At this time of year, I am always reminded of my childhood in Oklahoma. I grew up as an Air Force brat, and my family lived in Moore, Oklahoma (just outside Oklahoma City) from the time I was six until I was eleven. Those were good times to live out there–I played archaeologist in the red clay, discovering cow skulls in the fields behind our house; took part in staged “land runs” in commemmoration of the Sooners; and just really enjoyed being a kid in the country. Some of the greatest impressions of Oklahoma left with me are the tornado watches and warnings. We always knew when one was coming our way…the skies would turn a greenish hue, the air was still and strange, and the clouds would gather in the distance. April and May are tornado season in the central states, and, like always, I will be thinking about my experiences hiding out in the closet with my family around me as the sirens went off.
So, what does this have to do with books and reading? Nothing really…it’s just where my brain is today, the first day of April.
Being the first day of April, I’d like to share a recap of what happened in March. So little, and yet so much!
March
Books Read: 3.75
- The History of English Literature (audiobook) by Perry Keenlyside
- The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Waste Lands by Stephen King (review coming tomorrow!)
- Almost Finished: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway (will be completed today!)
Pages Read: 1722 + 5.3 hours listened
On the Blog:
- Celebrated my six month anniversary!
- Won two awards from Snobbery (2nd one will be discussed this week)!
- Vented about this year’s lay-off notice
- Signed up for The Classics Club, The Sarah Addison Allan Challenge, Bloggiesta, and Once Upon a Time VI
And, what’s coming up this month…
April
This week: I will be posting a couple of posts relating to my reading of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, as well as two book reviews (The Waste Lands and A Moveable Feast).
Reading Plans for April:
- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (Back to the Classics Challenge, A Classics Challenge, and The End of the World Challenge)
- Wizard and Glass by Stephen King (The Dark Tower Challenge, The Stephen King Project)
- The Dark Tower graphic novels (The Dark Tower Challenge)
- The Wind through the Keyhole by Stephen King (The Dark Tower Challenge, The Stephen King Project, and The End of the World Challenge)
- Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allan (The Sarah Addison Allan Challenge)
- The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allan (The Sarah Addison Allan Challenge)
- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (The Award-Winning Challenge and The End of the World Challenge)
In April, I’ve also decided to add to my reading list by choosing one favorite novel from five of my blogging buddies who are on Goodreads. All of these books received 5-star ratings from the recommending blogger(except LHITBW, but Kyle loves the Little House books, so I’m sure she’d want me to start at the beginning) and I have never read them (or, in the case of THGG, I never really read it, just played the video game). These five books are as follows:
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (SJ of Snobbery)
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Amy of Lucy’s Football and Insatiable Booksluts)
- Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore (Suzy of Insatiable Booksluts)
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Jillian of A Room of One’s Own)
- The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Kyle of A Reader’s Pensieve)
Have you read any of these books? What are your reading plans for April?
sj
I LOVED Ready Player One, and I think you’ll really love the Guide. It’s a super quick read, so you shouldn’t have any problems with it. If you have a few hours to sit down, you should be able to breeze through it.
borkadventures
I’m sure that I’ll breeze through the Guide…I think my hubs killed it in one sitting (3-4 hours). I can’t wait to read it!
Kyle
What a great idea! I should read my friends’ favorites too. And yes, you should definitely start at the beginning. I think I still love them as an adult because I loved them so much as a kid. I was convinced I should have been born in the 1800s (she writes on her laptop). I adored The Secret Garden too; I actually almost bought a copy of it today!
I’m on spring break this week, so I plan on reading as much as I possibly can, along with trying a few recipes and doing a bit of work. I’m hoping the week seems long so I can get a lot done!
borkadventures
Yes! I’m looking forward to these children’s lit classics! I think I want to read a really pretty copy of The Secret Garden to really get into the spirit.
I hope that when you say “work” you don’t mean school work! Try to forget work!
lucysfootball
Such excellent choices! And yay, Ready Player One! Can’t wait to hear what you thought of it!
borkadventures
I’ve been dying to read Ready Player One for months, but I only want to listen to it! I want to hear Wil Wheaton reading it! I’m probably going to have to bite the bullet and sign up for audible since my library doesn’t offer the audiobook. : (
Nerija S.
Woah! Stop the presses….there’s a Hitchhiker’s Guide VIDEO GAME?! That sounds awesome!
Also, I love the idea of playing archaeologist and finding old cow skulls. Back when I lived in California, we had earthquake drills…never had any of those once we moved. Ah, memories.
Also, every time I think of Oklahoma, I think of this TV show I used to watch, The Torkelsons, which takes place in Pyramid Corners, OK. I always thought that sounded like a cool name for a town.
borkadventures
Yes! And it’s available online here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game.shtml
After I finish reading the book, I’m gonna play it again!
I loved The Torkelsons as a kid!
Jessica @ Shhh Mommy's Blogging
Once again I’m wickedly jealous of your month of reading freedom! Also, if you would like to add me on Goodreads that would be coolish… I think I’m on there under my real name (Jessica Bustard) but no pressure!
borkadventures
Done! Now I can sift through your shelves!