Readathon Updates: April 2011

For the last Readathon, I posted separate updates every few hours. This year, I’m borrowing Amanda’s strategy of keeping one post and updating it periodically. That way I won’t fill up anyone’s reader or inbox any more than usual. For an overview of the day as well as minichallenges, scroll down!

And with that…I’m off to READ!

Updates

8:00 am EST (my start time): I’m ready to go! My stack awaits. Now all I have to do is decide where to start!

12:00 pm: Just finished my first book: Nazareth, North Dakota by Tommy Zurhellen, which I really enjoyed. Snack time, then I’ll have to pick what to read next. Thanks to all the cheerleaders–you guys are awesome! I’ll be visiting people later in the day.

4:00 pm: Took a break to eat lunch with my husband, then started Made for You and Me by Caitlin Shetterly. Took a cookie break, checked in online, then read some more. I’m still pretty happy reading; I don’t feel tired yet. I’m waiting for my energy to flag a bit before I do some blog hopping and cheering, since that always perks me back up!

8:00 pm: Finished Made for You and Me by Caitlin Shetterly! I really enjoyed it, even more than I’d expected to. I’m not sure what I’ll choose next, but dinner stands between me and my next book, so I have some time to think.

12:00 am: First, a HUGE thank you to all the cheerleaders, both official and unofficial, who have been making the rounds! I love hearing from you guys. You’re awesome! These last four hours started out with a much needed dinner. Since then, I’ve been reading Hush by Eishes Chayil, which has been extremely absorbing. I’m hoping to have that one done in the next couple of hours…if I don’t fall asleep first!

4:00 am: Ack, sleepy! I started losing steam around 1 am. Thank goodness for engaging YA! Though it’s still taken me about twice as long to finish Hush by Eishes Chayil as it should have. I’ve just started Wither by Lauren DeStefano but I’m not particularly optimistic about how far I’ll get!

6:00 am: I’m out. I just spent 2 hours “reading” the first 20 pages of Wither by Lauren DeStefano. I’m so intrigued by the book, but alas, my sleepiness won. After an unintended and lengthy nap in my reading chair, I’m crawling into bed. I’ll post my final wrap-up later today. Goodnight, all! To those still participating…go, go, GO!

Summary

• I finished 3 books
• I read for 14 hours and 10 minutes
• I cheered for 1 hour and 25 minutes
• I completed 12 minichallenges and 2 memes

Minichallenges & Memes

Introduction Meme:

1)Where are you reading from today? Pennsylvania, USA
2)Three random facts about me: I’m the oldest of four kids, I love Ben Folds, and library sales are my downfall!
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? 11 print books and 2 audiobooks (not expecting to get to even half!)
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Just get as much read as I can, and enjoy myself.
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? Have a pile of books your choosing from. Don’t just stand staring at your shelves every time you need a new book! Also, if heavier, denser books aren’t working for you, switch to something lighter. I love YA for readathons.

Collaborative Fiction

Oldies but Goodies

Book Club Recommendations

In Other Words

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? I just finished my second book, so…nothing! About to choose my next book.
2. How many books have you read so far? Two
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Wither by Lauren DeStefano…I’m counting on it to keep me awake through the middle of the night!
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope…this was one of my only completely free weekends, conveniently.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? My sister called, which was a nice break. That’s it!
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How un-tired I’ve been.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Not so far!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Hmm…not sure yet. I’ll have to reconsider this question once I get to the finish line!
9. Are you getting tired yet? I’m just starting to, but it’s dinnertime, so that should help.
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 can’t believe how satisfying it is to read books I can get through quickly.

Book Habits

Book Sentence

Character Theme Song

Classic/Paranormal Tome

Character Crush

Bookish Humor

Picturiffic

For Wither by Lauren DeStefano, which I’ve only just started. I don’t know much about the book’s plot yet, but based on the title, this is exactly the sort of image that comes to mind when I think of the book. (Photo credit)

Book Trailers

Here’s the trailer for Wither by Lauren DeStefano, the book I was supposed to be reading when I finally fell asleep! I didn’t get to it during the readathon, but it still looks great and I’ll read it soon. I’m not always the biggest book trailer fan, but this one is one of the better ones I’ve seen:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJD_C0eh_K8