Read-a-Thon: 24-25 January

WELCOME TO ANOTHER 24-HOUR READ-A-THON!

Here goes nothin'! I kinda missed not hosting a read-a-thon last week, so here I am again! I'll feel much better knowing I've spent a whole day reading and THEN followed it with a day of utter laziness and DVD-watching, rather than spending two whole days doing my best couch potato impression... Please do join in, whether you're dropping in after work or squeezing in an hour or two over the day, or whether you're in it for the long haul!

We're starting at 8pm GMT or Brit-girl time, which is 3pm EST (I think) - you can hit Google for a time converter thingy if you're not sure what time it'll be where you are. This thread is ground zero, so you can touch base any time during the 24 hours. There'll be the ever-present memes for hours 1, 12 and 24 (though I'll be hard-pressed to top the wonderfully thought-provoking '3 literary characters you'd love to meet' question of the last read-a-thon!), and the rest is up to you! You can drop by every hour, or every three, or just every so often. You can tell us what you're reading, what you're eating, what's distracting you and how you're feeling. You can nap, get a good night's sleep, or prop your eyelids open and soldier on. Just have fun and enjoy your reading!

Do leave a message and let us know who you are (a name works better than a screen name when you're posting encouragement in the middle of the night!) and where you're hailing from. If you'll be posting to your own thread as well as this one, leave a link so people can drop in and see you as the hours go by!

Who's reading along?
1) Ellie (elliepotten, UK) - 75 Books Challenge thread
2) Linda (lindapanzo, Chicagoland)
3) Suzanne (Chatterbox, Brooklyn)
4) Belva (rainpebble, Washington State)
5) Gemma (stgemma, Northern Ireland)
6) Nathan (DragonFreak, South Dakota) - 75 Books Challenge thread
7) Ilana (Smiler69, Montreal)
8) Kerry (avatiakh, New Zealand)
9) Lynda (Carmenere, Ohio)
10) Alaina (Mrssmith88, Maine)
11) Jessie (jessieb30, South Carolina)
12) Luci (elkiedee, UK)
13) Ellen (EBT1002, Seattle)
14) Laura (LauraBrook, Milwaukee)
15) Stephen (Ape, Ohio)
16) Katie (katelisim, Minnesota)
17) Michelle (Tanglewood, NYC)
18) Jean (majkia, Florida)
19) Darryl (kidzdoc, Atlanta) - 75 Books Challenge thread
20) Monica (crazy4reading, Pennsylvania) - 75 Books Challenge thread

Sure, count me in. I have to work but always find time to read for about 3-4 hours per day.

lindapanzo (Linda, Chicago area)

Welcome again Linda! I'm not at work this time - hence the hosting - but I've found during the couple of read-a-thons I HAVE been working that knowing a book marathon's going on has helped me go back to my book when I can, instead of getting distracted. I don't turn on the TV while I have dinner, or end up online for hours when I meant to just check the weather forecast - it's doing my reading life some good, I think!

Thanks. I do enjoy doing these and they make me focus a bit more on what to read and when. I enjoy hearing about what all everyone's reading at the same time.

Just realized that our monthly get-together with friends (aka the pizza party) was rescheduled to Monday night, due to all the snow last Monday night. I don't usually start reading til about 9 pm so that won't cut that much from my reading time.

My prime reading period is 9 pm to midnight, with a bit more during morning coffee and still more during my lunch "hour."

I can try -- although I'd do better if it started on a Sunday instead of Monday... Would be reading from home.

Hello! I won't be participating in this one I don't think, but that just gives me all the more time to cheer! :)

I am going to join you Miss Ellie; how I have missed you.
I learned quite a lot from this most recent read-a-thon and this one will go much better as the hubby will be at work and not be such a needy distraction. LOL!~!
Twill be fun so I shall see you, (most likely with the same books to be read), Monday evening? Do I have that correct?
Oh, I am belva and I am reading in Washington State, U.S.A. and I will just be posting here.
Thank you Ellie for hostessing the party.
hugs,
belva

I cannot join in this one unfortunately. I have to make a turnaround trip to Longview after I get home from work Monday morning. Eventually, I will have to sneak some sleep in too. I will join in if I can once I wake up :)

Oh boy, one ends, another begins, huh?

I'm Gemma from Northern Ireland and I'd love to take part, although it may not be for the long-haul. I'll be posting here.

I will be joining too. I may be in classes those days, but I could read a lot more if I put my mind to it.

Here' my info: Nathan (Brookings, SD) http://www.librarything.com/topic/104718

I think I'm a little too late for the one that just ended.

I'll be joining in and out. I have an art class monday and probably won't be able to start much before 5 or 6 EST and then... I've learned my lesson this time and won't try to stay up past my regular bed-time as I just get wrecked when I try to do so!

Oh yeah, Ilana from Montreal, Québec, Canada. :-)

I'm also in, I'm getting better at these. I find choosing a few hours for dedicated reading and setting a short target of a few pages for other times is getting me great results. Sleep is important, I won't try staying up all hours. I'll be starting about 3 hours in.

I'm Kerry from Auckland, New Zealand (GMT13+).

Love to join in, but I don't think I can this time. I would only have a few Monday night hours to participate, and I'd be reading stuff that I'm preparing to teach on Tuesday.

Sure, why not! I'll just put off the house cleaning for another day and I'll do the laundry this weekend since it's too cold for anything else.

I'm Lynda from Cleveland, Ohio and I'll be posting right here.

Welcome all, newbies and read-a-thon veterans alike!

Stephen - you'd better be cheering! :-)

Belva! I've missed you too, it'll be wonderful to be spending a whole day sort-of reading with you! I'll be starting 8pm here so it'll be a little earlier there (anyone know the time difference for Washington State?). I think it's midday??? But you can start whenever's most convenient really...

Stasia - NOOOOOOOO! But... but... not... here... Longview... sleep... *goes very cold and needs a little lie down* Just kidding, I'll try my best to be a good wakeful girl while you're away, join us when you can! :-)

Hi Gemma and Nathan - it's nice to see some new faces appearing this week and joining the read-a-thon madness!

P.S. I know the Monday-Tuesday night timing might seem a little strange - it's purely because when I'm hosting I have Tuesday and Wednesday off, so it works best for me... But remember, anyone can host their own read-a-thon any time, whether it's for 4 hours or 48, and you can guarantee that once you're set up others will flock to join you... :-)

oh, I almost decided to join you but Monday/Tuesday just does not work for me as I have toddlers all around me on those days. I was hoping for Saturday/Sunday. Maybe I'll take your advice and on some other weekend I'll host a Read-a-Thon. I'll lurk here, too, so I can get an idea how these things work.

Lurkers welcome, Karen! The more people get the hang of this read-a-thon malarkey, the bigger and better the hosting and reading crew will get, so lurk away...

I would love to participate in another read-a-thon. I will definitely be more prepared this time. Looking forward to getting some books finished.

Alaina (Mrssmith88 - Maine)

Welcome Alaina! Preparation is definitely good when it comes to long-haul reading - it makes the whole thing a lot easier to handle come the 'difficult hours'! I'm looking forward to finishing some books too - it's so satisfying at the end of the 24 hours to have a little stack of completed books on the table...

I'm in too! It's way too cold here to do anything but read. This will be my first Read-a-Thon! I can't wait!

Kaitlin from Michigan (brrrr)

Is there a thread somewhere which states, more or less, the "rules" for read-a-thons? I mean is the general idea to read for 24 hours straight? and then we do whatever we want?

#15: I know, Ellie! Sorry to let you down.

#21 No, you can read as much or as little as you'd like but just check in and talk about your reading at that particular time. RL gets in the way, of course.

I think it'd be fun to read for 24 hours straight but for me, at least, it'll never happen.

If you look at yesterday's readathon, you can see how it works. See:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/107693

I am ready for Monday. I have a combination of three books I'm going to read on those days, I doubt I'm going to finish any, but I can get a good chunk done.

I forgot I had two doctor's appointments on Tuesday, so I'll only be able to join in for a few hours on Monday finally. But it's the intention that counts, right?

The only problem with the time difference, is that it will be 1:00 in the afternoon in my time zone when it starts, so unless that hour is really slack, I wouldn't be able to read until two hours after and two hours before. So I may not have much to report on the first hour part.

I watched with fascination on the running posts of the last read-a-thon, not aware until more than midway through, so this time, I'm joining in! Online social reading.. its sort of weirdly awesome! If I want to get to my 75 books this year NOW is the time for me to be doing it, because come spring and summer I am in the garden, at the beach, camping, hiking, biking and entertaining guests... so I got my wood for the fire and I'll have my books ready to go. I have a dinner to attend from EST 5pm-8pm, but after that, I'm ready!

I'll chip in as and when I have time.

Alright, I'm going to give this a try. It's starting at noon on Monday for me, so I'm not sure how it'l go but I like the idea of focusing on reading in whatever free time I have & not getting distracted. No Australian Open for me!

I'm just going to work on whatever book I'm in the middle of when it starts. And maybe this will help me come *close* to meeting the 75 in 2011 Challenge. Ha!

Ellen in Seattle

Good afternoon, all! I, of course, have to work on Tuesday, but I'm pretty sure I can participate for most of tomorrow afternoon and evening. Here's hoping some serious reading gets done, I have far too many library books that are on the verge or being overdue, not to mention the 2 new ARCs I received last week that I have yet to start. Good thing today is for catching up on the pit that is my house and some tv/dvd/football watching as well.

I'm Laura from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I'll be posting on this thread. Thanks for hosting another one, Ellie!

>21 maggie1944:/23 - Thanks for catching that one for me Linda - I was battling emails and customers all day and I only just got back to LT! Karen - what Linda said! There's more information in the first message of the thread up top, but basically the framework's here then you do it your way! Read as much as you like, post updates however works for you, and just enjoy it. Oh, and there are mini quiz thingies at the beginning, middle and end, just for a bit of fun. I, for example, as the Hostess with the Mostess (*ahem*) will be reading for 24 hours, punctuated by occasional naps, and I'll stop briefly every hour to come on here, post my own updates, and see how everyone else is getting on. Other people might be reading around work hours, or popping in for an hour or two in the afternoon, or reading all day but having a normal night's sleep, or joining in a little late when their appointments for the day are all done - however works for them... Hope that helps!

Welcome newbies! Jessie (is it Jessie?), this read-a-thon thing is strangely addictive, be warned! This is my third time hosting a 24-hourer in less than a month - maybe it's my addictive personality, maybe I'm just mad, who knows? A little of both, I suspect. Ellen - it'll kick start your 75 brilliantly... It feels pretty darn good too!

Yes, its Jessie :)

I. Can't. DO IT! I can't. I can't resist the irresistible pull of a 'thon hosted by Ellie.

So here I am, I am Stephen from Ohio and I'm hopeless!

I'll be doing something a little bit different though. I'm reading a nonfiction book that I'm enjoying very much, but it's the kind of book I like to read slow and soak up every word. Also, it's not the kind of book I can sit and read for several hours straight.

ETA: Yes, I know I could start another book, but I don't want to! :P

So, I will be joining tomorrow morning, and what I plan to do is read 1 chapter each hour. At the top of the hour, every hour, I'll sit down and read 1 chapter from my book. If it takes me 5 minutes or 55 minutes it won't matter. I won't get as much reading done, but this will encourage me to read more, and I can have hourly updates, and still give me plenty of time to do what I want and cheer and all that! So it's the best I can do, we'll see how it goes.

Go Stephen! :-D

I've started reading The Bells by Richard Harvell and quite hooked. Have a drawing class this afternoon but I'll join in to read as many chapters of that as I can this evening and maybe make a further dent into Black and Blue by Ian Rankin. I'm tempted to start in on The Arrival too, but we'll see.

>33 Ape: - Haha, gotcha again! Do things your way sunshine, as long as you're getting some reading done somewhere over the day all is good... I'm reading a non-fiction book at the mo too, To Touch a Wild Dolphin - I might read a bit early on but after that I think I'll set it aside until after the read-a-thon. I don't want to drift through any of it, it's too good!

Hi. I'll do some reading. But, Ellie dear, no 24hrs for me this time. School starts today and that means 6am wake-up o_0 (and was up all last night for a concert. . . so I may be loopy by the time this even starts)

Hi, Michelle here in NYC. I'm going to give the Monday/Tuesday read-a-thon another go. Despite only getting in *cough* 2hours *cough* that last time, I think I can swing this one. (We're still just proctoring exams, so theoretically I can stay up late). And I will not go lie in bed to "read"

>36 katelisim: - That's fine by me sweets - I didn't think you'd be able to join us this time (*weeps at the very thought*)... I'll watch out for you anyway - any glimmer of your loopiness throughout the proceedings will make my day! ;-)

Hi Michelle - good luck! And no, lying in bed to 'read' usually culminates in me waking up eight hours later, blissfully rested but with the imprint of a book down one side of my face...

Jean on the Emerald Coast of Florida (Niceville division). I'll try to join y'all as much as I can.

Currently reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and loving it, so I'll be diving into that.

I'll post here.

I just found out that I won't have to go to work today (woo!), so I'm in, for today at least. I'll start reading within the next hour, and pop in here at 8 pm GMT (3 pm EST). I have three books going at the moment: Aké: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka, Yalo by Elias Khoury, and The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens. There's a good chance that I won't have to work tomorrow, and I'll participate for at least a couple of hours before the Read-a-Thon ends.

Darryl from Atlanta; my current thread is here.

I thought maybe that my classes will get canceled because of the weather today so I can read a lot more, but that did not happen. Oh well.

#40> - Darryl, I read The Elected Member a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it very much.

>#33:
Ape;
That sounds like a wonderful way to do a Read-a-thon. I think it a capitol idea. Good luck. I may even try that next time.
Enjoy,
belva

Hey Miss Ellie;
Are you going to do an hourly countdown for us 'time challenged' people around the world? T'would help me tremendously.
luvs n hugs,
belva

I think I'm going to start early as I'll have a phone interview at 3, and then a few hours' worth of errands to do after that...

Here we go folks! It's hour 0, so get reading! I'll be back at hour numero UNO with the Hour 1 Meme, give everyone time to settle in for their first hour. Here's the basic template for your updates:

HOUR X

I've been reading:
Books finished:
Pages read:
Posting time:
Reading time:

Total books read:
Total pages read:
Total time read:
Total time posting:

The Menu:
Comments:

You can edit to suit, or use your own format, or give a broad update if you're dropping in less frequently. Now go! Read! Enjoy!

Okay well I just found this thread and I hope to be able to participate for some of the time. It is now after 3 pm est. so I will be reading probably after 4 pm. My name is Monica and I am from Pennsylvania. I will post mostly here and post reviews in my thread (if I finish any books):

http://www.librarything.com/topic/104874

I'm checking in although, as is my nature, I'll be reading sporadically throughout the 24 hour period.
I'll begin with The Queen's Fool switch to All the King's Men and take an easy peasy break with Big Nate: In a class by himself and perhaps a little Harry Potter just for fun. I dream big!

I too like Stephen's plan.

Didn't read for hour zero, plan on getting settled in for the next hour though. Going to get into my pj's and read on the couch.

Okay then, I think I am good to go. I am at my son's with my granddaughters while he is away on a business trip. And one of them is ill so I will simply do the best I can.
I live in Washington State, U.S.A. and it is nearly 1:00 P.M. here so I am guessing that Miss Eliie's time is nearly 8:00 P.M. I hope I have it figured out right. Oyie............but this is 'cornfusing'. Well, off to get my fluids and snackies; my books are in order. I packed a lot of them. LOL!~!
Getting ready.
hugs all round and may the best man 'win'. hee hee The only loser is the 'one who reads none'!
belva

Oopsy; double post. My bad.

Alrighty so here I go. I have to go to a dinner from about 4:30-8, so I'll really start when I get back in.

Hour 0:

I've been reading: Bad Move by Linwood Barclay, but I'm almost done
Books Finished: 0
Pages Read:5
Posting Time: 2 minutes
Reading Time 2 minutes

The book I'm currently reading was a recommendation of Amber, a member of this group, and its just like she said: if Dave Barry wrote a mystery with himself as the main character, this is what you'd get. Its hysterical.

Everybody okay? Settling in alright? Okay then!

Oh, and hey Belva! Come join us, the water's fine! (hmmm, might have stretched the metaphor a bit there). Enjoy dinner Jessie!

So, here's the opening meme for this read-a-thon - you can do it any time in the next few hours, so if you don't fancy it this time you can always save it for later when you need a break for five minutes!

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today?

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day?

I'll do the meme next hour, perhaps - in the meantime, here's my first hour's update...

HOUR 1

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 30
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 50 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 30
Total time read: 50 minutes
Total time posting: 5 minutes

The Menu: A couple of mini vegetable samosas and onion bhajis, two mini choc chip muffins (to take the bite off the Indian food!), coffee
Comments: A good start to the day... I managed a quick nap beforehand so hopefully I'll be good to go for a while before I get too sleepy. I have to go fetch my laundry at some point in the next hour or so but other than that I should be in for a decent stretch of reading...

HOUR 1

I've been reading: The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1970 Booker Prize winner)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 42 (pp 12-53)
Posting time: 4 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes (or so)

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 42
Total time read: 45 minutes
Total time posting: 4 minutes

The Menu: Is this for food and beverages? I'm about to make a cup of freshly brewed coffee (Peet's Aged Sumatra, yum)
Comments: None yet

HOUR 1

I've been reading: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 55

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 55

The Menu: Homemade apple pie
Comments: One book down already! Woo! I actually started TGWTDT during the last Read-a-Thon, so it's nice how everything's come full circle.

(ETA)
THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today?
At home, and probably in school too, in Armagh, Northern Ireland.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?
I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo during the first hour. It was actually really good. Perhaps I need to read bestsellers more often?

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?
Edgar Allan Poe (I want to know how he died o.O)

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?
I think The Complete Persepolis is up next. I doubt I'll finish anything else. Oh, and my Fragile Things audiobook for when my eyes start to glaze over.

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?
Before I set out I wanted to finish TGWTDT, which I've already done in the first hour. Hmm. I suppose now I'm just reading as much as I can :)

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day?
This is my second read-a-thon, and I'm not sure I can give much more advice than to just read! And sleep if you need to. Seriously.

I haven't done any reading since 8 pm and probably won't get to read for a little while yet, just about to go up for bedtime stories and settling Conor to sleep - while they're in the bath I put away dry clothes, hang up stuff from the machine and throw more things in, and boring stuff like that.

I'm not likely to finish any books during this readathon, since the top book in the pile is huge, and I've finished 5 books in the last 4 days.

Also, I've actually read most of what I aim to read each day already, and I have some other stuff to do if I get a chance tonight.

Current reading:

Julie Orringer, The Invisible Bridge

Ben Pastor, Lumen

Lisa Moore, February

Kate Harrison, The Secret Shopper Unwrapped

Anna Dale, Spellbound

Stella Duffy, Beneath the Blonde

Happy reading for the next couple of hours, hope to see you later!

Nice start Darryl! Yeah, the menu's the foodie bit - you don't have to bother with that part, I just liked doing it for my read-a-thons so I left it in in case anyone else wanted to chime in too! It always makes me hungry (*eyes Gemma's apple pie*)...

Speaking of Gemma, a brilliant start there! Luci - yup, I've got the laundry to do too... fun stuff!

I'll be running even more late as my FB account was just hacked and I have to make sure all my security settings are changed. Apparently I was robbed at gunpoint in London last night and need money from all my FB friends. Came back to my laptop after a short break to find all these chat windows open asking for help.

HOUR 1

I've been reading: The Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
Pages read: 23
Posting time: 3 minutes
Reading time: 20 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 23
Total time read: 20 minutes
Total time posting: 3 minutes

The Menu: Butterfingers when I get out of here.
Comments: I'm surprised I even read some. The thing I like about books with long chapters is that I like to stop on the start of a chapter so it'll force me to read just a tad bit more. But it's like a double-edge sword, and if I don't have enough time, I'll be forced to stop in the middle of a chapter. This is one of those cases.

1. Where are you going to be reading today?
In my bed.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?
The Throne of Jade.

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?
J.R.R. Tolkien. He's a fantasy genious, even though I don't like his style of writing.

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?
The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour for my reading class. And then maybe more of The Throne of Jade or Get off the Unicorn by Anne McCaffrey, depending if it's in the mail or not. Then tomorrow I'll start Witch and Wizard by James Patterson.

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?
Make it past 9:30 for reading. I usually don't.

Hour 1: I did get some reading done 30 pages, but had a ton of interruptions.

Reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms which I'm really enjoying.

I'm reading at home, currently curled up on the comfy chair in the great room.

Probably won't get much read until quite a bit later. Dinner will be coming up soon (home cooked pulled pork barbeque), then hubby and I will watch a bit of TV, probably netflixing Pushing Daisies and then Castle.

Later, everyone. Good Luck!

> Kerry - wow, that's mad! Hope you get it sorted soon, eeek.

> Nathan - I do the chapter thing too... And good answer with Tolkien, I wonder what everyone else will come up with...???

> Jean - Oh, I LOVE Pushing Daisies! I was totally gutted when it was axed. Ned is so cute... ;-)

Onto hour number 2 then!

HOUR 2

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 12
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 15 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 42
Total time read: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total time posting: 25 minutes

The Menu: Nothing
Comments: Hmmm, not so much reading this time. Oooops. I had to go down and get my laundry from the main house, fold everything as it came out of the dryer, all that jazz. Then I popped in to see the kittens and ended up getting a little sidetracked helping Mum do a sweep of the Times crossword and throwing bits of paper for the babies... Maybe next hour will be better! :-)

*Cheers* Go you guys! Can't wait to join along with you all tomorrow morning! :)

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today? My comfy chair (cats have decided not to keep me company and are melting in front of the radiator).

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon? Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be? Jane Austen (but would I dare to ask her about the broken engagement?)

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind? Not sure which ones I read from but possibly The Dead and the Gone, In a Sunburned Country, The Sherlockian, A Tale Dark and Grimm

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours? I'd like to finish Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day? I like light, fluffy reading after a few hours.

HOUR 1 & 2

I've been reading: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 46
Reading time: 40 minutes
Posting time: 10 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 46
Total time read: 40 minutes
Total time posting: 10 minutes

The Menu: Nothing yet
Comments: Did most of the reading on my subway commute. Home now and looking forward to settling in for some good reading.

HOUR 2

I've been reading: The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1970 Booker Prize winner)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 43 (pp 54-96)
Posting time: 12 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes (or so)

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 85
Total time read: 85 minutes
Total time posting: 16 minutes

The Menu: Coffee for now, with a fortune cookie (I ordered Chinese food for delivery; I had sesame chicken for lunch, and I'll have eggplant in garlic sauce for dinner in a couple of hours)
Comments: I may take a nap somewhere along the way, but I doubt that it will be in the next hour.

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today? At home, in Atlanta.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon? The Elected Member.

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be? Hmm...probably Albert Camus, although I would need a translator.

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind? There's a good chance that I'll finish The Elected Member this evening. I'll resume reading Aké: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka next, and start Yalo by Elias Khoury if I finish the Soyinka memoir.

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours? I'd like to finish the Rubens novel and read a good chunk of the Soyinka memoir.

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day? As I mentioned last time, I think it's important to take breaks whenever you feel the need, to eat, sleep, watch TV, etc.

#42: I'm glad that you enjoyed The Elected Member, Kerry; I like it so far. I'm sorry to hear that your Facebook account was corrupted, though.

HOURS 1 & 2

I've been reading: The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
Books finished: None
Pages read: 9
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 20 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 9
Total time read: 20 minutes
Total time posting: 5 minutes

The Menu: Making a comfort food dinner of pot roast, potatoes and carrots for this cold and snowy evening.

Comments: Will be dropping my son off to a church activity at 6:30 so I should get some good reading time in 'til I pick him up at 8pm

ETA: THE OPENING MEME:

1. Where are you going to be reading today?
So far, I've been reading in the kitchen.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?
The Queen's Fool

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?
John of Patmos

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?
Yes, I have about 4 on my coffee table.

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?
I really don't have any goals in mind only to read more than I normally do, which shouldn't be too difficult

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day?
Don't stress, enjoy!

HOUR 1 (4 to 5 EST)

I've been reading: Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 12
Posting time: 10
Reading time: 20 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 12
Total time read: 20
Total time posting: 10 minutes

The Menu: gingerale
Comments:Spent the other half of my hour dealing with frozen pipes....not been a good day so far.

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today? My comfy couch, with my puppy

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon? Shoot the Moon

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be? Dean Koontz, I love his books and would love to know where he gets his ideas

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind? I also want to read some in Forever Odd but I don't have any others planned yet

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours? I'd like to get more that 3.5 hours, which was what I did on my last readathon

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day? Just to start my new book and try my hardest to read well into the night.

HOUR 1 FOR ME:

I've been reading: Emma
Pages read: 15
Posting time: 12 minutes
Reading time: 38 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 15
Total time read: 38 minutes
Total time posting: 12 minutes

THE OPENING MEME:

1. Where are you going to be reading today?
I am reading from my son's home in Centralia, Washington State, U.S.A.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?
Emma

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?
Virginia Woolf or John Steinbeck

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?
Yes, I have them all lined up and on the opposite side of the bed that I am sitting on to read.

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?
I would love to finish Emma but am thinking it won't do as I most likely will need to swap it out with something else.

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day?
Just a good feeling of success.

*sounds of cheering*

"hip, hip, hooray! yeah! yeah!

One, two, three, four
Who are we rooting for?

The Read-A-Thon
The Read-A-Thon

Yay! Yay!"

*sounds of clapping hands and stomping feet*

"Get that goal, get that goal, get that goal,

All the way, all the way!!"

Got home early since my car repair didn't take as long as expected.

This gives me an extra hour or so to read before our pizza party.

I'll get back to Chasing Baseball by Dorothy Seymour Mills. I'm about halfway through and hope to get to 75% before midnight.

HOURS 1-3

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings & Defiant Spirits by Ross King (no touchstone)
Books finished: none
Pages read: 58
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: an hour?

The Menu: About to eat take-out sashimi
Comments: Running errands most of this period; can now settle down to read. Want/need to finish an Amazon Vine book, as I've fallen way behind on reading/reviewing those. Would like to finish As I Lay Dying for my RL book circle, which meets on Thursday.

3rd HOUR

I've been reading: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 34
Reading time: 35 minutes
Posting time: 10 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 81
Total time read: 1hr 15 minutes
Total time posting: 20 minutes

The Menu: Decided to be bad, having pizza with jalapenos.
Comments: Where did this hour go? Cute cheer maggie1944

HOUR 3

I've been reading: The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1970 Booker Prize winner)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 50 (pp 97-146)
Posting time: 3 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 135
Total time read: 125 minutes
Total time posting: 19 minutes

The Menu: Nothing new
Comments: I have a little less than 80 pages to reach the end of The Elected Member, and I'm definitely hooked.

Wow, Karen, a real cheer! Brilliant! I feel like I should get up and do a cartwheel or something... ;-)

Hey all! I actually read this hour, yay - no feline distractions or mothers brandishing newspapers... I'm loving all the meme answers to the author interview question - though ironically, since I wrote the darn question, I can't for the life of me think how to answer it myself... I'll come back to it when I've filled the others in!

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today?
Once again, I'm sitting on my living room floor, in a little flat in beautiful Derbyshire, England. Though I may have to move to an actual chair (*gasp*) if my back keeps aching.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?
I was already partway through Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, and it's suitably light and magical novel, so I thought I'd tackle that first...

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?
I think maybe David Attenborough. Maybe. He's done so much over the years, and must be an absolute fount of knowledge when it comes to natural history, plus he apparently has a wonderful sense of humour which makes everything much more fun! Oooh, or Oscar Wilde. Now THAT'D be a fascinating interview - if I could get a word in edgeways!

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?
Hmmm, it'll depend very much on how awake I am, but I have a few ideas. If I'm awake enough I MIGHT start Journey to the Centre of the Earth. I also have To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker on the go, a zoologist's account of her experiences working with the dolphins at Monkey Mia, so I might read some of that, then there are YA books like The Hunger Games and The Sorceress to consider... Who knows what I'll fancy in a few hours' time?!

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?
I'm definitely not being as ambitious this time, because I'm more tired than I'd hoped to be. Work's been busier the last few days so I'm a little sleepy right now! I'd like to finish Garden Spells though, and read a good chunk of something else.

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day?
Definitely sleep if you need to, whether it's an eight hour break or a handful of 15-minute naps. Mark off the hours somehow - it'll go faster than you think - and don't overdo it on the caffeine front because you'll end up feeling awful! Oh, and go for light reads later on - your tired brain will appreciate a fast-paced thriller or a whimsical YA novel much more than War and Peace after fifteen hours' reading!

And here's my update for hour 3:

HOUR 3

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 35
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 77
Total time read: 1 hour 50 minutes
Total time posting: 40 minutes

The Menu: A slice of chicken, pepper and onion pizza, and a few glugs of cold coffee and grape juice (not together!)
Comments: A better hour, though I'm feeling a little sleepy and my back hurts from sitting on my stool at work all day. Not a great thing to be worrying about a measly three hours in... I might nap a little more this read-a-thon, I think I'll feel atrocious by morning if I don't! Anyway, it's 11pm so I have a little more reading time in me before the napping begins, I think - onwards!

