Just a quick post to announce the last few winners from Spring Reading Thing 2010

The winner of the final book giveaway, A Hopeful Heart, is:

Comment #11: Carrie

The winner of the $15 Amazon.com gift certificate is: Jennifer @ Going With What I’ve Got

The winner of the $10 Amazon.com gift certificate is: Amy @ Hope Is The Word

Congratulations to all of you!

Thanks again, everyone. Have a great summer!

Yesterday, I took the kids to ride bikes on some nearby trails, and then introduced L. (4) to his very first Italian Ice. It was a perfect and refreshing end to the bike ride because all three of us were hot and sweaty. Why? Because it was almost 90 degrees — a sure sign that summer is moving into town.

As summer moves in and spring takes its leave, we also have to say goodbye to Spring Reading Thing 2010. I want to thank all of those who participated. We ended up with 156 participants — a great turn-out! Thank you for spreading the word, sharing your love of books, and reading along with me this spring.

I’d love to hear how the challenge went for each of you. I hope you’ll take the time to write a wrap-up post and link to it using the Mr. Linky below.

Feel free to work from the questions I listed in this post, or just write about your experiences, thoughts, and results in any way you please. Once your post is up, come back here and sign up on the Mr. Linky below. Don’t forget — include the URL to your wrap-up post, not just your general blog web address, to make it easy for people to find your post.

Also, there are still two Amazon.com gift certificates up for grabs — one for $15 and one for $10. To be eligible, please post your wrap-up post (and put it on the Mr. Linky) by midnight EST on June 24th to get your name in the drawing. I’ll announce the winners on Friday, June 25th.

Thanks again to all the participants. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading with you!

My reading this spring was sporadic interrupted inconsistent, to say the least. I had weeks when I was a diligent reader, diving into one or two books every day. But then there were weeks when life was just crazy and I barely read a couple pages. Those weeks are not very helpful when it comes to completing one’s Spring Reading Thing list.

In the end, however, I’m pleased to say that I completed all the fiction books I set out to read. You may remember that I decided to read all kid-lit type books this spring — trying to stay a bit ahead of my 11-year-old and make sure the books he might be drawn to are appropriate. I’m glad I did it, but I also have to admit that I’m looking forward to getting back to some “grown-up fiction.”  The kids’ books were good (and I didn’t have any major issues with any of them), but I’ve just about reached my limit for exclusive kid-lit reading. Starting today, I plan to return to some women’s fiction, finishing The Mailbox, and then reading Life in Defiance and maybe Burn next.

Of the kids’ books I read, my favorite was Gregor the Overlander. I really shouldn’t be surprised, since I am loving Suzanne Collins’ YA Hunger Games series. Gregor the Overlander was engaging and full of adventure, and I happily passed it on to my son, C., who now owns the first four books in the series. He’s enthusiastically dubbed the Gregor books one of his very favorite series ever.

I also really enjoyed 100 Cupboards. It took a little while to get into (C. tried it and stalled), but in the end, it was worth it. I also found out that I was right — the Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix is one I would have devoured as a young teen. Suspenseful, action-packed, and mysterious all at once.

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In the realm of nonfiction, I think I fared well. I read 3.5 of the 4 books I had chosen. Admittedly, that’s not much nonfiction reading, but if I’m honest, I’d have to admit that I dabbled and dipped into at least five other nonfiction books over the course of this spring — never reading more than a chapter or two, but still. I’m so very distractable when it comes to nonfiction.

Overall, I know I didn’t have a high volume of reading going on this spring. But I enjoyed the books I did read, and I enjoyed reading with all the other Spring Reading Thing 2010 participants.  I accomplished most of my reading goals, I felt confident introducing C. to several new-to-us kid-lit authors, and I learned that I should probably intersperse some grown-up books next time I decide to tackle a pile of kid-lit books. So my verdict? A successful Spring Reading Thing 2010.

Be sure to stop by the Official Wrap-Up Post to see how other participants did this spring!

