Long-Awaited Reads Month has Begun!

LAR Button Final

It is January, which means that for Ana and me, and for anyone wishing to join us, it is Long-Awaited Reads Month. The idea is an easy, no pressure, one, that is giving me lots of joy as I am contemplating all the books I wish to read. During January I will be reading all those books that I have been eagerly anticipating, or of which I have said “I always meant to read that” for years, but that I never yet did. To finally make time to read those books, knowing that most of these are books I think I will love, is a great joy. I hope the month itself will be as well.

Ana and I were very happy to see the enthusiastic response to our idea. We hope you will contemplate joining us. Everyone and all are welcome! And remember, you need not dedicate the whole month to these books. You can simply decide to read one or two books you have been meaning to read, and share the fun with us.

This is how we envision the community side of the event:

  • At the halfway point, and at the end, of January, we will be posting link roundups. Be sure to leave your link on twitter or in a comment on the welcome posts over at Ana’s or my blog;
  • Giveaways: Both Ana and I will be hosting a giveaway for participants, offering a book of your choice that you have always meant to read from the Book Depository, up to $15/€11/£10. Each link is an entry. If you are not a blogger, or do not get around to reviewing a book, leave a comment telling us a little about the book you have finished and it will count as an entry too;
  • We welcome any other initiatives to host a dedicated read, or a mini challenge, over the course of the month. Have you found out there are a number of bloggers who want to read the same book? Consider hosting a discussion of the book at a certain date. Or is there a certain theme you want to highlight? We’ll be more than happy to link to your event!;
  • We would love for you to join us in talking about the book(s) you are reading, or how your month is faring in general, over at twitter. We have had some difficulty coming up with a workable hashtag, but we have settled on #LARMonth.

Thank Heaven Fasting by E.M. Delafield & The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

Thank Heaven Fasting by E.M. Delafield & The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

If we have managed to tempt you to join us, we are very curious what you are planning on reading first? I started my month off with Thank Heaven Fasting by E.M. Delafield. The book was so good that I finished it in one go yesterday. Up next? I think I will be reading The Brides of Rollrock Island, as well as The House of Mirth for my bedtime ebook read.

57 Responses to Long-Awaited Reads Month has Begun!

  1. What an awesome idea. I will think about this – because I’m sure that ‘eagerly anticipated’ book changes quite often why I never actually read it, I do not know. Possibly because I think “I’ll save it for later when I’m stuck” and even then I never do.

    So what do I actually want to read? My brain has just frozen up I can’t think of any! Oh no! (Why is it when you try to think of a book suddenly none come to mind?)

    • Ugh, that always happens to me too! I find it is easier to remember titles while browsing my shelves.

      I often wonder why I never get to exactly those titles I am really excited about. I think in part it must be that I am afraid of being disappointed, or of spoiling a book by reading it at the wrong time, somehow?

      I hope you will be joining us :)

  2. I love that you’re reading The Brides of Rollrock Island right after Thank Heaven Fasting, as I think they’re thematically very similar. So looking forward to your thoughts on both :D

    • Oh! That makes me even more interesting in reading it right after Thank Heaven Fasting. I think I had better write down my thoughts on that title first though, before starting the next one. Perhaps this year I’ll actually review the books I like best :P

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  4. Happy new year, Iris! I love the idea of this event! I will join you with An Instance of the Fingerpost by Ian Pears, which I have been meaning to read for at least a year.

    • I am so glad you will be joining us! And I hope An Instance of the Fingerpost is everything you expect it to be :) .

      Happy 2013 to you too!

  5. My first long-awaited read will be Rhinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance, which I actually started in December. After that, I may try to squeeze in something else before I begin King’s 11/23/62, which was on my list last year but as it came out in 2012 was not exactly “long awaited.” :)

    • I have 2012 reads on my “long awaited” reads list: The Brides of Rollrock Island, for example, came out at the beginning of 2012, but I have been so excited to read it ever since hearing of its impending release that I’m counting it anyway :P

      A Fine Balance is actually one of those titles that is on my list of books I keep reminding myself to buy and never do? Together with The Poisonwood Bible it might have been on there the longest. How are you enjoying it up to now? I’m very curious about the book.

