I have had a fantastically wonderful bookish week! The trip to Branson was exactly what was needed to rejuvenate me enough to finish out the school year. I managed to read 1 book for my teaching classes (Life of Pi) - one book for my summer classes (The Road) - and my first "author sent for review" book (The Love We Share Without Knowing). I am more than half way through my 1 book for pure fun - The Help - and hope to read lots more today (I am thoroughly enjoying this one!!)I also signed up for the Spring Reading Challenge 2009 and am very much looking forward to participating. I posted an initial group of books for the challenge, but that was before I decided to also participate in the 24 hour read-a-thon. I shared some of my fears about signing up for this sporting event (I have never been the athletic type), but the more I think about it, the more I know that I want to be a part. While this is not a set category - I think I will shoot for a half-marathon this go around: 12 hours of reading in a 24 hour period. This is a manageable goal for me --- I know I will accomplish a lot of reading - I know I will not have to forgo my beauty sleep - and I know I will not be totally ignoring the family. It will work for me, and I hope the organizers of this event do not mind my slight tweaking of the rules. I have also decided that this event will allow me to totally ignore all the books that I have to read -- and rill allow me to read some of the less-challenging books that I want to read. The theme for my half-marathon will be YA literature and I am hoping that several of them will be available from the local library at that time (I put a ho
ld on some of them over a month ago).This week I should finish my book for Nymeth's "Try Something New" mini challenge: Manga Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Now the challenge was to try to read a genre outside my comfort zone and this most definitely is NOT my typical book. I was truly blessed to be paired with Susan of You Can Never Have Too Many Books and while we both wanted to read something in the graphic novel category, we did not end up selecting the same book: she chose the Watchmen. I tried - I really tried to get into that book, but simply could not. Susan, on the other, was hooked from the first page. We both plan to finish our reads this week -- interview one another - and then post our reviews within the next week or so. In the meantime, I plan to share some of the Manga Shakespeare with my 8th graders this week as we embark on our own Bard adventure. I am hopeful that seeing this work in a 21st Century format will help the students to realize the Shakespeare is just as relevant today as he was 400 years ago.
Well, that has been my reading week. While I will do some reading this upcoming week, I know that I will also be back in the swing of grading papers and writing lesson plans. Only 7 more weeks of school (plus finals) and then the mecca for teachers will be here: Summer!!!
Everyone seemed to have so much fun during the last read-a-thon - I hope you enjoy this one. I can't believe the school year will be over in 7 weeks! Yay for summer!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a you've had a great week! I love the idea of a half-marathon for the 24 hour read-a-thon, and may even consider that option myself.
ReplyDeleteI want to do the marathon this year. I've not been successful trying it during the school year, however. I'll cross my fingers for April.
ReplyDeleteNo worries, Molly - it'd be okay if you were tweaking the rules, but you actually aren't, since each participant is expect to decide for how long they want to read. Believe me, very few make it through the whole 24 hours.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear Watchmen didn't work for you! But I'm glad you and Susan are having fun. I need to try some Shakespeare Manga myself.
Your reading challenge sounds wonderful. And only 7 more weeks of school. Gak! I better write faster before the kids are home. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on The Help. I have it sitting on my TBR shelf and plan to read it this week if I can squeeze it in. That's wonderful that you only have 7 more weeks until summer break!!
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like you had a wonderful week, Molly! I am glad your trip to Branson went well.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the Spring Reading Challenge and the upcoming read-a-thon. I won't get to participate in the read-a-thon. I keep hoping it will be on a weekend I can do it, but it has yet to fall on one I can manage.
When I saw that you are reading Manga Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, I thought to myself: "Now that might be the way to read Shakespeare and enjoy it." :-)
When I talked to my mom this week, she was already counting down the days until summer break too. :-)
I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!
Hang in there Molly, summer is coming! It sounds like you had a wonderful week and I hope getting back in the swing of things on Monday goes well. You have a great spring challenge reading list and I love the idea of a 1/2 day marathon. I think I just may do that also--last time around I was one of the cheerleaders which was fun, but I think I want to join in the fun of being a reader!
ReplyDeleteHappy thoughts to you--
*smiles*
Kim
Sp glad you had fun. I used to count the weeks and days until vacation too when I taught. Doesn't everyone? :) We get done later here and go until the last week of June. I'd better pay more attention now so my kids can get their grades up before report cards! I have an award for you here.
ReplyDeleteHi Molly,
ReplyDeleteOff topic, but I saw in a comment on a Mailbox Monday post that you were reading your first ever Stephen King. I just had to add my 2 cents worth...his best, as far as I'm concerned is The Stand...its one of my all time favorite books. (I'm sort of hot and cold on King, either I LOVE the book...ie The Stand, 'Salems Lot, etc. or I HATE it and don't even bother to finish it...ie Gerald's Game, Tommyknockers, IT which I finished and was then mad at myself for wasting so much time reading it....;o)
Thanks for bringing up the half marathon. I've wanted to do the marathon too but didn't think I could stay awake that long. Now I'm going to consider joining in.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed Branson. We love it too and used to go often when we lived in Parkville, MO and the kids were all at home. Silver Dollar City was our favorite.
Good luck with the 24 hr read-a-thon. I know I could never do it, next to reading, sleeping is my most favorite activity. I wonder how you liked 'Life of Pi'. I thouroughly enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to read a lot of the same books! I read Life of Pi (loved it -- how about that ending?) and The Road (totally depressing but good). I read about "The Help" in Entertainment Weekly and it sounded good.
ReplyDeleteAnd in response to your question about my spring reading challenge, all the classics I am reading are on the Kindle -- I got them from the sites I got from you!