Hour 6: (noon) So officially this readathon started 6 hours ago (6am my time), and so far I have read all of ONE hour :-P That's fine though - I'd long since decided not to sweat it and aim for 24 hours this time. I want to be able to enjoy the weekend and do other things as well. So far this morning I've slept in, done a bit of knitting, tidied up the place so I'm actually able to have guests over, got the crockpot started, picked out my books for the next 24-and-a-bit hours... oh, and read some ;-) Mette and Marianne should arrive within the next hour/hour and a half, and everything is pretty much ready for them.
It's rather amusing though - this is the first time either of them have ever visited me (though I've known them for about 12 years each by now, we mostly meet up at coffee houses etc.), and we start out with as informal and unique event as the readathon? For readathons it's really important to just go ahead and feel right at home whereever it's hosted... you shouldn't feel like you have to ask to go make a cuppa, take something out of the fridge, change seats, bring in the more comfortable chair from the lounge or whatever... I hope I can convey this to them - that they shouldn't stand on ceremony, but just make themselves at home. No matter what, I am REALLY looking forward to them coming over. It'll be great to share this with them!
Hour 9: (3pm) Mette and Marianne arrived 1:30pm and got a quick tour of the house before sitting down in the library with each their book. They're both reading Danish crime novels, whereas I decided to pick up "Wyrd Sisters" by Terry Pratchett. Haven't read that one since shortly after Lars and I performed it on stage back in 2001'ish (he was Lord Felmet - I played Granny Weatherwax), so I remember very little of it. It's fun rereading it though, as bits and pieces keep popping up in my memory as I go along.
Hour 12: (6pm) Just finished "Wyrd Sisters". It was just as good as I remembered it, and I found myself sniggering more than once. Now I have to find the script from our play again, just to see how much it was changed in the adaptation. I think I'll pick up "The Martian" now, but we'll probably stop for dinner soon.
Hour 18: (midnight) We ended up taking quite a long break for dinner, as we started talking and just couldn't stop again! Always the risk at social readathons, but I wouldn't be without it for the world :-D Mette finished her first book shortly after ten, which created a natural break and they both called it a day shortly after. They were going home via public transportation though, and as the local train line was out of service due to an accident, I offered to give them a ride to the nearest hub instead. I'm glad I did, as that gave us even MORE time to talk, and I was riding a high all the way home. They're lovely people, and I'm so glad to have gotten this chance to spend time outside work with them :-D They both expressed the desire to join me again another time, so yay! :-D
And now I'm back home (obviously) and back at reading. I have another 130 pages to go of "The Martian", so I'm going to attempt to finish that before heading off to bed.
Hour 27: (9am) It took me until almost 2am, but I got stubborn and finished the book before I headed off to bed! ...which meant I didn't wake up until about half an hour ago. I wasn't really feeling any of the books I'd picked out ahead of time (so typical!) but have instead turned to an old readathon favourite - Tamora Pierce's "Lady Knight" series. We'll see how many of the books I end up getting through :-)
Hour 33: (3pm) The end for me. While the official readathon runs for another 15 hours, I decided to do the unofficial 12in24 instead (reading 12 hours out of 24 rather than twice that). While I love reading all weekend, I also like having time for other things as well ;-) I reached 12 hours at 2pm, but stuck around to finish the book I was reading. So I guess I did 13in25? :-P
But I had a great time as always, and I LOVED having Mette and Marianne join me. It was a really fun way to expand our friendship :-D
Books Read: "Wyrd Sisters" - Terry Pratchett, "The Martian" - Andy Weir, "First Test" & "Page" - Tamora Pierce
Time Spent Reading: 13 hours
Showing posts with label readathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label readathon. Show all posts
20 Oct 2018
Dewey's 24-hour readathon - October 2018 progress report
T-2.5 I woke up early'ish this morning and hit the gym, so I'm now ready to play couch potato for the rest of the day with a clean conscience! :-) The crock-pot is slowly cooking our dinner, the books have been picked out, I just need to get lunch and pour the snacks out and then I'm all sorted and ready for my partners in crime. Mum, Dad, Rebekka and Michala will arrive somewhere between 13:00-13:30 so we're all set to start at 14:00. I've been looking forward to this for AGES! I've said it before and I'll say it again - I LOVE that the readathon has become a family tradition!!! :-)
As always I'll keep my progress report to one post so as not to spam you.
T-0.5 Everybody's here. Snacks are sorted, books are being discussed and we're getting ready to start! As per usual, the Getting To Know You survey.
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Copenhagen, Denmark. Once again, we're reading from my library. "We" being Mum, Dad, Rebekka, Michala and your's truly.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: I never know!!! Rereading Narnia perhaps?
Mum: I don't know... am still making up my mind.
Dad: Well... I only brought one book, so that one by default? "Leathal White" by Robert Galbraith
Rebekka: All of them? I have to check which ones I can borrow off Maria afterwards.
Michala: I have no idea! I never make up my mind until the very last minute!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Mum: Rebekka's cookies.
Mixi & Dad: Yes!
Rebekka: Chocolate licorice
Maria: A bit of everything... cookies, nuts, grapes - it's all good.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
As usual, we're reading together as a family. This is my 16th, Mum's 9th, Rebekka's 8th, Mixi's 5th and Dad's 2nd!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?
Mum & Mixi: Nothing... it's become a good tradition as it is.
Maria: Nothing really. This is my 16th readathon, so it's pretty much settled.
Rebekka: Not sure... last time I said I wouldn't go as crazy with the snacks... that didn't happen.
Dad: Not read any obligation reading!
Hour 2 (15:00):
First hour done. I think Dad's the only one who's reading the book he said he would - all the rest of us found something else we were more tempted by. Mum's reading "Throne of Glass", Mixi found "Ikk' for sjov" a memoir by Danish comedian about his fight with cancer and is laughing her way through it. Rebekka is reading a book by M.M. Kaye, but I don't know the English title, and I ended up with one of Mixi's books - "Last Chance" by Sarah Dressen. I'm almost 100 pages into it already - it's a really fast read.
Which books published in the 21st century do you think will be considered a classic 100 years from now?
Mixi: Harry Potter? I know the first ones were from the 20th Century, but the latter ones count. Or Hunger Games.
Maria: "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles
Mum & Dad: "The Hundred-Year-Old Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson.
Hour 3 (16:00)
Another hour gone, another 80 pages read. I only have another 60 to go now, so should finish within the hour. I like it - it's very stereotypical YA, which means it's perfect readathon material.
Mini-Challenge - Fantasy world
Which fantasy world would you most like to go visit?
Mum: Narnia
Maria: For sure!!
Dad: No doubt.
Mum: I've wanted to visit ever since I first read them.
Michala: Then I'll say Hogwarts, just to be different!
Rebekka: Hard to pick something different from what you've already said!
Maria: Yeah, you wouldn't want to live in Wonderland or Neverland...
Rebekka: Whatever the world in "Seeds of Discovery" by Breeana Puttroff is called
Dad: Malacandra (Mars in "Out of the Silent Planet" by C.S. Lewis) could also be interesting.
Hour 4 (17:00)
I finished "Last Chance" about 15 minutes ago. Not as powerful as some of Sarah Dressen's other books, but a good, clean YA that kept me nicely entertained. I liked it. Now I've switched to my kindle and "Dragon Kin: Alonia & Thrift" by Audrey Faye.
Mini-Challenge - Teenage Angst
Which books that helped you escape the angst of your teenage years?
Mixi: "The Ordinary Princess" by M.M. Kaye
Maria: Pretty much anything by Tamora Pierce, but particularly the Alanna series.
Dad: I mostly read non-fiction at that age.
Mum: The Laura books I think.
Rebekka: I used music rather than books at that age... can't think of any.
Hour 5 (18:00)
I only managed 50 pages over the last hour. I knew I read more slowly when it's an ebook instead of a physical book, but hadn't realized HOW much more slowly. Ah well, who cares. It's a good book, and I'm enjoying it, so that's the important part. All the others are reading longer books, so they're still busy with theirs.
Hour 7 (20:15)
We've had dinner since I updated last (I love my crockpot for this event!) AND I've finished book 2 :-D Now to decide what to read next. I kinda want to read the next Dragon-Kin book, but I also want to get back to physical books again... Perhaps I'll turn to "The Ordinary Princess"? I haven't read that in years, and sort of got the urge after Mixi mentioned it as her comfort book.
Mini-Challenge - Favourite Books
What is the best book you've read so far in 2018?
Mum: Bread of Angels - Tessa Afshar
Dad: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Maria: Yeah, same., A Gentleman in Moscow
Michala: Either this one ("Ikk' for sjov") or "The Loose Ends List"
Rebekka: I can't remember what I read this year!!! My PH.D. assertation?
Hour 8 (21:00)
"The Ordinary Princess" it was, and as that's only 123 short pages long, I've finished it already :-D I think my next book will be "Moskitoland", as I've been wanting to read that for quite awhile, and now seems as good a time as any. Mixi'll probably be leaving soon, but the rest of us are still at it :-)
Mini-Challenge Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter
Do you have special books that you re-read each season?
Michala & Rebekka: Other than Christmas books, not really.
Mum: But I love "12 Days of Christmas" by Trisha Ashley
Maria: Definitely! Also, somehow winter always makes me feel like rereading the Laura books. Especially "The Long Winter" - for obvious reasons. I don't really have anything for summer or spring.
Dad: Nope!
Hour 11 (00:00)
All my partners in crime have left now. Mixi left at 21:30, Mum and Dad at 22:30 and Rebekka at 23:30! I started "Moskitoland" as expected and am really enjoying it. It is very different from what I expected, but in a good way. I only have about 80 pages to go, so hope to stay awake to finish that tonight. This will probably be my last update until morning though.
Hour 20 (09:00)
I woke up an hour ago and am back at reading. I finished "Moskitoland" just before going to bed and am now reading "Beneath the Sugar Sky" by Seanan McGuire. I read the first book in the series ("Every Heart a Doorway") at a previous readathon and LOVED it, so it seemed natural to save the sequel for another one (I know I've skipped a book in the series, but that one seems more like a companion novel than a sequel, and I wanted to get back to the Wayward Children :) )
Hour 21 (10:00)
I just finished "Beneath the Sugar Sky" and loved it every bit as much as "Every Heart a Doorway". I definitely need to add that series to my physical library! This puts me just past 1000 pages, and I still have another four hours to go! Now to decide what to read next... I think it might be "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl". I've been wanting to read that for awhile, and it seems like very suitable material for a readathon. Hopefully I'm right :)
Hour 24 (13:30)
I finished "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" with just half an hour to spare, so I'm not going to pick up anything else up for the last 30 minutes. That puts my totals at 6 books and 1376 pages, which is close to a personal record, considering that there were no graphic novels involved. Mixi and Mum finished one book each, and I have to check with Rebekka how she's fairing with hers. I was right in supposing M&E&DG would make for good readathon material, but unfortunately I didn't like it as much as I had expected to. It was a LOT more depressing than I had anticipated, and though it still ended on a positive note, it's probably not a book I'm likely to reread much. Oh well. I really liked the other books I read for the readathon (especially "Beneath the Sugar Sky" and "Dragon-Kin" and only one dud out of 5 (I'm not counting my reread here) is pretty good!
So that's it for this time! It's been fun as always, and I do love that it's a family tradition now. So much more satisfying to sit together with a group of people... even if we are just sitting and reading :-)
Books read: "Last Chance" - Sarah Dressen. (245), "Dragon Kin: Alonia & Thrift" - Audrey Faye (208), "The Ordinary Princess" - M.M. Kaye (123), "Moskitoland" - David Arnold (348), "Beneath the Sugar Sky" - Seanan McGuire, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews (295)
Pages read: 1376
Currently reading: None.
As always I'll keep my progress report to one post so as not to spam you.
T-0.5 Everybody's here. Snacks are sorted, books are being discussed and we're getting ready to start! As per usual, the Getting To Know You survey.
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Copenhagen, Denmark. Once again, we're reading from my library. "We" being Mum, Dad, Rebekka, Michala and your's truly.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: I never know!!! Rereading Narnia perhaps?
Mum: I don't know... am still making up my mind.
Dad: Well... I only brought one book, so that one by default? "Leathal White" by Robert Galbraith
Rebekka: All of them? I have to check which ones I can borrow off Maria afterwards.
Michala: I have no idea! I never make up my mind until the very last minute!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Mum: Rebekka's cookies.
Mixi & Dad: Yes!
Rebekka: Chocolate licorice
Maria: A bit of everything... cookies, nuts, grapes - it's all good.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
As usual, we're reading together as a family. This is my 16th, Mum's 9th, Rebekka's 8th, Mixi's 5th and Dad's 2nd!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?
Mum & Mixi: Nothing... it's become a good tradition as it is.
Maria: Nothing really. This is my 16th readathon, so it's pretty much settled.
Rebekka: Not sure... last time I said I wouldn't go as crazy with the snacks... that didn't happen.
Dad: Not read any obligation reading!
Hour 2 (15:00):
First hour done. I think Dad's the only one who's reading the book he said he would - all the rest of us found something else we were more tempted by. Mum's reading "Throne of Glass", Mixi found "Ikk' for sjov" a memoir by Danish comedian about his fight with cancer and is laughing her way through it. Rebekka is reading a book by M.M. Kaye, but I don't know the English title, and I ended up with one of Mixi's books - "Last Chance" by Sarah Dressen. I'm almost 100 pages into it already - it's a really fast read.
Which books published in the 21st century do you think will be considered a classic 100 years from now?
Mixi: Harry Potter? I know the first ones were from the 20th Century, but the latter ones count. Or Hunger Games.
Maria: "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles
Mum & Dad: "The Hundred-Year-Old Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson.
Hour 3 (16:00)
Another hour gone, another 80 pages read. I only have another 60 to go now, so should finish within the hour. I like it - it's very stereotypical YA, which means it's perfect readathon material.
Mini-Challenge - Fantasy world
Which fantasy world would you most like to go visit?
Mum: Narnia
Maria: For sure!!
Dad: No doubt.
Mum: I've wanted to visit ever since I first read them.
Michala: Then I'll say Hogwarts, just to be different!
Rebekka: Hard to pick something different from what you've already said!
Maria: Yeah, you wouldn't want to live in Wonderland or Neverland...
Rebekka: Whatever the world in "Seeds of Discovery" by Breeana Puttroff is called
Dad: Malacandra (Mars in "Out of the Silent Planet" by C.S. Lewis) could also be interesting.
Hour 4 (17:00)
I finished "Last Chance" about 15 minutes ago. Not as powerful as some of Sarah Dressen's other books, but a good, clean YA that kept me nicely entertained. I liked it. Now I've switched to my kindle and "Dragon Kin: Alonia & Thrift" by Audrey Faye.
Mini-Challenge - Teenage Angst
Which books that helped you escape the angst of your teenage years?
Mixi: "The Ordinary Princess" by M.M. Kaye
Maria: Pretty much anything by Tamora Pierce, but particularly the Alanna series.
Dad: I mostly read non-fiction at that age.
Mum: The Laura books I think.
Rebekka: I used music rather than books at that age... can't think of any.
Hour 5 (18:00)
I only managed 50 pages over the last hour. I knew I read more slowly when it's an ebook instead of a physical book, but hadn't realized HOW much more slowly. Ah well, who cares. It's a good book, and I'm enjoying it, so that's the important part. All the others are reading longer books, so they're still busy with theirs.
Hour 7 (20:15)
We've had dinner since I updated last (I love my crockpot for this event!) AND I've finished book 2 :-D Now to decide what to read next. I kinda want to read the next Dragon-Kin book, but I also want to get back to physical books again... Perhaps I'll turn to "The Ordinary Princess"? I haven't read that in years, and sort of got the urge after Mixi mentioned it as her comfort book.
Mini-Challenge - Favourite Books
What is the best book you've read so far in 2018?
Mum: Bread of Angels - Tessa Afshar
Dad: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Maria: Yeah, same., A Gentleman in Moscow
Michala: Either this one ("Ikk' for sjov") or "The Loose Ends List"
Rebekka: I can't remember what I read this year!!! My PH.D. assertation?
