The Reading Challenge Books 4-6

I have been rather lax in my blog post writing recently. But I am hoping to change that. At least I am here writing now!

I intend to write a blog post about the books I read throughout this challenge and I'm going to do them three books at a time. I am currently reading book number nine, but this post will talk about books four to six. If you want to catch up on the post explaining why I am starting and the challenge itself you can find it here along with my thoughts on the first three books I read:

- The Tales of Beedle the Bard
- Handbook for Railway Steam Locomotive Enginemen
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The books I am reading are rather varied, and are not all planned out in advance. Part of me wants to plan it all out and would feel rather smug having done so, but I am also aware that I usually want to read something on a whim and having to stick to a years worth of books that I planned out one september would also drive me insane. So I didn't. I did however try to to keep track of the dates that I started and finished each book and where that meant I was in terms of progress. This I have semi-successfully managed. By that I mean that I have written down the dates I have finished each book, but may have forgotten it for some of them. I really hope it won't be too much of a problem.

The third book of the challenge was Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook by Terry Pratchett. I started this book on the 19th September 2018, and finished it on 26th of the same month. So it didn't take me too long to read. I do most of my reading at work in my lunch and tea breaks, so there are periods of time on my off shift where I don't really read. I should change that, it might make the challenge go quicker!

The book itself takes on the role of the Bradshaw's railway guide, but based in Terry Pratchett's discworld. It has little snippets of all of the characters and places from his discworld series and is rather funny in doing so, like most Pratchett. It was a joy to read and I found it funny and entertaining. I very much enjoyed this read and once it was finished, like always there was a small tinge of sadness at having to start a new book.

The next book was not a fiction book but part of an autobiography series. I say a series, because this author wrote an autobiography and then continued to write another three books after. I read Worms to Catch by Guy Martin. This is the third book he has written, covering more or less a year out of his life. Which in itself was crazy and entertaining.

I started this book on the evening of the 26th September and it was finished by the 11th October 2018. 16 days, cover to cover. Seeing as the goal was one book every two weeks this one took slightly longer than was needed. But I think I still have plenty of time, I'll work it out at the end.
I loved reading this book. It gave me insight into what went into Guy Martin's TV programs and his writing style is one that doesn't take any sh*t, is real and down to earth. Which I get on with. I find fancy words and big long sentences difficult to deal with. This is just real. I like it (so much so that you will see I read another Guy Martin book later on).

For the sixth book, I went for something small and silly. It was the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - not the screenplay of the film (I've already read that) but the Hogwarts Library edition of the book that was written by JK Rowling to raise funds for one of her charities. I loved to immerse myself some more in the wonderful world that JK Rowling had created. It's a charming and silly little book and the kind that I could sit down and read in a day or two with no trouble at all. Which I expect is what I did, but as I forgot to write down when I finished it, I'm not to sure at all... Oh poo.

So let's work out if I'm on track with the challenge so far. Up to the 11th of October 2018, we know I have read five books. We're a fifth of the way through the challenge, yay! Going by our one book every two weeks quota, starting on the 1st September I should have read three books. We are doing well! I don't feel quite so bad having taken the time to read Worms to Catch. I am enjoying how this challenge is turning out. It feels good to have a goal in mind when reading books, and it acts as some gentle encouragement to pick up another book after I have put one down.

I didn't do much recreational reading when I was at college, as I was so focused on my studies that I was revising most of the time, and when I was wasn't I wanted to do one of my other 50 hobbies I seem to have collected. (Hobby Collector is now a thing okay.) Having finished my degree and starting my new job in August, I felt that I didn't want to lose the regularity of reading. I don't know if that was a conscious or unconscious feeling, but it manifested itself as a challenge to myself.

Looking at my progress so far in the challenge, (I have read a few more then just six when I am writing this, but you will hear about them in due course) I am pleased with the amount I have read. I feel a huge sense of achievement in having read so much, and there are happy memories connected with each and every book. I'm excited to keep going, and I am excited to keep learning new things.

So I will be back soon enough with the next three on my list.