Reading Journal: Reading Frenzy

Note: I occasionally accept review copies from the publisher. Posts written from review copies are labeled. All opinions are my own. Posts may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for any purchased items.

This month so far, I have read twice as many pages as I read in all of May. I feel this frenzy to keep reading. On the other hand, my goals at keeping up-to-date on reviews is not an obsession. I get more and more behind on reviewing with each book I finish, and I’m not feeling an urge to write about these books. I need a bit more balance.

Books I’ve finished and need to share thoughts on.

  • Nom de Plume by Caramela Ciuraru. An advanced copy from BEA. I enjoyed it.
  • The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. I cried so hard through the end of this one. I have a book club meeting discussing it on Wednesday.
  • Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I didn’t love it, so I am not sure how to write about it for this blog. I so hate getting hate comments!

Posts in progress:

  • (Kids Corner) To the Moon and Back: Picture Books about the Moon
  • Steinbeck: Intro to the Classics Circuit Tour (for Classics Circuit site)
  • What I want to read: thoughts on all the Steinbeck books I now want to read for that tour!
  • Reading Reflection: thoughts on some bookish quotes I read.

Books I’m currently reading or want to read in the next few weeks:

  • Your Child’s Writing Life by Pam Allyn. So inspiring to me to be a better mom (which is a bit hard to do when I’m reading so much…)
  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. For next month’s Classics Reading Group meeting.
  • Going Bovine by Libba Bray. For fun. I need something really funny to read.
  • Half Broke Horses (halfway done) and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. The later is my book club read for next month, and I’ve never read the other, which I have wanted to read for a long time.
  • The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. For the upcoming Classics Circuit.

I feel like lately I’ve been reading fewer classics on my currently reading lists. The same thing happened last year, mostly (although last summer I also tried to read Victorian.) I just get in a “modern fiction” mood when the sun came out and the weather got warm. I also have recently begun accepting review copies, and this is gearing me more toward newer works. I really do want to keep focusing on classics: this summer may just be an anomaly.

So, anyway, if I’m busy reading all these books, when will I get a chance to post on the one’s I have finished? How do you pace yourself? How do you get “in the mood” to blog about your recent reads?

Reviewed on June 20, 2011

About the author 

Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid is a homeschooling, stay-at-home mother seeking to make the journey of life-long learning fun by reading lots of good books. Rebecca Reads provides reviews of children's literature she has enjoyed with her children; nonfiction that enhances understanding of educational philosophies, history and more; and classical literature that Rebecca enjoys reading.

  • I didn’t love Gone With the Wind either but I read it long before I had a blog and didn’t have to worry about reviewing it. Who are you worried about offending if you write a review that isn’t glowing? Margaret Mitchell is long dead. Write what you think All positive reviews are boring.

    • Kathy Martin » oh no, I just hate getting comments like “you are so dumb. This is a great book. If you can’t appreciate it, go read about wallpaper.” I’ve gotten plenty of those.

  • Rebecca! Please, please, PLEASE make sure to review Gone With the Wind. I have heard nothing BUT positive reviews and it will bring me great comfort in knowing that others have a different opinion of the classic. Seriously. EVERYONE can’t have LOVED the book, right? (It makes it more intimidating for me to pick it up.)

    And you know, I have been on a YA kick here recently. The only books I want to read are YA. In fact, yesterday I put in a book order and that’s all that I purchased even though I have plenty to read on hand right now. My poor classics and other ‘adult’ books are giving me dagger eyes because of this. It MUST have something to do with the summer months if Amanda finds herself moving away from Classics as well. I’m hoping the Classics Circuit gets me back into the groove. I still haven’t read East of Eden.

  • I like the new site!

    tbh I think you should just review when you feel, y’know, right about it. Sometimes I like to let the book sink in, some times I don’t have much to say and others I want to shout out how good or rubbish a book is

    I might have to re-read Grapes of Wrath, brilliant book

  • I’m afraid I don’t have a good answer to your questions. I tend to go in cycles of reading a ton and writing nothing and then writing up a bunch and not reading as much.

  • I find that if I don’t write a post about a book right away it gets harder and harder to get back to it.
    BTW if you liked The Space Between Us that much you should try The Weight of Heaven by the same author. You’ll need a tissue for that one too.

  • I’ve been an appallingly bad blogger this year, and haven’t yet figured out how to put myself in the mood for reviewing books. Mostly what happens is that I eventually become overwhelmed with guilt and write seven reviews at once and schedule them in advance, thereby buying myself a fortnight free of bloggy debt. :p

    Review Gone with the Wind! I hated the movie and would be glad to have other negative opinions on this particular classic. Is Melly as nauseating in the book as she is in the film? “Oh Ashley, it’s our darlin’ Scarlett!” Puke.

  • I’m in a reading frenzy too! I remember reading the Space Between Us ages ago (pre-blogging) and loving it, and I’ve been meaning to read more Thrity Umrigar ever since.

    I’m sorry that you get mean comments when you write about a book you didn’t love! I don’t think I’ve ever had that problem, thank God. But I hope it doesn’t stop you from reviewing GWTW; you can always just delete the comments. 😉

    I don’t have any suggestions to offer for pacing or mood; I just follow my whim. Which is probably why I have a huge backlist!

    • Eva » I just get tired of the “you’re dumb” comments. But it sounds like I should still try to write something coherent about GWTW… I like how you’re tackling your backlist. If you can do it, I can! (and my backlist isn’t that long…)

  • Usually if I can get myself to write directly after the book, I’m far more excited while writing. I keep waiting a couple weeks, and losing steam. 🙂

    (I’m reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin right now.)

  • Now that I live in Montana, I usually experience my own frenzy in January because the negative temperatures keep me in the house more than during the summer months. (The opposite was true when I lived in Texas.) And when I always behind in reviews during the summer just because I don’t want to stay inside chained to the computer!

    I’m sorry you did not like GWTW (and that you get negative comments!). I started out hating the book and then changed my mind once I reached the end, but I can definitely see why someone wouldn’t like it. I think I have a soft spot for those characters nobody likes (Scarlett, Emma from Austen’s Emma). I actually hated the movie version of the book.

    Looking forward to the Steinbeck tour! I loved Mice and Men but I’m not sure which book I will select for the tour.

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