Saturday, July 22, 2017

24 in 48 Readathon

Whew! It's the weekend of the overlapping readathons.  I've already been participating in the High Summer Readathon, despite having family visiting during the entire first half of it. I'm also finishing up one of my personal reading challenges, Alphabetically Yours. I wasn't going to sign up for 24 in 48, but now that I've dropped my visitors at the airport, I suddenly feel like I deserve to do little but read this weekend. I'm starting a bit late, but here goes.


My first book is Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Karen Zailckas. I like the writing style but the story itself--pampered white girl with a loving family regularly drinks herself into oblivion because, problems--seems a bit melodramatic so far.

Hour Zero Challenge: Intro

1. I'm reading in the lovely Pacific Northwest of the US this weekend.
2. This is my first time doing the 24 in 48 Readathon.
3. I found out about 24 in 48 through a post in the Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon Facebook group.
4. As I'm reading the last book in my stack for the High Summer Readathon, I'll be panting from here on in and reading whatever strikes my fancy in the moment.
5. My husband and I are starting a lavender farm, which leaves plenty of time to spend in the hammock during the hot, lazy afternoons.
6. I'll be posting updates right here. I may use the hashtag on Twitter, but I'd prefer to minimize the social media and spend more time reading.

Hour 12 Challenge: Hit the road

Three audiobooks I'd recommend for a road trip:
1. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, read by the author. Though I'm (mostly) happily married, every time I reread this book, I fantasize about learning Italian in Italy. 
2. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Lisette Lecat. Not only is this first book in the series an engaging story, but the narrator's accent is utterly lovely.
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, read by the author (or anything by Neil Gaiman, especially if he's reading it--swoon!). The story is thrilling enough to make you reluctant to get out of the car and Mr. Gaiman, well, he could read pages out of the phone book and I'd be all in.

Hour 18 Challenge: Diverse Book Stack



I've read (and loved) Warriors Don't Cry and The Women of Brewster Place. Perhaps I'll finally read another! This was a great challenge to get me to look for books I've been meaning to read, but haven't gotten to yet.

Hour 24 Challenge: Snacks and Stacks

My new stack for tonight and tomorrow. I had some popcorn, but I ate it already. Perhaps there will be a snack run on the agenda tomorrow.  

Hour 30 Challenge: Write Me a Verse

Since my first verse turned out so dark, I added a second to lift the mood. But I sure do have a lot of books with gloomy titles.

Hour 36 Challenge: Swagalicious
Too many t-shirts for one photo, but here are a couple of my favorites. The watercolor is a view of Hobbiton painted my a lovely artist friend, Jenny Matthews.

Hour 42 Challenge: Literary Dinner Party

Five authors I'd invite to a dinner party:
Margaret Atwood
J.K. Rowling
Libba Bray
Kate DiCamillo
Diana Gabaldon

Five fictional characters I'd invite:
Tuesday Next
Gemma Doyle
Hermione Granger
Mma Ramotswe
Claire Randall Fraser

Saturday, July 22, 2017
Reading Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Karen Zailckas.
10:00 am - 11:00 am: 37 pages
11:00 am - 12:00 pm: 50 pages
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: 42 pages
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: 12 pages
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: 39 pages
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: 38 pages
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: 38 pages
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: 34 pages
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: 53 pages (Finished Smashed - 343 pages)
Reading Eyes on You by Kate White 

9:00 pm - 10:00 pm: 43 pages
10:00 pm - 11:00 pm: 41 pages
11:00 pm - 12:00 am: 57 pages

Sunday, July 23, 2017
12:00 am - 1:00 am: 45 pages
4:00 am - 5:00 am: 41 pages
5:00 am - 6:00 am: 48 pages
9:00 am - 10:00 am: 40 pages
10:00 am - 11:00 am: 21 pages (Finished Eyes on You - 336 pages)

Reading Time Temptress by Tianna Xander
What can I say, author names starting with X are in short supply. It should be a quick read!

