Readathon redux
Good afternoon, all! It's nearly time for the readathon to start, so here is the post where I'll do all my updates, and here is the traditional opening picture of me... this time, with my hair just trimmed so it looks less like a bird's nest!
12:50: Might as well gear up by doing the usual questions...
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Rainy Yorkshire, in the UK. Most specifically, from my blanket fort safe inside.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? It's not in my original pile, but probably Thank You, Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse. I haven't read any Wodehouse before: this will be my pick-me-up book when I'm starting to flag.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? Keep reading all the way through, I hope -- I say, beginning to yawn already... I'll probably also make sure to take some short breaks and maybe do a couple of quests on LOTRO (at least it's related to books) when I'm flagging.
Anyway, I shall be starting with Michael White's biography of C.S. Lewis, which is probably the most srs bsns thing I will read today.
13:59: I'm about a third of the way through the biography, and enjoying it. Michael White writes engagingly, and Lewis' more unconventional aspects are interesting. Going to grab my peanut butter bagel now, and then I might do the mini-challenge for this hour before settling back down.
15:09: Now about two thirds of the way through the biography! Something lighter next, I do think... Right now, I need a nice cold drink.
16:07: Nearing the end of this biography, now. I'm not much interested in the mini challenges so far, having pummelled my brain for book spine poetry too many times before, haha.
16:51: Aaand finished. Review here. Now going to reply to comments -- so many cheerleaders this year! thank you all -- and then pick my next book. I definitely need something lighter...
17:43: Now reading Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which is... not lighter, but at least very different!
18:33: Dinner time! Still reading The Dark Knight Returns, but I haven't got that much left.
19:30: Slight hiccup. Dinner disagreeing with my lack of gallbladder. Am likely to feel increasingly sick all evening. Gah. Still, just finished The Dark Knight Returns. Not a big fan of Batman. Review here.
20:45: Now reading Jane Alison's The Love Artist. Mixed feelings about it -- there's a lot of gorgeous, lush imagery. But somehow it doesn't fit with what I know about the historical period, which is kind of odd considering I'm reading it for a historical fiction course.
22:03: And finished that too, review here. Not sure what next... Looks like the next mini-challenge isn't up yet. None of them have really been tempting me so far.
23:06: I am now reading Terry Pratchett's Dodger, and pondering the joys of a hot bath.
23:25: Definitely bathtime. Bath product: Lush's Floating Island Bath Melt (sandalwood and lemon). Books: Terry Pratchett's Dodger, Katharine Beutner's Alcestis, Karen Lord's The Best of All Possible Worlds, and Laini Taylor's Dreamdark: Blackbringer. I shall report on which ones actually get read when I get out in a few hours...
02:22: Well, I haven't even finished Dodger yet -- and there's nothing that quite disrupts a leisurely bath and readathon like an email from one's professor telling one that there's an exam this week and an essay next week -- but I think once I have finished Dodger, I will actually go to bed. I think I'm getting old or something, but sitting up all night reading doesn't appeal. (Maybe because I'm rather expecting to do that once or twice in November, as while I'm away from Wales I nearly always have fits of insomnia.) Will glance at the latest mini-challenges, and then apply myself to Dodger!
02:39: Well, let's have the mid-event survey...
1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired? I'm not exactly sleepy, but my body is letting me know that sleep is the better part of valour and once I've finished this book, I'm inclined to.
2) What have you finished reading? Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Jane Alison's The Love Artist, and Michael White's C.S. Lewis.
3) What is your favorite read so far? My current read, Terry Pratchett's Dodger.
4) What about your favorite snacks? My peanut butter bagel.
5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love! 'fraid not -- as far as that goes, I'm fairly insular during the 'thon itself, though I chat to people who come round here.
I like the hour thirteen challenge too, so here we go -- as many of these as I can think up easy answers to.
Best Romance Book of Your Reading Year: It'd have to be something by Georgette Heyer. Probably The Grand Sophy or The Talisman Ring.
Best YA Book of Your Reading Year: Perhaps the one that sticks in my mind most is Kate de Goldi's The 10pm Question.
