Readerly Rambles: 10/03/2012

I haven't finished any of my reads this week.  Sigh.  This week's Readerly Rambles will be a bit different.  However, there is bookish activity afoot! 

Book Miscellany

Book buying in the future:  Y'all, I haven't purchased a single book since May.  MAY.  I'm suffering.  I have several book buying opportunities on the horizon.  I have a $30 worth of books for $15 coupon from Bookcloseouts.com.  I have $16 credit at a used bookstore in Athens.  I have a big box of books to trade in at a local shop.  The big news?  The massive library sale happens the last weekend in October and I am off that Friday.  I am so going. 

Book organization -- real world:  In a few weeks we are doing a massive rearranging of the house and changing things up in anticipation of the holidays (and Persy Jane).  To shorten a long and confusing explanation of the planned improvements, let's just say that my built in shelves in the living room will no longer store toys.  That frees up three selves.  My books from the bedroom will move and all be in the library.

Reading chair:  I am now on the prowl for the perfect reading chair, but it needs to be really reasonably (ahem, cheaply) priced.  I want something squishy for cozy reading, but firm enough for prolonged baby holding / breast feeding.  An ottoman would be an added bonus.  Since we've gotten scabies once and it was terrible I am incredibly wary of thrift store furniture.  We'll see if I can locate something.

Book organization -- virtual:  I still need to construct a shelf in GoodReads for my Classics Challenge and I really want to revive my LibraryThing account.  For LibraryThing I will need to delete a lot of the books and then start over cataloging my collection.  I'll see when I can work that in before the close of 2012.

Book Events

All Hallows Eve Swap:  Have you signed up?  I love the prospect of sending someone a scary book along with some added treats.  Sign-up is going on until Friday!  An added bonus is I think that this is the perfect way to make new bookish friends. 

Gothic in October:  I'm sort of participating.  I'm planning on reading The Italian by Ann Radcliffe, but I probably won't get to it until holiday break.  I'm reading a collection of M R James stories and I'm really enjoying it.  I plan on posting more thoroughly on the collection when I'm done. 

RIP:  The R.eaders' I.mbibing P.eril challenge is going along wonderfully.  I haven't had a chance to watch any films (does Sherlock season 2 count) but I plan on remedying that soon.  So far I've read three titles for RIP:  The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  I have loads more in the RIP pile:  MR James short stories, more Harry Potter, The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill, and The Solitary House by Lynn Shepard.  I'm also joining in on The Graveyard Book read-along, but I'll be listening to the audio version.

 

24-hour Readathon:  October 13th is the day!  Next weekend!  I'm hoping to make it a spectacular RIP readathon.  Of course, I will not be able to participate in all 24 hours.  Sam will spend most of the day with the kids, but I do want to see my kiddos a bit and "come up for air." 

Okay, nothing finished.  But as you can see I'm just as consumed by reading as ever.  Happy Reading, folks!

Thankfully Reading Readathon Recap....

Thanks to Jenn for hosting the Thankfully Reading Weekend, I did pretty durn well considering I was sidetracked by holiday cheer, tea, stitching, and general mom stuff. This is my one and only update as I was on blog-vacation for the past week.  I finished Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which I have been reading for at least two weeks.    I'll be blogging more on Wolf Hall later in the week.  I also knocked out volume 3 of Joe Hill's Locke and Key series and I'm well into Fables volume 14. 

I know this is a lackluster review of my Thankfully Reading Weekend, but I beg caffeine-induced ADD.  I try to focus on writing a decent review... ZOMG!  Yarn!  Must knit....and coffee.. coffee... where's my coffee...and.. what was I saying?

No worries.  I read.  You read.  (throws confetti).  Yay.  Thanks, Jenn!

