October 2019 Read-a-thon Part II

Just over two-thirds of the way through. I've finished my second book and am just about half-way through the third.

I'm a bit late for the mid-survey response, but here it is anyway!

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? Blue Sky by Kate Atkinson
2. How many books have you read so far? 2 and a bit
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith. I think it will keep me going during the wee hours of the night.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Went to the Canada-Ireland field hockey Olympic qualifier. The traffic was more of an interruption than the game, though I read a bit on my phone while I was moving an inch a minute.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? I'm nowhere near as fast or focused a reader as I used to be. I think it's partly because I've been reading a lot on my phone while walking to work, so I'm not reading with full concentration.

Read-a-thon 2019

Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon starts tomorrow morning, but as I am less than functional at 5am, I thought I would get a post started so I can jump right into the mini-challenges and reading.

I don't have to play field hockey tomorrow (and I'll have time to get some sleep in before my Sunday game), so the only thing that will take me away from reading is the Canada-Ireland Olympic qualifying match, which I bought a ticket for before I decided to sign up for the read-a-thon. But I'm pretty good at multi-tasking, so I'll read a book on my phone while I'm watching.

I have my stack of books ready, I have snacks and pizza to keep me fueled and hopefully my wifi will cooperate all day. Now to bed to get a few hours sleep before my alarm goes off!

Opening Survey:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?  Vancouver, BC

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Fall of Giants. I love a meaty historical novel, but I think I'm going to have to wait until the afternoon to tackle it when I'm more likely to be wide awake.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Sour Skittles. I snuck some Hallowe'en candy from the office stash for some sugar highs

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I love to read, play sports and play the trumpet. 

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? I haven't participated since last October - this time I should have more time to devote to my reading and I'll like to do more mini-challenges this year as well.

Update - 1pm PST
Heading out to the game. I've finished one book and am halfway through the next, but I'll put it aside to read on my phone while I'm watching the game.  

Then it's pedal to the medal until the finish line. I'd like to finish four books and get a good start on a longer book.

Dewey's Readathon October 2018 - part 2

It's just after 10pm PST - 17 hours into the readathon, and while I certainly haven't put the number of pages behind me that I would have liked to by this point, I have at least finished three books, which would under normally circumstances would have taken a couple of weeks to get through.

Moving on to book #4, which was actually book #3 until I I had to go out for a few hours and I realized my battery would die on my phone, so I detoured to the library to pick up a book to tide me over until I got home again.

Crossing the finish line - while I won't go so far as to say I stayed awake the full 24 hours, I came close. I power-napped to an audio book from about 1:30-3am, then finished off Juliet, Naked just before 5am.

Closing Survey!

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? - Probably the first. I am not a person that does well waking up at 5am.
2. Tell us ALLLLL the books you read! Still Life by Louise Penny, The Soul of America by Jon Meacham, The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday by Alexander McCall Smith, Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. I also read a few pages of Russka by Edward Rutherfurd on my phone while I was walking to the voting station, until the battery started to die, and I powernapped to The Rogue Prince by GRRM.
3. Which books would you recommend to other Read-a-thoners? The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday - or really anything by Alexander McCall Smith. It's a gentle and fast read, so you get the satisfaction of finishing a book fairly easily, while being soothed.
4. What’s a really rad thing we could do during the next Read-a-thon that would make you happy? Just having them makes me happy.
5. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? Would you be interested in volunteering to help organize and prep? I'll definitely participate again. I'm too overloaded to help with organizing at the moment, but if they're still going on when I'm closer to retirement (or at least down to one job)...

Dewey's Read-a-thon - Ready, Set, Go!

It's bright and early Saturday morning and my alarm went off way too early, but I'm up, showered and ready to read! Settling in now for book one - I'm going to start with a re-read as a warm-up, Still Life by Louise Penny.

Update - 9:30am

Four and a half hours in and I've finished Still Life. My eyes are mostly awake now, so I'm moving on to The Soul of America, which is on my iPhone. I've learned not to start (or end with a non-fiction book), but I'm feeling awake and ready to tackle something new.

Update 3:30pm

Second book finished. I've started Juliet, Naked, not because of the movie, but because I realized I had a Nick Hornby book on my bookshelf that I hadn't actually read yet. I have to head out for a few hours, though - first and foremost to vote and then to have a couple of drinks in honour of a friend who would have been celebrating his 60th today. But I have a book loaded on my phone and long practice in walking unsafely while reading. 

Dewey's Read-a-thon - October 20

I just signed up for the semi-annual Dewey's Read-a-thon, my favourite time of the half year! I'm looking forward to putting together my list of books, stocking up on energy drinks so that I can make it to the finish line (and wake up in the morning), and having an excuse to order pizza so that I don't waste any time cooking. I have one social engagement this year that will cost me a couple of hours, but I'll be reading on the bus there and back!

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Part 2

We're well past the halfway point, but the wifi is being challenging, so I'm not able to update as often as I'd like.

I'm on book three, but Mom has abandoned reading in favour of a rerun of Midsomer Murders. I'm hoping to do a few more mini-challenges (I just did some exercise for hour 17 and thought up a great summer road trip for hour 18) and finish at least two more books before I hit hour 24 (or fall asleep)...

Readathon - Opening hours

And we're off!


Opening Survey
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Victoria, BC
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? The Secret Garden - I saw the musical last week and need to fill in the plot gaps.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Bacon from the breakfast buffet
4) Tell us a little something about yourself. I work for a wine festival and theatre company. I play field hockey, trumpet and attempt to play golf. And I love to read, of course! 
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? It's been a couple of years - I'll probably be less competitive. I'm visiting family, so I'll be taking longer breaks to socialize than I normally would.

My mother is joining in, but isn't technologically inclined, so I'll update for her as well. 

10:20am PST

Into hour six now and I've finished my first book. Mom is reading and dozing - I'll keep her page count for her. I'm at 340 with one mini-challenge completed.

Hour 9 Mini-Challenge:

Mid-afternoon snack of orange juice and scone. About two-thirds the way through the book and halfway through the scone.

4:20 pm PST

Second book finished - Rather be the Devil by Ian Rankin. I haven't read a Rebus in ages. 

My mother finished her first book - Deader Homes & Gardens by Joan Hess. We're going to have to be social for a couple of hours with the family, but I'll bring my phone to sneak some reading in when I get a chance...

Mid-Event Survey! (add link or comment below)
1. What are you reading right now? Just about to start Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. My mother is reading The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch.
2. How many books have you read so far? Finished two - my mother has finished one.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The one I'm on. I was thrilled it was available at the library when I was loading up OverDrive.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Just meal interruptions. We're about to go for dinner with family, so I've just resigned myself to losing a couple of hours.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How tired I am :) I usually don't start to get tired until much later, but I didn't sleep much last night. My mother appears to be surprised by how fast I read...