April 2015 Readathon Updates!

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It’s tiiiiiime! *happy dance*

Update #1: 5am PDT

Good morning, fellow readers! It’s 5am where I am, and though I know many of you are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and already delving into books and snacks, I’m most likely still asleep, saving up energy for a full day of reading.

I just wanted to let you know that I haven’t forgotten, and that I’ll be joining you soon!

(P.S. Reading by email? Click through to the site to see updates to this post as the day progresses!)

Update #2: 7:06am PDT

I’m up! I have a feeling today is going to be heavy on audiobooks, as I have a whole bunch of things to do around the house…starting with making breakfast! As soon as I finish this update, I’m off to whip up some oatmeal while listening to Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

  • Currently reading: N/A
  • Currently listening to: Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
  • Running total of pages read: 0
  • Running total of time spent reading: 0
  • Running total of time spent listening: 0

Mini-challenges:

  • Kickoff Meme
    1. What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Outside of San Francisco, California
    2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Probably Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple, which I’ll be listening to
    3. Which snack are you most looking forward to? Popsicles!
    4. Tell us a little something about yourself! Let’s see. Fiction of most stripes is my favorite, and I love audiobooks. I’m a knitter and a quilter. I’m an Ohio transplant to the West Coast. I have one cat, who I’m sure will make an appearance at some point today!
    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? I wasn’t up for the start time…that’s different! I’m trying to go easy on myself this time around, which is hard, because I want to participate as much as possible.
  • Classic Words of Wisdom

    “…until the end comes, enjoy your life,
    spend it in happiness, not despair.
    Savor your food, make each of your days
    a delight, bathe and anoint yourself,
    wear bright clothes that are sparkling clean,
    let music and dancing fill your house,
    love the child who holds you by the hand,
    and give your wife pleasure in your embrace.
    That is the best way for a man to live.”
    — From Gilgamesh, translated by Stephen Mitchell

    I love this quote because it reminds me of how I want to live my life. I’m someone who easily gets bogged down in little things and can stew over a problem far longer than necessary. I also love how these words from an ancient epic gives us permission to live our lives with joy, pleasure, and love. To me, that’s something worth remembering!

Update #3: 12:56m PDT

It’s definitely been a listening day so far! I’m really enjoying Where’d You Go, Bernadette? on audio and have gotten laundry folded, a knitting project finished, and food made. At this rate, I’m going to need another audiobook before the event is over! I did read a bit of Diary of a Provincial Lady, which is really fun and makes for quick reading. I’ve also done a few mini-challenges, which are fun.

  • Currently reading: Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
  • Currently listening to: Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
  • Running total of pages read: 71
  • Running total of time spent reading: 57 minutes
  • Running total of time spent listening: 3 hours, 38 minutes

Mini-challenges:

  • Treasure Hunt: Here are my three books containing a snow, a tree, and a weapon:

Readathon Treasure Hunt Mini Challenge

  • Book Spine Poetry: Mine reads “Crossing to safety, their eyes were watching God. Small wonder everything is illuminated; little altars everywhere.”

Readathon Book Spine Poetry Mini Challenge

Update #4: 4:24pm PDT

All listening for the past block of time. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? on audio is utterly absorbing! I cooked lunch, cleaned the kitchen, and then settled down to knit some more. I’m feeling a little sleepy, too, and listening while doing something with my hands keeps me awake better than reading does.

  • Currently reading: Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
  • Currently listening to: Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
  • Running total of pages read: 71
  • Running total of time spent reading: 57 minutes
  • Running total of time spent listening: 6 hours, 46 minutes

Mini-challenges:

  • In 100 Years…
    • The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: This book has a solid plot, memorable characters, emotional depth, and relevant themes — all things that contribute to a book becoming a classic, in my opinion!
    • Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell: This one is such a literary masterpiece, such a work of creativity and delight, that I sincerely hope it will be enchanting readers for centuries to come.
    • Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer: Not only does this novel grapple with a modern tragedy, it does so through a character whose voice is unique and powerful.
  • Mid-Event Meme:
    1. What are you reading right now? See above!
    2. How many books have you read so far? I haven’t finished anything (slow reader here!)
    3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Finishing Where’d You Go, Bernadette? I couldn’t stop myself from listening to the rest of it if I tried.
    4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Not really. Just a few brief conversations with my husband, who decided not to participate in the readathon after all and was trying to get stuff done around the house.
    5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much I don’t actually want to read! I may end up listening to books for the rest of the event. That’d be a first.

Update #5: 9:06pm PDT

The listening continues! I finished Where’d You Go, Bernadette? (fantastic, and fantastically read as well) and started in on The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert — different, but also really good so far. I had dinner, but mostly I’ve been knitting while I listen. I doubt I’ll make it for more than a couple more hours.

  • Currently reading: Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
  • Currently listening to: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • Running total of pages read: 71
  • Running total of time spent reading: 57 minutes
  • Running total of time spent listening: 10 hours, 22 minutes (whoa!)

Mini-challenges:

  • Music Is Muse: I listened to Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple earlier today, and in it the characters listen to Abbey Road by the Beatles. I’ve had “Here Comes the Sun” stuck in my head ever since! It was a mother-daughter moment, where two generations connected in a way neither probably expected. But since that’s such an easy answer, I’d also say Carole King’s “Where You Lead” for the same relationship. Partly the Gilmore girls come to mind, yes…but also, if you’ve read the book (no spoilers!) and think about the lyrics, well…it’s a pretty good fit (minus the specific relationship stuff, of course).
  • Reading Story: Today I’d rather listen than read!

Update #6: 10:01pm PDT

Aaaaaand I’m done. Too tired to read, and my hands are actually getting sore from all the knitting. So it’s bedtime for me! I got in just about 12 solid hours of book time today, and I’m happy with that.

  • Currently reading: Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield
  • Currently listening to: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • Running total of pages read: 71
  • Running total of time spent reading: 57 minutes
  • Running total of time spent listening: 11 hours

If you’re still reading…have fun!!

Join the Conversation

12 Comments

  1. Erin, we have the same start time, so I know what you mean! See you when you wake up! 🙂

  2. You west coast folks amaze me! I don’t think I could manage to get up that early on a weekend. Sounds like your day is off to a good start. Happy reading! #TeamPopper

  3. Wahoo! I hope you’re loving Bernadette, I’ve heard the audio is sublime (though I read that one with my eyeballs and it was excellent that way too.) Hope your Readathon is fantastic! #TeamPopper is cheering for you!

  4. Irene from Team Mr. Popper here. I hope you’re enjoying the readathon so far. Please remember that it’s all about having fun, so if you feel more like snacking than reading, then go ahead. This event is the perfect excuse for snacking!

    I’m sure you’ll reach your goal. You can do this!

  5. That is surprising, but it’s always good to mix things up, and listening sounds just as nice as visual reading 🙂 I hope you’re still enjoying the readathon!

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