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 Well, halfway through Hour 9, anyway! How is everyone holding up? It’s 9:30 here, so I’m well into the evening, but I’ve finished my third full book now and I’m just set to choose a fourth. So far I’ve read For the King by Catherine Delors, A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris, and now Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn. I also finished the book I was reading previously, Miles in Love by Lois McMaster Bujold. The Julia Quinn was probably my least favorite – but with huge words and not-so-many pages, it went by quickly, and kept me amused.
Here are the stats:
Number of Books 4
Pages Read 1062
Time Spent Reading 7:07
Time Spent Blogging 1:05
I will remind you that of the books I’ve read, the pages were small and the font generally large, so I really don’t read THAT fast in real life. But right now it looks like my four book goal is perfectly achievable, as I’m just choosing that one out of my shrinking stack. Mainly I think it’s time for a change of pace with After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn.
Also, because the Read-a-thon is all about the food, here’s something I wish I was eating right now:
 Fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil on a crispy crust, baked in a wood-fired oven. I’ll be missing Rome’s pizzas for some time to come, and I wish I had one now to keep me going!
How is everyone else doing?
So far so good – I’ve finished the book I was reading first, Miles in Love, and I’ve also finished my first full book, For the King by Catherine Delors. The second was actually a very good choice – historical fiction about a real-life police investigation set in nineteenth-century Paris during Napoleon’s reign. It was very easy to power through it! Also quite a nice change from the science fiction.
Number of Books 2
Pages Read 494
Time Spent Reading 4:02
Time Spent Blogging 0:26
So far I haven’t participated in any mini-challenges aside from the starting one – two were US-only and the last isn’t a giveaway that I’m interested in – but I did have lunch earlier of that pie I mentioned. It’s also nearly time for dinner, but I’m going to start my next book, first. I think it will be another change of pace with the shorter stories in A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris.
How is it going for everyone else?
It’s nearly time for the Read-a-thon! I’m all set to start, hopefully shortly after 1. I thought I’d share my not-so-towering book pile with you all. I’ve read 4 books in the previous two Read-a-thons. While I’d like to top that, 4 books right now would be excellent. Here is the pile as it stands now:
My first aim is to finish Miles in Love, my current read. It’s an ebook, but I have 20% left, so I’ll calculate that out of the number of pages remaining. It will be quite a few pages, as the book is LONG. But then I’ll feel accomplished, and fully able to move onto other full books. I think I’ll first check in at that point! I’d like to finish that one and then four more – but we’ll see how the day goes.
See you in a few hours! Good luck to all the other ‘thon-ers – I hope to visit many of you over the next 24 hours in my breaks.
While we’re here, I thought I’d edit this post to add the introduction meme.
1) Where are you reading from today?
York, England. I’ll note this time that I’m American, which seems to be get lost in the shuffle sometimes! But I love York, and I’m all set to read after going for a walk this morning.
2) Three random facts about me…
a) Since moving to England I have discovered that steak & ale pie is the best food ever (especially as I’m shortly eating some)
b) I love flowers and plants but I’m a true black thumb gardener
c) My favorite color is yellow.
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Eight – not so many as I’ve had in the past, but all books I’m looking forward to reading.
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
See above! I’d also like to spend some time visiting other blogs.
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Get comfy, have snacks ready, and set some time aside to participate on Twitter and others’ blogs to fully enjoy the experience.
As anyone who was visiting undoubtedly noticed, my last post for the event was in hour 9. I think I lasted up until about Hour 11, falling asleep around midnight, and then got up again this morning to continue reading. I read 1311 pages in a total of 11 hours and 9 minutes.
The end of event survey:
1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Around midnight, which isn’t a huge surprise. I haven’t been able to stay awake past midnight very often since I started working – my body clock is too good at sending me to sleep!
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Of the ones I read this time around, Shades of Milk and Honey and Howl’s Moving Castle were the best choices. They were both great books and kept me very entertained – plus I read them both ridiculously fast, giving me a sense of accomplishment.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope, I am happy to sit back and read!
