Hello everyone!

I did not post very much this week, but I read two books yesterday including Muriel Spark’s The Girls of Slender Means and the reviews will be up for them this week.

As usual, work and fitness have kept me busy. So much so that I realized that I haven’t watched a new movie in two months. I’ve mostly been watching TV shows and rewatching other TV shows and movies such as Finding Nemo.

Today, I did some light cleaning, watched a couple of things, and I’ll go for a run in a bit I think. I didn’t do much this week in way of fitness as I just did a couple of small runs and one really light yoga class. I may jump rope too.

In reading challenge news, I am one book away to having read 30 books this year. I’m quite pleased with my Non-Fiction challenge as I’ve read 11 non-fiction books this year which is over one third of my total books so far. I don’t remember ever reading so much nonfiction over fiction.

I’m less pleased with my TBR challenge. I am just very bad at reading from my own bookshelf. I’m too addicted to the public library.

As for the Classics Club, I have done less for it, but I’m alright with taking that slowly. I’ve decided that after my 50 books, I’ll challenge myself to read the Complete Works of Shakespeare. That won’t be for another couple years though.

How are your challenges going?

Hello, everyone!

This week, I read Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (review up tomorrow). I posted my finished Buttercup sweater and my usual Booking Through Thursday post.

Today, I plan on reading Stephen Colbert’s America Again. I went with my family to get some maple syrup and have a nice brunch. I have an alumni meeting this afternoon, but I hope to come home and do some reading.

I didn’t post last weekend as I was tired and recovering from my birthday drinks . Also, I haven’t been reading very much lately. I have been out and about everyday trying to be more social. It does not always work, but it’s been interesting as I am an introvert by nature. I am glad Easter weekend is coming up because I plan on reading Walden and other books in my large TBR pile.

This week, I made a filing system in my home office, and I am still not completely done spring cleaning. I’m rather pleased with my organisation and productivity this week.

Physical activity wise, I go to yoga at least once every other week and I am trying to run at least 1-2x a week now that the pavement is relatively snow free. I ran 6km yesterday, and I’m a bit knackered from it and my very active social week. Knitting and fiddle are on the back burner now that I am working out more. I am hoping to try rock climbing soon too.

Spring is not really here, but it’s not below -10 anymore and there is not so much snow so small victories.

Life is good, but busy as I am exploring new things. I just need to make sure I read at least one book a week until my schedule is more fixed and balanced.

How is everyone’s March?

Hello, everyone!

This week, I posted my review of Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman, detailed what I read for BTT, featured a newly made pair of socks, and discussed why I love Jane Austen for the Classics Club Meme.

It was a busy week as I started five books this week at five different different places:
Hark a Vagrant by Kate Beaton is my work break read.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau was started one night before bed.
The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark was started on Friday while I was waiting to get my passport renewed. I finished it yesterday while at the second job, and I started Let’s Talk About Love by Carl Wilson which I may read a bit more today with some Walden.

When you have a book, you’re never bored that’s for sure.

Today, I’ll run some errands, read, and maybe play the fiddle for the first time in weeks. I usually don’t like St. Patrick’s Day, but its approach this year seems to make me guilty for the fact that I haven’t been practicing Irish fiddle music.

Knitting the Buttercup top is very slow going because of the garter sideways hem. I also did Bikram yoga this week, and it’s been years since I did hot yoga, but it felt very good to really sweat it out as the winter doesn’t really allow for that.

Off to really start my precious Sunday as this is the only day off now.

Have a good week!

Hello!

This past week, I posted my reviews of Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin and Season 1 and Here’s looking at Euclid by Alex Bellos.

I did work 50 hours this week so I really did not do much in the way of hobbies though I did finish knitting a pair of socks. I even found time to play the fiddle again in awhile. I’ve had to cut music out entirely.

I did start reading Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman, a book about French parenting, yesterday. I’ll probably finish it today after I’ve gone out to be social and run some errands. Having only one day off is a bit inconvenient, but I always want to be grateful since it could be a lot worse.