Readerly Rambles: 10/19/2011

What I've finished:

• In this House of Brede by Rumer Godden:  I inhaled this book about a group of nuns.  I'm one of those agnostic types with a protestant background who is inexplicably fascinated by Catholicism.  I enjoyed learning about the life of a nun, but I most enjoyed the different characters in the book and how they each met with different challenges (personal and related to their convent).  This is my first Rumer Godden book and I'll definitely be reading her again.   This book was for the TBR challenge.
• Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon:  This book was such fun!  Lady Audley has a secret -- which the reader will discover soon after beginning the book -- and that secret threatens to destroy her current wealth and position she's obtained by marriage.  Of course she will stop at nothing to ensure her status and everyone is shocked at her evil insanity because she is such a blonde, pretty, angelic creature.  Oh Victorians, how horrific when the Angel in the House proves to be nefarious! This Victorian sensational novel was for Carl's RIP challenge.
• The Bad Seed by William March:  I picked this book up for Carl's RIP challenge because I love the campy film version.  Oh WOW, the book is far darker, violent, and terrifying.  Little Rhoda is bat shit crazy and one evil little sociopath.  It was weird/interesting that I read this right after Lady Audley's Secret.  Both books address society's views on beauty and innocence and deal with themes of maternal hereditary insanity.  If I were in grad school I'd probably write a paper about the two novels.  But I'm not.  So I won't. (sticks out tongue)

What I'm Reading:

• Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman: this is a group read over at Carl's blog.  I'm enjoying this collection and you can read more about it here, here, here and here.  
• Clermont by Regina Maria Roche:  Oh my goodness this is a fun one!  A classic Gothic novel, this book stars one dim witted, overly good, heroine who is either trembling with emotion, quivering with fright, blanching with fear, or crimsoning with modestly.  There are gobs of "hithers" and "whilsts" and flowery speeches.  I must say I'm loving it and I feel all Catherine Morland when I'm reading it.  This book is for The Classics Circuit.   

What's Up Next:

It it mother-effin' Readathon time!  (throws confetti).  I have my stack of Readathon books below and Sam is watching the babies so I can read my eyeballs out.  I can't wait to nerd-out with all of you on participants on Saturday, October 22nd at 8 a.m.


Recent Purchases:  

• The Evil Genius by Wilkie Collins
• The House by the Churchyard by J. Sheridan LeFanu
• A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith
• A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel 

Happy Reading!

Readathon: The Second Update

I'm not uploading any pictures during this update.  I've been reading for a while and just realized that I'm taking over parenting duties for a few hours at 6:30 (and it is just striking 6). 

To briefly update, I'm so glad I'm minimized my blogging time.  I haven't read a single Readathon update, but I've accomplished loads of reading (39 pages of Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation and 96 pages of Saplings for a total of 135 pages).  My grand total for the day is 255 pages! 

I'm about to head home and do Atticus' bedtime routine (bath, cuddles, and an extra long nursing session).  I can usually read while I do Atticus' night nursing.  Yay!  Shannon is coming to the house tonight and we are going to feast upon grilled hamburgers and sweet potato fries.  After Atticus is asleep we will continue with the reading.  My goal is to make it until at least midnight. 

I'll be cheerleading in the early morning hours (I hope I've planned it right, my goal is to wake before Atticus so I can cheer for other readers).

Happy Reading!!!!

Read-a-thon Update!

Well, the first 3.5 hours of Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon have passed.  I'm reading the day away with my good friend Shannon.  I've changed up how I'm doing Read-a-thon and doing less blogging.  I'm a slow blogger and easily distracted.  Less blogging means more time to read, which, after all, is the point of Read-a-thon.  I'm also not planning on participating in mini-challenges.  I think if I had a solid 24 hours to myself I'd participate, but I'm taking breaks to nurse the baby and spend time with my family (Hope is visiting relatives in North Carolina).  So my reading time is going to be purely focused on actually reading.

Now, how did my first three hours go?  I've read a 120 pages thus far (a chapter of a non-fiction book -- Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation -- and 100 pages of Saplings, a Persephone novel by Noel Streatfeild).

