Play Book Tag discussion

I need to whine. So here we go - and please, feel free to join me.

I'm having a really unproductive day, even an unproductive week. Oh heck, it's an unproductive month!

Work is seriously interfering with my reading time. Like instead of 3 or 4 hours every night to read, I have maybe one. Because I'm working so late every day. And weekends are jammed with all the other things I can't squeeze into my day any more - picking up dry cleaning, grocery shopping, paying bills, billing my clients.

Don't get me wrong, having this workload is truly a good thing, and much of it is challenging (also a good thing). I am even participating in a panel discussion tomorrow that promises to bring me more exposure and thus eventually more business (also a very good thing) - and best of all the other panelists did all the writing and prep for it (rare - I usually end up doing that). But....

I just don't have as much time to READ!

My Horizons pick is only 300 pages. Normally I would have knocked that off in 2 days. Nope - I've been reading it since Sunday, and I still have about 70 pages to go. It is excellent, engaging, and a pretty fast read. But you don't make much progress when your only time to read is just before bed and you fall asleep a few pages in. Thank goodness for commuting on public transportation or I might not finish it before July 31!

There are so many books I have I want to read -- and several I have started but just can't get to!

WHINE!

I really feel for you Theresa. As a librarian, everyone thought I'd have read most of the books they were reading - certainly all the new stuff because, of course, I read it before I put it on the shelf! Nope, all I did was build a huge reading list for the day when I would finally get to read!

Conferences and panel discussions were always so thrilling to me. I loved them but they meant more work when I got back to work - all the stuff waiting for me and now, after the conference, all the wonderful things I wanted to implement!

I'm retired now and trying to knock down some of my huge TBR, built while working and now because of all the wonderful suggestions on PBT. I am getting lots of reading but still, I only do 3 to 4 books in a month, nothing like some of the readers here who also work. I'm busy and loving it. But it is a catch 22 with my reading list.

I'm Wining on Wednesday too - a glass of wine on my computer desk while I fix dinner and check the new stuff on Good Reads. You will get back to your books, just enjoy your life the way it is, busy and inspiring!

My most productive reading time is the weekend. During the week I am getting home late, after work I work out then when I get home I chat with the hubz while he cooks and then read a little before bed. It is impossible to get more than an hour each night (usually) but I try. Your current reading schedule sounds like my normal. I can only get through 4 books (MAX) a month :( I would so love to read much more.

I wish I could just read at my desk at work, but I think that would be frowned upon.

I have been in a challenge funk lately. I am reading a lot of fantasy-and history. And unfortunately none of them fit any challenges.....I finished my Trim and Horizons and now am having a heck of a time finishing one for London. I keep telling my self I won't get "expelled" from the group if I don't fit in the tag....but I feel like I need too. Does any of this make sense? Maybe I just need a breather from challenges.....

Joanne wrote: "I have been in a challenge funk lately. I am reading a lot of fantasy-and history. And unfortunately none of them fit any challenges.....I finished my Trim and Horizons and now am having a heck of ..."

Hi Joanne, I think as long as you find books that you enjoy to read, that's the most important thing. The challenges and tags are secondary....... Not too long ago, you had posted that you weren't feeling well. I hope you're feeling better now.

Joanne wrote: "I have been in a challenge funk lately. I am reading a lot of fantasy-and history. And unfortunately none of them fit any challenges.....I finished my Trim and Horizons and now am having a heck of ...
Maybe I just need a breather from challenges.....
..."

I call that a challenge vacation and usually take a couple during the year! I come back refreshed and ready to kick some challenge butt after a week or two of fluff!

Go for it!

Barbara wrote: "I really feel for you Theresa. As a librarian, everyone thought I'd have read most of the books they were reading - certainly all the new stuff because, of course, I read it before I put it on the ..."

Ha! Because librarians get to sit at the desk and read, right? ;-)

Holly R W wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I have been in a challenge funk lately. I am reading a lot of fantasy-and history. And unfortunately none of them fit any challenges.....I finished my Trim and Horizons and now am ha..."