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I thought everything was organized pretty well. To be honest I didn’t spend much time on the mini-challenges or on the main blog – I mostly read and visited the blogs of others I knew participating.
5. How many books did you read?
I read 4 complete books and then finished the remaining half of what I was reading previously.
6. What were the names of the books you read?
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley, and Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint.
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
It’s hard to say, but a clear toss-up between Shades of Milk and Honey and Howl’s Moving Castle.
8. Which did you enjoy least?
Touching the Void. It was fine as a book, but I’m not into mountaineering which made it harder to enjoy.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
Not a cheerleader.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
Very likely, and I’d probably still be reading.
Part of my problem this time around is that I actually got tired of reading at some point Saturday evening, around dinnertime. I took a break, but I wasn’t that crazy about heading back to the couch and reading again. I’m not sure if this is just a sign that I read plenty in my normal life, so I don’t really need to spend an entire day reading, or that it was just a nice day and I didn’t like that I’d been cooped up inside all day. I would have read outside if there was an area nearby peaceful enough for reading! But never mind – I did read a lot and I actually started reading another book this afternoon, so I wasn’t put off too much!
Speaking of this afternoon, we spent the rest of today in the sunshine. Here are some lovely blue flowers:
It’s time for a (late) dinner and that makes it a great time for an update! I have finished three books so far:
- Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
- Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
I loved Howl’s Moving Castle – it’s wonderful to have read two amazing books already today! I am definitely adding more Diana Wynne Jones to my next book order. It is a shame that I have now only discovered her after her passing, but I am glad to have a huge backlist to work through before I face the fact that there won’t be any more.
I have since started reading Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley. It wasn’t in my pile, but I didn’t really want any more fantasy and my choices suddenly seemed too fantasy-heavy. This should be a nice break from that.
As for the stats, I have read for 6 1/2 hours so far and have finished 922 pages. I’m really pleased with that – I think I’m doing better than last time!
How is everyone else doing? Have you read anything amazing so far?
We’ve now been reading for 4 hours – so entering into hour 5!
Books Read:
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
Touching the Void, Joe Simpson
I’ve managed to finish both, bringing me up to a total page count of about 500. I loved the first; the second I didn’t enjoy quite so much, as I’m not particularly familiar with mountaineering and while the story itself was gripping, I kept wondering why on earth Simpson ever wanted to climb the mountain in the first place! Still, though, a good read-a-thon book, as I kept reading to find out what happened to him after the accident (since he wrote the book, it’s obvious he survived).
In total I’ve been reading for 3 hours and 45 minutes. It’s been a little more difficult because it’s a lovely sunny day outside; though I’m not actually out in it, I am enjoying the sun through the windows and the nice breeze coming through at least!
How is everyone else doing? I am going to start reading again shortly, after a few blog visits; I can’t decide whether to read Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale or Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, and I still plan to finish my current read, Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint, at some point during the Read-a-thon. We’ll see!
To evoke the British countryside and provide a bit of a visual for this otherwise text-heavy post, here’s a random picture of Rievaulx Abbey:
It’s time for the Read-a-Thon! This is my fifth one, which is hard to believe, but no less exciting for that! I’m looking forward to getting started today and meeting all of the new Read-a-thon participants as well as the ones I know already. I have my netbook, have eaten lunch, have snacks ready and a husband on meal duty, and a huge pile of books to choose from, so I am all set to go.
Here is the stack at the start:
 There are actually two stacks there, but never mind. I couldn’t stop putting more books on the pile. As it stands, though, I am starting out with Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal. I have heard amazing things about this book since well before it was published, it’s a Nebula nominee, and it arrived in the mail yesterday so I’m very excited to read it. Best of all, it’s short and I’m told it reads quickly – so it is the perfect Read-a-Thon book! I aim to continue reading it until I’ve finished, and then come back for an update, so I’ll see you all in a couple of hours.
ETA to add the intro meme:
1)Where are you reading from today?
My flat in Beverley, England.
2)Three random facts about me… food-themed, as I’ve done this before, and part of the read-a-thon fun is the snacking:
- I like cheese and hamburgers but not cheeseburgers.
