Post Read-a-Thon Recovery

Sorry all, I'm still recovering from the read-a-thon.  In lieu of my usual Name That Book episode, I will direct you to the Book Puzzle mini-challenge I hosted on Saturday.  55 people participated and made puzzles, quite a few of which I could not figure out.  So, if you're in the mood for a puzzle today, head there. 

Happy Monday!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in name that book , not a review , read-a-thon

Let the Reading Begin! (Read-a-Thon Updates)

Hello my crazy 24-hour readin' friends!  I am glad to be doing another read-a-thon, even if I should probably be cleaning my house or doing laundry instead.  Meh.

I'm also hosting the Book Puzzle mini-challenge from hour 3 to the end of hour 6, so be sure to check it out!

Here are my status updates and such like, for those who care:

Hour 20 update: And I'm off to bed after this!

Title of book(s) currently reading: Still going at The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson with All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin, handy as well
Number of books completed since I started:  2 (Can You Survive: Jack London's Call of the Wild adapted by Ryan Jacobson and Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick)
Pages read since last update: 58
Running total of pages read since I started: 954 (+ audio book)
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hr 15 min
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 10 hr 5 min
Mini-challenges completed: 6 (see them here)

And here is my intro mini-challenge answers, though all the other mini-challenges I do will be on a separate mini-challenge post.  This post I will use to update my progress (or sanity as the case may be) - see above. 

Where are you reading from today?

Tis my first 'thon in Arizona - it's certainly warmer, so I'll spend some time outside.

Three random facts about me

1-I can wiggle my little toe separately from the rest of my toes (I knew you'd love that tidbit)

2-Speaking of toes, mine are dextrous enough I can pick items up with them if I'm too lazy to bend down

3-I really like to eat cheese 

(wow, I think that's the most random I've gotten before)

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

Here's the photo pile:

There are 12 there (so ridiculous), though a few are quite short.  Plus I've got Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick on audio and a handful of e-books for devouring if I need some screen time.  I always overdo it.

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)?

Hm...I'm going to say I'd like to finish 5 books.  I guess I better start with the short/fast ones.  (Wonderstruck is totally going to get me a huge # of pages in a very short time - is that cheating?)

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

Start with a short/fast book so you can finish one and feel like you're doing amazing early on.  And eat lots of yummy snacks.

Any other crazy ambitious read-a-thoners out there? Go forth reading-fiends!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in not a review , read-a-thon

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenges

Read-a-thon has ended for the year, so here's my end of event mini-challenge:

Which hour was most daunting for you?
Actually, the morning hours were the hardest for me!  No catching up on sleep like I normally do.

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
I was really loving The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson and Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I like to know what mini-challenges will posted when, so I can be sure to check in those hours.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I loved the hosts, they did a great job of creating enthusiasm!

How many books did you read?
2 were finished, 2 partial

What were the names of the books you read?
I finished Can You Survive: Jack London's Call of the Wild adapted by Ryan Jacobson and Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Which book did you enjoy most?
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Which did you enjoy least?
Oh, they were all pretty good!

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I totally will, as a reader and maybe a mini-challenge host again.

Here is the post where I will do all the mini-challenges I can handle (oh, except the intro one, that is posted on my update post, because I'm weird that way).  And if you so desire, I'm hosting a mini-challenge myself - the Book Puzzle Mini-Challenge from hour 3 to the end of hour 6, so check it out!

Mini-challenge: 
Rereading from The Bluestocking Society
Here are some of my fave rereads:

Mid-event Survey
1. What are you reading right now?
Just finished up Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

2. How many books have you read so far?
That makes two :-(

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I'm thinking I'll start The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson, which I'm excited about!

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Nah, I didn't really have the whole day anyway, so nothing special to do

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yah, some visitors, but you just roll with it.  Read when you can.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How very much I expect I'll do and how very little I do!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I like to know what mini-challenges will be when so I know when to check for ones I like to do

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Seriously, set more realistic goals!

9. Are you getting tired yet?
Yes, but not of reading ;-)
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 very much doubt I've got something no one else has thought of ;-)

Book Sentence from Midnight Book Gal
Here are my better sentences:

 I shall wear midnight twisted between shades of gray.

