Spring Reading Thing Recap

The Spring Reading Thing is about to officially end and I only managed to finish 2 out of 4 books, darn it. But, I'll still do a recap, as requested by Katrina.

1. What was the best book you read this spring?

I assume this means the best book from the Spring Reading Thing challenge list? If so, The Sex Lives of People in Love by J. Maarten Troost was probably my favorite, of the two. But, I really enjoyed The Moon on a Stick by Valerie-Anne Baglietto, too. If we're talking generalities, I think there are too many to list but a couple of favorites were The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy, Foreign Fruit by Jojo Moyes, and The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke. I could go on. I've read some fun books, this spring.

2. What book could you have done without?

I liked both of the challenge books I read, so I'll go with . . . In the Cut by Susannah Moore, which was appalling. I wish I'd never picked it up.

3. Did you try out a new author this spring? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author, again?

Most of the books I've read, this year, have been by authors who are new to me. And, I'd read most of them, again - there are too many to list. I tend to thrive on variety, so it's hard to say when I'll get around to reading them; but, I hope to read Getting Stoned With Savages (a second travel memoir by Troost) in the coming months.

4. If there were books you didn't finish, tell us why. Did you run out of time? Realize those books weren't worth it?

I lost track of time. If I'd been paying attention, I would have slotted my other two in; both are books that I've read halfway and wanted to finish. I just read the first two so quickly that I thought, "Oh, I don't want to finish the challenge before the first month is over!" and decided to wait on the other two. Then, I forgot. Oopsy. But, I will definitely read them.

5. Did you come across a book or two on other participants' lists that you're planning on adding to your own to-be-read pile? Which ones?

Well, I can't answer that one! I'm sure I did, but I dash off and add them to my wish list or write them down without making reference to where I've seen the titles crop up.

6. What did you learn -- about anything -- through this challenge? Maybe you learned something about yourself or your reading style, maybe you learned not to pick so many nonfiction books for a challenge, maybe you learned something from a book you read. Whatever it is, share!

I learned not to worry about finishing a challenge too quickly.

7. What was the best part of the Spring Reading Thing?

Truth? I managed to read and get rid of a book that had been on the shelf for at least 2 years. And, I loved the color the button added to my sidebar. Oh, and I won a book in one of the drawings! That was definitely fun!

8. Would you be interested in participating in another reading challenge this fall?

I'm not sure. I'm kind of leaning toward getting away from challenges, at least for a while. Kris at Not Enough Books is having a Cozy Mystery Challenge in the fall and I have a small shelf of cozies I can't seem to talk myself into reading, so I plan to join in on her challenge. Otherwise, I'm in Challenge Avoidance Mode. I might. Maybe.

9. Any other thoughts, impressions, or comments.

I'm glad I participated. Thanks to Katrina for hosting the challenge!