October and November are going to be busy reading months!
I sometimes think I need to keep a flow chart of books to stay organized. The book blogosphere can be both a dangerous and exciting place to be. Exciting because I am constantly discovering new things--new books, new authors, new publishers, new bloggers, new . . . well, you get the idea. But dangerous as I am so easily hooked when it comes to wanting to read and experience books that others are reading now, too. Why does everything sound so good?
So in an effort to get things straight in my mind (and to avoid having to create a mental, or real for
that matter, flow chart) let me give a little run down on reading opportunities that are coming up in the next couple of months. Some are large groups that have been carefully organized and a few are just off the cuff opportunities of my own (and another reader's making).
I'll be starting Peace by Richard Bausch tomorrow for Caroline's Literature and War readalong. She'll be writing about the book and having a discussion on Friday September 28. It's less than 200 pages so there is still time to read the book and join in. The setting is WWII Italy.
Of course Carl's RIP VII is ongoing through the end of October. I've read two of my four books (still contemplating what else to read as my fourth book as I am well underway book #3 already). I'm off soon to choose a new ghost story for this weekend's reading. Carl has a few other group reads planned as well.
Buried in Print and I are reading Anne Marie MacDonald's The Way the Crow Flies at the moment and are hoping to finish by the end of October as well (if not sooner). I both want to keep reading as it is so
good, but at the same time I want to turn away, too. You know something bad is going to happen as she has thrown out teasers, but the more she reveals the more I both want to know and don't--if you know what I mean?
I was happy to see that Cornflower has chosen Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat for her October selection for the Cornflower Book Group. She'll begin discussing it Saturday October 27. I'm always up to read a book by Mary Stewart and am pleased it is one that I have not yet had the chance to read. I've got a copy winging its way to me even as I type.
Caroline and Lizzy are getting things organized for a German Literature Month in November. I really enjoyed participating last year and am excited to read along this year as well. Surely it's not too soon to begin a mental list of books to choose from? I've already ordered a book for that as well.
I've already mentioned that the Slaves of Golconda are going to be reading Crewe Train by Rose Macaulay in November. We'll begin discussing the book November 17 and you're welcome to join in as well.
Sometime this fall Litlove and I might be reading Susan Howatch's Cashelmara in tandem. It's a lovely chunkster of a book that I've been eyeing for a while now. It looks to be an epic family drama set in
19th century Ireland--the perfect book to get lost in just in time for the holidays (I'm looking forward to having some time off from work later this fall).
Then there is the year long (running from July 1, 2012-July 1, 2013) Canadian Reading Challenge hosted by John Mutford of The Book Mine Set. The goal is to read thirteen books by Canadian writers (or books about Canada--the rules are quite loose actually). I've read three so far and am hoping to easily read ten more by next summer.
I think I've got one or two other plans up my reading sleeve as well for later. I'm sure there are many more readalongs going on. These few are the ones on my radar at the moment.
I'm sure I've left off lots of other interesting online reading events. Later in the winter there will be my public library's annual Winter Reading Program that I often join. I haven't participated the last couple of years, but considering how many library books I seem to be reading this year, I think I will have to join in. Will you be joining in any readalongs? Or maybe you belong to a real life reading group rather than a virtual one? Or maybe you like to follow your own reading path?