgette Heyer. 1934/2009. Sourcebooks. 307 pages.
Frederica. Georgette Heyer. 1965/2009. Sourcebooks. 437 pages.

What I read this past week and reviewed:

1000 Times No. Mr. Tom Warburton. 2009. HarperCollins.
Mousie Love by Dori Chaconas. Illustrated by Josee Masse. 2009. Bloomsbury.
Itty Bitty by Cece Bell. 2009. Candlewick.
Maisy Goes To Preschool. Lucy Cousins. 2009. Candlewick
Gone With The Wand. Margie Palatini. 2009. Illustrations by Brian Ajhar. Scholastic.
Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root. Illustrated by Jill Barton. 2001. Candlewick Press.
Mind-Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfield's Uglies Series. Edited and Original Introductions by Scott Westerfeld. 2009. Smart Pop (Benbella) 236 pages.
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer. 1936/2009. Sourcebooks. 303 pages.

What I read this past week and haven't reviewed yet:

The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
The House in Grosvenor Square by Linore Rose Burkard
The Summoning
by Kelley Armstrong
When the Whistle Blows
by Fran Cannon Slayton

What I've read and really really need to review: (none this week)

What I'm currently reading:

Darkwood by M.E. Breen. 2009. Bloomsbury. 273 pages.
Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd Century America by Robert Charles Wilson. 2009 (Late June?) Tor. 416 pages.
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (Adult)
The Painter From Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein.

What I'm just fooling around that I'm reading:

Evermore by Alyson Noel (YA)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (Adult)
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope (Adult)

What I've abandoned: (none this week)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

5 comments:

Ana S. said...

I really want you to read Tender Morsels too :P And Nation! And Skellig, and DWJ! You have some great reading ahead of you. I won't be able to join the challenge this time, but I'm sure it'll be lots of fun.

Vasilly said...

I had to laugh while I was reading this post. I joined most of the same challenges as you.

For the next month I plan on reading: Flora Segunda; Toy Dance Party; Locomotion; Peace, Locomotion; Annie of Green Gables; The Secret Garden; The Music Teacher by Hall; Debbie Harry sings in French; Mudbound; Jellicoe Road; The knife of never letting ho; Alive and Well in Prague, New York; all of John Green; Ethel and Ernest; and The City in the Lake.

That's just some of the books. Are you making a list for the 30 books challenge?

Becky said...

Vasilly, I haven't made a list for the 30 book challenge, yet. But I *really* should tonight or tomorrow. I need to be sure to list all the books I'm committed to for doing blog tours--and also the books I'm committed to for doing reading challenges. The Daring Book Challenge and the Second Canadian Challenge are two that are ending really soon. And I owe one challenge one book and the other challenge five books. So I need to get reading!

Becky said...

Nymeth, I didn't mean to ignore you, I just got sidetracked. :) I'm sorry you can't join in the 48 Hour Challenge. It has a different vibe than the 24 Hour one. Not better. Not worse. Just difference. (No cheerleaders, no prizes, no hourly challenges...but you get to set your start time/end time.)

I'm looking forward to Nation and Tender Morsels. And it will be my first time with DWJ, though I've heard she's wonderful :)

Anonymous said...

I am really looking forward to the 48 hour challenge this weekend too but with a newborn we will see how much reading really gets done! On my list to read..."The Italian" by Anne Radcliffe (re-read), "Drood" by Dan Simmons, "What I Saw and How I Lied" by Judy Blundell and "The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies. Happy Reading!

Courtney