Social Distancing Readathon #60 - May 7 - 9

Welcome to another readathon!

We generally run from Friday at 5 p.m. to Sunday at midnight in whatever time zone you choose, but feel free to start earlier on Friday and wrap up overnight Sunday/Monday, if that's what you want to do.

Here are some things to track throughout the weekend, if you choose:

Books read from:
Books finished:
Time reading:
Time posting:
Snacks:
Thoughts:
Non-book activities:

Total books finished:
Total read from:
Total time reading:

Who is participating -

1. SilverWolf (SilverWolf28) -- Tennessee, USA
2. Luci (elkiedee) -- London, UK
3. Benita (benitastrnad) -- Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
4. Cyrel (torontoc) -- Toronto, Canada
5. Susanna (susanna.fraser) -- Seattle, Washington, USA
6. Lori (thornton37814) -- Tennessee, USA
7. Nancy (nrmay) -- North Carolina, USA
8. Dee (Deedledee) -- Nova Scotia, Canada
9. Paul (PaulCranswick) -- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I'm in.

I haven't done huge amounts of reading over the last few days and I do have a couple of online meetings this weekend, but hopefully I can fit in a few pages too.

I have to work this weekend but that really means that I will have plenty of time to sit and read on Saturday afternoon. I am in once again. I have been doing this Read-a-thon for a year now, so why stop now?

I'm in- It is the last weekend of the Hot Docs film Festival but I will get some reading in.

In again.

I was off today due to graduation. There was not enough room for all faculty in the convention center, and graduates were limited to four family members.

Books read from: Bible (ESV), Near to the Heart of God by Robert J. Morgan, Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion by Anne Graham Lotz, Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Books finished: Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Time reading: 2 hours
Time posting:
Snacks: Nutty Buddy (ice cream treat)
Thoughts:
Non-book activities: Lots of errands, laundry, cat petting, napping with the cats

Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 4
Total time reading: 2 hours

I'm in this weekend.

I'm spending the night with my sister tonight; getting to see her new house for the first time. Love it! We're excited about her 4 acres - mostly trees - and a creek too.

Books:
currently reading Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.
still listening to Devolution by Max Brooks.

Food:
just had a blood orange cider and peanuts for happy hour.
Sis fixing baked potatos with lots of toppings for supper.

weather:
mostly sunny and 61 F. (16 C.) just before 7pm, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

I'm in! We're still in lockdown and I'm hoping to use this time to read.

Im in Silver.

Hope i can finish The Camomile Lawn today.

Off to a slow start reading this weekend, since this was a stressful week at work and last night I was feeling brain-fried and crashed early.

Books read from: Out of Sorts
Books finished: none
Time reading: 1 hour
Snacks: bagel for breakfast
Thoughts: I've got way too much on my to-do list to have a properly relaxing weekend. Grr.
Non-book activities: Worked on liturgy for next Wednesday's evening prayer service that I need to record for my church's YouTube channel over the weekend, offered my 17-year-old occasional guidance as he tried to replicate a candy recipe he found on YouTube. (It didn't work out so well. It was a moderately complex recipe, and his existing cooking skills are on the ramen and mac-and-cheese level. I tried to suggest starting with something simpler, but did he listen? No, he did not.)

Total books finished: 0
Total read from: 1
Total time reading: 1 hour

Saturday noon check in

Books read from: Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan and Brilliance and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds by Rachelle Bergstein. I finished my recorded book last night Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and started listening to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rawling.

Books finished: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Time reading: 2 hour
Time posting:
Food: I had salad for lunch today

Thoughts: I got so involved with Six of Crows last night on the way home from work that I kept reading it when I got into the house. I read so much that at midnight I only had 50 pages left so I just finished the book.
Non-book activities: I planted more of my plant haul from last weekend and had to go buy potting soil and a d few other things for the plants. I will finish up my 2021 planting this evening. I am at work this afternoon as it is my weekend to cover Chat reference so I should get some reading done this weekend. I went to the public library and renewed my books and checked out two more recorded books to take with me on my trip back to Kansas, so I am well stocked.

Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 123
Total read from: 131
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 365 hours since April 2020.

Saturday evening 6 p.m. check-in:

Books read from: Bible (ESV), Near to the Heart of God by Robert J. Morgan, Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion by Anne Graham Lotz, Deadly Anniversaries edited by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini, Murder by Milk Bottle by Lynne Truss
Books finished:
Time reading: 4 hours
Time posting:
Snacks: Homemade taquitos for supper drizzled with Mexican cheese sauce with jalopenos
Thoughts:
Non-book activities: Miscellaneous business-related stuff, playing with cats, napping (mainly due to a headache)

Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 6
Total time reading: 6 hours

Saturday check in:

Books read from: 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill and Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O'Farrell

Time posting: 8:18pm

Non-book activities: Went out for an asymptomatic COVID test. The variant is flaring up in my province.

Total books finished: 0
Total read from: 2

I read my ER book- wow, it was very dark for a children's book. I also am reading a book from my library- William Blake His Art and Times y David Bindman. This is the exhibition catalogue and I did see the exhibit many years ago at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Dinner- left overs- chicken, soggy sweet potato fries, quinoa, spinach and mango salad.

Saturday night check in

Books read from: Mostly from Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan and a little bit from Brilliance and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds by Rachelle Bergstein. I didn't listen to much from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rawling because I didn't drive much today.

Books finished: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Time reading: 1 hour
Time posting:
Food: had two tacos for supper with chips and purchased salsa that wasn't all that good. I won't buy that brand again.

Thoughts: I finished the chapter in the Pollan book about Marijuana. The Alabama state legislature just voted to legalize medicinal use of marijuana and it was interesting to read about his thoughts on the subject. The book was written back in 2001 when few states allowed any form of legalized use. Pollan was a advocate of legalizing the growing and selling of the product and thought that the Dutch had a very sensible policy regarding its use and sale. So much has changed in the last 20 years. It is sort of amazing.
Non-book activities: I planted a few more of the plants this evening after I got off of work, but it is really easier to plant in the morning, so I will get up early tomorrow and finish the job. On the way home I will have to look for some new pots as I have running out of big ones and pretty ones.

Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 123
Total read from: 131
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 366 hours since April 2020.

9 PM Saturday

Books read from: Out of Sorts
Books finished: none
Time reading: 2 hours
Snacks: beef stroganoff for dinner
Thoughts:
Non-book activities: The standard Saturday library-farmers market run, birdwatching, an unplanned but needed nap

Total books finished: 0
Total read from: 1
Total time reading: 3 hours

Sunday afternoon 4.10 pm

A bit tired and distracted this weekend but I've read a few pages, finished one book and started a novella length ebook. As always, a few books on the go.

Books read from: 7
Emma Stonex, The Lamplighters - FINISHED 08.05.21
Robin Sloan, Ajax Penumbra 1969 - STARTED 08.05.21
Adelle Stripe, Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile
Sally Phipps, Molly Keane: A Life
Clare Chambers, Small Pleasures
Hisham Matar, The Return
Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Pages read: 358
Books finished: 1

Food and snacks: Tea, milk, yoghurt, pain au chocolat, banana, chocolate, biscuits, chicken, pasta, and a takeaway meal ordered from a Turkish restaurant to celebrate my son's 14th birthday last week
Non-book activities: A lot of distractions this weekend. WhatsApp and FB, discussing regional and local election results and responses to them, several online meetings - am listening to a discussion now.

Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 7
Total pages read: 358

Sunday noon check in

Books read from: I read a big chunk of Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan and a little bit from Brilliance and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds by Rachelle Bergstein. I listened to some of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rawling. This will be my driving back to Kansas book. It should take me all the way there.

