Outta the Rut Readathon: The END and some Revelations.

I'm officially calling the end to my participation in the unofficial "Outta the Rut Readathon." I haven't heard much from the others partaking in the "fun" since yesterday, but based on what I read then, it seems as if we were full of FAIL this weekend.

I, somehow, managed to turn it around last night and today. I have read quite a bit (close to 800 pages today alone) and I am calling this one a success.

Here is what I read over the past three days:

• the last 140 pages of Oliver Twist
• Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (around 100 pages)
  
• Across the Universe by Beth Revis (about 360ish pages)
  
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver (about 450ish pages)
  
• the first half of Candide by Voltaire (about 50ish pages)
• 100 more pages in War and Peace

I am going to call that a success, even though the two big books I finished this weekend were both YA and NOT from my project list (and both were not what I was expecting). Even so, I am glad that I managed to break my rut. When I started to dig into Candide, I realized that not only was I really and truly enjoying it, but I also started thinking about the other classics I want to read in the very near future. THAT is a good thing.

I also did some thinking this afternoon about my overwhelming obligations. To make things easier on myself, I have decided to bow out of the Ulysses readalong. I am sure that I can finish it in time, but to do so will cause too much stress and anxiety. I'm not feeling the book just yet and I want to set it aside. I WILL read it at a later date (probably not this year) and conquer it. Hopefully you all can understand that between teaching full-time, feeding my husband and cats, running my blog, and taking care of myself, something had to give. I'm sorry to the other participants. I will continue to cheer you on!

I am feeling much better about where I stand with my reading. I think the reason I got into my rut was feeling overwhelmed with everything on my plate (and everything I PUT there-it was my fault to begin with). My obligations need to shift a little and I needed to realize that I am not Superwoman, as much as I try to be.

But this weekend really reminded me why I started blogging about books in the first place, and my original intent for this blog-this journal of my reading. Perhaps it was the books this weekend, or just sanity coming back, but I am recharged and ready to plow through some classics. I'm excited.

Anyway, I'll be back to regular posts tomorrow. I have one more post on Doyle's The Lost World before I'll launch into the "fun" reads I have waiting to be reviewed (Percy Jackson, Across the Universe, and Delirium). It'll be a week filled with a little YA...love, so be prepared. It'll be all classics, all the time soon! :)

Happy Reading everyone!