POC Media Week 3: July 30 – Aug 5

I was working most of this week and had very little time to enjoy life. My entertainment was split nearly fifty-fifty. I wonder what I’ll do when the Olympics are over. My hours of entertainment will probably decrease overall. Ideally I want to maintain an even ratio by consuming more diverse media, not by cutting out other media. Once again, suggestions are appreciated.

Paper Droids:
Pass. Formerly known as 404. Awesome geek girl magazine. (approx. 30mins)

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce:
Fail. I loved this book and I’ll be writing a review soon. However I don’t think a single one of the many characters Harold meets during his pilgrimage across present-day England was a person of color. (approx. 10 hrs)

Olympics:
Pass. Yay Gabby Douglas! Yay Usain Bolt! Yay Oscar Pristorius! Love love love the dedication of these athletes. (approx. 5 hrs)

Pretty Little Liars:
Pass. I’m getting pretty tired of it though. I don’t like being in perpetual suspense. At this point only the cute outfits make me keep watching. (approx. 1hr)

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison:
Pass. The prose in this book is amazing. I guess that’s why Ms. Morrison is a Nobel Laureate. Funny story though: I found this book in the way back of the bookstore on the tiny sliver of a wall reserved for “black writers.” Not impressed with you, Chapters.

Random House of Canada’s Olympic Readathon

The London Olympics start tomorrow! In solidarity with our great athletes, I’m going for the gold in Random House of Canada’s Olympic Readathon.

Between July 27 and August 12, I aim to read 1200 pages. That’s roughly four books but I picked out six novels from my to-be-read pile to be safe:

1.   Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul—222 pages (currently on pg. 107)
2. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce—296 pages
3. Tar Baby by Toni Morrison—306 pages 
4. The Beauty of the Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibbs—294 pages
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley—231 pages
6. The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón—531 pages (currently on pg. 134)

To make sure I reach my goal I will:

1. Read at least 75 pages each day. This is a marathon not a sprint so I plan to set my pace from day one and stick to it.  
2. Move on if a book loses my interest. I always try to muddle through books I don’t like. Not this time. It’s a race to the finish! I can’t waste my time on duds!

Be sure to follow my progress on Twitter: @leonicka #OlympicReadathon