Social Distancing Readathon #203 - February 2 - 4

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

I'm in!

Thanks again for hosting, Silver. I am in again!

I hope to read some this weekend, in between all the chores I need to catch up on. I need to get my oil changed so I know I'll be able to read while I wait for that.

I’ll be reading this weekend.

Just now finished Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid; l’m looking around for the next book - something really good.

Definitely in, #6! Looking forward to more of Mozart, some library books, and The Lincoln Highway ... wish I had enough time to read and finish them all, but let's see how far I get!
6. Leslie (PocheFamily) -- New Jersey, USA

I’m in! Got lots of good reads going. I just got Orbital and The Puzzle Master from the library and there are lots of people waiting patiently for those books. Can’t wait to dig into them.

Karen O

Friday start-up
Books read from: Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood. Discord of Gods by Jenn Lyons. I am listening to Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott and Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford.

Books finished:Unwarrented: Policing Without Permission by Barry Friedman

Book Thoughts: I am almost done with Coral Thief so I started listening to Songs of Willow Frost while working on my computer. This is a trick that some other LT'ers do and my sister listens to books while she is knitting. I was totally bored by TV last night and I will try listening to the book tonight. It sounds like a good way to read more. I finished Unwarrented and it took me 2 years to read it. It was a good book and worthy of reading. The reason it took me so long was because I kept it on my kitchen table and only read a few pages at a time and sometimes I read other books instead, but I kept it on the table and knew that eventually I would get it read. I did. There is much to think about in this book and mostly it is the message that we, the people, govern the police and WE are failing. I started my next book for my real life book discussion group. This one is The Penelopiad. This reading group does one retelling of Greek Myths each year and this book is the pick for February 2024. I have read several Margaret Atwood's books and have had this book on my reading list for many years. I have read 50 pages in it and it is clear that it has a whole other take on The Odyssey. My main read for the last 4 days has been Discord of Gods. It is the last book in an epic fantasy series Chorus of Dragons and I am enjoying the escapism it is providing.

Non-Book activities: Today I start writing thank you notes. I lost my Address book and still have not found it, but I can't wait any longer to start the thank you notes.

Time reading: 1.5 hours this morning
Time posting:
Food: fresh grapefruit and a wonderful cup of hot tea for breakfast

Total books finished since the Read-A-Thon Began: 384
Total Time Reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 1083 hours since I started doing the weekend Read-A-Thon in April of 2020.

I'll join in!

I started The Reluctant Widow last night, a fun read so far.

I'm in. I'll be reading Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes and The Odyssey.

I'm in - currently reading Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell.

Friday Night Update:
Books read from: The Odyssey
Books finished:
Time reading: 2 hours
Time posting: Friday 9:47pm
Snacks: Popcorn
Thoughts: I'm half way through The Odyssey and I'm getting a little annoyed that Odysseus takes one step forward 2 steps back
Non-book activities: You Tube

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

Friday Night Update:

Books read from: Bleak House by Charles Dickens (audiobook), Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall, Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi, Killing England by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, and Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
Books finished: 1, Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts
Time reading: 3.7 hours + listening to audiobook

Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 6
Total time reading: 3.7 hours + listening to audiobook

Friday night.

Books read from: Prince in Comics!

Books finished:

Time reading: 1 hour

Time posting: 10am Central Saturday

Food: Egg rolls. Grapes and a banana.

Thoughts: The Prince graphic is pretty good. There is a series of these, featuring other rock bands.

Non-book activities: Read 2 magazines. More “Ted Lasso” rewatch—I might finish up today. I’m really enjoying the rewatch.

Weekend totals:

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

Started my Saturday morning reading and watching the birds.

Books finished: Strong Female Character by Fern Brady.

Time reading: 45 minutes or so?

Snacks: Greek yogurt and homemade espresso

Thoughts: It was absolutely a worthwhile read. But, I'm not sure if I'll read it again. If I do, I'll get the audiobook because her accent is fantastic. After finishing the book, I took the dog for a walk and put the book in a free library. Hopefully someone else will enjoy it!

Non-book activities: Most of the remainder of the day, I'll be writing my own boring non-fiction legal analysis for a volunteer opportunity.

Total books finished today: 1

Books finished this month so far: 16!! A personal record

Sat. early afternoon.

