Hallowe'en Readathon!

Well, it's the end of the month AND it's Hallowe'en, so let's celebrate by reading about ghoulies, ghosties and things that go bump in the night.

Meet here (costumes optional) at 6PM Eastern on Sunday, for some tricks and some treats, mostly of the literary variety. We'll read straight through until midnight on the night of Monday, Oct. 31 -- in other words, until October turns into November. Join us for a few hours, or make it a marathon -- whatever you feel like!

Sign up below, and see you Sunday evening!

Chatterbox -- Suzanne -- Reading in Brooklyn, NY
majkia -- Jean -- Reading in Florida
Kidzdoc -- Darryl -- Reading in Atlanta
Jacqueline05 -- Jackie -- Reading in Philadelphia
Megi53 -- Margaret -- Reading in Virginia
Avatiakh -- Kerry -- Reading in New Zealand
drneutron -- Jim -- Reading in Maryland
Citizenjoyce -- Joyce -- Reading in SW USA
Maggie1944 -- Karen -- Reading in Washington
Cariola -- Deborah -- Reading in Pennsylvania
LauraBrook -- Laura -- Reading in Milwaukee

Add me please! majkia - Jean - Reading in Florida

I'm working this weekend, but I should be able to start on time, and I'm off on Monday, so I'm in. Darryl from Atlanta.

I will try to put in a ghost appearance here and there!

Jackie from Philly

I have a 3-year tradition of reading something cool on Halloween while I wait for trick-or-treaters to knock, so count me in.

Margaret, in Virginia, USA.

I'll have a go too.
Kerry, New Zealand.

I'm in. It's the night before our big Mission Definition Review at work, so I'll want to distract myself. :)

For those getting read to join in the fund in about four hours, here's a template to use, if you feel so inclined. (Or invent your own, or don't use one at all but just come back intermittently and tell the rest of us what you're doing!) Don't feel obliged to check back every hour on the hour, especially if that interrupts your reading, but hope to see you here throughout the 'thon.

HOUR:

Books read from this hour/period:
Pages read this hour/period:
Books completed this hour/period:

Books read from so far:
Pages read total so far:
Books completed so far:

Menu:
Any distractions?:
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?:

Here you are. I got all my indoor and outdoor chores done, so I'm ready to start reading here in the southwestern US. I'll be listening to the audiobook of Catch 22 while I paint a couple of pumpkins and heat up some dinner, then I'll be reading, and I hope finishing, Half a Yellow Sun - 2 different views of war.

HOUR: 1&2 (10am-12noon GMT +13)

Books read from this hour/period: 2 - The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter & Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
Pages read this hour/period: 15pgs & 40mins audio
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 2
Pages read total so far: 15pgs
Books completed so far: 0

Menu: Flat white coffee & muesli bar
Any distractions?: gym / shopping / LT
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?:
I've just read Angela Carter's Puss in Boots - I'm loving her retellings, this one was particularly hilarious and quite bawdy in the flavour of The Decameron.

I'll probably check in every couple of hours.

OK, I'm in. Interrupted on Monday by taking care of kids, and tonite, by a party, but otherwise I seem to be in the reading mood.

HOUR: 1.75 hours, 3 pm to 4:45 pm, Pacific time Sunday afternoon

Books read from this hour/period: The Time Machine and Dance with Dragons
Pages read this hour/period: 120 estimated
Books completed this hour/period: Finished The Time Machine, dipped back into Dance with Dragons

Books read from so far: 2
Pages read total so far: 120 +/-
Books completed so far: 1

Menu: Quaker rice crackers, cheese flavors
Any distractions?: dogs barking at me for their dinner
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: dug out the heat them up in the microwave slippers for my cold feet today.

See you later

There you are! Count me in: Cariola -- Deborah -- Reading in Pannsylvania.

HOUR: 1&2 (6 pm-8 pm EST)

Books read from this hour/period: Detroit Tales by Jim Ray Daniels
Pages read this hour/period: I just got started, although I'm more than halfway throught he book.
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 1
Pages read total so far: 4 pgs
Books completed so far: 0

Menu: Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latté
Any distractions?: Starbuck's The plan was to read for an hour or two there, but all the comfy chairs were taken.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading? I'm initially from Detroit, so I'm enjoying hearing of places that are familiar (the characters, however, are identifiable beyond the Motor City).