Hour 8 (21:00)
"The Ordinary Princess" it was, and as that's only 123 short pages long, I've finished it already :-D I think my next book will be "Moskitoland", as I've been wanting to read that for quite awhile, and now seems as good a time as any. Mixi'll probably be leaving soon, but the rest of us are still at it :-)
Mini-Challenge Spring-Summer-Autumn-Winter
Do you have special books that you re-read each season?
Michala & Rebekka: Other than Christmas books, not really.
Mum: But I love "12 Days of Christmas" by Trisha Ashley
Maria: Definitely! Also, somehow winter always makes me feel like rereading the Laura books. Especially "The Long Winter" - for obvious reasons. I don't really have anything for summer or spring.
Dad: Nope!
Hour 11 (00:00)
All my partners in crime have left now. Mixi left at 21:30, Mum and Dad at 22:30 and Rebekka at 23:30! I started "Moskitoland" as expected and am really enjoying it. It is very different from what I expected, but in a good way. I only have about 80 pages to go, so hope to stay awake to finish that tonight. This will probably be my last update until morning though.
Hour 20 (09:00)
I woke up an hour ago and am back at reading. I finished "Moskitoland" just before going to bed and am now reading "Beneath the Sugar Sky" by Seanan McGuire. I read the first book in the series ("Every Heart a Doorway") at a previous readathon and LOVED it, so it seemed natural to save the sequel for another one (I know I've skipped a book in the series, but that one seems more like a companion novel than a sequel, and I wanted to get back to the Wayward Children :) )
Hour 21 (10:00)
I just finished "Beneath the Sugar Sky" and loved it every bit as much as "Every Heart a Doorway". I definitely need to add that series to my physical library! This puts me just past 1000 pages, and I still have another four hours to go! Now to decide what to read next... I think it might be "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl". I've been wanting to read that for awhile, and it seems like very suitable material for a readathon. Hopefully I'm right :)
Hour 24 (13:30)
I finished "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" with just half an hour to spare, so I'm not going to pick up anything else up for the last 30 minutes. That puts my totals at 6 books and 1376 pages, which is close to a personal record, considering that there were no graphic novels involved. Mixi and Mum finished one book each, and I have to check with Rebekka how she's fairing with hers. I was right in supposing M&E&DG would make for good readathon material, but unfortunately I didn't like it as much as I had expected to. It was a LOT more depressing than I had anticipated, and though it still ended on a positive note, it's probably not a book I'm likely to reread much. Oh well. I really liked the other books I read for the readathon (especially "Beneath the Sugar Sky" and "Dragon-Kin" and only one dud out of 5 (I'm not counting my reread here) is pretty good!
So that's it for this time! It's been fun as always, and I do love that it's a family tradition now. So much more satisfying to sit together with a group of people... even if we are just sitting and reading :-)
Books read: "Last Chance" - Sarah Dressen. (245), "Dragon Kin: Alonia & Thrift" - Audrey Faye (208), "The Ordinary Princess" - M.M. Kaye (123), "Moskitoland" - David Arnold (348), "Beneath the Sugar Sky" - Seanan McGuire, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" by Jesse Andrews (295)
Pages read: 1376
Currently reading: None.
19 Oct 2018
Mini-Challenge: Modern Classics
Hello, fellow readers!!! Hope you're doing well and enjoying the thrill of the readathon - making a solitary activity social :-D
My challenge for you today is this:
Which books, published in the 21st century will likely be classics 100 years from now?
Personally, I think it's hard to guess in advance what will stand the test of time, but it's always fun to try anyway! So here are some the books I think will become classics.
How about you? Leave your answer or a direct link to your post with the answer in the comments, or post a photo of the books on instagram, tagging it with #deweysmodernclassics
Monday after the readathon I will use random.org to select a person to win a book from bookdepository.com of up to DKK100kr / US$15 / £10 / €13. I will notify the winner directly, but PLEASE make sure you leave me a way to get in touch with you! Otherwise I'll have to draw another winner.
Update: The winner was @readersbeadvised on Instagram who - like many others - suggested "Between Shades of Gray". I haven't read that one yet, but will definitely have to now. Congratulations @readersbeadvised, and thank you to everybody who participated!
My challenge for you today is this:
Which books, published in the 21st century will likely be classics 100 years from now?
Personally, I think it's hard to guess in advance what will stand the test of time, but it's always fun to try anyway! So here are some the books I think will become classics.
How about you? Leave your answer or a direct link to your post with the answer in the comments, or post a photo of the books on instagram, tagging it with #deweysmodernclassics
Monday after the readathon I will use random.org to select a person to win a book from bookdepository.com of up to DKK100kr / US$15 / £10 / €13. I will notify the winner directly, but PLEASE make sure you leave me a way to get in touch with you! Otherwise I'll have to draw another winner.
Update: The winner was @readersbeadvised on Instagram who - like many others - suggested "Between Shades of Gray". I haven't read that one yet, but will definitely have to now. Congratulations @readersbeadvised, and thank you to everybody who participated!
2 Oct 2018
Dewey October 2018 sign ups
The signups for the October edition of Dewey's 24-hr readathon have just opened, and of course I'll be signing up again! Hopefully Mum, Bekka and Mixi will all join me as per usual. After all - it's tradition! :-D
October 20th - can't wait! For some reason the autumn edition always seems cozier than the spring edition. Possibly because autumn weather automatically lends itself to snuggling up with a good book. Possibly because the autumn vacation was the one I started out doing, so it's become the "original" one in my head. Either way, it's gonna be awesome, and I love that it is now a family tradition!
So I'm quietly putting books aside (only mentally so far :-P ) and figuring out what I want to read. Books currently on my "to consider" list.
-- "Flexible" and "Unbreakable" by Ruth Buchanan
-- "Moskitoland" by David Arnold
-- The next book in Nick Clausen's YA series (I read the first one for the April readathon and it was really good! Not sure why I haven't gotten around to the next one yet).
-- "Dragon-Kin 3-4" by Audrey Faye and Shae Geary
I'm considering taking a page out of the 24in48 readathon and tracking time read as well... still making up my mind on that one.
October 20th - can't wait! For some reason the autumn edition always seems cozier than the spring edition. Possibly because autumn weather automatically lends itself to snuggling up with a good book. Possibly because the autumn vacation was the one I started out doing, so it's become the "original" one in my head. Either way, it's gonna be awesome, and I love that it is now a family tradition!
So I'm quietly putting books aside (only mentally so far :-P ) and figuring out what I want to read. Books currently on my "to consider" list.
-- "Flexible" and "Unbreakable" by Ruth Buchanan
-- "Moskitoland" by David Arnold
-- The next book in Nick Clausen's YA series (I read the first one for the April readathon and it was really good! Not sure why I haven't gotten around to the next one yet).
-- "Dragon-Kin 3-4" by Audrey Faye and Shae Geary
I'm considering taking a page out of the 24in48 readathon and tracking time read as well... still making up my mind on that one.
2 Jul 2018
24 in 48?
Thanks to Dewey's facebook page, I recently discovered the upcoming 24 in 48 Readathon taking place July 21st-22nd. Basically it's a readathon where you read for 24 out of 48 hours - you can split up those hours however you want, as long as you start after 00:01 Saturday morning and end before 23:59 Sunday evening (official hours are ET, but you can move them to fit your time zone if you want).
I've never done any readathons other than Dewey's before, but Lars is off working that weekend anyway, and I have absolutely no plans, so I figured, why not?! On one hand the different format sounds like it might make it more low-key, but on the other hand, reading 24 hours out of 48 is a LOT... even for me.
But I'm up for a challenge, so this is me signing up :-)
I've never done any readathons other than Dewey's before, but Lars is off working that weekend anyway, and I have absolutely no plans, so I figured, why not?! On one hand the different format sounds like it might make it more low-key, but on the other hand, reading 24 hours out of 48 is a LOT... even for me.
But I'm up for a challenge, so this is me signing up :-)
28 Apr 2018
Dewey's 24-hr readathon - April 2018
T-2: (Noon) Time to set up my post for the progress report. You've all been down this particular road with me before, so know how it all works out. I'll combine all my updates for Dewey's 24 hour readathon into this one post, in order not to spam you all too much during the day. Are you reading along? Let me know, so I can come cheer you on!
I've done my shopping and spent some time in the garden (it's absolutely gorgeous weather... totally wrong for the readathon, of course, but I enjoyed getting some sun AND being active at the same time, and once this post is up, I'll go get dinner sorted. Long live the crockpot! The others should arrive in about an hour.
I'll be back at Hour 0 with the opening meme.
Hour 1 (almost): We're all here and ready to start - with twenty minutes to go! So what better time to do the Opening Meme :-D
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Lyngby, Denmark. My library, as per usual :-D
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: "The Witness" by Nora Roberts.
Mum: "The Obsession" - also by Nora Roberts
Dad: "My Folks Don't Want Me To Talk About Slavery" collected by Belinda Hurmence
Maria: All of them? Probably "Moskitoland" by David Arnold
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: My cookies!
Mum: Rebekka's cookies! Oatmeal cookies with raspberry and caramelized white chocolate.
Me: Chips and cookies and everything.
Dad: Grapes.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
As always we're doing the readathon as a family. This is our 8th time reading together. Dad's joining us this time for the first time ever, which is awesome! But unfortunately Mixi couldn't make it :( Next time, sweetie!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: I will try to eat less snacks, but I will fail miserably.
Mum: I'm gonna use a bookmark this time!
Maria: Nothing new... this is my.... fourteenth time or so? (Forgot to count) I've pretty much gotten it sorted by now.
Dad: Finding out if this is also my last readathon, or if it's a new tradition for me too.
6) Which book are you going to start out with?
Rebekka: The Witness.
Mum: The Obsession
Dad: "As You Like It" by Shakespeare.
Maria: Haven't quite decided yet - either "Changing Gears" or "The Lightning-Struck Heart" - I want to start out with a reread... but I NEVER make up my mind until right before.
Hour 2 (3pm): The first hour has passed, and we're all happily reading (and snacking! Always snacking. Rebekka's cookies are goooooood!!!!) I decided to start with "Changing Gears" and am about 74 pages into it. It's just as good as last time I read it, but at this pace will take a few hours to finish.
Hour 3 (4pm): None of us have finished a book yet, but dad switched to "My Folks..." earlier this hour... after reading the first two acts of "As You Like It" he needed a change (I don't blame him - Shakespeare is HEAVY!)
PEN PAL MINI CHALLANGE
The mini-challenge is hosted at Just One More Thing where Tami wants to know:
"I am a big fan of old fashioned letter writing and I love having pen pals. There's nothing like a hand-written letter for really getting to know someone. So, my question for you is - what fictional character would you like to have as a pen pal, and why?"
Rebekka: Hermione Granger... I don't believe neither Harry nor Ron would ever actually sit down and write!
Mum: Laura Ingalls Wilder - wait! She isn't fictional.... Hmmm... Elizabeth Bennet then :) (we saw "Pride and Prejudice" on stage yesterday and it was AWESOME!)
Dad: Does Aslan count?
Maria: Anne Shirley. I know from "Anne of Windy Willows" that she's an excellent letter-writer.
Hour 4: Another hour gone, and another 70 pages read. At this rate I should (just) finish by dinner time. I love travelogues! It's great fun to live vicariously through others, and this one is one of my favourites as it's a happiness project and a travelogue rolled up into on book :) Definitely a good plan to start with a reread.
Hour 5 (6pm): I almost forgot to stop to update - I was so engrossed in my book! I have another 30 pages to go, so can start thinking about what I want my next book to be. Dad's returned to "As You Like It" and is quietly chuckling to himself from time to time. Apparently they could write jokes in the 16th Century as well - who knew! ;-) :-P
Hour 7 (8pm): We took a break for dinner since I updated last, but are back at reading now. I finished "Changing Gears" with about 15 minutes to spare before dinner, and decided to pick up the first "Animorphs" book for something completely different. I know they're childrens books, but I've always been fond of them as they were introduced to me by my hostbrother waaaaay back when, so they'll always remind me of him and of New Zealand. I'd forgotten how entertaining they are in their own right though. May end up continuing with more of those after this one. They are REALLY quick reads - I'm already 2/3 through.
Hour 8 (9pm): I've finished book two! But considering it was a 184p childrens book, that's not all that impressive ;-) Still counts though! I really liked it, and am definitely considering picking up more of that series. For now, I turned to a Danish book though - one I bought with Isabella in mind, but which I haven't read yet myself. It's a YA fantasy trilogy and seems quite good so far. I'm only 70 pages into the first one though, so possibly a bit too early to tell. It's very easily read though - but I've read other books by the same author, and expected nothing less.
Hour 9 (10pm): I literally just finished book 3 - but again, it was a short YA, so I pretty much expected to finish it fairly quickly assuming it could keep my interest. Fortunately it could, and while I don't think I'll go straight on to the next book in the series, I may pick it up later in the readathon. It's definitely worth reading though, and I'll have to renew my recommendation to Isabella :-)
Now I just have to figure out what to read next!
Hour 10 (11pm): I decided to pick up "The Loose Ends List" by Carrie Firestone which I borrowed off Mixi specifically for the readathon. I'm 70 pages into it and really liking it so far. It's YA but has potential to be fluff with a substance. Always a good combination for the readathon. Mum and Dad left about half an hour ago, but Rebekka and I are still going strong :-)
Hour 11 (midnight): Rebekka left not too long ago, and I'm probably going to call it a night soon too. I'm either getting old or I just value my sleep more than I used to :-P But 3.5 books isn't too shabby for the first half of the readathon :-D Even if most of the second half will be spent sleeping.
Hour 21 (10am): I've been up and reading since 8am but couldn't put my book down long enough to update. I've just finished "The Loose Ends List", and oh my goodness, it was amazing! Best YA I've read in several years - even if I did sob my way through the last 100 pages. Fluff with a substance indeed. Beautiful, heartbreaking, poignant and life-affirming all rolled up into one. It's going to be VERY hard to find a book that won't suffer from being read next. I may have to return to an old favourite (and a completely different genre) to give it even a fighting chance.
Wow. I had NOT expected that, when I first picked it up. Thanks for letting me borrow it, Mixi!
Hour 22 (11am): After a few false starts I've finally settled on "Death and the Penguin" by Andrey Kurkov. Not an old favourite - in fact, I've never read it before - but a short book that sounded just quirky enough to work. And certainly completely different from my last book. I'm only 30 pages into it so far, so way too early to say what I think of it, but I haven't been tempted to put it down at least.
Hour 23 (noon): Managed to read another 90 pages this past hour so should finish before my next update. That'll leave me with less than an hour for the final book though, so I'll have to either plan carefully or just accept that I won't finish the last one. I still can't quite make up my mind what I think of "Death and the Penguin". It's very slow-moving, but in no way boring. I own the sequel as well, but whether or not I'll bother with that one will depend a lot on what happens in the last 100 pages. Still, it's holding my interest.
Hour 24 (1:20pm): I suddenly realized I hadn't had anything to eat all morning, so got sidetracked getting that sorted, meaning I've only just finished "Death and the Penguin". With so little time left, I think I'll just call it a wrap and not start another book. It was a weird book, but part of that I think is due to cultural differences (the author's Ukranian). Still haven't decided whether or not I want to read the next one, but definitely not just now.
So that's it for this time around! With 5 books and 1380 pages read, I think that might be a personal record. And as always it was great to have company for so much of yesterday. It really is an awesome family tradition we've managed to establish :-D
Till October!
Currently reading:
Books read: Changing Gears - Nancy Sathre-Vogel (298), Animorphs #1: The Invasion - K.A. Applegate (184), Den sidste vindrytter: Udvalgt - Nick Clausen (195), The Loose Ends List - Carrie Firestone (375), Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov (228)
Pages read: 1380
I've done my shopping and spent some time in the garden (it's absolutely gorgeous weather... totally wrong for the readathon, of course, but I enjoyed getting some sun AND being active at the same time, and once this post is up, I'll go get dinner sorted. Long live the crockpot! The others should arrive in about an hour.
