One of my goals for the New Year was to start reviewing right after finishing a book, so that I didn’t gain a review backlog, and not allow myself to read another book until the review was finished. Unfortunately, I’ve already failed miserably! My reading in 2011 has been off to a roaring start, but that means I have five reviews (yes, FIVE) already waiting to be written. I’ve decided to amend my goal and instead do all the reviews on the weekend after I’ve read them, when I normally have more time and feel a bit more like writing. This does mean I have five reviews to write today, but I can manage if I get my head in the right place.
In other bookish news, my TBR has similarly skyrocketed this week. In part, this is because I had some money for Christmas, and decided there was no better way to spend it than buying new books. I’ve already welcomed two of these purchases into my house and I’m anticipating more over the next week. It’s bad for my shelves, but I do like to support the publishing industry by buying new, and after accumulating a year-long wishlist of books slightly more expensive than I could buy during the year, it’s nice to just purchase them and have them for my very own.
Plus, I’ve realized how little I’m actually paying attention to my Kindle and under-utilizing it. I know I can read classics on it for free, but I’d never really ventured beyond Amazon, getting stymied whenever there was a charge. But while I was perusing blogs yesterday, I stumbled across this post on Eva’s blog, and with her new Nook she’s downloaded lots of classics that I too would love to read. I must admit I’ve now gone a little crazy with public domain books, but I think this should mean I’ll feature more classics in time, as I get them read.
Speaking of ebooks, I wanted to let you all know about a free e-novella from HarperCollins. David Vann, author of the upcoming Caribou Island, has released his novella Sukkwan Island for free. It previously appeared in his collection, Legend of a Suicide, and won the Prix Medicis award for best foreign novel in France. Definitely worth a download. It’s available on Amazon, the Sony ebook store, and for the Kobo ereader, and I’m told will shortly appear for the Nook as well.
Finally, in terms of reading today, I’ve begun to read A Tale of Two Cities for the read-a-long hosted by Jen at Devourer of Books and Nicole at Linus’s Blanket over on What’s Old Is New. I’ve wanted to re-read this for years, and doing so with the actual publication schedule seems both fun and doable. I’ve finished the first installment and it took less than half an hour, so my initial impressions were correct. I can’t wait to get a bit deeper in and see if I enjoy it as much as I did in high school. I also managed to read one of those way-too-old ARCs, Something Missing, between today and yesterday, which was surprisingly delightful and shouldn’t have sat in my review pile for so long. Yesterday I completely devoured The Raising by Laura Kasischke in one sitting, and only wish I didn’t have to hold my review until March! It was excellent and I’m not sure how I’ll keep the gushing out of my review – I was totally consumed by the book and put off everything I’d planned for the day just to keep reading.
This week, I think I’ll be spending some time in the realm of non-fiction, with Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson and Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. I’m very excited about both of these and plan to savor them over the course of today and the next few days.
What do you have planned for this Sunday? Any great books on your horizon?
I wouldn’t call this a failure. I would call it a readjustment for reality. It’s all well and good to make resolutions, but what seems plausible while you’re imaging it isn’t always possible. It really does suck to have a huge review backlog. You’ll figure out how to best keep yourself out of the hole, I’m sure.
Literate Housewife´s last post …My Current Reading Impediment
Okay, you have me SO excited to read “The Raising” now. That is some very high praise.
I’m such a book pusher.
Thanks for the heads-up on the novella: I hope it ends up being available for Nook users! That’s interesting you can d/l classics for your Kindle; I thought the files were proprietary?
Eva´s last post …Sunday Salon- the Year-Bridging Post
It should be there soon! Kindle books from Amazon are proprietary, but the Kindle itself can read other types of files, and lots of your links had a .mobi or .prc version!
Oh, ok: good to know! I thought Kindle could only read one file type.
Eva´s last post …Favourites Reads of 2010
I like to put up a draft review as soon as I finish with some quick notes. I go back to it and expand my ideas over the following two weeks or so before I finally post the review. I like to let a more complete draft sit for a few days before I commit to publishing it.
So I always have a backlog of reviews I’m working on.
I just knew that The Raising would probably be very good. I can’t wait to get to it. You’ll catch up on your reviews today and it will be good. I just finished writing mine for my fifth book of the year. I am so glad to be caught up in 2011.
Nicole´s last post …January 2011 Reading List TSS
I added THE RAISING to my list after you tweeted about it.
And I don’t think you’re failing, you’re just hitting such a great reading streak you can’t stop. That can’t be bad, can it? I, of course, am already 3 reviews behind myself. Hoping to catch this afternoon. Ha!
Beth F´s last post …Weekend Cooking- A Book and a Movie
Five books already?! That is amazing – and quite successful if you ask me
Thank you SO much for mentioning the Tale of Two Cities read along. I have taught the book for the past five years, but will not be teaching it this year. I was afraid that I might experience withdrawal. I look forward to reading the reactions and insights of fellow bloggers throughout 2011.
Molly´s last post …The Progress of Resolutions
I read Packing for Mars last year and loved it. Enjoy.
Amy´s last post …The Sunday Salon- Resolution Reading-Slumps
I could never make a resolution like that – I would fail for sure! I’m so far behind on reviews that I still have books from 2010 to write about :S I guess I have the excuse of having been home for the holidays, but still.
Enjoy the Bryson and the Mary Roach!
Nymeth´s last post …A Literature of Their Own by Elaine Showalter
A few weeks ago both Heidegger’s Glasses (which I loved) and Traitor’s Wife by Susan Higgenbotham were free for Kindle. I get stymied actually paying for books on Kindle, too, but it never hurts to check the free books out.
heidenkind´s last post …The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum
I read Bryson for the first time a few months ago after reading your great review of Neither Here, Nor There. I loved him and want to try more of his books now. I actually bought my uncle A Short History of Nearly Everything for Christmas, and his newest one, Home is on my wish list as well. I wanted to thank you for giving me such a great recommendation. The man is a comic genius! It sounds like you have a lot of bookish things going on at the moment, and I wish you success with all of them.
Setting resolutions, and then sticking with them, can be so difficult! Good luck, although personally I am trying to relax about this kind of goal, and I am aiming low! lol.
Marg´s last post …TSS- 2011 Reading Resolutions
You can try to keep up with your resolutions. At least you are then trying. The list of books you have posted about sound really good.
Mystica´s last post …Mailbox Monday – 10th January 2011
I under utilize my Kindle too! I definitely prefer hard copies of books, which is why my Kindle remains neglected, but I do have a kindle giftcard, so I should definitely buy some new stuff that will get me excited about my Kindle again!
Stephanie´s last post …Sunday Salon- 1-9-2011
My TBR pile has similarly exploded; strangely, though, I’ve been adding more non-fiction titles than usual.
I loved Notes from a Small Island – happy reading!
When you get into a reading frenzy like that, you just have to push the reviews back. I’m with you on supporting publishers!
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last post …Review- I- Alex Cross
Resolutions were made to be broken
When I started blogging I had the discipline to write the reviews immediately after finishing a book.
The recommendations are coming in so fast and furious now … I don’t want to stop to review, just want to get to the next book and read, read, read!
Dawn – She Is Too Fond of Books´s last post …Book Review- Alice’s Tea Cup by Haley Fox and Lauren Fox