For the Record: June 2012

I always think summer = time to read, but it just doesn't in my life.  Here I am, presenting my lightest reading month all year.  My schedule was definitely amped up: 

• having to chauffeur my son to Driver's Ed classes, 
• join my girls at Horse Camp, 
• meet with contractors (and sub-contractors) wanting to bid on our remodel project, 
• shuttle people to and from airports, 
• celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, 
• making home-design decisions, 
• packing and organizing for our imminent move (out of the house/remodel zone,) 
• organizing/planning for home-schooling next year (3rd grader and 11th grader: hello) 
• entertaining 3 sets of house guests for weeks on end.  

And me, trying to squeeze in some reading, writing, knitting.  Sleep.  Something's gotta give.

7 Books Read in June: (66 year-to-date)
1 ARC:
  - The Bird Saviors, William J. Cobb (2) [The 1st Unbridled book I didn't love.]
4 for Fun/Challenges:
  - The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall (4.5) [see my review]
  - Youth and the Bright Medusa, Willa Cather (3.5) [see my review]
  - Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (3.5) [see my review]
  - The Family Fang, Kevin Wilson (4.5) [see my review]
2 Read-Alouds for my kiddos:
  - George Washington: Our First Leader, Augusta Stevenson (3)
  - Toliver's Secret, Esther Wood Brady (4)

            


Challenges:
This month I read 2 books of 51 (24 year-to-date) for my various year-long challenges.
   - Willa Cather: Youth and the Bright Medusa (1 more to go)
   - Classics: Frankenstein (3 more to go)

3 Current Reads:
  - Last Call, Daniel Okrent.  Still really enjoying this book.  I have 100 pages left, and I don't want it to end.  Annotating has certainly helped me stay engaged and retain information here, so much that I think I might annotate just about any nonfiction book from now on.
  - How Green Was My Valley, Richard Llewellyn.  About halfway through, and book club is discussing it tomorrow night.  I really should be reading instead of blogging.  Yeah.
  - On the Road, Jack Kerouac.  Mid-point in the read-along (at Unputdownables) and I'm enjoying this so much more than I thought I would.  Not intimidating at all. (what was I so worried about?)

  

On My Nightstand:
  - Selected titles to preview for my son's 11th grade English...mostly short stories (some by Kevin Wilson, some by Banana Yoshimoto) and nonfiction (Booker T. Washington, David Foster Wallace).
  - Maisie Dobbs, Jacqueline Winspear: A book club selection, and hopefully a refreshing read.
  - The Sisters Brothers, Patrick DeWitt: I picked this up when I bought The Family Fang, and I'm afraid that if I don't get to it soon it will be doomed to sit on the shelf for years.