I'll be back at Hour 0 with the opening meme.
Hour 1 (almost): We're all here and ready to start - with twenty minutes to go! So what better time to do the Opening Meme :-D
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Lyngby, Denmark. My library, as per usual :-D
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: "The Witness" by Nora Roberts.
Mum: "The Obsession" - also by Nora Roberts
Dad: "My Folks Don't Want Me To Talk About Slavery" collected by Belinda Hurmence
Maria: All of them? Probably "Moskitoland" by David Arnold
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: My cookies!
Mum: Rebekka's cookies! Oatmeal cookies with raspberry and caramelized white chocolate.
Me: Chips and cookies and everything.
Dad: Grapes.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
As always we're doing the readathon as a family. This is our 8th time reading together. Dad's joining us this time for the first time ever, which is awesome! But unfortunately Mixi couldn't make it :( Next time, sweetie!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: I will try to eat less snacks, but I will fail miserably.
Mum: I'm gonna use a bookmark this time!
Maria: Nothing new... this is my.... fourteenth time or so? (Forgot to count) I've pretty much gotten it sorted by now.
Dad: Finding out if this is also my last readathon, or if it's a new tradition for me too.
6) Which book are you going to start out with?
Rebekka: The Witness.
Mum: The Obsession
Dad: "As You Like It" by Shakespeare.
Maria: Haven't quite decided yet - either "Changing Gears" or "The Lightning-Struck Heart" - I want to start out with a reread... but I NEVER make up my mind until right before.
Hour 2 (3pm): The first hour has passed, and we're all happily reading (and snacking! Always snacking. Rebekka's cookies are goooooood!!!!) I decided to start with "Changing Gears" and am about 74 pages into it. It's just as good as last time I read it, but at this pace will take a few hours to finish.
Hour 3 (4pm): None of us have finished a book yet, but dad switched to "My Folks..." earlier this hour... after reading the first two acts of "As You Like It" he needed a change (I don't blame him - Shakespeare is HEAVY!)
PEN PAL MINI CHALLANGE
The mini-challenge is hosted at Just One More Thing where Tami wants to know:
"I am a big fan of old fashioned letter writing and I love having pen pals. There's nothing like a hand-written letter for really getting to know someone. So, my question for you is - what fictional character would you like to have as a pen pal, and why?"
Rebekka: Hermione Granger... I don't believe neither Harry nor Ron would ever actually sit down and write!
Mum: Laura Ingalls Wilder - wait! She isn't fictional.... Hmmm... Elizabeth Bennet then :) (we saw "Pride and Prejudice" on stage yesterday and it was AWESOME!)
Dad: Does Aslan count?
Maria: Anne Shirley. I know from "Anne of Windy Willows" that she's an excellent letter-writer.
Hour 4: Another hour gone, and another 70 pages read. At this rate I should (just) finish by dinner time. I love travelogues! It's great fun to live vicariously through others, and this one is one of my favourites as it's a happiness project and a travelogue rolled up into on book :) Definitely a good plan to start with a reread.
Hour 5 (6pm): I almost forgot to stop to update - I was so engrossed in my book! I have another 30 pages to go, so can start thinking about what I want my next book to be. Dad's returned to "As You Like It" and is quietly chuckling to himself from time to time. Apparently they could write jokes in the 16th Century as well - who knew! ;-) :-P
Hour 7 (8pm): We took a break for dinner since I updated last, but are back at reading now. I finished "Changing Gears" with about 15 minutes to spare before dinner, and decided to pick up the first "Animorphs" book for something completely different. I know they're childrens books, but I've always been fond of them as they were introduced to me by my hostbrother waaaaay back when, so they'll always remind me of him and of New Zealand. I'd forgotten how entertaining they are in their own right though. May end up continuing with more of those after this one. They are REALLY quick reads - I'm already 2/3 through.
Hour 8 (9pm): I've finished book two! But considering it was a 184p childrens book, that's not all that impressive ;-) Still counts though! I really liked it, and am definitely considering picking up more of that series. For now, I turned to a Danish book though - one I bought with Isabella in mind, but which I haven't read yet myself. It's a YA fantasy trilogy and seems quite good so far. I'm only 70 pages into the first one though, so possibly a bit too early to tell. It's very easily read though - but I've read other books by the same author, and expected nothing less.
Hour 9 (10pm): I literally just finished book 3 - but again, it was a short YA, so I pretty much expected to finish it fairly quickly assuming it could keep my interest. Fortunately it could, and while I don't think I'll go straight on to the next book in the series, I may pick it up later in the readathon. It's definitely worth reading though, and I'll have to renew my recommendation to Isabella :-)
Now I just have to figure out what to read next!
Hour 10 (11pm): I decided to pick up "The Loose Ends List" by Carrie Firestone which I borrowed off Mixi specifically for the readathon. I'm 70 pages into it and really liking it so far. It's YA but has potential to be fluff with a substance. Always a good combination for the readathon. Mum and Dad left about half an hour ago, but Rebekka and I are still going strong :-)
Hour 11 (midnight): Rebekka left not too long ago, and I'm probably going to call it a night soon too. I'm either getting old or I just value my sleep more than I used to :-P But 3.5 books isn't too shabby for the first half of the readathon :-D Even if most of the second half will be spent sleeping.
Hour 21 (10am): I've been up and reading since 8am but couldn't put my book down long enough to update. I've just finished "The Loose Ends List", and oh my goodness, it was amazing! Best YA I've read in several years - even if I did sob my way through the last 100 pages. Fluff with a substance indeed. Beautiful, heartbreaking, poignant and life-affirming all rolled up into one. It's going to be VERY hard to find a book that won't suffer from being read next. I may have to return to an old favourite (and a completely different genre) to give it even a fighting chance.
Wow. I had NOT expected that, when I first picked it up. Thanks for letting me borrow it, Mixi!
Hour 22 (11am): After a few false starts I've finally settled on "Death and the Penguin" by Andrey Kurkov. Not an old favourite - in fact, I've never read it before - but a short book that sounded just quirky enough to work. And certainly completely different from my last book. I'm only 30 pages into it so far, so way too early to say what I think of it, but I haven't been tempted to put it down at least.
Hour 23 (noon): Managed to read another 90 pages this past hour so should finish before my next update. That'll leave me with less than an hour for the final book though, so I'll have to either plan carefully or just accept that I won't finish the last one. I still can't quite make up my mind what I think of "Death and the Penguin". It's very slow-moving, but in no way boring. I own the sequel as well, but whether or not I'll bother with that one will depend a lot on what happens in the last 100 pages. Still, it's holding my interest.
Hour 24 (1:20pm): I suddenly realized I hadn't had anything to eat all morning, so got sidetracked getting that sorted, meaning I've only just finished "Death and the Penguin". With so little time left, I think I'll just call it a wrap and not start another book. It was a weird book, but part of that I think is due to cultural differences (the author's Ukranian). Still haven't decided whether or not I want to read the next one, but definitely not just now.
So that's it for this time around! With 5 books and 1380 pages read, I think that might be a personal record. And as always it was great to have company for so much of yesterday. It really is an awesome family tradition we've managed to establish :-D
Till October!
Currently reading:
Books read: Changing Gears - Nancy Sathre-Vogel (298), Animorphs #1: The Invasion - K.A. Applegate (184), Den sidste vindrytter: Udvalgt - Nick Clausen (195), The Loose Ends List - Carrie Firestone (375), Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov (228)
Pages read: 1380
2 Apr 2018
Dewey Signups
The signups for the April edition of Dewey's 24-hr readathon have just opened, and of course I'll be signing up again! Mum and Rebekka are joining me for sure, and Mixi is still trying to coordinate plans so she'll be able to participate for at least some of it.
April 28th - can't wait!
I've been thinking of books to read for a few months now, and have been putting contenders aside, so I didn't "accidentally" read them too soon... with the expected result that I now have FAR too many books I want to read :-D But of course, that is exactly as it should be!
The books currently on my "to consider" list.
April 28th - can't wait!
I've been thinking of books to read for a few months now, and have been putting contenders aside, so I didn't "accidentally" read them too soon... with the expected result that I now have FAR too many books I want to read :-D But of course, that is exactly as it should be!
The books currently on my "to consider" list.
- "The Yarn Whisperer" and "A Stash of One's Own" by Clara Parkes
- "Flexible" and "Unbreakable" by Ruth Buchanan
- Whatever book I've reached in the "Chronicles of St. Mary" series by Jodi Taylor at that point.
- "Moskitoland" by David Arnold
- "Den sidste vindrytter" by Nick Clausen (Danish YA series)
21 Oct 2017
Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon - October, 2017
T-1, 13:00 I've got almost everything ready and am just waiting for my partners in crime :-) A soup's simmering on the stove, I've got our snacks and most importantly - I've got our books. Haven't had quite as much time to prepare for this readathon as usual, as I started this morning helping Mum, Dad, Rebekka and her family close up the summerhouse we've been spending the past few days in. I arrived home at 10am and have been busy ever since, getting ready for everybody to show up... which they just did, so I better get the last things ready so we prepared for 2pm to roll around :-)
Hour 1: Mum, Rebekka and Michala have all arrived, and we're getting ready to start :-D
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Copenhagen, Denmark. Back in my library after having held the spring readathon at Rebekka's place.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Mixi: I never know ahead of time.
Rebekka: The last book of the trilogy I've been putting off reading for 1.5 months in order to have it available for today.
Maria: The Distance From Me to You which I got for my birthday and have been saving for today.
Mum: No clue!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Mum: Macaroons!
Rebekka: Macaroons.
Mixi: I've already eaten my macaroons.
Maria: A little bit of everything. Chips, chocolate, grapes and of course macaroons.
4) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?
Mixi: Wanna make a guess? I'm NOT going to give birth this time around.
The rest of us: Read a bit more than last time, perhaps? Having Mixi's water break 10 minutes after it started, made for a rather confusing start.
5) Which book are you going to start off with.
Mum: A Danish classic: Amiks Spanske eventyr - always good to start off with a short book.
Mixi: Wish Upon a Star - a feel good book :-D
Rebekka: Marrying Christopher - the book mentioned above.
Maria: Probably "The Crucifix Killer" which I've wanted to read for almost a year, but never got around to. I bought it at last years' book fair and as it's the first in a series and this year's book fair is in a few weeks' time, I wanted to see if I should buy the next one ;-)
Hour 2: The last few days at the summer house has set its marks on all of us - we're a LOT more tired than usual, but no way I'm going to admit defeat and take a nap already! We're all enjoying our books (well, Mixi's and Mum's are both rereads, so they knew they would). "The Crucifix Killer" is very similar in style to the other crime novels I've been reading recently, so it's moving at a good pace. It's fairly long though, so may still be the only book I read before dinner.
10 Years in 10 Books
As this is the 10-year anniversary of the Readathon, the challenge of this hour is to come up with recommendations of books from the last ten years. So with no further ado, here goes (a collaborative effort between all of us)...
2007: Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
2008: The Host - Stephenie Meyer
2009: Library of the Dead - Glenn Cooper
2010: Room - Emma Donoghue
2011: A Modern Witch - Debora Geary
2012: Wonder - R.J. Palacio
2013: Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
2014: A Soft Breath of Wind - Roseanna M. White
2015: Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone
2016: The Chemist - Stephenie Meyer
2017: Waking Gods - Sylvain Neuvel
Hour 3: My book definitely took a turn for the more thrilling, so it hasn't been at all difficult to stay awake this past hour! I'm not even half-way through yet, so am eager to see what happens next.
The others are also all still working on their first books, although Mixi has changed to audio.
Hour 4: Still working on the same book. It's turning out REALLY good, so assuming it also has a satisfying ending, I'll probably end up buying the next one after all. I have another 120 pages to go, so might just finish in time for dinner.
Mum finished her first book, and moved on to "Every Last Word" by Tamara Ireland Stone on Mixi's and my recommendation.
Readathon Memories
Every reader knows how difficult it is to pick a favourite book, but fortunately this challenge is to pick a favourite book you've read in a readathon! According to my tags this is my 14th readathon, so I've listed a favourite from each:
April 2017: Where are the Lions - Claus Tondering
October 2016: Britt-Marie Was Here - Fredrik Backman
April 2016: Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
October 2015: Cancer Vixen - Marisa Acocella Marchetto
April 2015: A Dip in the Ocean - Sarah Outen
October 2014: Reden - Estrid Ott
October 2013: Guilt By Association - Gilbert Morris
April 2013: Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
April 2012: Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson
October 2011: Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey
April 2011: Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
October 2010: Page - Tamora Pierce
October 2009: Who Do I Talk To - Neta Jackson
Hour 7
I finished "The Crucifix Killer" with 15 minutes to spare before dinner :-) I really liked it and while a tad longer than I usually choose for my readathon books, it still fit the bill perfectly as it was both a page-turner and an easy read. I've now turned to "The Distance From Me To You" which I've wanted to read for ages, and finally got my hands on specifically with this readathon in mind. I'm only two chapters into it so far, but am enjoying it.
Dad came over to join us for dinner, but he's left again now, and we're getting back to reading :-)
Hour 9
All my reading companions have left me now. Michala and Rebekka half an hour ago (one of these years, Rebekka's gonna stay the night, so she can stay up late reading) and Mum just now (20 pages before finishing her second book! Fortunately she seems to be enjoying "Every Last Word" just as much as Mixi and I did), so now I'm back to reading by myself for the rest of the readathon. I'm just over half-way through "The Distance..." and am really enjoying it. Yes, it's very obviously YA, but with just enough travelogue (even if a fictional one) to make it just my cup of tea! I should have no problems finishing this one before heading off to bed.
Hour 10
This is a much faster read than my last book! I'm on page 250 already and should easily be able to finish within the next hour... assuming I don't get too sidetracked! Then I have to decide if that's it for today, or if I want to get just a few chapters in of a new book before heading off to bed. Rebekka texted me earlier that she wants to finish her book too, so she's reading with me from afar for awhile yet too :)
Hour 11:
Finished "The Distance From Me To You" 5 minutes ago. Unfortunately around 100 pages from the end it had a twist that I thought rather pointless... or rather, I guess it just proved that it was a novel rather than a travelogue. Still a shame though, as it had potential to be a new favourite, but ended up being just alright.
Ah well. C'est la vie. Right now I need to decide what my next book should be... whether I want to go for another new read, or if I should turn to something tested and true. At this hour (midnight) I need something light and engaging, so this is when I usually turn to graphic novels, but didn't have time to get any out of the library this time. I'll have to see what else I have on my shelves that might tempt me.
Hour 20:
Aaaand I'm back at reading again :-) Before going to bed last night I started on an old favourite ("Karen Kurér" by Estrid Ott), but only got 38 pages into it before I had to give up and call it a night. This morning I needed something I could read in bed without turning on the lights, so I picked up "Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan McGuire which I'd loaded onto my iPad for just this reason. I'm on page 62 of that and LOVING it! It's just the right mix of whimsy and crazy for me, so I'll definitely finish this before returning to Karen-Kurér again.
Hour 21:
Well! That certainly took a turn for the twisted. I only have another 18 pages left of "Every Heart a Doorway" and am insanely curious to see how everything will get wrapped up in those 18 pages. Goodreads' telling me that it's the first in a series, which makes me worried that it won't - I just might have to check out the others after the readathon.
Hour 22:
I finished "Every Heart..." not long after my last update, and fortunately it did have a proper ending. I still really want to read the next one though. I'm now back at "Karen Kurér" - one of my favourite novels about WW2 in Denmark. I only have another 22 pages to go though, so I'll have to decide on another book soon. With 3 hours to go I should be able to finish another 200-250 pages.
Hour 23:
As expected, I finished "Karen Kurér" just 15 minutes after my last update, and as my next (and probably final) book, I decided to pick up "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass. I "read" it as an audiobook several years ago, and have wanted to reread it pretty much ever since. It's one of the most fascinating books about synesthesia I've ever read, and as I have it myself (although a very mild 'case'), I find it very interesting. At 270 short pages I should just be able to finish it in time.
