Weekly Geeks, the brainchild of Dewey at The Hidden Side of a Leaf, is over.
I had taken more than a year off from the meme, but had recently begun to participate again. I had enjoyed the recent memes about what books I’d recommend about my state and my genre prejudices and suggested Weekly Geeks topics.
I was saddened to learn that this meme was closing, but without Dewey’s dedication, I think the meme had waned in popularity. I also think that the book blogging world had expanded so much so that it got lost in the meme world and was unable to break through the other niches that have emerged as a result.
In a final goodbye to Weekly Geeks, which I would love to revive on my own, we’re asked to post about a favorite memory of Dewey (but honestly, I’ve done that already) or do a post of one of the previous topics covered. I’m going to do one better. I’m going to do a few short weekly geeks exercises:
The Readers Bill of Rights was posted on Aug. 25, and I’ve chosen to write about #6. The right to escapism. This right is important to me because life can just get in the way sometimes, make you feel overwhelmed (like it has for me lately), and just run you ragged. Books can take you to far off places, slip you into fantastical lives, lives that are easier or more adventurous, and they can make you feel better by providing hope.
Cover of the edition I read as a kid several times!
Back to School was posted on Aug. 6, and I’ve chosen to talk about this question, “Do you remember what books you checked out at the school library?” Yes, I do. I was in middle school, and we often spent time in the library for English or Reading class, and incidentally, that’s where all those Scholastic Book Fairs were. Anyway, I discovered this entire 2 shelves full of Nancy Drew books by the librarian’s office. I would reach into those shelves and grab the next two in the series whenever I got the chance. Those books started my love of the mystery novel and my love for strong female characters. Nancy was never afraid of anything, not even adults or the dark. She was my hero back then, and she was so smart. My favorite was The Kachina Doll Mystery.
Literary Prizes was posted on July 16, and I don’t follow literary prizes or purposely read books on them. But I did want to talk about this question: “Do you keep a running tally of the books you’ve read for a particular prize? Share a link to your tracking page.” I’ve kept track of the Pulitzer Poetry Prize winners, and I’ve probably only read 1-2 of those books and by accident. I also check out the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction from time to time, and the only time I made a conscious decision to read a book from the list was when it was won by Cormac McCarthy for The Road.
I hope that even if you haven’t participated before, that you’ll check out the Weekly Geeks Archives and try on one of the memes. Let’s make this a goodbye that makes Dewey’s lingering spirit smile.
Here are some other fantastic goodbye posts.
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