      • Iris, I had to set A Fine Balance aside for a bit to read something else, but I’m about 150 pages in and it’s very good! I should be picking it up again in a few weeks.

        I also recommend The Poisonwood Bible. :)

  6. I am in on this one too! I have a few book that I want to read, that I have been meaning to for a long time, and will now get that chance! Happy that you guys are doing this!!

  7. I know I said it before, but it’s still true–this is like the best idea ever!!! I’m so excited about it. :D I’m starting with The 10p.m. Question, and maybe starting Bad Science as well to have a non-fiction book going too.

    • Heh, I was just leaving you a comment on your blog when I saw you commented here. Your enthousiasm is wonderful to see! And I love the idea of reading Ana-centric books. As you know, many of my picks are based on recommendations by her as well.

  8. Everyone seems to be reading or reviewing The House of Mirth and although it has been haunting by TBR list and pile for a while, I hadn’t decided to read it yet, but you all taking about it is changing that.

    I’ll check if it’s avaiable for the e-reader. By the way, it is a pink Sony one like the one you used to have and everytime I use it, I recall a picture you posted some time ago of the e-reader near a cup of tea :)

    • We have the same ereader? That’s nice! (though my Sony has started crashing recently, but that’s a whole different story).

      If you do read The House of Mirth this month we could discuss together! I didn’t know others were reading it as well, it would be nice to look at each other’s posts and comment.discuss.

      • I think we do!

        I have my degree’s very last final on the 17th so I don’t expect to read much until then, but could we discuss it later in February or March? I’d love to and, if you post a review, I’ll check it as soon as I read it ;)

  9. I don’t know a single person that doesn’t have gobs of these types of titles on their shelves. You are saviors to the bookish! All with a gentle nudge too. I am going to count all the Stella Gibbons titles I am collecting. Ever since I read Cold Comfort Farm for the first time (and the second and third time too), I said I had to get to her other numerous works. Now is the time. Happy New Year!

    • The Stella Gibbons titles would be perfect for this :) I’m happy to hear you might be joining. I think in reality Ana and I just needed a gentle push ourselves, and then we found that others wanted in, and now it feels like a wonderful thing to share among bloggers.

  10. Happy New Year! I’ve been meaning to read Philip Pullman’s newest book and I’m happy to say that I’ve already started reading it! Thanks for hosting this event.

  11. It’s a lovely idea! I’m already on with Vanity Fair, which works a treat for this challenge.

    • Vanity Fair is another title that has been on my list for forever. I am starting to think I should expand January and just go for a whole year. But then, shiny new books do call to me every once in a while..

  12. Two of my favorite people scheming about books, I love it, haha. January 2013 seems to be a rather hopeful month for me, so I’ll definitely join in.

    I love the qualifier of “been wanting to read for years”–I’ll want to read [eek] Slaughterhouse-Five, a James Salter that’s been hanging out too long in my shelves, and that memoir of Franzen’s. Excitement!

    PS: I’ve also wanted to read the Wharton for years, but I don’t think I’ll have the energy for that this January [I envy you immensely; it feels like the kind of book that's right up my alley, if only I made time for it]–but baby steps!

    • Baby steps. I’m so happy to see you back online and blogging about books. You’ve been missed!

      I am enjoying the Wharton, even if I’m only reading it slowly (I tend to fall asleep with my ereader on and then wake up in the morning to see my tiny reading light is still burning).

      It’s wonderful to see your enthousiasm. Slaughterhouse 5 would be a little bit of an eek! book for me as well (I own it, but haven’t even gotten near it since putting it on the shelf). I hope you enjoy it if you do read it!

  13. I cannot TELL you how happy I am that y’all are doing this :D I’m seriously so excited about it!!! And you’ll LOVE Brides!!! Was SUCH a great book :)

    • Chris, your enthousiasm is so wonderful to see! And it was great seeing your stack of books pictured.

