Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Reading Challenges

Often while reading a book one feels that the author would have preferred to paint rather than write; one can sense the pleasure he derives from describing a landscape or a person, as if he were painting what he is saying, because deep in his heart he would have preferred to use brushes and colors. 
Pablo Picasso




As I have confessed previously here on my blog I am a serious bibliophile.  This obsession started as a child.  As I was reading one of my favorite blogs last week, I was reminded that there are blogging worlds out there that doesn't involve quilting.  Deb at A Simple Life was telling about the reading challenges that she has decided to participate in this year.  I think I may have stumbled over one of these before in the last couple of years but I didn't investigate it at the time.

After reading up a little on the subject of reading challenges on several blogs I have decided to participate in a couple of them.  I may decide to add more but I'm starting with just 2.  I have been making a list of all of the books that I read or listen to for the past 4 years.  This has been interesting.  Things really changed a couple of years ago when I got a Kindle for my birthday.  I have been listening to audio books for quite a few years while I quilt, sew and ride in the car.  The Kindle has changed the number of paper books I read.  I mainly read FREE books and have downloaded over 700 of them from Amazon.  FREE ebooks are a mixed bag of quality.  Some are self published and suffer from a lack of editing.  Some are free for a short period of time when a new one by the same author is being released.  I wouldn't say they are always great quality but I usually just download from the Top 100 List.
My local library has a great collection of audio books which I can select from.  I frequently pick up NEW books from there too.  I buy only a few books each year since I can get more than enough from the library to fill my needs.  The ones I buy are usually non-fiction.  Quilting books of course top this list but I buy a few other genres also.

So what Reading Challenges am I going to do this year? I decided to do the Monthly Mix Up Mania. This challenge you to read a book for each letter in the year. That's right, a title for the J in January and the A in January, etc.... 74 books total!

The other challenge that sounded like fun is Color Coded Reading Challenge. What quilter wouldn't want to play with color? This one will take some research and planning. Looking at my list from last year there were only 2 books that would have fit in.

As soon as I have the time to type it, I will be adding a page at the top of the blog that covers these challenges.  Since the first one started last year I have filled in the list from what I have read then.  I still have some work to do to finish it up and I will have to be on the look out for books that will fill in the missing letters.  
Got any recommendations for it (E, J, N, R, U & Y) or the Color Challenge?

By the way I thought you might like to know how much I read last year.  Here's the breakdown and total.  Maybe if I didn't read so much I would get more quilting done but I mostly read (books or the Kindle) at night when DH wants me upstairs with him or when I can't sleep which happens way more than I would like.

2013 Total 121
Books:  25
Audio Books:  47
E-Books:  49

This doesn't include a number of Quilting Books that I bought and read.  I need to start tracking those too.





4 comments:

  1. I did the color challenge last year. Enjoyed reading When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr (for pink in the other color category) and Black and Blue Magic by Zilpha Keatley Snyder for black (or blue, I suppose).

    E: Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
    E: Empire Falls by Richard Russo

    J: Joy Luck Club- Amy Tan
    Jigs and Reels: Joanne Harris

    R: Rebecca- Daphne du Maurier
    The Road: Cormac McCarthy
    Room: Emma Donaghue

    U: Understanding comics by Scott McCloud
    U: Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

    Y: Yes, Chef: Marcus Samuelsson

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  2. I think bibliophiles, and quilters go hand in hand. I used to read a lot, and bought a Kindle about 5 years ago. I get the free books also, and I agree on the quality, but I also pepper in some purchased books. My kindle has a text to voice feature, and I use it while I sew.

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  3. Sounds like you have a full year ahead of you Patricia! I have just started The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, you could add that to your list for U and how about The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer for E, can't think of anything off the top of my head for the other letters.

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  4. Sounds like fun to me! There is nothing better than being midway through a great book covered with a quilt.

    ReplyDelete

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