Social Distancing Readathon #70 - July 16 - 18
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2021
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1SilverWolf28
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. Benita (benitastrnad) -- Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
3. Luci (elkiedee) -- London, UK
4. Cyrel (torontoc) -- Toronto, Canada
5. Anne (AnneDC) -- Washington DC, USA
6. Susanna (susanna.fraser) -- Seattle, Washington, USA
7. Chris (ChrisG1)
8. Paul (PaulCranswick) -- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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. Benita (benitastrnad) -- Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
3. Luci (elkiedee) -- London, UK
4. Cyrel (torontoc) -- Toronto, Canada
5. Anne (AnneDC) -- Washington DC, USA
6. Susanna (susanna.fraser) -- Seattle, Washington, USA
7. Chris (ChrisG1)
8. Paul (PaulCranswick) -- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2benitastrnad
I will be participating again this weekend. It is my weekend to work, so I will have lots of quiet time in my home office waiting for somebody to call in with a question I can help them with.
6susanna.fraser
I'm in again.
8benitastrnad
Friday afternoon check-in
Books reading from: I am almost done listening to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I am reading Unseen City: The Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness by Nathanael Johnson. How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean. Both of these are for the Nonfiction Challenge here on LT.
Books finished This Week: 1 - Boat People by Sharon Bala
Time reading today: 1 hour during lunch
Time posting:
Food:
Thoughts: I gave Boat People a very high rating and it is one of my top reads of the year.
Non-book activities: work
Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 142
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 406 hours since April 2020.
Books reading from: I am almost done listening to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I am reading Unseen City: The Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness by Nathanael Johnson. How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean. Both of these are for the Nonfiction Challenge here on LT.
Books finished This Week: 1 - Boat People by Sharon Bala
Time reading today: 1 hour during lunch
Time posting:
Food:
Thoughts: I gave Boat People a very high rating and it is one of my top reads of the year.
Non-book activities: work
Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 142
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 406 hours since April 2020.
9torontoc
I just finished The Velveteen Rabbit- I visited with a friend this afternoon who had a sibling die this week. Sometimes just being there is good for both of us.
10PaulCranswick
I'm in again Silver.
Four books to be progressed by me this weekend.
Our Mutual Friend
The Night Watchman
Throwing Sparks
The Hiding Place
Four books to be progressed by me this weekend.
Our Mutual Friend
The Night Watchman
Throwing Sparks
The Hiding Place
11AnneDC
Report on Friday
Books read from: Last night I finished a childrens' book, Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E. L. Konigsberg, which I last read in grade school, and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, in time for a book group discussion on Tuesday, and started God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. Also listened to a few more chapters of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Books finished: 2
Pages read: 201
Time reading: 3 hours plus 47 minutes listening
Time posting: none
Snacks: We went out for Brazilian food
Thoughts: I discovered late Friday morning that an application for funding that I have to submit is due not Friday of next week, but Monday, so that has changed the shape of my weekend. I may have to use short bouts of reading as a reward for sticking to my work project. I did not work on it last night.
Non-book activities: Dinner out, tv
Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 4 Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, The Shadow of the Wind, God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass
Total pages read: 201
Total time reading: 3 hours plus 47 minutes listening
Books read from: Last night I finished a childrens' book, Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E. L. Konigsberg, which I last read in grade school, and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, in time for a book group discussion on Tuesday, and started God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. Also listened to a few more chapters of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Books finished: 2
Pages read: 201
Time reading: 3 hours plus 47 minutes listening
Time posting: none
Snacks: We went out for Brazilian food
Thoughts: I discovered late Friday morning that an application for funding that I have to submit is due not Friday of next week, but Monday, so that has changed the shape of my weekend. I may have to use short bouts of reading as a reward for sticking to my work project. I did not work on it last night.
