So. I’ll update you a bit more about my arm tomorrow. Short version: I’m doing much better pain-wise, though there’s still much I can’t do, and typing hurts after a few minutes. Hence, the lack of blogging. Longer version/update to come!

But I had to check in today and ask how all of you are doing with your Spring Reading Thing 2012 goals. We’re a little more than a month into the challenge. How’s it going?

I have settled into a good reading routine, since I do a whole lot of sitting around these days. At this point, I’ve read all of the fiction books on my list, plus a couple more novels. I’m still working my way through the nonfictions, making decent progress, but I’ve definitely been in more of a fiction mood recently. I’ve also found that reading from my Kindle is much easier than reading traditional books, while I’m limited to one arm. So I’ve been taking advantage of the goodness that is my Kindle, plus checking out the ebooks available for download from our local library.

But enough about me. How is your spring reading going? Are you making progress toward your goals? Sticking to your list or changing things up a bit? Inquiring minds want to know!

Welcome to Spring Reading Thing 2012! The weather here has been warm for weeks, and I’m not complaining. I’m excited to officially welcome spring, and with it…Spring Reading Thing 2012!

I hope you’re ready to read! And whatever you’re reading for this challenge, I hope you enjoy each and every book!

Here’s a brief recap of how to be a part of Spring Reading Thing 2012:

• Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this spring. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)

• Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post using the Mr. Linky below.

• Get reading! The challenge goes from today, March 20th, through June 20th.

• Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!

• Write a post about your challenge experience in June, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how Spring Reading Thing went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this spring (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

There’s a Mr. Linky at the end of this post. Please use it to link to your blog post containing your Spring Reading Thing list. Remember to link to your specific post, not just your general blog homepage. People will be stopping by for days (or weeks!) and when you link to your specific post, it will make it easier for everyone to find your reading list. Also, if you don’t mind, please link back here from your post so that your readers can come check out all the other participants.

Okay, it’s time to get started. Post your list, grab a mug of your favorite beverage, and check out all the other bloggers who love to read as much as you do!

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I will be giving away two prizes as part of Spring Reading Thing 2012:

1. A $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com
2. A $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com

To be eligible for these prizes, you must:

• Post your intitial Spring Reading Thing 2012 post (and enter it on the linky list on my blog) by midnight on March 24th.
• AND post a wrap-up post on your blog at the end of the challenge (and enter it on the linky list I’ll have up then) by midnight on June  24th.

That’s it. I’ll randomly draw the winners shortly after the end of the challenge.

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For more information about Spring Reading Thing 2012, check out these previous posts:

• The Basics
• Posting Guidelines

Note: There is NO limit to when people can sign up to participate in Spring Reading Thing 2012. You’re welcome to join in any time between now and June! The “deadlines” mentioned in the above prize section are only for prize eligibility.

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That should cover all the details. Link up below and let’s get reading!

Was your link deleted? Check the Posting Guidelines to make sure you followed the rules. If you think your link was deleted by mistake, feel free to contact me.

I’m keeping things fairly light and easy this time around, primarily because I’m dealing with a fractured elbow, a sprained or strained wrist, and a bunch of severely pulled muscles. One would think that being laid up with an injury would give me even more time to read than usual, and that may be true. But I find myself immensely distracted and I’m having a hard time settling my mind and focusing on book reading.

So for Spring Reading Thing 2012, my goal is to finish the three books I’m currently reading, to read four additional novels, and to read two additional nonfiction books.

Here are the specifics.

Books to finish:

Wordsmithy: Hot Tips for the Writing Life by Douglas Wilson
Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

New books to read:

Fiction:

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
Nick of Time (A Bug Man Novel) by Tim Downs
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

Nonfiction:

Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself by Joe Thorn
Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity & Writing by L. L. Barkat

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I usually love to do a more elaborate post, with a picture of each book’s cover and a little blurb about why I chose each book, but sadly, that’s a lot harder to do in my current state. Perhaps when my arm is better, I’ll come back and add to this post.

In the meantime, each book is linked to Amazon, so feel free to click over and explore my selections.

And don’t forget to check out the other Spring Reading Thing 2012 participants! You can find them at the official launch post. Happy Spring Reading!

Planning to join Spring Reading Thing 2012? I hope so! Have you started working on your list? The challenge starts in only ten days! In the meantime, here are a few posting guidelines/rules. I’m not too picky, but there are a few things I need you to do.

1. Write your post before you sign up on the linky list that goes live on March 20th. I know that it can be tempting to try to get your name near the top of a reading challenge participant list, but please, please have your post written and published on your blog before you add your name to the linky list. If I click on your name/link and do not see your post and reading list, or if it takes me to a post that says, “I’m going to join the Spring Reading Thing, but I don’t have my list yet. But I’ll do it soon.” or something like that… I’m sorry, but I will have to delete your entry from the list. Not because I’m mean, but because it’s simply not fair to the other participants who have already prepared their lists and blog posts. Of course, once you have your post/list up, you are more than welcome to come back and submit your name again.

2. Use a permalink when you sign up. In other words, use the linky list to link directly to your Spring Reading Thing post, not just the main address (front page) of your blog. When you see the linky list here on March 20th, you’ll find a space marked “Your name” where you can type your name (or the name of your blog, or whatever you’d like) and a space under it for “Your URL,” or website address. In that space, you’ll need to put a “permalink” to your Spring Reading Thing post.

For example, instead of something like:

http://myniftyblog.com

You’d want something like this:

http://myniftyblog.com/2012/03/spring-reading-thing.html

I completely made those addresses up, but you get the idea. Blogging Basics 101 has an article on how to find the “permalink” to a particular post HERE.

Once again, your link will be deleted if it does not go to a specific post (the one with your reading list). And again, I’m not being picky about this to be mean, but rather as a courtesy to all involved. People will be checking out everyone’s lists throughout the spring challenge, and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to find your list. That means submitting a link to your specific post, rather than a general link to your blog.

If you have tried, and read the post at Blogging Basics 101, and are still having trouble figuring out your permalink, please feel free to contact me (just click the “contact me” button under my header). I would be glad to help you and to get you signed up on the linky list with the correct link. Depending on the volume of email, it might take me a little while to get back to you, but I definitely will. I want you to be part of Spring Reading Thing 2012!

3. Keep your post family-friendly. I realize that, with potentially hundreds of challenge participants, Spring Reading Thing is going to represent readers of various reading interests. However, I do request that you keep your “official” Spring Reading Thing post (the one you add to the linky list) family-friendly and “clean.” In other words, please make sure that any book titles or book covers you include would be safe for little eyes to see. I’ve had kids participate in my reading challenges in the past, and I just want to make sure the links presented on the official Spring Reading Thing list are safe for them. Links to posts with explicit titles or covers may be deleted. Please feel free to check with me ahead of time if you’re not sure about a particular book.

4. Get ready to read! Personally, I plan to abandon all housekeeping this spring, so I can focus exclusively on reading. Okay, maybe I won’t go that far, but I do hope to rearrange my schedule a bit to fit in some more reading. I also plan to visit many Spring Reading Thing participants, to find out what they’ll be reading this spring and to share our mutual love of books and reading. I encourage you to visit other participants as well. It’s fun to be in the challenge; but it’s even more fun to enjoy the challenge with others.

One other note:

My plan right now is to put up the official Spring Reading Thing 2012 launch post at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on Tuesday, March 20th. If for any reason that time will change, I’ll let you know.

Wondering what this “Spring Reading Thing” is all about? Visit my post about The Basics to find out!