Spring Reading Thing Update

When I decided to take a class, I said I would keep up with the reading even though I was just auditing and didn't have to. I wanted the discipline, I said. Well, I didn't quite keep up with the reading, but I got pretty close. Close-ish. So I will try to fulfill my self-imposed obligation to the Spring Reading Thing from Callapidder Days.

Here is my status so far:

- Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton: Completed; read this for my class. It was good; not as good as I'd expected given how many people have told me they love it.

- The Plague by Albert Camus: Flaked on this one. Just need to be in the mood for French existentialism to read Camus, and I'm not.

- Seeing With New Eyes by David Powlison: in process.

- The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett: Completed! Fun book imagining QE2 becoming an avid reader.

- The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett: Completed! Written about here.

- Flying Cloud by David W. Shaw: I had it in my hand the other day, can't find it now. This is a very small house, I don't know how I can lose things so easily.

- The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse: Completed! Fun Jeeves and Wooster book.

- The Pope's Rhinoceros by Lawrence Norfolk: Still planning on this one. I've actually started it a number of times but the beginning at least is quite dense and does not lend itself to short snatches of time.

- Faith at Work by Carol Ruvolo: Started and rejected. Maybe I'll find something to substitute for it.

Spring Reading Thing 2008

Yes, I'm joining the Spring Reading Thing 2008. A reading challenge? Am I crazy? I don't have time to read. Actually, I've found that when I really want to, I can indeed find time to read. The challenge runs from now till June 19 (spring, get it?) You can do it too. Go over to Calapidder Days (I don't know what that means but I bet you can find out over there) and see what it's all about. Even if you don't want to participate, but need some new reading ideas, go take a look. I am #164 on the list of participants. That's a lot of book lists to browse.

Is it cheating to use books I need to read for my class? No. (At least I don't think so.) So:

- Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
- The Plague by Albert Camus
- Seeing With New Eyes by David Powlison
- The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
- The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
- Flying Cloud by David W. Shaw
- The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
- The Pope's Rhinoceros by Lawrence Norfolk
- Faith at Work by Carol Ruvolo

A couple of these books I've had for 10, maybe even 20 years, but have never read them. Maybe they'll be terrible and I'll wonder why I've packed and moved them so many times!

I'm going to start with An Uncommon Reader because it looks fun and is short.