I'll also check in every 2-3 hours.

HOUR: 1-3

Books read from this hour/period: Dr. Sax by Jack Kerouac
Pages read this hour/period: 46
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 1
Pages read total so far: 46
Books completed so far: 0

Menu: "un bon ragout d'boullette, bien chaud" (actually, that's the main course of Nin's and Ti Jean's fantasy menu from the page I'm reading now. I only had frozen pizza and orange juice.)
Any distractions?: Taking a nap, long telephone call
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: People talk about their 50-page rule, but it took me 93 pages to decide I like Dr. Sax. It seems with most serious literature, I can't get into it for the first hundred pages.

HOUR: 6:15 - 8:15 pm Est

Books read from this hour/period: The Fates Will Find Their way
Pages read this hour/period: 64 pages
Books completed this hour/period: Zero

Books read from so far: One
Pages read total so far: 64 pages
Books completed so far: Zero

Menu: Snacks consisted of cookies and pretzels

Any distractions?: My 4y r. old nephew who insisted he should spend the night with
Auntie Jackie .

Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: The Fates Will Find Their Way is about a girl
named Nora who disappears on Halloween.

Sorry to be such a bad host! I was on the phone for about an hour, and then curled up with a cat who didn't want to let me move -- we are providing warmth for each other in a v. chilly living room where the heat doesn't really work well. So I just kept reading until I finished the book I was halfway through. Or at least, one of them! I still have a stack of others that I've read partway into, and finishing those will be my goal...

HOUR: 1 - 2:45 (8:45 p.m.)

Books read from this hour/period: The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas
Pages read this hour/period: 199
Books completed this hour/period: 1

Books read from so far: 1
Pages read total so far: 199
Books completed so far: 1

Menu: Just a diet pepsi
Any distractions?: the phone and the feline, who is still curled up underneath one arm and who will be very annoyed when I go off in search of some dinner.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Just that part of the novel is set in Kashmir in the early 1940s; it made me think how that world has been destroyed and can't be seen any more, not because of modernization but violence and conflict.

I've got a Europa novel to finish, or a mystery, or nonfiction tomes about music or the Congo, so lots of choices for this readathon! I'm trying to concentrate on finishing some library books, or some books I'm reading for the 11 in 11 challenge...

HOUR: From 5 to 6 PDT, my first reading of the day.

Books read from this hour/period: 1
Pages read this hour/period: 40
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 1
Pages read total so far: 40
Books completed so far: 0

Menu: Popcorn
Any distractions?: At the starting time, I was just coming in from gardening--I am moving vegetable beds and cleared out the old one and moved the concrete edging over to the new area, plus cleared up two borders of overgrown purple sage and lavender. So I had to rest up reading threads and drinking ice tea, then soaking in the tub while I got back to The Age of Innocence, which I had left at the end of Book 1.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: This is for the group read accompanying Donna's class on Edith Wharton.

Here's hoping your nephew will fall to sleep early and let you read. I know that with my 3 and 5 year old kids with me, reading is usually pretty dicey

Alas, work was longer than I expected today, so I'll be getting a start here soon. Just as soon as I take care of some of the nightly routine, and finish putting my heated mattress pad and clean sheets on my bed without furry kid help, I'll be back!

Laura in Milwaukee

Hour 3
I've been reading: listening to Catch 22 and reading Half a Yellow Sun
Books finished (in the last hour):
Pages read:1/2 CD, 30 pages
Reading time: 1 1/2 hr
Posting time: 20 min
Total books read from: 2
Total books completed 0
Total pages read: 30 + 1/2 CD
Total time read: 1 1/2 hr
Total time posting: 20 min

The Menu: left over pasta di mare, green salad with miso dressing, glass of red wine, diet ginger ale
Any distractions Finishing up the Halloween decorations, needy dogs
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Catch 22 is so good but so sexist. In Half a Yellow Sun all the people are whole people and the civil war between Biafra and Nigeria is seen through their eyes. I'm learning quite a bit.

I probably won't get a lot more reading done tonight, either. Have to eat something, and I'm trying to sort out a knitting problem...

Welcome, Laura!