Non-book activities: Dinner out, tv
Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 4 Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, The Shadow of the Wind, God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass
Total pages read: 201
Total time reading: 3 hours plus 47 minutes listening
12benitastrnad
>11 AnneDC:
I loved Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth when I read it. But I was well into my 40's when I read that book. I also really liked Shadow of the Wind when I read it. I liked it so much that I read all four books in the Barcelona Quartet by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. They are all good, but Shadow of the Wind and Labyrinth of the Spirits are my favorites.
I loved Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth when I read it. But I was well into my 40's when I read that book. I also really liked Shadow of the Wind when I read it. I liked it so much that I read all four books in the Barcelona Quartet by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. They are all good, but Shadow of the Wind and Labyrinth of the Spirits are my favorites.
13benitastrnad
Saturday afternoon check-in
Books reading from: I am listening to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I read a good portion of Unseen City: The Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness by Nathanael Johnson before bed last night. I started How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean and can tell that this one is going to be an academic tome. Both of these are for the Nonfiction Challenge here on LT.
Books finished This Week: 1 - Boat People by Sharon Bala
Time reading today: 1 hour before bed last night and so far none today.
Time posting:
Food:
Thoughts: I sometimes wonder why people like unreliable narrator thrillers so much. They tend to just irritate me. But I do have to admit that my curiousity gets the better of me and I have to finish them to see how the author resolves the story. More-often-than-not, I find the endings insipid - and thus, irritating.
Non-book activities: work - my turn to man the weekend library chat lines. so far there has been one question.
Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 142
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 407 hours since April 2020.
Books reading from: I am listening to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I read a good portion of Unseen City: The Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness by Nathanael Johnson before bed last night. I started How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean and can tell that this one is going to be an academic tome. Both of these are for the Nonfiction Challenge here on LT.
Books finished This Week: 1 - Boat People by Sharon Bala
Time reading today: 1 hour before bed last night and so far none today.
Time posting:
Food:
Thoughts: I sometimes wonder why people like unreliable narrator thrillers so much. They tend to just irritate me. But I do have to admit that my curiousity gets the better of me and I have to finish them to see how the author resolves the story. More-often-than-not, I find the endings insipid - and thus, irritating.
Non-book activities: work - my turn to man the weekend library chat lines. so far there has been one question.
Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 142
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 407 hours since April 2020.
14susanna.fraser
Saturday midday:
Books read from: Governess, The Professor Next Door
Books finished: Governess
Time reading: 3 hours
Snacks: snickerdoodle from the farmers market
Thoughts: I can't believe the summer is basically half over already.
Non-book activities: farmers market, birding supply store
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 2
Total time reading: 3 hours
Books read from: Governess, The Professor Next Door
Books finished: Governess
Time reading: 3 hours
Snacks: snickerdoodle from the farmers market
Thoughts: I can't believe the summer is basically half over already.
Non-book activities: farmers market, birding supply store
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 2
Total time reading: 3 hours
15elkiedee
Saturday 10 pm
I'm not totally sure what on Friday was before and after 5 pm, so I'm not counting 84 pages yesterday morning/afternoon as "before".
-Books read from: 8
Louise Erdrich, The Night Watchman - FINISHED 16.07.21
Lucy Kellaway, Re-Educated - STARTED 16.07.21
Elizabeth McCracken, Thunderstruck and Other Stories
Emma Donoghue, The Pull of the Stars
Francesca Wade, Square Haunting
Paula Byrne, The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym
Lyndsay Faye, Seven For a Secret
Kristin Hannah, The Four Winds
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 143
Non-book activities: Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, TV, Bejeweled Blitz, Soclal media
Book related:
LT and Good resds updates
A quick trip to my local library
A lot of attempts to log into library catalogues - there has been something wrong with the system that most public library catalogues use (from an outside company with a very dodgy reputation for running outsourced services, including IT)
I've found out what the limit is for loans from my favourite library service by exceeding it, and am planning to take in some books so I can collect a couple more reservations. Islington is currently still quarantining books before taking them off your account nad issuing reservations when they come through rather than on collection, with extra time to collect and issue period (they are issued for 4 weeks instead of 3, but that includes the collection period which is 2 weeks from availability/issue instead of 1 from availability and issue on collection).
