Read-a-thon... the final hour

Hour 23

Nearing the end now... Pages are flying. Dirty dishes are piling up. I've been climbing the rooftops with Steerpike and honestly I'd like to stay there.

I'm so impressed by the people who have stayed up and read through the night. Wow! You brave souls.

Well done and thanks to all the hard-working helpers. The energy is just fantastic.

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Hour 24

Lunchtime??? One hour to go!

On page 196 of Titus Groan.

214 pages read altogether.

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The END!

Total pages read: 241.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

The first--I can't concentrate at the beginning for all the excitement, and distracting snacks.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

I'm happy with my choice of Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake. It's a fantasy classic that's easy to get totally immersed in.

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

Maybe a post one hour before it starts would be helpful to get everyone on the starting line.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

Hourly updates were always helpful and clear.

5. How many books did you read?

Half of one and a couple chapters of another.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake and The Magnetic North by Sara Wheeler.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Neither

8. Which did you enjoy least?

Neither

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

No

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

Yes, I plan on being a reader again next time.

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Next Read-a-thon is in October. Hopefully it'll rain torrentially for the next one. :)

Read-a-thon... Further updates

Hour 8

Tummy a bit funny. Too much pesto? Cheesecake? Or was it the mushroom paté?!

On page 77 of Titus Groan. So far: Supremely Weird and Excellent

Here's a quote:

His fish eyes swam all round his glasses before finishing at the top, where they gave him an expression of fantastic martyrdom. (59)

However... that makes exactly 33 + 62 = 95 pages read in the last 8 hours. I'm facing up to the fact that I'm a really slow reader. (Or easily distracted.)

Returning to the book. Trying to resist chocolates.

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Hour 11

Taking a break for a bowl of cereal. Been reading nearly solid since 5:30 pm (with a snack or two) and now it's 11:00 pm. Getting a bit tired.

On page 125 now... so that means I've read 143 pages total so far. Hmmm I'm sure I can usually read more than that in a day.

Why does time seem to fly so much faster during the read-a-thon than at any other time?

Well, no sense in staring at the page numbers. I'm back to the reading and it'll be bedtime in an hour or so.

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Off to bed! See you in about Hour 20 or 21.

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Hour 21

I'm awake! I'm reading! I've got tea and it's another sunny day. I'm on Titus Groan page 143.

It's great, I'm loving it so far. I'm reading it slowly which is my habit when I'm enjoying a book.

Another notable sentence, when Peake describes the twin aunts:

Their faces, identical to the point of indecency, were quite expressionless, as though they were the preliminary lay-outs for faces and were waiting for sentience to be injected. (109)

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Read-a-thon... hour 5

Let's see... in the last 4 hours I've spent

1 hour 15 minutes reading
2 hours 45 minutes eating and talking
with 33 pages read so far... not very impressive hmmmm.

My friend came over around 1:30 so we had a break for lunch, read some, had another break for tea and cheesecake, talked, made plans, had more tea.

Now, I'm switching gears from the nonfiction book and starting into Titus Groan and we'll see how that goes. I still have 3 hours or so until my husband gets home, so there aren't any excuses.

Don't call, I'm reading!

Read-a-thon... And they're off!

Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon begins!

This event happens twice a year and readers from around the world participate. Look at this impressive start list -- nearly 450 people are signed up. I'm in there at number 234.

I'm reading from Oban, Scotland.

Three things about me:

1. I love the sound of helicopters.
2. I have a fern tattoo.
3. I have a secret fantasy of going to etiquette school to become a lady.

Here's my plan for the day:



I'm already on page 87 of The Magnetic North by Sara Wheeler, a nonfiction travel narrative about the Arctic. I plan on reading at least a few chapters of this, if not more.



My library book is Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake, first in a classic fantasy trilogy. I hope that I can get immersed in this and that the pages will fly. If they don't I might switch to something else.



I also have a tiny little book called Yes, You ARE a Revolutionary! Plus Seven Other Books by Sparrow. It's poetry, recipes, and thoughts. It will be a lovely little mind wake-up.

Snacks on hand include pesto pasta salad, veggies and hummus, cheese and crackers, caramel rice cakes, berry cheesecake, and a pizza to bake later.

It's 1:00 pm here in Scotland, so I plan on reading (outside in the rare sunshine as long as possible) for most of the day, then going to bed around midnight and reading some more in the morning. So, I'll be missing in action from around Hour 12 to Hour 20, when hopefully I'll be able to join back in for the final hours.

I'll post sporadically during the day, but I don't want to spend too much time blogging today. I am also not planning on entering any of the mini-challenges as I'd rather focus on reading this time around.

Many thanks to all the hosts, helpers, cheerleaders and everyone who joins in to make the read-a-thon so much fun.

My only advice is have fun, take breaks, don't blog too much if you don't want to, and have all your snacks ready ahead of time. Happy reading everyone!

Preparations are underway

The 24-hour Read-a-Thon starts VERY SOON... beginning at noon GMT tomorrow, which will actually be 1:00 pm because of British Summer Time. I THINK! Don't take my word for it -- check the website.

In the meantime, what to do, what to do!

Living room tidy -- um, not yet

Crackers and cheese -- check

Coffee -- check

Fizzy juice -- need to get some

Pasta salad -- still need to make

Forest berries cheesecake thawing in fridge -- check

Phone turned off -- easy enough if I remember

Husband dispatched to the mountains -- check

Knitting distractions hidden away -- arrrgh, so harrrrrrd

Books --don't worry, there are plenty, the only problem is choosing which ones to read

Rain clouds booked -- Flippin' 'eck, it's going to be sunny tomorrow this scuppers everything

Read for 24 hours!?

Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon is here again... coming up Saturday, 9 April. This is a twice-yearly event where readers across the world try to read as much as they can in 24 hours, in memory of Dewey, a well-loved book blogger (sadly, I never knew her).

I know, I know, I always spend more time talking than reading. But it's a great challenge and I've had lots of fun -- though I always end up kind of annoyed with myself at how much more reading I COULD have done... if I hadn't been talking, snacking, and sleeping so much of the time.

Maybe this will be the time I'll read rather than fritter. There are SO many distractions, though; the cheerleading and the mini-challenges are only the half of it. But of course, that's what makes it so much fun. That and the silliness in the late hours.

You set your own reading goals, you set your own agenda, and you read as much as you want to and go to sleep when you want to. I know a few people are mainly in it for the snacks.

So, what's there to lose? Here's the page to sign up. See you on 9 April!

Read-a-thon The Final Hours

UPDATE for HOUR 21

I'm awake and reading! What about you?

Reading: The Complete Short Stories by Muriel Spark; just finished 'Bang Bang You're Dead'

On page: 94 (43 pages read so far)

Favorite bit: 'Am I a woman, she thought calmly, or an intellectual monster?' (94)

Eating: A cough drop.

Listening to: Snot dripping down the back of my throat.

Distracted by: Not much yet. Sweetie is going on a bike ride so I'll be in peace and quiet.

The Plan: Sleep was great, and now I think I'll be able to read more in the next few hours than I have so far in the read-a-thon!

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UPDATE for HOUR 23

Reading: Maurice by E.M. Forster

On page: 650 (125 pages read so far)

Favorite bit: "'You and I are outlaws. All this' -- he pointed to the middle-class comfort of the room -- 'would be taken from us if people knew.'" (639)

Eating: Valencia orange West Country yogurt

Listening to: Kids screaming and a dog barking

Distracted by: Staying pretty well focused right now.

The Plan: Keep reading and try to finish Maurice.

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IT'S ALL OVER



Books finished:
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (233 pages)

Books partly read:
Maurice by E.M. Forster (175 pages)
The Complete Short Stories by Muriel Spark (44 pages)

Total pages read: 452 pages

The snacks: Tomato, basil and mozzarella salad, a ham sandwich, tablet (this is a Scottish thing), sliced apples, squash stew, risotto, strawberry cheesecake, and orange yogurt. Lots of cups of tea.

The Rundown: I wish I could have completed Maurice, since I'm only 60 pages from the end. A bit less talking and more reading in the first half of the read-a-thon would have made this possible. Why is it that I seem to do much LESS reading on a day when I've specifically set the day aside for it?

Also, I was surprised at how slow going the Muriel Spark stories were. I think I was getting through about 10 pages an hour. They were more difficult than I had expected. This was my first experience of Muriel Spark and I'm not sure that it's been entirely successful. Sinister, colonial, and disturbingly racist is how I have found the 3 stories I've read so far.

American Born Chinese was fantastic! It feels like cheating to read a graphic novel and have it go so quickly, but like my brother said, there is a lot of depth in this story and it will deserve a re-read. It's a moving story of growing up between cultures and confronting forces of assimilation. This was a perfect read-a-thon book.

It was fun, and thanks to all the organisers and cheerleaders for keeping the energy up. See you all again in April.

Read-a-thon Halfway Point

I think I'm off to bed now, but I hope to get up and start reading again in... about 8 hours! Good night, and happy reading!

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

2. How many books have you read so far?
A bit of two books and one short story.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Finishing American Born Chinese and maybe finishing Maurice.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
I cooked dinner ahead of time so it wouldn't take too much time to prepare. Otherwise, not much.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
My friend joined me so we ended up talking a lot and not reading!

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How little reading I've done... no surprise there actually (see #5).

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

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
I will definitely join in again. I wouldn't do anything differently.

9. Are you getting tired yet?
Yes... very tired. Bed is calling.

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?
I can't think of anything, honestly. Lots of snacks, bookmarks, pencils and notepads... Nothing very original there.

Read-a-thon Hour 11

Where are we now?! I've lost track. I think we're heading into Hour 11, but I could be wrong. Is it Hour 12?

Since the last update, I've eaten a delicious dinner of squash stew, risotto and salad. My friend left and my sweetie came home with news about the car he just bought today.

Let's see, how much reading have I done?

Reading: Maurice by E.M. Forster

On page: 606 (read 82 pages so far)

Favorite bit: 'He would not deceive himself so much. He would not -- and this was the test -- pretend to care about women when the only sex that attracted him was his own.' (575)

Eating: Strawberry cheesecake.

Listening to: My sweetie typing.

Distracted by: Food, dishes, tea, and arrival of handsome husband.

The Plan: I think I might switch gears soon and either turn on an audio book or start a graphic novel. How are you all doing with your reading?

Read-a-thon Hour 7

Going into Hour 7. I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit many other bloggers! Distractions distractions distractions! Does the day seem to be going by rather quickly to you too?

My update for this hour:

Reading: Maurice by E.M. Forster

On page: 554

Favorite bit: 'Maurice walked to and fro on the hallowed grass, himself noiseless, his heart glowing.' (553)

Eating: Dinner's in the oven heating up.

Listening to: The evening train going by and night falling.

Distracted by: Talking, talking, talking. We went for a walk for about half an hour to stretch our legs, and now we're having a glass of wine.

My reading is really pitiful so far. Must get back to the book.

Read-a-thon Hour 5

Hour 5! How the day flies by.

Check out Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon for hourly updates, mini-challenges, prizes, and other distractions.

My update:

Reading: Maurice by E.M. Forster

On page: 542 (it started on page 525!)

Favorite bit: 'Church was the only place Mrs Hall had to go to -- the shops delivered.' (532)

Eating: Homemade butter tablet.

Listening to: Kids screaming downstairs.

Distracted by: Doreen reading me some poetry by Lorraine Mariner from the collection Furniture.

Oh, and another big distraction was finding a tick crawling on my hand! I blame my husband for bringing them in on his clothes, since I haven't done anything out of doors for several weeks now.

I squished it.

Read-a-thon Hour 3

Here we are in Hour 3. How's everyone doing? I'm doing pretty well at being distracted!

Check out Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon for hourly updates, mini-challenges, prizes, and other distractions.

Here's my update.

Reading: Muriel Spark's The Complete Short Stories. The story: 'The Curtain Blown by the Breeze'.

On page: 64

Favorite bit: 'Afterwards the flying ants wriggled in a drugged condition out of the cracks in the walls, found their wings, and flew off in crazy directions, the more extreme colours of the storm faded out of the sky in a defeated sort of way, and the furniture felt clammy from the ordeal.' (56)

Eating: Pink-tinged apples from Doreen's tree.