Hour 24:
The last hour has just started! I managed 100 pages in the last hour and need to read another 102 to finish the book, so I should manage fine, as long as I don't allow myself to get sidetracked ;-)
Hour 25:
And that's it - my 13th readathon is all over. I finished the last book with just 15 minutes to spare, so decided that was it. I ended up with a very respectable 5 books finished and a total of 1274 pages read.
Books Read: "The Crucifix Killer" - Chris Carter (365), "The Distance From Me To You" - Marina Gessner (339), "Every Heart a Doorway" - Seanan McGuire (172), "Karen Kurér" - Estrid Ott (128), "A Mango-Shaped Space" - Wendy Mass (270)
Pages Read: 1274
Currently Reading: Nothing
Hour 1: Mum, Rebekka and Michala have all arrived, and we're getting ready to start :-D
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Copenhagen, Denmark. Back in my library after having held the spring readathon at Rebekka's place.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Mixi: I never know ahead of time.
Rebekka: The last book of the trilogy I've been putting off reading for 1.5 months in order to have it available for today.
Maria: The Distance From Me to You which I got for my birthday and have been saving for today.
Mum: No clue!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Mum: Macaroons!
Rebekka: Macaroons.
Mixi: I've already eaten my macaroons.
Maria: A little bit of everything. Chips, chocolate, grapes and of course macaroons.
4) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?
Mixi: Wanna make a guess? I'm NOT going to give birth this time around.
The rest of us: Read a bit more than last time, perhaps? Having Mixi's water break 10 minutes after it started, made for a rather confusing start.
5) Which book are you going to start off with.
Mum: A Danish classic: Amiks Spanske eventyr - always good to start off with a short book.
Mixi: Wish Upon a Star - a feel good book :-D
Rebekka: Marrying Christopher - the book mentioned above.
Maria: Probably "The Crucifix Killer" which I've wanted to read for almost a year, but never got around to. I bought it at last years' book fair and as it's the first in a series and this year's book fair is in a few weeks' time, I wanted to see if I should buy the next one ;-)
Hour 2: The last few days at the summer house has set its marks on all of us - we're a LOT more tired than usual, but no way I'm going to admit defeat and take a nap already! We're all enjoying our books (well, Mixi's and Mum's are both rereads, so they knew they would). "The Crucifix Killer" is very similar in style to the other crime novels I've been reading recently, so it's moving at a good pace. It's fairly long though, so may still be the only book I read before dinner.
10 Years in 10 Books
As this is the 10-year anniversary of the Readathon, the challenge of this hour is to come up with recommendations of books from the last ten years. So with no further ado, here goes (a collaborative effort between all of us)...
2007: Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
2008: The Host - Stephenie Meyer
2009: Library of the Dead - Glenn Cooper
2010: Room - Emma Donoghue
2011: A Modern Witch - Debora Geary
2012: Wonder - R.J. Palacio
2013: Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
2014: A Soft Breath of Wind - Roseanna M. White
2015: Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone
2016: The Chemist - Stephenie Meyer
2017: Waking Gods - Sylvain Neuvel
Hour 3: My book definitely took a turn for the more thrilling, so it hasn't been at all difficult to stay awake this past hour! I'm not even half-way through yet, so am eager to see what happens next.
The others are also all still working on their first books, although Mixi has changed to audio.
Hour 4: Still working on the same book. It's turning out REALLY good, so assuming it also has a satisfying ending, I'll probably end up buying the next one after all. I have another 120 pages to go, so might just finish in time for dinner.
Mum finished her first book, and moved on to "Every Last Word" by Tamara Ireland Stone on Mixi's and my recommendation.
Readathon Memories
Every reader knows how difficult it is to pick a favourite book, but fortunately this challenge is to pick a favourite book you've read in a readathon! According to my tags this is my 14th readathon, so I've listed a favourite from each:
April 2017: Where are the Lions - Claus Tondering
October 2016: Britt-Marie Was Here - Fredrik Backman
April 2016: Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
October 2015: Cancer Vixen - Marisa Acocella Marchetto
April 2015: A Dip in the Ocean - Sarah Outen
October 2014: Reden - Estrid Ott
October 2013: Guilt By Association - Gilbert Morris
April 2013: Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
April 2012: Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson
October 2011: Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey
April 2011: Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
October 2010: Page - Tamora Pierce
October 2009: Who Do I Talk To - Neta Jackson
Hour 7
I finished "The Crucifix Killer" with 15 minutes to spare before dinner :-) I really liked it and while a tad longer than I usually choose for my readathon books, it still fit the bill perfectly as it was both a page-turner and an easy read. I've now turned to "The Distance From Me To You" which I've wanted to read for ages, and finally got my hands on specifically with this readathon in mind. I'm only two chapters into it so far, but am enjoying it.
Dad came over to join us for dinner, but he's left again now, and we're getting back to reading :-)
Hour 9
All my reading companions have left me now. Michala and Rebekka half an hour ago (one of these years, Rebekka's gonna stay the night, so she can stay up late reading) and Mum just now (20 pages before finishing her second book! Fortunately she seems to be enjoying "Every Last Word" just as much as Mixi and I did), so now I'm back to reading by myself for the rest of the readathon. I'm just over half-way through "The Distance..." and am really enjoying it. Yes, it's very obviously YA, but with just enough travelogue (even if a fictional one) to make it just my cup of tea! I should have no problems finishing this one before heading off to bed.
Hour 10
This is a much faster read than my last book! I'm on page 250 already and should easily be able to finish within the next hour... assuming I don't get too sidetracked! Then I have to decide if that's it for today, or if I want to get just a few chapters in of a new book before heading off to bed. Rebekka texted me earlier that she wants to finish her book too, so she's reading with me from afar for awhile yet too :)
Hour 11:
Finished "The Distance From Me To You" 5 minutes ago. Unfortunately around 100 pages from the end it had a twist that I thought rather pointless... or rather, I guess it just proved that it was a novel rather than a travelogue. Still a shame though, as it had potential to be a new favourite, but ended up being just alright.
Ah well. C'est la vie. Right now I need to decide what my next book should be... whether I want to go for another new read, or if I should turn to something tested and true. At this hour (midnight) I need something light and engaging, so this is when I usually turn to graphic novels, but didn't have time to get any out of the library this time. I'll have to see what else I have on my shelves that might tempt me.
Hour 20:
Aaaand I'm back at reading again :-) Before going to bed last night I started on an old favourite ("Karen Kurér" by Estrid Ott), but only got 38 pages into it before I had to give up and call it a night. This morning I needed something I could read in bed without turning on the lights, so I picked up "Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan McGuire which I'd loaded onto my iPad for just this reason. I'm on page 62 of that and LOVING it! It's just the right mix of whimsy and crazy for me, so I'll definitely finish this before returning to Karen-Kurér again.
Hour 21:
Well! That certainly took a turn for the twisted. I only have another 18 pages left of "Every Heart a Doorway" and am insanely curious to see how everything will get wrapped up in those 18 pages. Goodreads' telling me that it's the first in a series, which makes me worried that it won't - I just might have to check out the others after the readathon.
Hour 22:
I finished "Every Heart..." not long after my last update, and fortunately it did have a proper ending. I still really want to read the next one though. I'm now back at "Karen Kurér" - one of my favourite novels about WW2 in Denmark. I only have another 22 pages to go though, so I'll have to decide on another book soon. With 3 hours to go I should be able to finish another 200-250 pages.
Hour 23:
As expected, I finished "Karen Kurér" just 15 minutes after my last update, and as my next (and probably final) book, I decided to pick up "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass. I "read" it as an audiobook several years ago, and have wanted to reread it pretty much ever since. It's one of the most fascinating books about synesthesia I've ever read, and as I have it myself (although a very mild 'case'), I find it very interesting. At 270 short pages I should just be able to finish it in time.
Hour 24:
The last hour has just started! I managed 100 pages in the last hour and need to read another 102 to finish the book, so I should manage fine, as long as I don't allow myself to get sidetracked ;-)
Hour 25:
And that's it - my 13th readathon is all over. I finished the last book with just 15 minutes to spare, so decided that was it. I ended up with a very respectable 5 books finished and a total of 1274 pages read.
Books Read: "The Crucifix Killer" - Chris Carter (365), "The Distance From Me To You" - Marina Gessner (339), "Every Heart a Doorway" - Seanan McGuire (172), "Karen Kurér" - Estrid Ott (128), "A Mango-Shaped Space" - Wendy Mass (270)
Pages Read: 1274
Currently Reading: Nothing
18 Oct 2016
Suggested Reading - Readathon Edition
It's almost heeeeere!!! Just a few more days left to go. This year I'll be joined by my mum, my youngest sister and my oldest niece. Not as many as last year, but a small and cozy group :-)
I like having a large group of books picked out for the readathon - far more than I'll EVER have time to read, but enough for a decent selection so I won't feel limited by my choices, while still having made some of the decisions ahead of time, so I don't get overwhelmed from quickly having to choose between the thousands of books in my physical and digital libraries.
All this to say that I KNOW the list below is ridiculously long (I usually read 4-5 books for a readathon), but I think it'll give me a nice selection to choose from on the 22nd :)
Maria V. Snyder - If it wasn't for the fact that I've just finished my recent reread of her books in the Ixia/Sitia series, I'd definitely consider these books as they are the perfect readathon material. As it is, I'll be recommending them to my mum :) I might give "Inside Out" a try though, even though I know it's a completely different genre.
Tamora Pierce - I've read all but "Battle Magic", so this might be a good opportunity to reread some of my favourites in the Circle universe, and perhaps make my way up to that one. I know from some of the earliest years, that Tamora Pierce makes for wonderful readathon reading, as her books are ridiculously readable, usually quick to get through, and always leave me wanting more.
Britt-Marie Was Here - Fredrik Backman - I read "A Man Called Ove" at the last readathon, and a friend of mine was kind enough to make sure I could get my hands on one of his other books for this one :)
Wool - Hugh Howey - I've had Hugh Howey's books recommended to me so many times that it's almost getting ridiculous that I haven't read them yet, and as each of the five individual novels that makes up the omnibus is only 50-70 pages long, a few of those seem perfect for the readathon. Especially as it isn't much of a commitment if I discover they aren't my cup of tea.
Love & Gelato - Jenna Evans Welch At 400 pages it's a bit longer than what I usually prefer for a readathon, but it looks to be a quick read, and YA often makes for good readathon material :)
Nerve - Jeanne Ryan I've been wanting to read this ever since I saw the trailer for the movie. If it's as fast-moving as the movie trailer makes it out to be, it'll be perfect for the late hours when I'm fighting to stay awake.
Pivot Point - Kasie West. YA - check. Dystopian - check. Intriguing worldbuilding - check. Again a bit longer than I usually go for, but I skimmed the first two pages and am already hooked!
French Milk - Lucy Knisley. Graphic novels / memoirs are perfect for readathons :) So far I've loved everything I've read by Lucy Knisley, so I have high hopes for this one.
Dark Matter - Blake Crouch. Don't actually have my hands on this one yet, but it's on its way in the mail, and I'm HOPING it'll arrive in time. True, it might not be readathon material at all, but I've heard so many good things about it, that I'm really eager to get started on it.
The Lost Art of Mixing - Erica Bauermeister. The two other books I've read by Erica Bauermeister have been quick and enjoyable reads, that I read in a day each, even without the lure of a readathon. I finally got my hands on this sequel to "The School of Essential Ingredients", and am eager to read it (although I may decide to reread TSoEI first, as it's been a few years, and I don't remember many details).
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris In theory I like essay collections for readathons, as I can just pick an essay or two as the mood strikes me. In practice I tend to get caught up in the author's writing and end up reading all of it! Still, it's going on my list.
I like having a large group of books picked out for the readathon - far more than I'll EVER have time to read, but enough for a decent selection so I won't feel limited by my choices, while still having made some of the decisions ahead of time, so I don't get overwhelmed from quickly having to choose between the thousands of books in my physical and digital libraries.
All this to say that I KNOW the list below is ridiculously long (I usually read 4-5 books for a readathon), but I think it'll give me a nice selection to choose from on the 22nd :)
Maria V. Snyder - If it wasn't for the fact that I've just finished my recent reread of her books in the Ixia/Sitia series, I'd definitely consider these books as they are the perfect readathon material. As it is, I'll be recommending them to my mum :) I might give "Inside Out" a try though, even though I know it's a completely different genre.
Tamora Pierce - I've read all but "Battle Magic", so this might be a good opportunity to reread some of my favourites in the Circle universe, and perhaps make my way up to that one. I know from some of the earliest years, that Tamora Pierce makes for wonderful readathon reading, as her books are ridiculously readable, usually quick to get through, and always leave me wanting more.
Britt-Marie Was Here - Fredrik Backman - I read "A Man Called Ove" at the last readathon, and a friend of mine was kind enough to make sure I could get my hands on one of his other books for this one :)
Wool - Hugh Howey - I've had Hugh Howey's books recommended to me so many times that it's almost getting ridiculous that I haven't read them yet, and as each of the five individual novels that makes up the omnibus is only 50-70 pages long, a few of those seem perfect for the readathon. Especially as it isn't much of a commitment if I discover they aren't my cup of tea.
Love & Gelato - Jenna Evans Welch At 400 pages it's a bit longer than what I usually prefer for a readathon, but it looks to be a quick read, and YA often makes for good readathon material :)
Nerve - Jeanne Ryan I've been wanting to read this ever since I saw the trailer for the movie. If it's as fast-moving as the movie trailer makes it out to be, it'll be perfect for the late hours when I'm fighting to stay awake.
Pivot Point - Kasie West. YA - check. Dystopian - check. Intriguing worldbuilding - check. Again a bit longer than I usually go for, but I skimmed the first two pages and am already hooked!
French Milk - Lucy Knisley. Graphic novels / memoirs are perfect for readathons :) So far I've loved everything I've read by Lucy Knisley, so I have high hopes for this one.
Dark Matter - Blake Crouch. Don't actually have my hands on this one yet, but it's on its way in the mail, and I'm HOPING it'll arrive in time. True, it might not be readathon material at all, but I've heard so many good things about it, that I'm really eager to get started on it.
The Lost Art of Mixing - Erica Bauermeister. The two other books I've read by Erica Bauermeister have been quick and enjoyable reads, that I read in a day each, even without the lure of a readathon. I finally got my hands on this sequel to "The School of Essential Ingredients", and am eager to read it (although I may decide to reread TSoEI first, as it's been a few years, and I don't remember many details).
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris In theory I like essay collections for readathons, as I can just pick an essay or two as the mood strikes me. In practice I tend to get caught up in the author's writing and end up reading all of it! Still, it's going on my list.
23 Apr 2016
Dewey's Read-a-thon - Progress Report
T-4 hours: Not much longer to go now, so I figured it was time to get the placeholder for my progress report down :) I've picked out all the books, tidied the house so it's ready for the invasion, and just need to get dinner underway before the rest arrive. My niece, Isabella came over yesterday and has spent the night here, so she's kindly offered me to chop vegetables for dinner once she's finished the mouse she's currently crocheting :) We've had an awesome time getting our crafty geek on, watching movies, talking, putting on nail wraps (link goes to photo of our hands... even though hers keep falling off :-P Not sure if her nails aren't long enough, or if there's something weird going on with the chemistry of her nails, or if it's just because it doesn't work as well with a hair dryer as with a hot plate - ah well, she doesn't seem to mind terribly) and just generally having a lovely time together :) And now she's really eager for the readathon to start (so am I, mind you), so she can start both the book she brought along with her, and one of the ones I picked out for her.
Since she's here, I won't be following my usual tradition of going on the treadmill this morning, but I went both swimming and biking yesterday, so I'm going to count that!
