The No Stress, No Fuss, Read-Along: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (#winditup2013)

Wind-Up Bird Read Along Button 2013

It’s only January but already, everyone seems to have read-alongs on the brain. They can be a lot of fun but they can also be a lot of work and for me, that takes the fun out of them. For this read-along, I want to keep it as simple as possible. What I love most about read-alongs are the conversations, reactions and endless comments so that is what we’ll focus on.

Now for the book! So many of you have expressed an interest in Haruki Murakami but don’t know where to start. Many have also admitted to feeling a bit intimidated by his writing since his writing can be on the surreal/cerebral side.

BUT…

As a reader, I feel that his work is so important and his writing is just amazing to me. I’ve read many of his books. Absolutely adored some, liked plenty but respected all of them. For this read-along we’ll be reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and I’ll be experiencing it for the first time with you!

Plus, it’s not until April so you have plenty of time to wrap your brain around it and get it on your calendar.

The Details:

  • The read-along will run from April 1, 2013 to May 12, 2013 (6 weeks).
  • The paperback (Vintage Books Edition) is 607 pages.
  • The novel is split into three books, I will post here and on Twitter after I finish each book. I may ask you a question or just post a favorite quote. No need to even respond!
  • For impromptu Twitter conversations and reactions, use the hashtag #winditup2013 on Twitter. I will be tweeting as I am reading it so it should be interesting. This hashtag is different than the one I first mentioned. I don’t want our tweets to get mixed up with the Gwen Stefani song so I changed it up a bit. If you use #winditup2013 in your tweets and then search for that hashtag, you’ll be able to see all posts related to the read-along.
  • If you don’t use Twitter and want to talk about the book, email me or catch me on Facebook. My contact info is under the About tab and Facebook info is posted on the left sidebar.

The Simple No-Fuss Reading Schedule:

April 1 – April 14: Book One (Approximately 172 pages)

April 15 – April 28: Book Two (Approximately 165 pages)

April 29 – May 12: Book Three (Approximately 266 pages)

Final Wrap-Up:

I will do a final wrap-up post on May 20, 2013. At that time, you’ll be able to add the link to your review should you choose to write one.

No Guilt:

There are no requirements for this read-along. I just want readers to experience Murakami’s writing so there is no pressure to post anything and you can read at your own pace. You don’t have to be a blogger either. Anyone can join in.

To Sign-Up:

  1. Complete this form.
  2. If you’d like to say “Hi” to the others, post a comment to this post.

My Friday Rambling

This has been a pretty good week. I thought it was going to be all kinds of crazy after being off for so long but all was good. Next week the kids return to school so homework will once again plague me. I know why they have it and I have no problem with THEM doing it but inevitably, I end up helping probably more than I should since the organizational skills of my youngest leave a lot to be desired. If she brings the work home, that’s always good because she usually leaves it in her desk which prompts me to send messages to the other parents trying to get the assignment.

Other things on my mind right now:

  • My broken tooth (which I didn’t even know was broken) will be capped tomorrow. Yep! A Saturday and will required another Saturday in two weeks to complete the process. I cannot stand dental work. I wish I could just wake up and have the whole thing done but that isn’t how it works. 
  • Production week for The Music Man is looming. It’s the week of January 28th but I am getting a little antsy. The kids usually do alright but I get a little wound-up with the massive prep involved and making sure they are where they need to be. Two casts schedules to juggle since The Boy is in all shows and The Girl is in three. Plus, I work backstage. That part I actually like but I worry about getting the props to the right kid, etc.
  • I am announcing a read-along next week. It’s early but hopefully with the advanced notice many of you will be able to join me.

What am I reading?

I am finishing up Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver. I am in the final pages.  I am also reading Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Fountain’s book but I am liking it. It’s a slow build for me though. I am about ten chapters in and it’s starting to get good.

That’s pretty much it. No big plans for the weekend besides the dentist and watching some football. What are you reading this weekend? Any big plans?

Chatting with friends about books and life…