Listening to: Someone's lawn mower.

Distracted by: Hanging out the washing.

Cheers everyone!

Read-a-thon Hour 1

Hiya! It's a gorgeous sunny day here in Oban, Scotland and we're going to spend the whole day inside reading. Ah well! Somebody's got to do it.

We've got the salad and sandwiches made, lots of tea and juice, and even a homemade clootie dumpling for later.

Have a fun read-a-thon, everyone!

Hour 1 Meme:

Where are you reading from today?

Couch, at home, Oban, Argyll, Scotland.

3 facts about me …

I'm an American living in Scotland, been here about 3 years.

I'm wearing my Powell's City of Books t-shirt today.

Knitting, crafts and audio books are my new crazes.

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

Four.

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)?

To have fun, read and chat with my friend, stay up late and try to finish one book.

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

Just have fun and don't let all the other bloggers distract you from your reading!

The calm before the read-a-thon

It's been a quiet couple weeks on this blog. The cold and cough are still keeping me from having much energy to spare. My thoughts are a bit scattered... and the frenetic knitting has even slowed down.

It's that time of the year where I'm hesitating to pick up a new book because Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon is just a few days away and I don't want to be in the middle of the wrong book when Saturday comes. You know what I mean?

It can't be too long, or too taxing, but should be engaging and entertaining, but not too fluffy. Something to delve into without it being too much work.

With this in mind, and remembering that my friend is joining me and we will probably end up TALKING for half the day, here are the books I've chosen for Saturday's read-a-thon.


The Complete Short Stories by Muriel Spark. A new-to-me author I've heard lots about in blogoland.

Short stories seem like a good option for the read-a-thon and are conducive to break-taking.










Maurice by E.M. Forster. A classic gay love story enthusiastically recommended by many. I know I loved the E.M. Forster I read in high school.

The only problem is that the novel is the last of three in the film omnibus (library hardcover, quite heavy) so I will need some kind of book prop for holding this one open when my arms get tired.







American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. A graphic novel that I've had on my shelf for a little while. This could be a nice contrast to the other books I'll be reading, in both style and content.

I also have a growing selection of audio books to choose from, if either of us gets eye strain or a shoulder cramp or something, and we need a break from all the BOOKS.





I still haven't worked out how much time I'll be spending online or posting updates. In April I tried to do everything and struggled to actually have much time to read with all the distractions...

They were fun distractions, though! See you all on Saturday.

Read-a-thon ends and we all fall down!

Somehow this has been one of the shortest 24-hour stretches ever. Is it because I spent a good part of it wrapped up in a good book?

Actually, I didn't. I slept for 7 hours, chatted and cooked and ate and was distracted for probably about 5 hours (maybe more), and blogged for probably 2 hours altogether... that leaves only 10 hours of reading, and that's being generous. Hmmmm... I'm sure I could have done better than that.

Here is the end-of-event meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? The first hour was a challenge - I was frantically trying to finish assembling enchiladas to put in the oven, amidst a flurry of guests and with the sun shining brightly outside. I don't think I read a single page in the first hour...

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I started out with Beloved by Toni Morrison and found it a fantastic and gripping read. You don't want to rush through that one, though. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is wonderful, inventive, easy to read and full of fun and creepy adventures. I'd definitely recommend it!

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No, it was great.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The hourly updates were clear, easy to read, and full of useful links and fun challenges... I checked in almost every hour.

5. How many books did you read? Three, or maybe more like two and a half.

6. What were the names of the books you read? Beloved by Toni Morrison, Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

7. Which book did you enjoy most? Beloved, because it was incredible and Morrison is such a masterful storyteller.

8. Which did you enjoy least? Embroideries was disappointing.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Yes, I think I would participate again as a reader but I might take a couple hours 'off' to visit other people's blogs, which I didn't do this time.

Thanks to all the organisers and prizegivers and cheerleaders and everyone! You all deserve a good night's sleep now!

Oh. My total pages read was approx. 468 but that's not necessarily accurate because Embroideries didn't have page numbers and I can't remember what page I started on in Beloved. You see how bad I am at keeping track of anything. Anyway, I suppose I can try to 'out-read' myself next time around!