Isabella has finished her mouse - time to go start dinner :) As usual, I'll just keep updating this post with my progress reports so I don't spam you too much... I'm so considerate that way... and modest too ;)
Let me know if you're reading along too - would love to come cheer you on :)
Hour 0: The house is full with people excited to read :D Love hearing all the chatter :)
Opening Meme
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Copenhagen, Denmark
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: If I knew, I would start with that one! I want to read Fangirl, Paper Town, WitchLight, Undomestic Goddess, Casting Spells, Joy for Beginners, and Looking for Alaska!
Nina: Casting Spells
Michala: Aaaah!! I don't know either!
Isabella: Dark Tide
Mum: A Man Called Ove
Me: I don't know either - I never make up my mind until 3 seconds before we actually start.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka baked some awesome cookies as always. Mum brought along strawberries which is all kinds of excellent!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
As usual, we're turning this into a family event. I'll be my 12th time, Mum's and Rebekka's fourth time, Mixi's second time and Isabella and Nina's first time!
5) What are you most looking forward to about the readathon
Nina: Reading together with you guys.
Isabella: Because I get to read for hours of end without Mum telling me to do something else.
Rebekka: The reading experience.
Michala: The 'hygge'... and Rebekka's cookies.
Mum: Being together with you all.
Maria: Yup, me too... and then the reading of course :)
Rebekka, Michala and I still need to make up our minds which books to start with - I always change my mind 309 times within the last five minutes... that's part of the fun! ;)
Hour 1: As usual, we kept chatting until the very last minute, until Mixi suddenly called out "It's time!" and we all immediately stopped talking, and picked up our books. Nina looked around bemused, "This suddenly got silly!", but then picked up her book as well, and we've all been quietly reading ever since, with only a "please pass the M&Ms" to be heard. I ended up picking up "A Man Called Ove" as my first books, and am about 100 pages into it. I'm really enjoying it so far - much the same type of humour as "The Hundred-Year-Old Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared". Should take me another 2-3 hours to finish though, so I'll probably only have time for that one before dinner.
Mum is reading an old YA, Rebekka and Mixi are reading "If I Stay" and "Where She Went" respectively, and Nina is reading a book by Janet Evanovich. Isabella is reading "Dark Tide" as expected :)
Hour 2: Nina has finished her first book, and was very unimpressed when she heard there was no prize for doing so ;) Mixi took a small nap... having a 16-month-old daughter around takes its toll. And we've determined that Isabella reads almost as quickly as I do. Good girl!
Hour 3: Just a quick update before I get up to put the potatoes in the oven for dinner. I've another 80 or so pages to go of my book, so should finish before dinner. I can't quite make up my mind what I think of the book... It's fairly similar to "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared" in genre, but without the same vitality that made that book so incredibly charming. I think the last quarter will make it or break it.
Last hour's Mini-Challenge was to write a five-word book story. I came up with "A full library - happiness achieved". Rebekka's was "She read it, and died."
Mum's finished her first book as well, and is trying to figure out what to read next :)
Hour 6: Took a break for dinner, but now we're back :) I finished "A Man Called Ove" just before dinner as expected. It was good, but not as amazing as I'd expected from other people's recommendations. Ah well. Haven't yet decided what to pick up next, which is why I figured I'd update here first.
Lars arrived home just in time for dinner :) Perfect timing.
Hour 8: I decided to pick up "Wrong Way Round" - an Australian travelogue, which is so far charming me completely. Mum finished her second book (another Danish YA), and has picked up "If I Stay" which Rebekka finished earlier this hour. She's picked up "Seeing Me Naked" which I remember hardly anything about, other than that it was one of the most charming chick-lit books I read in 2007.
And may I just take this moment to recount how much I LOVE that this is now a family event!!! Three generations this time, sitting around, having an awesome time with each our books. I love it :)
Hour 9: Only managed 30 pages this past hour, due to taking time to see Mum and Isabella off, as well as discussing new book ideas with Mixi who's finished "Where She Went", and after a lot of debating turned on to an audiobook as her next read. I am absolutely LOVING "Wrong Way Round" though - definitely awesome readathon material!
Hour 10: I'm starting to feel the effects of a long few days. It's 11pm and I'm getting decidedly tired. Fortunately the book is still fascinating enough to keep me captivated though - AND it's making me want to go back to Australia and see some of the sights mentioned here! Highly recommend this book if you want to live vicariously through others.
Hour 11: Rebekka and Michala left shortly after my last update, so now I'm reading on my own again (although it's nice to have Lars back :) ) and am wondering how much longer I'll last. My book is still really amazing, but surprisingly slow reading. Not quite sure what that is... the type isn't that small... perhaps it's just that I keep flipping back and forth to follow their trip on the map... or perhaps it's just that I'm getting tired ;) I have another 70 pages to go, and would like to finish that before I head off to bed, but am not quite sure I'll manage.
Hour 11.5: I'm throwing in the towel. I'm going to call it a night and read on in the morning. Totally weird to only have made it to 543 pages on the first day, but I'm just not reading this book at anywhere near the speed I usually do. No matter - I'm enjoying it hugely, and that's the important part :) However, just this once I'm going to give up before the mid-event survey... the questions all tend to be the same each year anyway ;)
See you when I wake up again.
Hour 20: Hi again :) I've been awake for an hour, and just finished "Wrong Way Round". SUCH a good book! One of the best travelogues I've read, I think. So even if it was slow reading, it made for perfect readathon material :)
Next up is "Attachments" by Rainbow Rowell. I've loved almost everything else I've read by her, so I have high hopes :)
Hour 22: Definitely a good book for a readathon! I'm flying through it, and am on page 120 already. Now that's more like it! Apparently "Wrong Way Round" was just a book one had to read slowly to savour. No matter - I'm happier having savoured it, than rushing through it, not remembering half of what I read.
But anyways, "Attachments" - light and engaging, just as I've come to expect from Rainbow Rowell. I'm about a third through, and while I don't like it quite as much as neither "Landline" nor "Fangirl", so far I'm enjoying it a lot more than "Eleanor and Park".
This hour's challenge is to describe the perfect reading day. I'm not sure I have one - any weather is perfect for reading. If it's rainy and windy outside, I curl up on the couch in our den with a blanket (can't wait for my hand-knit one to be finished! Isabella and I took it for a test snuggle yesterday, and it'll be perfect!) and a cuppa. If it's sunny but cold outside, I curl up on the couch in my library where I can enjoy the sun's rays from the warmth and comfort of inside. And if it's sunny and warm outside, I can bring out the hammock stand, and curl up there!
So obviously, "curling up" is the important thing ;)
Hour 23: Another 80 pages read since my last update, so I should easily finish this book before the end of the readathon :)
Hour 24: Final hour! The end is coming far too quickly - just as always. Lars saw me pottering around on the computer earlier and commented "It's the readathon and you're not reading. This is embarrassing!" Hehe ;) I only have another 50 pages to go of "Attachments" though, so should easily finish before 14:00. It'll be the first time I've only read 3 books, but I don't care - they've been good ones :) (And all physical books that I can now take off my TBR-shelf! Woohoo! That totally counts for something too!)
The End Finished with 10 minutes to spare. That was an utterly adorable book, and I'm glad to have read it :) Thus concludes yet another readathon. 6 people, 24 hours, 3 books and 951 pages. First time in awhile I didn't reach 1000 pages, but also the first time in awhile I read absolutely no graphic novels/memoirs as part of the readathon.
End of Event Survey
Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 11 or 12. I'm really not good at staying up much past midnight!
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Pretty much anything by Rainbow Rowell or Tamara Ireland Stone, "Wonder", "The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight".
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next season? Not really.
What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The cheerleaders were more visible than last year, which was nice :)
How many books did you read? 3
What were the names of the books you read? "A Man Called Ove", "Wrong Way Round" and "Attachments".
Which book did you enjoy most? "Wrong Way Round". Utterly charming and an awesome book to live vicariously through.
Which did you enjoy least? "A Man Called Ove". Not that I disliked it - not at all - it just wasn't as amazing as I had expected it to be, so I felt kinda let down.
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? VERY likely! It's a tradition I've come to love, and which would take a VERY good reason to skip. Especially after I've started sharing it with my family :)
Books read: "En mand der hedder Ove" (358), "Wrong Way Round" (236), "Attachments" (357)
Pages read: 951
Currently reading: ---
Since she's here, I won't be following my usual tradition of going on the treadmill this morning, but I went both swimming and biking yesterday, so I'm going to count that!
Isabella has finished her mouse - time to go start dinner :) As usual, I'll just keep updating this post with my progress reports so I don't spam you too much... I'm so considerate that way... and modest too ;)
Let me know if you're reading along too - would love to come cheer you on :)
Hour 0: The house is full with people excited to read :D Love hearing all the chatter :)
Opening Meme
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Copenhagen, Denmark
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka: If I knew, I would start with that one! I want to read Fangirl, Paper Town, WitchLight, Undomestic Goddess, Casting Spells, Joy for Beginners, and Looking for Alaska!
Nina: Casting Spells
Michala: Aaaah!! I don't know either!
Isabella: Dark Tide
Mum: A Man Called Ove
Me: I don't know either - I never make up my mind until 3 seconds before we actually start.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Rebekka baked some awesome cookies as always. Mum brought along strawberries which is all kinds of excellent!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
As usual, we're turning this into a family event. I'll be my 12th time, Mum's and Rebekka's fourth time, Mixi's second time and Isabella and Nina's first time!
5) What are you most looking forward to about the readathon
Nina: Reading together with you guys.
Isabella: Because I get to read for hours of end without Mum telling me to do something else.
Rebekka: The reading experience.
Michala: The 'hygge'... and Rebekka's cookies.
Mum: Being together with you all.
Maria: Yup, me too... and then the reading of course :)
Rebekka, Michala and I still need to make up our minds which books to start with - I always change my mind 309 times within the last five minutes... that's part of the fun! ;)
Hour 1: As usual, we kept chatting until the very last minute, until Mixi suddenly called out "It's time!" and we all immediately stopped talking, and picked up our books. Nina looked around bemused, "This suddenly got silly!", but then picked up her book as well, and we've all been quietly reading ever since, with only a "please pass the M&Ms" to be heard. I ended up picking up "A Man Called Ove" as my first books, and am about 100 pages into it. I'm really enjoying it so far - much the same type of humour as "The Hundred-Year-Old Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared". Should take me another 2-3 hours to finish though, so I'll probably only have time for that one before dinner.
Mum is reading an old YA, Rebekka and Mixi are reading "If I Stay" and "Where She Went" respectively, and Nina is reading a book by Janet Evanovich. Isabella is reading "Dark Tide" as expected :)
Hour 2: Nina has finished her first book, and was very unimpressed when she heard there was no prize for doing so ;) Mixi took a small nap... having a 16-month-old daughter around takes its toll. And we've determined that Isabella reads almost as quickly as I do. Good girl!
Hour 3: Just a quick update before I get up to put the potatoes in the oven for dinner. I've another 80 or so pages to go of my book, so should finish before dinner. I can't quite make up my mind what I think of the book... It's fairly similar to "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared" in genre, but without the same vitality that made that book so incredibly charming. I think the last quarter will make it or break it.
Last hour's Mini-Challenge was to write a five-word book story. I came up with "A full library - happiness achieved". Rebekka's was "She read it, and died."
Mum's finished her first book as well, and is trying to figure out what to read next :)
Hour 6: Took a break for dinner, but now we're back :) I finished "A Man Called Ove" just before dinner as expected. It was good, but not as amazing as I'd expected from other people's recommendations. Ah well. Haven't yet decided what to pick up next, which is why I figured I'd update here first.
Lars arrived home just in time for dinner :) Perfect timing.
Hour 8: I decided to pick up "Wrong Way Round" - an Australian travelogue, which is so far charming me completely. Mum finished her second book (another Danish YA), and has picked up "If I Stay" which Rebekka finished earlier this hour. She's picked up "Seeing Me Naked" which I remember hardly anything about, other than that it was one of the most charming chick-lit books I read in 2007.
And may I just take this moment to recount how much I LOVE that this is now a family event!!! Three generations this time, sitting around, having an awesome time with each our books. I love it :)
Hour 9: Only managed 30 pages this past hour, due to taking time to see Mum and Isabella off, as well as discussing new book ideas with Mixi who's finished "Where She Went", and after a lot of debating turned on to an audiobook as her next read. I am absolutely LOVING "Wrong Way Round" though - definitely awesome readathon material!
Hour 10: I'm starting to feel the effects of a long few days. It's 11pm and I'm getting decidedly tired. Fortunately the book is still fascinating enough to keep me captivated though - AND it's making me want to go back to Australia and see some of the sights mentioned here! Highly recommend this book if you want to live vicariously through others.
Hour 11: Rebekka and Michala left shortly after my last update, so now I'm reading on my own again (although it's nice to have Lars back :) ) and am wondering how much longer I'll last. My book is still really amazing, but surprisingly slow reading. Not quite sure what that is... the type isn't that small... perhaps it's just that I keep flipping back and forth to follow their trip on the map... or perhaps it's just that I'm getting tired ;) I have another 70 pages to go, and would like to finish that before I head off to bed, but am not quite sure I'll manage.
Hour 11.5: I'm throwing in the towel. I'm going to call it a night and read on in the morning. Totally weird to only have made it to 543 pages on the first day, but I'm just not reading this book at anywhere near the speed I usually do. No matter - I'm enjoying it hugely, and that's the important part :) However, just this once I'm going to give up before the mid-event survey... the questions all tend to be the same each year anyway ;)
See you when I wake up again.
Hour 20: Hi again :) I've been awake for an hour, and just finished "Wrong Way Round". SUCH a good book! One of the best travelogues I've read, I think. So even if it was slow reading, it made for perfect readathon material :)
Next up is "Attachments" by Rainbow Rowell. I've loved almost everything else I've read by her, so I have high hopes :)
Hour 22: Definitely a good book for a readathon! I'm flying through it, and am on page 120 already. Now that's more like it! Apparently "Wrong Way Round" was just a book one had to read slowly to savour. No matter - I'm happier having savoured it, than rushing through it, not remembering half of what I read.
But anyways, "Attachments" - light and engaging, just as I've come to expect from Rainbow Rowell. I'm about a third through, and while I don't like it quite as much as neither "Landline" nor "Fangirl", so far I'm enjoying it a lot more than "Eleanor and Park".
This hour's challenge is to describe the perfect reading day. I'm not sure I have one - any weather is perfect for reading. If it's rainy and windy outside, I curl up on the couch in our den with a blanket (can't wait for my hand-knit one to be finished! Isabella and I took it for a test snuggle yesterday, and it'll be perfect!) and a cuppa. If it's sunny but cold outside, I curl up on the couch in my library where I can enjoy the sun's rays from the warmth and comfort of inside. And if it's sunny and warm outside, I can bring out the hammock stand, and curl up there!
So obviously, "curling up" is the important thing ;)
Hour 23: Another 80 pages read since my last update, so I should easily finish this book before the end of the readathon :)
Hour 24: Final hour! The end is coming far too quickly - just as always. Lars saw me pottering around on the computer earlier and commented "It's the readathon and you're not reading. This is embarrassing!" Hehe ;) I only have another 50 pages to go of "Attachments" though, so should easily finish before 14:00. It'll be the first time I've only read 3 books, but I don't care - they've been good ones :) (And all physical books that I can now take off my TBR-shelf! Woohoo! That totally counts for something too!)
The End Finished with 10 minutes to spare. That was an utterly adorable book, and I'm glad to have read it :) Thus concludes yet another readathon. 6 people, 24 hours, 3 books and 951 pages. First time in awhile I didn't reach 1000 pages, but also the first time in awhile I read absolutely no graphic novels/memoirs as part of the readathon.
End of Event Survey
Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 11 or 12. I'm really not good at staying up much past midnight!
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Pretty much anything by Rainbow Rowell or Tamara Ireland Stone, "Wonder", "The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight".
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next season? Not really.
What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The cheerleaders were more visible than last year, which was nice :)
How many books did you read? 3
What were the names of the books you read? "A Man Called Ove", "Wrong Way Round" and "Attachments".
Which book did you enjoy most? "Wrong Way Round". Utterly charming and an awesome book to live vicariously through.
