Hour 24

It's over!  Another great Read-a-Thon (and I even came back for Hour 24)!

Since last update:

Bleachers - 42 pgs

Final total, pages:  517
Final total, hours:  10hr, 15min

Books read:  V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton - Finished
                    Bleachers by John Grisham  - 72 pages
                   The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene  - 10 pages

I would like to have read more pages and hours, but I'm pretty happy considering I got very little sleep the night before.  I'll do better next time.  Most importantly, I had lots of fun!

End-of Event Meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? That would have to be Hour 20 1/2 to Hour 23 - I slept!
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Mysteries work well for me, because they hold my interest. 
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? It was cool that we entered the books we read into a Database, but I didn't understand how we could actually see the list.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? It was all good!
5. How many books did you read? 1 and part of 2 others
6. What were the names of the books you read?  V is for Vengeance, Bleachers (partial) and The Bungalow Mystery (partial)
7. Which book did you enjoy most? V is for Vengeance
8. Which did you enjoy least?  I'm halfway through Bleachers - it's o.k, but I'm not loving it
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? Nope
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  VERY likely.  Mostly a reader, but also some cheering.

Would like to give a shout-out to my loyal Read-a-Thon buddies:

Laura @Please Pardon the Interruption
Wendy @Wall-to-Wall Books
Ashley Amanda @Fictionista

It was great fun hanging out with all of you.  See you in April, 2013!!

Hours 20, 21, 22, and 23

O.K, I admit it - had a nap.  But I'm back for the last hour!!

Since last update:

Bleachers by John Grisham - 28 pgs
The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene - 10 pgs  (Yes, it's Nancy Drew!)

Running total, pages:  475
Running total, hours:  9hr, 45min
Total books:  1 +

Hours 18 and 19

Oh, man, I just finished my first book, but the last 20 pages was rough going.  I may have to nap a little, but hopefully I'll be back in a few hours.

Since last update:

V is for Vengeance - 69 pages   Finished!!

Running total, pages:  437
Running total, hours:  9hr, 15min
Total books:  1

Hours 16 and 17

Oh, I'm getting sleepy!!  Maybe I can get a bit of a second wind here.  I had a cup of tea an hour ago, but it's not really helping.  It's early to be breaking out my Coke Cherry Zero, but I may not have a choice. I want to at least finish my one book before I give in for a nap (even if I do sleep for a bit, I think I'll be back).

Since last update:

V is for Vengeance (yes, still!) - 56 pages

Running total, pages:  368
Running total, hours: 7hr, 45min

Hours 13, 14, and 15

Still at it, and still on my FIRST book, but I am enjoying it, and I am going to finish it and move on to other stuff!  I got almost no sleep last night, but I'm doing o.k. at the moment.  If I disappear for a bit at some point, I will most likely be back.  I don't tend to sleep (I know - I said the dreaded word!) for very long stretches of time.  Hope most of you are still hanging in there!

Since last update:

V is for Vengeance - 68 pgs

Running total, pages:  312
Running total, hours:  6hr, 45min

Think I'll go check out the current mini-challenge.

Hours 11 and 12

Half over! No - I don't want it to be!!

Still having more interruptions than I want, but I'll keep plugging along because it's so much FUN!

Since last update:

V is for Vengeance - 52 pgs.

Running total, pages:  244
Running total, hours:  5hr 15min

I had a big stack of books prepared because I thought I'd be skipping around, but I'm into this one and want to see what happens. 

Hours 9 and 10

This will be a quickie post.  No breaks for awhile - I'm going to try to focus for a couple of hours.

Since last update:

V is for Vengeance - 32 pgs

Running total, pages:  192
Running total, hours:  4hr

Hours 7 and 8

I can't believe the RAT is 1/3 over.  I fear my reading pace will grow more sluggish as the day wanes.  I will hang in there as long as I possibly can, however.  Listen to me! It's only 2:00 in the afternoon!  Perk up!  Perk up!  May be time for that 3rd cup of tea.