Read-a-thon Hour 23

Enjoying The Graveyard Book immensely. Though it seemed more appropriate reading last night than on this extremely sunny, bright morning.

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Number of books read since you started: 3
Pages read since last update: 86
Running total of pages read since you started: 398

The page numbers are approximate... and I haven't been able to keep track of time AT ALL. It's crazy how the time just runs away with me.

I think to do this challenge right, I need a timekeeper, a cook and a masseuse -- as long as they are all deaf-mute. NO TALKING.

I also think that it would be easier to just READ and not blog at all, or just blog and read others' posts... doing both is nearly impossible, but I guess that's what makes it a challenge. Ah well!

Read-a-thon Hour 21

Aack! I'm half awake but I've got a cup of tea (thank you, sweetie) and a book, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.



The sun is shining for all it's worth and the forecast says it will be 17 degrees today. That's flipping 63 degrees F!!! I mean, that's nearly as hot as it will get on a rare sunny summer's day here! I'm totally serious. It NEVER gets that hot.

I will have to go sunbathe in the garden with my book once I make it out of bed.

Hooray to all the hardy folks who have been reading all this time, and the cheerful cheerleaders visiting and commenting. Thanks, all of you who have visited or commented!

Read-a-thon Hour 14

Well guys, this is it - I'm off to bed. It's 2:00 am. I hope to wake up (sometime) and continue reading in the morning, and I hope to be conscious when Hour 24 rolls around. We SHALL SEE.

I still haven't made my sweet tofu krispies that I meant to make today... but I did break into TWO bags of crisps, TWO chocolate bars, two tubs of hummus, two red bell peppers, nearly an entire cucumber, two and a half turkey enchiladas, and several cups of tea. Not in that order.

Amazingly, no coffee and no Coke. No biscuits (cookies for y'all), no cake, no gummy bears, no toast and jam, and no macaroni.

It's been fun and crazy and I haven't done NEARLY as much reading as I would have liked to... but hey, there's still another 11 hours to go.

Does it count as reading if I put a book under my pillow?

Title of book(s) read since last update: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Number of books read since you started: 3
Pages read since last update: 79
Running total of pages read since you started: 312
Amount of time spent reading since last update: ??
Running total of time spent reading since you started: (keep track of this one to be eligible for a prize!) ??
Mini-challenges completed: Mid-event survey in Hour 12
Other participants you’ve visited: None...
Prize you’ve won: None yet...

'Night pals.

Read-a-thon Hour 12

I didn't realize that I was only posting on even-numbered hours, but I guess I'll stick with the pattern for now. I just started The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and am enjoying it a lot. I wasn't actually all that impressed by Satrapi's Embroideries... but more about that later.

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2. How many books have you read so far? Just started the third.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The Graveyard Book, which I've just started.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Well, I tried -- but there were still distractions (visitors, dinner, sweetie-pie, etc.)

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I tried to ignore everyone but I'm not very good at tuning out conversation. So, I haven't read as much as I could have. Also got a sales call from India for a 'Mrs D' (not my name) but that wasn't too much of an interruption -- more of an annoyance!

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How FAST the time flies! I haven't had a chance to look at any other blogs at all.

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

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Hmmm, not sure.

9. Are you getting tired yet? Yes, I am getting tired -- it's after midnight here and this is my usual bedtime so I am getting a bit sleepy. I've got some upbeat instrumental music on and I think that's helping.

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? I could probably use an alarm clock! I keep losing track of time.

I can't believe how fast today has flown by. Weird. Does anyone else have that feeling?

Read-a-thon Hour 10

Well, here it is getting on toward 'bedtime' and I've got to start another book... decisions, decisions.

Title of book(s) read since last update: Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update: approx. 129
Running total of pages read since you started: approx. 233
Amount of time spent reading since last update: ?? I'm not very good at keeping track of time.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: (keep track of this one to be eligible for a prize!) ??
Mini-challenges completed: Where in the World hosted by Nomadreader
Other participants you’ve visited: Ummmmm...
Prize you’ve won: None!!

Drinking some dandelion tea and eating mint flavored chocolate. Where HAS the day gone!?