Real Life vs. Read Life

Faaarrrrgghhh!

It's happening again, except this time we're slated to discuss The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, which is a bookish book about books and booksellers and...O the agony.

I wasn't sure about the 2 conflicting events on October 9/10 when I was at the BOOKLEAVES meeting last week, but I did have a funny feeling:

Well, I can't skip book group. As much as I love the Readathon, I'd feel like an ass if I passed up Real Life for Read Life. I'll participate as best as I can, then one free weekend this fall when I'm coin-foraging-broke before payday, I'll have a private little readathon with all the nice Newbery titles I've got stockpiled.

But still: Damn.

Thanks to Veronica for the photo.

Bookworm Quandary

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon has been set for April 18th. As you know, April 18th to most of you is April 19th to me -- and April 19th is book group. We're discussing The Time Traveler's Wife.

Aaarrrghh...I want to do both, but I can't. The Readathon comes but once every 6 months and I enjoy the hell out of pushing myself to read and blog, to stay up the whole 24 hours. Last time, I really got a kick out of my cheerleading duties. I had plans to cheerlead again.

On the other hand: I don't feel like I can neglect my real-life friends for my virtual ones. Would the real-life ones understand? Oh, probably. They know me and even understand me, a little. Also, I'm a little superstitious: I feel as if I start skipping book group, it might just up and disappear. I would hate that, because it took me forever (2.5 years) to find this one.

You might be thinking that the problems of one little bookworm don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday I'll understand.

I've got about a month to work it out. Meanwhile, any suggestions?