Since last update:

V is for Vengeance - 68 pgs

Running total, pages:  160
Running total, hours:  3hr 15min

My goal is to finish this book (I am enjoying it) and read a bit of a few others.

Hours 5 and 6

Must get that page count up! Too much time piddling around with non-RAT stuff.

Since last update:

V is for Vengeance - 26 pgs

Running total, pages:   92
Running total, hours:  2hr

Hours 3 and 4

My first reading update:

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton - 66 pages
Hours:   1hr 30min

Time for my 2nd cup of tea. 

Hours 1 and 2

Aaaarrgggh!  So much for my good night's sleep before the Read-a-Thon.  I am just barely coming to life 2 hours into this thing, after being up for 3 hours during the night baling water out of a window well and trying to get the &*@# sump pump working. 

My opening Meme:

Introductory Questionnaire

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Utah
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Probably V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?  Hmmm.  I'm looking forward to my Take-N-Bake veggie pizza for dinner.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!  I have two daughters away at college, and work part-time at home for my hubby.  Said hubby travels a lot, so I have a fair amount of reading time.
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?  I was hoping to cheer a little more this time, but since I'm getting a late start, that may not happen. 

Must grab my cup of tea and get started READING now!

Ready to Go!

I've got my meals and snacks all planned for tomorrow.  Egg-white omelette for breakfast (which I made tonight for re-heating in the microwave), salad for lunch, pizza for dinner.  Snacks include veggies, fruit, trail mix, cheese and crackers, and possibly a bagel.  No sugar because that ends up making me sleepy.  Drinks will be water, tea (probably lots), and my traditional Coke Cherry Zero for sometime past midnight.

Here's my reading companion  (trying out the clothes basket was entirely her idea - she does have a proper bed!):

Now I just have to hope for a good night's sleep, as I start bright and early at 6:00 a.m. MST.  Good luck, everyone! 

Read-a-Thon Preparation

I'm getting my books ready today, as I'll be busier during the week.  Here's the stack (I'm a fairly slow reader, but like to have a lot of variety to choose from):

I'm noticing a pattern in my RAT book selection (this will be my 5th Read-a-Thon).  If there is a Sue Grafton Alphabet Mystery I haven't read, I add that because I find them engrossing.  I also have a Nancy Drew for the wee hours when it's hard to focus.  In addition, I like to have a book of short stories or essays for short-attention span needs. This time, it's "My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space", a book of essays I chose in honor of just sending my youngest child off to college!  I also have a couple of Newberry Medal winners, as I'm trying to eventually read them all.  And I have several books on my Kindle, if I feel like e-reading for awhile. All pretty easy reading material.  I learned my lesson on my first RAT, when my stack included "War and Peace"!

Good luck, everyone.  Stop by and say hi!

Read-a-Thon time again!!!

The next Dewey's Read-a-Thon is on October 13!  Will be back in a few weeks with my stack of books...

End of Read-a-Thon Meme and comments

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? That would be hours 21 and 22 (I was asleep!)
   
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I read The Beekeeper's Apprentice and enjoyed it
   
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope
   
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Liked having the sign-up list published early so I could check out other blogs.
   
5. How many books did you read? One and just a bit of a second
   
6. What were the names of the books you read? The Beekeeper's Apprentice and a little of The Two Towers (listened to the BOCD)
   
7. Which book did you enjoy most? See #2.
   
8. Which did you enjoy least? N/A
   
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I wasn't an official cheerleader, but left a few comments every time I blogged. I only had a couple of comments from cheerleaders.
   
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? VERY likely. Mainly a reader, with a bit of cheering on the side.

I had to leave the house for 7 hours on Saturday, so that really cut into my reading time. I didn't do any mini-challenges because of it. I hope next time I can devote the whole 24 hours to the RAT. A special shout-out to my RAT friends:

Laura (Please Pardon the Interruption)
wall-to-wall books
Ashley Amanda - Fictionista

And thanks to everyone else who left a comment. It's appreciated. Great job, everyone. Hope to see all 400+ of you next time!

Hours 21, 22, 23, and 24!

