© 2013 Book Chatter | Book Chatter

When people think of Southern California, sunny days come to mind but it’s been weeks since we’ve had a really nice day to enjoy. Today, is that day. Blue sky, a warm breeze and seventy-five degree temps. Can’t stay inside on a day like this.

Malibu
After a breakfast of bacon and eggs (cooked by The Girl) we hopped in the car and took a drive to Malibu. We stopped at the top of a hill, right by Pepperdine University to take this photo. I swear, I could have dived right into that water had I been closer. We checked out some shops, took in the warm sea breeze and headed back.

Now, after some burgers and fries we are back at home. The Girl is playing Just Dance 4 (which is great for getting the kids off of the couch and moving) and the boys are watching football. Me? I am about to hunker down with McEwan’s Sweet Tooth.

I’ve got tomorrow off which I am very jazzed about. I am also very jazzed about the #winditup2013 read-along I announced last week. It’s not until April but I couldn’t help blabbing about it early. We have sixteen people signed up so far! I can’t wait!

Off I go to become a slug. Happy Sunday!

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: