I've been making a few plans for my reading this year. I only read 106 books last year which is way down on the 143 I read in 2011. I think one of the reasons for this is that I'm spending more time on the internet now that I have an iPad. I joined Facebook to keep up with friends overseas but, even though I don't post very often, I spend half an hour nearly every night reading other posts, following links to articles & blogs & it's cutting into my reading time. It's so convenient to be able to settle down with Lucky on my lap & play with the iPad. I'm planning, as always, to stop buying books for a while & concentrate on my tbr shelves which are overflowing & full of riches. So, my reading needs to be more focused this year & there are a couple of anniversaries that I'm looking forward to as opportunities to reread two of my favourite authors.
Pride & Prejudice was published 200 years ago this year. A perfect excuse to read it again & I have lots of books about Jane Austen & her work on the tbr shelves that I'm looking forward to reading as well. A new book that has just been published & is on the way to me right now is by Susannah Fullerton, President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia. It's called
Happily Ever After : Celebrating Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Fullerton discusses how the book was written, its early reception & growing popularity. I'll probably need to watch the BBC series again as well.
2013 is the centenary of the birth of Barbara Pym. There are plans around the blogosphere to reread all Pym's novels. You can see the details at Heavenali's blog
here. I'm not sure I could keep up with one a month but I will read my favourites again -
Excellent Women, A Glass of Blessings &
Some Tame Gazelle. I'm also going to read the Pym I've been saving, the only one I haven't read,
A Quartet in Autumn. What I've been saving it for, I'm not sure but I liked the idea that I hadn't read all Barbara Pym's novels, there was still one more treat in store.
My other project is to celebrate Persephone Books & their 100th title which was published a few months ago. I'd like to catch up with the Persephones I still have to read & hopefully find time to reread & review some of my favourites. I read most of my Persephones before I started the blog so I'd like a chance to revisit my favourite titles & reflect on how important Persephone has been to me reading over the last 12 years.
Then, there are a couple of reading projects I'm right in the middle of. I'm reading Fanny Burney's
Camilla with Dani at
A Work in Progress. I'm nearly half way through, just about to finish Volume 3 & enjoying it very much. Although I do have to wonder just how many more misunderstandings Camilla & Edgar can endure without running mad. This is a long book, over 900pp, & I think it could definitely have been shorter. However, as it's my lunchtime book, I'm able to keep track of the plot without becoming overwhelmed by the complications & the urge to want to just put Edgar & Camilla in a room together & make them talk honestly to each other!
Then, Team Middlemarch at
Dovegreyreader is coming to an end. Only the last two instalments to read & we'll be finishing appropriately in the middle of March. I've enjoyed the chance to read this brilliant novel again after many years. Maybe I'll be finishing
Middlemarch &
Camilla at around the same time?
That's probably enough to be going on with. Does anyone have any reading plans?
I'm with you on wanting to concentrate on my own shelves this year (though I expect I won't be able to stop myself from continuing to add to them). For me it is going to be stopping borrowing so many library books--I usually borrow loads of new releases, so I'll hopefully just concentrate on older books for a while this year--we'll see how it goes. I'd like to read more Barbara Pym--thanks for the link, and I will be getting back to Camilla now--I need to catch up with you! :) I don't do FB for fear I would spend even more time online, as blogging and reading blogs and the Dove group (and there I usually only read posts via email) already keeps me busy enough. And I most definitely want to read more Persephones this year--just one last year--considering how many unread titles I have on my shelf that was a sad thing to note--how neglectful I've been! Good luck with your reading--looking forward to hearing all about your books this year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dani. I've reread Excellent Women already, on the last two days of my Christmas break. Back to work yesterday! Camilla is very good & reading a bit every day at lunchtime seems to be a good way to go.
DeleteI'm with you on Pride and Prejudice and Barbara Pym (though I was waiting till June, and am now tempted by the book-a-month plan). I'll have to check now to see if there's a Pym that I missed - it's been way too long since I've read her. And how did I miss that you were a member of Team Middlemarch? I'm one section behind, but will definitely catch up to finish on time.
ReplyDeleteWe're lucky with anniversaries this year, aren't we? The Middlemarch read has been great too.
DeleteSome lovely challenges. You remind me that I started Camilla in 2006, but... oops. Still haven't got very far. But I love Evelina, so I should set aside the weeks it would take me to read it.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised you ever started Camilla, Simon, it's not a novella by any means! I am enjoying it in small daily doses - not that I want it to sound medicinal...
DeleteHow I agree with what you said about the internet gobbling up reading time. I seem to be reading only half as much as I was managing only a couple of years ago. I do wish I was more self-disciplined about it.
ReplyDeleteThe iPad has been my downfall, Mary. Having to get up, disturb Lucky, start up the PC etc every time I wanted to look something up meant that usually I just didn't. The iPad is convenient but I do waste time on it.
DeleteI've often been tempted by Camilla, but I haven't found the courage to start it yet. I'm glad to hear it hasn't been a disappointment for you. I love the sound of your other reading projects in 2013. More Persephones is part of my own ideas for this year, although unlike you for me these would all be first encounters.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2013!
Happy New Year, Iris. Camilla has been a surprise. I am enjoying it although I do think it could have been half the length. I haven't done as much rereading these last few years & I've wanted to reread my favourite Persephones for some time. Here's hoping I manage to do it.
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