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 8
Total pages read: 143
I'm not totally sure what on Friday was before and after 5 pm, so I'm not counting 84 pages yesterday morning/afternoon as "before".
-Books read from: 8
Louise Erdrich, The Night Watchman - FINISHED 16.07.21
Lucy Kellaway, Re-Educated - STARTED 16.07.21
Elizabeth McCracken, Thunderstruck and Other Stories
Emma Donoghue, The Pull of the Stars
Francesca Wade, Square Haunting
Paula Byrne, The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym
Lyndsay Faye, Seven For a Secret
Kristin Hannah, The Four Winds
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 143
Non-book activities: Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, TV, Bejeweled Blitz, Soclal media
Book related:
LT and Good resds updates
A quick trip to my local library
A lot of attempts to log into library catalogues - there has been something wrong with the system that most public library catalogues use (from an outside company with a very dodgy reputation for running outsourced services, including IT)
I've found out what the limit is for loans from my favourite library service by exceeding it, and am planning to take in some books so I can collect a couple more reservations. Islington is currently still quarantining books before taking them off your account nad issuing reservations when they come through rather than on collection, with extra time to collect and issue period (they are issued for 4 weeks instead of 3, but that includes the collection period which is 2 weeks from availability/issue instead of 1 from availability and issue on collection).
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 8
Total pages read: 143
16torontoc
I just finished The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. It was a good thriller and well written.
Dinner- I ordered pizza and had ice cream for dessert. Earlier I went to a really nice nursery and bought two flowering bushes.
Dinner- I ordered pizza and had ice cream for dessert. Earlier I went to a really nice nursery and bought two flowering bushes.
17susanna.fraser
Books read from: The Professor Next Door
Books finished: The Professor Next Door
Time reading: 2 hours
Snacks: banana
Thoughts: What a perfect fun, relaxing book to read on a weekend afternoon.
Non-book activities: writing
Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 2
Total time reading: 5 hours
Books finished: The Professor Next Door
Time reading: 2 hours
Snacks: banana
Thoughts: What a perfect fun, relaxing book to read on a weekend afternoon.
Non-book activities: writing
Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 2
Total time reading: 5 hours
18AnneDC
>12 benitastrnad: I had forgotten that The Shadow of the Wind was a series--thanks for the reminder. I've had it on my shelf for a long time and I'm glad I finally got to it.
I don't know if I loved Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth when I read it as a child, but parts of it really made an impression on me. (Like, I remember a phase of saying "o'clock of the evening" whenever possible). Reading it again I think I almost painfully identified with the Elizabeth character. Interestingly, I don't think I noticed at the time that the Jennifer character was black.
I don't know if I loved Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth when I read it as a child, but parts of it really made an impression on me. (Like, I remember a phase of saying "o'clock of the evening" whenever possible). Reading it again I think I almost painfully identified with the Elizabeth character. Interestingly, I don't think I noticed at the time that the Jennifer character was black.
19AnneDC
Saturday reading
Books read from: Only God Help the Child
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 62
Time reading: About an hour
Time posting: none
Dinner: Lamb kebob, strawberry shortcake
Thoughts: Not a reading day but a work day. I worked on a grant application most of the day and squeezed in a little reading as a break. Today looks like more of the same unfortunately.
Non-book activities: work, dinner out with family,
Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 4 Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, The Shadow of the Wind, God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass
Total pages read: 263
Total time reading: 4 hours plus 47 minutes listening
Books read from: Only God Help the Child
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 62
Time reading: About an hour
Time posting: none
Dinner: Lamb kebob, strawberry shortcake
Thoughts: Not a reading day but a work day. I worked on a grant application most of the day and squeezed in a little reading as a break. Today looks like more of the same unfortunately.
Non-book activities: work, dinner out with family,
Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 4 Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, The Shadow of the Wind, God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass
Total pages read: 263
Total time reading: 4 hours plus 47 minutes listening
20benitastrnad
Sunday afternoon check-in
Books reading from: I am listening to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I read another good chunk of Unseen City: The Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness by Nathanael Johnson. I am slowly reading in How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean - a book in which the author is doing a good job of making the case that Paris invented the idea of the modern city due to the innovations in layout and municipal building done in the late 17th century and 18th century.
