Readathon Updates: April 2011

Readathon

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

Book Sentence Minichallenge April 2011

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)

Wither

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

Reading Buddies Discussion: “The Knife of Never Letting Go” by Patrick Ness

Reading Buddies Button

Welcome, Knife of Never Letting Go Reading Buddies! How are you enjoying the book so far?

I’ll admit, I actually wrote most of this post a week ago, when I got to the end of Part IV. I wanted so badly to tear through to the end of the book, but I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to remember what had happened and which things had been revealed at what point. So I made myself stop and write out my thoughts up to that point. The Knife of Never Letting Go is, I think, one of those books where once you know something, you can’t go back to unknowing it. I have now finished the book, so have no fear about including later spoilers in your comments (just warn about them for anyone who hasn’t finished, please!). This post, however, will focus on Parts I-IV.

Initially I had trouble reading The Knife of Never Letting Go. Todd’s particular way of speaking and the way his narration is written out seemed awkward, and I had to slow down a bit. Once I got used to it, though, I found myself whizzing right along. I especially like the font used for Noise; it seems to fit perfectly.

As I began to understand what Noise was and what a world full of it was like, I thought of our modern world and how it’s sometimes so difficult to avoid our own particular type of Noise: email, Twitter, television, Facebook, etc. Everyone’s thoughts are flying every which way all the time. Turns out that’s what Patrick Ness was thinking too when he wrote The Knife of Never Letting Go. As I was flipping through the book after reading a few chapters, I came across Patrick Ness’s bio on the back cover. He has this to say about the book’s premise:

“Information is absolutely everywhere today–texts and e-mails and messaging–so much it feels like you can’t get away from it. I began to wonder what it would be like to be in a town where you really couldn’t get away. How could you keep hold of who you are? What price would you be willing to pay to save yourself?”

I’m enjoying seeing how his characters struggle with different situations Noise puts them in. For instance, I’m interested by how Todd perceives Viola’s silence. In chapter 10 (p. 102 in my paperback version), Todd says:

“Say you were standing on a hilltop with someone who had no Noise. Would it be like you were alone there? How would you share it? Would you want to? I mean, here we are, the girl and I, heading outta danger and into the unknown and there’s no Noise overlapping us, nothing to tell us what the other’s thinking. Is that how it’s sposed to be?”

As I read, I took a moment to think about Todd’s questions. It was intriguing to consider our own way of being in a new light.

Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (cover)

Later on, in chapter 22 (p. 242 in my copy), Todd thinks about lying. In his world, truth and lies float around together in men’s Noise so that no one can tell them apart. Everyone lies, so no one really worries about it. But with someone like Viola, who has no Noise, that ability to see truth and lies mixing is gone. Someone interacting with her can only go by her words; there’s no clues as to what’s true and what’s not. I found that concept fascinating to consider as well.

I think my favorite character so far is Manchee. Every time he barks something, I think of Doug from the movie Up. I’ve assigned that same kind of dense loyalty that Doug displays to Manchee, and the effect is quite endearing. My least favorite, on the other hand, is absolutely Aaron. He’s terrifying, and I get the sense he’s not just a regular man. There’s something scary and sinister going on with him. I’m not sure I want to know what it is…I just want him to go away.

What’s stood out for you in the book so far? Do you have favorite (or least favorite) characters or ideas?

Thoughts on “The Sea and the Silence” by Peter Cunningham

I read The Sea and the Silence by Peter Cunningham on my Sony Reader, thanks to NetGalley.

About the Book:

Sea and the Silence by Peter Cunningham (cover)Dick Coad, like his father before him, is a solicitor in the small town of Monument, Ireland. When we meet him, he is contemplating the will of his life-long friend, Ismay (Iz) Shaw. His part in carrying out Iz’s wishes is to read the two neatly labeled parcels she’s left him: “1: Hector” and “2: Iz.” As he begins to read, he realizes these parcels tell the story of Iz’s life. Except that the second half comes first, telling of Ismay Seston’s marriage to Ronnie Shaw in 1945 and what happened after. It’s not until Dick opens the second package–“Iz”–that we learn what came before.

Set off by brief scenes with Dick, Ismay’s story unravels before our eyes and in her own determined voice. Her life with Ronnie is laid out with steady honesty; she then doubles back to fill in what came before and make the picture complete. Her story encompasses class issues, land battles, war, family, independence, tragedy, history, and–most of all–love.

My Thoughts:

The Sea and the Silence by Peter Cunningham was a beautiful book to read. Iz and her story are captivating and drew me along effortlessly. I trusted Iz’s recollections; I could not detect any reason she would lie. Her account of her life is a means to set the record straight, to say what she could never have said during her lifetime in one cohesive narrative.

I loved the structure of The Sea and the Silence. It’s set up in five parts, which alternate between Dick and Iz, though Iz’s sections are much longer. Having Dick there gently reminded me that Iz was gone, that I was reading her memoir after the story had reached its conclusion. Yet because Dick only appears briefly before the first book, after the second, and between the two, I was able to fully immerse myself in Iz’s story without being continuously jerked back and forth between time periods.