Here is a photo update:

 

[caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="8am -- starting out with a pile of books!"][/caption]

 

 

[caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Around 9am -- I put aside my non-fiction read and grabbed some fiction and a clementine"][/caption]

 

 

[caption id="attachment_659" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Shannon -- although she is barista-ing today -- is finding time to read"][/caption]

 

 

[caption id="attachment_660" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="A baby break around 10am. Can you tell that his Daddy dressed him today?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_661" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="10:40am, a cup of Earl Grey and a Chicken Salad Sandwich on an Everything Bagel"][/caption]

 

I'm off for some family time, but I'll be back in the swing of things this afternoon!

Reading Update and Prepping for Read-a-Thon

I had fully intended to write a review of my latest Persephone read, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, but I couldn't really think of anything to say past typing the word "delightful" over and over and over again.  Truly the book was delightful and I think my inability to write something stems from the fact that I finished that book nearly a month ago and it is one of those lighter reads that doesn't really warrant many hours of thought afterwards. My current Persephone read, Saplings by Noel Streatfeild, is completely different.  Already things are darker and more complicated as far as family dynamic and tension goes; thus far the novel seems very Whipple-esque.

My other bookish news is that I'm eagerly anticipating Read-a-thon this weekend.  Best friend and coparent, Shannon, will be participating with me and we are in the throes of nerdiness.  Obviously, I won't be able to participate for a full 24-hours (Atticus didn't like that idea), but I'll hopefully get in a solid 8 hours of reading with a solid 2-3 hours of blogging and cheerleading.

My book list is forming, so far I have on the pile:

• Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation by Noel Riley Fitch


• Saplings by Noel Streatfeild


• Room by Emma Donoghue


• The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey


• The Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes by Janet Malcolm


• Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman


• Q's Legacy by Helen Hanff


• Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers

I'm so excited!

Reading Goals for 2011

I'm not quite ready to post my wrap-up for my 2010 reading year, I'm still determined to finish North and South before midnight on January 1st!  I have been spending a great deal of time thinking about 2011.

This post will be in list format because I adore lists.

The Basics:

• Read a minimum of 75 books or 20,000 pages


• Participate in the April and October Readathons


• Participate in 3 other book blogging events (for example, I'm eager to participate in the Virago reading week and the Persephone reading weekend.)


• Do 5 readalongs.  They can be blog readalongs or GoodReads readalongs.  I'm signing up for several readalongs hosted by Allie at A Literary Odyssey


• Complete 3 reads for the Classics Circuit and POST ON TIME!


• Complete all the reading challenges I've signed up to do.


• Only do 12 challenges at a time.  I have to finish a challenge to signup for another.

Reading Challenges:

I'm still making my lists for these challenges, so check back soon!

1. Local Library Challenge -- Check out and read 30 library books


2. Off the Shelf Challenge -- Read 30 books off my shelves


3. Chunkster Challenge -- Read 8 chunksters or 3 tomes


4. To Be Read Challenge -- 12 books from my TBR pile


5. Special Topics in Calamity Physics Challenge -- Senior Level


6. Vintage Mystery Challenge -- Read 4-6 Vintage Mysteries


7. Man Booker Challenge -- A Booker's Dozen, read 12 of the winning, short-listed, or long-listed titles.


8. What's in a Name Challenge -- List coming soon!


9. First in a Series Challenge -- Read 3 books that are the first in any series


10. Seconds Challenge -- Read 12 books that are the second in a series or the second time I've read the author.


11. Chivalrous Deeds Historical Challenge -- Read 7 historical fiction books


12. Dystopia Challenge -- Read 5 Dystopian novels

Tomorrow I plan on posting my lists for the various challenges.  I need to read read read because there are so many other challenges I want to join.  Wish me luck!

I think that is it for my more concrete reading goals.  I also want to try to blog more reviews and do general reading updates.  A strict blog schedule isn't for me, but I'll try to be more devoted to maintaining the bookishness of this blog.

In a Glass Darkly and a Tardy Readathon Wrapup

It is a quarter to eight in the morning and every thing is very quiet and still.  I have a pot of tea beside me and I'm finally prepared to wrap-up my readathon thoughts two whole days after the event.

