I took a nap. I just couldn’t stay up anymore. I realized that I was reading whole pages of The BFG without any idea of what I had read. I couldn’t stay focused even though I quickly found out that this book is probably as good as Matilda, one of my all time favorite books, and it is a perfect example of why I love Roald Dahl’s books.
Books Read: 4
Total Pages Read: 620
Total Time Read: 9 hours 39 minutes
Snacks: Pizza Bites
I’m struggling. Both my brain and body really want to go to bed, but I’m not quite finished with Fahrenheit 451 yet, and I know if I take a nap now I might not get back up until well after the read-a-thon is over.
Books Read: 3
Total Pages Read: 570
Total Time Read: 8 hours 58 minutes
Snacks: None, and I’m about to fix that because I’m hungry, and I suspect my empty belly is making me sleepier.
I keep going from thoroughly engrossed in Fahrenheit 451 to feeling antsy and simultaneously like taking a nap, not because of the book, but because I’ve been at home all day and up since about 6:30 this morning. I’m really not sure if I’m going to make it through the night, but I’m going to try.
Speaking of Fahrenheit 451, I think I’m going to have nightmares after I’m done with this book! It’s that good, and that scary. It’s like reading 1984 all over again, and it’s what the movie Equilibrium *should* have been, or at least could have been – thought provoking and emotion inducing to such a high degree that I’ll never forget it. I’ll walk away from this book being better for having read it. I just realized I used the word “degree” while writing about a book that has a title that is a temperature…. Anyway, I want to at least finish it before I make the decision of taking a nap or making yet another cup of tea.
Books Read: 3
Total Pages Read: 496
Total Time Read: 7 hours 40 minutes
Snacks: I’ve been going lighter on the food thanks to a wicked case of indigestion. So, I’ve only had a coconut milk banana split ice cream sandwich since my last update.
I’m less than 25 pages away from finishing The Austere Academy. Once I’m finished, I think I’ll start Fahrenheit 451. Before that however, I wanted to post, along with the normal update, my favorite quote during the read-a-thon so far:
“As I’m sure you know, a good night’s sleep helps you perform well in school, and so if you are a student you should always get a good night’s sleep unless you have come to the good part of your book, and then you stay up all night and let your schoolwork fall by the wayside…” – The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket
I, fortunately, don’t have any schoolwork to let “fall by the wayside”, but I thought it was very fitting to not only my own habit of staying up way too late reading a book when I should be sleeping but also the fact that, since this is a 24 hour read-a-thon, I’ll be attempting to do exactly that.
Books Read: 2
Total Pages Read: 395
Total Time Read: 5 hours 32 minutes
Snacks: Irish Breakfast tea and cranberry walnut biscotti
1. What are you reading right now? The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket
2. How many books have you read so far? I’ve finished 2 books so far.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope, I was really lucky in the fact that I’m not working yet, I’m a week away from Finals, and my boyfriend is on a road trip with his buddies.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? The only interruptions I’ve had so far is the occasional random picture/text from boyfriend. I wait until I get to a good stopping point in my book, and then reply.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? The creative mini-challenges.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope, this is awesome!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I would figure out a way to make myself get up early enough to make it to the coffee shop before kick off, and I would pick a couple more books. I really did think there was no way I’d get anywhere near finishing all 5 books I picked out, but here I am almost done with the 3rd book, and it’s only the halfway point!
9. Are you getting tired yet? A little, so I made some more tea.
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? Don’t be too concerned with page and time counts, and participate in as many of the mini-challenges that interest you. They’re so much fun, and they really help break up the time into smaller more manageable (i.e. less daunting) chunks. Before you know it, it’s the halfway point and you’re wondering where the day went to!
From The Blue Stocking Society:
“Take your current readathon book, find the copyright page, and attempt to identify its edition. Bonus points for posting a picture of the copyright page…”
Mine is The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket, and it’s the 3rd edition or printing:
The Book Monsters’ mini-challenge is to take a shelfie – a picture of our bookshelf/shelves. Here’s mine:
I’ve finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and now I’m reading The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket. I’ve also been participating in more of the mini-challenges as they get posted, so I’m still not reading as much as I would be normally. I’m perfectly ok with that. I’m having fun, I’m not tired, and I’m no where near being bored.
Books Read: 2
Total Pages Read: 266
Total Time Read: 4 hours 24 minutes
Snacks: I had grapes, cheese, and crackers as a light lunch.
From A Girl That Likes Books:
“Make a post where you will share your best “book-inspired” recipe and explain its origin, inspiration, etc. Be as original as you want; as whimsical as you feel.”
Mine is Bee’s Bread, inspired by the description of Bee’s Bread in the book The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers, one of my all time favorites.
Bee’s Bread
1 thick slice of crusty bread
Butter
Almond Slivers (these are the “bees”, which are said to taste kind of like almonds in the book.)
Honey
Lightly toast and then butter the bread, sprinkle on the almond slivers and then drizzle honey over the the almonds. Eat while it’s still warm, but it’s still tasty after it’s cooled down a bit.
This update is a bit late because I just HAD to finish the chapter of the book I’m reading, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, even though I’ve read it before. I’m almost at the end of it, and all of you who have read the series, or at least this first book, know how intense it gets!
I’m not getting quite as much reading done as I had planned, but that’s only because I decided to participate in several of the different mini-challenges posted over at Dewey’s Read-a-Thon. I enjoy the mini-challenges since they really help with keeping me going so I don’t get burnt out. Also, there’s the chance of winning prizes!
Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 177
Total Time Read: 3 hours 44 minutes
Snacks: chocolate chip cookies
