What? It's not as if it's been eight months or anyth--oh. Well then. Never mind.
Yes, yes. I know. Once again, I find myself returning from a long period of non-updates with the promise that "this time will be different" and "I have a reason to repeatedly post" and other such proclamations.
Statement the First: For the months of June, July, and August, I had little to no internet access. Then September and October came and I was working on one show. Then November and December appeared, and it was another show (my NYC premiere as a playwright!) and Santaland. As you can see, I was a little busy and chose to slack on the blogging rather than something like hygiene, or talking.
Statement the Second: I'm back with a vengeance and a new challenge! One that's sure to keep me posting frequently--so step off.
So, worry not, dear reader(s)! I come bearing wit and charm and typos galore, for I also come bearing a new challenge--yes, folks, I'm attempting my own:
CANNONBALL READ 2011! (ptchu, ptchu, firework sound, boom)
Wherein I shall read and review 100 books in a year--this year, specifically. Now, I recognize that I'm starting a week and a half late, and that I also live a busy life, so here are the ground rules I have set for myself:
1) I must read only one book at a time. [Believe it or not, I tend to read multiple books at a time, but I feel that acts as cheating for the Cannonball Read. Plus, this way I'll have more focused/specific reviews.]
2) I may read certain books that I have read before, but I must actually reread them before reviewing them and considering them checked off. [I'm on a time budget. And hey, it's no shabby thing to read all 7 Harry Potter books multiple times, thankyouverymuch.]
3) What constitutes a "book" will be left to my discretion; however, some things (like three-page picture books) are obviously not allowed. [I will most likely define "book" as novels, certain novellas, graphic novels of length (think "Watchmen"), and collections (such as short story anthologies).]
4) Upon completion of a book, I must write and post my review before beginning a new book. [This is pretty self-explanatory. My reviews will merely be my thoughts on the book, nothing too fancy--but obviously not just a thumbs up or down.]
And finally,
5) I will finish all books I begin reading--even if I realize within a few pages that it's definitely a thumbs down. [Hey, it's not supposed to be totally easy.]
There you have it! My rules, my reading challenge. But why, you might ask, am I doing this?
It's three simple answers: Because there are those books on my shelf or on famous reading lists that I've never read, and I should. Because I need a new challenge, a new goal for myself to focus on. And finally, because I love books.
I love their smell. I love the feeling of the pages. I love the letters strung together to create, not just sentences, but experiences. I love escapism and new realities and traveling through time and space to witness awe-inspiring events, all from the comfort of my room. I love having specific chapters that never cease to make me laugh or cry. I love knowing that there are words and phrases that better express my own emotions than I ever could. I love that through mere ink and paper we are given the privilege of seeing how extraordinary the human mind is. I love shiny hardcovers that crack when you first open them. I love my battered paperbacks with coffee stains and torn pages. I love new and I love used. I love books.
So, on that very lengthy note, I'm off to begin my first book of Cannonball Read 2011.
"Once upon a time..."
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