First -- a few non-book related somethings:

• Why am I out of Irish Breakfast Tea?


• Is having an intense desire to rearrange my kitchen cupboards a sign of nesting?

Please, feel free to share your thoughts on both subjects.

Okay, on to the Readathon Wrap-up:

I'm not going to do the meme provided because I'm a maverick (j/k).  No, seriously, I only finished one book and I feel like in my last post I reflected my thoughts on Readathon adequately.  Rather, I'd like to discuss what I -- personally -- will do differently when I participate in the April readathon:

• I enjoyed reading, but I'm not too keen on the emphasis on number of books.  I could have blasted through 37 Sweet Valley High novels and had an amazing book count, but instead I chose to read a thick book (which most veterans say not to do during a readathon) and then interspersed my tome reading with scary Victorian short stories.  This worked well for me.


• So, next readathon I'm going to focus on how many pages I can get through.  This way I'm a winner if I decide to read Trollope or a stack of Agatha Christie mysteries.


• I'm also going to steer clear of counting hours.  This seemed to be a bit messy.  For example, I would read for a block of two hours, but in those two hours I might use the bathroom, or make some tea, or stare at my cat.  Then I had difficulty truly saying how long I read.  I think tracking minutes of pure, unadulterated reading will work best.


• I really enjoyed listening to audio books as well.  I didn't finish my audio book, but I'm planning on having an embroidery blitz soon and listening to audio books while I stitch.

My final goals for the next official Readathon in April (keeping in mind that I will have a 6 month-old baby).   Are to read 500 pages and 4 hours of audio (up from the 407 I read and the 1 hour of audio for the October readathon).  I'll keep track of minutes, but my ultimate goal will not be a certain number of minutes (i.e. I'll have a baby).

There is one tiny readathon in my future; I'm planning on Reading in the New Year.  Depending on Atticus' sleep schedule (or lack thereof) I plan on beginning at midnight and reading as much as I can.  I had a blast doing this earlier in the year.



Now on to a review, Sheridan Le Fanu's In a Glass Darkly.  This collection of five short stories/novellas (the last two tales are long) make up the papers of one fictitious Dr. Hesselius.  A doctor of medicine, believer in the powers of the supernatural and the trickery of the human psyche, and a sort of psychologist, Dr. Hesselius is periodically called upon to hear tales of horror, madness, and the otherworldly.  What is truly remarkable about this collection is its unpredictability.  Sometimes, the reader believes there is no haunting, only madness.  Other times it appears that some supernatural horror is at play.  And in at least one tale -- one of the scariest-- there is no supernatural element at all.  Rather than give a synopses of the tales, I'll implore you to go in reading this collection blind.  By all means, skip the introduction until after you've read the 5 stories.  I'm glad I skipped the introduction because then each story was a surprise, a chilling surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.  Fans of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" will especially love In a Glass Darkly.  This book also counts towards my RIP Challenge!

Okay, my tea is getting cold and I need to throw dinner in the crock-pot and start folding a mountain of laundry.  We've a busy day today and I better get started!

Readathon: Hour 24

I ended up going to bed closer to 1 a.m.  I had some contractions last night (still random, but if they were Braxton Hicks they were quite stronger).  We used the time to "practice" pain management (i.e. Sam was less freaked out and I got a foot rub and I felt less ridiculous breathing like a ninny).

After all THAT we went to bed, but I was up by 6 a.m. for breakfast (egg and cheese bagel) and reading.

I finished a book!  Hooray!  I wrapped up Sheridan Le Fanu's In a Glass Darkly at around 7:30 this morning.  The end of the event meme still isn't up, so I'll update later with the answers to the meme.

For now, here are my final stats:

• Title of book(s) read since last update:In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu


• Number of books read since you started: finished 1!


