Dewey's 24 Hour Read A Thon: Memes

I will be keeping all of the meme-ish activities from the Readathon in this post!
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Introduction Meme
1. Where are you reading from today? My couch!

2. Three random facts about me: I am a college professor. Pizza is my favorite food. I call gyros fancy pork chops because the idea of what they really are creeps me out.

3. How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? I was very lackadaisical this year and didn't put together a TBR pile. But since I have 300+ books on the TBR shelves, I am not too worried.

4. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I am taking it easy this time around since I have prior commitments. Usually I shoot for the full 24 hours, but this time around it will probably be more like 7-10.

5. If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? Decide if your goal is to read or to blog/comment/tweet right away because if the computer stuff can be a major timesuck and ruin any reading goals you have if you aren't careful. :)
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Oldies but Goodies - hosted by Allie of A Literary Odyssey

Allie asked us to identify our favorite classic novel. Tough question. I really enjoy classic novels and have read quite a bit more than a handful of them, so trying to choose one gives me little twitches. Eventually though, I settled on The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. There is just so much going on in the text: multiple narrators with wonderfully distinct voices, a mystery, a bit of the supernatural, class issues, gender issues, a love story, and the list goes on.
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Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
2. How many books have you read so far? I've read two - the first two in the Chaos Walking trilogy!
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The one I'm reading right now!
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? I actually couldn't free up my whole day, so I am sort of half-assing it this readathon. *cries*
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Constantly, and unfortunately I can't just blow off the interruptions!
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How weird it is to not be going at it full steam!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope, I love it.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I really really really like it better when I don't have so many real life events getting in the way.
9. Are you getting tired yet? Nope! Then again, it's only 7pm here. I have the best start time for the readathon - 7am!!!
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? Not this time around since I'm sucking it up!
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Helena at Vamps R Us Theme Song Mini-Challenge

Helena wants to know what song we would choose as a theme song for a character from a readathon book. Since I've been reading a trilogy my choices are a bit limited; then again Todd and Viola, the two main characters from Ness's Chaos Walking series, are complex characters in a world of trouble, so my choice of songs is:

Dewey's 24 Hour Read A Thon: Stats

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon rocks. Hard. And today is the day.  For me, the readathon runs from 7am to 7am. Unfortunately, other commitments means I will not be able to participate for the full 24 hours. It's the same thing every year. I am all good for the October Readathon, and I have stayed up the full 24 hours - or very very close to it - every year since I started. but the April Readathon is just a bunch of bad luck for me. I have yet to actually read during an April Readathon.

This year, I'll be reading, but I will probably only be able to put in about five hours or so because of too many other commitments. I swear half my family and friends have a birthday in April (including me). For those hours I am able to participate, I will be updating my stats here!
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7am - 11am:  After four hours of readathoning, I've finished one book: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. This was a re-read for me, and I have to say I enjoyed it as much the second time around as the first. The story is fast-paced and unique, meaning hours of uninterrupted reading was no problem at all. During this time frame I also did a bit of blogging, memeing, commenting, and tweeting - and a half hour phone conversation with my mother. :) Now I'm off to start The Ask and the Answer, the second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy.

11am - 5pm: During this six hour stretch, I read The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, book two in the Chaos Walking series. Another re-read for me, the novel still kept my interest the whole time. This readathon has been so very different for me. Usually I spend my readathons obsessively reading and blogging, but this time around, I've had to take breaks for real life activities like laundry, dishes, grading papers, grocery shopping, etc. Tonight I have a birthday party (I may not go..we'll see) but even if I don't go, my nephew gets baptized tomorrow, so it's not like I will be staying up very late. I have to admit, I miss the intensity of a typical readathon. Then again, it's still nice to spend every available minute reading without feeling too guilty about it. :)

5pm - 7pm: I got into Monsters of Men, and so far, so good. I'm a little put off by the introduction of a third narrator, but I must admit that it is growing on me. Unfortunately I have to stop now. Real life commitments just get in the way of blogging fun every now and then.

