Readathon Prepping

The Sunday Salon, What I'm Listening To, What I'm Reading, What We're Watching

By now, no doubt, if you’ve been reading this blog, you know that I’ll be having arthroscopic surgery on my left knee for a degenerative meniscus on

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019!

At least, that’s how I see it in my mind…

…along with this date:

SATURDAY, OCT. 26, 2019!

On that date is the latest edition of Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon, and as I mentioned before, I already have begun thinking, and rethinking, about what books I might read as I start my convalescence.

Now I’m thinking not only of what I’ll be reading that day, but what I’ll be reading for those two weeks that I have off after my surgery, my own mini-readathon (and binge-watch, let’s be honest).

As I mentioned before, I already have three set for the readathon day itself, apropos for it being so close to Halloween:

  • The Unforeseen by Dorothy McCardle
  • The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb.
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (an annual Halloween reread tradition).

The only definite for the two-week readathon is my sister’s self-published book, A Story To Tell, now available on Amazon.

There aren’t any good stories left to tell. They’ve all been told. So this is just a story that maybe you’ve heard before – the story of a girl who loved a boy, who thought the boy loved her.
The story of a girl who thought life needed to be constantly exciting and full of adventure for it to be real. The story of a girl who learned that what she thought she needed to be happy wasn’t what she needed after all.

The rest of the list is indeterminate, but includes these possibilities:

  • a pair of books from series I’ve wanted to start or have tried previously to start without much success: A Morbid Taste for Bones (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 1) by Ellis Peters and Death at La Fenice: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon.
  • a trio of collections of poetry: Dream Work by Mary Oliver, This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems by Wendell Berry, and Now and Then: The Poet’s Choice Columns, 1997-2000 by Robert Hass.
  • a pair of political books, which is doubtful I’ll get to because…sigh…politics, but I’ll put here anyway: Becoming by Michelle Obama and We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
  • a pair of library bookstore finds: The Brothers K by David James Duncan, which I thought I read years ago but skimming, I’m not so sure, and Bookmarked: Reading My Way from Hollywood to Brooklyn by Wendy W. Fairey.
  • a trio of devotional books: The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr and a companion journal to that book.
  • The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger, which I won as a door prize from the last 24in48 Readathon.
  • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

In all, that will make 18 books, with a realistic goal of reading maybe six or a third of them. As always, I’ll keep you posted.

Pushing Forward Back Last Week/This Week

Reading

  • Finished last week: Andrew Sean Greer, which grew on me as I read.
  • Starting this weekend: The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland.

Watching

  • Friday night: Wife and I watched Fighting with My Family, which was surprisingly good.
  • This weekend: I’m watching Spider-Man: Far from Home (my wife is “over” the comic book movies).

Listening To

  • Two new albums: All Mirrors by Angel Olsen and Ode to Joy by Wilco.

What are you planning to read this month, even if you’re not doing the readathon? What have you been reading, watching or listening to this past week that’s good?

Published by Bryan G. Robinson

Blogger formerly known as Unfinished Person. Still an unfinished person...

Published

22 thoughts on “Readathon Prepping”

  1. It’s as if you planned it perfectly–your surgery followed by the read-athon. I hope the surgery goes well and and you have a smooth recovery. I like that you reread The Graveyard Book this time of year. I haven’t yet read it, but maybe this year will be the year. Enjoy the read-athon! I will not be participating, but I will try to sneak in some reading when I can in the spirit of the event. There is another event taking place, #READFORGRACE, next Monday in honor of Grace, a book blogger who passed away earlier this year of cancer, which I am considering. Although I doubt I can spend the day reading, at least I can read something from her list of books in her honor this month. I hope you have a great week, Bryan.

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  3. I’ve been away from the blog world for the last month or so, but am glad to hear that you have the knee surgery scheduled. It made a big difference for a couple of my friends and I hope the results are just as dramatic for you!

    I listened to a couple of Andrew Sean Greer’s earlier novels years ago – really enjoyed The Story of a Marriage. Less has been on my radar for a while… not sure if/when I’ll get to it.

    Readathon may not work with my schedule, but I am excited about Nonfiction November!

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    1. I think I remember you mentioning about that, Gulfside Musing. 🙂 I hope it goes as well for me. Less is definitely worth trying, even if it’s not your cup of tea. It took a while for me to get into it, but I’m glad I finished it. I’m thinking about Nonfiction November. Maybe.

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  4. I hope the surgery goes well!
    I think I may have to skip this readathon. 😦 I have to play for a wedding that Saturday and my daughter will be home for fall break.

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  7. I haven’t even thought about the readathon. I’ve been trying not to plan things out so much. (I say after having planned what I’ll probably be reading for Nonfiction November…)

    Hope the surgery goes well. Knees are awfully handy.

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    1. I’ve thought about Nonfiction November after seeing a post from one of the original organizers mentioning it on her Instagram account. I might join in, but I won’t be reading anything too heavy in nonfiction, I’m thinking. Ha…I see what you did there with your comment. 😉

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  8. I’ve never had surgery, but I know many, many people lately who have had operations on their knees and their recoveries from the surgery have been amazing and quick. I hope the same happens for you.

    It will be a fun time for you to spend reading as you recover. I like seeing the books you have accumulated for your time post-surgery. You will have a great time trying them out, I think.

    I especially think you will love reading your sister’s book.

    Have a good book. Twenty-one days and counting….

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  9. Hope the surgery and recovery go well Bryan.
    The Cadfael series worked better for me as a television version than as books. But then I have a soft spot for Derek Jacobi

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  10. I’ve been watching The West Wing and I’m so I’m love with it. I watched some reruns of it, late at night, about ten years ago, but it was only occassional. Watching all the way through on Netflix now and I’m right swoony about it. So that’s my recommendation for binge watching as you recover.
    Good luck with the surgery!

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