• Pages read since last update: 105 pages


• Running total of pages read since you started: 417 plus one hour of audio


• Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour and 18 minutes


• Running total of time spent reading since you started: 8 hours and 18 minutes of print, plus 1 hour of audio


• Mini-challenges completed: Two


• Other participants you’ve visited: I've kept up with some Twitter updates


• Prize you’ve won: zip

I may have only finished one book, but I read over 400 pages!  That's amazing.  I used to be obsessed with the "number" of books I read in a year, but I have to say have a yearly number of pages I want to read as my goal keeps the anxiety at bay.  I'm much more inclined to pick up larger works or nonfiction pieces.

So bravo to me!  And super-mega-bravo to all the other readathoners!  We did it!

Readathon: Hour 16

My eyes are burning and I'm more than slightly delirious.  Okay, not really delirious, but I'm tired.

I'm about to get a shower and then crawl into bed for the night.  HOWEVER, my readathon time ends at 8 a.m. and I'll probably wake up at 6 a.m.  That will give me at least two more hours of reading.

Here is a stats update:

• Title of book(s) read since last update:The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman and In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu


• Number of books read since you started: currently working on two print books and one audio


• Pages read since last update: 97 pages


• Running total of pages read since you started: 312 plus one hour of audio


• Amount of time spent reading since last update: 2 hours


• Running total of time spent reading since you started: 7 hours of print, plus 1 hour of audio


• Mini-challenges completed: Two


• Other participants you’ve visited: lurked on a few blogs, but I'm a bit incoherent at the moment


• Prize you’ve won: zip

'Night, Readathoners!

Readathon: Hour 12

First off, the mid-event meme!

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? I'm in the middle of a gripping novella in Le Fanu's In a Glass Darkly entitled "The Room in the Dragon Volant."  I have no idea what is going on except that everyone is creepy and I can trust not a single character.

2. How many books have you read so far? I haven't completed any books, but then again that wasn't really my goal.  I've read widely in two books and started an audio book.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I saved some graphic novels for near the end of readathon, I'm looking forward to those.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope.  There was no soccer this weekend so my daughter was already planning a long weekend at Grandma's.  Everything seemed to simply fall into place.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Some.  I pee every hour since Atticus thinks my bladder is a squeeze toy.  And it took me an hour and a half to cheer as opposed to one hour.  Little breaks keep me fresh and relishing my reading.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? IT GOES BY SO QUICKLY!!!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I had a difficult time cheering.  Some blogs were in other languages, or folks weren't participating so there was nothing to cheer for, I ran into one blog I didn't click on because it was for "mature readers" and I had problems commenting on several blogs.  Livejournal was frustrating and so were the word verifications.  Perhaps next year we could pair up cheerleaders with blog hosts (i.e. wordpress folks cheer wordpress folks, etc....)

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I don't know.  I think things are going pretty well thus far excepting the cheering issues.

9. Are you getting tired yet? A bit.  But I'm taking time to close my eyes here and there.

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? Not reading for more than an hour and a half straight.  Listen to an audio book or do something to let the eyes rest!

So what all have I done since hour 7?

• rearranged my bookshelves and pulled out a few books to donate


• listened to the first disc of Muriel Spark's Aiding and Abetting


• ate dinner (frozen pizza, grapes, a few crackers with cheese)


• snapped pics of my "reading pals"


• cheered for an hour and a half

Here are my stats:

• Title of book(s) read since last update:The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman and In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu


• Number of books read since you started: currently working on two print books and one audio


• Pages read since last update: 76 plus one hour of audio


• Running total of pages read since you started: 215 plus one hour of audio


• Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour of audio plus 1 hour and a half reading.


• Running total of time spent reading since you started: 5 hours of print, plus 1 hour of audio


• Mini-challenges completed: Two


• Other participants you’ve visited: I visited close to 40 blogs (some cheer assigned and some friends) during my cheertime.


• Prize you’ve won: zip

Now my plans are to visit a few bloggy friends and eat some Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream.  Then I plan on spending the next few hours reading (Le Fanu and Penman).  I'll do an update in a bit and then sleep for a bit.  My challenge ends at 8 a.m., so I'll be up at 5:30 or 6 to read a bit longer.