Books finished This Week: 1 - Boat People by Sharon Bala
Time reading today: So far 1 hour at lunch today. I hope to get in more reading time as the day wears on.
Time posting:
Food: I had my Starbucks cappuccino this morning and had Indian food for lunch.
Thoughts: I voted on the Tonight Show book for the summer and voted for Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner. I am on Online Reference duty tonight so I should get more reading time in and hope to get my book diary caught up, do laundry, and still watch PBS Masterpiece Mystery tonight. I have early meetings Monday through Wednesday next week so will need to get my beauty sleep tonight.
Non-book activities: work.
Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 142
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 408 hours since April 2020.
Books reading from: I am listening to Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I read another good chunk of Unseen City: The Majesty of Pigeons, the Discreet Charm of Snails & Other Wonders of the Urban Wilderness by Nathanael Johnson. I am slowly reading in How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City by Joan DeJean - a book in which the author is doing a good job of making the case that Paris invented the idea of the modern city due to the innovations in layout and municipal building done in the late 17th century and 18th century.
Books finished This Week: 1 - Boat People by Sharon Bala
Time reading today: So far 1 hour at lunch today. I hope to get in more reading time as the day wears on.
Time posting:
Food: I had my Starbucks cappuccino this morning and had Indian food for lunch.
Thoughts: I voted on the Tonight Show book for the summer and voted for Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner. I am on Online Reference duty tonight so I should get more reading time in and hope to get my book diary caught up, do laundry, and still watch PBS Masterpiece Mystery tonight. I have early meetings Monday through Wednesday next week so will need to get my beauty sleep tonight.
Non-book activities: work.
Total books finished since the read-a-thon began: 142
Total time reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 408 hours since April 2020.
21susanna.fraser
Sunday afternoon check-in:
Books read from: Cemetery Boys
Books finished: Cemetery Boys
Time reading: 4 hours
Snacks: leftover fried chicken for lunch
Thoughts: This is going to be a weird week. We're having roofers in the replace our somewhat leaky roof (luckily discovered after the last big rainstorm of spring and not the first one of fall--Seattle is actually pretty much bone-dry in the summer). This means I'll be working in the office for the first time since March 2020, which will be so WEIRD. (Our office doesn't fully reopen to September, and I'm hoping to be able to negotiate a hybrid schedule to work from home 3-4 days a week once it does.)
Non-book activities: church, watching Loki, moving bird feeders to be out of the way during roofing.
Total books finished: 3
Total read from: 3
Total time reading: 9 hours
Books read from: Cemetery Boys
Books finished: Cemetery Boys
Time reading: 4 hours
Snacks: leftover fried chicken for lunch
Thoughts: This is going to be a weird week. We're having roofers in the replace our somewhat leaky roof (luckily discovered after the last big rainstorm of spring and not the first one of fall--Seattle is actually pretty much bone-dry in the summer). This means I'll be working in the office for the first time since March 2020, which will be so WEIRD. (Our office doesn't fully reopen to September, and I'm hoping to be able to negotiate a hybrid schedule to work from home 3-4 days a week once it does.)
Non-book activities: church, watching Loki, moving bird feeders to be out of the way during roofing.
Total books finished: 3
Total read from: 3
Total time reading: 9 hours
22torontoc
Sunday. My brother helped me plant the two flowering bushes that I bought yesterday. I made chicken for dinner.( and have enough for two meals)I reread Becoming Duchess Goldblatt- a new Pandemic favourite for me. I am now starting another novel by Monica Ali. I had read her first book years ago and this year found two of her novels in my TBR pile/tower. I checked to see if she had published anything recently and there will be another novel soon.