HOUR 1(for me)

I've been reading: Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock My ER book from August. I am loving it.
Books finished: 0
Pages read: Um not positive on this but I believe 32 pages
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time:I read from 4:20 pm till 5:40 pm so 1 hr. 20 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 32
Total time read: 1 hr. 20 min.
Total time posting: 20 min

The Menu:Just my water
Comments: I was reading during my son's swim meet (he is one of the coaches). I just put on my headphones and read.

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today? I first started off reading at the pool during the swim meet. Yeah to be at a pool during this freezing cold weather... If only it was outside.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon? Blind Man's Alley.

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be? Marry Higgins Clark, mainly because she was the first author's book that I still remember reading. Her book was A Stranger is Watching.

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind? Oh Yes. I have my December ER book Dead Center by Joanna Higgins, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, To hold the Crown by Jean Plaidy and maybe more

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours? I want to finish Blind Man's Alley and try to make a dent into Dead Center

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day? Join in even if you can't read for the full 24 hours. Don't worry about not finishing a book. This is not about finishing the book or books but just about taking time to actually do something you enjoy like reading.

I don't know when I will be back to post. I have to do dishes and also eat dinner and then try to read. Then at 8 pm maybe watch my tv shows, if they are new ones.

Great job everyone!!

And Ellie thanks for doing another one of these. I didn't know anything about this at first because I was sick this weekend and didn't get too much time on here.

Three cheers everyone!

HOURS 1-3 ( 3-6 pm)

I've been reading: Black and Blue by Ian Rankin and Oliver Twist on audio
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 51
Reading time: 84 minutes (1 h 24)
Posting time: 20 minutes

Total books finished: 0
Total books read from: 2
Total pages read: 51
Total time read: 84 minutes (1 h 24)
Total time posting: 20 minutes

The Menu: Glass of water, cold tea with milk and sugar
Comments: wasn't motivated to get out of the house today so didn't go to my drawing class which I'm none too proud about. But at least I got some reading done! Also I've just spent practically the whole last hour writing up this post as it got deleted somehow and I had to start over and I also placed a grocery order on the phone. Nice not to have to get out in this cold!

 

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today? In my beautiful living room, in my reading chair which I share with my adorable dog Coco. We are in Montreal, Québec, Canada and it is presently -20 degrees C or -4 F !
2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon? I've been reading Black and Blue an Inspector Rebus mystery by Ian Rankin. I listen to Oliver Twist on audio when I can't sit down to read, when I'm walking the dog for instance.
3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be? That's a tough one. Dead: maybe Oscar Wilde or Ernest Hemingway or John Steinbeck. Alive: probably A.S. Byatt or Yann Martel.
4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind? Will continue with Black and Blue and also with The Bells by Richard Harvell, which I'm enjoying quite a lot. Might start on The Arrival by Shaun Tan, a gorgeous illustrated story with no words.
5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours? Nope. Just read as much as I can given that I have two doctor's appointments tomorrow. Though I can probably continue listening to Oliver Twist on audio while in the dentist's chair.
6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day? Just enjoy the opportunity to share in the reading fun with others and don't worry about putting in more hours than you can manage.

Hour 2 for me:

I've been reading: Emma
Pages read: 29
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 44
Total time read: 1 hour 23 minutes
Total time posting: 22 minutes

The Menu: an orange and a Coke

Now I feel the need for a little sleep as I was up early for the drive to my son's. So I think I will have a little lie down and read myself to sleep if I can.
Hope everyone is enjoying this time of reading. I am finding myself becoming quite immersed in Emma whereas yesterday I was wondering when it would end. LOL!~!

Hey all! Just popping in to say "rah rah rah" and what-not ;P
I read between classes, technically *before* the read-a-thon started, but it may be all I do today. I read 56 pages of Spiral Bound by Dessa (which I'm kind of shocked is in LT's system, since it's local). Almost finished it, like 10 pages left I think. Maybe I'll get to it before I pass out. . . though I just gorged half a pizza and am feeling all zzzzzzzznaptimezzzzzzz

Hi Monica! No worries - it was pretty spur of the moment anyway, I'm just happy you're here! I like your answer to #6 - it's been really nice how many people are joining in after work or around other commitments, all for a little bookish R&R, good reading and good company...

Hi Ilana! Audio books at the dentist's, that's impressive - all I can do is lie back with my eyes squeezed shut trying to zone everything out until it's over... :-)

Hey Belva! Enjoy the sleep - and keep us updated on your Emma progress. I started it when I knew full well I was in a reading slump and put it aside a couple of chapters later - I really want to start again and read it properly this year!

Hey Katie, my little mad munchkin! I'm trying not to eat too much at once, it'll send me off to sleep and if I drop off this early (12 midnight) I might not end up getting up again! Reading pre-read-a-thon counts I think, with all the time zone differences no one will ever know!

HOUR 4

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 20
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 35 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 97
Total time read: 2 hour 25 minutes
Total time posting: 1 hour

The Menu: Another slice of pizza, some yummy red grape juice
Comments: Not much to report this hour! Just reading, made another drink for the next hour, and ready to carry on... I'm liking this book - it's got all the quirky magic that makes me like Alice Hoffman's novels so much, with a hint of Joanne Harris and a splash of Like Water for Chocolate thrown in there for good measure... delicious.

HOUR 4

I've been reading: The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1970 Booker Prize winner)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 50 (pp 147-196)
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 50 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 185
Total time read: 175 minutes
Total time posting: 24 minutes

The Menu: I'll heat up the eggplant in garlic sauce soon.
Comments: This has been a cracking good read! I only have 28 pages to go, so I'll definitely finish this in the next hour. I'll cook dinner after that, read a medical journal article or two, and either call it a night or read a little bit of Aké: The Years of Childhood.

4th HOUR

I've been reading: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 33
Reading time: 35 minutes
Posting time: 5 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 116
Total time read: 1hr 50 minutes
Total time posting: 25 minutes

Comments: Hoping I can get some solid reading done in the next hour.

HOURs 2 and 3 (5 to 7 EST)

I've been reading: Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 10
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 15 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 22
Total time read: 30 minutes
Total time posting: 15 minutes

The Menu: Chamomile tea, cheese pizza and lemonade
Comments:Still trying to get my pipes thawed :-(

HOURS 1,2,3:

I've been reading but finished Bad Move by Linwood Barclay.
Finished one book but only had 20 pages to go.
Posting Time: 10 minutes
Reading Time: 20 minutes
Distraction Time: 2 hours, planned dinner

The menu: It was sushi and sake... and now I'm about to have a bit of coffee. Lets hope the sake doesn't get me here.

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today? In my living room. I've got a firing roaring, some coffee brewed and a few candles lit too.
2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon? I started with Bad Move and I have The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor and Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs lined up... I might add in an audiobook to snooze by for later on...that will be something simple.
3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be? Agatha Christie or F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'm in a 1920s-1930s reading space these days.
4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? See Above.
5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Nope, just to join and see how I do. I was enthralled when I happened upon the last one, already in progress.

As a newbie someone needs to tell me how you get your messages to have bold and even pictures...this isn't seeming obvious to me :)

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 66
Reading time: an hour
Posting time: 10 minutes

Total books finished: 0
Total books read from: 2
Total pages read: 124
Total time read: 2 hours
Total time posting: 15 minutes

The Menu: Sashimi, gaufre liegoise, diet Pepsi
Comments: Tired, chilly, a bit headachey. May nap for a short while, as I slept v. badly last night

HOUR 5

I've been reading: The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (1970 Booker Prize winner)
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 28 (pp 197-224)
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 30 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 213
Total time read: 205 minutes
Total time posting: 29 minutes

The Menu: The eggplant in garlic sauce is ready!
Comments: I enjoyed The Elected Member, a novel about the flawed but sympathetic members of a Jewish family in strife in 1960s London. As I mentioned previously, I'll eat dinner, read one or two journal articles, and see if I'm up for more pleasure reading after that. If so, I'll resume reading Aké: The Years of Childhood (I'm only on page 2 of 230, so there's no chance that I'll finish it before tomorrow). I'll check back in at the 9 pm EST hour.

HOUR 4 (7 to 8 EST)

I've been reading: Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 40
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 62
Total time read: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time posting: 20 minutes

The Menu: nothing
Comments: Pipes mostly thawed YAY

Looks like everyone's been doing okay these past few hours... Jessie, I hope you enjoy Running with Scissors - I loved it when I read it a couple of years ago. It's just one of those quirky books where you get to the end and think 'wow, that was brilliant. Mad, but brilliant.'

To bold something, add (b) to the start and (/b) to the end, only replace the normal brackets with the triangular ones you can usually find above the comma and full stop on your keyboard. So with the right brackets, (b)this(/b) becomes this. You can also use the letter 'i' instead of the 'b' for italics, and 'u' for underlining. Hope that helps!

Suzanne - Tired, chilly, a bit headachey - yep, that sounds familiar. Sounds like a bit of sleep and a couple of painkillers might be in order for both of us in the not too distant future!

Enjoy your dinner Darryl, and hooray for thawed pipes in the Maine area! :-)

HOUR 5

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 27
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 124
Total time read: 3 hours 5 minutes
Total time posting: 1 hour 15 minutes

The Menu: A third slice of pizza, a little piece of Spanish tortilla with cracked black pepper, red grape juice, Ovaltine. Basically I've just got a load of snacky stuff and drinks here and I'm grazing!
Comments: I had a five minutes music break this hour to try to get my focus back, and it seems to have worked pretty well. I might end up having a nap sometime soon, but I'll see how I get on. In the meantime, the book is getting more magical by the page and is just a treat to read. An excellent book to start the read-a-thon, anyway!

5th HOUR

I've been reading: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 46
Reading time: 50 minutes
Posting time: 5 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 162
Total time read: 2hr 40 minutes
Total time posting: 30 minutes

Comments: Jessieb30, you need to put in brackets to put your text bold. This link here will show you how to do it (and add pictures)
http://www.librarything.com/talktopic.php?topic=35356

Hello everyone! I'm just home from work and dinner with my parents and some friends, so I'm getting geared up to start this thon for the next few hours.

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today?
From my couch and my recliner, probably with a cat in my lap most of the time.

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?
Honestly? It's War & Peace. I've decided to do a year long reading of the book, so I'm going to try and get through my assigned reading for this month. After that, I'll have to get through a few library books that will be due very shortly.

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?
Hmmmm. Either J.K. Rowling or Bill Bryson. Though I don't know it'd be much of an interview, I'd just like to sit and chat with them.

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?
Yep! War & Peace, Dear Mr. Henshaw, the first volume of The Umbrella Academy, a Doctor Who audiobook, and a little of my Alexander McCall Smith audiobook. Or something totally different, I don't know. :)

5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?
I'd like to finish 2 books, but if I don't it's not a big deal.

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day?
Have an audiobook handy if you want to give your eyes a break, or if you need to cook or something.

Alright, I had better get moving if I want to get some reading done before I need to go to bed. Great reading, everyone!

I've been reading: The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer and others
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 37

Total books finished: 0
Total books read from: 4
Total pages read: 37

Well, everything is conspiring to interrupt my reading so far today.

I've been reading: The Various by Steve Augarde
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 40
Posting time: 20
Reading time: 30 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 40
Total time read: 30 minutes

The Menu: Tomato and cream cheese sandwich. I had to make a second one as the dog made off with my first one when I was on the phone.
Comments:
Not much reading, I've had to do a phone survey as part of government research project that I was selected for a couple of years ago, they ring me up once a year and ask about my physical activity and diet. Then my son insisted I watched the youtube extended trailer for Game of Thrones. Plus had to refriend my husband on FB as the hackers blocked him when they took over my account this morning!

THE OPENING MEME

1. Where are you going to be reading today?
At home and at the gym

2. What book have you chosen to kick off the read-a-thon?
The Various

3. If you could interview any author, alive or dead, who would it be?

4. Do you have any books already lined up for the next 24 hours? Or maybe a few possibilities in mind?
A few graphic novels, Beowulf and a couple of novels
5. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Anything you particularly want to finish, or a target number of hours?
Finish a graphic novel or two. Make progress on Beowulf

6. If you're an old hand at this read-a-thon lark, what's your top tip for a great read-a-thon? If you're a newbie, what do you hope to get out of the day?
Enjoy

Now off to do a solid 30 mins of reading.

HOURS 3-6 ( 6-9 pm)

I've been reading: The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 52
Reading time: 18 minutes
Posting time: 2 hours minutes

Total books finished: 0
Total books read from: 3
Total pages read: 103
Total time read: 102 minutes (1 h 42)
Total time posting: 140 minutes (2 h 20)

The Menu: A Gala apple as a snack. Then lime, tarragon and tomato bay scalops over mashed potatoes and yams with broccoli florets on the side for dinner.
Comments: Didn't do much reading the past few hours. Prepared and ate my dinner, which entailed re-heated yummy leftovers, then posted a couple of my reviews on my blog, which for some reason always takes me a very long time to do as I can't help re-editing and the like. Really enjoyed looking at The Arrival. Such a gorgeous book and filled with surprising imagery. Will try to do more reading than posting for the rest of the evening.

HOUR 5 (8 to 9 EST)

I've been reading: Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 17
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 30 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 79
Total time read: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total time posting: 25 minutes

The Menu: nothing
Comments: Took a shower, probably going to take a break from 9 to 10, not really into reading right now, maybe that will wear off with a break, we'll see

Laura - a very ambitious book choice, good for you! I didn't think of J.K. Rowling (how could I not have thought of her? She's amazing!) but I did toy with the possibility of Bill Bryson. He'd be such a great interviewee!

Kerry - A FB hacker and and a sandwich-thieving dog? It's not your lucky day, is it! Well, happy reading from here onwards, may it be less troublesome than the past few hours... :-)

Ilana - Reviews always seem to take me longer than expected on the blog, too. Even if I write it on LT first and just paste it across, there's the formatting to do, and images to add, and invariably something tweaks itself slightly between the draft and the published version so I have to edit again...

HOUR 6

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 27
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 35 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 151
Total time read: 3 hours 40 minutes
Total time posting: 1 hour 35 minutes

The Menu: The rest of my mug of Ovaltine.
Comments: My poor eyes are getting very heavy now. I think it might be time for a nap this next hour - even a delicious novel won't batter down that half-asleep feeling for much longer!

6th HOUR

I've been reading: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 55
Reading time: 50 minutes
Posting time: 5 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 217
Total time read: 3hr 30 minutes
Total time posting: 35 minutes

Comments: Yeah, about 20 pages left of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. Good read although I'm dying for someone to bop his son over the head.