Hello! I didn't see this until now (1034pmEST) but I have already been reading since about 630 tonight!
I'm hoping to finish my current book Mice by Gordon Reece and start another scary one before bedtime!

I'll be around periodically on the 31st, have to do a ton of cleaning around the house but I have an audio book to finish as well Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson.

Thanks Chatterbox for starting this :)

HOURS: 3 - 6 (12noon- 4pm GMT +13)

Books read from this hour/period: 1 - The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
Pages read this hour/period: 34pgs
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 2
Pages read total so far: 49pgs
Books completed so far: 0

Menu: chicken w lettuce / apple / coffee
Any distractions?: Fixing lunch, my long awaited parcel from amazon.uk arrived, it had disintergrated in transit and was 4 weeks late so while all the books arrived some are ruined so I must put in a claim. I've spent a good long time on various websites instead of reading as well.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Only 2 werewolf stories left in the Carter book, it's very good. I've just read a vampire/Sleeping Beauty crossover story that was particularly effective, Lady of the House of Love.

I'm now off to a pilates class and then have to get dinner ready. I'll be listening to my audiobook, Revelation Space for a while.

HOUR: 3-5 (2140-2300 EST)

Books read from this hour/period: One - Kangaroo Notebook by Kōbō Abe
Pages read this hour/period: 109 (pp 75-183)
Books completed this hour/period: One

Books read from so far: One
Pages read total so far: 183
Books completed so far: One

Menu: Twinings English breakfast tea, Chobani pomegranate Greek yogurt
Any distractions?: None since I started reading at 2140

I started late, as I didn't leave work until nearly 8 pm. I did finish Kangaroo Notebook tonight, which was my goal for today. I think I'll read today's New York Times until I'm ready to go to sleep, and resume reading The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht and The Half-Finished Heaven by Tomas Tranströmer tomorrow morning.

HOUR: 3-6 (9-12 pm EST)

Books read from this hour/period: One - Detroit Tales
Pages read this hour/period: 84
Books completed this hour/period: One

Books read from so far: One
Pages read total so far: 88
Books completed so far: One

Menu: leftover meat loaf, salad
Any distractions?: Stomach pains!

I have a post-op appointment tomorrow at noon. Since it's over an hour's drive, I probably won't start a new book until I get back home. I'll be listening to Vanessa and Virginia during the drive.

Hour 5
I've been reading: Half a Yellow Sun
Books finished (in the last hour): 0
Pages read:1/2 CD, 60 pages
Reading time: 2 hr

Total books read from: 2
Total books completed 0
Total pages read: 90 + 1/2 CD
Total time read: 3 1/2 hr

The Menu: Yogi Egyptian Licorice tea
Any distractions no
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: In Half a Yellow Sun the two sisters are touring a refugee camp in Biafra where people are dead and dying of malnutrition: She slapped a fly away from her face and thought how healthy all the flies looked, how alive, how vibrant. She uses pictures like this to show how war nurtures the most vile parts of the human psyche like a body dying of metastatic cancer, the body dies, the cancer is vibrant and healthy.

6 hours in and I have finished Mice.
Going to go hunt through my book stacks and find something else to read until I fall asleep.

HOUR: 8:30 pm- 12:00 am ESt

Books read from this hour/period: The Fates Will Find Their way
Pages read this hour/period: p. 64- 243
Books completed this hour/period: this one!

Books read from so far: One
Pages read total so far: 243
Books completed so far: One

Menu: 2 Krabby Pattie Gummie Candies and Water

Any distractions?: Occasionally watching Dora the Explorer with my nephew and talking on the phone.

Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: This book was for the TIOLI Challenge #10 '' Book Browse ''.

HOUR: 6-7 (1 AM EDT

Books read from this hour/period: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns; The Hangman's Row Enquiry by Ann Purser
Pages read this hour/period: 36 in the former; 8 of the latter: 44
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 3
Pages read total so far: 243
Books completed so far: 1

Menu: Sandwiches with Westphalian ham, yummy.
Any distractions?: sorted out knitting; finished a book review (for real $$!!)
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading? Argh, this history/chronicle of the Congolese civil wars is incredibly confusing, even though I'm reasonably well-informed. (A childhood friend of mine runs a non-profit and has been back and forth to Congo; she just got back after a pre-election trip and says that the only question about the election is whether the violence afterwards will be controllable or will escalate into another civil war. Hence my interest in this book...)