My Reading Pals

Beauregard Fitzgerald Capote reads Le Fanu

Atticus Clay helps Mommy hold up the hefty reads.

Readathon: Hour 7

Here's a brief rundown of the past 3 hours:  I zipped over to Atlanta Bread Company for lunch.  I had some baked potato soup, a chicken salad sandwich, and water.  While I ate I read a short story by Sheridan Le Fanu entitled "Mr. Justice Harbottle."  It was wonderfully creepy.  I have to say I originally pulled out Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, but then I decided that wouldn't be the best lunchtime reading fare.

After I read the Le Fanu story I plunged back in to The Sunne in Splendour; reading this novel is slow, but in a satisfying way.  I think I can typically read about 80+ pages an hour, but I'm finding my average is about 50 pages an hour with this novel.  But SOOOOO much is happening.  In the past 100 pages Anne Neville has been abused by her brother-in-law George, Duke of Clarence, fled to an inn with her maid, pretended to be a maid, reunited with Richard, married after much political maneuverings, had a baby, had two miscarriages, reunited with her mother, and Richard has quarrelled with his brothers, protested the alliance with France, and resisted the temptations of his former mistress.  In addition I'm learning all about battle plans, managing households, rank and class, and childbirth during the time period.  It is a very satisfying read and the hour it takes me to read those 50 pages seems to fly by.

Stats Update:

• Title of book(s) read since last update:The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman and In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu


• Number of books read since you started: currently working on two


• Pages read since last update: 86


• Running total of pages read since you started: 139


• Amount of time spent reading since last update: 2 hours


• Running total of time spent reading since you started: 3.5 hours


• Mini-challenges completed: planning on doing some more this evening


• Other participants you’ve visited: I'm about to pop in and say hello to some folks!


• Prize you’ve won: zip

My plans for the next few hours involve visiting some readathon blogs, organizing my bookshelves while listening to an audio book, and cheerleading from 4 - 5.

Readathon: Hour 3

So I said I was starting the Readathon early --- I lied.  I did my morning post early and settled on the couch with The Sunne in Splendour.  Then I promptly fell asleep.  I'm totally blaming pregnancy for this one.  I woke up around 8:30 (or a half of an hour after the readathon officially started), made a cup of cocoa, and then truly began reading. Sigh.

 

• Title of book(s) read since last update:The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman


• Number of books read since you started: still working on the first one.


• Pages read since last update: 53 (Penman is a slow, but satisfying read)


• Running total of pages read since you started: 53


• Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour and 30 minutes


• Running total of time spent reading since you started:  1 hour and 30 minutes


• Mini-challenges completed: about to complete the first one


• Other participants you’ve visited: no one, I'm saving my visits when my eyes need a break


• Prize you’ve won: zip

Now, time for a mini-challenge.  This mini-challenge is from the first hour of readathon:

• Where are you reading from today? I've been reading from my couch, but I'm about to head out to Atlanta Bread Company for a change of scenery and some coffee
  


• 3 facts about me … Random, bookish facts -- 1) I feel the need to organize my bookshelves before the baby gets here, 2). I have an urge to drink pots and pots of coffee as reading and coffee are inexplicably entwined, 3).  I'm excited about seeing what everyone else is reading and increasing my TBR pile!
  


• How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? I have 9 books in the pile
  


• 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 am going to reward each read completed with a book purchase, but I don't have any hard and fast goals.  Basically, I wanted to use this time to read and ENJOY IT!  Forget cooking, work, chores, and my other 500 hobbies and just enjoy reading.  Even if I only get one book completed (like the mammoth Sunne in Splendour) I'll consider the readathon a success!
  


• If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? I'm a newbie!

 

Readathon: The Prep Post

Readathon Day!  Yayyyyyyyyyy!

I'm super excited, can you tell?

I was going to do the perfunctory readathon prep post most bloggers seem to do the night before, but instead I opted to eat a cheeseburger, watch MST3K, and snuggle with my husband.  He knows he will be ignored today and he may be *forced* to spend the day drawing or playing video games.  Poor soul.

