Lately I've been reading 1-2 books a week, running the gamut from The Confessions of St. Augustine and an 18th century novel written largely in rural Scottish dialect to Stephen King and Jim Butcher. This week I'm reading the Castle tie-in novel Heat Wave. I told a friend it was probably the last book I was going to get to read for a month.
The very idea stinks on ice.
Some things I can give up for the month. Turns out reading's headed for the 'can't give up' column.
Anyone else going to be reading, or not reading during NaNo?
If you've done this before, how has that worked for you?
If you do read, do you think you'll choose things like or unlike your planned novel?
I realize I could have tossed these questions out in any one of several other forums but I thought with the smaller crowd I might actually be able to keep track of who's who. ;)
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9,224 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 22 55
You MUST be reading my mind. I wanted to start a thread asking people which books they have to give up in Nov. I had to suspend several holds on my library account, and have to skip Westerfield's new one, Leviathan, and Year of the Flood , Atwood. I am so bummed. That's not even counting the 15 or so books I have checked out already. I really don't have much of a life right now...I'm going through a book every two days. But some are YA, so they're quick reads. But yes, to answer, I'm giving up reading. One book, just for relaxation. And it won't be like my novel, it's Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. So I say. But we will see. Sort of like giving up breathing...
----------"Pithy quote goes here."
26,832 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2009 - 01 32
I know what you mean. I read like crazy, and it's hard to put anything down, even if I've already read it a hundred times : / I'm re-reading the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind right now....my FAVORITE series. So it's going to be even HARDER to stop for a month. I have also been working on the Erevis Cale Trilogy by Paul S. Kemp, another great series.
Ugh, this is going to be hard >_<
40,010 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2009 - 15 30
I never stop reading during Nano, I just try to pick stuff that's the furthest from what I'm writing about. I'll probably acquire a huge list of things I want to read that will have to wait. (I'm a librarian, so it's a job hazard. I always see stuff I want to read, just walking through the library a million times a day.)
Though my goal is not going to go so well since I'm listening to The Year of the Flood which is kinda end of the world stuff. But I can't stop now!
----------Cat, in California
2005 - Saving Lia - WINNER
2006 - Alien Secrets - WINNER
2007 - Coda - WINNER
2008 - A Blue and Lonely Hell - Epic Fail
2009 - The Last Ark
6,694 / 50,000
Oct 29, 2009 - 09 19
I'm trying to finish "My Life In France", which I've been working on for about a month, before NaNo begins. If I don't make that deadline, I'll likely still read it during NaNo. But other than my next book club selection, I'll probably set aside reading for the month of November. It's only one month and I'm not so obsessive about reading that I can't go without for one month.
34,202 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 08 46
I could never stop reading! But it is true that I read less during November than in other parts of the year. I can see how staying away from the genre you are writing would be a good idea. I usually try to stick with lighter stuff, but I have to say, I'm wondering about this novel in Scottish dialect that OneTwenty is reading. Is it one you would recommend?
17,802 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 15 56
Well, to be clearer - the novel isn't written in the dialect in its entirety - only the dialog is. The narrative is in typical late 18th century English and the dialog reads like this:
"Hoot, the bed's weel eneuch, lassie!"
"Nah, it's onything but weel eneuch! It's my pairt to luik efter my ain father, and see there be nae k-nots aither in his bed or his pairritch"
As for whether or not I'd recommend the book, since I don't know your tastes I'll just tell you a couple of things about it. Salted With Fire was written by George MacDonald and it's ... three parts novel, one part theological exposition. Themes revolve around guilt, hypocrisy, repentance, reputation, universalism. The style takes some getting used to because MacDonald will periodically announce which way a character is going to turn at a major juncture pages in advance, so the story becomes less about what the character will do/did - which is no longer any sort of revelation - and more about why they did it and what the internal consequences were. I enjoyed it but would have to know you quite a bit better to guess whether you would.
I believe it's in the public domain which means if you are interested you may be able to find it for free on the web.
14,769 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 12 53
I was just thinking this! thanks for posting.
----------I think I'm going to keep reading, it helps keep my head clear and not bogged down focusing on my story.
I think it also helps keep the creative juices flowing when you need ideas.
"I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies."
17,802 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 13 33
As for me, I've decided I'll work my reading in during breaktimes at the office. That'll give me an hour's reading a day, if I 'brown bag it'.
9,224 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 17 59
Ha, I'll bet this starts to turn into a quick peek at your book here and there, then next you know, you're Henry Bemis. And you thought there was time enough during lunch! Good luck OneTwenty...if you're anything like me, you'll soon be having a "conversation" with the boss ;D!!
----------"Pithy quote goes here."