On Not Reading Sucky Books...

If you're still wondering, as I am, how I managed to read 21 books in October, I have to give credit to a newfound philosophy: don't read sucky books.

That is, when my mood is sour, a book isn't blowing my skirt up, and I just don't feel like reading something, I put it aside. Sometimes it goes back on the stacks, sometimes it goes in the used bookstore "sell back" sack, and other times I give it away.

For years I had a weird compulsion to finish every single book I started. Given my finicky reading tendencies, I just can't do that consistently. Especially when I have trouble settling on something--anything. It's exhausting.

Right now I'm in a "startitis" kind of mood. I stole that term from Danielle at A Work in Progress, and it sure fits! I started The Year of Living Biblically, and I'm not really in the mood for it. I picked up Tender at the Bone, and I'm not terribly enthused. Now I'm picking at a cute YA book called Dear Julia, by Amy Bronwen Zemser. This one might stick, but it'll be a bit longer before I can say for sure.

Do you ever get startitis, and how do you get over it?

Cheers to not finishing books we don't like, readers! If you're ever wondering why 80% of my reviews are positive: because I don't finish books I abhor! Most of the time I don't even bother with books I'm lukewarm about.

Life's too short. Read like your hair is on fire.

I think I'll have that motto tattooed on my forehead.

Happy election day! Even if you don't vote for Obama, JUST GO VOTE!

Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote!

And if you're in a country other than the U.S., sit back and have a turkey sandwich.

My American Prayer

And these are the hands

What are we gonna build with them?

This is the church you can't see

Give me your tired, your poor and huddled masses

You know they're yearning to breathe free

--My American Prayer, by Dave Stewart and Seth Dalton

This is my last post in regards to the election. Until afterwards, anyway. I, like so many others, will be waiting impatiently and hopefully for quick results and the outcome we so desperately yearn for. I'm continually humbled by the outcry for positive change in this country...for hope and direction...for the mending of old wounds. There's nothing anti-American about people banding together under the umbrella of a common vision and a peaceful future. This election demonstrates patriotism at its finest--millions of citizens willing to cast our ballots and passionately debate our most pressing issues in an effort to see what we believe come to fruition. No matter what your party, this is an historic time to be an American.

Now we wait.

We Have a Lot of Work to Do

The Sunday Salon - October Recap

Pardon the blue, but I'm a little excited pre-election, so I thought I'd whip out a special bloggy theme! If it annoys ya, it'll be gone after Tuesday. Never fear.

Looking back at my reading in the month of October is sort of staggering. The Read-a-Thon pushed me to read eight extra books I probably wouldn't have read otherwise, but even without those, I still would've read way more in October than any other month this year. Maybe it's the weather change, or maybe I'm finally in a good groove at work, or maybe I'm setting more time aside to read. Whatever it is, I love it! The grand total I read in October: 21 Books!

That's almost twice the number of books I've ever read in a single month. To recap:

Capote in Kansas, by Kim Powers
Jamberry, by Bruce Degen (picture book)
Don't Bump the Glump, by Shel Silverstein (poetry)
Papa and Me, by Arthur Dorros (picture book)
Welcome to Your World, Baby, by Brooke Shields (picture book)
Evernight, by Claudia Gray
Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe, by Jennie Shortridge
The Partly Cloudy Patriot, by Sarah Vowell
Psyche in a Dress, by Francesca Lia Block
Magic Trixie, by Jill Thompson (graphic novel)
Dope Sick, by Walter Dean Myers
I Was Told There'd Be Cake, by Sloane Crosley
In the Shadow of No Towers, by Art Spiegelman (graphic novels)
Incantation, by Alice Hoffman
Ghostsitters, by Angie Sage
The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson
Queen of Halloween, by Mary Engelbreight (picture book)
Cat Nights, by Jane Manning (picture book)
Halloween Night, by Marjorie Dennis Murray (picture book)
Ghost Files: The Haunting Truth, by The Ghost Society
Tell the World, by the students of WritersCorps (poetry)

Given, I read several picture books for review, lots of children's and YA, but still....that's a boatload of books for me!

Favorites: The Gargoyle, Incantation, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe, Capote in Kansas (OK, can you tell I'm having a hard time narrowing it down?)

Best YA: Evernight

Favorite graphic novel: Magic Trixie, by Jill Thompson

Favorite picture book: Halloween Night, by Marjorie Dennis Murray

It was a great month. I would highly recommend any of the books in the list--a testament to my philosophy of not finishing sucky books. More on that in another post.

I finished Silent Girl, by Tricia Dower yesterday, and you can expect an upcoming review over at Bibliobuffet. I've started Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone, and I'm really enjoying it so far. The Year of Living Biblically was moving kinda slowwww, so it's on hold for the moment, but I have no doubt I'll come back to it soon.

Happy Sunday reading, everyone!

Estella on the Scene

The new issue of Estella's Revenge is available now! It's a great issue: interviews with Christine Son and Jennie Shortridge, feature essays on Spider Girl, counting our readerly blessings, and a great new 2009 reading challenge hosted by one of our own. We also have a big, sexy stack of reviews: The Graveyard Book, Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth, The Shoe Queen, Tell the World, and more!

You might also be interested to know that the Estella e-zine also has a Twitter feed now, as well as a revamped MySpace page.