OK, it's now after midnight here, and thus officially Hallowe'en!

Some questions to ponder in between your reading...

1. Tell us about a favorite Hallowe'en costume.

2. Did you ever have a particularly memorable Hallowe'en?

3. Going trick or treating or dressing up this year?? Tell us about it...

Hour 6
I've been reading: Half a Yellow Sun
Books finished (in the last hour): 1
Pages read: 38 pages
Reading time: 1 hr

Total books read from: 2
Total books completed 1
Total pages read: 128 + 1/2 CD
Total time read: 4 1/2 hr

The Menu: Yogi Egyptian Licorice tea
Any distractions no
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: I finished this wonderful, eye opening, heart rending book. That's it for tonight. Hats off to your friend who travels to the Congo. I can't imagine being that strong.

Halloween questions:
1. Tell us about a favorite Hallowe'en costume. That would have to be my best friend Rosy's costume. We had kids in the same class in grade school and dressed up and helped with each Halloween party before we both moved away. One year she was a witch with a green face and an eye in the middle of her forehead. It was fantastic.

2. Did you ever have a particularly memorable Hallowe'en? When we took our kids out trick or treating in Colorado it seemed that the first light snow of the year always fell on Halloween night.
There's nothing like walking in the dark with kids and friends and laughing and enjoying the weather.

3. Going trick or treating or dressing up this year?? Tell us about it... I'll be staying home in my skeleton t-shirt handing out candy and enjoying the kids' costumes.

Hour: 10:20 local time (1:20 am EDT)
I've been reading: The Age of Innocence
Books finished (in the last hour): 1
Pages read: 92 pages
Reading time: 1 hr

Total books read from: 1
Total books completed 1
Total pages read: 132
Total time read: 2 hr

The Menu: rib-eye steak, baked potato, salad
Any distractions: supper, Facebook, Farmville o
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Still processing

Halloween questions:
1. Tell us about a favorite Hallowe'en costume. I wore the same Gypsy costume for 5 or 6 years--my grandmother, who made all our clothes, had made the skirt, belt and vest.

2. Did you ever have a particularly memorable Hallowe'en? We weren't allowed to "do" the neighborhoods, but only to go to the houses of people we knew, where we would be invited in and they would guess who we were.

3. Going trick or treating or dressing up this year?? No, we are Halloween grinches.

HOURS: 7-10 (4pm- 8pm GMT +13)

Books read from this hour/period: 2 - The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter & Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
Pages read this hour/period: 23pgs & 50mins audio
Books completed this hour/period: 1

Books read from so far: 2
Pages read total so far: 72pgs
Books completed so far: 1

Menu: chilli / rice /veges
Any distractions?: Pilates class / cooking dinner
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Finished The Bloody Chamber

Halloween questions:
1. Tell us about a favorite Hallowe'en costume - Halloween is practically nonexistent here.

2. Did you ever have a particularly memorable Hallowe'en? I went into labour around midnight 20 years ago and my son was born on 1 November. I had taken my two oldest children round the neighbourhood the night before, as they wanted to 'do' Halloween but none of our neighbours were receptive. It was my most 'productive' Halloween.

3. Going trick or treating or dressing up this year?? No, it doesn't happen, it's already 8pm and no-one has knocked on the door.

HOUR: 8-11.5 (I think!) 4:30 a.m. EDT

Books read from this hour/period: The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
Pages read this hour/period: 284
Books completed this hour/period: 1

Books read from so far: 4
Pages read total so far: 527
Books completed so far: 2

Menu: Nada
Any distractions?: Nope
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading? I didn't intend to finish reading this book before getting some sleep; somehow it just happened...

1. Tell us about a favorite Hallowe'en costume.
I've never really had a great one, alas, although I once saw someone decked out like a Christmas tree, complete with flashing lights. A friend went out as a dumb waiter once, with a cassette tape labeled "salsa" in a bowl beside some chips. An ex-bf went out dressed as a killer tomato and got stuck in the Washington DC metro turnstiles.