In terms of reading, I plan on reading Henry David Thoreau’s Walden for The Classics Club. This was one of two books on my classics spin that I did not physically own but had on Kindle. It does remind me to read more for the challenge from my own shelves though.

Forgot to mention the other week that I bought two more cookbooks. It has become major addiction for me as long as yarn and lip products. I’m now at my limit since I’ve taken space on a whole shelf for them; I really have two shelves. I’ve stopped myself from buying them for now. I do love their photos, the recipes, the food writing, and that lovely new book smell. Mmmm.

Have you bought any new books lately?

Hello everyone! Today is the first day of Chinese New Year so Happy New Year!

This week my reviews for Fifty Shames of Earl Grey, The Giving Tree, and January Monthly Movies were posted.

This week, I read The Best American Travel Writing 2012, Paris in Love by Eloisa James this week and I am currently reading Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I am enjoying the latter just for the suspense and the pacing though there are a lot of characters, and I know I shouldn’t attach onto them too much.

I’ve been doing well in reading nonfiction books this year, but not so much in TBR challenge. It’s always harder to read books on my shelves since I have two piles of library books at any time. For the library goers, do you ever have to balance between these kind of stacks?

I’m off for a winter hike after that big snowstorm on Friday. I am not sporty especially in the winter, but I do like walks.

Have a good week, everyone!

Hello, everyone!

I read a book this week: Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman. The review will be up tomorrow or Tuesday. It feels like an accomplishment because it’s third week of January and I’ve only read three books! Two of which were very small and short. It’s been a busy month as I try to improve my job hunt and do some reflections on my life.

Even though I wrote about fanfiction last week, I’ve banned myself from reading it for a time. It’s very distracting. It’s not the only thing I’ve had to reign my control on such as spending less and watching less Youtube. I am also going to try and not buy as many used books this year if at all as I am too much of a secondhand book fair junkie.

I still have lots of books to read, and I’m trying to encourage myself to hit my TBR and library pile. Reading about reading makes me want to read more again. I had to force myself not to start a book, but I still need to finish reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Whenever books are on my Kindle, I tend to forget about them. I see the Kindle on my desk, but I forget that there is a book that I should finish or read from it. With real books I can see where I am and they call my attention. The Kindle not so much.

As I am feeling tired and lazy today, I’ll do some writing and reading now.

What are you reading today?

Have a good week, everyone!

Hello, everyone! This week I was very unproductive and rather escapist. I read one a beauty book: The Beauty of Color by Iman. But really, I spent most of the week rereading some of Harry Potter, the His Dark Materials, and fanfiction.

Yes, I read fanfiction. I have done so for years, for perhaps dozen years now. I have read it from many fandoms. While I have not read many real published books as I would like, it is often because I get waylaid by fanfiction. I can not count the amount of time I have done so nor how much it constitutes my actual reading, but it is a significant. I love stories. I love fiction, and I love characters so it makes sense to explore it.

The grammar and the syntax may not always be great, but if you’re good at research, you can find some very interesting storytelling and exploration of characters from canon. A number of writers started in fanfiction online and went on to become published authors. I remember the days when certain writers wrote only fanfiction and now they are published best selling authors. Cassandra Claire is one example.

A few fandoms I read fanfic from as follows: Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Pride & Prejudice, and Star Trek. This is just a small sample as I read fanfics from movies, TV shows, book series, etc. I do not read fanfic from every series I love. For example, I don’t really feel the desire to read His Dark Materials or Laura Ingalls Wilder fanfiction. There’s no criteria why I seek out fanfics from certain works of fiction that others. I also do not stick to a fandom consistently for long periods of time like I did when I was a teenager. I’ll go months or even years without reading fic from a particular fandom and then get in the mood for it again.

While I don’t count this in my books reading, it is reading and even I forget that I spend a good amount of time reading. Perhaps all this online reading has also helped with my reading speed as much as normal published works.

Does anyone else read fanfic?

Speaking of reading fast, I discovered readfa.st which is a site to help you improve your reading speed. The site says I read around 470 reads per minute, but I’m not sure how fast that is compared to others. It’s an interesting idea.

What are you doing this Sunday?