Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon

Dewey’s 24-hour Read-a-thon kicks off at 6 am!  I’m going to post everything in one post as the day goes on so it doesn’t clog up anyone’s reader or email.  My latest updates will be at the top.  Can’t wait to get started!

So, I nodded off sometime between hour 19 and 20 (which is like 12:30 am).  But I wanted to do the wrap up post.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 19.  I couldn’t stay awake anymore.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner.  Very fast paced and engaging.  I couldn’t put the last book down.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? There weren’t a lot of variety of prizes.  I wish there had been more YA books to chose from.  Maybe there could be more incentive for donating prizes this year, like traffic to your blog somehow?
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? It felt very organized.  I especially liked the list of readers who were participating.
5. How many books did you read? 2 and I started a 3rd.
6. What were the names of the books you read? Remembrance by Michelle Madow and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Remembrance.
8. Which did you enjoy least? The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide.  Man, it was like reading an encyclopedia (oh wait, it is an encyclopedia.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I was not a cheerleader, but I enjoyed the ones that stopped by my blog.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I really liked being a reader. It was a lot of fun!

Read-a-thon Totals:

Time read since 12 am: 30 minutes

Pages read: 17

Book I’m reading: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Total Books read: 2, started a 3td (Remembrance by Michelle Madow and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer.  Started Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.)

Total Pages read: 478

Total Time spent actually reading and not dinking around: 10.5 hours

Mini-challenges entered: 8/24

Prizes won: 1

12 am:

Time read since 11 pm: 30 minutes

Pages read: 12

Book I’m reading: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Total Books read: 2

Total Pages read so far: 461

Total Time spent actually reading and not dinking around: 10 hours

I don’t really know what @_@ means, but I think if I looked in the mirror, that’s what my eyes would look like.

11 pm:

Time read since 10 pm: 45 minutes

Pages read: 17

Finished: The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide

Total Books read: 2

Total Pages read so far: 449

Total Time spent actually reading and not dinking around: 9.25 hours

I finished both my books!  Yay!  I even wrote reviews for both of them.  So…what should I read now?  I think I’ll start re-reading Twilight early.  I was going to start on Monday, but what the heck.  I’m a little confused at what prize I’ll actually be winning.  The site hosting the challenge that I won said I could pick a book from the trailers so I picked Wither by Lauren DeStefano.  But then they have a prize list so I picked Jane Austen Made Me Do It.  I guess I’ll just be surprised which one I get :)

So this is hour 18.  My eyes are starting to feel like this @_@

10 pm:

Time read since 9 pm: 45 minutes

Pages read: 79

Book I’m reading: The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide

Total Pages read so far: 432

Total Time spent actually reading and not dinking around: 8.5 hours

I got to skip a lot of pages because they had pictures on them.  I have less than 20 pages left to go!  Looks like I’m going to start re-reading Twilight early.  Speaking of re-reading, here’s the next mini-challenge

Mini Challenge at The Blue Stocking Society

Go back to your blog, and give us a list of your top favorite rereads of all time. You know, those books that you can go to time and time again for comfort and escape. 

I don’t generally like re-reading books, but the books that I can read over and over again are:

• The Twilight Saga
• Harry Potter series
• Lord of the Rings

9 pm:

Time read since 8 pm: 30 minutes

Pages read: 16

Book I’m reading: The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide

Husband got me munchies!  He’s the best ever.  He got me sparkling cider, lime chips and chocolate.  He knows me so well.  Husband also wants to know how me reading and blogging all day long today is different than other days.  Huh.  He has a point.

Wait, what’s this? I WON I WON!  Dance of glee!  I’m getting Jane Austen Made Me Do It by Laurel Ann Nattress.  It feels like I’m officially in the read-a-thon when I can hold up a real life book and say, “I won this from Dewey’s 24-hour Read-a-thon!” (On a side note, and not that I’m not grateful, I’m noticing a serious lack of good YA stuff on the prize list and most of these books I’ve never heard of.  But I can’t go wrong with Jane Austen, right?)  I’m so happy that I won the book trailer challenge.

