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.

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

2. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

3. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

4. The Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan

5. Blackout by Mira Grant

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.

Character Photo challenge:

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

Book Puzzle:

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

State Settings:

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!

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

RYOB Readathon Recap

Pages read: 845

Books finished (they were all started already): 4

My goal was to finish at least 3, so yay! I am a slow reader.

Titles:

JRR Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter

I don't normally read biographies, but I'm a huge Tolkien fan and this is his "authorized" bio, apparently. I liked the way it was organized, I learned a LOT of interesting tidbits, and gained even more respect for him, as well as a new-found respect for one of his children, Christopher (Christopher is a boss genius). 5/5.

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

I've been reading this series since early high school or something, so it's kinda a huge part of my literary life. This book wrapped up or made a lot of progress on a LOT of plotlines, which was fantastic. It also delivered on some VERY LONG AWAITED scenes, some of which I cried over (I won't lie). And the culmination of Rand's issues near the end was beautiful. 4/5.

Idylls of the King and a Selection of Poems by Tennyson

He's Victorian, so yes there is some sexism (not as bad as I was expecting) and a lot of gender stereotyping. HOWEVER, his Arthurian reimaginings were very readable and gripping. The standalone poems varied in quality (I love "Ulysses;" I hate "Locksley Hall"). 4/5.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathon Stroud

This story was somehow darker than I was expecting, so I kept having to update my expectations. Bartimaeus is a fantastic character, though, and I love the world-building, and all of the different demons, and Lovelace was chilling. Nathaniel (one of the two protags) disappointed me. But still a fantastic read! 5/5.

Read Your Own Books Readathon

It's been a while since I've participated in a readathon, and I love this one cuz it forces me to ignore my library books and such.

My goals are to finish as many of my my "currently-reading" on Goodreads, which are:

JRR Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter (finished)-Excellent, suspenseful biography!

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathon Stroud (finished)

The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan (finished)- I cried. Yeah whatever.

Idylls of the King and a Selection of Poems by Tennyson (finished) - So sexist, but good poetry!

The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales

First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

X-Wing: Iron Fist by Aaron Allston

I probably won't get to all of those, so the top three are my shortlist. :)

Snacks:

vats of A&W Root Beer

tortilla chips and salsa

apple slices

Chips Ahoy *Chunky*

Reading Area:

Pretty much anywhere, but most likely my bed or the living room couch. :) I don't notice my surroundings much when I'm in a book, so.....kinda irrelevant.

Update (Saturday):

I dunno why but I am completely uninterested in The Amulet of Samarkand. So I'm working on Tennyson instead.

Update (Sunday):

I figured out my page count so far: 576. Not much, really, but I'm pleased so far anyway. I'm going to do my best to finish "Amulet" today but I have some social things going on so we will see!

Dewey's 24-hour Readathon Wrap-up

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Hour 23...I was like wow....done now. lol somehow I managed to snuggle up on my bed and read without falling asleep.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Like, books readers should read for the next read-a-thon? That I read for this one? I dunno I didn't read that much. The Rise of Renegade X was definitely the most of a page-turner and book that most people could enjoy, I think.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Less mini-challenges that require a whole blog post.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

The cheerleaders and the hourly updates from the site were lovely.
5. How many books did you read?
4 and 1 manga, parts of 2 other books. 7 total if you want to be loose.

6. What were the names of the books you read?
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

The Grey King by Susan Cooper

Hetalia vol 1 by Hideka Himaruya

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

OH MY GOSH REDUNDANT QUESTIONS MUCH. "Renegade X."
8. Which did you enjoy least?

Probably the bit of Faulkner that I read. It was from the POV of the most unpleasant character.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

All my cheerleaders were fantastic.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

Reader.

Dewey's Read-a-thon Midpoint Survey

1. What are you reading right now?
A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander, and Hetalia vol. 1

2. How many books have you read so far?
1 and parts of 4 others.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
The rest of A Fatal Waltz. :)

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Besides behave really anti-socially (my parents have company) and work around my homework? Nah.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
No, but breaking for food is annoying.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How slowly I read! lol

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

More challenges that don't require a blog post (ditto Snazel)

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Not be in school, lol.

9. Are you getting tired yet?
Nope.

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?
Read variety, and if you get stuck with something, read a chapter of something else.

Dewey's Readathon Goals and Progress

GREETINGS! TOMORROW IS DEWEY'S 24-HOUR READATHON! ARE YOU EXCITED?

I AM.

I didn't make a "what I'm reading" post before this because I didn't want to change my mind five times.

I am strongly hoping to read:

• The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell-almost due back at library
• A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander-almost due back at library
• Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander-almost due back at library
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens-45 pages for school
• The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner-60 pages for school

Alternates/extras are:

• Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
• The Grey King by Susan Cooper
• Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper
• Hetalia Vol. 1

I will post my progress ON THIS POST. Everything else related to the read-a-thon will be on my twitter (@bahnree, request to follow). I will do a wrap-up post w/ any other thoughts on this blog probably on Sunday.

Good luck to all the other participants, and have fun! :D

Update 1:

Whoops slept in! I just started reading a bit before 8 Pacific time.

Book I'm currently reading: The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

Food consumed: Not yet! I'm BEHIND okay???

Quote for you: "She could, in fact, be completely naked and no one would ever know." (pg3)

I'm listening to: If I Had You by Adam Lambert

Update 2:

Hours since I woke up: 3

Pages read: 171

Food consumed: PANCAKES. And lemonade. My fave combo.

I'm still reading "Renegade X" and LOVING IT. It's hilarious and I want to cuddle the MC. :D It's really fun just waiting to see what he'll do next.

Location: My house, but I think I'm going to pack a bag and go to the library for a while.

Update 3:

Hours since I woke up: about 6

Pages read: 340

Books read: 1

Location: public library

I finished "Renegade X." It's fantastic and hilarious in every way and I wish that everyone who reads this would go out and buy a copy so she can write a sequel. :)

Now I'm going to read my assigned reading (from A Tale of Two Cities and The Sound and The Fury). Wish me luck! Thanks for all the comments/cheers so far!

Update 4:

Hours since I woke up: 9

Pages read: 445

Books read: 1, parts of 2 others

I read my assigned chunks of Dickens and Faulkner. Darnay just left for France, like a moron, and Jason is a d***. XD

ON TO A FATAL WALTZ! I also have couple of volumes of manga I might treat myself to. ;)

Update 5:

Pages read: 596 +144 manga

Books read: 2, parts of 3 others

A Fatal Waltz isn't going quite as speedily as I could wish, so I think I'm going to take a break and read some Greenwitch or possibly How to Ride a Dragon's Storm by Cressida Cowell. I'm a little tired, but I'm going to make some coffee I think. Only seven more hours! I must be productive.

Update 6:

Pages read: 761

Books read: 4, parts of 3 others

I forgot to mention last time that the manga I read was Hetalia vol 1. It was delicious in every way. I was also very amused to see that it was rated "Older Teen" for, among other things, "Mild Fanservice."

Then I read A Fatal Waltz where part of the mystery involved a scandal featuring "deviants." As one does in Victorian England. Finished that one, as well as Greenwitch. Settling into The Grey King now.

I am tired.

Dewey's 24-hour Read-A-Thon

I am, of course, doing this: Dewey's 24-hour Read-A-Thon. This was the first read-a-thon I ever heard of (last April, when it ended) and it inspired me to participate in several read-a-thons over the summer. So I'm excited about finally taking part in Dewey's! I will post later with the books I hope to read.

From Dusk Till Dawn Read-a-thon: Wrap-up

Books read:

The Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip (5/5)

Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn (5/5)

And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander (4/5)

partway through: Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony

Pages read:

766

Comments:

TCS: I'm in love with Lyo.

DAT: Draycos has a dumb name but I am in love with him. Or rather I really want to be friends with him. ;)

I'm pleased that I finished AOTD because seriously, my dad kept stealing it from me. He loves it. I don't know what to say about this. OH but I forgot to mention before there's a lot of stuff about ancient Greek history, culture, and art in it that I love as well.

RH: I like the as-yet-nameless young man, but I trust no one. Also, I am in love with Jewels.

Future plans:

I want to read more in the Dragonback and Lady Emily series. *nods*

From Dusk Till Dawn: Update 4

So after finishing Dragon And Thief I was kinda thinking that was my ROCK-AWESOME book for this readathon. WRONG. I'm almost halfway through And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander and it is delicious. Victorian England, mystery, witty and courageous FMC, romance, feminists (yes I enjoy these in fiction...they can be scarier IRL) and hot guys.

This book is kinda random because I read a review of it last week, the review made me want to read it REAL bad, and so I got it from the library ASAP and am now reading it. Why can't I do this for the books on my TBR pile? Which I AM excited about and yet never seem to read? Gah.

Random fact: My dad saw me devouring AOTD so he picked it up, read the jacket flap, said it sounded "fascinating" and is currently stealing it. :( So I might not get more read tonight. This is serious business, dad!

Also, here's the review I read that made me want to read it: The Allure of Books

Page count for this readathon so far:

475 pages (2 3/4 books)

2 manga

4 bags of popcorn

many gummi bears

3 root beers

2 cups of coffee

From Dusk Till Dawn: Update 3

I'm currently stealing some poor sod's Internet. My family and I are vacationing at a beach house this weekend, only our free wifi turned out to be a lie so I have turned to desperate measures.

Anyway, I'm not going to lie, I'm really loving this "Only read 8 PM to 8 AM" thing. It FORCES me to do other things with my day, and then when it's finally 8 PM I'm like WHEEEE FUN TIEMZ. I'm still really not productive cuz I can't manage to stay up past midnight, but oh well!

Last night I read about half of Dragon And Thief and also five more chapters of Restoring Harmony. I am enjoying the latter much more, but I'm still just kinda meh about it. It's not a bad book; it's well-written. I think it's just not my cup of tea. Dragon and Thief, however, is EXACTLY my cup of tea. I finished that tonight (and am totally not craving the rest of the series, noooo, not at all!). I also read Hikaru no go vol 19-20. I wasn't able to read THAT much cuz my family was all, you know, "BE SOCIAL." Also, we watched Robots (I guffawed. Those who have heard my laugh....yeah you know how it gets REALLY loud sometimes? More than the normal loud? It was the super-loud-guffaw the entire movie. "You can bunk with me! We'll ignore the gossip." Yes I am such a choild.) Also, this beach house is awesome in a book-nerd sort of way. I'll post pictures tomorrow?