 Invisible things don't breathe a word under the never sky.

 

 Ten things we did with their eyes under the never sky.

And my favorite creepy one: All these things I've done with their eyes twisted under the never sky.  Doesn't make lots of sense, but cool anyway :)

Hodge-Podge from Erin Reads
Rose Accord has spent her life dreaming of flying above the earth. But growing up in the deep south, practically a swamp, her chances of escaping her small town are slim. Trying to fight her way against prejudiced teachers and the deep-set current thinking of her day, she finally makes her way to astronaut training, only to be bested by what she least expected – her own self. In this highly acclaimed novel set in the early 1970s, we see one woman’s struggle against the thinking of her day and the weakness of her own body to triumph in ways she’d never imagined.

State Settings
I've just finished the State Settings mini-challenge over at Avid Reader's Musings.  My three books that evoke a specific state:

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock for Wisconsin
White Fang by Jack London for Alaska
these is my words by Nancy Turner for old Arizona


Intro mini-challenge is on my update post.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
 

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Posted in challenges , not a review , read-a-thon

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge: Book Puzzle

Mini-challenge closed and winner chosen! Thanks for playing! 

Welcome reader-a-thon-ers!  I'm super excited to be hosting this mini-challenge again.  Hopefully this will be a fun break from your reading that will let you exercise other parts of your brain!  

For this challenge, you will be creating a Book Puzzle.  Essentially, this is a series of pictures, graphics, or photos that you put together that will describe a book title.  I have been doing a biweekly game called Name That Book where I create book puzzles and let people guess the titles.  Here's an example from that first one:

This series of pictures illustrates the title Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. 

Now it's your turn to create your own Book Puzzle (or you can create more than one - they are quite fun).  Once you've posted your puzzle on your blog, come back and leave me the direct link to your puzzle in the Mr. Linky below.  And be sure to visit others' puzzles - it's lots of fun to guess!  

I'll be picking a winner (randomly of course, I'm not good at judging awesomeness) who will be able to choose two books from photo below (sorry I'm so lazy I just take photos - let me know if you can't read titles).  This is open only to US addresses and you have until the end of hour 6 to enter.  Now go forth and create!

(Don't laugh at my dreadful TBR shelf):

[For more examples or some inspiration, take a look at last read-a-thon's Book Puzzle participants, check out other episodes of Name That Book, or check out Name That Book episodes from Stephanie Reads.]

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in challenges , giveaway , not a review , read-a-thon

Community Events: Stuff I Should Have Posted About Earlier

So, I'm completely slower-than-average about posting community events, but I just wanted to do the better-late-than-never shout out to two I'll be participating in:
 

 
First up, Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon is coming up on October 22nd and I will be hosting the Book Puzzle Mini-Challenge again.  I seriously doubt I'll have much time to commit to reading this time, but I can't seem to pass the event by completely.  If you're partcipating, be sure to drop by and check out the mini-challenge, even if you don't plan to do it.  If you haven't signed up yet, be sure to head to the sign-up page and do it (you know, if you want, no pressure :)
 

 
And second, it's Cybils time!  Nominations for books are open (if you haven't heard, they've been open for a while now) so check out what's been nominated and get your favorites on the list!  Also, I'm on the Round 2 Judging Panel again this year for MG Fantasy/Sci-Fi, so be sure to nominate some awesome books in that category :)  I'm so excited to do this again, since it's always a treat working with people to pick a book we can all agree best fits the Cybils criteria. 
 