Which did you enjoy least? "A Man Called Ove". Not that I disliked it - not at all - it just wasn't as amazing as I had expected it to be, so I felt kinda let down.
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? VERY likely! It's a tradition I've come to love, and which would take a VERY good reason to skip. Especially after I've started sharing it with my family :)
Books read: "En mand der hedder Ove" (358), "Wrong Way Round" (236), "Attachments" (357)
Pages read: 951
Currently reading: ---
8 Apr 2016
April 23-24th
The signups for Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon are open for both readers and cheerleaders. I've signed up again - obviously :) - for what will be my 11th readathon :) My Mum and sisters are coming over again, and my niece might even be joining us this time, which would be awesome! I'm already thinking up books for all of us, and am preparing to have as large a stack of suggestions as always :)
This blog is already filled with posts about how to prepare for the readathon, dos and don'ts etc., so I won't bore you by repeating myself there, but just say, "I can't wait!" :-) It's been an awesome tradition for years, and has only gotten better, after my family decided to join me.
I'm always more than happy to come up with recommendations for good readathon books, so you'd like some - just let me know!
This blog is already filled with posts about how to prepare for the readathon, dos and don'ts etc., so I won't bore you by repeating myself there, but just say, "I can't wait!" :-) It's been an awesome tradition for years, and has only gotten better, after my family decided to join me.
I'm always more than happy to come up with recommendations for good readathon books, so you'd like some - just let me know!
17 Oct 2015
Dewey's Read-a-thon 2015-2
Noon (T - 2 hrs) Mum and my sisters will arrive in about an hour, so I figured it was time to get this progress report started. As per usual, I'll keep all my updates in one post in order not to spam you more than necessary :)
I've gotten my pre-readathon workout sorted, and will go get dinner started as soon as I finish writing this post (gotta love my crock-pot!) so everything is ready by the time the others arrive. I've even picked out all the books, and as usual the table is groaning:
See you on the flip side!
Semi-hourly progress
T-10 minutes: People have arrived, and the table is groaning even more than before! Candy, fruit, chips and BOOKS!!! We've mostly chosen our first books, and are ready to start!
Pre-Readathon Survey
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Copenhagen, Denmark.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: "Auggie & Me" by R.J. Palacio. The companion novel to "Wonder" which I was just given as a birthday present and absolutely can't wait to read.
Mum: "Don't Hex With Tex" - the fourth book in a series Mum really enjoys.
Mixi: Don't know if I'll get through more than "Enchanted Inc."
Rebekka: Oh I don't know!!! Too many to choose between! Artemis Fowl perhaps?
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: Rebekka made some awesome cakes (Napoleons hatte to my fellow Danes).
Mixi: Napoleons Hatte!
Mum: YES!
Rebekka: Yes, me too.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
It's become a family tradition to do the read-a-thon together. As Rebekka stated last year, it's become a tradition we need a really good reason to break! This is our third time reading together in some capacity.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
Maria: This is my 10th - I've much got it down. But I do love reading with my family instead of alone.
Rebekka: Nothing different. This seems to work :)
Mixi: Actually being here from the start, as I only halfway participated last time.
Mum: Sit closer to the goodies? Although perhaps it's just as well...
Hour 2: "Auggie and Me" is turning out to be a superquick read - I'm halfway already, and loving it. It totally lives up to my expectations :) Mixi and I convinced Rebekka she should pick "Wonder" as her first book, so I hope she'll like it as much as we do.
This hour's challenge is Cover Escape - pick a cover you'd like to disappear into. Genre, plot etc. doesn't matter, this is purely judging a book by its cover.
Well, I know I'm outing myself here, but this is my choice:
.
At this time of year, a nice, warm, sunny beach sounds like just the thing to me!
Hour 3: Still reading "Auggie and Me", but I only have 70 pages to go, so should finish within half an hour or so. It's three short stories from people in the Wonder-universe, so not as much about Auggie as about his friends. I'm really enjoying it :) The difficult thing will be to make up my mind what to read next!
The others are still reading their first books as well. Mum keeps laughing on a regular basis, so I'm glad I've started reading that series as well - sounds like it's a good one.
Hour 4: Finished A&M half an hour ago - loved it! Awesome first book for the readathon :) I picked up "The Ocean at the end of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman as my second book, but just wasn't feeling it at all, so after a mere 10 pages, I decided it wasn't readathon material and put it aside. I've never been a Neil Gaiman fan, but was told this was "Neil Gaiman for people who don't like Neil Gaiman", so was hoping I'd like it. I still may - just not right now.
Instead I picked up "Destiny's Song" by Audrey Faye, which is the ARC I mentioned earlier. I'm only 23 pages into it so far, but it seems intriguing. Definitely shades of "Crystal Singer" by Anne McCaffrey.
Mixi hogged A&M almost as soon as I finished it. She's read and loved "Wonder" as well, so wanted to read more... obviously don't blame her, considering I was exactly the same.
Hour 5: "Destiny's Song" is completely different from all of Audrey Faye's other books, but I'm loving it! Not quite half way yet, so it doesn't look like I'll finish before dinner.
The challenge for this hour is the "Ugly Cover Challenge" - pick the book with the ugliest cover ever, and explain why one should look past the cover and read it anyway.
My pick is "Seeing Me Naked" by Liza Palmer. The published cover isn't too bad, but the cover of the ebook as well as of the ARC that I was sent? Oh my... I actually found myself NOT wanting to read that in public.
However, it is one of the most delightful chick-lits I've read in a long time, as it combines the usual romance which the intriguing insights into the life of a pastry chef. I LOVE books that take place in the kitchens of restaurants, bakeries etc., so this book was a true gem.... once I got past the cover, that is :)
Hour 7: I'm back! After an hour long break for dinner, talking and a Bailey for dessert. Yum :) I still have 30 pages to go of "Destiny's Song" and am absolutely loving it! It's probably the best (most polished anyway) think she's written under that pseudonym :-)
The challenge for this hour is one of my favourite - Top Ten Things About Dewey's Read-a-thon!
In no specific order...
1. Uninterrupted reading time
2. Guilt-free snacking
3. Company while reading - taking a solitary act and making it social.
4. "Hygge" - the wonderful Danish word that is untranslatable but can be googled ;)
5. 'Permission' to turn down other invitations for reading.
6. Reading books I had never thought of. (Rebekka)
7. Reading for a longer period of time than I had ever thought of. (Mixi)
8. A new family tradition.
9. A twice-a-year event to look forward to.
10. Having somebody to discuss books with and get book recommendations from.
Hour 9: Finished "Destiny's Song" shortly after 9pm. Such a good book! I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series. I wasn't really feeling any of the other books I'd been considering, so picked up "Veronika Decides to Die" which Rebekka had brought along. Can't really make up my mind what I think about it yet - probably too early to say.
Mum and Rebekka have finished their books as well, so Rebekka has picked up "The Giver" and Mum's reading "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?". I believe Mixi has fallen asleep... the perils of silence and reading when one has a small child who doesn't sleep through the night ;)
Hour 10: 11pm, and all my partners in crime have left. On the other hand, Lars has just returned home, so I'm not completely alone :) I'm still reading "Veronika Decides to Die" - have another 75 pages to go I think. Still can't figure out what I think of it, but then I had much the same reaction when I read "The Alchemist", so perhaps it's just the way Paulo Coelho's books are.
Hour 11: Finished "Veronika..." 2 minutes ago. Rebekka did say the end would make or break it for me, and I think she's right. I don't yet know exactly what I think of it, but I'm glad I've read it.
It's almost midnight now though, and I'm beginning to feel the struggle ;) I'll have to pick something really good for my next book, or I'll have to admit defeat and head off to bed soon.
Hour 12: I had a text conversation with Rebekka shortly after my last update, and she told me she was powering through to finish her book, so I figured I'd attempt to stay awake with her. Taking the later hour into consideration (I'm such a party animal :-P ) I decided to pick up "Cancer Vixen" which I'd bought earlier this week specifically for the readathon. I'm just over half-way through and can't put it down! So while I may head off and finish it in bed, I'll definitely finish it before I throw in the towel for tonight.
And - as per usual in hour 12 - the mid-event survey
1. What are you reading right now? "Cancer Vixen" - a graphic memoir.
2. How many books have you read so far? I've finished 3.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? No clue... I haven't decided past my current book.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? No, just those of my own making, dinner and seeing my family off.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? Not much any longer. It's exactly as I expect it to be, and I love it!
Hour 24: Yet another readathon is over. It's been a good one, with some amazing books read. None that I'd rate below 3 stars, and three 4.5-5 star books! Awesome! I sat up reading until 2am finishing "Cancer Vixen" (so good!) then slept for 7 hours and was back at reading shortly after 9am. Didn't feel like booting up my computer before now though, which explains the lack of updates from me. I'm currently reading "Stray" by Andrea K. Höst, and enjoying it a lot, but unfortunately I'm only about 75% through. Should finish it later today though, and then I can get started on all my reviews! I've had a terrific time, and as always, turning it into a family tradition has just made it so much more awesome!
Currently Reading: "Stray"
Books Read: "Auggie and Me" - R.J. Palacio (380), "Destiny's Song" by Audrey Faye (223), "Veronika Decides to Die" - Paulo Coelho (210), "Cancer Vixen" by Marisa Acocella Marchetto (224)
Pages Read: 1234
I've gotten my pre-readathon workout sorted, and will go get dinner started as soon as I finish writing this post (gotta love my crock-pot!) so everything is ready by the time the others arrive. I've even picked out all the books, and as usual the table is groaning:
See you on the flip side!
Semi-hourly progress
T-10 minutes: People have arrived, and the table is groaning even more than before! Candy, fruit, chips and BOOKS!!! We've mostly chosen our first books, and are ready to start!
Pre-Readathon Survey
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Copenhagen, Denmark.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: "Auggie & Me" by R.J. Palacio. The companion novel to "Wonder" which I was just given as a birthday present and absolutely can't wait to read.
Mum: "Don't Hex With Tex" - the fourth book in a series Mum really enjoys.
Mixi: Don't know if I'll get through more than "Enchanted Inc."
Rebekka: Oh I don't know!!! Too many to choose between! Artemis Fowl perhaps?
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: Rebekka made some awesome cakes (Napoleons hatte to my fellow Danes).
Mixi: Napoleons Hatte!
Mum: YES!
Rebekka: Yes, me too.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
It's become a family tradition to do the read-a-thon together. As Rebekka stated last year, it's become a tradition we need a really good reason to break! This is our third time reading together in some capacity.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
Maria: This is my 10th - I've much got it down. But I do love reading with my family instead of alone.
Rebekka: Nothing different. This seems to work :)
Mixi: Actually being here from the start, as I only halfway participated last time.
Mum: Sit closer to the goodies? Although perhaps it's just as well...
Hour 2: "Auggie and Me" is turning out to be a superquick read - I'm halfway already, and loving it. It totally lives up to my expectations :) Mixi and I convinced Rebekka she should pick "Wonder" as her first book, so I hope she'll like it as much as we do.
This hour's challenge is Cover Escape - pick a cover you'd like to disappear into. Genre, plot etc. doesn't matter, this is purely judging a book by its cover.
Well, I know I'm outing myself here, but this is my choice:
.At this time of year, a nice, warm, sunny beach sounds like just the thing to me!
Hour 3: Still reading "Auggie and Me", but I only have 70 pages to go, so should finish within half an hour or so. It's three short stories from people in the Wonder-universe, so not as much about Auggie as about his friends. I'm really enjoying it :) The difficult thing will be to make up my mind what to read next!
The others are still reading their first books as well. Mum keeps laughing on a regular basis, so I'm glad I've started reading that series as well - sounds like it's a good one.
Hour 4: Finished A&M half an hour ago - loved it! Awesome first book for the readathon :) I picked up "The Ocean at the end of the Lane" by Neil Gaiman as my second book, but just wasn't feeling it at all, so after a mere 10 pages, I decided it wasn't readathon material and put it aside. I've never been a Neil Gaiman fan, but was told this was "Neil Gaiman for people who don't like Neil Gaiman", so was hoping I'd like it. I still may - just not right now.
Instead I picked up "Destiny's Song" by Audrey Faye, which is the ARC I mentioned earlier. I'm only 23 pages into it so far, but it seems intriguing. Definitely shades of "Crystal Singer" by Anne McCaffrey.
Mixi hogged A&M almost as soon as I finished it. She's read and loved "Wonder" as well, so wanted to read more... obviously don't blame her, considering I was exactly the same.
Hour 5: "Destiny's Song" is completely different from all of Audrey Faye's other books, but I'm loving it! Not quite half way yet, so it doesn't look like I'll finish before dinner.
The challenge for this hour is the "Ugly Cover Challenge" - pick the book with the ugliest cover ever, and explain why one should look past the cover and read it anyway.
My pick is "Seeing Me Naked" by Liza Palmer. The published cover isn't too bad, but the cover of the ebook as well as of the ARC that I was sent? Oh my... I actually found myself NOT wanting to read that in public.
However, it is one of the most delightful chick-lits I've read in a long time, as it combines the usual romance which the intriguing insights into the life of a pastry chef. I LOVE books that take place in the kitchens of restaurants, bakeries etc., so this book was a true gem.... once I got past the cover, that is :)
Hour 7: I'm back! After an hour long break for dinner, talking and a Bailey for dessert. Yum :) I still have 30 pages to go of "Destiny's Song" and am absolutely loving it! It's probably the best (most polished anyway) think she's written under that pseudonym :-)
The challenge for this hour is one of my favourite - Top Ten Things About Dewey's Read-a-thon!
In no specific order...
1. Uninterrupted reading time
2. Guilt-free snacking
3. Company while reading - taking a solitary act and making it social.
4. "Hygge" - the wonderful Danish word that is untranslatable but can be googled ;)
5. 'Permission' to turn down other invitations for reading.
6. Reading books I had never thought of. (Rebekka)
7. Reading for a longer period of time than I had ever thought of. (Mixi)
8. A new family tradition.
9. A twice-a-year event to look forward to.
10. Having somebody to discuss books with and get book recommendations from.
Hour 9: Finished "Destiny's Song" shortly after 9pm. Such a good book! I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series. I wasn't really feeling any of the other books I'd been considering, so picked up "Veronika Decides to Die" which Rebekka had brought along. Can't really make up my mind what I think about it yet - probably too early to say.
Mum and Rebekka have finished their books as well, so Rebekka has picked up "The Giver" and Mum's reading "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?". I believe Mixi has fallen asleep... the perils of silence and reading when one has a small child who doesn't sleep through the night ;)
Hour 10: 11pm, and all my partners in crime have left. On the other hand, Lars has just returned home, so I'm not completely alone :) I'm still reading "Veronika Decides to Die" - have another 75 pages to go I think. Still can't figure out what I think of it, but then I had much the same reaction when I read "The Alchemist", so perhaps it's just the way Paulo Coelho's books are.
Hour 11: Finished "Veronika..." 2 minutes ago. Rebekka did say the end would make or break it for me, and I think she's right. I don't yet know exactly what I think of it, but I'm glad I've read it.
It's almost midnight now though, and I'm beginning to feel the struggle ;) I'll have to pick something really good for my next book, or I'll have to admit defeat and head off to bed soon.
Hour 12: I had a text conversation with Rebekka shortly after my last update, and she told me she was powering through to finish her book, so I figured I'd attempt to stay awake with her. Taking the later hour into consideration (I'm such a party animal :-P ) I decided to pick up "Cancer Vixen" which I'd bought earlier this week specifically for the readathon. I'm just over half-way through and can't put it down! So while I may head off and finish it in bed, I'll definitely finish it before I throw in the towel for tonight.
And - as per usual in hour 12 - the mid-event survey
1. What are you reading right now? "Cancer Vixen" - a graphic memoir.
2. How many books have you read so far? I've finished 3.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? No clue... I haven't decided past my current book.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? No, just those of my own making, dinner and seeing my family off.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? Not much any longer. It's exactly as I expect it to be, and I love it!