Hours 4, 5 (7-9pm EST):

I'm supposed to be reading: The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor
But I'm actually reading: A Year In Provence by Peter Mayle

This is very typical of me, after about 20 pages of the former it wasn't quite feeling like the right mood for the moment so I switched to the Peter Mayle book, which I had already half finished sometime last year.

Books I have finished: 1
Pages read: 83
Posting Time: 5 minutes
Reading Time: 1 hr 35 minutes

Total books read: 2 (both previously started)
Total pages read:103
Total Posting Time: 20 minutes
Total read time: 1 hr 55 minutes

The Menu: I wish I had some gummy bears in this house...
Comments: I really am intending to start and finish a book here so I better get crackin'.

Since I last posted I've just read 23 more pages, and I'm going to bed very soon, a total of 61 so far.

HOUR 2 about 7:20 till 9:00 pm EST

I've been reading: Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 61 pg
Posting time: 20 min.
Reading time: 1 hr. 40 min.

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 112 pg
Total time read: 3 hrs. (180 min.)
Total time posting: 40 min.

The Menu: Tomato Routini Soup, some chocolate cake, and my water.
Comments: First tome to actually finish a book during a read a thon. I hope to get in a little more reading before bed. I plan to start reading my Dec. ER book next, Dead Center by Joanna Higgins. Happy reading all!!

I've been reading: The Queen's fool
Books finished:
Pages read: 15 pages
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read:
Total pages read: 23 pages
Total time read: 65 minutes
Total time posting: 10min.

The Menu: Chocolate milk
Comments: I read fairly slowly because this author is known for re-aligning history so I googled everything which seemed suspect. So far, everything checks out.

I'm posting this a few minutes early because I'm knocking out.

7th HOUR

I've been reading: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 29
Reading time: 20 minutes
Posting time: 20 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 246
Total time read: 3hr 50 minutes
Total time posting: 55 minutes

Comments: Well, I'm off to bed. Pettigrew was a good read. Too tired to comment more.

I work tomorrow, so I don't think I'll get in any more reading for this read-a-thon. Happy reading to everyone else. Thanks to Ellie for hosting and all the cute cheers from everyone else. Just saw your snowman cheer a few minutes ago Smiler69, nice!

Read all 66 pages of Spiral Bound by Dessa. That's all the fun reading I get to do today. Now text books and homework :/

Hour 7 Update

I've been reading: The Umbrella Academy and War & Peace
Books finished: 1 (guess which one?!?)
Pages read: 188
Reading time: 1 hr 8 min
Posting time: 5 min?

The menu: The last of a glass of riesling, and now a slice of oreo pie.
Comments: A good solid hour of reading in. Not sure how I ultimately feel about the Umbrella book, but it wasn't bad. Got 20 pages in to W&P, and my brain was starting to already get confused by the names and people and all of the French, so I think I'm going to leave that one alone for now. Not sure what will be up next.

I was feeling pretty good earlier, but after sitting for an hour and having that glass of wine... sleep sounds like an excellent idea. I'll check in again here before heading off to Bedfordshire for the night. Back to it while I'm still upright!

Thanks Michelle and Katie for joining us this far!

I'm skipping hour 7 altogether because I was asleep. I'd planned on sleeping the remaining 45 minutes of the hour after I was done posting, but I must have slept right through my hourly alarm as well and ended up getting an hour or more. Which will probably do me good! So, I'm off to make a drink and wake up, and I'll see you back here at the end of THIS hour...

I'm done for the night. I read two journal articles, but was only able to read two pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood before I started to nod off. If I don't have to work tomorrow I'll resume reading it in the morning.

I am headed to bed. I didn't get any more reading in. I will try to get some more in before work. Good night all!!

It's late afternoon here and I have only got in 40 mins of reading and another 40 pages done. I've started on my daily dose of 20 pages of Les Miserables.
The Menu: 1 raw carrot and 6 roast almonds.
Comments: spending too much time on the net and in the kitchen. Dinner has been bubbling on the slow cooker all day, so I can settle down to read properly this next hour.

Night Darryl and Monica - see you tomorrow!

HOUR 8

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 16
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 30 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 167
Total time read: 4 hours 10 minutes
Total time posting: 1 hour 55 minutes

The Menu: A slice of pizza, a handful of sweet popcorn, half a can of Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso milk.
Comments: Well, I'm more or less awake again and got a few pages under my belt to show for it, but I'm yawning like crazy and my eyes aren't quite focussing right now. There may be a little more sleep on the cards for me before daylight - it's 4am right now... On the plus side, I'm not too far from the end of Garden Spells which is good!

HOUR 5 (9 to 10 EST)

I've been reading: Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 18
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 79
Total time read: 2 hour 30 minutes
Total time posting: 30 minutes

The Menu: York Peppermint patties
Comments: Not feeling this book at the moment. Might try another book for awhile.

The cover of Garden Spells is beautiful. Are you enjoying it?

My literary figure to meet - Neil Gaiman

HOUR 7 (10 to 11 EST)

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 31
Posting time: 2
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 155
Total time read: 2 hours 45 mins
Total time posting: 30 minutes

Had a nap that was so deep that when the phone rang at about 8 p.m., I literally didn't know who or where I was. Curled up and went back to sleep until just before 10. Will probably read a few more hours before going to sleep "for real".

Lynda, honestly, Philippa Gregory does relatively little violence to historical fact. The only major issues in that book are big background ones -- there is no record of a queen's fool by the name of her character (which is the kind of liberty historical novelists take all the time) and the fact that the probability of a large community of closeted Jews existed in England at this point in time was relatively slim. (It wasn't like Spain; England hadn't allowed Jews to live there for centuries by this point.) Her characterization of Elizabeth is controversial, but not egregious and no one can say it's wrong.

#101 Glad you liked the snowman. I tried posting other equally cute gifs but they didn't seem to work for some reason.

HOURS 6-8 ( 9-11 pm)

I've been reading: The Arrival by Shaun Tan and The Bells by Richard Harvell
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 138
Reading time: 117 minutes (1 hour 57)
Posting time: 0

Total books finished: 1
Total books read from: 3
Total pages read: 241
Total time read: 219 minutes (3 h 39)
Total time posting: 140 minutes (2 h 20)

The Menu: Homemade oatmeal cookies, glass of milk, glass of water.
Comments: I had wanted to take my time going through The Arrival but just couldn't resist poring over the whole thing. Even the 'blank' pages of the book are beautiful to behold! Am about halfway through The Bells and still enjoying it greatly. It's a love poem to the sense of sound, which is interesting to me as it's not one of my most developed senses. Will walk Coco shortly, it's warmer now at -18 C/0 F. Then bed and more of Black and Blue before being carried off to sleep. I'll try to check in either later or in the morning before I go to see my neurologist.

Hours 6,7 (9-11pm EST)

I'm currently reading: Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Books I have finished: 0
Pages Read: this is a toughie, its on a Kindle, but looking up its page length 352, and at 22% I'm putting down 77 pages.
Post Time: 10 minutes
Reading Time: 52 minutes

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 180
Total posting time: 30 minutes
Total reading time: 2 hr 47 minutes

Comments: Had some distractions this time period... in the over a year that I have lived in this house my cat nor the large stone buddha head has ever had a run in, but tonight they did, seriously heavy head crashing to floor. Cat seems okay, buddha head fine...floor has big gash in the hardwood.

Tanglewood and Ellie: THANKS!!!

And Ellie: I've read Garden Spells myself last year, its light and fun, and I'm a fan of any book that has a garden as one of the characters. The Secret Garden, being one of my all time favorites.

Okay, all, back to it!

Yay! Everyone's doing awesome! Rah Rah Rah! And now I have Bad Romance stuck in my head. . . . and if you need a break here's a funny parody some people I know did for a contest between Gap stores called Plaid Romance

Goodnight! Have fun!

I truly do not know what hour this is.

I'm currently reading: Emma
Books I have finished: 0
Pages Read: 50
Post Time: 20 minutes
Reading Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 94
Total posting time: 54 minutes
Total reading time: 3 hours and 46 minutes

I skipped the nap and my granddaughter and I ran to Wal-Mart to buy art supplies for her Senior Project and ran through McDonalds for some hamburgers.
So of course that would be the menu: 2 $1.00 hamburgers with ketchup only and a bottle of H2O.

I think I am going to switch to lighter fare although how it could get much lighter than Emma is beyond me. I brought some Alice Hoffman with me, (I love her books so very much), and I think after I take a break, (my eyes are all blurry), I will read her Green Angel or Aquamarine.

I am beginning to notice that I am getting a little shaky also so I think a walk around the block or running the stairs a few times might be good for me; get the old oxygen flowing again.

Thank you to all the cheerleaders and rooters-on. I know I appreciate it.
And thank you Miss Ellie for your efforts. I am quite enjoying the Read-a-thon.
hugs,
belva

HOUR EIGHT (11 p.m. to midnight EST)

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 38
Posting time: 20
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read from: 2
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 193
Total time read: 3 hours 25 mins
Total time posting: 1 hour 10 minutes

About to eat a peanut butter sandwich; probably have two more hours of reading in me before I'll try to get some sleep.

HOUR 6 ( 11 to 12 EST)

I've been reading: Looking for Alaska by John Green
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 22
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read:101
Total time read: 3 hour 15 minutes
Total time posting: 35 minutes

The Menu: nothinh
Comments: New Book going good, think I will take another break though, need some time away from reading, starting to get tired, not a good thing

Kerry - good choice! And yes, it's a lovely book so far. Like a jumble of The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman, Chocolat and Like Water for Chocolate. All of which I loved, which bodes well...

Jessie - youch... At least the Buddha head hit the floor and not the cat! I absolutely adore The Secret Garden - the descriptions are so magical that whenever I read it I just float away into that beautiful place, and want to go outside and plant things and walk as soon as I've closed the book. I love the the apple tree in Garden Spells - it's like a naughty toddler!

Ah, the patented Katie's Video Madness making a 5am appearance, wonderful! Amazing, one man in a blonde wig can make a more disturbing Gaga than Gaga herself... never thought I'd see the day!

Hey Belva! Read Aquamarine so I know whether to finally buy a copy! And hey, shaky doesn't sound good - look after yourself okay? :-)

HOUR 9

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: None
Pages read: 27
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 194
Total time read: 4 hours 55 minutes
Total time posting: 2 hours 5 minutes

The Menu: A little piece of Spanish tortilla, one tiny piece of fresh coconut that reminded me why I never buy coconut unless it's covered in chocolate and sealed in a Bounty wrapper, a bit more of the Starbucks Doubleshot.
Comments: A relatively pain-free hour, which isn't bad since it's now 5am. I think the book's just getting to its climax, so I'm rushing back into it to find out what's going to happen!

Hour 9:

I'm currently reading: Fatelessness
Books I have finished: 0
Pages Read: 34
Post Time: 5 minutes
Reading Time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 3
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 112
Total posting time: 40 minutes
Total reading time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

The Menu: zilch
Comments: I'll keep going with Fatelessness for another chapter. I enjoyed my 20pgs of Les miserables, might even sneak a bit more in later on.

HOUR 10

I've been reading: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Books finished: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Pages read: 21
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 30 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 215
Total time read: 5 hours 25 minutes
Total time posting: 2 hours 25 minutes

The Menu: Nothing.
Comments: I finished Garden Spells, yay! So that's one review to write over the next couple of days, as well as the second book finished from my 'Books to be Read' challenge on my blog. I had a teensy music and 6am freshening-up break to celebrate - now I just need to scour the shelves and choose my next read!

Hours 8,9 (11pm-1am EST)
Well still here with Running With Scissors. I'm really liking this! Getting a bit on the tired side now, but I'm gonna hang on for one more hour and carry this party up to my cozy bed.

Books Finished:0
Pages Read: 100

Total books completed: 2 (both started previously)
Total books started: 2 more
Total pages read 280
Total reading time: 4 hr 30 minutes

Oooh I love Bounty bars too though my favourite is Cherry Ripe bars which aren't that available here thankfully.

Hour 9:
Read about 10 more pages, but had a longish break for dinner - slow cooked goulash with rice.

eta: edit what hour we're up to!

I enjoyed Running with Scissors though it felt more like fiction than real life.

HOUR NINE (midnight to 1 a.m. EST)

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings (still!)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 53
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read from: 2
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 246
Total time read: 4 hours 10 mins
Total time posting: 1 hour 15 minutes

Nobody else up and reading???

HOUR TEN (1 a.m. to 2 a.m. EST)

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings (still!)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 58
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read from: 2
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 304
Total time read: 4 hours 55 mins
Total time posting: 1 hour 30 minutes

I'm up! I think you posted just after me last hour, and just before me this time... :-)

HOUR 11

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 10
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 30 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 225
Total time read: 5 hours 55 minutes
Total time posting: 2 hours 30 minutes

The Menu: Just a few sips of DoubleShot.
Comments: A few distractions this hour. My stomach threw a predictable 'why the hell were you feeding me pizza at 3am?' fit of pain (yay for IBS!), then just as I microwaved my little heat beanie thing to help, my stepdad arrived at the door for his usual read-a-thon stupid o'clock visit. Then I had to pick a new read... well, I'm a few pages into The Thirty-Nine Steps, and although I've had to open a spare internet tab to look up references I've never heard of (Wordsworth Classics - cheap, but there are no notes!) I think I might manage to read it for a while... Tiny print, so I'll see how I get on.

I'll post the halftime meme now, in case I fall asleep again or anything!

THE MIDWAY MEME

1) Which books have you been reading from so far?

2) What are you reading right now? What is it about?

3) Do you have a book you're particularly looking forward to for the second half of the read-a-thon?

4) What else have you been up to over the hours, in between reading time?

Not doing a real Read-a-thon post but just wanted to pop in and say that the Read-a-thon has become a fast food problem for me. We, my granddaughter and I, just got through 1 1/2 hours of U-NO and then we made a run to Burger King for Iceys and Whoppers and fries. PIG OUT!~!
But prior to that I read 1/2 of Alice Hoffman's Green Angel and I am loving it. But that doesn't surprise me as Hoffman is my favorite female author only to Virginia Woolf. Until I discovered Woolf, Hoffmanwas the 'shit', man!~!
When I finish Green Angel I am going to read her Green Witch and then if I have time I will read Aquamarine just for you Miss Ellie. Then back to Emma. I am telling you, that woman led a boring life. I keep hoping just one page of 'rape and pillage'. LOL!~!
Hasta la bye bye for now.
belva

HOUR 11

I've been reading: Fatelessness
Books finished: None
Pages read: 10
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 20 minutes

Total books read: 3
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 132
Total posting time: 55 minutes
Total reading time: 2 hour and 10 minutes

HOURS 9-11 ( 12 - 2 am)

I've been reading: The Bells by Richard Harvell and Black and Blue by Ian Rankin
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 79
Reading time: 118 minutes (1 hour 58)
Posting time: 0

Total books finished: 1
Total books read from: 3
Total pages read: 320
Total time read: 337 minutes (5 h 37)
Total time posting: 140 minutes (2 h 20)

The Menu: An orange.
Comments: Might read another chapter from Black and Blue and then I'll try to sleep. A bit wired which isn't good. I'll fill out the half-time meme later when I wake up. Or something.

