As spring wraps up, so does the Spring Reading Thing for this year. I have to admit that I did not do as well as I would have liked, but I've learned a lot about myself through it (especially about planning), and it was still a fun experience! I'm not considering it a fail since throughout the challenge I read many books that I enjoyed, even though most weren't added to my "official" reading list.I've read many great books this spring that weren't on my list. You can see all of them in the March, April, May, and June sections of my 2011 book list.
On to a few questions that Katrina, the host of this challenge, asked.
So why did you not finish your reading list? (Totally paraphrased this one, by the way!)
Well, I've come to realize that I'm more of a read-what-I-feel-like-reading-when-I-feel-like-reading-it person. I have a hard time planning ahead. Sometimes I can plan a few months in advance and be perfectly fine, but most often, I can't. I think it is just because I have ever-changing moods that shift me from Christian fiction to current events to mystery to Christian living to biography to anything in between. And I suppose I'm thankful for that just because it is a testament to my growth in reading. I used to read only fiction, and mostly Christian fiction. Today I enjoy variety.
What was your favorite book that you read this spring?
Out of all that I read, I think my favorite was The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen. If you have not discovered this historical/Christian fiction author, you must now! The Apothecary's Daughter is only Klassen's second published novel, but it seemed to come from a very seasoned author. I loved it because it has all the charm of a historical novel set in Regency period, but remained a Christian novel in such a different way than most. Nothing preachy, just everyday faith.
Your least favorite?
Morning's Refrain by Tracie Peterson was my least favorite. It's the second in her Song of Alaska series, but it just didn't thrill me.
Did you discover a new author this spring?
I had never read anything by Steve Turner until I read The Band That Played On. I really enjoyed his writing style, and I hope to read some of his other music-related non-fiction books. I hear he has one about the song Amazing Grace, which is one of my favorite hymns, so I'll have to check it out!
A new genre?
In the Land of Believers by Gina Welch is labelled as current events and religion. I rarely read books about current events, but I liked this a lot. I love history, but sometimes I think I should consider some of what is happening now too.
What was your favorite thing about this challenge?
My favorite thing this spring was reading so many books. A couple of things that happened this spring allowed me to devote more time to reading, and I have welcomed the opportunity!
For now I must say goodbye to SRT'11; that is, until 2012!
What have you been reading this spring?
I don't always do well with planning my reading either - I like to be able to deviate when something new catches my eye! Hence my overwhelmed bookshelves haha
ReplyDeleteI tend to go more by what I feel like reading, too, yet there are those books I keep meaning to get to, and the SRT does help me incorporate those.
ReplyDeleteThe Julie Klassen book sounds interesting!
I have been trying to get "The Band that Played On" at my library but they don't have it. I'll have to break down and go to a book store, I guess.
ReplyDeleteGood job with keeping on reading!
I'm with you on not being able to plan what you're going to read ahead of time. I attempted Fall Into Reading last year and that didn't work so well... So I've stopped doing challenges altogether. No sense in setting myself up for failure!
ReplyDeleteIn my book, as long as you read and learned something and enjoyed it, you had a successful Spring Reading Thing! Good job on all your reading, and thanks for being part of SRT '11!
ReplyDelete