Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon discussion

For the month of April as we get into shape for our Spring readathon we get a sort of imaginary vacation into our respective fantasies
One of the trendy terms in self-help social media is 'fantasy self'. In topics like fashion and decluttering and general goal setting the usual advice is to focus on your real self, and not on things from your fantasy self that are not actually possible or likely in your real life, Reading is maybe a bit different, though, and may be one place where exploring our fantasy selves is not just ok but a fantastic idea.

Don't have a particular fantasy self? Or maybe you would simply rather not tell everyone too much about your private fantasy self? That's fine. Sketch out a character for yourself- imagine you are an actor getting into a character or a writer constructing one for your next major novel. Your fantasy self can be as detailed or as vague as you wish.

Once you have your character sketched out, select a TBR(to-be-read stack or list) for April that explores the themes of your fantasy self. If your fantasy self lives in Paris in the 1800s and loves cooking, harpsicord and solving crimes, your TBR would include books set in Paris, or at least France, preferably set in or around the 1800s. You might also include books about food or cooking, books that feature harpsicord or similar instruments, and books about crime, especially ones set in or written in the 1800s. If yor fantasy self is a witch who studied at Hogwarts and was fond of herbology class, you might include books on medicinal plants.

Construct as many fantasy selves as you wish and make your TBR as big as you wish.
Post your TBR in this thread and/or in your own personal readathon thread. Share your TBR and progress on your preferred social media.

Here are some questions that may help you build your fantasy self. Answer them as yourself or as your fantasy character. -

Place:
What country, city, continent, etc. would your fantasy self live in? Is there more than one place that comes to mind? Is your fantasy self located in a less specific place, defined more by terrain or some other aspect?

Time
When does your fantasy self live?

Character Details
What does your fantasy self look like? Are they married or dating anyone? Do they have kids, or pets? Where do they work and what skills and hobbies do they have?What are their favorite colors, styles, etc?

What are your hobbies?
Do you collect anything?
What are you passionate about?
What is your most prized possession?
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
What is on your bucket list?
What type of music do you prefer?
What is your favorite season, and why?
What was your first job?
What was the best vacation you ever had?
What is that one thing you will never do again?
What was the last thing you read?
Which is your favorite restaurant for dates?
How many languages do you know?
What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
Which is your favorite beverage?
What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
What is your favorite flower?
What do you do to keep yourself fit?
Do you have a favorite holiday destination?
Which celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks and why?
What is your favorite outdoor game?
What’s that one thing that can instantly make your day?
Are you related or distantly related to anyone famous?
Do you watch romantic movies?
How do you spend your free time?
Do you enjoy your parents’ company?
What song best sums you up?
What is your favorite place for shopping?
What is the best decision you have ever made in life?
What was the last TV show you binge-watched on Netflix?
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
What is your biggest fear?
What instantly calms you down?
Who do you look up to the most?
What candle scent is your favorite?
Which book or movie character do you relate to?
What is your favorite sport?
How is your relationship with your family?
Who is your biggest influence, and why?
What do you like to do when together with your favorite person?
If you could hire someone to help you, would it be cleaning, cooking, or gardening?
What exotic animal would you like to have as a pet?
What would you like to sing at Karaoke night?
What genre of books do you like?
Would you rather play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read in the evening?
Are you a romantic person?
Were you a tomboy during your teenage years?
Do you like gardening?
What’s the most impressive thing you’ve ever crafted?
Would you take a trip to outer space?
How many pairs of shoes do you have?
Are you an outdoor person or an indoor person?
If you were forced to get a tattoo, what would it be?
Do you believe in horoscope reading?
What extracurriculars were you into back in school?
What’s your favorite type of pizza?
Do you believe in the existence of aliens?
Are you a clean person or a messy one?
What was your favorite subject back in school?
What’s your favorite family recipe?

Ok, some of the getting to know you questions are more useful than others, but which ones are helpful probably varies depending on the character. I'm off to pinterest to play with this one a bit more, but here's what I've got so far.

My fantasy self for April's TBR:
Setting: Wales, mostly Cardiff but with a rural cabin for weekends.
Time- near future or present, with occasional dislocations due to visits by Time Lords.

Character Details
Married, no kids, maybe a large dog and a couple cats. Works as an ecologist restoring forests in former coal mining areas.

What are your hobbies? - hiking, carpentry
What is your favorite season? - Spring
What was your first job? - something involving BBC sets
Which is your favorite beverage? - fizzy fruit juice
What is your favorite flower? - blue flax
What do you do to keep yourself fit? - yoga and long walks, martial arts
How do you spend your free time? - reading (of course), gardening
What is your favorite place for shopping? - flea markets & farmer's markets
Who is your biggest influence? - David Attenborough
What genre of books do you like? - classics and general/literary fiction
Are you a romantic person? -yes
Were you a tomboy during your teenage years? - yes
What’s the most impressive thing you’ve ever crafted? - tree house studio
Are you an outdoor person or an indoor person? - bit of both
Do you believe in horoscope reading? - somewhat
What’s your favorite type of pizza? - artichoke hearts, spinach, red peppers and banana peppers with garlic alfredo sauce
Do you believe in the existence of aliens? - yes
Are you a clean person or a messy one? - very clean and organized
What’s your favorite family recipe? - scalloped potatoes

TBR:
Doctor Who books
Dorothy Dunnet's Lymond Chronicles series
Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction
Charles Dickens novels
Nonfiction books on - martial arts, meditation, plants, ecology

this is a really interesting idea.