Hey Belva! I'm on the fast food too. I'm sitting here surrounded by the stuff - Spanish tortilla sprinkled with black pepper, cut into little squares, mini samosas and bhajis, half a large pizza, popcorn, M'n'Ms and the now-empty can of coffee milk. Now I need to find something for breakfast... Have you read Garden Spells by the way? It's very Hoffman-esque!

Ilana - Later or something is fine by me! I'm not doing it for another hour yet either because I've been asleep myself...

HOUR 12

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 2
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 10 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 227
Total time read: 6 hours 5 minutes
Total time posting: 2 hours 45 minutes

The Menu: Nothing
Comments: I tried to carry on with my book, but my eyes were hurting and my head was swimming so I snuggled back on the chair and went to sleep for another half hour. I may have to rethink reading The Thirty-Nine Steps for a while - I'm sure it's going to speed up but at the moment the scene-setting and tiny print isn't helping much. Now, we're halfway through, it's 8am, and I think I need some breakfast! I'll read a little more, then I might catch up with the new episode of Nurse Jackie on iPlayer, see if it doesn't wake me up a bit...

HOUR TWELVE (2 a.m. to 3 a.m. EST)

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings (still! but almost finished...)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 72
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 50 minutes

Total books read from: 2
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 376
Total time read: 5 hours 45 mins
Total time posting: 1 hour 40 minutes

I'll finish this up and then try and post a review on Amazon and here before I forget what I want to say, then try and read something a little more straightforward before I try to sleep. This has been an interesting book, but far too self-consciously clever for me to really relax into it and enjoy it. And the last thing I feel like reading after it is Faulkner!!

HOURS 2-12

I've been reading: The Complete Persepolis and Fragile Things
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 227, plus 21 minutes of audiobook

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 282 + 21 minutes

The Menu: Cheerios
Comments: Got about 6 hours sleep last night, woke up feeling refreshed and ready to read some more :)

Persepolis is turning out to be an absolute delight to read and I'm getting through it pretty quickly. I probably only read it for a couple of hours and I'm already more than halfway through. I have school today though, followed by a driving lesson, so I'm not sure if I'll be reading quite so much for the rest of the 24 hours...

THE MIDWAY MEME

1) Which books have you been reading from so far?
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Complete Persepolis
Fragile Things

2) What are you reading right now? What is it about?
Persepolis is a memoir of Marjane Satrapi's childhood in Iran and her move to Europe as a teenager. It's also a graphic novel. It's awesome.

3) Do you have a book you're particularly looking forward to for the second half of the read-a-thon?
Persepolis! It's fantastic.

4) What else have you been up to over the hours, in between reading time?
Washing dishes, watching Glee, sleeping.

HOUR 12

I've been reading: Fatelessness
Books finished: None
Pages read: 30
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 35 minutes

Total books read: 3
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 162
Total posting time: 1 hr
Total reading time: 2 hour and 45 minutes

The menu: water
Comments: The narrator in Fatelessness has just arrived in Auschwitz-Birkeneau so this is a good time to put the book aside for a while. I'm now going to read along with the audio of Beowulf.

HOUR 13

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 13
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 240
Total time read: 6 hours 45 minutes
Total time posting: 3 hours

The Menu: Just a bit of water - I always find that when I get tired I end up reading semi-aloud, under my breath, to keep my focus better, but it gives me a sore throat if I don't keep drinking!
Comments: Aahhhh, a much better hour. The book's taken off a bit, and I'm feeling just about ready for breakfast. I figured I'd try and get in some reading this hour instead since I slept half the last one! Mum might pop up in the next hour or so to see me, since she's off to Liverpool for the day to visit my sister, then I'm pretty much set for the day. Onwards!

THE MIDWAY MEME

1) Which books have you been reading from so far?
I've read most of Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, which I finished a couple of hours ago.

2) What are you reading right now? What is it about?
After GS I started The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan, about a man who finds himself entangled in a plot to start a war between Germany and Russia, ending up on the run for a murder he didn't commit and doggedly trying to stay alive long enough to use what he knows to thwart the bad guys...

3) Do you have a book you're particularly looking forward to for the second half of the read-a-thon?
Hmmmm. I might go back to To Touch a Wild Dolphin if I'm awake enough, and I've also pulled down So Many Books, So Little Time to dive into between other things. I've read it before, but I thought I might appreciate it better now, with a little more literary experience under my belt since I last read it in my teens...

4) What else have you been up to over the hours, in between reading time?
My stepdad popped round to visit at about 6:30am (crazy man) when he got up to have breakfast and start thinking about today's work. I've had a little food, listened to a little music (Clannad's Dream in the Night, which always takes me right back to watching The Angel and the Soldier Boy as a child, gorgeous)... oh, and slept a bit too!

HOUR TWELVE (2 a.m. to 3 a.m. EST)
13th HOUR (3 a.m. to 4 a.m. EST)

I've been reading: Under Fishbone Clouds by Sam Meekings
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 49
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read from: 2
Total books completed: 1
Total pages read: 425
Total time read: 6 hours 25 mins
Total time posting: 2 hours

The laptop's now running on reserve battery power & the charger is downstairs, so I'm going to hold off the review & any further posts until tomorrow morning. Will either return to Defiant Spirits by Ross King (about Canada's Group of 7 artists) or find a novel to read until I'm sleepy enough to drop off and report back whenever I wake up! Have a noon lunch meeting to get to...

Don't know the hour so will take Miss Ellis's word that it is the 13th hour. Ewww; that rather gives me the creeps.

I have been reading: Emma, Green Angel & Aquamarine
Books finished: 1 Pages read: 116
Posting Time: 50 minutes
Reading time: 1 hour and 8 minutes

Total books read: 3
Total books finished: 1
Total pages read: 210
Total time posting: 2 hours and 14 minutes

The Menu: Mimi Whopper & Burger King Coke Slushie & lots of Propel H2O

What books have you read so far: Emma, Green Angel, & Aquamarine
What are you reading now and what is it about: Aquamarine and I am just starting it so I will just say that I 'think' it is about mermaids
What book am I looking forward to in the 2nd half of the Read-a-thon: Green Witch
What else have I been doing: Goofing around with my granddaughters and trying to figure out how to use this little "notebook" computer thing that my son gave me for staying with his girls. It is taking me forever to post, but i will get used to it. And how cool to be able to take computer capability along with me when I go to Texas this spring and Ohio this summer!~!

You've done brilliantly so far Suzanne - see you when you get back! Hey Belva - and yay for the Hoffman mermaids! *waits eagerly for the verdict*

How's everyone else getting on?

HOUR 14

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 6
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 15 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 246
Total time read: 7 hours
Total time posting: 3 hours 15 minutes

The Menu: I finished the DoubleShot coffee milk thingy at the start of the hour, and I've just warmed up a pain au chocolat and made coffee for a rather later-than-planned breakfast...
Comments: I didn't get much reading done this hour - I went down to the house to see Mum instead. She's getting ready to go see my sis at university, and the post arrived with books to be taken round to the next door neighbours later (they ordered them via the bookshop but it seems silly to make them come and get them from there!)... Oh, and Mum took the newly-spayed kitten's lamp collar off for a while to see if she could be trusted - but apparently not, so I had to wrestle her back into the damn thing while she wiggled about like a baby eel... Back to the book, methinks! :-)

Hour 13&14 (9-11pm)
I've been reading: Beowulf & Les Miserables
Books finished: None
Pages read: 80
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 70 minutes

Total books read: 3
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 242
Total posting time: 1 hr 15 mins
Total reading time: 3 hour and 45 minutes

The Menu : 1/2 fruit smoothie and a coffee.
Comments: Listened and read about 60pgs of Beowulf until it started to blur, so switched back to Les Mis. I have the illustrated Beowulf so 60pgs=30pgs of text. They are celebrating Grendel's downfall.
I'll keep on with Les miserables for a bit and will then try a graphic novel.

THE MIDWAY MEME

1) Which books have you been reading from so far?
The Various, Fatelessness, Beowulf, and Les Miserables

2) What are you reading right now? What is it about? Les miserables, oh gosh, 19th century reformed French convict does good, the Battle of Waterloo, lots of unrelenting poverty, bad things keep happening to good people and so on...

3) Do you have a book you're particularly looking forward to for the second half of the read-a-thon? Not really, I'll probably go back to The Various or Fatelessness. I'd like to start one of the library books i picked up a couple of days ago but I better finish my TIOLI reads.

4) What else have you been up to over the hours, in between reading time? cooking, gym, internet stuff, washing dishes, talking, laundry, listening to music.

Kerry - ohhhh, that mention of the illustrated Beowulf again! Well, I'll hold off buying for a little while (honestly!) but I do have a handful of Amazon vouchers burning a hole in my inbox, thanks to a recent bout of unsubscribing from the market research companies that kept me in pocket money at uni, and cashing in the reward points I'd amassed for each one... *rubs hands together gleefully* :-)

HOUR 15

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 16
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 262
Total time read: 7 hours 45 minutes
Total time posting: 3 hours 25 minutes

The Menu: Coffee, hooray! I don't like to drink too much caffeine during an all-nighter in case I get that total slump afterwards, but I was ready for this one!
Comments: A good solid stretch at the book, which is good... It's not a fast read by any means, with its old-fashioned prose and tiny print and occasional lapses into strong Scottish dialect, but it's a nice little read so far.

This morning

I've been reading: The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer and others
Books finished: None
Pages read: 60

Total books read from: 4
Total pages read: 143

The Menu: Tea, croissants and a yoghurt at breakfast

Woo! I've just finished doing the 6:30 am I-don't-have-to-work-today happy dance. I'll make breakfast (oat bran cereal, coffee and a banana), and resume reading Aké: The Years of Childhood at ~7 am EST.

I'm impressed by Ellie, Suz and the other night owls that have stayed the course.



I'm considerably less impressed with this baton twirler, though.

HOUR 16
(Hour/Chapter 1 for me)
6am-7am

I've been reading: The Medical Detective by Sandra Hempel

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 42 minutes

Total pages read: 17
Total time read: 42 minutes

The Menu: Nothing, but my next chapter is short I think so I'll be eating breakfast shortly.

Comments: Hello and good morning, everyone! I can't possibly catch up on all the posts last night, maybe next hour, but I do hope everyone has be doing well. I'm here now and ready to read, testing my idea of reading 1 chapter per hour.

ETA: Oh, I should not since I'll be finishing up early each hour, my posts will be coming in before the hour ends. I'll try to hold off and post them close to the end of the hour. Ok, 5 minutes left, time to get to that next chapter. :)

(Oh, and I forgot to note, it makes it a lot easier to keep track of my reading time like this as well, so I'll be posting that this time too!)

Hour 15&16 (11-1.00am)
I've been reading: Les Miserables
Books finished: None
Pages read: 40
Posting time: 30 minutes
Reading time: 60 minutes

Total books read: 4
Total books completed: 0
Total pages read: 282
Total posting time: 2 hr
Total reading time: 4 hour and 45 minutes

The Menu: small handful of roasted almonds
Comments: Have finished my Jan quota for Les miserables - I'm reading it over 3 months, 400 pages per month. Will now try graphic novel Unshelved. Picked for it's simple, clear style which is what I need for post midnight reading.

Ellie - the illustrated Beowulf is interesting, the illustrations are actually glossy photos of artifacts, archaeological sites, old engravings, medieval paintings, a few line drawings. But here are some striking ones for you.

Morning Luci! Well, just gone, but we all know that when in doubt, 'morning' is an acceptable greeting until about 2pm... Tea and croissants sounds lovely!

Morning Darryl! I like that happy dance, I know it well! Not so keen on the baton twirler though - the tooth is particularly revolting... And I did have two hours's sleep last night, and will probably nap a little more by the time 8pm rolls around at last!

Yo Stephen! Good to have the cholera junkie back amongst us... :-)

Kerry - Ohhhh, you fiendish temptress! The Ward illustrations are so striking and hypnotic... Oh dammit, I'm going to end up buying about six different editions at this rate! ;-)

HOUR 16

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 13
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 30 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 275
Total time read: 8 hours 15 minutes
Total time posting: 3 hours 35 minutes

The Menu: A bit of cold coffee (the cold-hot beverages strike again), a couple of Indian mini bite thingies (the rest have gone in the bin, not good) and a piece of the ever-present pizza. Yeah, I'm not that healthy on my days off... :-)
Comments: Well, I spent twenty minutes this hour ringing my neighbour's doorbell, conferring with my stepdad, wrapping up the neighbours' book order in carrier bags, writing a note to attach with sticky tape, removing kittens from end of sticky tape, ringing my neighbours' doorbell again, leaving the package on the step, conferring with my stepdad again, and finally giving up and returning to my book. Home deliveries suck when it's raining! On the plus side, things are getting a little more explosive as the net tightens around Richard Hannay, so the reading's going well... *sigh*

Ellie - after finding that blog post, I ended up requesting some Lynd Ward graphic novels from the library - he's done some amazing looking work.

HOUR 17
(Hour/Chapter 2 for me)
7am-8am

Pages read: 9
Reading time: 19 minutes

Total pages read: 26
Total time read: 1 hour, 1 minute

The Menu: Apple Jacks! I know, I am but a mere child. :)

Comments: This was an 'easy' hour with lots of free time. I caught up on some of the late-night posts here on the readathon, browsed the LT forums for awhile, and got some sugar in my system. I'm ready to get back to the book!

Kerry - Haha! Shooting yourself with your own arrow of bookish desire - well, at least I feel better knowing I'm not the only one being drawn in by your devious attempts to make me buy another book! ;-)

Stephen - yup, sugar in the system is definitely a big help in the reading department, especially when you've been up most of the night...

HOUR 17

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 14
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 289
Total time read: 8 hours 55 minutes
Total time posting: 3 hours 50 minutes

The Menu: More of that cold coffee (I just can't be bothered to make another drink yet!) and a few handfuls of sweet popcorn
Comments: Another hour of rushing along with Richard Hannay in his 'wow, look at this amazing turn of events that has helped me stay alive for another day!' quest to stop a war. Actually the political side of the whole thing is evading me a bit, but the 'on the run' part is quite absorbing... Oh, and I had a teensy music break again, just to get my eyes off the book and get me moving around a bit. I'm going to be stiff as a board tomorrow if I don't!