Best Mystery Book of Your Reading Year: Probably one of C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake books.
Best Non-Fiction Book of Your Reading Year: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot.
Best Sci-Fi Book of Your Reading Year: Ascension, by Jacqueline Koyanagi, perhaps.
Best Fantasy Book of Your Reading Year: John M. Ford's The Dragon Waiting probably deserves the title best. Karen Lord's Redemption in Indigo was quite high on the list, too.
Best Main Character of Your Reading Year: By so many measures, Steve Rogers.
Best Author of Your Reading Year: Hard to say, but Cherie Priest has gained my appreciation the most.
Best Setting of Your Reading Year: Possibly a cheat, as this was a reread, but it has to be Middle-earth.
...And blow it, I'm applying my athlete's foot treatment and going to bed without even finishing Dodger. I'll enjoy the rest of the readathon more with some sleep. I don't know if I'll ever do the full twenty-four hours again, but it always inspires me to get more reading done than usual anyway.
10:54: Later than planned, I'm back! And I just did the book jenga challenge...
12:04: Still reading Dodger, but I think I'll finish it before the end of the 'thon. For the previous hour's challenge, the book soundtrack, Suzanne Vega's Gypsy to go with Joanne Harris' Chocolat, and here's the final questions too:
1. Which hour was most daunting for you? 9am, when I was originally going to get up from my nap.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I think that's really according to taste. I think Terry Pratchett's Dodger would do the trick, though.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I think there were fewer US only prizes, which I appreciated.
5. How many books did you read? It'll have been four.
6. What were the names of the books you read? C.S. Lewis: The Boy Who Chronicled Narnia, Dodger, The Love Artist, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Probably Dodger.
8. Which did you enjoy least? The Dark Knight Returns.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/a.
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. I think I might read for the first chunk, do a bit of cheerleading, go to bed, and then read again from when I get up.
13:00: Dodger, finished and reviewed here, and just in time!
Stuff here is posted first to Dreamwidth. I won't disable comments here, but I prefer to receive comments on DW. Go here to do so. If you need a DW invite, ask. There is a tutorial on how to set up your OpenID here. If you comment anonymously, please sign your comments!
12:50: Might as well gear up by doing the usual questions...
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Rainy Yorkshire, in the UK. Most specifically, from my blanket fort safe inside.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? It's not in my original pile, but probably Thank You, Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse. I haven't read any Wodehouse before: this will be my pick-me-up book when I'm starting to flag.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? Keep reading all the way through, I hope -- I say, beginning to yawn already... I'll probably also make sure to take some short breaks and maybe do a couple of quests on LOTRO (at least it's related to books) when I'm flagging.
Anyway, I shall be starting with Michael White's biography of C.S. Lewis, which is probably the most srs bsns thing I will read today.
13:59: I'm about a third of the way through the biography, and enjoying it. Michael White writes engagingly, and Lewis' more unconventional aspects are interesting. Going to grab my peanut butter bagel now, and then I might do the mini-challenge for this hour before settling back down.
15:09: Now about two thirds of the way through the biography! Something lighter next, I do think... Right now, I need a nice cold drink.
16:07: Nearing the end of this biography, now. I'm not much interested in the mini challenges so far, having pummelled my brain for book spine poetry too many times before, haha.
16:51: Aaand finished. Review here. Now going to reply to comments -- so many cheerleaders this year! thank you all -- and then pick my next book. I definitely need something lighter...
17:43: Now reading Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which is... not lighter, but at least very different!
18:33: Dinner time! Still reading The Dark Knight Returns, but I haven't got that much left.
19:30: Slight hiccup. Dinner disagreeing with my lack of gallbladder. Am likely to feel increasingly sick all evening. Gah. Still, just finished The Dark Knight Returns. Not a big fan of Batman. Review here.
20:45: Now reading Jane Alison's The Love Artist. Mixed feelings about it -- there's a lot of gorgeous, lush imagery. But somehow it doesn't fit with what I know about the historical period, which is kind of odd considering I'm reading it for a historical fiction course.