Books:
After starting 3 different books and setting them down, I finally focused on The Sweetness of Water.
I have started reading one short story a day.
My audio book is The Crossing Places, 1st in the Ruth Galloway series. I'm listening for an hour each day when I go for a walk.

Fri night dinner - my husband's meatloaf, mashed potatoes, fresh strawberries.
brunch today - cream of wheat, half a croissant, V-8 juice, coffee.

Book related activity:
Finished 10 books in Jan. The favorite was Have You Seen Luis Velez? followed by Winter Solstice, R.Pilcher.
Read last week's NYT Book Review before the new one shows up tomorrow.

Other activity:
Watched All Creatures Great and Small on PBS; sent postcrossing cards.

Sunny, 52 F. (11 C.)

Saturday afternoon check-in

Books read from: L'Énigme du retour by Dany Laferrière; The Rebel's Apothecary by Jenny Sansoucis; How to Read a Novel Like a Professor by Thomas Foster; 111 Places in Ottawa That You Must Not Miss by Jennifer Bain
Books finished: The Shadow by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
Time reading: 3 hours
Time posting: Saturday at 2:00
Snacks: Halva
Thoughts: The Shadow sucked; I really expected more from a Patterson book.
Non-book activities: beautiful day to go hiking!

Total books finished: 1
Total read from: 5
Total time reading: 3 hours

Saturday afternoon report
Books read from: Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood. Discord of Gods by Jenn Lyons. I am listening to Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott and Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford.

Books finished: Unwarrented: Policing Without Permission by Barry Friedman

Book Thoughts: It is a perfect day for reading. Rainey and gloomy. The temperature outside is mild for this time of year and certainly a big change from two weeks ago. My main read for the last 4 days has been Discord of Gods. It is the last book in an epic fantasy series Chorus of Dragons and I am enjoying the escapism it is providing. I am now half done with this epic (it is 500 pages) and spending far too much time reading in it. I listened to about a third of Songs of Willow Frost yesterday and this is going to be a good book. I generally like Jamie Ford's books and this one is looking like it will be another one of his that I will have enjoyed. I have been taking Penelopiad with me to several places and am about half done with it. It is a very different approach to The Odyssey than some of the other versions of that story I have read. Atwood definitely has a feminist take on the story!

Non-Book activities: I went to the Munden Community Volunteer Fire Department fund raiser pancake lunch today. I saw alot of people there that I have not seen for some time. I got a good start on the thank you notes for the memorials and funeral stuff. I am cooking tortilla soup for the church lunch tomorrow. Cooking soup and eating pancakes is good food for this time of year out here. It is certainly soup weather. I got to spend the morning watching my favorite PBS TV shows and that was a treat! The TV here is so old it doesn't have a USB port on it and there is no internet here at the house so what is on the Nebraska Public Media station is my only access to PBS. I will have to do something about getting internet into the house, but will do that this summer.

Time reading: 1 hour this morning
Time posting:
Food: fresh grapefruit from the Christmas box I got from the local FFA for breakfast. pancakes, eggs, and sausage for lunch (and plenty of good conversation with neighbors). I ate so much that I won't have to eat supper.

Total books finished since the Read-A-Thon Began: 384
Total Time Reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 1083 hours since I started doing the weekend Read-A-Thon in April of 2020.

I had a headache for most of the afternoon yesterday, no reading.

Today after doing morning errands I put a pork roast in the slow cooker, decided to sit for a few. It didn't last. After organizing my garden seeds and securing them in a plastic tote I tackled the piles on my desk, and in a box. Three hours later I can access my desk, the surface is mainly clear, and all the filing (accounts, repairs, maintenance, purchases, and medical receipts going back months) has been completed.

Dinner was pork roast with applesauce, and freshly harvested turnips and carrots cooked until tender. Yum.

Now I can read...I think continuing The Reluctant Widow will be a nice, escapist romp.