2. Did you ever have a particularly memorable Hallowe'en?
Well, there was my experience introducing Hallowe'en to my graduate school in N. Japan. We painted faces on persimmons (no pumpkins). One of the Chinese students (this was the early/mid 80s) came as a character from the Peking Opera; two Thai students dressed up as Siamese twins. Amazing, how everyone got into the spirit. We went trick or treating in the professors' housing. They were a bit freaked out...

No plans for this year; I've lived here 9 years and get no trick or treaters. I expect Theo, the 3 year old from upstairs, will drop by, but that's it.

HOURS: 11-13 (8pm- 11pm GMT +13)

Books read from this hour/period: 2 - The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey
Pages read this hour/period: 51
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 3
Pages read total so far: 123pgs
Books completed so far: 1

Menu: a couple of strawberries / coffee
Any distractions?: TV - watching Australia's Masterchef
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: This is Peter Carey's only children's book, inspired by an episode when his young son got locked out of their hotel room.
And it's illustrated by one of my favourite Australian illustrators, Stephen Michael King.

I'm off to get some sleep, but will first read a tale from My mother she killed me, my father he ate me.
So Suzanne - how did you like The Ministry of Special Cases?

Gosh, I'm such a slacker! We went to grandkid's birthday bash first and when we got home my arthritis was killing me. So I took drugs and went to bed intending to read. Alas, I only got in about 10 pages before my eyes were seeing double.

Hopefully I'll get more read today of Reamde.

Me, too, slacker here! Washed dishes, went to a birthday party and ate apple pie with ice cream, washed down with apple juice (sparkly). Slept! I do like that sleeping part. Early morning now: reading threads, drinking coffee, feeding dogs. Later I'll go spend my time with the toddlers. I'll take my Nook with me and try to read some in Dance with Dragons.

Not able to join in since I didn't see the thread until this morning. I don't know if I will get any reading done today.

HOUR: 13-14 (0830-0900 EST)

Books read from this hour/period: The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Pages read this hour/period: 22 (pp 8-29)
Books completed this hour/period: None

Books read from so far: Two
Pages read total so far: 205
Books completed so far: One - Kangaroo Notebook by Kōbō Abe

Menu: bowl of hot Irish oatmeal, mug of Peet's Arabian Mocha Sanani coffee
Any distractions?: None since breakfast in the first half of the past hour

Kangaroo Notebook was more strange than surreal, yet somehow readable. I think I would have to take a hallucinogenic drug to come close to understanding it, though. The main character is a Japanese man who wakes up to find that radish plants are growing out of pores on both of his legs (fortunately the plants are tasty, so he is able to snack on them at times). He undertakes an increasingly bizarre journey to seek a cure for his malady, occasionally aided and accompanied by an attractive nurse who collects blood from anyone she can, in her quest to win the Dracula's Daughter award. He encounters singing child-demons, strange fellow patients, and a motorized bed which transports him throughout the story and responds to thought commands. It was completely nonsensical and mildly humorous, but I can't say that I enjoyed it.

The Tiger's Wife, which I'm reading for Orange October, is quite good so far.

Hope you can join in for a few hours, Monica! Some of us, myself included, have been able to put in a bit less time than we had hoped, and even a few hours looks good!

Just getting going here; got the exterminator showing up soon, I think, and need to make sure ev. is shipshape and Bristol-fashion. There are two guys wearing bright blue "certified technician" sweatshirts, talking v. loudly to each other outside my house, who have been there talking away for more than an hour. No idea what's afoot.

HOURS 17.5-19 (1 PM Eastern)

Books read from this hour/period: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters
Pages read this hour/period: 36
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 4
Pages read total so far: 563
Books completed so far: 2

Menu: Some granola with skim milk.
Any distractions?: Waiting for the invisible exterminator, who never showed up.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading? This book is still incredibly complex and thus tricky to read, but the anecdotes about corruption in the Zairian army in the 90s are incredibly. One rebel group of three men on bicycles took 200 army soldiers captive... nobody wanted to fight.

Hoping to finish this book and Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky today.

