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Infinite Country by Patricia Engel | Thoughts

   Published : 2021   ||    Format : print   ||    Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆   What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the...

The Sunday Salon: Where's that elusive reading mojo?


The Sunday 
Salon.com

It's either the blogging mojo that goes MIA or the reading mojo. One of them is always hiccuping or tripping all over the place. With the end of August almost here, I was also thinking that another year will end soon. This is the depressing phase of any year - when you start going on those unavoidable introspective trips down memory lane, reevaluate things, start some last-minute refocusing attempts, and also start thinking about what you want the next year to be about. Or am I running too fast here?

But, no, I haven't been thinking about anything much than how to get more reading/blogging time per day. Some of you may remember that I've been doing summer hours for the past two months - I've been working 10 hours Mon-Thu and then I get Fri-Sun off. I love that Friday off, there's really nothing more wonderful than sleeping in on Fridays! But then that means I get very little time to read/blog/visit blogs on the weekdays. Much as I'm going to miss those free Fridays, I think it works better for my schedule to be able to spread my work and fun, than to consolidate them on specific days. With my current schedule, I don't get the luxury of being "in the know" at all times, and then doing it all in the weekends can suck too. So two more weeks, and it's goodbye to the fun Fridays.

A while ago, I remember reading on Rebecca's blog about how she typically juggles between one fiction, one nonfiction, and one graphic novel at a time. I have to admit that I liked that idea - but I'm not so disciplined in my reading to stick to any kind of rules either. What I did see over the past few months is a kind of pattern emerging on its own - I typically have one graphic novel going with one serious/deep/slow/heavy read and one fast-paced/light/quick read. And I typically pick the graphic novel in the middle of a workweek and the fast read by the end of the work week. The slow read usually goes into the weekend. I hadn't really noticed that before, but it was nice to spot a trend, since maybe I can work my reading around that, and get that reading mojo back in its stride!

In other news, I just learned today morning that I have been nominated for the Best Literary Fiction Book Blog for the BBAW 2011. I feel honored to be in the longlist and would like to thank the person(s) who nominated me! Thanks so much!


Comments

ashbrux said…
Congrats on being longlisted! My blogging and reading mojo have been so gone this summer. I hope once school starts I'll be able to get into a schedule again. 
Marg Bates said…
Congratulations on your long list nomination!
Helen Murdoch said…
Congratulations on the well-deserved nomination, that's fantastic.

I have come to the realization that I have a tough time reading more than one book at a time. Actually, I can do it if I leave one book at work and one at home, but if I get really into the book I can't just leave it somewhere for later!
Wendy@Caribousmom said…
Hope you get your mojo back soon! And congrats on your BBAW nomination in the best literary fiction category - it is nice to be in such awesome company!!!
Marce said…
Congrats Aths, I was one that nominated you, yaaay. I just want more quiet time for reading, sometimes I say, stop blogging or networking Marce and read but it's just not the right environment.
Juju at Tales of Whimsy... said…
I feel ya. Lots going on so you pick up light stuff. :)
Cass R said…
Ugh, I'm in a bit of a reading slump myself. Hope your's ends soon! 
Athira / Aths said…
Thanks! I think we can all safely blame the summer and summer distractions for the reduced reading. Hopefully, with Fall, things will pick up.
Athira / Aths said…
Thank you! :)

Lately, I can't do more than one book at a time too, because it takes me a while to get through each book and mixing books will make sure I take even longer.
Athira / Aths said…
Congrats to you too! (I assume that you have also been nominated?)
Athira / Aths said…
Thank you so much, Marce! I feel so honored! 

I know what you mean - it's just hard switching off the internet and getting to reading. 
Athira / Aths said…
I know... I'm hoping that I will slip into a routine soon.
Athira / Aths said…
I hope so too! It can be so hard bouncing back when these slumps come. I have to wait for that perfect mood.
Wendy@Caribousmom said…
Yes, I found out yesterday via email :) It is always such an honor to be nominated for these kinds of things...and I feel especially grateful being acknowledged knowing what amazing blogs (like yours) are out there!
Athira / Aths said…
I agree with you - I feel so honored for the same reason. And during my cyber-trek today, I came across a lot of wonderful blogs that were also nominated, including yours now, and I'm thinking the same thing - it truly is a delight (and a huge honor) to be in such wonderful company.
Jennifer G. said…
Congratulations on your nomination!  It's well-deserved!

I've been reading one non-fiction book at bed-time, listening to an audiobook in the car, and reading whatever else I want to at all other times.  I just started that this year and it's been working well for me.  The audio and non-fiction can take a while for me to get through, but I'm still getting through my "fun" books at a good pace.
zibilee said…
Congrats on being nominated!

I find it hard to commit book polygamy because one book always gets more attention than the others, but I can manage to have one going in print and one going in audio. I would love to be the kind of reader who could have 2 or 3 books going at once, but sadly, I am not that talented!

I also know what you mean about having to limit your time blogging and reading. A few years ago, I was in the same situation, and had to limit my bloggy visits to Wednesdays, when I would catch up. It got overwhelming pretty quickly. I hope that you find the time to do all that you want and need to do soon.
Ti said…
Congrats on your nomination!!

I've been thinking about the end of the year myself, but for me... I tend to think about future stuff so I look forward to it.
Veens said…
Wow, Having Fridays off sounds wonderful :) I wish I had iscipline or a pattern too, but I don't :(

Congrats on your nomination :)
softdrink said…
Congrats on your nomination! And that mojo really is a tricky thing. Too bad it's not more cooperative.
Athira / Aths said…
I like the idea of reading nonfiction at night. I'm not sure I could be as disciplined, but I would love to give it a try. Audio takes me a while too, I almost always listen to short audiobooks only, because by the time I finish one, it can be a long time.
Athira / Aths said…
I sometimes have 2-3 books going at a time, but not always. Mostly because I take long breaks in between reading, so it doesn't work as well for me. But I would love to be able to do that too.
Athira / Aths said…
I do like thinking about the future stuff a lot. I'm big into planning so it's fun, but I still can't help but feel sad about how much time passes by.
Athira / Aths said…
Thank you so much! :)
Athira / Aths said…
I agree! It seems to have a mind of its own!