Sunday Salon: Holiday Reading
Posted on December 28, 2008 in Books
All of a sudden, I find myself inundated with reading. At first, I seemed to only have a couple of things going, but I realise now I am consuming at least four different things. I find myself less relaxed this holiday season than previous which is understandable with the new setting and responsibilities. My hobbies have suffered, especially reading and I’ve been piling on too much. I was sick last week and I have just returned from four days in Pembrokeshire, Wales for Christmas. Most of the day is already over which is how the winter works. I am glad the solstice is over and now the days can slowly get longer again.
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming is on the go, as is my rereading of Hamlet. The performance is on Tuesday which means I must dash through it. I started A Christmas Carol on the train to Wales, but I barely touched it then and not at all on my trip. I do not know if I should even try and finish it because the festive season is over. I am also listening to Book 3 of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire mysteries Club Dead on audiobook.
Being in Wales reinvigorated my desire to travel especially in Britain, and I had the notion of going to Hay-on-Wye, Wales in the summer. I’ll have exams during the festival, but the book capital of the isles for a weekend sounds promising. Though, putting myself in a small town of thirty bookshops is also asking for trouble. I’ll definitely consider it even if it seems difficult to get to by public transport. Anyone been and any tips to offer?
The older I get the less time I get to read it seems. I finished most of the reading challenges that I joined, but I can no longer join as many as I would like. I will post another reading challenge update soon and assess/renew those that I can have. Reading is vital in my life, but so is looking for a job and a means to work to live.
This week and for the rest of what is left of today, I will read the aforementioned books. Possibly pick up Paris to the Moon for my reread; I’m heading off to France the 15th. If I do well, I may pick up Atonement at some point in the first days of new year or something light such as The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Have a good last couple days of 2008. Happy New Year!
Literary Links:
Modern Library’s 100 Best Nonfiction.
20 Amazing and Essential Nonfiction Books.
Europeana is up.
Online reading is -surprise- not as good as print reading, but more studies are required about the effects of screen reading.
More free classic e-books.
A list of prize-winning books online.
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I have been wanting read Paris to the Moon for a while. When I first has my kids I could only read non fiction because it was so much easier to stop and start. It was neat to see the links you shared. It seems now that are older and have a little more time to myself I am rarely reading non fiction and I should be picking up a few more titles.
The travel idea sounds great!
Have you read much crime fiction this last year?
If so an activity on my blog may interest you?
http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com/2008/12/your-best-crime-fiction-reads-in-2008.html
All the best for 2009