Hour 24: Yet another readathon is over. It's been a good one, with some amazing books read. None that I'd rate below 3 stars, and three 4.5-5 star books! Awesome! I sat up reading until 2am finishing "Cancer Vixen" (so good!) then slept for 7 hours and was back at reading shortly after 9am. Didn't feel like booting up my computer before now though, which explains the lack of updates from me. I'm currently reading "Stray" by Andrea K. Höst, and enjoying it a lot, but unfortunately I'm only about 75% through. Should finish it later today though, and then I can get started on all my reviews! I've had a terrific time, and as always, turning it into a family tradition has just made it so much more awesome!
Currently Reading: "Stray"
Books Read: "Auggie and Me" - R.J. Palacio (380), "Destiny's Song" by Audrey Faye (223), "Veronika Decides to Die" - Paulo Coelho (210), "Cancer Vixen" by Marisa Acocella Marchetto (224)
Pages Read: 1234
18 Sep 2015
October 17th-18th
Yes, it's that time of year again :) Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon is just around the corner! October 17th-18th to be exact. Can't remember if the starting time has been announced yet, but it's usually noon UTC, so that's what I'm going with.
Of course I will be participating again - it's one of my favourite events :)
Once again, I will be joined by my Mum and two sisters. This year Rebekka's sister-in-law will be coming along as well. It's her first time participating in the read-a-thon, so I hope it'll be as good an experience for her as it has been for the rest of us. It'll be the tenth (I think) time I participate at all, and the third time I'll be reading with company - it's a LOT cozier with company :)
So I'll be spending the next almost-month brainstorming ideas for books to read (not sure what it says about me that I already have about 20 possibilities) and snacks to buy/bake. As per usual I'll spend the morning doing something active (to counteract all the sitting and eating I'll be doing for the rest of the day) and getting the crock-pot ready with something delicious for dinner, so we won't have to spend time preparing that once the reading has started.
It'll be awesome!
If you have suggestions of short'ish books / quick reads you'd recommend, I'm always very interested :)
Of course I will be participating again - it's one of my favourite events :)
Once again, I will be joined by my Mum and two sisters. This year Rebekka's sister-in-law will be coming along as well. It's her first time participating in the read-a-thon, so I hope it'll be as good an experience for her as it has been for the rest of us. It'll be the tenth (I think) time I participate at all, and the third time I'll be reading with company - it's a LOT cozier with company :)
So I'll be spending the next almost-month brainstorming ideas for books to read (not sure what it says about me that I already have about 20 possibilities) and snacks to buy/bake. As per usual I'll spend the morning doing something active (to counteract all the sitting and eating I'll be doing for the rest of the day) and getting the crock-pot ready with something delicious for dinner, so we won't have to spend time preparing that once the reading has started.
It'll be awesome!
If you have suggestions of short'ish books / quick reads you'd recommend, I'm always very interested :)
25 Apr 2015
Dewey's Read-a-thon - April 2015 edition (#9)
T-2 I'm all set and ready to go :) I have spent the morning being active (always good when you intend to be stationary for the rest of the day), getting dinner ready in the crockpot, picking out books, and shopping for the last snacks. Everything is now ready, so I'm just waiting for the clock to turn 14:00 so I can start reading :)
A lot of these books are suggestions for Mum and Rebekka. I've made a vidcast about the books I'll be reading here.
As always, I'll keep my updates in just one post, so you can skip at will. Leave me a comment if you're reading along too, and a link if you have a progress post. I'd love to come cheer you on :)
Hour 0: Mum and Bekka arrived half an hour ago and we've been busy getting snacks ready and talking about all the books we want to read :) As always, we have faar to many books and far too many snacks - it's all good :)
Opening Meme:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Copenhagen, Denmark.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: Probably "An Age of License" by Lucy Knisley I think, as I've wanted to read this for quite awhile.
Rebekka: None of those in my stack, but I have found a BUNCH of Maria's books that I need to borrow.
Mum: "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Mum: Rebekka's homemade raspberry cookies!
Maria: YES!
Rebekka: Yes, me too :)
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
This is the second time the three of us will be reading together - it's an awesome way to take a solitary event and make it social.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?
Maria: Nothing - this is my 9th read-a-thon, I've pretty much got it sorted.
Rebekka: Shorter books! I'm a slow reader and want to finish more books.
Mum: Nothing.
Hour 2: Rebekka finished a book after 40 minutes! Granted, it was "The Strange Library" by Murakami which is only 77 pages long, but still :)
I'm reading "A Dip in the Ocean" and am 132 pages into. It is really, really, REALLY good so far, so I'm pleased I chose that as my first book.
Mum is reading an old favourite childrens book, and looks to be about halfway
Hour 4: Not much new has happened, which is why I didn't update at hour 3. I'm still reading "A Dip in the Ocean" and really enjoy it! Have another 50 pages to go now, so should finish soon.
Rebekka's reading "Singularity" by William Sleator and Mum's reading "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray - both my recommendations, so I hope they like them. But Mum's giggled a couple of times already, so I take that as a good sign.
Hour 5: I finished my book right as the clock struck 6pm! It was really, really good so I'm glad to chose that as my first book. However, it also took almost 4 hours to read, so I'm ready for something fast now. Possibly the graphic novel of "Coraline" that I loaded onto my iPad yesterday :)
We've also sent DH off to pick up my youngest sister, so further company will be arriving shortly :)
Hour 7: Mixi arrived about 6:30pm with my 4-month-old niece, so obviously that proved a bit of a happy distraction ;) We've also had a break for dinner, but I've still managed to finish "Coraline" since my last update. It doesn't take long when it's a graphic novel :) I've now started "The Strange Library" as Rebekka's main comment was "That's really, really weird!" -- and I got curious! Besides, it's only 77 pages - will be a quick read.
Hour 8: Really, really weird indeed! And not in a good way - mostly just as if it was weird for the sake of being weird. I didn't care much for it at all. At least it was short.
So now I've started an old teenhood favourite, "The Shadow of a Cloud". It's been 15-20 years since I read it last, so I remember next to nothing of it but I loved it back then, so I'm hoping it'll stand the test of time.
Hour 10: Everybody's left within the last hour, so I'm all alone with my books now. I've always enjoyed participating in the read-a-thons, but I absolutely LOVE it now that Mum and Bekka are part of it too (and Mixi for the last few hours :) ). I'm glad they want to and love sharing it with them. I do tend to be less active with the mini-challenges when they're here though... perhaps because I no longer feel the same need for online interaction during the read-a-thon, because I have the interaction IRL instead?
Anyway, I've just finished book #4. It wasn't quite as good as I seemed to remember, but good enough. It had an interesting development that I'd mostly forgotten, but which slowly came back to me as I got further through the book.
Now to decide what to read next. I'm not sure how much longer I'll last, so it should probably either be a reread or a read by an author I know can keep me captivated... or I may just decide to head off to bed soon, as I know Lars will wake me early tomorrow morning, so I can continue reading then instead.
Hour 11: Picked up "The Book of You" which I bought in London. It's about a woman being stalked and is utterly horrifying and unputdownable. Bed will have to wait awhile yet. Not entirely sure it's a good thing to be reading this while home alone...
The minichallenge this hour is a fun one, so I have to do it :) It's from The Girl Who Loved To Read where "the girl" asks which 3 books, published since 1990, will be considered classics in 2100 and why.
My three choices:
The Book Thief by Mark Zusak. Full disclosure - I didn't care much for this book myself, but I am so very obviously in the minority here. Everybody else seems to adore it, and find it very well written. Besides, it focuses on a different aspect of World War 2 than most books (and approaches it from a different angle) which will keep it relevant.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. This book - or series in fact - already reminds me a lot in style of the old classics like "The Count of Monte Cristo". I think it will stand the test of time well, and continue to fascinate readers.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer. Again it reminds me of a book that is a classic already - "84 Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff - which just strengthens my view that this will become a classic too. An epistolary novel about World War 2? It's a shoe-in.
Hour 12: Uhm... not entirely sure "The Book of You" was a good choice for this time of night. It's keeping me awake to be sure - but the problem is that it's so scary that it's keeping me TOO awake! However, I'm still only 1/3 of the way through, and as I stand a very good chance of being woken up at 7am I'd better start seeing about getting some shut-eye.
So the Mid-Event Survey... and then to bed!
Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? "The Book of You" by Claire Kendal. A total nail-biter.
2. How many books have you read so far? 4 where one was a graphic novel
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? One of Lucy Knisley's graphic memoirs.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? We had an unexpected visit from my youngest sister and her 4-month-old daughter. A very welcome distraction :)
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much MORE fun it is when I have people over to read with me :)
Hour 20: Fortunately sleep wasn't a problem :) And fortunately, I'd misremembered when Lars was coming home, so he didn't wake me up until 7:40! Woohoo :) Of course I got right back into reading, and am now half-way with "The Book of You". BTW, Claire Kendal responded to my tweet about her book last night!!! Woooo :D She was happy I liked her book, and sorry to scare me ;) Worth it!
Hour 21: A book is less scary when read at 10am instead of at 1pm, that's for sure! Still, "The Book of You" is a hard read, especially as I don't even think it's all that exaggerated an account of a stalker. I still have another 150 pages to go, so a lot can happen yet.
The mini-challenge this hour is to tell of that moment when you fall in love with a book.
It's happened twice to me this year that I read a book that just blew me away, and that I wanted everybody to know about.
The first time was "The Martian" by Andy Weir. I'd expected pretty run-of-the-mill sci-fi, and instead discovered a book I just couldn't put down and that left me speechless. I'd read it as an e-book and immediately went out to buy a physical copy, as I knew I wanted this standing on my shelves. Sure, it has its weaknesses, but as a whole, it is an amazing book.
The second time it happened was just earlier this month, when I fell over a random Netgalley. The cover intrigued me, so I sent in a request and was happy to have it approved. This was "Every Last Word" by Tamara Ireland Stone. I started it the following day, and pretty much didn't come up for air until I'd finished it. One of the best YA books I've read - very true and poignant, and the end had tears - good tears - running down my cheeks. It hasn't been published yet, but I can't wait for everybody to read it once it is. I'll absolutely be purchasing a physical copy of this as well!
Hour 23: Just two hours left to go now! And I just finished "The Book of You" a couple of minutes ago. I don't know... I loved it up until the last 30 pages, and now I don't know any longer. What I DO know is that I definitely have to find a happier book for my next read! Probably my last one, unless I find a really short one.
Hour 25: And done! My final book was "An Age of License" by Lucy Knisley which I finished with time to spare, putting my total at 6 books and 1327 pages! Slightly less impressive when you know that two of those were graphic works ;) I had an awesome time as always - made even better by having company yesterday! I'm going to be totally book-hungover for the rest of the day though!
Progress:
Currently Reading: None
Pages read: 1327
Books read: "A Dip in the Ocean" - Sarah Outen (310), "Coraline" - Neil Gaiman (186), "The Strange Library" - Haruki Murakami (77), "Skyggen af en Sky" - Taru Väyrynen (207), "The Book of You" - Claire Kendal, "An Age of License" by Lucy Knisley (186)
A lot of these books are suggestions for Mum and Rebekka. I've made a vidcast about the books I'll be reading here.
As always, I'll keep my updates in just one post, so you can skip at will. Leave me a comment if you're reading along too, and a link if you have a progress post. I'd love to come cheer you on :)
Hour 0: Mum and Bekka arrived half an hour ago and we've been busy getting snacks ready and talking about all the books we want to read :) As always, we have faar to many books and far too many snacks - it's all good :)
Opening Meme:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Copenhagen, Denmark.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Maria: Probably "An Age of License" by Lucy Knisley I think, as I've wanted to read this for quite awhile.
Rebekka: None of those in my stack, but I have found a BUNCH of Maria's books that I need to borrow.
Mum: "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Mum: Rebekka's homemade raspberry cookies!
Maria: YES!
Rebekka: Yes, me too :)
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
This is the second time the three of us will be reading together - it's an awesome way to take a solitary event and make it social.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?
Maria: Nothing - this is my 9th read-a-thon, I've pretty much got it sorted.
Rebekka: Shorter books! I'm a slow reader and want to finish more books.
Mum: Nothing.
Hour 2: Rebekka finished a book after 40 minutes! Granted, it was "The Strange Library" by Murakami which is only 77 pages long, but still :)
I'm reading "A Dip in the Ocean" and am 132 pages into. It is really, really, REALLY good so far, so I'm pleased I chose that as my first book.
Mum is reading an old favourite childrens book, and looks to be about halfway
Hour 4: Not much new has happened, which is why I didn't update at hour 3. I'm still reading "A Dip in the Ocean" and really enjoy it! Have another 50 pages to go now, so should finish soon.
Rebekka's reading "Singularity" by William Sleator and Mum's reading "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray - both my recommendations, so I hope they like them. But Mum's giggled a couple of times already, so I take that as a good sign.
Hour 5: I finished my book right as the clock struck 6pm! It was really, really good so I'm glad to chose that as my first book. However, it also took almost 4 hours to read, so I'm ready for something fast now. Possibly the graphic novel of "Coraline" that I loaded onto my iPad yesterday :)
We've also sent DH off to pick up my youngest sister, so further company will be arriving shortly :)
Hour 7: Mixi arrived about 6:30pm with my 4-month-old niece, so obviously that proved a bit of a happy distraction ;) We've also had a break for dinner, but I've still managed to finish "Coraline" since my last update. It doesn't take long when it's a graphic novel :) I've now started "The Strange Library" as Rebekka's main comment was "That's really, really weird!" -- and I got curious! Besides, it's only 77 pages - will be a quick read.
Hour 8: Really, really weird indeed! And not in a good way - mostly just as if it was weird for the sake of being weird. I didn't care much for it at all. At least it was short.
So now I've started an old teenhood favourite, "The Shadow of a Cloud". It's been 15-20 years since I read it last, so I remember next to nothing of it but I loved it back then, so I'm hoping it'll stand the test of time.
Hour 10: Everybody's left within the last hour, so I'm all alone with my books now. I've always enjoyed participating in the read-a-thons, but I absolutely LOVE it now that Mum and Bekka are part of it too (and Mixi for the last few hours :) ). I'm glad they want to and love sharing it with them. I do tend to be less active with the mini-challenges when they're here though... perhaps because I no longer feel the same need for online interaction during the read-a-thon, because I have the interaction IRL instead?
Anyway, I've just finished book #4. It wasn't quite as good as I seemed to remember, but good enough. It had an interesting development that I'd mostly forgotten, but which slowly came back to me as I got further through the book.
Now to decide what to read next. I'm not sure how much longer I'll last, so it should probably either be a reread or a read by an author I know can keep me captivated... or I may just decide to head off to bed soon, as I know Lars will wake me early tomorrow morning, so I can continue reading then instead.
Hour 11: Picked up "The Book of You" which I bought in London. It's about a woman being stalked and is utterly horrifying and unputdownable. Bed will have to wait awhile yet. Not entirely sure it's a good thing to be reading this while home alone...
The minichallenge this hour is a fun one, so I have to do it :) It's from The Girl Who Loved To Read where "the girl" asks which 3 books, published since 1990, will be considered classics in 2100 and why.
My three choices:
The Book Thief by Mark Zusak. Full disclosure - I didn't care much for this book myself, but I am so very obviously in the minority here. Everybody else seems to adore it, and find it very well written. Besides, it focuses on a different aspect of World War 2 than most books (and approaches it from a different angle) which will keep it relevant.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. This book - or series in fact - already reminds me a lot in style of the old classics like "The Count of Monte Cristo". I think it will stand the test of time well, and continue to fascinate readers.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer. Again it reminds me of a book that is a classic already - "84 Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff - which just strengthens my view that this will become a classic too. An epistolary novel about World War 2? It's a shoe-in.
Hour 12: Uhm... not entirely sure "The Book of You" was a good choice for this time of night. It's keeping me awake to be sure - but the problem is that it's so scary that it's keeping me TOO awake! However, I'm still only 1/3 of the way through, and as I stand a very good chance of being woken up at 7am I'd better start seeing about getting some shut-eye.
