Medieval Bookworm

Final update before I begin!  Here is the final stack, plus some snacks.

And the titles:

• Carry On, Jeeves, P.J. Wodehouse – Always wanted to try one of these and I just got it from the library this morning, so I figured I’d toss it in!
• Smoke and Mirrors, Neil Gaiman – I like Neil Gaiman and I didn’t have any short stories, so this is another library pick.
• Magic Bites, Ilona Andrews – This is supposed to be great urban fantasy, never enough of that.
• Scandal in Spring, Lisa Kleypas – Last in the Wallflower quartet – not the best, but entertaining enough.
• Hunting Ground, Patricia Briggs – Next in the Alpha and Omega series, I believe I am starting with this!
• The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, & The Titan’s Curse, all by Rick Riordan, light YA that I’m hoping will speed by.
• The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, & The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner – I am so excited for these YA fantasies and I know I’d like to read them all in a row, so we’ll see if I fit them in.
• Heart’s Blood, Juliet Marillier – adult fantasy that I know will completely absorb me, essential in the read-a-thon.
• Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris – humor.  I think I’m saving this for the early hours, if I read it.
• Compromised, Kate Noble – Another romance, something I know will absorb me and help me stay up later.
• Much Ado About You, Eloisa James – see above.
• Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris – this might be number two, if I think I can switch urban fantasy worlds.

And that’s a grand total of 16 books!  No way I can read all of them, but I’ll have plenty of choice.  Keith is starting his game-a-thon with Tomb Raider, in case anyone is interested, and he wants to get all the way through TRI and start II.  I don’t know if we’re going to stay up 24 hours.  We’re going to try though!  We have all our snacks ready and have had lunch, so we are all set to go.

Good luck everyone!!

1. What are you reading right now?

Halfway through Oakleaf Bearers by John Flanagan.  I think this has a different name outside the UK.  It’s the fourth in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

2. How many books have you read so far?

4 total.  This is my fifth.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

I’m not sure I’m going to get through another book!  I don’t know which one I’ll pick, either.  I just stood in front of my bookshelves for a while, having shunned my pile, before I chose this one.  I might go for the short stories in Tea and Other Ayama Na Tales next if I haven’t fallen asleep when I finish this book.  I’m sure I’ll be up before 1 tomorrow, though, and I’m not sure what I’ll choose then.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Not really.  I just had to do extra work ahead of time.  Keith wasn’t meant to visit this weekend anyway.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

My parents called a couple of times, but that’s it.  I’ve been hiding in my room all day.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

Hmm, I’m not sure.  It’s about how I’d expected it to be.  I think I was expecting to go on twitter more, and I’m finding myself too tired to focus on it.  I know, I’m a little wimpy, it’s only 2:30 am!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Nope, it’s going pretty well so far I think.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

We’ll be married by the next time, if one is held in October, and I think what I will like is having someone else prepare and buy me food!  Assuming he is willing.

9. Are you getting tired yet?

Oh, you’d better believe it.  I’m not a late night person these days.

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?

Not really!  I’ve picked books that for the most part are very absorbing, so I’m not having all that much trouble focusing on them, just keeping my eyes open for it.

Thanks again for the support, everyone.  I’m too tired to check up on people at this stage, but I’ll either get a second wind or be back to see how everyone’s doing after a nap.

So far I’m not liking The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever as much as Quinn’s other works. It’s going by very quickly, but it’s not as much fun as the best of her books.  In fact, I’m even noticing the bad writing, which is generally a bad sign.  Too many paragraphs starting with “and” or “but”.  Oh well.  It’s still decent, just not as good.

And for the mini-challenge:

1. What is the name of your local library? What city is it located in?

York Central Library and it’s right in the center of York, next to a museum and the medieval walls.

2. How often do you go to the library? If you’re a regular, do the staff know you?

Maybe once a week? The staff don’t know me, but I’ve applied for a job there, so they might in future.

3. Do you browse while you’re there or just pick up items you have placed on reserve?

I browse if I have time! I haven’t been too successful there lately though. I think more people are using it as a result of the recession.

4. What is your favorite thing about your local library?

Well, honestly, free books. I love that I can get lots of non-fiction and craft books there too, which are normally more expensive than fiction, and I can justify checking out books I wouldn’t necessarily want to buy.

And, back I go! Hope it’s going well for everyone else. I’m off to check!

Okay, I’ve now got less than 100 pages left in Dead Until Dark, but I’m hungry, so I’m taking a break for curry!  Here’s how I’m doing so far:

I really hope that turns out as pretty as it looks in Excel.  Number of books is how many I’ve read from, not how many I’ve completed.  This hour (well, actually, hour 5) I also entered my first mini-challenge, right here, with a great video of Bill Bailey, my favorite comedian.  Since I’m going to be eating for a bit, and I don’t want to get curry on my book, I’ll be around for a little bit and hopefully catch up on google reader.  In the next couple of hours, I hope to finish Dead Until Dark. Not sure if I’ll move on to the next Sookie Stackhouse book or go for a little YA with John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series or even go for a romance that I know I can finish quickly and enjoy.  Time will tell!

Thanks for the comments everyone!  I’m really appreciating the encouragement.