Readathon Update #3

Hour: 10

Time: 5:00pm EST

Read/listened to since last update: Still working on Something Missing and The Reader

Brief thoughts on what I’ve read: Same as the last update — enjoying both. They’re great foils to one another in pretty much every way! I spent a lot more time blogging and commenting in this three-hour stretch than I have in the past two, so I didn’t get particularly far with either.

Other Readathon-related activities: A bit of cheerleading; Minichallenges! Armchair Travelling (see below), Book Puzzle (see below), Love to Hate (see below), Shake Your Pom Poms Minichallenge (see below)

Where I stand overall:

• The Phantom Tollbooth: 20 / 20 chapters read (DONE!)
• The Reader: 15 / 46 chapters read
• A Most Improper Magic: 0 / 21 chapters read
• The Report (10 chapters done before Readathon): 10 / 48 chapters read
• Something Missing: 6 / 17 chapters read
• Interpreter of Maladies: 0 / 9 stories read
• Housekeeping vs. the Dirt: 0 / 14 essays read
• An Abundance of Katherines: 0 / 19 chapters read
• A Thousand Splendid Suns: 0 / 51 chapters read
• Al Capone Shines My Shoes (audiobook) (5 hrs 40 mins done before Readathon): 5 hrs 40 mins / 7 hrs 51 mins listened to
• Fahrenheit 451 (audiobook): 0 hrs 0 mins / 5 hrs 8 mins listened to

For a little about why I chose each book as well as the authors, please see my initial book selection post.
For an explanation of my update format, reading time, etc., please see my initial Saturday post.

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Armchair Traveling Minichallenge:

I think the book that most thoroughly transported me from my home to a realistic location was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. The author, David Wroblewski, does a phenomenal job creating a farm and its surrounding town in remote northern Wisconsin. Without feeling like I was in any way drowning in description, I could imagine every inch of that farm, and when I was reading, I was there.

A couple of YA series have also done an amazing job of creating worlds I would or would not actually want to visit! I’d love to experience the magic of Harry Potter, but I would want no part of The Hunger Games in real life!

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Book Puzzle Minichallenge:

Which book title does this photo (of my awesome drawings…ha) represent?

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Love to Hate Minichallenge:

The top five characters I love to hate (at the moment) are:

1. Mama Elena from Like Water for Chocolate
2. Claude from The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
3. President Snow from The Hunger Games trilogy
4. Someone I can’t name from Graceling because doing so would be a major spoiler to those who haven’t read it
5. Ralph from World Without End

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Shake Your Pom Poms Minichallenge:

Some days we’re busy, busy,
We race ’round at full speed,
But today’s the read-a-thon —
Sit your butt down and just read!

Forget those pesky errands,
From duties you are freed.
Today’s the read-a-thon —
Sit your butt down and just read!

Your friends might come a-calling,
You might have mouths to feed,
But today’s the read-a-thon —
SIT YOUR BUTT DOWN AND JUST READ!!