This is what the pile looked like right before Thanksgiving (above photo). And this is what the pile looked like at the beginning of this month.
Slow reader though I may be (if you look closely you can see that some of those bookmarks are making their way towards the back of their books, however), I am making steady progress and am pleased with it, though I am going to have to be realistic now (with only eleven days left in the year) and decide which books I have a real chance of finishing, which will carry over into next year, and which might just have to go back to their places on my bookshelves until a later date (serious weeding from this pile may occur as well).
I've already decided that the Wouk will carry over into next year (thanks to Litlove for being so patient with me--we are meant to be reading it together, but I am being very pokey about it--will hopefully catch up with her very shortly now). I'm steadily reading Peter May's The Lewis Man (quite enjoying it though it is another bleak mystery) and hope to finish it by the end of this weekend, am making good progress in Ruth & Gisela by Elizabeth Wix (charming story though tinged with just a little sadness, it's set roughly during WWII in England) and determined to finish Elizabeth Goudge's The Middle Window (it's my current postal book and I've not done so well with the previous two . . .). And with a little under 100 pages to go in the Keilson it would be a pity not to finish (just need a long afternoon or maybe two and I'll be done).
So that leaves three books (not too shabby considering when I started!). Do I try and make a push to finish them, let them just carry over, or (though I am loathe to do this) return them to their shelves. Keeping in mind that I am still dipping into Saki and May Sarton--will finish both either sooner or later).
But I am now officially on break, and have a lovely twelve days off from work. The time is (mostly) mine to do with as I like. My plans include lots and lots of reading, spending some time with my family, maybe organizing/weeding my bookshelves (dare I undertake such a task--it will take much longer than I think it will), writing some letters and postcards and generally puttering about. I will be going to the gym (which is actually just more reading time, so don't think me too dedicated), hopefully spending a little time in coffee shops (more reading time), and maybe eating here (I get their daily emails which give the menu of the day and they have the most delicious-sounding entrees and soups). So, basically no 'real' plans.
I haven't decided yet whether I'll stick to my daily posting routine, or whether (since I am sure it is going to be very quiet in this corner of the reading blogosphere) I'll take a little time off. But I have a small stack of books that I finished reading that I want to write about still (including several from the end-of-the-year pile). And then there will be a few end of the year wrap up posts (though those will literally happen on the very last days of the year) and one looking ahead (better think about next year's reading). With the busy-ness of work behind me for a short while, I can relax and finally catch up on blog reading, too. I'm a little afraid to open Feedly up--I can just imagine how many posts are waiting for me to read. I do hate falling behind, as I feel so disconnected, but I've just not been able to help it lately.
My attention, then, will be mostly focused on the remaining books in this pile, with a little attention also given to books that are 'in progress' that I knew I wouldn't finish by the end of the year. I am going to cave in just a little, however, to whim and have decided to let myself choose one new book to finish out the year/bring in the new year. Such a dilemma, but I don't want to over-think it! I'm sort of in the mood to read an Irish author, or a story with an Irish setting and have it narrowed down to Roddy Doyle, Alice McDermott, Anne Enright (her work might be a little too dispiriting this time of year . . . ), or Ward Just (well, there isn't an Irish connection with every book). I'm off now to dip into each book, read a page, see which grabs me and then go with it!
Happy weekend reading everyone!