The Reading Rush 2020

The Reading Rush 2020

Hello flowery readers,

as it seems I have decided to take part in The Reading Rush 2020, which will go from 20th to 26th July. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'ts a one-week-long Read-A-Thon that takes place every year in July, in which readers from all over the world unite to read together as much as they can. It's a challenge with yourself, there's no competitiveness, but only support, because everyone enjoys seeing others read and complete all the challenges. So yes, that's it. i have participated last year and also in the special edition in April of this year and now I'm attempting to complete it again. However this time it will be difficult, very difficult, as I'm not home during that week, but I'm at my uncles and aunts house in Murano. There I don't have much time to read, except for a few minutes during breakfast and probably 15/30 minutes before going to bed. Other that that, every attempt to read will be ineffective and it will lead to a failure, as one of my aunt has decided that I shouldn't be reading that much, so every time she sees me with a book, she gives me something to do instead. Another aunt starts talking to me about the books that I should be reading, because "Fantasy isn't real literature, it doesn't teach you anything", as she says. Therefore I will try to get around their limitations by listening to audiobooks, I can go wherever they send me, but I'll be reading. I really hope it works.

Here are the Reading prompts for this year with my Tbr pile.

1. Read a Book with a cover that matches the colour of your birth stone

"Tonio Kröger" by Thomas Mann: I have been born in March, so my birthstone is Aquamarine. I had some difficulties in finding a perfect match for this one, but i finally ended up picking this edition, which has the perfect colour.  I'm going to read it in Italian, simply because I find it easier and also because I have it in this language.

2. Read a Book that starts with the word "The"

"The Importance of being Earnest": for this I'm going with an audiobook that I started months ago, but never finished. I'm going to start from the beginning again for this challenge. I was really liking it and I knew it would be so going into it, because i really like Wilde and I find his works really funny. We analyzed this specific comedy during the English lesson and it got me so curious to know more about the double identities and the story.

3. Read a Book that inspired a movie you've already seen

"Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare: I'm supposing it counts, but I'm not sure. During self-isolation i watched a lot of plays that were uploaded on YouTube by the Globe Theatre or the National Theatre and this was one of them. I know the prompt says "movie", but I'm making it count, I'm going to ask Ariel and Raeleen to check, but for now I'm going to put it in my Tbr. I enjoyed the play, it was very funny, but a little bit eccessive. Anyhow, I'm interested in reading the original work, but in Italian. I'm putting here the English version too, only for reference.

4. Read the first book you touch

I'm going to come back to this question later on, because i need to figure out how to do it. You can interpret it in whatever way you want, some choose from their whole library, others only from a section or from a stack of books they are interested in. I think I'm going to choose the latter, but I have not decided which books I'm going to choose from yet. I'll keep you updated.

5. Read a Book completely outside of your house

"The Great Gatsby" by Francis Scott Fitzgerald: another audiobook that i started and never finished. I've read "Tender is the Night" by the same author and I don't know if i liked it or not, The descriptions and the writing style were beautiful, but the story itself and the character were horrible. So I'm trying again with his masterpiece. For the few chapters i listened to, I was liking it, but we'll see. I may listen to it in Italian or in English, I'm not sure yet.

 6. Read a Book in a Genre that you've always wanted to read more of

"The Trial" by Franz Kafka: I like Kafka a lot, but I only read a few extracts from his works and "The Metamorphosis". However I enjoy his style and his dark, disturbing atmospheres. I chose this work in particular because I've always heard the title and little bits of the story, my German teacher told us something too and now I need to read it. I'm going to read it in Italian.

7. Read a Book that takes place on a different continent than where you live

This is also a difficult one for me, I mostly read books set in fantastical, imaginary worlds, you know, Fantasy or in America, but I don't want to be banal. So I'm, going to search in my parents library for something new and diverse.

What do you think?

In your opinion, is it possible for me to read all these books with my limitations?

Can you recommend me a book for the last prompt?

And will you participate?