8 pm:

Time read since 7 pm: 45 minutes

Pages read: 47

Book I’m reading: The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide

It’s now hour 15.  I have the munchies.  I’ve been looking for oreos but they must have been eaten by my kids.  I don’t even like oreos.  That’s how desperate it’s gotten.  The Twilight Saga guide is as dull as poop to read from cover to cover.  Makes a nice reference to the series though.  But seriously, don’t read it cover to cover.

7 pm:

Time read since 6 pm: 0 minutes

Pages read: 0

Finished: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

I spent the last hour reading all the extra scenes from Michelle Madow’s website and listening to the whole playlist.  Whew!  That hour flew by. I need to eat dinner now and finish reading The Twilight Saga Guide.  My book is glaring at me guys.  It needs to be read and put back on the shelf.

6 pm:

Time read since 5 pm: 45 minutes

Pages read: 48

Finished: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? I just finished Remembrance by Michelle Madow.  I’m now going to finish The Twilight Saga Official Guide that I’ve been reading for 5 months now :)
2. How many books have you read so far? 1
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? More challenges!
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Kind-of.  Husband took kids costume shopping to make it easier to read.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I had to shower and do my hair.  I didn’t have to deal with it.  I felt no guilt whatsoever.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How little time I’m actually reading :)  So many fun events and blogs to see.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Maybe the hosts on read-a-thon site could post ideas for us to do like creative status updates or creative things that they’ve seen on other blogs.  Kind of like a news feed so that even though I’m not reading other blogs I can get an idea of what’s going on.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Uh, nothing.  I know I’m not spending much time reading but the online experience is half the fun!  I can read all day long by myself any old day.
9. Are you getting tired yet? If I’m being honest, my butt is a wee bit tired.
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’m using Goodreads to help me keep track of how many pages I have read.

5 pm:

Time read since 4 pm: 30 minutes

Pages read: 16

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Hour 12!  Half way there! I’m reading inside now with the window open as a nice compromise to reading outside.  I did my hair and thanks to my sassy new haircut it only took 15 minutes :)  Why the low page numbers?  Maybe I didn’t read the whole thirty minutes and got distracted again?  I don’t know.

Mini Challenge at Erin Reads

Here’s what you must do to participate in the Hodge-Podge Proposals Mini-Challenge. First, grab a pen and paper, open up a text file, or fire up your memory and list:

1. The first name of any character in the book you’re currently reading (or just finished)
2. The make or model of your current car, whichever you like better (if you don’t have a car, use one you’ve had or would like to have)
3. A job you think would be especially fascinating

Drew Chevy is an agent for famous people.  No, he can’t tell you who they are.  But one day, his most famous client, whom we will call “Robert” decided that he wanted to switch places.  Drew could be famous and he could be his agent.  The only problem:  What does an agent do? They are both determined to find out. 

I know, super lame.  But husband and I were talking about agents and wondering: How do you become one?  What do they do exactly?  Is it something you can major in at college?  Do people aspire to become an agent or does it just happen if they know the right people?  If anyone knows the answers to these question, please tell me!

4 pm:

Time read since 3 pm: 40 minutes

Pages read: 38

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Reading outside was nice, but too cold and breezy for my taste.  But here is the view of my mountains from where I was reading.

Mini Challenge at Quirky Girls Read

Post your favorite book trailer. Mine is from The Death Cure by James Dashner

http://youtu.be/Mbb3zZoTSHY

3 pm:

Time read since 2 pm: 0 minutes

Pages read: 0

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

I decided to take a shower and visit a few blogs.  I am going to get some food and head outside.  I will even take a picture of my mountains for you all to see.  I feel like the Rocky Mountains are my friends in a way that watch out for me.  I look at them a lot and they make me feel a sense of wonder.

2 pm:

Time read since 1 pm: 20 minutes

Pages read: 22

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

I spent to much time on the last mini challenge, but it was a lot of fun.  Now I really need to shower.  This is hour 9 of the read-a-thon!

