Literature
Part of any October review has to be Witch Week — this magical yearly event started October 31 and has just wrapped up. Be sure to visit the closing post to learn more about all the amazing topics and books that were shared, along with plans for next year.
I did not complete a review for the 1929 Club in the last week of October, but I joined in by reading Summer Lightning by P.G. Wodehouse, feeling I needed a humorous read at the moment. There were lots of other choices, serious and not so, from this year. Did you participate? If so, what did you read from 1929?
Otherwise in October, I managed to do a task for the Book Bloggers Support Challenge, I posted a new Make Me Read It poll, and I shared a link to my latest review at Shiny New Books. And of course there was this month’s installment in the Dark Is Rising Readalong, Greenwitch.
Books read in October:
- The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel
- The Last Best Cure by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
- The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner
- The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin – Reread, review to come for Shiny New Books
- Mother Hunger by Kelly McDaniel
Language
I put a toe back into German learning this month, but then decided I don’t have time to study intensively at the moment. I continue to muddle along … I hope to get back into it next year and make a push for better comprehension.
Life
My health adventure continues. I shared an update with My Functional Medicine Journey, Part III. And for the One Word yearlong challenge, I reflected on connecting with strength.
Following up on a wish to write and submit more for publication, I decided to join a seven-week writing group hosted by Authors Publish. It’s structured around NaNoWriMo, but there are nonfiction, memoir and poetry writers participating too; no need to complete a novel if that’s not your thing. During the first two weeks in October, we had several very interesting and helpful sessions from writers and productivity coaches, met the varied and fascinating participants (there are almost 200 people in the course from far and wide), and matched up with critique and accountability partners to help us meet our goals for November. Now it’s time to get down to writing and supporting each other. I am really looking forward to seeing what emerges at the end of this month!
Linked at The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction
There’s nothing like Wodehouse to cheer one up; Summer Lightning is the one that involves a flower plot flinging Rupert Baxter, is it not?
Busy work months have meant I still haven’t joined in for TDiRS but am hoping to catch up now that the pressure has eased a bit.
I think the flower pots were in a previous book. In this one Baxter jumped out of a window, among other suspicious behaviors. What larks.
Oh, I do hope you can join in TDiRS, it’s great fun!
Ah yes, that was in Leave to Psmith. I do get confused at times between the titles.
I have read (though not yet reviewed) Over Sea, Under Stone. I think I will be able to manage to catch up this month
It’s easy to get confused between Wodehouse books. As he says in the preface to Summer Lightning, he gets criticized for writing about the same characters under different names … so he’s foiling that by writing about the same characters under the same names. 🙂
Great that you are joining the Dark Is Rising readalong! I have to make my way through The Grey King. I read it at bedtime usually and I can only get through a few pages before falling asleep. I may need to change my reading schedule or I won’t be done by the end of the month.
I didn’t remember that. While he does do similar plots, the writing is so wonderful and the plots and characters are such fun that one doesn’t mind in the slightest.
I hope you manage to finish on time. Even if not, you’ll have me and Liz for company as I’m sure to be behind schedule and Liz said she’d be reading all five next month!
I read Mr Ma and Son and Water Weed, two very different novels: I was pleased to get in two for 1929 Club! I’m very much looking forward to reading all the Coopers in December, which is something I’ve enjoyed doing before. At the moment, I’m deep into Nonfiction November, Novellas in November and AusReading Month, and have plans for another challenge in December, too …
November is such a busy month in the blogosphere.
Huge thanks for inaugurating Witch Week and highlighting this year’s event, Lory! And of course for joining in the discussion of BWS with so many wise and pertinent comments. And now I’m looking forward to reading your SNB review of the Le Guin, which I’m sure will have me wishing it was time to revisit Earthsea for the umpteenth time!
Always a great idea!
Good luck with the language learning. I have Japanese on Pimsleur and finding it very hard.
Japanese must be difficult! Good luck to you with that.
Oh I’m also studying Japanese. I started with Duolingo, it’s going well. I also have a few books, and using the awesome Anki, so so helpful tool!
If you are not familiar with it, follow Alivia’s advice he in this youtube video: https://youtu.be/Zbrq1-euph0
Oh I meant to put my Reply to Harvee.
Are you familiar with Anki? It’s a just an awesome free spaced repetition program that you can use to learn whatever. There are lots of decks ready, so you don’t even need to create your own cards. I find it so helpful in my Japanese, and one of my students is now using it to review her French conjugation
I’ve heard of Anki but I’ve never used it. Memrise was another one used with a program I tried once. I actually have a hard time with flashcard memorization. I get so bored and impatient! But I should probably just buckle down and do it.
Good luck with your writing and language learning! I tried to re-learn Spanish this year, but I eventually got tired and quit. Maybe I’ll try again next year. 🙂
You can always try again. I admire people who can learn a language without actually living in the country where it’s used. Even with that support I still find it difficult!
Earthsea is one of my all time favorite series. Maybe one dat I will read the series again.
Have a great November reading month.
My Wrap up
It is a great series and I’m so glad Folio is continuing their beautiful edition.
I want to focus on language learning (French and Italian) and on writing in 2023. I am starting now to work on these two goals now so that by the time 2023 comes I’ll already be in the habit of working on these two goals. I think you are smart to focus on being part of a writing group. It gives you a degree of accountability.
You had a good reading month. Your reread of the Ursula LeGuin book sounds most interesting to me.
It’s the first time I’ve done this kind of writing group and it’s been great so far. I have connected with several other writers with fascinating projects of their own, hooray for online communities.
The review of The Tombs of Atuan will be posted tomorrow on Shiny New Books. I’ll announce it here when it’s up.
I wish you well with your writing course. I always enjoy your more personal writing.
Thanks Laurie, that’s so nice to hear.