Sunday Salon: Just for Fun...and some Bookkeeping ~ 3rsblog

I've been reading in print, audio and e-book for the Indie Lit Awards all month, and that includes yesterday, today, and on my day off tomorrow--we vote on the short lists at the beginning of March. I've got Shelf Awareness galleys stacked up with April and May pub dates. I've signed up for another BlogHer Book Club for next month. I think it's important to note that I'm not doing any of this reading under duress; I've chosen it all. It may have associated responsibilities and deadlines, but no one's put them on me except me.

Having said that, though, I do sometimes feel a desire to set it all aside for a bit and read something just for fun. Specifically, right now, I want to read this:

Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It

In Chicks Dig Time Lords, a host of award-winning female novelists, academics and actresses come together to celebrate the phenomenon that is Doctor Who, discuss their inventive involvement with the show’s fandom and examine why they adore the series.

These essays will delight male and female readers alike by delving into the extraordinary aspects of being a female Doctor Who enthusiast. Essays include Carole Barrowman discussing what it was like to grow up with her brother John (including the fact that he’s still afraid of shop-window dummies), columnist Jackie Jenkins providing a Bridget Jones’ Diary-style memoir of working on “Doctor Who Magazine,” novelist Lloyd Rose analyzing Rose’s changes between the ninth and tenth Doctors and much more.

I picked up this Hugo-Award-winning essay anthology earlier this weekend from one of the vendors at Gallifrey One, the annual Doctor Who convention held here in LA. With no new Who episodes coming for awhile and my enthusiasm for the Doctor rekindled by the con, I want to dive right into this. I'm trying to decide whether to allow myself a small sample now--after all, an essay anthology doesn't need to be read straight through, right? They're good choices for polygamous reading, aren't they?--or delay some gratification until I've done my Indie Lit Awards duty, at least. I'm torn. What would you do?

Also for fun: I'll be the guest blogger for the "Best and Worst" series at At Home With Books this Wednesday, talking about which of Jodi Picoult's books I think fall at which ends of that spectrum.