HOUR 17 (1-2am)

I've been reading: Unshelved by Gene Ambaum & Bill Barnes
Books finished: None
Pages read: 59
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read: 348
Total time read: 9 hours 35 minutes
Total time posting: 4 hours

The Menu: an apricot and water
Comments: Unshelved is a collection of strips about life in a public library with a bunch of laidback librarians. Quite fun. I'll finish it this next hour and then catch some sleep.

HOUR 18
(Hour/Chapter 3 for me)
8am-9am

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 36 minutes

Total pages read: 43
Total time read: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Comments: Ah, I'm settling in now, and I'm absolutely loving this format. When I sit down, I don't have that anxious feeling of having such a LONG TIME to go until the readathon is finished. I know I'm just sitting down to read that 1 little chapter. And look, 43 pages already after hour 3, and I've had plenty of free time to get other things done as well. Hurray.

Kerry - *thunk* We're supposed to be reading here woman, stop throwing books onto my wishlist in this impetuous manner! I'm too sleep-deprived to resist... :-)

Stephen - at last, you've found a format that works for you! Now there's no excuse... *mwahahaha*

HOUR 18

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Books finished: None
Pages read: 19
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 308
Total time read: 9 hours 40 minutes
Total time posting: 4 hours

The Menu: A slice of pizza, sweet popcorn, a piece of Spanish tortilla and the last of that revolting cold coffee
Comments: Only a couple of pages left of my book now, then I'll be able to have a few minutes' breather and choose what to read next... Oh, and interestingly, my peripheral vision's taken on a life of its own again. Last time I did a read-a-thon I kept thinking the end of my pen was a spider and jumping to my feet like a crazy person; this time it's like the blanket on my chair is rippling by itself. *giggles slightly maniacally*

Hour 3, 4, 5 - Sporadic reading; just before going to bed and then in the morning getting ready for work.

I've been reading: Dead Center by Joanna Higgins
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 60 pgs.
Posting time: 30 min.
Reading time: 1hr. 30 min.

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 172 pgs.
Total time read: 4 hr. 30 min.
Total time posting: 1 hr. 10 min.

The Menu: Water, banana and a bowl of cereal
Comments: this time the reading was just before going to bed and then after I awoke in the morning. I read sporadically while getting ready for work. I hope to try and read during my lunch today.

THE MIDWAY MEME

1) Which books have you been reading from so far? Now I am reading from my December ER book Dead Center. I would like to start reading one of my library books.

2) What are you reading right now? What is it about? Dead Center is about a murder that happened 20 yrs ago and the man arrested married the widow and raised her children. So far I am really wondering if he did it.

3) Do you have a book you're particularly looking forward to for the second half of the read-a-thon? Just this Dead Center book

4) What else have you been up to over the hours, in between reading time? Sleeping, getting ready for work, eating breakfast, making my lunch and now working.

I won't be able to post again today. May try to post after the read a thon is over and I am at home.

Happy Reading all!!

18th Hour Update

Book: The Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
Time: Two hours twenty minutes 2:20
Pages: 194 pages
Books Finished: 1

Book: The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour
Time: 25 minutes 0:25
Pages: 23 pages
Books Finished: 0
Posting Time: 15 minutes

1) Which books have you been reading from so far?
The Throne of Jade and The Walking Drum.

2) What are you reading right now? What is it about?
Nothing. I may not get anymore reading done today.

3) Do you have a book you're particularly looking forward to for the second half of the read-a-thon?
Maybe Witch and Wizard if I have time.

4) What else have you been up to over the hours, in between reading time?
Sleeping. I'm very boring.

Hope you get a relaxing reading lunch Monica - and thanks for joining us thus far. Until tomorrow... *waves*

Hi Nathan! I saw you'd finished your current read - didn't like it that much either, from your thread? Anyhow, thanks for coming along for the ride - see you back here later if you read any more... And never fear, I've been sitting on my living room floor reading for the last 18-19 hours - if you're 'very boring', you're in good company! :-)

HOUR 19

I've been reading: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan; To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker
Books finished: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Pages read: 19
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 35 minutes

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 327
Total time read: 10 hours 15 minutes
Total time posting: 4 hours 10 minutes

The Menu: Another little square of Spanish tortilla, the last of the popcorn, white hot chocolate. I'm just grazing my way through the last of the stuff I made way back at the start of the read-a-thon really!
Comments: Yay, I finished another book! The Thirty-Nine Steps wasn't exactly an all-out thriller, but it had its moments and was a fun little read. Plus it means that today I've finished one book for my Books to be Read blog challenge, and one for my Wordsworth Classics blog challenge, which is fantastic! I tells ya, January is shaping up to be a great reading month with all these read-a-thons focussing my attention squarely on my books for a few hours at a time...

^ Compared to the first book in the series, His Majesty's Dragon, it didn't size up too good. It's the only first book in series that is five stars. It just combined my love for fantasy and History in one book.

Ellie (151): I suppose you are right...shoot! I don't mind the regular readathon format when I'm reading fiction though! ^_^

HOUR 19
(Hour/Chapter 4 for me)
9am-10am

Pages read: 20
Reading time: 42 minutes

Total pages read: 63
Total time read: 2 hours, 19 minutes

Comments: Another terrific hour. I'm loving the book (yay Cholera) and having these long breaks between reading is really helping with my concentration. I'm able to read and enjoy this nonfiction book without feeling like I'm rushing or that I'm too exhausted to concentrate. Yippee! (See how energetic I am?) :P

-----------------------

HOUR 20
(Hour/Chapter 5 for me)
10am-11am

Pages read: 12
Reading time: 24 minutes

Total pages read: 75
Total time read: 2 hours, 43 minutes

The Menu: I had a handful of pretzels and a couple chunks of pineapple, I think I'm going to have to start searching for lunch soon.
Comments: A short and sweet chapter, I had half an hour to spend as I pleased so I played some Final Fantasy III while listening to the TV (kinda), and browsed LT a bit. I feel energized and ready for the next hour! :)

Anybody still here? Only four hours to go, there must be someone dropping by round about now, or still reading along? *watches tumbleweed drift by and whistles The Good, the Bad and the Ugly theme to herself*

ETA: Hey, I cross-posted just as a couple of book-totin' cowboys burst in through the saloon doors! Yeah, this is where the sleep-deprived crazy posts kick in again... ;-)

HOUR 20

I've been reading: To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker
Books finished: None
Pages read: 10
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 25 minutes

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 337
Total time read: 10 hours 40 minutes
Total time posting: 4 hours 30 minutes

The Menu: White hot chocolate, slice of pizza. Not much left now!
Comments: I had another little music break, and spoke to my stepdad, and my neighbour came round to pay for those books, so I didn't read quite so much this hour. But considering I've gone back to a non-fiction book, I seem to be concentrating pretty well, and the hours seem to be flying by all of a sudden, which is brilliant!

I am going to join in for the next 6 hours or so now that I am back from Longview and have had some sleep :) I am starting off with The White Family, one of my TIOLI books for January.

(Yawn) I tried to read Aké: The Years of Childhood after breakfast, but became very sleepy and went back to sleep for about 3 hours (I'm fighting off a cold and still catching up on sleep from last week). I'm putting the Soyinka memoir aside, and I'll start The Good Doctor by the South African author Damon Galgut, which was shortlisted for the 2003 Booker Prize. I should finish it today, although it may be after the Read-a-Thon before I do.

I'll check back in at 12 pm EST.

ETA: I made another mug of Peet's coffee, as I'm still quite sleepy, so hopefully I'll wake up fully within the next hour.

HOURS 13-20
I've been reading: The Complete Persepolis
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 116

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 398 + 21 minutes of audiobook

The Menu: Coconut finger
Comments: Read like crazy during my breaks at school, managed to get Persepolis finished. Yay, that's my second book finished! Got some homework to finish up now, and then I might be able to sneak in some more reading before my driving lesson at 5 o'clock.

HOUR 10am to noon

I've been reading: Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 25
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total books read: 0
Total pages read:126
Total time read: 4 hour 30 minutes
Total time posting: 40 minutes

The Menu: nada
Comments: Fell asleep around 1 am, but slept horrible, I guess I was more tired than I thought

THE MIDWAY MEME ( a little late, but oh well)

1) Which books have you been reading from so far?
Looking for Alaska and Shoot the Moon

2) What are you reading right now? What is it about?
Shoot the Moon. It is about a man who, after his fathers death, discovers he was adopted, so he goes to find his birth parents. However, he returns to find is mother was murdered when he was a baby and he was kidnapped. It sends him spinning into a web of discovery about his past and his mother.

3) Do you have a book you're particularly looking forward to for the second half of the read-a-thon?
I'm not sure how much more reading I am going to get done, but I'm looking forward to continuing the book I am already reading

4) What else have you been up to over the hours, in between reading time?
Thawing pipes, playing video games for short breaks and sleeping.

HOUR 21
(Hour/Chapter 6 for me)
11am-Noon

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 36 minutes

Total pages read: 92
Total time read: 3 hours, 19 minutes

The Menu: Leftover spaghetti, hurray!
Comments: Ha! At least I'm consistent. A few hours ago I read a 17 page chapter in 36 minutes and now I did it again, exactly the same time. 8-) I spent my leftover time eating leftover spaghetti and reading the forums while listening to music. Now THAT is multi-tasking.

HOUR 1 (for me)
10am-11am

Pages read: 94
Reading time: 58 minutes

Total pages read: 94
Total time read: 58 minutes

The Menu: Masala Chai
Comments: Just starting up, not much to say :)

Welcome back Alaina! *waves*

Stephen - well done for multitasking so manfully... *rolls eyes* :-)

Hi Stasia! Wonderful to see your beautiful self around for the last few hours, it'll buoy us all up nicely towards the end!

Awww doc, stop saying the word 'sleep'... *smiles dreamily at the thought of a nice cosy bed* Make that two coffees!

Gemma - wow, you're a powerhouse! You've read so much AND you've got school AND homework AND driving lessons... *takes hat off to Gemma and bows respectfully*

HOUR 21

I've been reading: To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker
Books finished: None
Pages read: 18
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 355
Total time read: 11 hours 20 minutes
Total time posting: 4 hours 40 minutes

The Menu: A piece of Spanish tortilla, red grape juice, peanut M'n'Ms - just bits and bobs for a bit of a boost and to stop my throat getting too sore!
Comments: Those ten-minute music breaks are proving a lifeline as we get towards the end! When my concentration's slipping, I can just put everything down, get up, move around, sing along, and voila, I can focus again. Plus, I'm learning fascinating things about dolphin hunting styles, social groups and all sorts of other wonderful stuff, all wrapped up in a beautifully written, personal, travel-writingy kind of book. Marvellous.

HOUR 21 (12 pm EST, 5 pm GMT)

I've been reading: The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 37 (pp 1-37)
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 3 (including 12 pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood)
Total pages read: 262
Total time read: 260 minutes
Total time posting: 49 minutes

The Menu: I'll have pork Massaman curry in the next hour or two.
Comments: I'm enjoying The Good Doctor so far, a novel set in post-apartheid South Africa in a decrepit and decaying hospital in a former homeland. I'm still very sleepy, so I might need another nap after lunch.

YOU SAID 'SLEEPY' AND 'NAP' AGAIN! ;-)

Go readers, go!!

This has not been a good readathon for me. I managed to work in only about 20 pages, total, of my baseball book this morning.

Hour 23 1/2

I won't have time to read anything else, so I'm going to post the totals.

I've been reading: The Walking Drum
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 34 pgs.
Posting time: 2 min.
Reading time: 15 min.

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 256 pgs
Total time read: 2 hours and fifty-five minutes 2:55
Total time posting: 20 min.

Ok, back home after taking MIL for more tests at a facility which had very extremely poor wi-fi capabilities so here's my update since last night.

I've been reading: The Queen's Fool
Books finished: zip
Pages read: 45 Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: off and on 3 hrs.

Total books read: 1
Total pages read: 68
Total time read: 4 hours 5 min.
Total time posting: 15 minutes

The menu: 5ft Subway - BLT with everything on it.

Comments: #111 Thanks for the historical assurance, Suz. I got the impression that Ms. Gregory sat down and said....hmm, what if there was an independent minded young woman who wanted more than an arranged marriage, Hmm, what if she were Jewish but needed to hide the fact and Hmmm, why not make her a fool because maybe that's what she may actually be....etc etc.
I'm getting the feeling that's what historical fiction writers do and then place the historical figures around them going about their historical activies. Voila! A story is made. Seems like an easy formula......so, why can't I do it!?

Stephen - well done for multitasking so manfully... *rolls eyes* :-)

I'm just happy I didn't poke myself in the eye with the fork. :P

HOUR 22
(Hour/Chapter 7 for me)
Noon-1am

Pages read: 17
Reading time: 33 minutes

Total pages read: 114
Total time read: 3 hours, 52 minutes

Comments: Only a couple more hours left! I've definitely been reading less pages this readathon with all the time spent not reading, but I'm find the time spent WHILE reading alot more enjoyable. I'm sure it helps reading such a great book. I might have a 5-star rating on my hands...perhaps! :)

Linda - but that was a great cheer, and you did do some reading, so it all counts!

Congrats on a productive read-a-thon Nathan - now go and relax, you deserve it!

Lynda - Am I reading that right - a FIVE FOOT SUB? *keels over* We don't have a Subway round here but when I was at uni I was sucker for a toasted BMT... Only 6" though, that was enough!

Stephen - You don't have to give it a five-star rating... though obviously since I ordered a replacement copy that would be very encouraging!

HOUR 22

I've been reading: To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker
Books finished: None
Pages read: 13
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 25 minutes

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 368
Total time read: 11 hours 45 minutes
Total time posting: 5 hours

The Menu: Ummm... nothing? Nah, that can't be right... can it?
Comments: Well, this would have been a productive hour if it wasn't for the stupid flatulent man who doddered into our shop AGAIN this week, ordered books, and now won't answer his phone. Then called back on the home phone hours later, spoke to my stepdad who had no idea who he was and now... isn't answering his phone again. I tell ya, I ain't orderin' books for someone who never answers the bloody phone because we'll never get hold of him to come pick them up again! Okay, rant over. *readjusts halo and smiles determinedly* On the plus side, the book's great! And only two more hours to go! *I think I can, I think I can, I think I can*

HOUR 2 (for me)
11am-12pm

Pages read: 123
Reading time: 58 minutes

Total pages read: 217
Total time read: 1 hour, 56 minutes

The Menu: Masala Chai
Comments: I am finding The White Family an engrossing, terrific book. The family reminds me so much of my own that it is scary.