Books finished: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Time reading: 1.5 hour
Time posting:
Food: chinese food and the restaurant was very crowded because of Mother's Day. Alabama is letting restaurants seat people without masks.

Thoughts: After a year of masking it seems odd to see people come into and out of a building without masks on.
Non-book activities: I planted a few more of the plants this morning because I needed to get it done and because the weather was amazing. It is a breezy spring day. Perfect for the plants.

Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 123
Total read from: 131
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 367.5 hours since April 2020.

Sunday check in:

Books read from: 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill, Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O'Farrell, and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Time posting: 5:15pm

Thoughts: Relieved to be tested COVID free.

Total books finished: 0
Total read from: 3

Sunday evening 7 p.m. check-in:

Books read from: Bible (ESV), Near to the Heart of God by Robert J. Morgan, Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion by Anne Graham Lotz, Deadly Anniversaries edited by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini, Murder by Milk Bottle by Lynne Truss; Falling in Love by Donna Leon
Books finished: Murder by Milk Bottle by Lynne Truss; Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion by Anne Graham Lotz
Time reading: 4 hours
Time posting:
Snacks: Lunch was shrimp & baked potato; Nutty Buddy ice cream treat this evening
Thoughts:
Non-book activities: church, genealogical research, a little TV watching

Total books finished: 3
Total read from: 7
Total time reading: 10 hours

Sunday 4:30 PM

Books read from: Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith
Books finished: Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith
Time reading: 2 hours
Snacks: Swedish pancakes for my Mother's Day brunch takeout
Thoughts: I like spring. I like sunshine. I do NOT like pollen.
Non-book activities: Sweet, sweet Sunday afternoon nap

Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 1
Total time reading: 5 hours

Sunday night check in

Books read from: I read a big chunk of Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan but didn't finish it. Read a little bit from Brilliance and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds by Rachelle Bergstein. I listened to some of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rawling.

Books finished: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Time reading: .5 hour
Time posting:
Food: Green tea and salad for supper

Thoughts: I wanted to finish Botany of Desire this weekend, but didn't manage to do so. It is raining tonight. That will be good for my plants.
Non-book activities: Watched another episode of Atlantic Crossing and did a bit of knitting. I am also enjoying the CNN program United Shades of America. There has been some good stuff on CNN lately.
Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 123
Total read from: 131
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 368 hours since April 2020.

I think I read a few pages before midnight but since then I've finished reading Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile, a novel based very much on the real life of Andrea Dunbar, a working class playwright in Bradford who died terribly young at 29 and think I'm going to finish the biography of Anglo-Irish novelist Molly Keane. I thought the Andrea Dunbar novel was well done but so sad and exasperating, much about how working class girls were and are still treated at school and the issues around how writers who don't come from the same background as most others can experience things. Where does representation become exploitation, etc?

By contrast, Molly Keane came from a very posh and privileged background who were becoming an anachronism in their own lifetimes after most of Ireland became independent - though in this world of people brought up to expect a very privileged lifestyle it was sometimes a challenge to support those expectations, especially for women who were unmarried or widowed like Molly Keane. Her daughter's biography/memoir is quite interesting on the conflict she had between the social expectations she had been brought up with for women of her class/milieu, and which in many ways she completely shared, and her writing. Sometimes she seemed to present it as a need to write for money. This biography does rathar contradict the publisher buigraphy of Molly Keane that she gave up writing for many years after her husband Bobbie died suddenly and really quite young (I think he was still in his 30s at the time). I'd always thought the publication dates of some of her work suggest that story is a bit of a myth, as she wrote several novels and plays after Bobbie Keane's death and before the hiatus. I think that like several other women who had a much later revival, she went through a period when her work was seen as irrelevant and out of fashion. I am so glad to have grown up at a point when Virago and others were saying reading older novels beyond the recognised canon, and describing very different lives and societies than your own even in the same country, can be fun/interesting/worth doing etc.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/332167