That Time Nancy P. Wished Me A Bookish Little Christmas

I can't believe that I almost forgot to post about this.  My book friend right here in the old hometown,  Nancy P, slipped the little treasure pictured above into a basket of homemade Christmas treats for Mom and me.

 It's a 1918 copy that was slightly and skillfully edited for middle elementary students, with the original Tenniel illustrations. I squealed when I found it.

What a charming and thoughtful gift. It is on the shelf next to my Little House collection, and will be one of my first reads for 2016.

Thanks, Nancy!

Singing a Different Readathon Song

I'm singing a different Readathon song this time.  Since the participants living abroad have the awkward start time of 9 pm Saturday night, I've decided to just do what I can on Saturday and Sunday and try to make it add up to 24 hours.  A strict accounting of my reading time will be logged, and who knows?  Maybe I'll do better than I would with one sustained 24 hour effort.  My past few Readathons have involved humiliating and lengthy encounters in which the Sandman has made me curse and cry and say Uncle.

Here's what's on the Readathon shelf:

1. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell.  It's been so difficult for me to stop myself from reading this one.

2. In the Nick of Time: How Joseph S. Hall discovered the truth about "Appalachian English" and rescued Smoky Mountain music, to boot - Ted Olson.  Linguistics and music!  I have such high hopes.

3. Maggie, a Girl of the Streets - Stephen Crane.  I'm doing pretty well on my resolution to read 100+ year old books.  25 is the goal.  I'm on #17 right now (Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass) The Readathon is an opportunity to work one more in.

4. Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl.  Recommended to me by my new friend, Nancie.

5. The Silent Wife - A.S.A. Harrison.  I've heard it compared to Gone Girl.

6. Black Water - Joyce Carol Oates.  I've been on a JCO kick for a couple of months now.  I'm even following her on Twitter.

7. The Thin Commandments: The Ten No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss - Stephen Gullo.  I've got a theory that self-help books might be the way to go for a long reading siege.  We'll see.

My Real Life friends Teri and Val will be joining me.  Nancie's not sure, or as my Pirate English Facebook tells me, "[Her] Gut Be Uncertain!" Teri organized an all-weekend event on the Readers of Kindle Books Facebook page, and so far, about 60 people have been making bookish plans.

 Teri will be reading (since she reads so fast, I should say "cutting like a laser through") "...the next one in the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency and listening to the third in Jeff Shaara's WW2 series."  

Val will be reading "Cookoff ....and some book about being fat in America."

 I hope to see many of my Read Life friends as well. Good luck and happy reading!