But more than that, I loved the fact that the second half of Iz’s life came first. The story certainly would have worked had it been told linearly, yet it wouldn’t have been nearly as enthralling or poignant. Seeing Iz after so much had happened and then peeling back the years to see how she came to that later point added a layer to the novel that worked beautifully. At its heart, Iz’s tale is a love story, but one that’s uncovered slowly, bit by bit, until the final piece clicks into place and the picture is complete. Knowing I’d eventually learn the truth, rooting for Iz as she navigated through her life as best she could, is what kept me turning the pages.

Iz is very much the central character in The Sea and the Silence. It is, after all, her story. But the multitude of other characters, no matter how slight their roles, always felt like real people as well. They were as alive and distinct as Iz herself was. Cunningham’s writing is simple yet beautiful, striking, no-nonsense, yet also lovely.

Taken together, the story, characters, and writing form a solid package. It’s not a novel I expect I’ll soon forget. Readers who enjoy getting wrapped up in a novel, especially historical fiction, will find their sort of book in The Sea and the Silence.

Those are my thoughts. Check out The Sea and the Silence by Peter Cunningham on GoodReads or LibraryThing, or read other bloggers’ reviews:

Your Turn!

I was interested to read that Peter Cunningham has written other books. Have you read any of them, or anything similar you’d recommend?

CRP: “A Passage to India” by E.M. Forster (Audiobook) (Part 1)

The Classics Reclamation Project is my personal challenge to read and enjoy the classics. Each Wednesday, I post about the classic I’m reading at the moment.

The Classics Reclamation Project

My current classic is A Passage to India by E.M. Forster. I’m listening to the 1924 novel, read by Sam Dastor. I’m only on disc 2 of 9, so I still have a way to go. So far, the story is interesting and the narrator is quite good. He does all the British and Indian accents, which makes the recording engaging.

Thus far, A Passage to India is essentially about the relationship between Britain and India in an India still under British rule. It’s set in fictional Chandrapore, India, in a community including citizens of both nationalities in close contact with one another. There is Dr. Aziz, a Muslim physician; several of his friends; Mrs. Moore, an elderly British woman visiting her son, Ronnie; Adela Quested, a potential bride for Ronnie; Fielding, the British headmaster of a local college; and many others. The scenes so far have mostly taken place in social settings: at parties, during social calls, and the like. The characters view one another with a wide range of reactions, from geniality to curiosity to disdain, so Forster has plenty to explore. Not much has happened so far, though I expect that to change.

Passage to India by E.M. Forster (audiobook cover)As I began listening to A Passage to India, I found myself wondering why Forster had chosen to write about India. Had he traveled there? Was the book based somehow on his life, or did it come from his imagination? I headed over to my favorite quick reference source–Wikipedia–to find out.

The first thing I learned was that even though he lived until 1970, Forster didn’t publish any novels after A Passage in India in 1924 (Maurice was published posthumously, in 1971). He spent time in India on two separate occasions. The first was while traveling. The second was as the private secretary to the Maharajah of Dewas in the early 1920s. I also learned Forster wrote a nonfiction account of his time in India called The Hill of Devi, which I’m now interested in reading!

In college I read Howards End, the only other Forster I’ve ever encountered. I remember liking it, though I’m hazy on the details. It’s still early to tell whether I’ll like A Passage to India, but so far, so good. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

Looking Back: March 2011, Plus “Madre” Giveaway Winners!

Two orders of business today! First, the randomly chosen winners of Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun by Liza Bakewell:

  • The US copy goes to Zeteticat!
  • The non-US copy goes to Zoe!

Congratulations to Zeteticat and Zoe! I do hope everyone who entered the contest will hunt down a copy of Madre to read, as it really is a fascinating book.

The second item for today is my March review (just a few days late!). Here’s what my month looked like:

Books

Looking Back: March

Total books read: 8

Total pages read: 1,942

Favorite book: March was a tough month to choose a favorite for; I read so many books I loved! I’d have to go with I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, but The Bee-Loud Glade by Steve Himmer, Madre: Perilous Journeys with a Spanish Noun by Liza Bakewell, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, and The Sea and the Silence by Peter Cunningham (review coming soon) were all excellent as well.

Least favorite book: I really didn’t dislike any of the books I read last month, though The Appointment by Herta Müller didn’t blow me away like some of the others I read in March did.

Audiobooks

Total audiobooks listened to: 2

Total hours listened: 51 hours, 59 minutes

Favorite audiobook: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (review coming soon)

Least favorite audiobook: Since I only listened to two, I guess my answer would have to be Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. But I was quite fascinated by that one, so it was still very good!

Erin Reads

Here are some of the highlights of the past month on Erin Reads:

Miscellaneous

April 1st was technically the end of the TBR Dare. When I took the dare, I committed to read only books on my TBR list as of January 1, 2011, with exceptions for ARCs and reading group books. I read 19 books over the past three months; of those, 11 came from my shelves. Two came from the library (one for book group, one I’d checked out in late December), and one came from Project Gutenberg (and was on my Classics Reclamation Project list). The other seven books came from publishers and authors, either in print or as ebooks. All 15 audiobooks I listened to were borrowed from my library, but all were books already on my TBR list at the beginning of the dare.

I’m so glad I participated in the TBR Dare. It jumpstarted me on reading the books I own and forced me to really look at my own shelves. I realized I really do like reading the books I already have–after all, I bought them for a reason! While I won’t be strictly limiting myself henceforth, I do think my experience with the TBR Dare will influence my reading in the future in positive ways.

Your Turn!

That was my March. How was yours?