Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme that was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is now currently being hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and give the reasons why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

Blurb from Goodreads

“We agree that we are overworked, and need a rest – A week on the rolling deep? – George suggests the river -“

And with the co-operation of several hampers of food and a covered boat, the three men (not forgetting the dog) set out on a hilarious voyage of mishaps up the Thames. When not falling in the river and getting lost in Hampton Court Maze, Jerome K. Jerome finds time to express his ideas on the world around – many of which have acquired a deeper fascination since the day at the end of the 19th century when this excursion was so lightly undertaken.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday everyone! I still feel sluggish as we are coming from a four-day break; last week was the Holy Week, hence, as per tradition, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday were declared as national holidays here in the Philippines. There is certainly nothing to be fond of about Mondays. HAHA. Nevertheless, I hope that everyone has started the first day of the work week – unless you are in the Middle East – on a high note. I hope you were able to recoup your lost energy (or motivation) during the weekend. I hope that the rest of the week will go well for everyone. On a different note, Mondays represent opportunities and new starts so I hope that everyone is using this fresh start to good use.

Oh. Today is also the first day of April! Happy April Fools Day everyone! I hope nobody played you for a fool today or that you were not pranked or fooled by those around you. I hope the first day of the month has also gone well. I hope that the rest of the year will be kind to everyone. I hope that this year will brim with happiness and prosperity. More importantly, I hope everyone is doing well, in body, mind, and spirit. Kicking off another blogging week is a fresh Goodreads Monday update. No blogging week commences without this weekly update. Last March, I featured works of female writers to commemorate Women’s History Month. For April, I have decided to shake things up by featuring random books, i.e., there will be no theme for this month.

With this, I am featuring Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat. Before today, I honestly have never heard of Jerome nor have I encountered any of his works. Had it not been for this week’s 5 on my TBR prompt, I would have not come across his novel, Three Men in a Boat; this week’s prompt was humor. The novel was a recurring presence in several funniest/most humorous novel lists. It was originally published in 1889 and is a comedic account of a two-week boating holiday on the Thames from Kingston upon Thames to Oxford and back to Kingston. In a way, the book is a work of roman à clef as the titular three men were based on Jerome himself and his two friends. Interesting.

It also seems that Three Men in a Boat is Jerome’s debut novel. Before his first novel-cum-travelogue, he published a couple of books such as  On the Stage – and Off (1885), a comic memoir based on his experience in the acting troupe, and Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow (1886), a collection of humorous essays. It seems that humor is his bread and butter, during his time on the stage and when he pivoted toward a career of writing. Moreover, Three Men in a Boat was listed by The Guardian as one of the 100 Best Novels written in English. The Guardian referred to the book as a surprise classic. This makes me look forward to reading the book even more. I just hope I get to obtain a copy of the book.

How about you fellow reader? How was your Monday? What books have you added to your reading list? Do drop it in the comment box. For now, happy Monday and, as always, happy reading!