Okay, people. I have a confession to make.
Having taken the Barnes and Noble gift card I got for Xmas (my folks, in-laws and husband being proud financial contributors to the blog) out to pick up my copy of Ragtime this past weekend, I got a big reality check when I 'peeked' and saw the size of two upcoming books, Finnegans Wake by James Joyce and The Education of Augie March by Saul Bellow. It was at that moment that I realized that the challenge I have set for myself of reading 100 books in a 100 week time span is not only an impossible task, but is also an undesirable one.
When I began this blog, 100 weeks felt like an eternity. I felt sure I could get each book on the list read in a week's time. What I didn't realize was that some of the books would be 600+ pages, some of the shorter books would actually take longer to read than the bigger books, and that some of the books would be so engrossing that I would unsconsciously slow down and savor them like fine wine. Silly me....I also forgot to factor in time for having a full-time job, being a mom, sleeping, etc.... not to mention the craziness of the holidays! Suddenly books that should have taken a week were taking two or three....and the clock was ticking!!!
As the weeks flew by on my countdown, and I fell further and further behind, the relaxation I've always enjoyed from reading disappeared. I felt like I 'had' to read, just to keep up; like I was going through the motions to get the book done, not to take it all in. It wasn't right!!
Therefore, after much reflection, I've decided to change my blog title to 100 Books. 100 Journeys, because each book is a unique and interesting journey, with characters taking me to different places and times, dealing with unique situations. I will still be blogging as regularly as before, the main difference being I won't be stressing myself out with a deadline, and I will be able to enjoy (or not enjoy, as the case may be) each book MORE. I hope you'll stay with me! It will still be a challenge just to get through these 100 tomes of literature, believe me!! And soccer season is just around the corner!
Happy New Year to all, and Happy Reading!!!
Pam (SocrMom78)
I like the new title! :) Happy New Year. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks...I think this will be much easier on me! Your post on your site about creative headers also inspired me to kick it up a notch with my own. :)
ReplyDeleteAhem. I hesitate to mention that it's a good thing you didn't look up #43 too early on... That "book" (A Dance to the Music of Time) is no book at all: It's a cycle of TWELVE books! Check out its Wikipedia article here:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dance_to_the_Music_of_Time
How this "book" was included as a single entry on the list is beyond me. It doesn't seem fair.
So it's a good thing the 100 weeks has fallen by the wayside. If you'd kept up your streak all the way to #43, it would've been too stressful to try to read twelve full books in a week.
Oh, come to think of it, The Studs Lonnigan Trilogy (#29) and the USA Trilogy (#23) are also multi-volume entries...
Anyway, thanks for including me in your list of links. :) I'm "Books Dave Has Read." I intend to start following your progress with interest.
Thanks Dave. Yes, Rose City Reader broke the bad news to me several weeks ago that the list is actually 121 books long. Although she is a big fan of the "Dance" series so I am looking fwd to that "one" on the list, even if it takes me a year to cross off #43 :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.