Are you participating in these events?  Any other community events I should know about?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in bookish topics , cybils , read-a-thon

SiS Read-a-thon Day 2

FINAL Update:
Whew!  I made it and I more than exceeded my goal of reading 3 books.  You know, by reading 4.75 or so.  Still, I'm happy with it.  I flew through Cahoots, which is shear silliness and also a graphic novel, so it almost doesn't count.  But, I'm counting it anyway.  I spent about 30 min listening to The Ring of Solomon which is amazing and just as snarky as all the other Bartimeaus books have been.  Then I decided to start on The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June. I only got about 50 pages in, though.  Eh.  So, here are the final stats:

Books Read Since Last Update: 1.25 (Read Cahoots, started The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June)
Pages Read Since Last Update: 128
Time Read Since Last Update: 3 hr 50 min (30 min of audio book)

Total Books Read: 4.75 
Total Pages Read: 1151
Total Time Read: 15 hrs 55 min

What is your favorite book you read during the read-a-thon? 
Toss up between Leaving the Bellweathers and Kat, Incorrigible
 
Did you participate in any mini-challenges? Which ones? 
Favorite and least favorite book-to-movie adaptations
Book puzzles
Character mash-ups
Book shelf organization

Which mini-challenge was your favorite?
Book puzzles (just like my Name That Book feature)

What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon?
I'm going with the reading - I love community reading.

Are you satisfied with how much reading you got done? Did you do more than you expected? Less?
I'm quite satisfied.  I did a little more than expected.

What did you think of the updates? Too close together? Didn't like the time limit?
I thought the updates were fine, since I didn't update every time :)  Time limits were fine.

If you could change one thing about the read-a-thon, what would it be?
I like to know what mini-challenges will happen when and maybe even what books will be given away - it helps me plan when to do an update.

Would you participate in another read-a-thon hosted by Squeaky Books? Why or why not? 
Sure!  I like read-a-thons.

Any last comments on the read-a-thon?
I'm just happy that Enna Isilee decided to host it.  It was fun!

Update #2
I took a few breaks again, so ended up not reading as much, but I have finished up Enclave.  I think I'm going to start on something small again, just to see if I can get another one read before the end of this read-a-thon!

And for the mini-challenge, I'd have to say the funniest thing I've read is Leaving the Bellweathers.  Nothing like a quirky family living in a lighthouse with endangered alligators to make for some good laughs. Though, I also laughed a lot through Kat, Incorrigible.  Good times!


Books Read Since Last Update: finished up Enclave, so about .5
Pages Read Since Last Update: 128
Time Read Since Last Update: 2 hrs 
Total Books Read: 3.5 (Leaving the Bellweathers and The Trouble with Half a Moon and Kat, Incorrigible, and finished up Enclave)
Total Pages Read: 896
Total Time Read: 12 hrs 5 min

Update #1:
It's been a pretty good morning, considering.  I've finished up Kat, Incorrigible, which was simply delightful.  Then, I decided to work on a book I already had in progress, Enclave.  It's definitely exciting enough to keep me reading for a while.  

Oh, and did I mention my brain has not been on since I started the read-a-thon?  Yeah, I've missed putting my linky up THREE times so far.  The best part is, I posted the updates well in advance, I just forgot to link.  I'm pretty awesome.  I guess I'm not in it to win the prizes, that's for sure :)

For the mini-challenge (though, I'm not international, so I can't win) I would probably organize my books the same way I do now: similar authors/titles/subjects and then according to height/weight.  My shelves are cheap and some of them bow in the middle, so I put light paperbacks on those ones and the heavier hardcovers on the stronger shelves.  Yeah, not much real organization, which is pretty funny, considering I'm a librarian.

Books Read Since Last Update: finished up Kat, Incorrigible and worked more on Enclave (already in progress)
Pages Read Since Last Update: 202
Time Read Since Last Update: 2 hr 45 min
Total Books Read: 3 (Leaving the Bellweathers and The Trouble with Half a Moon and Kat, Incorrigible)
Total Pages Read: 768
Total Time Read: 10 hrs 5 min

It's day 2 and I'm finally ready for it! I didn't get much reading at all last evening/night, so I'm hoping to make up for it this morning. I'm excited to finish up Kat, Incorrigible and then move on to something else, though I'm not sure what yet. I think I'll do the mini-challenge this morning too! I need to match up two characters from different books, so I'm thinking...

