Catherynne M. Valente

I know, I know, I’m late. I’m always late. It’s just that I’m currently in a reading frenzy and can’t stop devouring one book after the other. Furthermore, the weather is brilliant (and almost a little too hot for my taste already) so I want to spend as much time outside as possible before I’ll have to start working in May …

Good morning! Wait, what? Yes, I just woke up about 30 minutes ago. After hours and hours of not doing anything really, I decided to pick up The Casual Vacancy again shortly after midnight – and read the remaining 130 pages in order to finish it. When I was finally done, it was past 3 am, I was tired but incredibly happy to have finished the novel that was the one I was most afraid of. It’s been on my currently reading shelf for so long and I never was in the mood for it …

I decided to participate in this easter special of 7 Days 7 Books, which in a nutshell challenges you to read as many books as you choose (but seven would be nice) in seven days. As a special easter treat, we get an extra day, so it’s actually eight days and you only have to read four novels to take part in the raffle – at least, if you have pledged to do so in advance. Although I trust myself to be able to read four novels over the course of eight days, I decided to go with the other version in which you can choose your own goals …

As always, I didn’t read either the novels I planned to nor the ones I should really truly have read. Instead, I spent my time bingereading the 2nd and 3rd installments of the Black Magician Trilogy, worked as a Christmas presents wrapping assistant at a bookshop and went on a short trip to Vienna to watch The Hobbit #2 and the musical Elisabeth, which I’m completely in love with – oh, and to visit a dear friend, of course 😉 ! Unfortunately, now I really have to write my bachelor thesis, so bye bye, my dearest blog! I hope I won’t neglect you all too much these next 1 1/2 months …

I didn’t buy as many books as I thought I would although I went to Munich and Berlin. First, I visited Ric in Munich where we went to a couple of bookshops and the library where I desperately tried to impose a couple of my favourite books on her but unfortunately, they weren’t in stock. Then, we travelled to Berlin where we teamed up with Miss Bookiverse for a bookshop tour she was so kind to organise for us. The highlight of our tour was Dussmann with its integrated English bookshop. Such a wonderful place! We loved it so much we went back for a second time, this time also accompanied by Captain Cow. It was really difficult not to buy half the shop and the others kept teasing me due to the immense pile of books I was carrying around. In the end, I somehow managed to really really pull myself together …

Well, well, September was a month of ups and downs. I started quite well, couldn’t concentrate on reading for most of the month just to come back really strong. All in all, I didn’t read that many books but quite a lot of pages. I came so close to crack the 3000 pages mark, but came short because I forgot to read on the last day …

I can’t believe it! A wrap-up that’s actually in time! I’m still two or so behind, but at least I got this one done. By the way, I’m sorry that I’m currently posting so seldom. I’m just having a lot of stuff on my plate such as a linguistics term paper, which I procrastinated a little too long (but at least now it’s done), my Bachelor thesis, and a private issue that threw me off the track and now I have to get used to this new situation …