      I do expect to love Brides, which is why I’ve been hesitant to pick it up. What if it isn’t the perfect time to read it? What if I hate it unlike everyone else? I know I shouldn’t worry, but I get like that sometimes.

  14. I have 9876543456789 books like this to get to, but I know me. Because in 2012 I was on the five women/one man structure, I could make all the plans I wanted and end up blowing them off to read every volume of One Piece available (which…will probably happen?). I do have plans to poke at Cold Magic by Kate Elliott and God’s War by Kameron Hurley, because I am reading them with other people for possible co-review. :D

    • You’re not alone. I think that might be the amount of books I have yet to get to that I really want to read too ;)

      Reading books at the same-ish time for co-review might generally be a good approach to make sure you actually read the books you wish to read. At least, I think it might be for me. It’s just that I suck at getting the co-reviews written :(

      I hope you enjoy those 2 titles! nd thank you for your comment!

  15. I just started reading your blog and love this idea of Long-Awaited Reads. It’s like celebrating a second holiday season. This month I’m reading Anna Karenina, which I’ve had on my shelf for almost 7 years. Thanks for your call to action!

    • Thank you, Julia! I hope you enjoy Anna Karenina. The book has been on my pile for years as well. However, I have committed to reading War & Peace this year, so I think I will keep AK for some other year. Have you seen the new movie version? I sometimes find that movie/TV adaptations inspire me to finally pick up classics I’ve been meaning to read for ages.

      • You know, I haven’t. But maybe seeing the ads around town influenced me more than I realize. War & Peace is on my list too, but similarly I’ve got to limit to one epic at a time!

  16. How fun! And I think you’ll lurve Brides of Rollrock Island! :D I might pick up Nights at the Circus, which I’ve been meaning to read for ages now.

    • You were right! I ended up loving Brides! There’s just.. so much to say about it. I hope you enjoy Night at the Circus if you end up reading it! It’s Angela Carter, right? I have yet to read anything by her, and I’m a little hesitant about picking up a book by her as she seems to be a “love it or hate it” author, somehow? I don’t know, I’ll make sure to try her someday (perhaps this year?)

  17. I kept thinking I haven’t read a Virago and then I remember Daphne du Maurier’s books (because they aren’t green I forget). I’m planning on starting with The Luminous Life Of Lilly Aphrodite this weekend.

  18. On Sunday night or first thing Monday, I’m choosing my book for Long-Awaited Reads month. I want it to be Changeover, Diana Wynne Jones’s first-ever novel, but really that’s one I need to save for Kristen’s Diana Wynne Jones month. Hmmmmmm, decisions decisions.

  19. I just finished The Mists of Avalon, which I’ve been meaning to read it for years but it’s just so long! Not surprisingly, I loved it, review coming soon!

  20. I just started Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley, which I’ve had on my shelves for 3 or 4 years now, and have been meaning to read for longer than that! I’m really enjoying it too, so I’m so happy it’s my first one for this challenge.
    I don’t twitter, so I can’t join you and Ana there. I’ll do a post when done and link it here or at Ana’s blog too.

    Of course, now that I’m here on your post, I can’t remember what book I had lined up next to read after this one! lol

    • I recently read my first McKinley (Beauty) and really enjoyed it. I have Deerskin lined up by her. I hope you end up enjoying Spindle’s End.

      No problem that you can’t join us on twitter. We’d love to have you join in here or at Ana’s blog (and I usually respond to comments quicker, sorry about that).

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  22. So glad you both are hosting this challenge – I’ve been looking forward to it! I’ve started with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy myself, and I’m going to read Blackout by Connie Willis next. The Brides of Rollrock Island would totally be on my list if I had it – but since I might get it for my birthday this month, I could end up reading it anyway. :)

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  27. Hello! I stumbled upon your blog and I am happy that I did! It is always to see a nice nook in the internet for book lovers. :)

    This challenge is a nice motivation for me to finish the dusty books on my TBR pile. I guess I’ll start with Ray Bradbury’s Farewell Summer. :)

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