Saba from Blood Red Road and Katniss from Hunger Games. These girls are two of a kind. They are survivors, fighters, and fiercely loyal to family. While Katniss fights to the death for her younger sister Prim, Saba goes to whatever lengths necessary to save her brother Lugh. They are both hard as nails, but with weaknesses too, and neither will give up in the harsh worlds they face. I'd like to see them as friends OR as competitors in a fight. Interesting stuff, that.

Here are my (pitiful) stats:

Books Read Since Last Update: still less than 1 (Kat, Incorrigible)
Pages Read Since Last Update: 40
Time Read Since Last Update: 1 hr
Total Books Read: 2.5 (Leaving the Bellweathers and The Trouble with Half a Moon)
Total Pages Read: 566
Total Time Read: 7 hrs 20 min

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in not a review , read-a-thon

I'm Springin' into Summer!

Update #3
Well, I have been terribly distracted and entirely unable to spend much time reading since I last updated.  However, I have been enjoying the next book I've been reading and I'm not too far off my goal of reading at least 3 books and hopefully 4.  I'm part way through Kat, Incorrigible and it is so delightful!  Hopefully I'll get a few more hours in tonight, but there is no real guarantee, since I'm terrible at going without sleep for long.  But, here's my updated info for tonight:

Books Read Since Last Update: less than 1 (Kat, Incorrigible)
Pages Read Since Last Update: 106
Time Read Since Last Update: 1 hr 40 min
Total Books Read: 2.5 (Leaving the Bellweathers and The Trouble with Half a Moon)
Total Pages Read: 526
Total Time Read: 6 hrs 20 min

What is the favorite thing you have read today? Loved Leaving the Bellweathers
Which mini-challenge was your favorite? I have a soft spot for the book puzzles :)
What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon? Um, the reading.
What has been your LEAST favorite thing about the read-a-thon? The fact that I keep getting distracted and haven't visited any other participants!
Are you on track to meet your goals? Yes!
Will you be participating tomorrow? Yes.  
Do you have any new goals? I'm really hoping to get 4 books read.

Update #2
I've managed to finish Leaving the Bellweathers, which was such a fun, delightful read!  I'm happy to hear there is a sequel as well.  Good, quirky fun.  I also read The Trouble with Half a Moon (when I wasn't watching TV or taking other illicit breaks) which had me crying a lot.  Hopefully more steady reading is in my future!


And, since the mini-challenge this time around is one that I do biweekly, I thought I should definitely participate!  Here's one that I used for my last Name That Book game (where I regularly do book puzzles).

Books Read Since Last Update: 1.5
Pages Read Since Last Update: 292
Time Read Since Last Update: 3 hrs 10 min
Total Books Read: 2 (Leaving the Bellweathers and The Trouble with Half a Moon)
Total Pages Read: 420
Total Time Read: 4 hrs 40 min

Update #1
Well, I've made it about halfway through Leaving the Bellweathers and I really like it. It's funny and quirky and pretty fast reading too! Good starting choice, I think. While I'm updating, I'm figuring I may as well do the mini-challenge as well. The question is what is my favorite and least favorite book-to-movie adaptation.

Favorite: Well, one of my favorites is The Princess Bride. That movie is so perfect I can't imagine it any other way. It is filled with awesome quotable parts and I'm just love its spoofy goodness. I read the book a few years back and I liked it a lot as well, but the movie is as close to perfect as possible.  Lord of the Rings is another of my faves, despite some squibbles I had about Faramir's character.  Beautifully done, though.

Least Favorite: Actually this list could be quite long, but I'm going to go with The Dark is Rising. That movie just bombed so horrifically I couldn't even stand to watch it. Such a fantastic classic book and they had to completely mess it up. Painful. 

And here are my updated stats:

Books Read Since Last Update: .5 (Leaving the Bellweathers)
Pages Read Since Last Update: 128
Time Read Since Last Update: 1.5 hrs
Total Books Read: .5
Total Pages Read: 128
Total Time Read: 1.5 hrs

...with the Squeaky Books read-a-thon!  Actually, it's pretty much summer here in AZ, but it was summer last month too.  Anywho, I'm here and I'm ready to read.  I think I'm going to start out with something short and light - Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti.  I'm planning to update this same post throughout the day today, with any mini-challenges and stuff.  Then do another post and update it tomorrow.  Stay tuned and good luck if you're reading!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in not a review , read-a-thon

Winner of the Ruby Red by Kirsten Gier Giveaway + Read-a-thon

Thanks to everyone who entered the Ruby Red by Kirsten Gier giveaway!  I've seen loads of these all over the internets, so thanks for entering mine too.  Without further ado, here's my winner:

Amanda of A Bookshelf Monstrosity!