Hour almost 19
I've been reading: Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock and listening to Catch 22
Books finished (in the last hour): 0
Pages read: 10 pages +1 1/2CD
Reading time: 1 1/2hr

Total books read from: 3
Total books completed 1
Total pages read: 138 + 2 CD
Total time read: 6 hr

The Menu: steel cut oatmeal with banana and soy milk, an orange, french roast coffee with milk
Any distractions morning stuff, dogs and birds
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Got to one of the horrible parts of Catch 22. The movie is waiting for me at the library when I've finished the audiobook.

HOUR: 15-20 (0900-1400 EST)

Books read from this hour/period: The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Pages read this hour/period: 51 (pp 30-80)
Books completed this hour/period: None

Books read from so far: Two
Pages read total so far: 256
Books completed so far: One - Kangaroo Notebook by Kōbō Abe

Menu: Turkey Cobb salad from Publix, sliced cantaloupe, Twinings English breakfast tea
Any distractions?: Lots; two hour phone conversation with Mom & Dad, lunch, brief nap, etc.
Comments: I'm determined to finish The Tiger's Wife today, which is still very doable. I'm continuing to enjoy it, so I'm looking forward to a pleasant afternoon with Natalia and her grandfather in the Balkans.

HOUR 22 (4:00 EST) (I haven't been here since last night, so I'm compiling all of today's reading here.)

Books read from this hour/period: Partitions by Amit Majmudar and Vanessa and Virginia by Susan Sellers
Pages read this hour/period: 30 + two hours of audiobook
Books completed this hour/period: None

Books read from so far: Three
Pages read total so far: 188 + 2 hours of audiobook
Books completed so far: One--Detroit Tales by Jim Ray Daniels

Menu: Corned beef on pumpernickel, broccoli slaw, diet citrus green tea.
Any distractions?: I had a post-op followup appointment an hour's drive away, plus I was in the waiting room for almost an hour; also did a little grocery shopping on the way home. And I took time to email some family and friends the good news from the doc.

1. Tell us about a favorite Hallowe'en costume.
When my daughter was about four, I made her the msot adorable Pilgrim costume. She carried a little cornucopia with her that I had glued gourds and Indian corn into. She won first prize at the local costume parade!

2. Did you ever have a particularly memorable Hallowe'en?
Probably the one mentioned above.

No Halloween plans here; I won't even be giving out candy. Every year the number of kids stopping by gets smaller, to the point where it really isn't worth doing (especially since I really don't need to be eating all that leftover candy!). Plus I'm not quite up to all the up and down to the door this year.

HOURS 19-23.5 (5:30 p.m. Eastern)

Argh, I fell asleep. Not enuf sleep last night; got up early to deal with the exterminator who didn't show up, etc.

Books read from this hour/period: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns
Pages read this hour/period: 54
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 4
Pages read total so far: 617
Books completed so far: 2

Menu: Some granola with skim milk.
Any distractions?: Just my unplanned/unexpected nap.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading? Just that it's amazing that Africa functions at all. It's hard to read this book and not slump into a kind of despairing stupor.

Hour 23
I've been reading: Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock and listening to Catch 22
Books finished (in the last hour): 0
Pages read: 8o pages +1CD
Reading time: 2 1/2hr

Total books read from: 3
Total books completed 1
Total pages read: 218 + 3 CD
Total time read: 8.5 hr

The Menu: raspberries and grapes with vanilla Greek yogurt, cup of donut house coffee with milk
Any distractions no
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock is the story of the 2 girls from a famous 1957 photograph. Elizabeth is the slim black girl in white trying to be the first African American to integrate Central High School in Little Rock. Hazel is the white girl behind her yelling out invectives. According to Margolick Hazel didn't feel any particular hatred against African Americans, she was just having a good time and trying to get a little attention. So, there's Catch 22 showing up in another book.

HOUR: 25 (1900 EST)

Books read from this hour/period: The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Pages read this hour/period: 148 (pp 81-228)
Books completed this hour/period: None

Books read from so far: Two
Pages read total so far: 404
Books completed so far: One - Kangaroo Notebook by Kōbō Abe

Menu: I'm about to broil flounder fillets for dinner
Any distractions?: Not recently
Comments: With a little over 100 pages to go I'll definitely finish The Tiger's Wife this evening. I'll probably start Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz afterward.

HOURS 23.5 -25 (7 p.m. Eastern)

No trick or treaters here at all -- again...