I slept for a couple of hours, but got up an hour and a half ago to finish my one book. Yay!

Since last update:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - 70 pages (Finished)
The Two Towers - 7 pages

Final totals:

Pages: 399
Hours: Approx. 8 hours reading, 1hr 30min listening

Read The Beekeeper's Apprentice and part of The Two Towers

Going back to bed now. Final thoughts a little later...

Hours 19 and 20....zzzz....

O.K, folks, I may have to give in and sleep for a little bit. If I could just get a really good night's sleep before one of these I could probably last the whole time. Maybe the next one...

Since last update:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice (so much for my "stack") - 38 pages

Running total, pages: 322

I'm going to read in bed, but set my alarm for a couple of hours in case I drift off. I have to at LEAST finish one book! (I have about 60 pages left.)

Hours 16, 17, and 18

Slowing down, but still at it. Breaking out my Coke Cherry Zero now.

Since last update:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - 58 pages (took a long break for dinner and a couple of phone calls)

Running total, pages: 292

Hours 14 and 15

Still plugging away at my first book. Just put a pizza in the oven, so will take a half hour or so break.

Since last update:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - 61 pages

Running total, pages: 234
Running total, hours: 5hr 15min reading, 1hr listening

I'm definitely reading at a slower pace than normal because I keep getting sleepy. I'm not giving up for a good long time yet, though!

Hours 12 and 13

No! The RAT is more than half over already! I need to rewind the day and start over! A quick blog entry and back to it. I want to finish my Kindle book, as I'm getting the urge to hold a "real" book (this tends to happen to me after a while with my Kindle). May have a quick look at the mini-challenges. Had a late lunch, so no din-din allowed yet.

Since last update:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - 65 pages

Running total, pages: 173

Hours 9, 10, and 11

Since last update:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - 50 pages

Running total, pages: 108

Darn it, I'm getting the late afternoon sleepies. Could it be my 4 1/2 hours of sleep last night? I have to keep taking breaks and I think I even drifted off for a few minutes. I've had another cup of tea, now it's time for briskly walking around the house for 5 minutes, then SITTING UP in a chair - no lounging on the sofa until I get my 2nd wind!

Hours 2 though 8.5 (7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

Okay, I'm back from all my commitments and ready to take this thing seriously. Everything I had to do this morning took WAY longer than it should have, mainly due to road closures around the city because of a marathon! From being in the car, waiting in line, etc, I have these whopping numbers to report

The Beekeeper's Apprentice - 8 pages
The Two Towers - 8 pages (listening to it on CD, but I also have the book so I can check pages)

Running total, pages: 58
Running total, hours: 1hr 10min reading, 1hr listening

Just had a quick lunch and am ready to roll!! I won't be doing any mini-challenges for awhile. I need to log some serious reading hours.

Hour 1

Well, I'm through my first hour. Reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice and liking it a lot so far.

Page total: 42

Have to take my daughter to the airport now. Back in a bit.

Ready, set, go!

All ready to start. Happy reading, everyone! May you plow through hundreds of pages of fantastic books!

Preparing for the Read-a-Thon!

O.K, here are my books. I am hoping to get through at least 2 of them, but that will depend on my mood. I may just skip around. The stack:

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (BOCD for when my eyes get tired or I'm in the car!)
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (on the Kindle)

I am already in the middle of The Dovekeepers and A Game of Thrones, so I'll probably try to continue with those as well as start something new. I will have to be away from home for 4 or 5 hours, but the rest of the day/night will be devoted to reading (and reading and reading!) Must plan my usual snacks of trail mix, veggies, cheese and fruit, a Coke Cherry Zero for the wee hours, and plenty of tea. No sweets, as they will just make me sleepy. Good luck, everyone. Stop by and say hello!

Read-a-Thon time again!

It's Read-a-Thon time again! April 21 is the day! Unfortunately, I have a conflicting commitment this time, so I won't be able to participate for the whole 24 hours. I can't resist signing up, however - I'll just do whatever I can. Reading stack to come next week...