Thankfully Reading Weekend: Update 1
November 26, 2011 19 Comments
This wekend is the Thankfully Reading Weekend that lasts until Sunday night. The organisers call it “An excuse to do an obscene amount of reading over the long Thanksgiving weekend!”
This is my list…
How it’s going
A Week in Decemberby Sebastian Faulks. I was 2/3s into this book before the read-a-thon started. I finished this one on Friday – 167 pages
The Secret Shopper Unwrappedby Kate Harrison. This seems an ideal book to get into the Christmas mood. Started Friday, page 1-22 – 21 pages on Friday, and 65 so far on Saturday. Later on the Saturday: I finished this book: -392 = 371 pages).Battle Hymn of the Tiger Motherby Amy Chua. A memoir about bringing up your children (or how not to). Sounds like another easy read. I finished this book on Sunday pages 3-240 = 237 pages- The Centenarian Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. In Dutch, about a 100-year old man who disappears from his nursing home just before the birthday celebrations. On Sunday, I read 60 pages of this very funny book.
Mini-challenge
Jenn asks what book we’re especially thankful for. I’ve been thinking, and it’s not so much one book but a type of book that I’m thankful for:
Lately, I’ve won some books in giveaways, and when they arrived at my home, they turned out to be hardbacks. I’ve never really been a hardback person, but I’ve been finding it more and more a real treat to receive a hardback copy of a book.
So, whenever I get one, I’m really, really thankful. Sounds odd? Read my review of The Night Circus where I do mention the physical aspects of the book a few times. I also got a beautiful copy of The Beauty of Humanity Movement, Low Town, and The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, among others.
What book are you thankful for?
About Judith
Leeswammes' Blog 
I’m thankful for my the copy of “The Sense of an Ending” that I won in a giveaway from the publisher. I don’t tend to buy brand new hardcovers, and this one is so pretty! I haven’t started reading it yet, but I will soon. It’s on my schedule for a December reading challenge.
I haven’t read many pages yet this weekend, but I did finish up two books that were really good – Toni Morrison’s “A Mercy” and Helen Oyeyemi’s “Mr. Fox.”
MJ, hope The Sense of an Ending is good – I want to read that too. I love it when books look nice.
Good luck with the reading weekend!
Glad you’re having such a bookish weekend Judith! I’m stuck at work and have barely read a thing, so I’m very jealous. I have ‘A Week in December’ on my TBR shelves, ‘Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother’ on my wishlist, and I enjoyed the Kate Harrison LAST Christmas, so I’m looking forward to your verdicts!
How boring you’re stuck at work, Ellie. That hopefully means you’ll have time off some other days. I’ll post reviews of the books, so keep an eye open for my reviews in the next few weeks.
Just Tuesdays at the moment, unfortunately – and even they’re fairly full on the run-up to Christmas. After Christmas we get Tuesdays AND Wednesdays though, and with a good pile of snow we sometimes get a tidy little unexpected break at some point! Enjoy the rest of your weekend – and I’ll be eagerly awaiting those reviews!
Ellie @ Musings of a Bookshop Girl
Oh yes, with Christmas coming up it’s not going to get less busy, of course! Good luck and I hope it’ll all be a bit more relaxed in the new year.
I know what you mean about hardbacks. I actually did not like reading them for the longest time as a paperback was just easier to hold and tote around, not to mention so dreadfully expensive. But now that I am more interested in cultivating a nicer library I have definitely been gaining a new appreciation for their look and feel, not to mention their longevity. My paperbacks have taken a beating over the years, but my hardbacks still look more or less the same as when I bought them.
Indeed, Bitsy. I prefer paperbacks when reading because they’re lighter and easier to hold, but I love nice hardbacks on my shelves now, definitely last longer.
That sounds like my normal weekend!
I don’t like the mass produced hardbacks so much but have had some lovely ones from Canongate that feel like people thought about the physical aspect of the book.
I’m not a huge fan of hardbacks, although I like how they look on my shelves. I can’t possibly be thankful for a single book so I guess I’m thankful for my Kindle! It makes reading so much easier wherever I go. Enjoy your reading weekend. I’m really intrigued by The Night Circus, I’m hearing such great things about it.
I’m hoping to get a Kindle sometime soon, CurlyGeek! I’m almost convinced that I need an e-book.
Happy reading!
This weekend I’m most thankful for the book I’m reading right now Every Day is a Friday by Joel Osteen. Overall there are so many books to be thankful for: East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, and more. I love paperbacks. They’re lighter than hardcovers and cheaper but I will buy the hardcover of a book that I’ve already read and loved if it’s for a good price.
Vasilly, what a coincidence because I was thinking of East of Eden also for this question!
I’m just thankful for my love of books. way too many books to pick just one! Happy reading
Indeed, bookmagic! Being able to read all those great books is something to be thankful for.
I am thankful for a new cookbook that arrived in the mail yesterday for review 🙂
Yes, wonderful, Cindy! Last year I got Nigella’s Christmas cook book and I was SO happy. 🙂
I love hardbacks as well…especially of those books I plan to keep 🙂 It was difficult for me to come up with one book I’m thankful for; there are so many that have literally changed my life…and that’s a good thing 🙂 This was my first ReadAThon and I LOVED IT!! 🙂
I love read-a-thons, too, Patti. Glad you had a good time!