So the Mid-Event Survey... and then to bed!
Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? "The Book of You" by Claire Kendal. A total nail-biter.
2. How many books have you read so far? 4 where one was a graphic novel
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? One of Lucy Knisley's graphic memoirs.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? We had an unexpected visit from my youngest sister and her 4-month-old daughter. A very welcome distraction :)
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much MORE fun it is when I have people over to read with me :)
Hour 20: Fortunately sleep wasn't a problem :) And fortunately, I'd misremembered when Lars was coming home, so he didn't wake me up until 7:40! Woohoo :) Of course I got right back into reading, and am now half-way with "The Book of You". BTW, Claire Kendal responded to my tweet about her book last night!!! Woooo :D She was happy I liked her book, and sorry to scare me ;) Worth it!
Hour 21: A book is less scary when read at 10am instead of at 1pm, that's for sure! Still, "The Book of You" is a hard read, especially as I don't even think it's all that exaggerated an account of a stalker. I still have another 150 pages to go, so a lot can happen yet.
The mini-challenge this hour is to tell of that moment when you fall in love with a book.
It's happened twice to me this year that I read a book that just blew me away, and that I wanted everybody to know about.
The first time was "The Martian" by Andy Weir. I'd expected pretty run-of-the-mill sci-fi, and instead discovered a book I just couldn't put down and that left me speechless. I'd read it as an e-book and immediately went out to buy a physical copy, as I knew I wanted this standing on my shelves. Sure, it has its weaknesses, but as a whole, it is an amazing book.
The second time it happened was just earlier this month, when I fell over a random Netgalley. The cover intrigued me, so I sent in a request and was happy to have it approved. This was "Every Last Word" by Tamara Ireland Stone. I started it the following day, and pretty much didn't come up for air until I'd finished it. One of the best YA books I've read - very true and poignant, and the end had tears - good tears - running down my cheeks. It hasn't been published yet, but I can't wait for everybody to read it once it is. I'll absolutely be purchasing a physical copy of this as well!
Hour 23: Just two hours left to go now! And I just finished "The Book of You" a couple of minutes ago. I don't know... I loved it up until the last 30 pages, and now I don't know any longer. What I DO know is that I definitely have to find a happier book for my next read! Probably my last one, unless I find a really short one.
Hour 25: And done! My final book was "An Age of License" by Lucy Knisley which I finished with time to spare, putting my total at 6 books and 1327 pages! Slightly less impressive when you know that two of those were graphic works ;) I had an awesome time as always - made even better by having company yesterday! I'm going to be totally book-hungover for the rest of the day though!
Progress:
Currently Reading: None
Pages read: 1327
Books read: "A Dip in the Ocean" - Sarah Outen (310), "Coraline" - Neil Gaiman (186), "The Strange Library" - Haruki Murakami (77), "Skyggen af en Sky" - Taru Väyrynen (207), "The Book of You" - Claire Kendal, "An Age of License" by Lucy Knisley (186)
27 Mar 2015
It's that time of year again....!
I have just signed up for the April 2015 Read-a-Thon on April 25th :) I don't know if I'll be able to dedicate the entire day to it (last year Rebekka had the audacity of inviting us to Emil's birthday party the day of the read-a-thon ;) ), but even abbreviated read-a-thons are a ton of fun :)
I already have some books in mind for the read-a-thon - some were even bought specifically with this day in mind ;) No, I'm not obsessed or anything ;)
Possible contenders...
I already have some books in mind for the read-a-thon - some were even bought specifically with this day in mind ;) No, I'm not obsessed or anything ;)
Possible contenders...
18 Oct 2014
Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Progress Report
But now we're just two hours away from the start of the read-a-thon, and I need to get myself ready. I've gotten out the books for Mum, my sister and myself (26 in total... and that's not even counting the books Rebekka and Mum are bringing), and am now taking a short break in order to get this typed up, before heading out and preparing the crockpot for dinner. As per usual I'll have just this one progress post, and update this throughout the day. So if you're interested, you can bookmark it and come back to see how I fare, and if you're not, you can just scroll past it, and won't be spammed with tons of posts throughout the day. See how easy I make it for you? ;)
To the rest of you read-a-thon'ers out there today... happy reading :)
T-1: Opening Meme:
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Copenhagen, Denmark.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Maria: NO clue! I was just talking to my sister and Mum about which book to start with, and there are SO many good ones lying on my table right now :) Probably "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green, as I've bought that specifically for today.
Rebekka: "Dragon Bones" by Patricia Briggs
Mum: "Vi tre" by Estrid Ott - an old Danish favourite
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Let's see... Rebekka brought homemade chocolate covered marshmellows (at least, that's what the dictionary says it's called. It tastes SO much better than marshmellows!!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! This is my (Maria's) seventh read-a-thon. I'm being joined here today for the first time by my sister and mother - it's their first read-a-thons. We're all huge bookworms though, so I anticipate us having a blast!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
Maria: This is the first time I'm reading together with somebody else :) It'll be a fun change.
Mum: Coziness!!!
Rebekka: Reading uninterruptedly (Rebekka has three kids age 2-6)
Hour 1 (15:00): First hour up! Must say it's cozy to have company :) I changed my mind about 7 times the last 7 minutes, but ended up starting with "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" as I wanted to start with a book I knew I'd love. Worked like I charm, I've read 120 pages already.
Hour 2 (16:00): Only have another forty pages to go of CoS, so should finish that within the next twenty minutes or so. Lars arrived home during this past hour, so I had to take a bit of a break to say hi to him, which cut into my reading time of course ;)
Hour 3: Finished CoS at around the half-hour mark, and immediately picked up "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green. I've read about 50 pages so far, so it's a bit too early to say what I think of it yet.
Hour 4: Only another 58 pages read this past hour - I got sidetracked by checking out other people's updates I think. Still, this puts me almost halfway through AAoK, so not too shabby :) I'm liking it well enough, but it can't compare to "Looking for Alaska" or "The Fault in Our Stars". Still, it has its moments, and has made me laugh out loud more than once at the sometimes irrelevant footnotes :)
Mum finished her first book in the past hour... Rebekka looks to be almost done with hers.
Hour 6 (20:00) Took a break for dinner, so 77 pages read since last update. I'm now 75% done with AAoK, so should finish by the next update. It's VERY different from his other books, but I like it.
Rebekka finished her first book in the past hour ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower") and has now borrowed my Kindle to read "Dragon Bones". Am still loving the company :)
Hour 7: Finished AAoK with plenty of time to spare. Can't quite figure out what I thought of it... it was VERY different from what I had expected, but that's hardly the book's fault. I have now turned to an old childhood favourite, about a toy elephant and its adventures in Denmark during WWII. If I recall correctly this was one of the few Danish books we brought with us to NZ back in 1990, so we go waaaaaaay back. I'm about half-way through, and though it's slightly more 'twee' than I remembered it, I'm still enjoying it.
Mum's finished her second book, and has now turned to Tamora Pierce - perfect read-a-thon material! :)
Hour 9 (22:00): Mum left half an hour ago, so now it's just Rebekka and me. I finished Bimbi ten minutes ago and have now picked up "The Peach Keeper" by Sarah Addison Allen. I'm only on page 15, so FAR too soon to say anything about it yet.
Hour 10: Rebekka's just left too, and since Lars' alarm clock goes off at 6:30am tomorrow, I think I'll call it a night and continue in the morning instead. I'm on page 66 of "The Peach Keeper". It's good, but not an instant favourite the way "Garden Spells" was.
(Almost) Hour 21 (9:45): I'm obviously getting too old for this... stuff ;) I went to bed at 11pm last night, but woke up with Lars' alarm clock, so I've been reading for almost 3 hours already (minus time to take a shower and have breakfast). I finished "The Peach Keeper" just before stopping for breakfast. My opinion from last night holds - it's good, but not nearly as great as "Garden Spells".
Now I'm trying to figure out what to pick for my 5th book... another new read, or an old favourite? I'm equally keen on both.
Hour 22: I ended up picking an old favourite, and am enjoying it immensely :) It's been an hour filled with interruptions though - the light bulb over the couch went out, and when I went to exchange it, I managed to drop the old light bulb on the table so it broke! Fortunately I was wearing shoes, but it took awhile to get rid of all the glass. So all in all I only made it to 72 pages this hour.
Best Romance Book of Your Reading Year "To Love a Witch" by Debora Geary
Best YA Book of Your Reading Year "We Were Liars" by E. Lockheart
Best New Adult Book of Your Reading Year "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple"
Best Mystery Book of Your Reading Year "Dødesporet" by Sara Blædel
Best Non-Fiction Book of Your Reading Year "Too Busy Not to Pray" by Bill Hybel
Best Sci-Fi Book of Your Reading Year "Crystal Singer" by Anne McCaffrey
Best Fantasy Book of Your Reading Year "Seraphina" by Rachel Hartman
Best Children’s Book of Your Reading Year "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
Best Fiction Book of Your Reading Year "Quentins" by Maeve Binchy
Best Main Character of Your Reading Year Menolly from "Dragonsinger" by Anne McCaffrey
Best Author of Your Reading Year Debora Geary
Best Supporting Character of Your Reading Year Lizard of "WitchLight Trilogy" by Debora Geary
Best Cover of Your Reading Year None stand out.
Best Character You Love To Have of Your Reading Year I assume this should say "love to hate"? If so, none.
Best Setting of Your Reading Year Zamonia from "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear" by Walter Moers
Best Story Line of Your Reading Year "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoult
Best Indie Author of Your Reading Year Not sure if Debora Geary counts, but if so definitely her.
Hour 23: Estrid Ott is one of those amazing authors whose books seldom loose their magic through the passage of time. "Reden" was a lovely read, and every bit as charming as when I first discovered it 20-25 years ago. Perfect choice for a late hour in the read-a-thon. Of course that means I once again have to figure out which book to pick next. It can't be too long though, as I now only have two hours left to finish it in.
Hour 24: The last hour is about to start! Looks as if I won't finish my last book though, as I'm only 1/3 of the way through. Never mind, doesn't matter. I'll head right back to reading and return in an hour for the end of event meme :)
The End: As rightly expected, I didn't finish "Tender at the Bone". I made it to page 168 though, which puts my total to 1197 pages! But now I'm HUNGRY! First of all it's 2pm and I haven't had lunch yet, and secondly there's just SO much good food mentioned in "Tender at the Bone"! Unfortunately all I have available for lunch is leftovers :-P
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green, "Rocco" by Sherryl Jordan
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? The cheerleaders were pretty much invisible this year. They're usually a lot more vocal.
What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? A lot of the challenges have moved to twitter and instagram as well, making it easier to participate.
How many books did you read? 5-and-a-half.
What were the names of the books you read? See below.
Which book did you enjoy most? I liked all of them, but probably "Reden". It's an old favourite, and it's been too long since I read it last.
Which did you enjoy least? Again, I liked them all, but probably "Bimbi". Another old favourite, but this one works better when read aloud than when read to myself, and in general I found it slightly "twee".
If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/A
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Very likely! And as a reader once again. Perhaps I will host a mini-challenge as well. It was awesome to have company for the first 8 hours! I really loved having my Mum and sister over.
Currently reading: Tender at the Bone
Books read: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (251), An Abundance of Katherines (215), Bimbi er frihedskæmper (142), The Peach Keeper (273), Reden (148)
Pages read: 1197
10 Oct 2014
Dewey Dos and Don'ts
The read-a-thon is only a week away now, and I can't wait :)
If you decide to participate in the read-a-thon...
DO decide whether you want to do it full out or not ahead of time and arrange accordingly. There's nothing wrong with deciding to just to a 1, 2, 5 or 12 hour read-a-thon instead. No reason not to join in just because you might have a previous engagement that prevents you from reading the entire 24 hours. I've never once gone without sleep, and more often than not I've had to end early because I had church in the morning.
DO plan ahead. Let your family know you're not to be disturbed except in case of an emergency, figure out approximately which books you want to read and where they are, be sure to have stocked up on snacks, and know what you're going to do for dinner. I love my crockpot for this, as I can cook dinner before the read-a-thon even starts! Having a family member you can coerce to cook dinner for you or go get take-outs works too.
DON'T plan ahead. Yes, I'm contradicting myself, but while it is a great idea to have a general idea of which books you want to read, so you don't have to go hunting for them, don't have a set stack of books you HAVE to read during the read-a-thon. Anything can be a chore if you have to do it - even something as pleasant as reading - and in order to keep up your mojo for the entire read-a-thon, it's important to allow yourself to read where the mood takes you.
DO figure out what motivates you to keep going. For some people this may be the satisfaction of finally reading that 1000 page chunkster that's been standing on your shelf for ages. For me, it's finishing a book and being able to move it from my "To-Read" pile to the "Read" pile.
DO make a trip to the library ahead of time or in other ways stock up on "light" reads. You want a book that you can power through without too much effort. The books don't necessarily have to be short (see above - you may decide to go for one 1000 page book rather than five 200 page books), but you should stick with books that make for easy reading. Some chunksters I've happily read in a day include the later Harry Potter books, Phantoms by Dean Koontz, Paganini-kontrakten by Lars Kepler, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - all 500+p books.
DO take a break from sitting down every once in awhile and move around a bit. You're going to get SO stiff otherwise. Notice I didn't necessarily say take a break from reading - you know best yourself whether or not you're able to read and walk at the same time ;)
DON'T go nuts on snacks. I know it's tempting, but too much sugar is bad for your concentration.
DO remember that audiobooks and graphic novels also count. Variety is your friend.
DON'T feel bad if you get sidetracked being a cheerleader for other read-a-thon'ers or by doing the hourly challenges. Just like NaNoWriMo, the read-a-thon is all about taking a solitary activity and making it social :)
DO have fun. I know I will :)
If you decide to participate in the read-a-thon...
DO decide whether you want to do it full out or not ahead of time and arrange accordingly. There's nothing wrong with deciding to just to a 1, 2, 5 or 12 hour read-a-thon instead. No reason not to join in just because you might have a previous engagement that prevents you from reading the entire 24 hours. I've never once gone without sleep, and more often than not I've had to end early because I had church in the morning.
DO plan ahead. Let your family know you're not to be disturbed except in case of an emergency, figure out approximately which books you want to read and where they are, be sure to have stocked up on snacks, and know what you're going to do for dinner. I love my crockpot for this, as I can cook dinner before the read-a-thon even starts! Having a family member you can coerce to cook dinner for you or go get take-outs works too.
DON'T plan ahead. Yes, I'm contradicting myself, but while it is a great idea to have a general idea of which books you want to read, so you don't have to go hunting for them, don't have a set stack of books you HAVE to read during the read-a-thon. Anything can be a chore if you have to do it - even something as pleasant as reading - and in order to keep up your mojo for the entire read-a-thon, it's important to allow yourself to read where the mood takes you.
DO figure out what motivates you to keep going. For some people this may be the satisfaction of finally reading that 1000 page chunkster that's been standing on your shelf for ages. For me, it's finishing a book and being able to move it from my "To-Read" pile to the "Read" pile.
DO make a trip to the library ahead of time or in other ways stock up on "light" reads. You want a book that you can power through without too much effort. The books don't necessarily have to be short (see above - you may decide to go for one 1000 page book rather than five 200 page books), but you should stick with books that make for easy reading. Some chunksters I've happily read in a day include the later Harry Potter books, Phantoms by Dean Koontz, Paganini-kontrakten by Lars Kepler, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - all 500+p books.
DO take a break from sitting down every once in awhile and move around a bit. You're going to get SO stiff otherwise. Notice I didn't necessarily say take a break from reading - you know best yourself whether or not you're able to read and walk at the same time ;)
DON'T go nuts on snacks. I know it's tempting, but too much sugar is bad for your concentration.
DO remember that audiobooks and graphic novels also count. Variety is your friend.
DON'T feel bad if you get sidetracked being a cheerleader for other read-a-thon'ers or by doing the hourly challenges. Just like NaNoWriMo, the read-a-thon is all about taking a solitary activity and making it social :)
DO have fun. I know I will :)
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