Books read from this hour/period: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns
Pages read this hour/period: 36
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 4
Pages read total so far: 643
Books completed so far: 2

Menu: A piece of lasagna; meh.
Any distractions?: Nope; just relocating upstairs from the office hear the door, and wondering what kind of problems with structure a potential publisher has unearthed in my proposal. Sigh.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?
The problems in Congo, the author writes, is that ethical, responsible leaders, "unable to implement policy and attacked on all sides by rivals ... have been either co-opted, killed, or forced to quit."
A broader issue: "If the fiercest ideology or ethics that can be found in the country is ethnic, that is because no other institution has been strong enough for the people to rally around." Stearns is tying the region's problems squarely to intractable ethnic rivalries and conflicts, often fueled by colonial rulers but that have taken on a life of their own. Belgium has an awful lot to answer for; I'm kinda hoping King Leopold is turning on a spit somewhere.

ETA: Joyce, thanks for mentioning Elizabeth and Hazel; someone at a dinner I was at last week praised it highly but couldn't remember the title or author, so your comments here have prompted me to download it for my Kindle (there's only one library copy, and about 20 holds on it so far, so up to a year to wait for it...)

Hour The end
I've been reading: Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock
Books finished (in the last hour): 0
Pages read: 48 pages
Reading time: 1hr

Total books read from: 3
Total books completed 1
Total pages read: 258 + 3 CD
Total time read: 9.5 hr

The Menu: nothing
Any distractions no
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock is like stories about the Congo or Biafra or any other conflict. People think it's about tribalism or ethnicity or religion rather I think it's about the ability of the self aggrandizing and power hungry to exploit any differences they can find to maintain control. And we, silly weak humans let them, even encourage them. This is why I have 6 dogs. Suzanne, I don't know if your Kindle shows pictures well, if not make sure you google the images of the time. Very impressive stuff.
Thanks for hosting. It was a good productive 24 hours. Now off to hand out candy.

HOURS: 4 - 26

Books read from this hour/period: Dr. Sax, Suburban Nation, The Rules of Work, Expanded Edition by Richard Templar
Pages read this hour/period: 115
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 3
Pages read total so far: 161
Books completed so far: 0

Menu: Hardee's Steakhouse thickburger, fries, cherry Coke. Coffee ice cream softening on the kitchen counter now.
Any distractions?: As the song goes, "work in the mornin', work in the evenin'"
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading? I'm glad I didn't actually pay for that Templar book; it was a Kindle freebie.

1. Tell us about a favorite Hallowe'en costume. I've had lots of trick-or-treaters this evening and one preschooler had the most fabulous wig. It was waist-length, striped black and white, obviously of good quality and expensive. Gorgeous!
2. Did you ever have a particularly memorable Hallowe'en? Not really -- mine have ranged from "OK" to "pretty good".

Every year I plan to read a book that's as spooky as I can stand (which isn't very!) while I wait for kids and their parents to traipse up the dozen steep steps to my front door. This year, it isn't raining so I've had a steady stream of visitors -- I've already opened my second extra-large bag of Twix candy bars.

HOUR: 27 (2100 EST)

Books read from this hour/period: The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Pages read this hour/period: 46 (pp 229-274)
Books completed this hour/period: None

Books read from so far: Two
Pages read total so far: 450
Books completed so far: One - Kangaroo Notebook by Kōbō Abe

Menu: Broiled flounder, black cherry Greek yogurt, carrot sticks
Any distractions?: Dinner
Comments: Um...no.

You're a comment-free zone today, Darryl?!?

HOURS 25-27 (9 p.m. Eastern)

Books read from this hour/period: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns
Pages read this hour/period: 80
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 4
Pages read total so far: 723
Books completed so far: 2

Menu: nada
Any distractions?: I keep imagining I hear a mouse rustling behind some furniture. The cats don't seem interested so it may just be an auditory hallucination.
Comments: Well, I've only got a dozen pages of this tome left, and then about 100 pages of the Alina Bronsky novel, so if I steam straight ahead, I may even wrap up Partitions tonight, too. Started it and then made the mistake of putting it down.

