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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 story of her family through the other protagonist, El

The Sunday Salon: After the Readathon

The Sunday 
Salon.com

The readathon

Unexpectedly, I was able to find some time to take part in yesterday's 24 hour readathon. Gone are the days when I did try to stay up all 24 hours to read, but it's still great to carve out some dedicated reading time. Although I feel like I had been reading mostly all day, except for the 3 hours after lunch when we stepped out for some errands, my clock tells me I had only read for 8 hours in total, including one hour this morning. It's funny how when you actually time yourself, you find there's a lot of time that goes into other stuff, necessary or otherwise. Still, 8 hours is longer than I have ever spent reading a whole day, at least in recent times.


I had been posting my updates on Tumblr and Twitter, so to summarize my overall stats:

Books finished
From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot
The Walking Dead, Vol 21 by Robert Kirkman

Books in progress
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (about 50 pages left)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (about 75 pages left)

464 pages | 8 hours


Now

So far, today is slowly shaping up to be another day of chores, which is fine by me. I'm slowly beginning to genuinely realize that there's not much time left before the baby is here. 2.5 months sounds like it's far out there, but 11 weeks feels like time is just going to a-fly. My appointments have also now become a biweekly exercise and not a once-a-month routine anymore. Plus, I still have classes coming up over the next couple of weeks, there's a hospital tour I need to make, meet our pediatrician of choice, buy a crib (from among the bazillion highly rated ones), rearrange some of our rooms, paint the playroom, and then get ready for family who will be here mid-June. Honestly, I'm not too fussed - I know it will all fall in place in time, I guess I've just not had such a busy few months to look forward to since grad school.

The husband's heading to Dallas for some training, so it's another week where the dog and I try to pretend to entertain each other. I'm glad though for all the reading time I had yesterday. I'm looking forward to spending the evening finishing up the two books (Dept. of Speculation and The Magicians), and then get into that blissful state where I wonder what to read next. Hopefully, before I start my next read, I'll get some reviews written, because I am woefully behind there.

Comments

bermudaonion(Kathy) said…
Yes, all the baby stuff will fall into place! 8 hours of reading is great!!
JoAnn @ Lakeside Musing said…
Eight hours of dedicated reading time sounds heavenly! Glad you were able to join in at the last minute. I'm sure the next 11 weeks will fly, but have not doubt you'll get everything done in time.
I sometimes get in three or four hours of reading, but eight? I'm so jealous. Congratulations on getting all that done.
Vasilly said…
You did fantastic with yesterday's readathon! My to-do list before July sounds a lot like yours, except I'm not going to do the classes. It's baby #4, so I should be okay. :-) Are you going to have a baby shower or anything like that?
Belle Wong said…
Eight hours is wonderful! It was my first readathon as a reader but I found myself really distracted with cheering on Twitter. I didn't end up reading as much as I had expected, but it was a lot of fun. Eleven weeks! So true, the time will probably just fly by, but yes, everything will just fall into place!
Athira / Aths said…
I have been looking forward to the classes for a while. I have this idea that they will make this feel more real, so it's something to look forward to.
Athira / Aths said…
It's good to have fun, ultimately that's all that matters! I should try cheering some time - I loved that there was always someone cheering along whenever I posted some update.
care said…
Everyone is all. "Yay Baby will be here before you know it" and "woo hoo 8 hours of reading = yay!" And me? I am like oh goodie, you got some Dept of Spc in!!! And YaY DOG - I am sure/hoping the dog will be WONDERFUL nursemaid! 😍
I bookmooched the Flowers of Algernon and am hoping it will be at my house by May 1. I hope to post on it that day if not before but.... So. You don't mind that I didn't get it advertised?! 😎
Athira / Aths said…
Haha, I was going to say I didn't mind at all, but you have posted about it anyways. :-) I will get my post up soon. The husband has taken the book with him to Dallas and he will be back on Saturday, which is probably perfect anyways, because I am just wrapping up my current read which I should finish by then as well.

I am so excited to see Rue (our dog) meet our baby - I am sure we will make a huge fuss over it!
You did so good! And goodness, 2.5 months is going to happen so fast! Good luck and have fun :)