Came to the Party

Do you ever worry that you will plan a party and no one will show up?

How could I ever doubt you?

Yesterday I threw out the idea of Day to Read. A day for people to either cut back or completely step away from blogging to read. A book. A magazine. The newspaper.

And you all came. With tales of reading to share.

Jodi wrote about how reading blogs had indeed taken over reading books and committed to reading a book on January 10th. Then she asked for suggestions.

Flower Child recalled how her parents wouldn't always buy her or her siblings toys but books were "always free".

CableGirl notes that she has observed as an adjunct professor the quality of college students' writing "is downright disturbing". She then goes on to list her TBR books (To Be Read). Impressive and humbling. I am so not smart next to her.

Jami described how her father defended her in the library when the librarian wouldn't let her take out all the books she wanted to check out. There is also some Communist ramblings but you have to go read the post yourself.

Gunfighter outright orders us to read. An armed book-lover? Now y'all better find a good book for January 10th and obey his orders. Yes sir!

Luisa made a simple statement that she was in on the day.

Then my co-conspirators:

Jenn in Holland - she wrote about hiding fiction books behind the books she was supposed to be reading at school. Such a rebel. And she made the button (she always makes the buttons! And for that I love her) and sang the praises of the idea. She talked it up and made me feel like this was a great idea. Isn't that what a good friend is for?

Jen in Michigan - she went on the promotion circuit. She even tried to get on the NPR show Talk of the Nation yesterday while they interviewed the chair of the National Endowment of the Arts about the reading report. And she got Day to Read mentioned in the NPR News Blog (which mysteriously disappeared when I went back to link to it). She has been a true champion. And in her piece introducing the day spoke of how A Wrinkle in Time played a special role for her as a child.

I'm off to read Water For Elephants by Sarah Greun. It is one of those ignore-your-kids-while-they-destroy-the-house kind of book. It is delicious reading.

So what is your reading story?

Psst - if you don't tell me you are promoting Day to Read, I can't sing your praises.