My name is Herr Doctor Dietrich.

I live in a small log cabin surrounded by woods. I occasionally commute to the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. I was born in 1952, post WWII, lived through the height of the Cold War, in West Berlin so it was easier on us. I worked as a typist before joining the institute and working alongside Gerd Gigerenzer. I live with my best friend Kat in a platonic relationship. Her biggest annoyance with me was cleaning my beard hair out of the sink. Now I trim my beard outside.

I'm a scientist studying human behavior, so one of my favorite things to do is go to parties and just read the room. But I do find socializing draining, so I have a lot of me time in front of the fire or walking through the woods. I love to read anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, both his Sherlock days and his later spiritualism era.

I love playing chess, again because I like to analyze how my opponents think. On my bucket list is to travel to Bali because everyone is considered an artist there and I admire this mindset. My most prized possession is an old stuffed rabbit named Emery my mama gave me before she died. We usually just call him "M."

I hope I haven't yet made the greatest accomplishment of my life, but I've published quite a few books which I'm proud of. My favorite translates to, "Bring in da noise, Bring in da Funk."

My favorite season is fall because that is when things are brilliantly dying and because it's when Oktoberfest takes place. (I don't drink myself, but again, people watching is a fun thing to do.) Fall is a great time to watch the geese migrate from a pond near my house.

I am fluent in German and English. I tried to pick up some Greek so I could read Aristotle in the original, but I wasn't very adept at it.

My TBR list includes:
Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment so that I can argue with him. (Why did HE win the Nobel prize?)

The History of Spiritualism

The Return of Moriarty

The Storyteller: Tales out of Loneliness

Magister Ludi (re-read)

Students Teaching, Teachers Learning

The Mismeasure of Man

Doni wrote: "My name is Herr Doctor Dietrich.

I live in a small log cabin surrounded by woods. I occasionally commute to the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. I was born in 1952, post WWII, lived thr..."

Guten Morgen, Herr Doctor. Ich hoffe, Sie genießen Ihre Bücher. ;)

Tonight a GR friend and I start Medusa by Jessie Burton. The story and the art look goood.

Jamie wrote: "Time- near future or present, with occasional dislocations due to visits by Time Lords."

Hahahaha...I'd post hearts but I do know how to do it here. :D :D

Samanta wrote: "Hahahaha...I'd post hearts but I do know how to do it here. :D :D"
Just use the usual emojis that you have in your keyboard when you type…? ❤️

(PS: ok, if you‘re on a PC, it might be a little trickier… 😏)

I already know what my fantasy self is, though I do not have the TBR ready for it. This fantasy self (with a few additions that came with years and maturity) exists since I was a child and it hasn't changed at its core, although I have.

I am a mix of Evelyn Carnahan/O'Connell (a librarian adventurer from The Mummy movies, but just the ones placed in Egypt) and Lara Croft. I have a huge mansion decorated in antique style, with a huge library (with staircases and ladder, obviously), a place where I can practice my martial arts and sword and dagger fighting (no guns!). It also has a beautiful garden with a place where I can comfortably sit and read. When I'm not studying history and ancient artefacts or practicing, I like to read in my garden or my favourite reading nook, dance salsa and travel. I am traveling a lot due to the nature of my work, but it is important to me to always come back to a place I call home. I live in my favourite place in the whole world (after my hometown), Andalucia in Spain, most likely Granada, Cordoba or Malaga with my significant other, the only person who tolerates my eccentricity.

Cathy wrote: "Samanta wrote: "Hahahaha...I'd post hearts but I do know how to do it here. :D :D"
Just use the usual emojis that you have in your keyboard when you type…? ❤️

(PS: ok, if you‘re on a PC, it might ..."

I am. I find it easier to navigate Goodreads on my PC. :)

I just found this thread and looked up my April Reading list to see what my "fantasy" person would be. I've read nine books and 6 of them are murder mysteries. Sooo....

The one book that really fits this is The Cartographers. She works'worked for the New York Public Library. Lives in NYC. I want her life. Not a great book, but definitely the sort of life I want

Shelley wrote: "I just found this thread and looked up my April Reading list to see what my "fantasy" person would be. I've read nine books and 6 of them are murder mysteries. Sooo....

The one book that really fi..."

On of my fantasy selves is to do with crime investigation, too. I managed to got 2 weeks without really focusing on murder mysteries, but this week I made my new weekly TBR entirely crime novels.

Finished Medusa by Natalie Haynes. The story is filled with wisdom and art. But something is not quite right as so many liberties were taken withthe mythic story and as the wisdom is not teenager wisdom but middle-aged wisdom. Still the wisdom is so worthwhile, so still 3 stars.

Rosalind wrote: "this is a really interesting idea."

Indeed !