Thanks Holly-nothing really has changed a whole lot. Last August I had a spinal stim input. It took a while to get it adjusted, but by April of this year I was feeling better than ever.(Lost 50% of my pain) Then on Fathers Day I took a bad fall. They are not sure what happened-something caused my programming to get jarred. Long story short-we had to re-program and start all over. That elusive "sweet spot" is somewhere in the programming, it's finding it that takes time. Could be this week, could be October....

I am sure this has a lot to do with my attitude and reading. I think Theresa hit the mark with just taking it as a challenge vacation and not getting upset with myself about it. Every 3 months I see a therapist who specializes in Chronic Pain patients-I see her in a couple weeks and she always kicks my ass and gives me a boost. Until then Holly, I will just do as you suggest and just enjoy what I an reading.

Thanks for the whine session Theresa-sometimes ya just have to get it all out there! I am happy your Practice is thriving, but the sweat equity, I know can be tiresome!

Barbara-I am with you on the actual glass of wine-Sangria chilling for later today! Cheers to you all for being great book buddies !

I was enthusiastically all in for staying up to date with the monthly tag and Horizons challenge at the beginning of the year but Horizons has really suffered due to just not having enough time to read everything I want in the midst of planning a wedding in nine months. I'm hoping after the wedding to circle back around to the books I have wanted to read because they have all interested me.

Theresa wrote: "I need to whine. So here we go - and please, feel free to join me.

I'm having a really unproductive day, even an unproductive week. Oh heck, it's an unproductive month!

Work is seriously interf..."

Yes, this is my life's reading conundrum. So little time, so many books! This is one of the main reasons I am spending far less time reading books I don't like for games and challenges and that I no longer do things where other people pick my books even if it's from my books here.

I really only committed to the trim challenge and their all books I bought and are on my TBR, so no difficulty there. It is my IRL book clubs and the tag that suffers, but I try.

Joanne wrote: "Holly R W wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I have been in a challenge funk lately. I am reading a lot of fantasy-and history. And unfortunately none of them fit any challenges.....I finished my Trim and Hori..."

As someone who has spinal pain too (although less severe than yours), you have my full sympathy. I hope the pain improves ASAP and that reading is a good distraction.

LibraryCin wrote: "Ha! Because librarians get to sit at the desk and read, right? ;-) ..."

Absolutely Cindy - isn't that what they think? You should know.

I know all about the Challenge funk! I like Map of Salt and Stars so far, but I'm just not in the mood for anything other than romances and fantasy these last few weeks, so I'm having a hard time getting through it...but on the bright side, going through romances like candy has me 9 books ahead of schedule on my goal of 150 for the year!

I'm telling you...one has to take Challenge Vacations!

I have discovered that if I let myself just read romances and cozy mysteries for a couple of weeks - books I read very quickly -- letting myself catch up on favorite authors -- I actually start craving the challenge reads again.

And as Annapi just said -- it helps push you that much closer to your GR annual challenge goal without really trying all that hard!

Also - I do not hesitate to slot a 'challenge vacation read' into a challenge should it just happen to fit...

annapi wrote: "I know all about the Challenge funk! I like Map of Salt and Stars so far, but I'm just not in the mood for anything other than romances and fantasy these last few weeks, so I'm having a hard time g..."

It must be contagious, Anna. I'm listening to regency romances at a rate of one a day.

Jgrace wrote: "It must be contagious, Anna. I'm listening to regency romances at a rate of one a day.."

If I did that I would feel like I was in the late '70's again. I discovered them at that time and read them like potato chips.

Booknblues wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "It must be contagious, Anna. I'm listening to regency romances at a rate of one a day.."

If I did that I would feel like I was in the late '70's again. I discovered them at that tim..."

Do you think I'm reverting to my younger self?
I think that I took myself too seriously in the late 70's ; Russian authors, poetry, and science fiction as a guilty pleasure.

I just see romances and most cozy mysteries (like those revolving around a hobby or cooking) as a sweet or dessert...only less fattening!😋