23ChrisG1
Sunday afternoon check in
Books read from: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon, Vol. 1 - 40 pgs, Fables of La Fontaine, 124 pgs, 7 Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible, by Michael F. Bird, 240 pgs
Books finished:7 Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible
Time reading:12 hrs
Time posting:1/2 hr
Snacks:Ruffles, grapes
Thoughts:Wife (Nurse) worked this weekend, so lots of reading time
Non-book activities:Also viewed 3 Major League Baseball games (Detroit Tigers) 3 wins - yay!
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 3
I'm enjoying reading everyones posts - gives me lots of reading ideas.
Books read from: The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon, Vol. 1 - 40 pgs, Fables of La Fontaine, 124 pgs, 7 Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible, by Michael F. Bird, 240 pgs
Books finished:7 Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible
Time reading:12 hrs
Time posting:1/2 hr
Snacks:Ruffles, grapes
Thoughts:Wife (Nurse) worked this weekend, so lots of reading time
Non-book activities:Also viewed 3 Major League Baseball games (Detroit Tigers) 3 wins - yay!
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 3
I'm enjoying reading everyones posts - gives me lots of reading ideas.
24benitastrnad
>23 ChrisG1:
Good to see a new face here. There are a few of us who have been doing this for over a year now. Every weekend. There are some other threads in the 75'ers group that you might want to check out. Take a look at Joe's Book Cafe and go from there.
Sorry Paul, I couldn't remember what the title for your thread is, so I just used Joe's.
Good to see a new face here. There are a few of us who have been doing this for over a year now. Every weekend. There are some other threads in the 75'ers group that you might want to check out. Take a look at Joe's Book Cafe and go from there.
Sorry Paul, I couldn't remember what the title for your thread is, so I just used Joe's.
25AnneDC
Sunday reading
Books read from: God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass, Moshi Moshi
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 90
Time reading: Two hours here and there
Time posting: a little
Dinner: Pasta with pesto and salad
Thoughts: Another day of more work than reading, but I did finish my grant proposal, and I did finish a book.
Non-book activities: work, yoga, walk to the store, making dinner, watched a few episodes of Schitt's Creek with the family
Total books finished: 3
Total read from: 5 Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, The Shadow of the Wind, God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass, Moshi Moshi
Total pages read: 353
Total time reading: 6 1/2 hours plus 77 minutes listening
Books read from: God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass, Moshi Moshi
Books finished: 1
Pages read: 90
Time reading: Two hours here and there
Time posting: a little
Dinner: Pasta with pesto and salad
Thoughts: Another day of more work than reading, but I did finish my grant proposal, and I did finish a book.
Non-book activities: work, yoga, walk to the store, making dinner, watched a few episodes of Schitt's Creek with the family
Total books finished: 3
Total read from: 5 Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, The Shadow of the Wind, God Help the Child, Braiding Sweetgrass, Moshi Moshi
Total pages read: 353
Total time reading: 6 1/2 hours plus 77 minutes listening
26elkiedee
After Saturday at 10 pm
Books read from: 5
Elizabeth McCracken, Thunderstruck and Other Stories
Emma Donoghue, The Pull of the Stars
Francesca Wade, Square Haunting
Paula Byrne, The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym
Lyndsay Faye, Seven For a Secret
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 86
Non-book activities: Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, TV, Bejeweled Blitz, Soclal media, a local meeting outside the cafe in the park to discuss a response to local issues. Interesting to see a few people for real again - it's been a while.
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 8
Total pages read: 229
Hoping to finish a couple of books over the next couple of days and make a couple of library trips this week
Books read from: 5
Elizabeth McCracken, Thunderstruck and Other Stories
Emma Donoghue, The Pull of the Stars
Francesca Wade, Square Haunting
Paula Byrne, The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym
Lyndsay Faye, Seven For a Secret
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 86
Non-book activities: Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, TV, Bejeweled Blitz, Soclal media, a local meeting outside the cafe in the park to discuss a response to local issues. Interesting to see a few people for real again - it's been a while.
Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 8
Total pages read: 229
Hoping to finish a couple of books over the next couple of days and make a couple of library trips this week