HOUR 22 (1 pm EST, 6 pm GMT)

I've been reading: The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
Books finished: 1 (The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens)
Pages read: 31 (pp 38-68)
Posting time: 12 minutes
Reading time: 35 minutes

Total books read: 3 (including 12 pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood)
Total pages read: 293
Total time read: 295 minutes (4 hr 55 min)
Total time posting: 61 minutes

The Menu: The pork Massaman curry was good; I think I'll have some Earl Grey tea.
Comments: The Good Doctor continues to be very good. I'll certainly finish it today, as I'll continue reading off and on until 9-10 pm EST. I think I'll read The Giant of the French Revolution: Danton, A Life by David Lawday in the place of Aké: The Years of Childhood next.

*NOT mentioning the s-word, to avoid the Wrath of Ellie*

12 to1

I've been reading: Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 50
Posting time: 5
Reading time: 1 hour

Total books read: 0
Total pages read:176
Total time read: 5 hour 30 minutes
Total time posting: 45 minutes

The Menu: nothing once again, definitely going to need a snack soon
Comments: Snowing here, and since I am more rested today, I seem to be having more success with reading. Plus, the book it starting to heat up :)

Ellie: I blame it all on this read-a-thon, seriously! I'm never usually this organised/productive. Plus Persepolis was an easy read - I've found books with lots of pictures are great for read-a-thons.

HOURS 21-22

I've been reading: Oranges are not the Only Fruit
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 13

Total books read: 2 finished, 4 in total
Total pages read: 411 + 21 minutes of audiobook

The Menu: Veggie pasta bolognese - my favourite
Comments: Homework/driving/unexpected visits from my granny over, having dinner now before I set into the last couple of hours reading :)

I'm amazed at how much I'm enjoying myself! I thought I'd get bored at some point or not want to do it anymore, but so far I'm good. I'm already hoping there's another soon...

HOURS 5

I've been reading: Dead Center by Joanna Higgins
Books Finished: 0
Pages Read:17
Posting time: 30 min.
Reading time: 45 min.

Total books read: 2, 1 finished
Total pages read: 189 pgs.
Total time read: 5 hr. 15 min.
Total time posting: 1 hr. 40 min.

The Menu: Peanut butter crackers, sunflower seeds, water, salad.
Comments: Read during my lunch break while sitting at my desk. I am enjoying this book too. I might be able to finish this book tonight if I take the time too. I won't be reading anymore. Will check back in after work.

HOUR 23
(Hour/Chapter 8 for me)
1pm-2pm

Pages read: 14
Reading time: 31 minutes

Total pages read: 128
Total time read: 4 hours, 23 minutes

The Menu: Some more pretzels...and then I caved and made a huge nearly-400-calorie bag of popcorn. D'oh!
Comments: I've made a serious dent in this (lovely) book and I'm quite happy with my progress so far. I think I'll wind up finishing it within the next coupld days. Hurray for that! Now, let's get that last hour/chapter finished.

HOUR 23 (2 pm EST, 7 pm GMT)

I've been reading: The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
Books finished: 1 (The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens)
Pages read: 32 (pp 69-100)
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 35 minutes

Total books read: 3 (including 12 pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood)
Total pages read: 315
Total time read: 330 minutes (5 hr 30 min)
Total time posting: 76 minutes

The Menu: Tea. Right; I need to make some tea.
Comments: I'm almost halfway through The Good Doctor, and it's become quite intense in the past few pages. I'm sure that my reading output will pick up in the next hour.

Ellie, are those of us who plan to continue reading past 8 pm GMT allowed to update our progress here? Ellie? Are you still awake?

It's almost over! Well, except for the lovely non-wrath-inducing Darryl... :-)

And look, Stasia's read almost as much in two hours as I have in 12! *gives Stasia an exuberantly sleepy-hyper hug just for being fab*

Alaina - snow, snacks and a 'hot' book... very nice!

Gemma - they're addictive, aren't they? I think once you settle into the rhythm of the updates and things as well, time goes much faster than you think it will. That said, I'm looking forward to snuggling up with a DVD and a nice cup of tea when this one's over in... 45 minutes!

Monica - Reading at lunch time is so yummy... I'll check back tomorrow for updates, it's already gone 7pm here so I'll be asleep when you finish work I think!

Stephen - Mmmmm, (lovely) popcorn... what can I eat when I'm done? I don't want to make dinner but I need something before bed. Lemon cheesecake? Muffin? :-)

HOUR 23

I've been reading: To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker
Books finished: None
Pages read: 14
Posting time: 15 minutes
Reading time: 35 minutes

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 382
Total time read: 12 hours 20 minutes
Total time posting: 5 hours 15 minutes

The Menu: The last piece of pizza (hallelujah!), the last piece of tortilla (double hallelujah!), red grape juice and a handful of peanut M'n'Ms. You can tell it's winding down, can't you?!
Comments: I tried ringing the dude again. No reply. I spoke to Mum who's about to set off back from Liverpool. I went down to the house to check my stepdad's kitten-lamp-collar tying-on skills (not too bad, rather loose though) and do it properly. I snuggled BOTH kittens. And I carried on reading. I'm actually concentrating pretty well, but if I close my eyes by accident they don't want to open again, and when I went in the bathroom the door stop looked like it was moving and I thought it was a humungous spider. One more hour! :-)

HOUR 3 (for me)
12pm-1pm

Pages read: 115
Reading time: 55 minutes

Total pages read: 333
Total time read: 2 hour, 53 minutes

The Menu: Masala Chai and a peanut butter sandwich
Comments: Sorry to be late, but I was brewing more tea and setting up the bread machine to make rolls for dinner tonight. I should finish up my current book this hour.

Ooops, cross-posting... Stasia - as the queen of LT, you should know that you are never late, we were simply early... :-) Okay, that sounded mad. I only got 2 hours' sleep this time and nothing for about 12 hours...

Darryl - of course you can keep posting! If you're counting it as part of your day, post away... People tend to filter in steadily for another day or so after the thing 'officially' finishes anyway!

I'll post the End-of-Event closing meme now, in case anyone wants to do it early...

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you?

2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this?

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?)

4. What books did you read from over the day?

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience?

6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day?

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime?

HOURS 19-23 ( 10 am - 2 pm)

I've been reading: Oliver Twist on audio and Where the Wild things Are at a book store.
Books finished: 1
Pages read: approx 60
Reading time: 70 minutes (1 hour 10)
Posting time: 0

Total books finished: 1
Total books read from: 4
Total pages read: 380
Total time read: 407 minutes (6 h 47)
Total time posting: 140 minutes (2 h 20)

The Menu: an orange. Two homemade oatmeal cookies. Glass of milk. Orangina.
Comments: Filling this out while waiting at the dentist's. Not easy. I stopped by my favourite used book store and picked up just over half a dozen books and also had a good look at Where the wild things are. Such a lovely book but I had to restrain myself to NOT buy it. Have to go. Hygienist is here!

Half a dozen books?! *sighs wistfully* Have a, er, fun time! Cookies and milk sound so good right now...

Hope everyone did better than I! I only got 82 pages read. Too many other things came up, grr. And I wasn't feeling that well so when I tried to read in bed, I was too tired to keep at it. Oh well. Next time!

HOUR 4 (for me)
1pm-2pm

Pages read: 92
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total pages read: 426
Total time read: 3 hours, 45 minutes

The Menu: Masala Chai
Comments: I finished up The White Family, which was terrific, although I thought the ending a bit of a let down, and have now started The Roman: The Memoirs of Minutus Lausus Manilianus. It is 600+ pages long, so I will not be finishing it today.

HOUR 24 (3 pm EST, 8 pm GMT)

I've been reading: The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
Books finished: 1 (The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens)
Pages read: 39 (pp 101-139)
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 40 minutes

Total books read: 3 (including 12 pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood)
Total pages read: 354
Total time read: 370 minutes (6 hr 10 min)
Total time posting: 86 minutes

The Menu: Tea.
Comments: I'll finish The Good Doctor by 5 pm EST (74 pages to go). I'll continue to post here, but I'll separate my post-Read-a-Thon output.

Congratulations to everyone who participated, and a special congratulations and thank you to Ellie for hosting another successful Read-a-Thon!

ETA: I'm glad that you enjoyed The White Family, Stasia. I think all of us 75ers who read it were disappointed by its ending.

HOUR 24
(Hour/Chapter 9 for me)
2pm-3pm

Pages read: 28
Reading time: 57 minutes

Total pages read: 156
Total time read: 5 hours, 20 minutes

Comments: I decided, it being the final hour, that I would read throughout the whole thing. It just didn't feel right ending half an hour early! It was perfect too, I read two chapters (each 14 pages) and read them in 30 minutes and 27 minutes! Oh, and the next chapter is only 3 pages, so I'm reading that as soon as I finish this post. :)

As suspected, I didn't get a terribly huge amount of pages finished, but I did find myself much happier with my 1-chapter-per-hour format. And hey, 156 pages isn't terrible! Plus, I'm not the least bit tired, so I'm off to read some more... :)

Just woke up. I didn't plan to sleep a lot but by 2:00 A.M. Pacific Time, I was wiped out. Just too much other stuff going on plus I am OLD. hee hee
Anyway I slept until 11:00 A.M. our time. Seems like it was 4:00 P.M. here yesterday when you began Miss Ellie. IDK; somehow the time thingy is not computing for my A.M. pea-brain. But I will continue reading until my 24 hour mark.

I've been reading: Aquamarine
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 105
Reading time: 45 minutes
Posting time: 20 minutes (trying to figure my new 'wii-fii' out)

Total books finished: 2
Total books read from: 3
Total pages read: 335
Total time read: 4 hours & 31 minutes
Total time posting: 1 hour & 14 minutes

Everybody is doing/has done so great. I am quite humbled.
Back now to Emma

just,
belva

HOURS 23-24

I've been reading: Oranges are not the Only Fruit
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 55

Total books read: 2 finished, 4 in total
Total pages read: 466 + 21 minutes of audiobook

The Menu: Chocolate chip muffin. Yum.
Comments: Aaaand it's over! I can't believe how much I read. I'm really enjoying Oranges; it's a lot funnier than I expected.

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you?
Some point between 12.30 and 1am. I was listening to Fragile Things and really wanted to finish the story I was on before I went to sleep, but I kept nearly dropping off. I blame Neil Gaiman's soothing English accent ;)

2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this?
The Complete Persepolis. It was an easy, quick, interesting read that kept me wanting to stay up late.

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?)
I read from four different books and completed two of them. I read 466 pages and listened to 21 minutes of audiobook.

4. What books did you read from over the day?
I started by finishing off The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, then Persepolis which I manged to start and finish, and I made a good dent into Oranges are not the Only Fruit. I also listened to a short story from Fragile Things.

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience?
Persepolis and Oranges are not the Only Fruit have been absolutely gorgeous books to devote my time to.

6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day?
No, but I thought that the Fragile Things story I listened to isn't one of Gaiman's best. Then again, that may have just been sleep deprivation...

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime?
Of course! I think I'm hooked.

ANOTHER READ-A-THON IS OVER!!!

Jean - that's quite a bit of reading! And feeling icky is definitely the death knell for long-haul reading. Best to just curl up and recuperate!

Happy reading Darryl, Belva and Stasia, who I THINK are carrying on reading???

Ooops, and Stephen too... :-) 156 pages is far from terrible, I'm usually happy with that over a couple of days and I don't have a videogame addiction to feed!

Gemma - you did amazingly well! *round of applause for Gemma* Now you've got the read-a-thon bug, there's no escape... *mwahahaha*

So, here's my last round-up - I'll check in again tomorrow but for now, thanks everyone for joining me for another day of bookish toil, and goodnight!

HOUR 24

I've been reading: To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker
Books finished: None
Pages read: 13
Posting time: 35 minutes
Reading time: 25 minutes

Total books read: 2
Total pages read: 395
Total time read: 12 hours 45 minutes
Total time posting: 5 hours 50 minutes

The Menu: A little red grape juice and a few peanut M'n'Ms
Comments: I spent longer posting this hour, because of getting the end-of-event meme posted and all that jazz, but... I managed another 24 hour-er. This time I read a classic and a non-fiction book, AND finished two books for blog challenges, AND didn't fall asleep at all in the day time after my naps at about 4am and 8am or so. Very pleased... Now, I'm going to get rid of all the crockery and random bits of read-a-thon detritus on the floor, get into my PJs, snuggle up on my chair, and then there's a muffin, a large mug of tea, and some DVD goodness with my name on it! ;-)

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you?
Actually, for the first time ever, the first three hours or so were the worst. Not because I was particularly tired, or didn't want to read - but I'd had a long day at work beforehand and some inner part of me was screaming 'TV and bed! Doesn't that sound lovely? TV AND BED!!!' But in the end I settled right down and all was fine...

2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this?
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen was probably best suited - it's magical, light, whimsical and very easy to read.

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?)
I read 382 pages - not as much as usual, but then again I chose to read a classic and a non-fiction book over the course of the day, which brought the experience down to a more sedate pace than last time. I read for nearly 12 and a half hours and posted
for over 5 altogether. Again, I don't think I read as much as last time - but I also didn't sleep as much, and enjoyed my reading more for having had those music breaks and occasional wanders down to the house.

4. What books did you read from over the day?
I read about two thirds of Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, which I was already reading before the read-a-thon started. Then I read The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan, and rounded off the day by going back to my non-fiction read of the last week or so, To Touch a Wild Dolphin by Rachel Smolker, written by a marine biologist who observed the friendly Monkey Mia dolphins in Australia for fifteen years, learning a lot along the way and bringing her experiences to life in a beautifully written natural history/memoir/travelogue.

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience?
I think the main thing, again, has been the satisfaction of sitting down and focussing on books for such a length of time. I've finished Garden Spells for my Books to Be Read challenge, and got my first classic read for my Wordsworth Classics challenge, both on the blog, and don't feel like I've compromised my reading enjoyment of either. Plus I've read a good chunk of my non-fiction book, which is helpful since it's a library book too and I'm running on borrowed time with all these renewals!

6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day?
Nope, hooray!

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime?
Of course I will... Not for a bit, I think hosting three in a month probably entitles me to a couple of weeks of getting a good nights' sleep of a Monday - but I'll host another at some point. And I'll happily join in with any others going where I can read along at the shop and after work without the responsibility of organising it myself!

Yes, I am going to continue on until around 3pm my time, so about another 30 minutes or so.