- I forced myself to like tea about 4 years ago and have become an addict, so will be drinking a lot over the next 24 hours!
- I would quite happily eat pizza every day.
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
16. I know. I got excited.
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
Not really, I’d like to read more than 12 hours (my current average) and at least 4 books.
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Definitely pick short, fun books, don’t get sucked into the internet (particularly twitter) and take breaks when you need to!
Good luck to all the participants!
It’s not so early morning here, and I’ve been back and reading for a little over an hour now! I stayed up until about 1, then woke up at 8:30 to keep on going with Neither Here Nor There. I do expect to finish it before the end of the Read-a-thon, but I’ll be having a quick break for breakfast and possibly lunch, so I doubt I’ll get anything else finished. I bet I will finish a fifth book before the end of Sunday, so though I haven’t quite achieved my objective, I’ll say that’s close enough.
Strangely, I have discovered that non-fiction is definitely slower than fiction. I thought I was getting close to the same speed, but I’m really not! I don’t mind, I just think it’s bit funny, as I don’t note these things in my normal reading life. I suspect it’s because I have no real feeling of urgency to find out what happened, as I would with a book based more on plot, so I slow down a bit to enjoy.
Books Read From: 4
Pages Read: 794
Time Spent Reading: 10:15
Books Read:
- The Passport, Herta Muller
- The Lost City of Z, David Grann
- A Long Way Down, Nick Hornby
How is everyone else doing? Still awake or up again?
I’m pretty impressed that I’ve managed to stay up this late! I’ve finished three books now. A Long Way Down took me a bit longer than it should have, but mainly because I took a break to stretch and eat some cheese and crackers and forgot to note it. Silly me! I’m also reading quite slowly as I think my husband is feeling the pinch and keeps talking to me, which definitely slows things down, but I think I’ll forgive him. 
I still haven’t participated in any of the mini-challenges and I’m not sure I’m going to! I’m enjoying just reading and to be honest, I’m not really looking to win any books. I’m trying to cut down on my TBR pile, not add to it, although I wouldn’t protest if I got lucky.
My next book will be Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson. I’m switching between fiction and non-fiction and while it’s made me read a bit less, I think it’s a nice change from the usual overdose of lighter fiction books I choose for the Read-a-thon. Anyway, here’s how I’m doing:
Number of Books Read: 3
Pages Read: 624
Time Spent Reading: 8:08
Time Spent Blogging: 1:58
Ooh, I nearly missed the mid-event survey!
1. What are you reading right now?
I’m just about to start Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
2. How many books have you read so far?
3 so far.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I think this one, actually; I really like Bill Bryson and I’ve saved this one for a month or so now.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
No, I just didn’t make any plans!
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yes, I have had a few interruptions, and mostly I’ve just rolled with them. Luckily they haven’t lasted too long, so I’ve been able to get back to reading.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
Not too much really, I’m just surprised I’m still awake. I’ve been asleep at this time in the first three, I’m pretty sure. I’m not good at staying up.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Not yet!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Nothing yet; I might make more concrete plans in terms of meals and snacks like others do, but I just wasn’t organized this time around.
9. Are you getting tired yet?
I am, but hopefully I can still read a bit before dropping off.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
I don’t right now, but if or when I do I will share. =)
How’s everyone else doing now? Still good I hope!
I’ve been distracted quite a bit this evening – my husband managed to upgrade my Android phone from 1.5 to 2.1 and it’s like having a whole new phone! As a result I haven’t really put in the reading time that I wanted, although I did manage to finish The Lost City of Z, putting my total books read up to 2 so far. Not that impressive, but at least I enjoyed that one! I’m now reading A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby, which seems pretty good so far. I’m about to go leave some comments, then I’ll be back to it.
Number of books read from: 3
Titles: The Lost City of Z by David Grann, The Passport by Herta Muller, A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
Pages read: 412
Time spent reading: 5:23
Time spent blogging: 1:28
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Fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and olive oil on a crispy crust, baked in a wood-fired oven. I’ll be missing Rome’s pizzas for some time to come, and I wish I had one now to keep me going!
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