Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon – Read ALL the Books!

Published on by Rachelle

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Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon has officially started!  I prepped my tea kettle last night, so all I had to do when I got up at 6:30 am was turn it on, make my breakfast (yogurt and cranberry granola), and get my browser ready to go with all my readathon related sites.  I’ve been running off a readathon excitement high most of the week, especially when I found out that the four hours of mandatory overtime was canceled!!!

  • What fine part of the world are you reading from today? I’m in Austin, TX.
  • Which book in your stack are you looking forward to the most? The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers.
  • Which snack are you looking forward to the most? Icecream!
  • Tell us a little something about yourself!  Here are 20 somethings about myself.  Also, I built a Hobbit hole in Minecraft this week instead of reading.
  • If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?  I’m going to try listening to audiobooks while I socialize so I can get as close to reading for 24 hours as possible.  I’m also raising money for charity, which I haven’t been able to do for the past few readathons.

Here’s my TBR:

  • How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
  • Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
  • Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
  • When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning
  • Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier
  • Cannonbridge by Jonathon Barnes
  • Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead
  • The Stranger’s Magic by Max Frei
  • The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
  • Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
  • Wild by Cheryl Strayed

My first update will be at 3 pm.  I’ll be tracking how many pages I read and any books I finish, as well as the amount of money I’ve raised for RIF and the APL.  I’ll also include mini-challenges I’ve accepted, snacks I’ve nommed, and any musical earworms that have gotten into my head.
Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading? 

Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon

Published on by Rachelle

Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza
Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon begins tomorrow, at 7 am CST, and I’m super excited!
I’m going to be doing a lot of socializing on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Litsy, but I’ll be listening to an audiobook while I’m at it.  Why?  I’ll be raising money for charity and I’m hoping to read for the entire 24 hours!  For every book I finish, I’ll be donating $5 to Reading is Fundamental and $5 to the Austin Public Library.  For every page I read from books that I don’t finish, I’ll donate 5 cents to RIF and 5 cents to the APL.
Since I’m also participating in the #ShelfLove reading challenge, all my books are off of my own bookshelves.  I’ll switch back and forth between books on the list as needed, but I am going to try to finish as many books as possible:

  • How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
  • Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
  • Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
  • When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning
  • Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier
  • Cannonbridge by Jonathon Barnes
  • Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead
  • The Stranger’s Magic by Max Frei
  • The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
  • Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
  • Wild by Cheryl Strayed


Yes, my TBR list far more books that I could possibly finish in 24 hours, and it doesn’t include any of the audiobooks or ebooks that I might decide to listen to or read instead, but I want plenty of choices.
My updates will be every 8 hours after my kick-off post.  Along with the books I finish and the number of pages I read, I’ll include any mini-challenges I participate in, along with other tidbits such as music or snacks.
Speaking of snacks, this is a taste of what I brought home to keep my tummy happy during the readathon:

  • Popcorn
  • Icecream
  • Seaweed
  • Plums
  • Mandarin Oranges
  • Spinach Chips
  • Toasted Chickpeas
  • Frozen Grapes
  • Applesauce
  • Celery and Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate Mocha tea (it has whole coffee beans in it along with chocolate chips!)

I also got pizza and some other non-snack foods, but let’s face it, I mostly graze during readathons.
Are you participating in Dewey’s Readathon?  If so, what books do you have planned to read?  Leave a comment, and include your link if you have a “goals” post!
See you tomorrow morning! 🙂

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

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  • This check-in is for April 21st – 27th.
  • My back is better, but I wore my back brace all week and I did not risk a relapse by going to yoga.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 19,246/70,000
  • Miles: 7.91/35
  • Total Miles: 157.85/1779
  • Active Minutes: 29/210
  • Days I Drank 64 ounces of Water: 5/7
  • Virtual 5Ks: 0/10
  • Total Money Donated: $1.85/$30.00

Thursday's Things: Fantasy For All

Published on by Rachelle

1001 Things
Original Image: Viktor Hertz

“Thursday’s Things” is a roundup of book related links I’ve come across while wandering down the rabbit hole that is the internet.
During my Sci-Fi Summer reading challenge last year, I did a Thursday’s Things edition that was nothing but links related to Science Fiction.  I realized that I had never done one that was entirely made up of Fantasy.  So, in the spirit of feeling balanced, here are ten bookish Fantasy things I’ve come across:

Monday's Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

  • The Once and Future King by T.H. White
  • The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
  • The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

  
Finished:

  • Death Masks by Jim Butcher
  • The Falconer by Elizabeth May

 

Challenges:

Total pages read this week: 1234

Total # of books for the year: 28 of 85.  I messed up my back again and was out of work for 2 days.  I mostly read because both of the books I finished and my current reads have been really good.  I will probably finish at least two of them before Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon this Saturday.