OK, not going to get any more reading done after all. Beth is up and we have some errands to do. Maybe later :)

HOUR 18-24 (2-9am)

I've been reading: Unshelved by Gene Ambaum & Bill Barnes & The Various
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 85
Posting time: 20 minutes
Reading time: 90 minutes

Total books read: 5
Total pages read: 433
Total time read: 11 hours 5 minutes
Total time posting: 4 hours 20mins

The Menu: breakfast - cereal, banana & lowfat milk, coffee
Comments: Hours 19-22 were spent sleeping. I woke up in time to fill in one last hour of reading, though it took a good 30 mins before I could even focus on print. And I think I've made some addition error with my total time read, I sure that I haven't read for 11 hours.
Unshelved was fun, I worked in a library for a couple of years and can relate to the front desk humour, you do get asked some extraordinary questions. Went back to The Various for the last 10 or so minutes.

Ellie - Thanks for hosting this one.

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you?
This time it was just getting started. My morning fell to pieces when my facebook account was hacked and I lost a few hours making sure all my computer security was back in place. Then distracted by phone call and dog racing off with my lunch!

2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this?
Unshelved, a graphic novel/comic strip collection was just right when tiredness set in.
Also listening to the audio while reading Beowulf helped keep the concentration.

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?)
see above

4. What books did you read from over the day?
The Various by Steve Augarde - TIOLI new series challenge
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - finished my January quota
Beowulf
Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz - TIOLI Hungary book challenge
Unshelved by Gene Ambaum & Bill Barnes - graphic novel - finished

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience?
I read a really enjoyable part of Les Miserables. Unshelved was fun.
I also got to discover a new artist/illustrator whose work I'm keen to explore - Lynd Ward, he illustrated a stunning version of Beowulf in the 1930s - thanks to online chitchat with Ellie..

6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day?
no

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime?
I'd love to do another, but I'll be busier now that January is drawing to an end.

I finished 128 pages before 8 pm today, taking my total to 211 pages.

I will as ever try to participate in the next one on an as and when I can basis - I can't really exclude other stuff for 24 hours but the way I read is normally to read for lots of bits of a few minutes at a time, anyway.

I read a bit more of my baseball book at lunch (while eating blueberry greek yogurt--yum!!).

In all, I read only about 50 pages over the past 24 hours. Not a great output but I am only about 20 pages from finishing the book.

Sometimes I can get really involved and other times, RL intrudes with the readathon.

HOUR 24 + 1 (4 pm EST, 9 pm GMT)

I've been reading: The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
Books finished: 1 (The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens)
Pages read: 46 (pp 140-185)
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 3 (including 12 pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood)
Total pages read: 354 during the Read-a-Thon + 46 afterward
Total time read: 370 minutes (6 hr 10 min) + 45 minutes
Total time posting: 86 minutes + 10 minutes

The Menu: Nothing.
Comments: I'll finish The Good Doctor within the hour. I'd love to finish one more novel today; I think I might read In the City by the Sea by Kamila Shamsie.

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you?
Last night at 7:00. It's really hard to read in the winter, because the short days messes with my mind and makes me unfocused and tired. But since I had 50 pages left in The Throne of Jade, I battled through.

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?)
Just under three hours of reading for about 250 pages.

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience?
I was mortally dissapointed with the book I finished, but I knew it would. Actually, it wasn't that bad. My reading experience was average.

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime?
Definately, but perferably in the weekends when I can read during the day and is still sunny.

Well I'm back home with a clean bill of health as far as teeth go! Thanks so much Ellie for hosting yet another fun read-a-thon. I may host another one, but I need to settle into my new schedule first. Could organize one sooner than later if someone agreed to co-host with me during my sleep time.

FINAL HOUR (2 - 3 pm)

I've been reading: Oliver Twist on audio
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 20
Reading time: 40 mins
Posting time: 10 mins

Total books finished: 2
Total books read from: 4
Total pages read: 400 (give or take)
Total time read: 447 minutes (7 h 27)
Total time posting: 140 minutes (2 h 30)

The Menu: Toothpaste and water while getting my teeth cleaned!
Comments: Listened to my audiobook as much as I could during the appointment at my dentists which was a good way to get my mind off the fact that a complete stranger was doing uncomfortable things to my teeth and gums.

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you?
It was easy this time—I just read when I could, or listened to audio or didn't worry about it when I couldn't read at all. Even took a break to browse at a bookstore for an hour.
2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this?
I was happy with all the books I read today. Reading children's books and graphic novels is also a nice way to break up the time.
3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?) See above.
4. What books did you read from over the day?
The Bells by Richard Harvell (am loving it)
Black and Blue by Ian Rankin (nice and gritty)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (a real treat for the eyes and soul)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (can't believe I hadn't read it before, such gorgeous illustrations!)
5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience?
It was a good day overall.
6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day?
Nope.
7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime?
Sure!

ETA: fixed touchstones.

HOUR 24 + 2 (5 pm EST, 10 pm GMT)

I've been reading: Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes
Books finished: 1 (The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens; The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut)
Pages read: 50 (pp 186-215 in The Good Doctor, pp 1-20 in Blind Man with a Pistol)
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 45 minutes

Total books read: 4 (including 12 pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood)
Total pages read: 354 during the Read-a-Thon + 96 afterward
Total time read: 370 minutes (6 hr 10 min) + 90 minutes
Total time posting: 86 minutes + 15 minutes

Menu: Nothing.
Comments: I decided to read Blind Man with a Pistol instead of In the City by the Sea, a crime novel set in Harlem in the late 1960s, as it fits one of my 11 in 11 categories.

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you? No difficulties as I read when I was able but unfortunately not as much as I would have liked.

2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this? I would recommend both of my books as they each had a way of drawing you in and made the time go quickly.

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? 85 pages approx 5 hours

4. What books did you read from over the day?
The Queen's Fool and All the King's Men

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience? I got a chuckle from All the King's Men. The political aspects reminded me of my stint as a civil servant.

6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day? Nope

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime? Although I enjoy them tremendously, I just have too much going on to give it my all. So I would say, not for a long while.

Thanks Ellie for being the hostess with the mostest!

Back again. The event is now officially concluded for me. I am definitely going to have to work on the time thing for the next one. Do you do these weekly Miss Ellie? If so, it will be my very great pleasure to join you for them. I have quite enjoyed myself and got not a great deal read, but enough that I am very pleased with my progress, especially on Emma. So without further ado:

HOUR 24

I've been reading: Emma
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 46
Posting time: 24 minutes
Reading time: 53 minutes

Total books read: 3
Total books completed: 2
Total pages read: 381
Total time read: 5 hours, 24 minutes
Total time posting: 1 hour, 38 minutes

The Menu: Green tea & Propel Grape H2O plus one wonderful banana

Comments: I spent longer reading the posts of others & posting than I expected I would. I got more than half way through my R/L B/C read for this month, Emma and upon meeting the new Mrs. Elton, I definitely wanted to put a clothes pin on her nose and a boot up her butt!~! I finished 2 books which was pleasing to me. I enjoyed everything I read instead of 'clock watching' which is what I did on Christina's Read-a-thon. I am learning more about the do's and don't's of the Read-a-thon with each one and see how they could become addictive.

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you?
Settling in for the duration, (I think because I had unexpected family committments). And I had planned to read through the night with just a couple of 1 or 2 hour naps. I failed that plan miserable by sleeping from 2:00 until 11:00. :-( I aso realize that I need to plan my eats and drinks much better instead of just flying by the seat of my pants, so to speak. (No fast food in Morton (my home town, but here at my son's we have it all night).

2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this?
Both of the Alice Hoffman's I read worked out really well for me. Emma was a bit tougher for a Read-a-thon.

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?)
I read 381 pages - and I, too, read a classic along with the two Hoffman's.
My posting time (reading and posting) was way more than I had expected; an hour and 38 minutes but everyone's posts were so interesting.
My actual reading time was way less than anticipated at only 5 hours and 24 minutes.

4. What books did you read from over the day?
I began my reads with Emma and I read and completed two Alice Hoffman's; Aquamarine and Green Angel and completed the Read-a-thon by returning to Emma.

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience?
Just the reading experience, I think, and Green Angel was an absolutely wonderful read.

6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day?
Nope, not a one of the three; though there are the boots up the butt and clothes pins for the nose on the Emma read. When I got far enough into it, and I am nearly 2/3 of the way through, to find the humor, I actually began to like the book. I think that Jane Austen is an acquired taste and I am happy to say that I believe I have acquired that taste throughout this Read-a-thon.

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime?
Absolutely!~! This was my second one in less than a week and I cannot wait for the next one to come along.

Thank you Miss Ellie for being our 'hostess with the mostest'.
big hugs,
belva

Carmenere
Too funny that we both had the same thoughts regarding Ellie hostessing for us. LOL!~!
hugs,
me

Just wanted to post this happy little guy to thank you again Ellie!

The final 11 hours:

HOUR TWELVE (2 a.m. to 3 a.m. EST)
13th HOUR (3 a.m. to 4 a.m. EST)

I've been reading: Defiant Spirits by Ross King, The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 163
Posting time: 10 minutes
Reading time: 2.5 hours

Total books read from: 4
Total books completed: 1
Total pages read: 588
Total time read: 8 hours
Total time posting: 2 hours 10 minutes

THE END-OF-EVENT MEME

1. What turned out to be the most difficult part of the day for you? The most difficult part for me was at night around 9 pm because I always get tired then. And also while at work. I wanted to read instead of being at work. Next time I hope this falls on either a snow day or a holiday that I can stay up later on Monday night.

2. Did you read any book that were particularly suitable for a read-a-thon like this? Blind Man's Alley and Dead Center are two great books that have kept my interest and didn't realize that I had read for more then an hour.

3. What were your final stats for the day, if you kept them? (How many pages did you read, how many hours did you spend reading, etc?) My final stats are:
Total books read: 2, 1 finished
Total pages read: 189 pgs.
Total time read: 5 hr. 15 min.
Total time posting: 1 hr. 40 min.

4. What books did you read from over the day? I read from two fiction books. Both dealing with mystery and lawyers and murder.

5. What did you enjoy the most? Maybe a particular book or part of the experience? I enjoy seeing all the different books people are reading. The answers to the meme and questions are always so fascinating.

6. Did you hit any duff/dud books during the day? Not this time.

7. Deep breath - do you think you'll be up for another one of these sometime? Oh yes I will definitely participate in another one. I really want to host one but I will be honest that I don't think I could think of those great questions. I am trying to make some notes for when I do prepare to host one.

Smiler69 > Glad to hear you made out well at the dentists office. I would love to host with you but I believe we are in the same time zone so I think we would be sleeping at about the same time.

Hi everyone Jessie here...

Sorry I fell off face of the planet :) Around 2 am I passed out, and then once I woke up this morning faced a day full of way too much going on to read one more page. Thanks Ellie for hosting, I enjoyed myself and I'll be back for another.

My stats ended up:

Total Books Read: 4, 2 finished
Total Pages Read: 220
Total Hours Read: 5 hrs 20 mins
Time posting: 40 minutes

I'm still reading Running With Scissors - it is a good read, and yes, Kerry, it is HARD TO BELIEVE that this really happened. Good lord, I'm lucky, my childhood was akin to beaver cleaver's.

HOUR 24 + 4 (7 pm EST, 12 am GMT)

I've been reading: Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes
Books finished: 2 (The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens; The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut)
Pages read: 98 (pp 21-118 in Blind Man with a Pistol)
Posting time: 5 minutes
Reading time: 70 minutes over two hours

Total books read: 4 (including 12 pages of Aké: The Years of Childhood)
Total pages read: 354 during the Read-a-Thon + 194 afterward
Total time read: 370 minutes (6 hr 10 min) + 160 minutes
Total time posting: 86 minutes + 20 minutes

Menu: I'll heat up dinner in this next hour (mapo doufu with rice)
Comments: I'm almost 2/3 of the way through Blind Man with a Pistol, and I'm still trying to figure it out. I'll finish it within the next hour or two, and possibly read a bit of the Danton biography before I call it a night.

> Monica, you'd be a great hostess! The only question that really changes every time is the one in the opening meme - so far we've had literary characters you'd love to meet, top three books of all time, author you'd love to interview...

I just want to thank everyone for joining me for another day of all-out reading, and I'm so glad everyone enjoyed themselves again, whether they were reading for ten hours or two. And considering how reluctantly I was reading for that first hour or two, I felt a lot more relaxed through this one and am already wondering about the next one... *facepalm*

It just works well for me - I get home from work on Monday, get a few things ready, have a nap, then read right through to Tuesday night, have a bite to eat while I watch an episode of something on DVD... then I have the whole of Wednesday to be a complete lazy wench, and recover from the sleepless night! It feels so... decadent... to have a day of hard reading followed by a day of utter relaxation! :-)

Decadent, yes, agreed. As far as decadence goes, it's still quite a respectful way to spend one's time. :-)

Belva and I are talking about hosting a 24-hour read-a-thon next week, probably Thursday and Friday. I'll post about it on the main thread as soon as it's decided.

Is anything planned for this weekend? I couldn't find a new Read-a-Thon thread . . .

I don't think there is Deborah, unless someone else decides to host one at the last minute.

Hmm, well maybe I should . . . I have a lot of reading to do this weekend, and I have a feeling that I may be snowed in again . . . Maybe I'll post a query and see if anyone is interested in a Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday Read-a-Thon. If not, I'll hold out until your Thursday/Friday one next week.

I'll join in any of those and just read during work and in the evening, as much as possible... Y'know, these read-a-thons have become such a part of my life these last few weeks that I just had a mini-panic at the thought of not having on this Monday/Tuesday! I thought 'Oh no, I won't be able to read!' But, er, yes you will Ellie, it'll just be a nice normal experience with a good sleep in the middle this time... Seems this 24-hour thing has really gotten under my skin of late! :-)

#212 I could participate on Friday/Saturday or just Saturday as have a painting class on Sundays.

#213 These read-a-thons really are addictive aren't they?

Thursday and Friday? Perfect! I have nothing to do on those days at all. I just wish my book will show up. And anything in the weekends will do me wonders too most of the time.

Weekend are best for me. Even if I can't do the whole time I will do more time then I usually can on the Monday and Tuesday ones. Yes these read-a-thons are very addictive. I see myself looking to find out when the next one is and seeing how I can change my schedule to participate.

I'm off from work this weekend and Monday, and I would be interested in either a Saturday or a Saturday/Sunday Read-a-Thon.

Daryl, it seemed that more folks were available for Friday/Saturday. I've posted the thread here, and I hope you'll be able to join us for at least part of the time on Saturday.

Have we taken this conversation back over to the main read-a-thon thread as well, so everyone there knows what's going on? Heading over to the Friday/Saturday one now... :-)

Thanks, Ellie--I'll try to find the original Read-a-Thon thread and post there as well.