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: 50 pages
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: 60 pages
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: 55 pages
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: 12 pages + 45 pages (Finished Time Temptress - 177 pages)

Reading Hush by Kate White 


Having read several of her standalone thrillers recently, it kind of feels like I've read this book before. Her heroines and villains are pretty much the same in every book, but I'm determined to clear off my TBR pile.

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: 59 pages
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: 54 pages
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: 45 pages


Total books started: 4
Total books finished: 3
Total pages read: 1059

Now that I'm done updating my blog for a while, I think I'll go read some more!


Wednesday, July 12, 2017

High Summer Readathon, July 17-30

Me, getting ready to join another readathon:
via GIPHY
The High Summer Readathon runs from July 17-30, with a bonus "Christmas in July" event during the last weekend. The readathon starts at 12 AM on Monday, July 17 and ends at 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 30. Read whatever you like! Get full info and sign up here.

My TBR pile is still a mystery, as I'm just finishing up my Alphabetically Yours challenge. I will post a shelfie once I have a better idea about what I'd like to read.

The readathon overlaps with a family visit, but I'm hoping to tempt my visitors with some lazy time in the hammock instead of non-stop sightseeing.

Updates to follow. Add your goals/books in the comments or use #HSreadathon on Twitter.

***Update: July 16, 2017
TBR Pile to start the challenge. Still deciding whether or not to read Christmas stories. Since we've got family visiting, my reading has been very slow this week and I'm still trying to finish a previous challenge. I hope to finish these quickly and add a few Christmas titles.


***Update: July 17, 2017
Books started: 2 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Gang Leader for a Day)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 500

***Update: July 18, 2017
Books started: 1 (Wherever Nina Lies)
Books finished: 2 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Gang Leader for a Day)
Pages read: 549

***Update: July 19, 2017
Books started: 0
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 210 (Wherever Nina Lies)

***Update: July 20, 2017
Books started: 1 (Out of Orange)
Books finished: 1 (Wherever Nina Lies)
Pages read: 106

***Update: July 21, 2017
Books started: 1 (Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood)
Books finished: 1 (Out of Orange)
Pages read: 305

***Update: July 22, 2017
Books started: 1 (Eyes on You)
Books finished: 1 (Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood)
Pages read: 484

***Update: July 23, 2017
Books started: 2 (Time Temptress; Hush)
Books finished: 2 (Eyes on You; Time Temptress)
Pages read: 372

***********************************
MIDPOINT PROGRESS (JULY 17-23):
Books started: 8
Books finished: 7
Pages read: 2526
***********************************

***Update: July 24, 2017
Books started: 2 (The Art of Horsemanship; Hush, Hush)
Books finished: 1 (Hush)
Pages read: 541

***Update: July 25, 2017
Books started: 1 (George Eliot)
Books finished: 2 (Hush, Hush; The Art of Horsemanship)
Pages read: 430

***Update: July 26, 2017
Books started: 1 (Tunnels)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 148

***Update: July 27, 2017
Books started: 0
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 96

***Update: July 28, 2017
Books started: 1 (Deeper)
Books finished: 1 (Tunnels)
Pages read: 373 pages

***Update: July 29, 2017
Books started: 0
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 417 pages

***Update: July 30, 2017
Books started: 1 (Touch Magic)
Books finished: 1 (Deeper)
Pages read: 330

***********************************
Final Stack
Books started: 14
Books finished: 12
Pages read: 4861
***********************************

My goal was to read every day and stay focused on cleaning out books that have been languishing on my bookshelves. The downside of this goal was that most of these reads were ho-hum books that I wasn't all that interested in, but I am simply unable to get rid of a book if I haven't read it. Harry Potter and Touch Magic will keep their honored places on my shelves, but everything else can go to make room for books that make my heart sing.

I enjoyed chatting with other readers in the Facebook group and especially appreciated that this readathon is focused on actually reading and not so much on the social media and cutesy challenges that I've encountered in other readathons. Don't get me wrong--I do the challenges, but what I need most is LESS distraction and MORE concentrated reading time. Many thanks to Michelle at Seasons of Reading for bringing us together to celebrate reading.