Thankfully Reading – the readathon hosted by Jenn’s Bookshelves over the holiday weekend – wrapped up yesterday. And you know what that means: It’s stock-taking time.
Between family time and the Gilmore Girls revival, reading had some competition this weekend. I loved having the incentive to carve out pockets of time to read.
My final book tally: I finished Suddenly, Love by Aharon Appelfeld and Where I’m Reading From by Tim Parks. I also read Ill Met By Moonlight by W. Stanley Moss, Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies, and Pym by Mat Johnson.
Four out of five books were my own (yay for #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks). All but one were on my original reading list. I added Miracle on 34th Street on a whim because it’s in my library and opens on Thanksgiving. I don’t have cable, so the opening scene gave me the parade experience, ha.
Thankfully Reading is a readathon hosted by Jenn’s Bookshelves. It begins on Friday and carries on through the weekend. Thankfully reading is also a state of being, but I don’t usually capitalize it as such.
For the parameters of capital-T, capital-R variety, here is a bit more about the event courtesy of Jenn’s Bookshelves:
“There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. […]
We’ll also be checking in on Twitter using hashtag #thankfullyreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure!”
As I like to say – possibly exhaustively – every weekend I can swing it becomes a de facto readathon for me. And when I’m reading, I’m thankful for the time to do so. The distinct pleasure of group readathons is, of course, sharing the experience – hearing what books others are reading, offering inspirational messages, and my favorite: that heartening feeling of connection.
That’s what reading is about, isn’t it? Seeking connection with human experience and hopefully growing in compassion and empathy from connecting with that experience. Yes, I will be reading thankfully and Thankfully Reading this weekend.
As for what I will be reading, I’m currently engrossed in Suddenly, Love by Aharon Appelfeld and Where I’m Reading From by Tim Parks. After these two, the next titles on my reading list are Ill Met by Moonlight by W. Stanley Moss, The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Saving Lucas Biggs by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague, and Pym by Mat Johnson.
Will you be readathon-ing alone or with others this weekend? What books are on your reading lists?