I'm actually really happy Amanda won, cause she's one of my regular commenters, so that makes her extra special on my blog :)  Congrats!  I've sent you an email and I've sent your address along to the publicist, so hopefully it will be winging its way to your house soon!

Secondly, I've decided to join the Spring into Summer read-a-thon hosted by Enna Isilee of Squeaky Books.  Because honestly, I'll have plenty of time to put into it (I think).  Here's some further info about it:

There will be awesome mini-challenges and a TON of giveaways! In fact, just for signing up you are entered to win a $25 gift card to Amazon! SO GO SIGN UP! And if you say that melissa @ 1lbr sent you, you'll get 5 extra entries to win that gift card!

My plan is to read on Friday and Saturday for as long as I can handle it. I think I'll aim for at least 3 books, though hopefully it will be more like 4 or 5.  I'll try to tackle this list o' books:
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway
The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante
Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
And anything else that might strike my fancy (I've been working my way through Enthralled, so that might make an appearance too.)

What about you? Anyone else joining in?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in giveaway , not a review , read-a-thon

48 HBC - Finish Line

I made it!  It was not my best ever (well, I've only done 48HBC once, so not much to compare with).  And I didn't quite make it to my secret 20 hour goal, but I certainly did reach my other goal of 16 hours.  If you want to read my thoughts on the 3 books I finished, check out my previous post for the very short reviews and then watch the blog for longer ones coming!  A big thanks to MotherReader for hosting the challenge and to everyone who stopped by to cheer me on!  Here are the final stats:

Time read since last update: 1 hr 30 min
Total time read: 17 hr 5 min
Time blogged/read blogs since last update: 20 min
Total time blogged/read blogs: 2 hr
Total participation time:  19 hr 5 min
Total number of books read: 2 (Blood Red Road and What Happened on Fox Street) and 2 partial (finished Paranormalcy & halfway through Okay for Now)
Total pages read: 1045

I had fun, even if I didn't have the time I wanted to devote to it this weekend. I certainly enjoy this challenge and hope someday to make it past the 20 hr mark. Thanks again to everyone who cheered me on! Here's the link to MotherReader's finish line post and everyone's final updates.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in challenges , not a review , read-a-thon

48 HBC - Halfway There and Then Some.

So, I've made it through the first 24 hours, and I'm about halfway to my (secret) goal of 20 hours.  I'm terrible at staying up too late and then getting up early, so I'm just now dragging myself out of bed.  Still, I think I'm going to get some good reading in!  I wanted to do some very brief reviews (in preparation for longer ones later) of the two books I've finished:

Paranormalcy: a sweet, sassy paranormal that will have you falling in love with the genre all over again.  And sparkly tasers.

Blood Red Road: a gritty futuristic novel with a main character and her love interest that you can't stop thinking about or rooting for. 

What Happened on Fox Street: a bitter-sweet coming of age for a girl growing up on an ordinary street.

Update 2: It's looking like yesterday was my best reading day, which is sad because it wasn't that great.  I had another big and unexpected obligation come up this evening, so I've not had much time to devote to reading.  I may not make it to my secret goal, but I haven't gotten my not-so-secret goal of 16 hrs.  I hope to get in one or maybe two more this evening and tomorrow morning, but no guarantee.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt (love it!) so maybe I'll keep my eyes open long enough.  Keep up the reading, for those of you who are participating! 