22:03: And finished that too, review here. Not sure what next... Looks like the next mini-challenge isn't up yet. None of them have really been tempting me so far.
23:06: I am now reading Terry Pratchett's Dodger, and pondering the joys of a hot bath.
23:25: Definitely bathtime. Bath product: Lush's Floating Island Bath Melt (sandalwood and lemon). Books: Terry Pratchett's Dodger, Katharine Beutner's Alcestis, Karen Lord's The Best of All Possible Worlds, and Laini Taylor's Dreamdark: Blackbringer. I shall report on which ones actually get read when I get out in a few hours...
02:22: Well, I haven't even finished Dodger yet -- and there's nothing that quite disrupts a leisurely bath and readathon like an email from one's professor telling one that there's an exam this week and an essay next week -- but I think once I have finished Dodger, I will actually go to bed. I think I'm getting old or something, but sitting up all night reading doesn't appeal. (Maybe because I'm rather expecting to do that once or twice in November, as while I'm away from Wales I nearly always have fits of insomnia.) Will glance at the latest mini-challenges, and then apply myself to Dodger!
02:39: Well, let's have the mid-event survey...
1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired? I'm not exactly sleepy, but my body is letting me know that sleep is the better part of valour and once I've finished this book, I'm inclined to.
2) What have you finished reading? Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Jane Alison's The Love Artist, and Michael White's C.S. Lewis.
3) What is your favorite read so far? My current read, Terry Pratchett's Dodger.
4) What about your favorite snacks? My peanut butter bagel.
5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love! 'fraid not -- as far as that goes, I'm fairly insular during the 'thon itself, though I chat to people who come round here.
I like the hour thirteen challenge too, so here we go -- as many of these as I can think up easy answers to.
Best Romance Book of Your Reading Year: It'd have to be something by Georgette Heyer. Probably The Grand Sophy or The Talisman Ring.
Best YA Book of Your Reading Year: Perhaps the one that sticks in my mind most is Kate de Goldi's The 10pm Question.
Best Mystery Book of Your Reading Year: Probably one of C.J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake books.
Best Non-Fiction Book of Your Reading Year: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot.
Best Sci-Fi Book of Your Reading Year: Ascension, by Jacqueline Koyanagi, perhaps.
Best Fantasy Book of Your Reading Year: John M. Ford's The Dragon Waiting probably deserves the title best. Karen Lord's Redemption in Indigo was quite high on the list, too.
Best Main Character of Your Reading Year: By so many measures, Steve Rogers.
Best Author of Your Reading Year: Hard to say, but Cherie Priest has gained my appreciation the most.
Best Setting of Your Reading Year: Possibly a cheat, as this was a reread, but it has to be Middle-earth.
...And blow it, I'm applying my athlete's foot treatment and going to bed without even finishing Dodger. I'll enjoy the rest of the readathon more with some sleep. I don't know if I'll ever do the full twenty-four hours again, but it always inspires me to get more reading done than usual anyway.
10:54: Later than planned, I'm back! And I just did the book jenga challenge...
12:04: Still reading Dodger, but I think I'll finish it before the end of the 'thon. For the previous hour's challenge, the book soundtrack, Suzanne Vega's Gypsy to go with Joanne Harris' Chocolat, and here's the final questions too:
1. Which hour was most daunting for you? 9am, when I was originally going to get up from my nap.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I think that's really according to taste. I think Terry Pratchett's Dodger would do the trick, though.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I think there were fewer US only prizes, which I appreciated.
5. How many books did you read? It'll have been four.
6. What were the names of the books you read? C.S. Lewis: The Boy Who Chronicled Narnia, Dodger, The Love Artist, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Probably Dodger.
8. Which did you enjoy least? The Dark Knight Returns.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/a.
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. I think I might read for the first chunk, do a bit of cheerleading, go to bed, and then read again from when I get up.
13:00: Dodger, finished and reviewed here, and just in time!
Stuff here is posted first to Dreamwidth. I won't disable comments here, but I prefer to receive comments on DW. Go here to do so. If you need a DW invite, ask. There is a tutorial on how to set up your OpenID here. If you comment anonymously, please sign your comments!