Friday, September 26, 2008

Catchup About The Catchup

I made some plans at the beginning of the week, and this is how it all went:

1. I planned to catch up on my reading. I'm nearly done (100 pages to go) with A Spectacle Of Corruption and although I didn't plan to, I read Plainsong by Kent Haruf this week as well.

2. I took a cold, hard (dare I say glacial?) look at my challenges.

Graphic Novel Challenge: I made a huge mistake right from the get-go by listing GNs that I planned to buy and read. Buying somehow got put on the back burner. After I read The Snowman, I'll be abandoning this challenge with a great deal of sadness and frustration.

@@@ 100 Books Challenge: It's late September and book #75 is nearly done. I still have quite a way to go to reach 100, but the Readathon's coming up, and that concentrated reading time will be helpful. I talk about this challenge so much that I MUST complete it -- even if sleep has to take a backseat.

@@@ Orbis Terrarum Challenge: 9 months, 9 countries, 9 books. I've read 5.

@@@ Canadian Book Challenge 2: I'm going to read JPod by Douglas Coupland next because I have it double-listed for this challenge and the Orbis Terrarum Challenge. Although this challenge runs well into next year, I still feel breathlessly behind in my reading.

@@@ In Their Shoes Challenge: Slow but steady progress, but I don't think I'll finish. Still 7 books to go. Was I too ambitious with my list of 15 books? Although I'm surprised and disappointed with myself, no white flag. I'll keep on keeping on.

 @@@ The Pulitzer Project: This is ongoing, and I'm happy with the progress I've made this year. 5 books and soon 6, when I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy for book group. Can you believe that I first (unknowingly) embarked on this list 30-something years ago with Gone With The Wind?

3. I planned to catch up on my reviews. Gulp. I've got a block about The Omnivore's Dilemma. I loved it too much. The same thing happened to me with How To Cook A Wolf. I'm also trying to write a favorable review of Persuasion, but it's hopelessly entangled with my diss of The Jane Austen Book Club since the members of BOOKLEAVES experienced these together at the last meeting.

4. I planned to make a special shelf for prospective Readathon reads. This is shaping up nicely. So far, I've got a biography of Princess Diana, When You are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris, The Innocent Man by John Grisham, Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones, The Snowman by Milo Manera, Anne Of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery, How Koreans Talk by Sang-Hun Choe and Christopher Torchia, and Books by Larry McMurtry.

7 comments:

Ruth said...

Congrats on making progress on your list. I made a list in my notebook on Sunday night, and so far haven't got hardly anything accomplished this week. My stack of books to review has grown instead of shrunk. :( About the only thing I did get finished was the first reading of Recovering Charles, an awesome story of hope, faith, and recovery set in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Anonymous said...

You are such a dear to me. I love your recap and honesty regarding these challenges and how CHALLENGING they are! What do you mean, exactly, about 30 some yrs ago you started the Pulitzer challenge? does this mean that you have been reading Pulitzer winners every year since then? just wonderin'

Tara said...

All those challenges stress me out. That's why I cannot do them.

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Hey Bybee, shoot my an email when you get a chance ... I have a question for you. Thanks!
- Heather J.
SharingMyStory
at
yahoo
dot
com

Anonymous said...

You'll make it! Twenty five is the perfect number. 1/4 left with 1/4 of the year to go. Congrats! If I could finish 7 books in the next three days I'd be right there with you :)

Dewey said...

So what time is the readathon happening for you? If it's 5am to 5am Pacific, what is it for you?

Are you really familiar with Great Expectations? Mr Pip is a delight if you know GE, but I'm not sure how it'll work for people not familiar with GE.

Bybee said...

Ruth,
Recovering Charles sounds like a good read.

Care,
I've had years that I've diligently worked at reading Pulitzers.

Tara,
They look so shiny and glittering at first, don't they? But underneath that shine and glitter is the smoky bubbling of a stress bath. I should know better.

Heather,
I emailed.

Mandi,
Thanks for the encouragement. Right back at you!

Dewey,
I just finished GE in late August.
The readathon is 9 pm Saturday night - 9 pm Sunday night my time.