Time read since last update: 2 hr 10 min
Total time read: 15 hr 35 min
Time blogged/read blogs since last update: 10 min
Total time blogged/read blogs: 1 hr 40 min
Total participation time:  17 hr 15 min
Total number of books read: 2 (Blood Red Road and What Happened on Fox Street) and 1 partial (finished Paranormalcy)
Total pages read: 970

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in challenges , not a review , read-a-thon

48 HBC - Coming Back for More! Updated.

 
So, I'm crazy and joined the 48 Hour Book Challenge, hosted by MotherReader.  I mean, I still don't have a job, so no obligations there, but I do have several other big things going on this weekend.  Yet, here I am.  I'm just getting started (obviously), but I'm thrilled to be here again.  I think I'm going to shoot for a low # of hours, about 16, and secretly hope that I at least hit 20.  Check back this weekend for updates and other good times.  I'll probably update this post for today and change it for tomorrow.  Good luck, fellow 48 HBCers!

Update 3: I just finished reading Blood Red Road by Moira Young (so wicked awesome - I can't believe I just wrote that).  I'm hoping I'll last a few more hours tonight, but no promises.  I think I'll pick up something short and fast.  I'll update in the morning!

Time read since last update: 4 hr 40 min
Total time read: 9 hr 30 min
Time blogged/read blogs since last update: 40 min
Total time blogged/read blogs: 1 hr
Total participation time:  10 hr 30 min
Total number of books read: 1 (Blood Red Road) and 1 partial (finished Paranormalcy)
Total pages read: 638

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in not a review , read-a-thon

Ending the Read-a-Thon Madness (for now)!

Guys, I made it to about the middle of hour 19 and then I crashed.  Honestly, I'm pretty sure I'll never go the full 24 hours.  I think I'm getting too old to recover from an all-nighter.  Anywho, here are my final stats:

Title of book(s) currently reading: A Train to Potevka by Mike Ramsdell
Number of books completed since you started: 2 (Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry and Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt)
Pages read since last update: 45 (it was a slow/sleepy 1.5 hours)
Running total of pages read since you started: 533
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1.5 hrs
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 10 hrs (yeah!  I met my goal!)
Mini-challenges completed: 9 (see them here)

And here we have the end of event survey:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Probably the middle hours where I got totally distracted and had stuff to do.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
A Train to Potevka was pretty exciting, but not throughout
I'm thinking a nice dystopian would probably grab and hold your attention

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I think it runs pretty well, actually 

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
Having the mini-challenges all run for 3 hours was helpful

5. How many books did you read? I finished 2

6. What were the names of the books you read? Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry and Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt (I also got about halfway through A Train to Potevka by Mike Ramsdell)

7. Which book did you enjoy most? Bless This Mouse was pretty sweet and fun, though A Train to Potevka is exciting and interesting

8. Which did you enjoy least? That would leave Making Toast
 
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/A - though I love them!

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? 
It's pretty likely I'll be a reader again next time - not sure where I'll be in October though.  Also, I'm definitely wanting to host the Book Puzzle challenge again - it reminds me how terrible I am at guessing the puzzles!

Thanks again to all who made the Read-a-Thon happen - hosts and admin and whatever else.  And to everyone who cheered me on!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in challenges , not a review , read-a-thon

Get Your Read-a-Thon On!

Updates below!!

I didn't do a great job of letting everyone know I was participating again this time, but here I am now.  

Yeah for another 24 Hour Read-a-Thon!  This time I've got a lot going on, so I think my goals will be much smaller.  But, I'm hosting a Book Puzzle mini-challenge starting hour 4, so be sure to check it out. 

Here is where I'll be updating stats if you're interested.  I think I'm going to just update this info every once in a while instead of doing new posts every time.  I'll have a separate post for mini-challenges too.  

Hour 18 update:

Title of book(s) currently reading: A Train to Potevka by Mike Ramsdell
Number of books completed since you started: 2 (Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry and Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt)
Pages read since last update: 101
Running total of pages read since you started: 488
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 2.25 hrs
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 8.5 hrs
Mini-challenges completed: 9 (see them here)
[I've probably only got a few hours of reading life left - we'll see!]

What are you reading for the read-a-thon?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in challenges , not a review , read-a-thon

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenges Completed

Here's where I'll list any mini-challenges I've completed.  If you're interested in my read-a-thon stats, they are at this other read-a-thon post.