1 pm:

Time read since 12 pm: 30 minutes

Pages read: 21

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Mini Challenge at White Ink Drops

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.

1. What song does the book I’m reading right now remind me of? So ironic because I’ve listened to two songs since reading Remembrance by Michelle Madow: Love Song by Taylor Swift and Minuet in F Major K.2 by Mozart.
2. What song does my favorite book remind me of? More than Words by Extreme reminds me of the book Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.  Sam plays a guitar, like in the song, and he changes into a werewolf.  His love with Grace goes beyond words. :)
3. Can I find a connection between one of my favorite songs and a story I like? Mona Lisa by Grant-Lee Phillips.  It reminds me of the bittersweet love story of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt and how nothing stays the same.  Time changes everything.

12 pm:

Time read since 11 am: 40 minutes

Pages read: 29

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

I got my music major geek on by trying to find the Mozart Minuet that Michelle talks about in her book.  I found the right one after telling her the wrong one on twitter ;)  Feeling a little sheepish.  Oh well.  (If you want to know, it’s Minuet in F Major K.2  I told her K.5.  They are both in F major!  It’s not my fault!)  I ate a nice lunch of pasta with a marinara and bacon sauce.  I’ve been reading standing up cuz like I said, butt is hurting.  I’m off to visit a few more blogs and read some more.  Maybe shower.

11 am:

Time read since 10 am: 10 minutes

Pages read: 12

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

I got kind of distracted by my kids and brewing a potion on Pottermore.  I also visited a few blogs to see what other people are doing for the read-a-thon.  In other news, my book is getting really good!  The kids are gone now, so I’m hoping I’ll get more reading done in the next hour.

Mini Challenge at Lisa’s World of Books

What are the 5 books you are looking forward to in the next few months or really into next year?

1. Destined (Wings #4) by Aprilynne Pike
2. Vengeance by Michelle Madow
3. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
4. Endlessly by Kiersten White
5. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

10 am:

Time read since 9 am: 50 minutes

Pages read: 48

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

This read-a-thon is fun!  On a side note, my butt kind of hurts.

Mini Challenge at Just One More Thing

To enter our mini-challenge just tell us your favorite way to share a book – brief description, picture, poem or even a link to a previous blog post – anything that expresses how you share your love of reading. 

My favorite way to share a book is to find out books that people have liked in the past and try to find a book that matches their tastes. I think of it as setting someone up on a blind date with a book! I usually give this advice without being asked, but sometimes my friends and family actually read and like books I’ve recommended. Thanks for this challenge!

9 am:

Time read since 8 am: 30 minutes

Pages read: 25

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

I keep getting distracted by Twitter.  I might have to turn it off. :)  I’ve eaten a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin and I’m ready to read some more!

8 am:

Time read since 7 am: 30 minutes

Pages read: 31

Book I’m reading: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Mini Challenge from One Librarian’s Book Reviews

For this challenge, you will be creating a Book Puzzle. Essentially, this is a series of pictures, graphics, or photos that you put together that will describe a book title. I know.  My puzzle is kind of lame, but it was fun to make!

7 am:

I’m awake now and here’s my introduction post.

1)Where are you reading from today? I live in Utah.
2)Three random facts about me…  I hate ice cream, I sleep like a rock (he he that’s why I slept in:), and the most fun thing I’ve ever done is go to Europe for a whole month with my husband and 18 month old son while I was four months pregnant.  Maybe that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done…
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? I have two books I want to finish for sure – Remembrance by Michelle Madow and The Twilight Saga Official Illustrated Guide.  I’ll go from there if I finish them both.
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)? I want to read an insane number of hours – like 16 at least.  We’ll see what I’m capable of since this is my first year.

Mini-Challenge At Home With Books

My challenge for you is to take a photo of something that represents a character in one of the books you are reading for the readathon. I’m reading Remembrance by Michelle Madow and the Taylor Swift music video of Love Story inspired the book so here’s a picture of Taylor Swift!

6 am:

Slept in. Crap.