Faye’s Comments (group member since Nov 05, 2013)

Faye’s comments from the The Reading Challenge Group group.

It's that time again! How many books did you read in October?

(For our new members: We're trying to see if we as a group can read 10,000 books this year, so at the end of each month each member counts up how many books they've read, and they post that number to that month's tally thread. Every member is free to join in!)

I'm sitting at 280 pages right now, but I'm going to finish Dracula tonight by hook or by crook!

Roseanne wrote: "I will join you for Surprised by Joy but I may not start until the middle of November. I need to finish up some things first."

Okay, I can hold off on talking about it until then.

I've started a buddy read thread for Surprised By Joy and Out of the Silent Planet, here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'll be starting Surprised By Joy on November 1st, and Out of the Silent Planet on the 8th. Anyone is welcome to join me! :)

I'll be starting Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life on November 1st, and Out of the Silent Planet on the 8th. Anyone is welcome to join me! :)

Mayme wrote: "i can't tell you how many t-shirts/blouses/tops a month i spoil whilst using an improper food-shovelling-whilst-book-reading technique. (the important thing is that I almost never get it on the book?)"

I so relate to that...

Iasa wrote: "Sometimes I think it would be nice to snuggle up with a hot toddy and a fire with the snow outside and read away the night, but then I remember I've spent my whole life in the southern US and the Caribbean, I get cold at 50°"

Aw, you're missing out, Iasa! Nothing's better than a hot drink, a blanket, and a good book. :)

Although the hammock and juice thing would be a very close second. ;)

Do you snack while you read? What are some of your favourite reading-time foods/beverages?

Welcome Celeste, Angela, Tracy, and Deanna! This group will still be around in 2015 for another year of reading challenges, so it's never too late to join. :)

Thanks Alessandra, Sandy, and Gavin! Good luck to all of you, too!

Gavin - I would be terrified to try writing this monster by the seat of my pants! There's going to be so much allegory and foreshadow involved that I'm having to plan every single detail in advance so I don't forget or misplace anything, or worse, add things in that later I find didn't make sense. I don't always outline to this extent, but I'd be lost without it in this instance.

Ahh, Van Helsing, how I love thee... and how I want to smack silly everyone who mucks up your vamp-deterrents...

After 2 days, I am now at 100 pages. At least I'm consistent. :)

It's Dracula that I'm reading, btw.

The more the merrier! :)

Srividya wrote: "@Faye - I would also love to read a few Dickens next year, in fact have been planning to do that. However, won't read all the books.

Is it okay if I join you for "

Absolutely! Yes, those 4 don't get as much attention as his other books, but they're all very good.

A Tale of Two Cities is my favourite, too! :)

Yay! I'll be very glad to have the company. :D

Okay, so the title needs work...

For a long time now, I've dreamed of taking a year out of my reading life to read all of Charles Dickens' major works in the order in which he wrote them. A few months ago, I decided that 2015 would be that year, and so far I've stuck to that resolution. I thought I might as well make it all official-like and list it as a mini challenge so that anyone else can join me if they so desire. :)

Here's my tentative schedule -

January - The Pickwick Papers
February - Oliver Twist
March - Nicholas Nickleby
April - The Old Curiosity Shop
May - Barnaby Rudge
June - Martin Chuzzlewit, A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth (the last 3 are short stories/novellas)
July - Dombey and Son, The Battle Of Life, The Haunted Man (the last 2 are short stories/novellas)
August - David Copperfield
September - Bleak House
October - Hard Times (novella), Little Dorrit
November - A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations (two of his shorter novels)
December - Our Mutual Friend, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished fragment)

I've read all of these before, so it's not as crazy as it looks. Honestly. :P

I'll be reading other books throughout the year, of course, but this will truly be a year of living Dickensously! Who's with me? :D

Sandy wrote: "Never mind, Faye, I'm with you. I did 78 pages yesterday, but not a single page today (yet). I have spent all my reading time cleaning out the e-mail in-box and dealing with the business from that! I really shouldn't let it pile up for three months!"

Ugh, I hate doing e-mail maintenance! I hope you can get back to the reading soon. :)

It's just so silly! 50 pages used to be my daily minimum, but now it's the most I've read in a single day in months! When did I enter the Twilight Zone? :P

I've managed maybe 50 pages so far... *headdesk*

Renee wrote: "Never without a scarf!"

Not even when I'm sleeping! I always have to position my hair over my ears at night. Gets cold in my room!