In Which We Again Discover That I Have No Focusing Skills

It's Monday! What are you reading is hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

The books I was working on on May 2nd have actually significantly changed for this past week, and I didn't finish any of them. They're just on hold. Yeah.

1. The Old Curiosity Shop

Okay, this one didn't change, because I'm supposed to have it done by next Saturday. Hah! I just counted a 14-line sentence. In tiny tiny type. Touché, Dickens. Nah, he's great, but I do understand why people who love, oh, say Hemingway, hate Dickens. His sentences are the least concise you will ever encounter ever. Oh, except for maybe someone like Joyce. So not 'ever,' but they're long, use tons of commas and tend not to get to the point. Kind of like this blog. Ooh, I hope everyone imitates their favorite author's writing style. Unless they like Hemingway, because his style is gross.

2. The Enchanted April

This is an insanely short book, but I MUST KEEP READING DICKENS. And thus I cannot finish it yet. But it's awesome. I can't even explain how it's not super-boring, as the plot is four English women in the 1920s sitting around an Italian castle and looking at flowers. But it's not. It's like experiencing a nice relaxing break while reading it. Then you look up, and oh, you're still in your lame receptionist job and not looking out across the sea in Italy. Boo.

3. Elliot Allagash

This was one of those 'I'm at the library and trying to wait until the checkout line is shorter, so I'm going to browse the popular section until it becomes so' books. It's really short and touted as being hilarious, so all right. Elliot Allagash is a super-rich 13-year-old who keeps getting kicked out of schools. At his newest one, he meets the least popular kid and decides, as an experiment to stave off boredom, to make him the most popular kid. It's by Simon Rich. It seems not bad.

4. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

I found out about this through Age 30+. It sounded hilarious, which I am for, so I checked it out from the library and it is awesome. I just told my mom the title and she made me order it for her. It's another in the series of humorous essays written by 20somethings that seems so popular right now (thank God, for they are awesome — except for I Was Told There'd Be Cake — that was not awesome). Elna Baker writes about being a 20something Mormon living in New York City. And she occasionally uses swear words and everything! It is a quality book.

Much like with people reading Dracula and then immediately picking up Frankenstein, upon checking out NYRMSHD (I'm not writing out that whole title again), I also had to get Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. Also, people shouldn't read Frankenstein after Dracula, because the latter is awesome and the former sucks it.

What else? I bought a shoe organizer at Bed Bath and Beyond. It's going to turn my life around.

Minithon: The Mini Readathon, January 11th, 2020

The minithon is upon us once more! Minithons are for the lazy. Minithons are for the uncommitted. Minithons are for us. The minithon lasts 6 hours (10 AM to 4 PM CST), therefore making it a mini readathon, as opposed to the lovely Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon and 24in48, both of which you should participate in, but both of which are a longer commitment than this, the Busy Watching Netflix person's readathon. By 'read for six hours' what's really meant in the minithon is "read a little bit and eat a lot of snacks and post pictures of your books and your snacks, but mostly your snacks." We like to keep it a mini theme here, which mainly means justifying your books and your snacks to fit that theme. Does your book have children in it? Mini people! Does it have a dog! Mini wolf! Does it have pencils? Mini versions of graphite mines! or however you get graphite, I don't really know. I just picture toiling miners. The point is, justify it or don't...

Book Blogger Hop, Pt II

All right. The question for this week is: "Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?" Oh-ho my. I have an issue with book commitment. I start a new book, and it's exciting and fresh, and I get really jazzed about it, and then 20% of the way through, almost without fail, I start getting bored and want to start another book. I once had seven books going at the same time, because I kept getting bored and starting new ones. It's a sickness. Right now I'm being pretty good and working on The Monk , Northanger Abbey , Kissing the Witch , and I'm about to start Waiting for the Barbarians since my friend lent it to me. But The Monk and NA are basically books I only read when I'm at work, so I don't see it so much as working on four books, as having books in different locales. Yes. This entry wasn't as good as some of the others, but I shall rally on the morrow. Yes I shall.

Harry Potter 2013 Readalong Signup Post of Amazingness and Jollity

Okay, people. Here it is. Where you sign up to read the entire Harry Potter series (or to reminisce fondly), starting January 2013, assuming we all survive the Mayan apocalypse. I don't think I'm even going to get to Tina and Bette's reunion on The L Word until after Christmas, so here's hopin'. You guys know how this works. Sign up if you want to. If you're new to the blog, know that we are mostly not going to take this seriously. And when we do take it seriously, it's going to be all Monty Python quotes when we disagree on something like the other person's opinion on Draco Malfoy. So be prepared for your parents being likened to hamsters. If you want to write lengthy, heartfelt essays, that is SWELL. But this is maybe not the readalong for you. It's gonna be more posts with this sort of thing: We're starting Sorceror's/Philosopher's Stone January 4th. Posts will be on Fridays. The first post will be some sort of hilar...

JenniferMay 15, 2011 at 10:56 PM
Have a wonderful week reading your books and have a fabulous week. My Monday: http://www.rundpinne.com/2011/05/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-39.html
Sheila (Bookjourney)May 15, 2011 at 11:04 PM
Your post is fun! I laughed through your "opportunities" with Dickens! Good luck finishing the book! Now I am curious about the Halloween Dance one. Have a super week!
pussrebootsMay 16, 2011 at 12:21 AM
I'm happy you're enjoying The Enchanted April. If you haven't seen the film, you should rent it when you're done with the book. I like Dickens and Hemingway -- I don't think it has to be an either or situation. :)

This week I finished up the manga I had on hand. I typically read an issue over my morning cup of coffee. Come see what I'm reading this week.
KarenSiMay 16, 2011 at 5:37 AM
I love Charles Dickens. I haven't read Old Curiosity Shop though. I have read only one Hemingway but I did like it. Still, Dickens will always trump Hemingway for me.
Reading RamboMay 16, 2011 at 6:35 AM
@pussreboots I saw the movie yeears ago, and I'm actually having a hard time making the main characters NOT look like those actresses. ;) But I do vaguely remember liking it.

I'm not saying one necessarily needs to choose...I just personally like making fun of Hemingway, especially since some people bash Dickens because of him.
Allison VaughnMay 16, 2011 at 8:36 AM
The reason I love this meme -- discovering books I have never heard of. I haven't heard of any of the books you've listed. Now I have to go check them out. :)

Allison
Well-Read Reviews
Laurel-Rain SnowMay 16, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Enjoy your reading week!

Here's MY MONDAY MEMES POST
UnknownMay 16, 2011 at 11:36 AM
Your description of Dickens' sentences is exactly why I don't read much of his work. I will find myself going "wait, what did he just say" or my mind is wandering. I don't hate him, he's just not my fave. Although I do love A Tale of Two Cities and have read that one multiple times.

"The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance" sounds hilarious...I grew up in Utah, and I'm not a Mormon, but boy do I know plenty of them. I may have to pick this one up, it really sounds funny.

Reading Rambo

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