Bout of Books #24 kicks off today, and I’ve decided to go along for the ride.
What is Bout of Books?
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 24 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
Here are my tentative reading plans for the week:
My first priority is to finish my two current reads: The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton and A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler. Ideally, I’d also love to finally finish the phenomenal tome Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain.
January seems like the perfect month to start Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed, and I may start Joan Didion’s essay collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem. However, don’t be be surprised if I end up tearing through Normal People by Sally Rooney instead of any of the above!
Are you joining in Bout of Books #24? What are your reading plans for the week?
good luck with your reading plans! I’ve got some reviews to catch up on before I can start reading anything else – why is reading so much easier than reviewing haha!
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Thanks, Karen! It’s the eternal question isn’t it?!
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Well, my dear, you have enough books there for a month long read-a-ton! I wish you luck in which ever ones you choose to read. I want to read the first two and look forward you your reviews of them. Have fun!!
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haha, that’s very true, Christina! Luckily, I did manage to finish The Clockmaker’s Daughter and A Well-Behaved Woman, as well as a third book and about half of a fourth.
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Ambitious reading plans! I will be super impressed if you make it through two books, let alone up to 6! A Testament to Youth has been recommended to me over and over and over again, and yet I always let the size of the book turn me away. Any inspiring words to finally pick it up?
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I was very happy I managed to finish the two books I had planned to, as well as finish a third and read about half of a fourth. It ended up being a very productive readathon!
I’ll add to the other recommendations for Testament of Youth; it really is a phenomenal, heartbreaking, and memorable read. The size and the heavy/emotional subject matter have definitely led to me reading it in spurts and then setting it down for weeks before picking it back up again however. Maybe that’s the best way to tackle it though, as opposed to trying to read it straight through? I would advise choosing the format you read it in carefully however. I have a hardcover edition, that while gorgeous, is heavy and awkward to hold and carry around. It definitely had a negative effect on how often I picked it up. Overall, I’d just say that Testament isn’t an easy or a quick read, but it is an incredibly rewarding one and worth all the effort.
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Thank you for the recommendation reinforcement *and* the tips on how to tackle Testament of Youth! While I love the idea behind your beautiful hardcover edition… I might end up picking up an ebook? It always feels odd to me reading older literature on a Kindle, but I have more patience with larger books this way. Plus, I have no idea how much is left! That keeps me reading. 🙂
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