February - National Novel Reading Month

About National Novel Reading Month

There is no National Novel Reading Month. At least, not yet. The idea behind a month dedicated to reading that book you've had on your nightstand or the one recommended by a friend, came to pass during a residency period at the Whidbey Writers Workshop. Many of us had participated in National Novel Writing Month in November and had even taken the challenge to write a novel (50,000 words or more) in 30 days. But that made us wonder: if there is a whole month devoted to writing, why isn't there a month devoted to reading?

 This web page is our attempt to correct that omission. We propose to name February as National Novel Reading Month. Why February? Isn't February already Black History Month? It sure is and we'd like to recommend that you read some of that history and novels written by African American authors such as Toni Morrison (Beloved), Maya Angelou (The Color Purple) and Colton Whitehead (The Intuitionist).

The real reason we picked February: the weather is crappy. It's not as if the weather beckons you outside for a stroll. Why not pick up a book instead of the TV remote? With the writer's strike, there's nothing worthwhile on television anyway. Any why not set a goal? It can be large or small. You might want to read something your mother would consider garbage. It doesn't matter.

 My goal is to read Moby Dick. I've tried so many before with no luck. I've always given up. But so many people I respect and revere love the book. I have to read it. I owe it to myself. So, I'll track my progress and let you know how I'm doing. If you want to send me an email of encouragement or want me to post your goal, let me know. I'm sure I'll be looking for distractions.

 This web page is dedicated to helping those who would like to make February their month to read and rekindle a love for books (or kindle it for the first time). We've included reading lists broken down by genre as well as notes about the book. Notes are there for your use and are based on the opinion of the person who compiled the list. That would be me. You are free to disagree. This is, after all, America.

 Happy reading!

 Nancy W Cluts

Email: author@cluts.com