Saturday Night Update:
Books read from: The Odyssey, Someone Else’s Shoes, Revenge, enough
Books finished:
Time reading: 3 hours
Time posting: Saturday 9:35 pm
Snacks: chicken stir fry for dinner! Ice cream for dessert
Thoughts: Yay! We’re back to Ithaca, boo, but no one knows it.
Non-book activities: Puzzling, mah Jongg, grocery shopping

Total books finished: 1 Revenge
Total read from: 4
Total time reading: 5 hours

Saturday evening update:

I haven't read as much as I thought I might this weekend. Adrian and I have had a pretty awful week. He's had diarrhea most of the week, so I've been taking him out every 2-3 hours around the clock. I was able to work from home when I needed to this week, but I lost an awful lot of sleep. I picked up medicine for him on Thursday that hasn't helped as much as I hoped it would, and I talked to the vet yesterday. She decided he needs a steroid for his gut since this is happening more frequently now. She was going to send in the prescription yesterday, but it won't be ready until Monday or Tuesday because it has to be compounded for his weight. Today has been a little better. Adrian slept from 3:30 am until about 9:30 am so I got several hours of uninterrupted sleep. I was able to nap this afternoon. It's been at least 4 hours since he's needed to go out this evening, and this makes me hopeful that he's turned a corner and that we'll both get a good night's sleep tonight. If he has a good night I may be able to leave him long enough to go to church, but I'll skip Sunday school in the morning.

I listened to a bit of Right Ho, Jeeves in the car while we ran errands this morning, and while I cooked this afternoon. I read most of the first chapter of Poseidon's Gold while I waited for an oil change. And I read Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts this evening. The graphic novel format was just what I needed to keep me awake.

I made blueberry muffins this afternoon, so I know what breakfast will be in the morning! I had hoped they would be breakfast today, but the day didn't go as planned.

>22 cbl_tn: I am sorry to hear about Adrian's difficulties, Carrie - and by extension, yours. I hope you get some rest tonight and hopefully Adrian's medication will be read sooner rather than later.

Saturday Night Update:

Books read from: Bleak House by Charles Dickens (audiobook), Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi, Killing England by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler, Voroshilovgrad by Serhiy Zhadan, and King: A Life by Jonathan Eig
Books finished: 2, Survival in Auschwitz and Killing England
Time reading: 3.5 hours + listening to audiobook

Total books finished: 3
Total read from: 8
Total time reading: 7.2 hours + listening to audiobook

>23 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. We had a better night last night. I did not have to take Adrian out, and he is still asleep! I am beginning to think that Adrian is allergic to chicken and that may be the root of the problem. I will ask the vet tomorrow.

Sunday morning check-in

Books read from: The Rebel's Apothecary by Jenny Sansoucis; How to Read a Novel Like a Professor by Thomas Foster; 111 Places in Ottawa That You Must Not Miss by Jennifer Bain; Bluebeard's Egg and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood;
Books finished: The Shadow by James Patterson and Brian Sitts; L'Énigme du retour by Dany Laferrière
Time reading: 4 hours
Time posting: Sunday at 9:00
Snacks: A bag of M&Ms which I'm not proud of!
Thoughts: L'Énigme du retour made up for the terrible Patterson book. This one was all about deep emotions, a mix of prose and poetry while describing the beautiful landscapes of Haiti.
Non-book activities: I went to see Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron at the movie theatre. A bit long with strange dream-like passages, but the drawings are gorgeous and when I came out there was a stunning sunset!

Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 6
Total time reading: 7 hours

Sunday evening report
Books read from: Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood. Discord of Gods by Jenn Lyons. I am listening to Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott and Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford.

Books finished: Unwarrented: Policing Without Permission by Barry Friedman.

Book Thoughts: I spent most of the day with church activities and so only read about 20 pages in Penelopiad but I hope to get more read in Discord of Gods tonight.

Non-Book activities: Cleaning up the kitchen after a day of cooking yesterday.

Time reading: 1 hour this morning
Time posting:
Food: fresh grapefruit from the Christmas box I got from the local FFA for breakfast. then a church potluck for lunch. I will eat more soup for supper tonight and it will be warming and filing.

Total books finished since the Read-A-Thon Began: 384
Total Time Reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 1084 hours since I started doing the weekend Read-A-Thon in April of 2020.

Sunday night update:

I've read several chapters of Poseidon's Gold and I'm enjoying it a lot. I also listened to Right Ho, Jeeves on the way home from church. I was relieved not to find a mess when I got home from church. Adrian seems to have recovered from his digestive upset. We both napped for a while this afternoon, and I'm feeling almost human again. I made a hot chocolate mix this afternoon, and I watched a couple of Hallmark movies.

I finished one book this weekend and made good progress in another so it's been a successful readathon for me.

>22 cbl_tn: Hey Carrie, sending healing mojo to Adrian. Fingers crossed it’s only an allergy. That would be an easy fix.

>29 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! I think there's a really good chance that's what it is.