What are you reading this week?

#ShelfLove – My Oldest Books

Published on by Rachelle

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For March and April, the Show Your Shelves Some Love Challenge participants are discussing the oldest books on our shelves.  I knew I had some books on my shelf that had been there for several years, but I was a little shocked when I realized the book I’ve owned the longest and still haven’t read has moved from place to place, country to country with me since 2005!
  1. “The Holy Barbarians” by Lawrence Lipton – This book was mentioned in an episode of Gilmore Girls.  It wasn’t an easy book to find at the time, especially since I was living in Korea, but I tracked a copy down through a used bookseller that didn’t have a problem shipping to an APO.  I was a bit obsessed with the Beat Generation and majorly obsessed with all things Gilmore Girls; otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of finding it.

  2. “Memory Mambo” by Achy Obejas – After my Abuelo passed away, I began finding and buying any book that might bring me a little closer to the Cuban part of my family.
  3. “Skin Trade” by Laurell K. Hamilton – I bought the hardcover when it first came out in 2009.  I was only a book or two behind in the series at the time.  Now there are 25 in the series (“Skin Trade” is #17), with the 26th due out in June of this year.  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do!
    Jess is disappointed in me.
  4. “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne – This book, and the next three, were bought free on my brand spanking new first generation Nook right before I deployed to Iraq in 2009.
  5. “Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert
  6. “The Hunchback of Notre” Dame by Victor Hugo
  7. “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins 
  8. “Book Lust” by Nancy Pearl – Always a fan of books about books, as soon as I saw this offered on Nook, I snatched it up.
  9. “Hiking Alone” by Mary Beath – I purchased this while on a road trip in 2011.  I had stopped for the night in Albuquerque, NM and when I got up the next morning, I realized my hotel was just across the street from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.
  10. “The Old Curiosity Shop” by Charles Dickens – I bought this from a little independent bookstore and coffee shop in Utah during that same road trip.  Their largest cup was “The Hagrid” and I’ve wished that coffee and tea shops everywhere offered “Hagrid”-sized drinks ever since.


It is now a goal of mine to clear these off my TBR this year.  What are some of the oldest books on your shelf?

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

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  • This check-in is for April 14th – 20th.
  • Just when I thought my back was better, I ended up having to take two days off from work to stay in bed.  I’m also wearing my back brace again 🙁
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 16,959/70,000
  • Miles: 6.96/35
  • Total Miles: 149.94/1779
  • Active Minutes: 94/210
  • Days I Drank 64 ounces of Water: 5/7
  • Virtual 5Ks: 0/10
  • Total Money Donated: $1.75/$30.00

Monday's Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

  • The Once and Future King by T.H. White


Finished:

  • Silas Marner by Geroge Eliot – The #Ravelong is still going, but I couldn’t stop myself from reading ahead.
  • The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
  • Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
  • Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

  

Challenges:

Total pages read this week: 818

Total # of books for the year: 26 of 85.  I managed to read for 22 hours and 19 minutes this week for the week-long mini-readathon.  I would have hit the goal of 24 hours if I hadn’t fallen asleep on the couch on Sunday.  However, now that I know it’s possible, 24 hours of reading time will be my new goal for the next Bout of Books.

What are you reading this week?

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by Rachelle

fitreaders-2017-1

  • This check-in is for April 7th – 13th.
  • My back is better, but I didn’t make it to yoga this week.
  • If you have a FitBit, you can find me HERE.
  • Steps: 24,236/70,000
  • Miles: 9.94/35
  • Total Miles: 142.98/1779
  • Active Minutes: 95/210
  • Days I Drank 64 ounces of Water: 5/7
  • Virtual 5Ks: 0/10
  • Total Money Donated: $1.67/$30.00

Monday's Minutes

Published on by Rachelle

“Monday’s Minutes” is a weekly post in which I track my bookish life.  All book covers are linked to Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Currently Reading:

  • Silas Marner by Geroge Eliot – for the #Ravelong
  • Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
  • The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer

  
Finished:

  • Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
  • Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada
  • Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay

  
DNF:

  • Paradise Lost by John Milton – for the Classics Club Spin.  I tried.  I made it through 14 pages.

Challenges:

Total pages read this week: 864

Total # of books for the year: 22 of 85.  My back pain is gone and I’m up and about again, though taking it easy just to be safe.  I participated in a 2-hour mini-readathon while also joining in the #LitsyPartyOfOne.  This week, I’ll be doing the week-long mini-readathon and attempting to read for a total of 24 hours by the time I go to bed on Sunday.

What are you reading this week?