Hope went to grandma's house last night for a long weekend visit as there are no soccer games this weekend.  So I'm truly on my own (excepting Beau the cat and Atticus).



First, some ground rules/plans I set for myself:

• I'm starting early.  I began this readathon at 6 a.m. as I'm an early riser.


• I know I won't go the entire 24-hours.  Seriously, do you want to stand between a nine month pregnant lady and her sleep?


• In addition, there may be a nap break.


• I've stocked the fridge with water, fruit, yogurt, and a few treats.  As much as I would like to live on coffee and tea, I need to mostly drink water.


• This isn't to say I won't indulge in some light caffeinated goodness.  I see a Pumpkin Spice Latte in my future.


• I also plan to move around.  Walking and changing reading locations frequently.


• I'm rewarding myself for reading.  For every book I finish I'm going to BUY A NEW BOOK.  Yup, no charity or kindness from me.  Pure book greediness going on around here!

I also have a schedule for my reading.  Essentially, it is to ensure that I eat, drink, and walk around and that I don't get sucked into computer land (the point of readathon is to read)!  I'll have a few activities today: mini-challenges, listening to audiobooks, a trip to a library/bookstore, and some shelf reorganization to help me resist sitting on my ass all day.

Now, onto the books.  Here is the current book pile:



I know!  It is quite ambitious, but my goal is to work through at least half of the books.

Alright folks, I'm off to read.  I'll pop back in later!

The Sunday Salon: Readathon Prep

I'm so excited about the fast approaching 24-hour Readathon!  I've never been able to participate as I've worked Saturdays at the library for the past 3 years.  I had rearranged my work schedule to participate in the spring, but then I had a miscarriage scare and opted out.

But now, I'm ready to go!  Hope is going to grandma's house for the weekend and I'm assembling book lists and book piles aplenty.  Of course the library is playing an essential role in building my book piles.  Today I popped into the public library for a few minutes and came away with a cookbook and three fiction works.  The three fiction books are:

• A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor


• Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith


• Classics of the Macabre by Daphne Du Maurier

I'm still building my list; I have some graphic novels selected, a few books from my stacks, and some interlibrary loan materials headed my way.  I still need some audio books, any suggestions?

Remembering August and Looking to September

Yesterday Hope stayed home from school because of a sore throat, sinus headache and some sniffles.  By two in the afternoon she was feeling much better and I began feeling crappy.  My throat hurts and I've been blowing my nose in Starbucks for the past hour (I'm sure the other customers are more than thrilled).

While I was feeling ill yesterday, I flipped through my journal and found something interesting.  On January 31st I listed accomplishments and memories from the month and then made another list of things I was looking forward to in September.  Seasonal allergies aside, there are many exciting things happening in September and August was a good month for me so I thought I'd revive the list.

Remembering August:

[caption id="attachment_199" align="alignright" width="246" caption="Sam's DIY Dali moustache..."][/caption]

• completed a 48-hour readathon


• baking - I made peanut butter bars, espresso brownies, strawberry peach cookies, and banana bread


• my friends Catherine and Shannon threw me a WONDERFUL baby shower


• lots of dinners and hanging out with friends


• another ultrasound and Atticus kicking and flipping like mad


• days at the pool with Sam and Hope


• Arcade Fire concert


• began crocheting a baby blanket


• Hope started the 5th grade and has really matured over the summer


• lovely stay-cation at the beginning of the month


• read 5 books (The House at Riverton, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Manservant and Maidservant, The Stolen Crown, and Time Among the Dead)


• made several trips to the library


• paid off a medical bill


• finished an embroidery project
  
  [caption id="attachment_200" align="alignright" width="246" caption="Pumpkin Spice Latte Time!"][/caption]


• saw the Dali exhibit at the High Museum of Art

Looking to September:

• another baby shower


• Hope's soccer season begins


• Carl's R.I.P reading challenge (more on that later)


• finishing the baby blanket


• Autumn baking (pumpkin and apple everything)


• leaves changing and cooler breezes


• breaking out my Docs


• getting internet at the house (hopefully next week)


• baking bread with friends


• completing the nursery


• adoption finalized


• library book sale


• new embroidery projects


• pumpkin spice lattes


• black fingernail polish


• childbirth class


• crafting thank you cards


• paying off my credit cards


• Sam's 29th birthday

I'm ready, September!