Can you believe that one week from today, summer will officially be in full swing? Since C.’s been out of school for an entire week, and since we’ve had temperatures approaching 90 degrees recently, part of me feels like it’s already summer. However, I must admit that there are two more books from my Spring Reading Thing 2010 list that I haven’t quite finished…

Are you still trying to finish your list, too? If so, you’ve got 6 more days!

Summer will begin on Monday, June 21st. So between now and Sunday night, we can make one last push to complete our lists and finish strong.

But whether I finish my books or not, when Monday arrives, I’ll be putting up a Mr. Linky where participants can link to their wrap-up posts. The post will go live at 9:00 a.m. EST next Monday. Remember, you must post a wrap-up post on your blog (and enter it on the Mr. Linky I’ll have up Monday) by midnight on June 24th in order to be eligible to win one of the two Amazon.com gift certificates I’ll be giving away.

Not sure what to include in your wrap-up post? There are no official rules — we’d just like to see how the challenge went for you! But if you are someone who likes a little more structure, here are some questions you can answer as part of your wrap-up. Pick and choose whatever works for you!

• Did you finish reading all the books on your spring reading list? If not, why not?
• Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?
• What was your favorite book that you read this spring? Least favorite? Why?
• Did you discover a new author or genre this spring? Did you love them? Not love them?
• Did you learn something new because of Spring Reading Thing 2010 — something about reading, or yourself, or a topic you read about?
• What was your favorite thing about the challenge?

That should be enough to get your started, but remember — make it work for you.

See you back here on Monday, June 21st!

Okay, so my original plan was to put up a post on May 20th with the catchy title of “Spring Reading Thing 2010: 1 Month to Go!” But…um…that didn’t happen. So I’m sorry, but you’re stuck with the whole “25 days to go” thing.

Anyway, how are you doing with your Spring Reading Thing list? At this point in the game, does it look like you’ll finish your books? I know some participants have finished their lists already, and have moved on to even more books. Are you one of those people? Or is the concept of list-completion starting to seem a bit if-y as we approach crunch time? Or are you right on schedule, poised to finish your list just as the calendar flips to summer?

Let me know how things are going!

…….

Oh, what’s that?

Me?

You’re wondering how my list is going?

Well…if I tell you, do you promise not to fire me as challenge host? Because the truth is, the past month has not been very productive, reading-list-wise. Honestly, I’ve been in a pretty significant funk, between life circumstances and my own melancholic personality…and, well, several things fell by the wayside. One of them was reading in a purposeful and structured manner.

Oh, I’ve still been reading. But it’s been random and unfocused. Starting a bunch of books, finishing few. Reading that is not at all in line with the idea of a reading challenge.

Sigh.

Here are just a few of the books I’ve begun (and not yet finished) that were not on my original SRT list:

The Elements of Story by Francis Flaherty — I’m only a few chapters into this one, but it’s an engaging book, full of practical advice and helpful examples for nonfiction writers.

The Mailbox by Mary Beth Whalen — Sweet and charming, The Mailbox reminds me of a Nicholas Sparks book. Characters work through personal tragedies and struggles, remember lost loves, and seek wholeness and purpose. I’m a little more than half-way through, and while I’m not usually drawn to sentimental, quiet books (preferring, I suppose, lots of action and mystery), this book has been an enjoyable respite for me.

When the Darkness Will Not Lift by John Piper — Written for those who struggle with depression or who simply find themselves “fighting for joy”, this book is filled with typical (and welcome) Piper exhortation. Scripturally grounded, honest and straightforward, it seems to be a good mix of comforting words and a (gentle but sometimes needed) kick in the pants.

Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon — This book has been on my Kindle for months, and I finally started it last weekend. Intriguing, mysterious…it appears that one of the fairy godmothers from Cinderella is now an old woman in our world, working in a used bookstore. Hiding her wings beneath Ace bandages. I’m definitely curious to see what happens next.

SO…what does this mean for my original SRT list? I’m not giving up on it yet. In fact, I’m still working my way through Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl, Thin Places, and Wolf Brother. And with any luck focus, I hope to finish all three of them before June 20th…and maybe even start a few other books from my list.