Interesting stuff in this book, pointing out that in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide (which the world knows about), Tutsis were fairly active in the efforts to pursue not only the "genocidaires" but ordinary Hutu civilians in the Congo. One Hutu man who lost three of his children to these atrocities is quoted as saying "There are too many people to blame. Mobutu for ruining our country. Rwanda and Uganda for invading it. Ourselves for letting them do so. None of that will help bring my children back." And there lies the tragedy...

Are there any spooky anecdotes in the books you're reading?

Are you listening to any spooky music to honor all souls'?

HOURS: 14 - end (11pm- 12noon GMT +13)

Books read from this period: 2 - Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds (audio), A Rose for Winter by Laurie Lee, The Brigade: An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation, and WWII by Howard Blum
Pages read this hour/period: 30pgs + 1hr30mins audio
Books completed this hour/period: 0

Books read from so far: 5
Pages read total so far: 153pgs + audio
Books completed so far: 1

Menu: breakfast: muesli + morning tea: coffee
Any distractions?: Sleep. All my reading this morning has been at the gym & at my coffee break on the way home.
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading?: Laurie Lee writes so wonderfully, and I especially enjoyed his tale of a late night out in Algeciras with a band of musicians.

I'm finishing here - we have a birthday to celebrate, so reading goes on the back burner for a few hours.

I give up, sorry. Not much participation. Too much Trick or Treats. I had a nonstop stream of kids, big and small, from about 5:30-7:00, and then I was out of treats. Last two kids got a cookie! I put a sign on the door and I'm shutting down the downstairs, and taking my dog and myself up to the bedroom to read, and sleep. Oh, first take a shower and get the witch's make-up off my face and out of my hair.

Maybe next time.

HOUR: 28 (2220 EST)

Books read from this hour/period: The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Pages read this hour/period: 64 (pp 275-338)
Books completed this hour/period: One

Books read from so far: Two
Pages read total so far: 514
Books completed so far: Two - Kangaroo Notebook by Kōbō Abe and The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht

Menu: Twinings Earl Grey tea and a dollop of peanut butter
Any distractions?: Sleepiness
Comments: I think I liked The Tiger's Wife better than most of the folks here who have read it, although it seemed to be more of a collection of childhood stories than a coherent story. I'll give it 4 stars; it was one of my favorite books from this year's Orange Prize longlist, but I still think that The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna was easily the best book.

I've met my goal for this Read-a-Thon, so I think I'll stop here and catch up on LT posts before I call it a night. Thanks for hosting it, Suz!

I'm wrapping up, too -- finished my books and hit a wall...

HOURS 27-29 (11 p.m. Eastern)

Books read from this hour/period: Dancing in the Glory of Monsters by Jason Stearns and Broken Glass Park by Alina Bronsky
Pages read this hour/period: 12 in the former; 135 in the latter: total 147
Books completed this hour/period: 2

Books read from so far: 5
Pages read total so far: 870
Books completed so far: 4

Menu: diet soda
Any distractions?: Very distraught young woman weeping and having cell phone conversation outside the window.
Comments: I'm zonked, for some reason; desperately need sleep so I'll cease the hosting duties now, if that's OK...

Enjoy the remaining hour of reading!!

HOURS: 27-29

Books read from this hour/period: Dr. Sax
Pages read this hour/period: 38
Books completed this hour/period: 1

Books read from so far: 3
Pages read total so far: 199
Books completed so far: 1

Menu: One fun-size Twix bar left over from trick-or-treating; lots of cold water to counteract the high-sodium Hardee's dinner
Any distractions?: None :-)
Favorite book or anecdote about what you're reading? I enjoyed the large amount of colloquial French that Kerouac used in Dr. Sax (especially since he was thoughtful enough to translate it on the same page every time -- wish Edgar Allen Poe would've done this!

Are there any spooky anecdotes in the books you're reading? Yes, there's an entire subplot in Dr. Sax about a mossy castle wherein live a vampire named Count Condu, an evil wizard, a sinister father-and-son butler pair, a Contessa and a flapper ... not to mention the Snake of the World featured in the final chapter.

Are you listening to any spooky music to honor all souls'? No; I'll have to plan ahead for this next year.

I had lots of fun and I accomplished my goal (to finish just this one book that I've been trying to read all year).