Read-a-Thon Update

This evening marks the close of Unputdownables' 48 hour read-a-thon.  I managed to finished two books (The Count of Monte Cristo and The House at Riverton), realized one book need to go back on the shelf (sorry, Crime and Punishment), and I have a graphic novel to end the night (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, vol. 1).  Hope even participated in the read-a-thon!  Yesterday she finished up one Ramona book and today she started another.  She read for about an hour yesterday and then for an hour today.  That is really good reading time for a non-medicated ADHD child!

This means my reading pile has been cleared a bit and I can start on Ivy Compton-Burnett's Manservant and Maidservant tomorrow and truly start in on my August reading pile.  I'm on vacation this week (no plans, just chilling at home) and I hope to accomplish plenty of reading.

This is a brief post as I've given myself only an hour of internet today so I get more reading done.  Expect a review of The House at Riverton very soon!

I hope everyone had a great read-a-thon!  What did you read?

48 Hour TBR Read-a-Thon

Even though I do have other things to do this weekend -- house cleaning, baking, breaking in the maternity swimsuit -- I wanted to sign up for Unputdownables' 48 Hour TBR Read - a - Thon.  Here are the details:

"Are you like me with piles of book (or lists of books) a mile long on your To-Be-Read (TBR) list? Although I do read more than the average Jane, I don’t read as much as I would like to. I keep passing my bookshelf wanting to get some of those books read! So, this weekend I am going to limit the TV and the outings (I’ve been gone for the past week anyway and have a trip to Tahoe coming up very soon… one weekend inside won’t do me any harm), and the random errands and I’m going to READ! I’m rather looking forward to using the next few days to pick a few books off of my shelf to put in my Read-a-Thon pile.

So are you in? Come read with me this weekend!

If You’re In:

1. Choose a few books that you will attempt to finish this weekend (Friday evening through Sunday night).


2. Post your TBR Read-a-Thon books on your blog so your readers can see what you are attempting for the weekend.


3. Challenge your readers to read along with you! (It’s OK if they don’t, but might be fun if they want to choose at least one book to participate with).


4. Join the discussion all weekend long at #bookblogchat on Twitter.


5. Post updates on your blog about what you are reading and what you have finished (full reviews can come later, but this will let your readers know what you are reading so they can either read along or look forward to your reviews!)


6. Visit other blogs that are doing the read-a-long. Post comments and follow your fellow bloggers.


7. Make sure you sign up here with Mr. Linky with a link to your first post so we can follow your progress!


8. *If you don’t have a blog but want to participate: Sign up with Mr. Linky, just don’t add a website (or you can link to your Twitter or GoodReads page).*

If You’re Not In, but Want to Support:

1. Check out the blogs that are participating below in the Mr. Linky list.


2. Visit those blogs and leave comments and encouragement


3. Add to your own TBRs as you see what others are reading!

I hope you’ll join in on the fun. It does not matter how many books you read (1 or 100 — actually, if you read 100 I might be so impressed that I send your name to the Guinness Book of World Records), just read! There are no tangible prizes, but hopefully being part of the community of readers and learning about great new blogs will be incentive enough.

Please spread the word on your own blog and on Twitter!"

I spent a fair amount of time reading The Count of Monte Cristo and The House at Riverton.  My list for this weekend is small, simply to finish both of these books and knock out at least 100 pages of Crime and Punishment and about half of Manservant and Maidservant (which I was supposed to have read by today).  For me, this will really be a finish some books read-a-thon!

If you want to participate, visit here to sign up!