Women’s Prize for Fiction Reading Challenge – January 2013 Edition
January is one of two magical months where I focus on reading books from the winners and nominees of the Orange Prize, my favorite literary award. (Hence the name “Orange January.”)
Blogging Resolutions in 2013
Happy new year! In 2012, I had a lot of competing priorities, and sadly I had to stop blogging for a while. I’m still pretty busy, but I’m trying to make my blog a higher priority this year. I miss interacting with all of my bookish friends, and even thinking about blogging regularly again has put a smile on my face.
Orange July 2012
It’s incredible to think that 2012 is halfway over. What a busy but fun year so far! This month, I will be participating in Orange July, a twice-yearly challenge to read more books from the winners and nominees of the Orange Prize, my favorite literary award. This month, I’m planning to read We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver; State of Wonder by Ann Patchett; The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison; and The History of Love by Nicole […]
BEA Bound
Today, I’m headed to New York for book blogger’s Christmas: Book Expo America. I’m beyond excited to meet my fellow book bloggers, as well as publishers, authors, and others in the book business. I’ll try to take careful notes and report back on everything I see. (I’m also trying to bring back only so many free books as I can carry… but we’ll see how well I do on that resolution.)
2011 in Review
2011 Stats Books read: 62 Pages read: 18,731 Books reviewed: 62 Total posts: 152 2011 was a very exciting year for me. I was able to travel to Thailand and Indonesia, Jack and I moved into a new house, I began ice skating lessons again, and I started a graduate program in writing. I’ve certainly stayed busy! I also began experimenting with new things on this site, including Top Ten Tuesday lists, the biweekly Subscription Saturday feature, Wordless Wednesdays photographs, my Bookshelf […]
January 2012 in Review
Though my stats aren’t terribly high for January, I had a truly enjoyable month reading and reviewing some great titles. (Scroll down to see which books I’ve been diving into recently.)
National Book Critics Circle Awards
I don’t usually pay a great deal of attention to awards, but there are a few that usually fall in line with my tastes; the Orange Prize is one, and the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) awards are another. When an award is successful, it serves as an introduction to a previously unknown but soon-to-be-beloved author. I end up reading not only her award-winning title, but also her backlist. The shortlist of books published in 2011 was released recently, and more than […]
Reading Challenges in 2012
Despite not getting much reading done this weekend, I’m still excited to share with you the reading challenges in which I will participate this year. After all, ’tis the season to make promises that this year will be different–this year will be better!
December 2011 in Review
December was a good month for me. Thankfully, I had time off to relax, which of course means I was able to read and review several great books. I’m feeling rejuvenated heading into a new year; I’m confident 2012 will be even better!
Blogging Resolutions in 2012 and Orange January
Last month, I found myself thinking about what books would be on my Top Ten Books of 2011 list when I realized that I had fallen inexcusably far behind on my reviews. I had a stack of great books I’d been wanting to share for months, but for various reasons hadn’t gotten to. Therefore, my 2012 blogging resolution is to review every book I read within a month of finishing it. Sounds easy, but sometimes life gets in the way!
Tying Up Loose Ends in 2011
As cold weather descends and shows no sign of budging, my thoughts turn to holidays and family and, far too soon, the end of the year. But before I can even start thinking about 2012, I first need to finish up a few things from 2011.
November 2011 in Review
November 2011 Stats Books in progress: 13 Books read: 7 Pages read: 2,421 November was a busy month, and I fell a little behind in my reviewing. The same thing happened last November too; maybe I should plan on a less ambitious schedule for November 2012? In any case, I’m almost all caught up now. Thanks for bearing with me! Books reviewed This month, I read some great historical fiction. I liked both Vivienne Schiffer’s novel Camp Nine and Caroline Moorehead’s work […]
Thankfully Reading (and Writing!)
First of all, I would like to apologize for my recent lapse in blogging. Between school, my birthday, and Thanksgiving–not to mention a terrible cold–I haven’t been able to keep up with my usual posts. I’ve got a few entries drafted that I intend to post over the next week, so please be patient with me. It’s good to be back! And I thought I’d come back with a bang. This weekend I participated in one of my favorite readathons, Thankfully Reading. […]
October 2011 in Review
Happy Halloween (almost)! This month, I started more books than I finished, but I was still able to post some regular features and a few reviews. Enjoy!
A Time to Dance
Last weekend, Jack and I traveled to Lynchburg for his grandmother’s memorial service. It was wonderful to spend time with his family, celebrating the life of a woman who impacted us all and also celebrating the lives of those who are still with us. Jack’s aunt, Susie, celebrated her birthday while the family was gathered in Lynchburg, and I think we all had a great time.
Saying Goodbye
I’m writing this in advance of the weekend, because I will be without internet connection. This weekend, Jack and I will be traveling to Lynchburg for the memorial service of his grandmother, Gene Joiner.
Melody Schreiber 