Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #22

Happy Sunday everyone! I am still having a hard time believing that May is over. (You can read my "May Accomplishments" post if you like.) I've gone from being overwhelmed to calm to a little whelmed to overwhelmed and back again. I've been all over the place essentially. I've joined a handful of new challenges. Take A Chance. (You can sign up here.) Beowulf on the Beach. (You can sign up here.) Book Awards 3. (You can sign up here.) Southern Reading Challenge. (You can sign up here.) And last but not least, the Summer Reading Blitz. (You can sign up here.) And I should not forget the 48 Hour Book Challenge. Hosted by MotherReader. Sign ups are still going on. It's not too late. And it's next week, by the way. Start on Friday and finish up on Sunday. Or start on Saturday and finish up on Monday. But by Monday at 7AM, your time is up. Do I know what I'm reading yet? It might be wise to read some of my library loot. I know a certain someone wants me to read Howl's Moving Castle. And there is a person (maybe two?) on twitter that highly recommended Skellig a while back. And was it Renay that wanted me to read The Body of Christopher Creed? I think it was. I know someone was pushing it :) I'm always torn between reading my review copies and reading some of these slightly older (but not really that old considering) titles that I haven't read but really, really want to like Tender Morsels. And Nation. Are you planning on participating? If you are, I'd love a hint as to what you plan to read next weekend! If you're not participating and want to chime in with what you want me to read, feel free to do that as well. I love getting recommendations!

I thought I'd take a few minutes to explain the categories by which I'm sorting and presenting what I'm doing. "What I Read In A Previous Week, But Reviewed This Week." Pretty self-explanatory. These are books that I read anywhere from eight to thirteen days ago. These are just books that I've reviewed in the past week. "What I Read This Past Week and Reviewed." These are the books that I've both read and reviewed since the last Sunday Salon post. "What I Read This Past Week And Haven't Reviewed Yet." These are books that I've read (in the past week, since the last Sunday Salon) but not reviewed yet. "What I've Read And Really Really Need To Review." This one's a deceptive pile really. Because it contains books that I've already reviewed (and not posted the review yet). OR books that I sincerely, desperately need to review. Books that I may have read two or even three weeks ago. Books that if I don't get written up soon, I might get hazy on. "What I'm Currently Reading" contains books that I'm actively reading. "What I'm Just Fooling Around That I'm Reading." This category started out as the "What I'm Semi-Reading" category. And this is probably the most dangerous category of all that I list. Because it contains books that I've NOT abandoned; (Books that I'm not planning on abandoning, by the way.) Yet at the same time, I'm not actively reading them either. These are books that are neither here nor there. They're not quite in the to be read pile--I've started them--but they're not in the currently reading pile either. What's the difference between this stack and currently reading? Well, currently reading means it sees action just about every day or every other day. These semi-reading books are books that are on my to-do list. They're on my radar. I have every intention of reading them. Just not at that precise minute. So if you're an author and you see your name on the list. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't assume the worst. The truth is, it doesn't mean that much. Because the turnaround between the two is constant. What's 'current' one week may be 'semi' the next. And vice versa. Sometimes it means I'm busy and overcommitted. Sometimes it means my focus was on the library books that were due. Sometimes it means I was anxious about completing a challenge and shifted my attention away for awhile. Sometimes it means I was simply indecisive and ambitiously curious. So don't assume your book appearing there is my final judgement of it and that it's doomed for either abandoning or a negative review.

What I read in a previous week, but reviewed this week:

Starfinder by John Marco. 2009. Daw Books. 326 pages.
Sprout by Dale Peck. 2009. Bloomsbury. 277 pages.
Say the Word by Jeannine Garsee. 2009. Bloomsbury. 368 pages.
Fat Cat by Robin Brande. 2009. Random House. 336 pages.
The Convenient Marriage. Georgette Heyer. 1934/2009. Sourcebooks. 307 pages.
Frederica. Georgette Heyer. 1965/2009. Sourcebooks. 437 pages.

What I read this past week and reviewed:

1000 Times No. Mr. Tom Warburton. 2009. HarperCollins.
Mousie Love by Dori Chaconas. Illustrated by Josee Masse. 2009. Bloomsbury.
Itty Bitty by Cece Bell. 2009. Candlewick.
Maisy Goes To Preschool. Lucy Cousins. 2009. Candlewick
Gone With The Wand. Margie Palatini. 2009. Illustrations by Brian Ajhar. Scholastic.
Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root. Illustrated by Jill Barton. 2001. Candlewick Press.
Mind-Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfield's Uglies Series. Edited and Original Introductions by Scott Westerfeld. 2009. Smart Pop (Benbella) 236 pages.
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer. 1936/2009. Sourcebooks. 303 pages.

What I read this past week and haven't reviewed yet:

The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
The House in Grosvenor Square by Linore Rose Burkard
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton

What I've read and really really need to review: (none this week)

What I'm currently reading:

Darkwood by M.E. Breen. 2009. Bloomsbury. 273 pages.
Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd Century America by Robert Charles Wilson. 2009 (Late June?) Tor. 416 pages.
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (Adult)
The Painter From Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein.

What I'm just fooling around that I'm reading:

Evermore by Alyson Noel (YA)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (Adult)
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope (Adult)

What I've abandoned: (none this week)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews