This marks my very first Sunday Salon. For a couple weeks, I have been reading all your wonderful Sunday discussions and decided that I would give it a shot. After all, we all have book-ish topics on our minds. Some come up in our reading, others come up just because life throws them our way.
This Sunday I’m coming to you from my campus library, where I work. We have an pretty cool automated retrieval system and right now I’m manning that. Luckily, since school is not in session, the back room is quiet and calm leaving me some free time to catch up with all the posts piling up in my google reader and hopefully (later on) some reading. This week has been insanely hectic leaving me little time to read. I’ve had work, rock climbing, moving, and social obligations all week that left me with very little spare time. Because of my hectic schedule, I’ve fallen horribly behind on my reading schedule. Currently, I’m about halfway through How to Buy a Love of Reading. I hope to make the time to finish it tonight after I finish unpacking all my stuff.
My hectic schedule along with the book have led me to think about people’s excuses for not reading. Sure, we all lead hectic lives with insanely busy schedules, but does that really mean that we don’t have time for reading? Or does it just imply that we don’t make time for reading? Some might say the two are the same, but I beg to differ, I believe they are very different. Last year, I claimed I was too busy to do any reading aside from what was assigned to me in class. After all, I was taking four classes, participating in a research project on the side, and working two jobs. Some days, I barely had time for sleeping. When I was complaining about this to a friend and co-worker, she insisted that I could make time for reading since it is something I enjoy. She suggested setting aside time every day for reading even if it was only half an hour. This summer, that is exactly what I have been doing. If I don’t have time during the day to delve into a book, I read for half an hour before bed (frequently longer because I just can’t put the book down, who needs sleep anyway, right?). After all, reading slowly is better than not reading at all.
Another wonderful thing I have to share with you (which I’m incredibly excited about!) are some awards! Yes, I have received some blogging awards. Can you believe that people are actually reading this and enjoying it? I can’t! Nevertheless, I am grateful and excited to both accept and pass on the awards I have gotten this week.
I received the Kreativ Blogger Award from Amy Reads Good Books. After getting this award, you have to name seven favorite things and pass the award on to seven awesome bloggers. This sounds both fun and easy!
Seven Favorite Things
- Starbucks Grande Nonfat Vanilla Lattes
- Summer sun
- Long nights of staying up and reading
- That wonderful feeling you get when you get things done
- The beach
- Freshly backed chocolate chip cookies
- Long walks along the Santa Clara campus
Seven Awesome Bloggers ( although really, you’re all awesome bloggers!)
- Kay @ The Infinite Shelf
- Megan @ Write Meg
- Natalie @ Book, Line, and Sinker
- Simon @ Savidge Reads
- Jenny @ Take Me Away
- Rebecca @ The Book Lady’s Blog
- Stephanie @ Stephanie’s Written Word
I received the My Top Blog Commenter Award from Take Me Away. I find this award to be very important because I so deeply appreciate any and all comments that I get from you. So I’m passing this on to:
- Kathy @ Bermudaonion’s Weblog
- Megan @ Write Meg
- Kim @ Sophisticated Dorkiness
- Amy @ Amy Reads Good Books
- Lahni @ Nose in a Book
The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all…
I received this rather amusing award from Take Me Away and am excited to pass it on to the following bloggers:
- Amy @ Amy Reads Good Books
- Becca @ Bookstack
- Jennifer @ Book Club Girl
- Simon @ Savidge Reads
- Matt @ A Guy’s Moleskin Notebook
Happy Sunday, Happy Reading, and Happy Blogging friends. I’d love to hear about your favorite blogs, your excuses not to read, and your Sunday plans, reads, and thoughts.
Congrats on the well-deserved awards! (And the extra time to get caught up today.) And of course, welcome to the Sunday Salon. I look forward to everyone’s posts each week, and I know you will too. Great sharing and a broad range of tastes and perspectives. Happy reading!
Congrats on the awards! It’s exciting, isn’t it this book-and-otherwise blog world? Checked out some of the link you have above…always interested in seeing the “what” and “how” others use in approaching this book love we all have. Here’s my question to you – how do you find time amidst friends, family and work to read? I think I’ll be compiling a list (true and funny) for one of my blog entries.
It’s so difficult and I must admit that sometimes I get so caught up in other obligations (and the desire to just not think for a while!) that I don’t read. What makes me find time for reading is how much I enjoy it. One thing that really helps me get through books is that I always carry a book with me everywhere I go. I just stick it in my bag or purse so that if free time ever pops up, it’s there for me. In high school, this was especially useful because I had a one hour commute everyday. I would read in the car while my father drove me to school – it helped me get through a lot of books! Now, it’s nice to be able to get a couple chapters in between classes or during my lunch break. Hope this helps with your blog entry!
Thank you so much!!! =)
As for the reading time, I have so much going on that I’ve actually come home and been to tired to do anything that uses my brain, lol. I usually go to bed around midnight and one night this week it was 9:30 and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Other than that inability to stay awake, I do like your idea of always setting aside time to read. Although sometimes I tend to prioritize reading over my other responsibilities, lol!!
I didn’t have enough time to read, so I gave up tv. That freed up a lot of time for me.
I’m considering doing this – or at least Tivo-ing everything until I get some free time. It’s just that since I went to college, I became a TV addict. Last year, it got really bad and I fell horribly behind in my classes. I got all caught up before the end of the quarter, but I was really worried about myself for a while. Maybe giving up some TV would really do me some good.
Jen…Thanks for visiting my blog, and I’m glad u directed me to yours. You did a great job with you 1st Sunday Salon–what you said is so true: sometimes you need to MAKE time for those things we love: reading, exercising etc.
You got lots of awards (always so much fun), and congratulations on the awards.
Have fun blogging!
Welcome to Sunday Salon and congratulations on all those awards. I find Sunday Salon a great way to visit blogs I haven’t seen before and a way to stay in touch.
I absolutely agree. I keep finding so many wonderful new blogs. I’m already having a difficult time keeping up with them but I’m sure that they will provide me for a wonderful reason to procrastinate doing my homework once school starts – and endless hours of free entertainment, what could be better?
Sometimes finding the time to read is about making choices – would you rather watch TV or read? I get so much more pleasure out of reading and I find that I have trouble sleeping if I don’t read a little bit before I go to bed. A really terrific book will keep me up, though! Congratulations on all of your awards. I’m so flattered that you’ve passed one on to me. Thanks so much!
Thank you for all your wonderful comments! It’s great to know you have at least one loyal reader. 🙂
Welcome to the Sunday Salon! How To Buy A Love of Reading sounds interesting…I’l be on the lookout for your review. Congratulations on all the awards and good luck with the new school year. I found more time to read by cutting out TV…just some news and sports is all I watch now.
Thanks Jennifer! You’re great, and your blog is looking good. Keep up the great work!
Even though I have the best of intentions when it comes to reading books quickly, I often find myself drifting off to read other blogs, watching TV, running out with friends for last-minute dinners or — recently! — watching episode after episode of “Gossip Girl.” LOL! It’s terrible when I find a new obsession… it consumes all of my free time until I totally burn myself out.
Congratulations on the awards…you have a lovely blog.
Look at you! All these awards already 🙂 And well deserved too, I might add!
Thank you so much for mine…being considered to produce content that remarkable is high praise indeed!
This is crstayl clear. Thanks for taking the time!