Sunday, October 23, 2011

Dewey: Wrap-up

Which hour was most daunting for you?
Probably Hour 13, because I realized that I really hadn't read that much and I only had that much time again to finish everything. Hour 24, of course, is always hard.
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
That I read this time? IDK. Book in general: And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander.
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope! It's always jolly.
What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
The challenges. Last year, I didn't do very many of the challenges because they were really complicated and/or took a lot of time, time that I should be using to read.
How many books did you read?
I finished 4.
What were the names of the books you read?
A Farewell To Arms, The Prose Edda, Wuthering Heights, Luck in the Shadows.
Which book did you enjoy most?
Luck in the Shadows, I suppose, because it wasn't for school.
Which did you enjoy least?
Wuthering Heights. It was good but so depressing...I was crying at one point.
If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
The Cheerleaders are made of win. That is all.
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
A reader, maybe a cheerleader?

Dewey: Hour 22

TIRED NOW MMKAY. I finished a book....*waves pom poms weakly*

Btw, cheerleaders, THANK YOU SO MUCH :D Y'all are awesome and inspiring. I'm going to attack another book and see if I can keep reading until 5 w/o falling asleep....idk though.

*staggers off*

But I have finished 4 books! Yay! Now for some poetryyyy.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Dewey: Hour 19

Reading continues apace! I finished up Luck in the Shadows and am halfway through The Prose Edda....

Page count so far: 623
Books finished: 3

Just consumed an enormous mug of coffee, so that should help keep me awake for at least a couple more hours. ONWARD.

Dewey: Rereads Challenge!


The Blue Stocking Society challenged us to blog about books that we love to reread. This made me remember how much I used to reread books...I would much rather reread books until they fell apart than pick up something new. Now I am much more into reading unread books.

Anyway, books that I STILL pick up at any moment and reread include:
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

The first two are short reads, filled with humor and heart and a dash of ROH-MAHNCE, so I love them. ^_^ LotR is so rich and deep and full that I can't help going back to it again and again, finding something new each time.


Dewey: Halfway!

I took a break for the afternoon for the football game. >.> Hence the lack of progress. But I'm back on now!

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
The Temple by George Herbert and Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling.
2. How many books have you read so far?
I've finished 2 and I'm about halfway through another.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld!
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
I turned down a couple of invitations, and accepted another. I know, I'm like social butterfly! lol not really.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
I gave in and watched part of the football game. But only the second half. So. Yes.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How SLOWLY I'm reading! I feel like I've been reading non-stop (which I basically have, except for challenges and the several-times-mentioned football), but I still haven't got much read. Whatever.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope. It's awesome.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Get up on time! :) I got up earlier than I did last year, though, so yay! 5 am is EARLY, YO.
9. Are you getting tired yet?
NEVAHHHHH. But it's only 5:30 here.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
VARIETY IS YOUR FRIEND. Whenever I get tired of something I read something else for a while.

Dewey: A Music Bath Challenge

What song does the book I’m reading right now remind me of?
I'm reading Wuthering Heights, and it reminds me of the song "White Flag" by Dido. All of the star-crossed lovers in the book are singularly determined and unable to give up regardless of what obstacles they face. The results of that are not as positive as you might imagine. :P

What song does my favorite book remind me of?
My favorite book is The Lord of the Rings. I am always reminded of pretty much anything by Enya, but especially "May It Be" and "Anywhere Is."

Can I find a connection between one of my favorite songs and a story I like?
Right now I love the song "Bust Your Kneecaps" by Pomplamoose. It reminds me of White Cat by Holly Black, although let's face it, Cassel's family would probably do a lot worse than bust his love interest's kneecaps.

Dewey: Hour 8

Pages read: 189
Books finished: 1 (A Farewell to Arms)
Challenges completed: 6 (I was completely hopeless on the author pseudonyms one ^_^)

A Farewell to Arms is a pretty good book, although I think Hemingway writes about war much better than he does about romance. I don't even get the romance in that book, which is too bad because....that's the main plot. And, wtf, what happened to Rinaldi? He was my favorite, haha.

In the sequel, Frederick goes and finds Paini and Rinaldi and the priest and they all go to the priest's home and drink a lot and have jolly times. Oh, and Fergy can go, too. Oh and Paini's wife, I suppose.

Right now I'm working on Wuthering Heights. I'm ready for something HAPPY to happen in that book.

Dewey: Top 5 Book-Wants



Books coming out in the next months/year that I REALLY want to read:

1. Prized by Caragh O'Brien

What about you?


Dewey-Hour 4

Okay, I have some challenges to catch up on! Reading is going well-ish, I've read about 100 pages (in Luck in the Shadows and A Farewell to Arms) in 2 hours. Hm. Yeah. Well-ish. ^_^ I had breakfast, though! Breakfast is key.



These represent Frederick Henry and Catherine Barkley in A Farewell to Arms....two lovebirds!


I've probably thoroughly given it away by this time, but there you are. :)


1. Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony (Portland, Oregon)
2. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (Nebraska)
3. The Rise of Silas Lapham (Boston)

Willa Cather, especially, is amazing with settings and does a beautiful job with the Nebraska frontier.

Off to read more Hemingway! I hope you are all reading muchly and having fun!

Dewey-Post 1

Hey all,
I just got up to do this....I know, I tried! 6:36 and I'm ready to READ STUFF.

I posted once before this with general goals....but here is the questionnaire for Hour 1!

1)Where are you reading from today?

Right now I'm in bed, trying to be quiet because my family is still sleeping and they're really light sleepers and if I wake them up before 8 on a Saturday they will be GRUMPY.

2)Three random facts about me…

1-I have a crush on David Levithan 2-I am an English major 3-I drink a LOT of root beer.

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

6:
The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (118)
Finish Wuthering Heights (54)
Finish A Farewell To Arms (88)
Finish The Temple by George Herbert (90)
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Dull Boy by Sarah Cross
Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

I would like to stay up the whole 24 hours (or rather 22 1/2 hours, since I already slept in a bit).

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

Pace yourself, eat good foods, and use variety in your reading material!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Dewey's 24-hour Readathon (Oct 2011)



I am once again participating! The challenge starts at 5 am my time on Saturday. Details are here.

My goals
(listed in order of importance):

For school:
The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (118)
Finish Wuthering Heights (54)
Finish A Farewell To Arms (88)
Finish The Temple by George Herbert (90)

Fun books:
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

Locations include but are not limited to: my house, the public library, Barnes&Noble