Had fun creating a classic-paranomral mash-up for Stiletto's Storytime' Classic/Paranormal Tome mini-challenge. (The Secret Gorgon - oh it's late :)

I just did Vamps R Us' Main Character Theme Song mini-challenge and At Random's Book Habits mini-challenge.

Mid-Event Survey!
1. What are you reading right now?
Making Toast and The Exiled Queen as well as listening to some Inkheart

2. How many books have you read so far?
Just one (Bless This Mouse)

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Actually having some time to read!

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? 
I probably should have :)

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yes!  I just finish them up and not worry about it :)

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How fast the time goes.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I think it runs really well, actually.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Maybe try not to have a bunch of stuff to do.  But, some things you can't help.

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?
I'm pretty sure I've got nothing new.  Eat yummy snacks, though.

I attempted Brown Girl Book Speak's In Other Words mini-challenge - hard stuff!


Just finished (hopefully correctly) The Unread Reader's My Book Boyfriend Matchmaker mini-challenge.

I just left a (super long) comment for A Literary Odyssey's Oldies But Goodies mini-challenge!

I also just put myself on the map for I Heart Monster's Where in the World are You mini-challenge.  


To start off, I'm doing the Introduction meme:

Where are you reading from today? 
In the cold of spring in Utah.

3 facts about me
-I'm rediscovering that moving is a pain!  (I have a LOT of boxes of books.)
-Spring in Utah drives me crazy - 60s one day and then snow and sleet the next! 
-Every pair of jeans I own has a hole in the knee.  Apparently I do a lot of kneeling :)

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
I'm going to say about five:
In progress already: The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry
A Train to Potevka by Mike Ramsdell
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (audio)
And maybe something else from my review pile :)

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon?
It's a pretty busy day today, so I'm aiming for about 7-10 hours of reading time.  Hopefully I'll get two books read/finished.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
If you aren't liking what you're reading, give yourself permission to skip to something else!  It won't be fun if you are forcing yourself to read something you're not enjoying.

Are you a mini-challenge kind of read-a-thon-er?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

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Posted in challenges , not a review , read-a-thon

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge: Book Puzzle

Welcome reader-a-thon-ers!  I'm super excited to be hosting this mini-challenge again.  Hopefully this will be a fun break from your reading that will let you exercise other parts of your brain!  

For this challenge, you will be creating a Book Puzzle.  Essentially, this is a series of pictures, graphics, or photos that you put together that will describe a book title.  I have been doing a biweekly game called Name That Book where I create book puzzles and let people guess the titles.  Here's an example from that first one:

This series of pictures illustrates the title Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. 

Now it's your turn to create your own Book Puzzle (or you can create more than one - they are quite fun).  Once you've posted your puzzle on your blog, come back and leave me the direct link to your puzzle in the Mr. Linky below.  And be sure to visit others' puzzles - it's lots of fun to guess!  I'll be picking a winner (randomly of course, I'm not good at judging awesomeness) who will receive be able to choose two books from the list below.  This is open only to US addresses.  Now go forth and create! [Mini-challenge is closed and winner was chosen - Sheila at Book Journey]

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow (HC)
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko (ARC)
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (HC)
The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (PB)
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley (PB)
Manifest by Artist Arthur (ARC)
Bitter Frost by Kailin Gow (PB)
Snap by Carol Snow (HC)
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan (ARC)
The Trouble With Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante (ARC)
What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstuff (ARC)
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins (ARC)
Father of Lies by Ann Turner (HC)
The Genius Files by Dan Gutman (HC) 
Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton (PB)
Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler (PB)
Perfect Shot by Debbie Rigaud (PB)
My Double Life by Janette Rallison (ARC)
Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson (ARC)
Shadow Land by Chitra Lekha Banerjee Divakaruni (HC)
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey (ARC)
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (HC)

[For more examples or some inspiration, take a look at last read-a-thon's Book Puzzle participants, check out other episodes of Name That Book, or check out Name That Book episodes from Stephanie Reads.]

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Posted in giveaway , name that book , not a review , read-a-thon