For the Record: April 2012

I recently posted about being busy busy mentally, and how reading fits into that.  It's just been that kind of month.  I began with my Junior Lit Challenge, but decided to postpone the second half until May, so that I could take a break with some lengthier reads.  There are books that I've wanted to read all year that I still haven't gotten to, and I'm thinking it will not happen in May either.  In any case, I am reading good books, which is what counts.

13 Books Read in April: (49 year-to-date)
1 just for fun:
  - A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness (5)
4 for Challenges/Obligation:
  - Watership Down, Richard Adams (4.5) [Read for my TBR Shelf Challenge]
  - My Antonia, Willa Cather (4) [Read for my Willa Cather Challenge]
  - Shanghai Girls, Lisa See (4ish) [Read as a precursor to my Book Club selection]
  - An Invisible Sign of My Own, Aimee Bender (3.5) [Recommendation Obligation]
8 for my Junior Lit Challenge:
  - Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson (3)
  - Rascal, Sterling North (3.5)
  - Princess Academy, Shannon Hale (4)
  - Lincoln: A Photobiography, Russell Freedman (4.5)
  - Mary, Bloody Mary, Carolyn Meyer (4)
  - Catherine Called Birdy, Karen Cushman (3.5)
  - Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo (4)
  - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken (3.5)

                       


Challenges:
This month I read 4 books of 51 (17 year-to-date) for my various year-long challenges, as well as 6 of 10 for my Spring into Junior Lit challenge.
   - TBR Shelf: Watership Down (7 more to go)
   - Willa Cather: My Antonia (2 more to go)
   - Newbery: Jacob Have I Loved and Lincoln: A Photobiography (3 more to go)

3 Current Reads:
  - Dreams of Joy, Lisa See.  I actually haven't started this one yet, need to finish it by next Monday night for Book Club.
  - The Warden, Anthony Trollope.  I get to pick the next book club book, and I warned them I wanted to pick a classic...I was considering Trollope but wanted to get an idea of his writing first.  I may end up going with Thomas Hardy, since he seems to be loved by my group (&I've been meaning to read him anyhow).
  - Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin.  Highly recommended by you all as a follow up to the Lincoln Photobiography.  This is a CHUNKSTER.  Serious doorstop.  Good so far (barely at p. 69) but it might be slow going for me considering all of my other goals.  I may need to buy it, as I won't be surprised if my library time get used up before I'm halfway through.

  

On My Nightstand:
  - I'm planning on finishing my Junior Lit in May, so that's 3 Newbery books & 4 others on my shelf.
  - I borrowed Wildwood from the Library and I'd like to actually read it before sending it back.
  - I have 3 books that have been on my nightstand for MONTHS that I don't feel like naming again.  It makes me feel a bit guilty.  But, yeah, I'd still like to get to those.  We'll see how it goes.
  - Other obligations: a couple ARCs, and all those other books on my challenge list...I'm itching to get back to them.