Monday, June 05, 2006

48 Hour Book Challenge: Why Isn't Your Name On The List?

MotherReader has issued the 48 Hour Book Challenge; the current list of participants is here.

So, where is YOUR name?

Yes, you, too, can take part in this challenge! Go and sign up now!

Still here?

Why haven't you signed up?

What, you don't have a blog? And it's reading and reviewing? Nice try. Each day of the challenge weekend, I will be having open posts for nonblogger participants; so sign up, and post your reviews as comments to my open posts.

You're not a fast reader?

The challenge is like any marathon. It's not about winning, jumping up and down and saying, "I read the most! I read the most!" (Tho, admittedly, I'm a wee bit competitive so I may in fact do that.) It's about your own personal goals. Seriously -- it's about pushing yourself and your reading for one 48 hour period.

If you've never read one book in that short a time period -- sign up with a goal of one book. Typically read two? OK, so your goal is three.

Or maybe, like me, you have a thick book staring at you demanding to be read but the time hasn't been right. (My unread thick book is The Book Thief.) So, for you, the challenge isn't about a lot of thin books; it's that one thick book.

Other ways to define your challenge: pick a theme or a genre or an author. Gail Gauthier muses about reading some magical realism. You can indulge in old favorites; catch up on all that fantasy; read as much of a series as you can. I recently confessed to never having read Emily of New Moon, so now am considering having Emily be my 48 hour goal (despite the many other unread books that fill my home.)

Maybe the challenge won't be the reading but the reviewing. As I said, if you don't have a blog, I'll have an open post for you to use the comments to do reviews. Maybe (like me) it takes you a week or so to post about a book you've read; this is "down and dirty" review blogging time, to see how it'll be if you just sit down and post as/ after you've read the book. Or maybe your blog is about other things; so you go off theme for one day, and add books to your usual blogging about movies/ libraries/ knitting. Go crazy, live a little! Blog a book!

So see, there is NO excuse. Even if you're a homeschooling mother of three children under the age of nine who is also a farm wife who is also celebrating her wedding anniversary (hm, who could I be thinking of?), you can challenge yourself to do one book.

Join the fun! Take the challenge!

3 comments:

Becky said...

Darn you, woman. You don't play fair, do you?!

We shall see (she said with raised eyebrow)...

Of course, you could come here to Emily country with your book and take over my chores while I loll around in your chair in front of the fireplace with your tea cozy and do nothing but read books for the weekend lol.

Michele said...

I've not signed up for the very simple reason that I've no idea what state of health my mother will be in post-June 13th and her operation; I simply cannot commit to something that I may not be in any mood to accomplish. Whilst I'm hoping for a good, positive outcome, it's not guaranteed, so...

Liz B said...

Becky, if I lived closer, I'd be there! The drawback of Internet friends is the distance. Of course, my farm experience is limited to visiting relatives in Ireland & staying at their farm. Dairy farm, peat, some pigs, huge garden.

Michele, we will be waiting for news and praying for a good outcome.