Sunday Night Update:
Books read from: Someone Else’s Shoes, Enough
Books finished: -
Time reading: 3 hours
Time posting: Sunday 9:45pm
Snacks: Leftover stir fry, Chocolate Cookies
Thoughts: Thought I’d take a break from The Odyssey today.
Non-book activities: Puzzling, yoga, online mah Jongg

Total books finished: 1 Revenge
Total read from: 4
Total time reading: 8 hours

Sunday evening recap.

Books read from: Prince in Comics!, A Good Cry by Nikki Giovanni, Hot to Trot by M. C. Beaton, Three Men Out by Rex Stout

Books finished: (2): Prince in Comics! and A Good Cry

Time reading: 3 hours

Food: mini pretzels and grapes

Thoughts: The Prince graphic got better once I knew the format (short biographical section followed by graphic depiction by various artists.

Non-book activities: Read newspapers daily, finished “Ted Lasso” rewatch—loved it! Watched first “Monsieur Spade” and really enjoyed it. Will keep on with the series.

Weekend totals:

Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 5
Total time reading: 5 hours

>25 cbl_tn: I hope the chicken allergy turns out to be the right answer so that he can be treated relatively easily.

Sunday Night Update:

Books read from: Orlando by Virginia Woolf, Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler, Voroshilovgrad by Serhiy Zhadan, King: A Life by Jonathan Eig, Random in Death, and Reborn Journals & Notebooks, 1947-1963 by Susan Sontag
Books finished: 1, Breathing Lessons
Time reading: 5.5 hours

Total books finished: 4
Total read from: 10
Total time reading: 12.7 hours + listening to audiobook

I almost finished The Reluctant Widow and Leviticus (Bible) last night. Both should be completed later today.

Books read from: Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots, Frank Hood; Mozart, Jan Swafford; The Lincoln Highway, Amor Towles.

Snacks: chai and a Gingersnap Crumble Pear Pie slice
Thoughts: Planning vacations with others is a little more work than I realized.
Non-book activities: Planning vacations, dog walking/hiking, and a little cooking.

Total books finished: 0, zippo, nada, not even close!
Total read from: 3
Total time reading: 4.5 - 5h

weekend wrap

Books:
Sweetness of water, Nathan Harris.
For Black Hiistory Month, historical fiction about the African-American experience immediately after emancipation.

Her Last Lie, J.S. Lark - audio ed. British suspense novel.

I read my daily short story, but only a little of my regular book.
Listened to the audio book for an hour yesterday while I walked.

Sun night dinner was my husband's hot Chinese chicken salad.

Other actiivity:
wrote postcards, watched the Grammies.

Sunny, 52 F. (11 C.) at noon.

Weekend summary:

Books read from: Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell
Books finished: none
Pages read: 380-ish

Non-reading activities: Daughter & her family visited for the weekend - siblings brought their families for food & fun on Sunday.

I had a really good Sunday book day

Books read from: The Rebel's Apothecary by Jenny Sansoucis; How to Read a Novel Like a Professor by Thomas Foster; 111 Places in Ottawa That You Must Not Miss by Jennifer Bain; A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George; Bluebeard's Egg and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood;
Books finished: The Shadow by James Patterson and Brian Sitts; L'Énigme du retour by Dany Laferrière
Time reading: 7 hours
Time posting: Monday 2:30
Snacks: Popcorn with chocolcate
Thoughts: A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George promises to be a good read, long at ver 700 pages, but engrossing and entertaining.
Non-book activities: I discovered a new hiking nook next to my house: what a treat!

Total books finished: 2
Total read from: 7
Total time reading: 14 hours

Weekend wrap-up
Books read from: Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood. Discord of Gods by Jenn Lyons. I am listening to Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott and Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford.

Books finished: Unwarrented: Policing Without Permission by Barry Friedman.

Book Thoughts: It was a good reading weekend. Things are getting back to normal with me and my daily life. I read quite a bit in Discord of Gods and am almost half done with Penelopiad

Non-Book activities: phone calls and TV last night and a long visit with my sister.

Time reading: 1 hour this morning
Time posting:
Food: fresh grapefruit from the Christmas box I got from the local FFA for breakfast along with toast and coffee

Total books finished since the Read-A-Thon Began: 384
Total Time Reading since the Social Distancing read-a-thon began: 1084 hours since I started doing the weekend Read-A-Thon in April of 2020.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/358237