GOODREADS 2017 READING CHALLENGE: MY 12 LONG BOOKS

As the 2016 is drawing to an end and I've started to wonder about the number of books I am going to read in 2017 within the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge, I became a bit frustrated. Well, I love to read and I'd love to read as many books as I could BUT I am rather a slow reader, savoring books rather than devouring them AND I am one of those bookworms who love long, thick books. And I haven't read one for a pretty long time and I really miss it.

I am not sure how my 2017 is going to look like (my 2016 turned out to be totally different from what I planned it to be (it actually turned out to be even better than I planned ;) though with less time for reading) and from my original target of reading 25 books I had to retreat to 12 (in the end I've managed to read 13 well before the end of 2016). Moreover, next year I also plan to go through my European integration library (only a shelf actually ;) consisting of some real bricks (especially when placed into a women handbag).

So all in all for 2017 I've again decided to go for 12 books (leaving larger amounts for some calmer years - I definitely have to go for 100 books some time ;) though, not claiming exactness of the number or that all books I am going to read in 2017 are going to be long but the small target will finally allow me to include some heavyweights into my TBR list too. Yes! :)

DEWEY’S 24-HOUR READ-A-THON: SPRING EDITION 2016 - WRAP-UP (EN)

During the spring 2016 edition of the Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon I finally managed to read 5 books of my former TBR list of 7. Though this year it was an extraordinary combination of academic literature on European integration, classics, Nobel Prize fiction and probably the best YA fantasy ever. So quite a pick ;)

1. Dinan, Desmond: Ever Closer Union. Written by one of my favourite analysts of the European integration, the book actually has two bookmarks placed inside. One marking my progress from the beginning of the book and the second one, my progress through chapters on foreign aspects of European integration. During Read-a-thon I managed to finish the chapter on Internal and External Security. (pages read 10)
2. Leskov, Nikolay: Steel Flea. Wonderful short tale about Russian nature, praising human inventiveness and craftsmanship more than perfection. (pages read 64 - the entire book)
3. Munro, Alice: The Love of a Good Woman. I've been planning to read a book by Munro, the 2015 Nobel Prize winner for quite a time and now I read the first short story in Slovak translation. Peculiar writing style... I am curious about the next couple of short stories. (pages read 89)
4. Howorth, Jolyon: Security and Defence Policy in the European Union. Chapters of the first edition of this book were also part of a course on European foreign and defence policies during my university studies of Political Science. (pages read 21)
5. Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Fourth book of the famous series, I've been intending to start to read for last few months, though French and European integration took the majority of my spare time. And after all those academic political science literature it was really funny to read about Percy Weasley working at the Department of International Magical Co-operation of the Ministry of Magic, preparing a report to standardise cauldron thickness. Thumbs-up, Mrs Rowling :) (pages read 55)

Total number of pages read during Read-a-thon: 239
Hours slept: 3:45

I love Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon. It is such a great excuse to make time to read all the books you want :) (and eat sweets in the midnight ;)

So my thanks goes to the whole Read-a-thon team for inventing, organising and sustaining this wonderful, international event for all bookworms like me :)

DEWEY’S 24-HOUR READ-A-THON: SPRING EDITION 2016 (EN)

Since I've been pretty busy for the last few days and hours, here finally comes my last minute blog post of my TBR list for this year's spring edition of the Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon.

14:00 - I grabbed Desmond Dinan's Ever Closer Union and got absorbed by building of foreign policy of the EU = my favourite field of study.

16:12 - Just finished the chapter on Internal and External Security of Ever Closer Union by Desmond Dinan. Time for a short break.

17:14 - publishing photos of my brand new additional bookcase. I love white bookcase, it compliments all beautiful books so much.

17:45 - social media updated. Takes so long. Continuing with The Steel Flea by Nikolay Leskov.

20:27 - just finished The Steel Flea by Nikolay Leskov. It is a wonderful short tale about Russian nature praising human inventiveness and craftsmanship more than perfection. I should definitely purchase Leskov's book The Enchanted Wanderer and Other Stories.

21:35 - starting The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro. I had to add Slovak translation on Goodreads first. I enjoy being virtual librarian :)

0:30 - page 67 of The Love of a Good Woman and time for Lindt chocolate... Yum :)

1:20 - just finished the first short story of The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro. I've been planning to read a book by Munro, the 2015 Nobel Prize winner for quite a time and now I read the first short story in Slovak translation. Peculiar writing style... I am curious about the next couple of short stories.
Though, now it seems like a perfect time for some academic literature ;)

3:45 - went to take a short nap.

7:30 - postponing my alarm clock until deciding that 7:30 am is the right time for breakfast and another few pages of Jolyon Howorth, to be able to eventually grab Harry Potter! :)

10:46 - done with Howorth and academic literature for now and starting Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

14:00 - ended Read-a-thon on page 56 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I love Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon. It is such a great excuse to make time to read all the books you want :)