Closing Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  Fell asleep at hour 21. I usually get up for the last hour, but not this time. Age?
2. Tell us ALLLLL the books you read! This One Summer, Drama, I am Jazz, Nightlights, and part of Y is for Yesterday, Midnight in Austenland, and The Sign of the Twisted Candle
3. Which books would you recommend to other Read-a-thoners? I've never focused on graphic novels before, but it worked well for me this time.
4. What’s a really rad thing we could do during the next Read-a-thon that would make you smile?  Can't think of anything. It's already SO rad!
5. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? Would you be interested in volunteering to help organize and prep?  MOST likely.  I may have a conflict in April, but I could probably help prep.

Hours 20-24

Well, I didn't make it back for the last hour like I usually do - guess the lack of sleep the night before caught up to me.  I had an impressive number of pages (for me) this time, due to a couple of graphic novels :)  Hours were not so good, as I usually get 10-12 in.

Final totals
   Pages:  852

   Hours: 5 hr 45 min reading, 1 hr 45 min audio
                     Total:  7 hr 30 min

As always, SO much fun.  Can't wait until the next one!  Per the usual, thank you to my RAT buddy Laura@pleasepardontheinterruption.  Can't imagine doing one of these without you!

Hours 15-19

Since last update:

   Drama - 233 pgs, Finished (graphic)
   I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings - Finished (children)
   Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez - 53 pgs, Finished (children)

Am going to try to last another hour or so, then sleep for a bit and hopefully get up for the last hour. That seems to be my normal pattern.

#Readathonbuddy photo challenge

Here's my adorable puppy (almost 14!)  She has just given up on me and gone to bed.

I read the graphic novel Drama by Raina Telgemeier over the last hour and enjoyed it very much. 

Hours 9-14

Since last update:

  Y is for Yesterday - 8 pgs
   Midnight in Austenland - 14 pgs
   This One Summer - 318 pgs (Finished)

I think I'll just update my hours at the end.  I decided to take a break from Y is for Yesterday for awhile.  I was in the mood for a graphic novel so I read That One Summer, and it was great!  Midnight in Austenland is on audio, and I'm not loving it but I'll continue listening when my eyes need a break.  I think I'll start another graphic now...

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? Y is for Yesterday, Midnight in Austenland, and This One Summer
2. How many books have you read so far? Haven't finished one yet - have been mixing it up
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?  Finishing This One Summer
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?  No outside interruptions - just social media, walking the dog, snack, tea-type breaks (too many of them!)
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?  Nothing, really

10 Years in 10 Books Mini-Challenge

Here are my recommendations:

2007 - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
2008 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pool Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
2009 - Outcasts United by Warren St. John
2010 - Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
2011 - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2012 - Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
2013 - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
2014 - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
2015 - Gratitude by Oliver Sacks
2016 - Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
2017 - What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hours 5-8

Since last update:

Y is for Yesterday - 123 pgs

Running totals:
   Pages: 209
   Hours:  3 hrs reading, 54 min audio

Hours 1-4

I got up late, so haven't made stellar progress so far.

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale: 27 pgs (audio)
Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton - 59 pgs

Running totals
   Pages:  86
   Hours: 1 hr reading, 54 min audio

Intro Survey

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Lovely Utah
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Y is for Yesterday 
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Popcorn
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I love to read (obviously), play the piano, crochet, and watch tennis and college basketball on TV. Roger Federer is my sports hero. 
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 always hope to get more actual reading hours in (without giving up social media time – not sure how to do that!) 

Dewey's Readathon!

Only 3 days until the Readathon, and I've got my stack all ready to go! It was tough paring it down, but I only allow myself 10 books (ok, I do have 11 this time because I included a picture book) - silly tradition, but hey, it's a tradition! I'm not likely to read more than a few of these, but I'm a mood reader and like to have several to choose from.  There are more graphic novels this time, however, so I might surprise myself.

The bottom 5 books are in honor of the "Most Challenged Books of 2016". I listened to an interview with the authors of "This One Summer" on NPR, and immediately planned to get as many of these books as possible for the Readathon. The Stack:

• The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene - another tradition is that I have a Nancy Drew for the wee hours when my reading ability takes a dive. These books started me off on a life-long love of mysteries.
• Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale - I really enjoyed Austenland, and thought this would be fun and light for the RAT.
• Appointment with Death - yet another tradition to include an Agatha Christie mystery
• Something New - graphic novel by Lucy Knisley. I've read and liked a couple of others by her.
• March: Book Three by John Lewis - graphic novel on a serious subject. The first two were great.
• Y is for Yesterday - AND another tradition to save the latest Sue Grafton alphabet mystery for the RAT
• These last five are the "challenged" books and they all look great!
• George by Alex Gino
• Drama - graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• This One Summer - graphic novel by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
• I Am Jazz - picture book by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings