Eat. Sleep. Read. Repeat. Sounds like a Readathon mantra to me!
I had a great time during the October Readathon, in which I read several novellas and a graphic novel. However, I kept thinking about how great it would be if real life didn't get in the way -- cooking dinner, letting the dog out, et cetera. I have always had fantasies about being locked in a library or a bookstore, as long as there were plenty of snacks and squashy couches.
But it also occurred to met that a hotel room would be much more comfortable, though it would have less books. But it would have a pool! And room service! And didn't I already own, oh, about two hundred unread books on my own bookshelves, just waiting to be finished??
So I jokingly remarked to my good friend Amanda from The Zen Leaf about how fun it would be to get a hotel room for Readathon. And she immediately thought it was a great idea, so we've booked a hotel room for the weekend and are having a Readathon Retreat! We'll check in on Friday, have dinner, and then we're planning on going to see the new Jane Eyre movie (adapted from one of my all-time favorite books, so that's book-related, right?). Saturday, we have our classics book group, then the rest of the day is basically, read with no distractions other than eating, blogging, and the occasional break in the pool or the exercise room if we're feeling too sedentary. It's going to be about 95 degrees here in San Antonio this weekend, so indoor exercise might be a good thing. And we might take a side trip to the Half-Price Books nearby. . . if we run out of things to read!
I've already set aside a stack of books as possible reads -- I know I can't possibly finish all of them, but I hope to complete a couple of novellas, some short stories and essays, and one Persephone book which is an Interlibrary Loan and needs to be returned next week. Here's a photo of my tentative stack:
From top to bottom:
- Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
- The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
- The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith
- Doreen by Barbara Noble
- The Complete Stories by Saki
- The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
- Jane Austen and Crime by Susannah Fullerton
- One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
- My Misspent Youth: Essays by Meghan Dowd
Of course, I may ending adding or subtracting books at the last minute, but I think I have a good mix of genres and styles. I have novellas, short stories, essays, and nonfiction, so there should be something to keep me amused the entire time. Plus, all but one of these are books from my unread shelves, so I'll make some progress on that Owned-and-Unread Challenge. If you want to see what Amanda's bringing, you can read her post here.
What are you doing for Readathon?
Mrs 'Arris is wonderful and will be a quick read. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is fascinating and creepy. I love your idea for the hotel but it sounds like you have lots of non-reading stuff up your sleeve.
ReplyDeleteWell, those are just little reading breaks, and it is a whole weekend! I know there's no way I'll be staying up 24 hours straight -- this way I can read for 24 hours, but spread it out.
ReplyDeleteWow, sounds fun! I have a three day weekend (woot)and will try to join in.
ReplyDeleteEEK,I typed my blog address in wrong above. That is not my blog!
ReplyDeleteI hope you and Amanda like the Jane Eyre movie as much as I did. The scenes between Jane and Rochester had enough of the dialogue from the novel to make them the best part of the movie.
ReplyDeletethis sounds like the perfect way to spend the weekend
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing
martine
Ooh I didn't know Murakami wrote a book called The Elephant Vanishes. I'll have to look at that one this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWe're going to have so much fun!
Enjoy your Readathon Retreat--sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the Penguin haul of earlier this year, I now have We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and am looking forward to hearing how you like it.
I am so jealous of you guys. Can I fly down and join? :)
ReplyDeleteYou have some great stuff in your pile. Hopefully I get a lot read too!
Sounds like a GREAT way to spend the readathon to me! I, on the other hand, will be spending the readathon at a track meet - wishing I were curled up in the A/C reading. :) Mercifully, the track season is short!
ReplyDeleteAnbolyn -- a three-day reading retreat would be even better. And LOL about your blog address, I naturally had to click on it and see what it was. Not quite the same!
ReplyDeleteJeanne -- I'm really looking forward to the movie, I've been listening to the audio in the car in preparation.
Martine -- I think it'll be great. Of course I'll be posting throughout the weekend.
Amanda -- I don't know if it's really about elephants, it's a book of short stories. But you are welcome to read it this weekend if you want a change from your own stack.
JaneGS -- I had to choose at least one from the Penguin stack! I was thinking about Dorothy Parker as well but it's so long, it's a little overwhelming. I've always wanted to read Shirley Jackson so this should be a good time.
Allie -- I think the weather will be much nicer up in MIchigan! We're about to start our endless Texas summer. But it would be so fun to have a whole group. I wish I could go to BEA/BBC sometime and meet other book bloggers.
Susan -- an outdoor track meet? Will you be able to get any reading done? I hope it won't be as hot there as it will be here in San Antonio this weekend!
I was really jealous, and then I saw how hot it was going to be! It's about 30 degrees more than I can stand. Have a great weekend. I loved The Diary of a Nobody and Saki.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds so amazing - a real retreat! And your book choices sound great too. I would just bring all of them - you can never have too much to choose from!
ReplyDeleteKatrina -- I was torn between Diary of a Nobody and Diary of a Pilgrimage by Jerome K. Jerome (who wrote the brilliant Three Men in a Boat). I might end up bringing both. And I love Saki -- his short stories are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteMotheretc. -- I always pack my books first for a trip and bring twice as many as I'll ever read. I need to have CHOICES or I'm afraid I'll be miserable. It makes the luggage really heavy. I really need to try out e-readers!
What a great idea. You'll have a blast! I've rented a cabin in the woods before to plan my year but have never just read. Maybe next year that's what I'll do. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous, too! I KNOW you'll have a fantastic weekend. Hope you enjoy Doreen - it was a favorite last year.
ReplyDeleteOh that sounds so wonderful *envious* I don't have readathon plans as I'm participating in a swimathon!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED The Blue Castle!
ReplyDeleteWe Have Always Lived in the Castle is on my tbr list. Sadly I don't have it to read tomorrow but I'm hoping to get at least 3 books read tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great idea! Smart, too, since 95 degrees is hot! I hope you like the new Jane Eyre movie.
ReplyDeleteI see some great books in your stack, too, esp. the Jasper Fforde new one and the L.M. Montgomery book, I like them all!
Enjoy your retreat weekend and I'll stop by to cheer you on when I take a break from reading!
It's the eye of the reader, it's the cream of the fight
ReplyDeleteRisin' up to the challenge of our bloggers
And the last known survivor stalks his books in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger
You can do it and rock the roof off the readathon!!!
Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah Show that book you're readin' who's boss!
ReplyDeleteI'm here from the cheer squad, and it looks like you have FANTASTIC Readathon plans! Keep on readin', and have a great time doing it (sounds like you will!)
ReplyDeleteHope you two ladies are having a blast.
ReplyDelete