Reading Report: Hours 21-24

Time: 3am - 7am

Totals
Time Reading: 12 hrs 46 mins
Pages Read: 1569
Books Read: 5+
Mini-Challenges Completed: 12
Time Blogging: 5 hrs
Prizes Won: 1

Books Read
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Cantos X through XII in Dante's Inferno
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
Changeless by Gail Carriger (still reading)

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End of Event Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Unfortunately it was hour 22 when I succumbed to sleep!
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? The Phantom Tollbooth was absolutely awesome, exciting and easy to read. Soulless and Changeless were absolutely wonderful as well.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope, I love it!
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I really enjoy the way cheerleading is split up alphabetically.
5. How many books did you read? Five complete books and chunks of two others.
6. What were the names of the books you read? Listed above
7. Which book did you enjoy most? That is much too difficult a question to answer as I read some very, very different books. Comparing them just isn't possible even insofar as enjoyment.
8. Which did you enjoy least? See answer to 7
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? Make your own list as your second go-round or so to delete anyone who isn't participating.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I will participate whenever I can as both cheerleader and reader! I adore the readathon.

As always I had a brilliant time doing the readathon. I'm a little disappointed I didn't make it the full 24 hours, but at some point my eyes gave out while I was reading on the couch, and to sleep I fell. I woke up a short time later, but I figured giving in and going to bed was the best bet.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to cheer me on! Happy Reading!

Readathon Report: Hours 18-20

Time: midnight - 3am

Totals
Time Reading: 11 hrs 46 mins
Pages Read: 1506
Books Read: 5+
Mini-Challenges Completed:9
Time Blogging: 5 hrs
Prizes Won: 1

Books Read
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Cantos X through XII in Dante's Inferno
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
Changeless by Gail Carriger (still reading)

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Mini Challenge 18: Pitch Your Book

Reading Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series is like stepping into a world at once familiar and strange, proper and passionate. The intriguing juxtaposition of Victorian sensibilities and paranormal instincts draws the reader in, and the intricate and delicate prose keeps the reader turning the pages. A must read!

Mini Challenge 20: Memoirs/True Stories

1. Have you ever read a memoir/true story (Or book 'based on true events'?) I have read many! But recently I've been really interested in graphic memoirs.

2. If so, what was the title/author? Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Jonathan Ames' The Alcoholic, Art Spiegelman's Maus, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis....

3. What was it about? All four were about the author's lives (obviously) but if I had to quickly summarize each: sexuality, alcoholism, Jewish fathers, Iranian oppression,

4. Did you like it? Would you recommend it? I did enjoy all three, but I would say I liked Fun Home more than the other three.

5. How many have you read? I believe these are the only graphic memoirs I've read, but I have read many non-graphic memoirs.

6. Why or what made you want to read it? I enjoy reading about people's lives, especially when told in a creative way.

7. What was the saddest/scariest one you read? I believe the saddest memoir I've read, at least recently, was The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. The thought of losing my own husband while reading about her loss made it quite painful.

8. Did it have a 'happy ending'? That would all depend on how you define happy.

9. When choosing a memoir/true story, do you look for a certain kind? ( i.e. historical diary, inspirational like The Freedom Writer's Diary, Christian, non Christian) I have a tendency to go with the strange or eccentric when it comes to memoirs rather than the inspirational or admirable.

10. Bonus question(s-it's in parts:) for my giveaway: Have you read 3 or more memoirs/true stories? YES
Title/Author, would you recommend them? I named quite a few in the above answers, but I suppose I could also throw in David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, and Mary McCarthy, all of whom I would recommend.
If you were to win the giveaway prize, would you want the book, (Sizzling 16 by Janet Evanovich) and would you prefer the coffee or tea? or both? I'm unsure of the book, but I can tell you I definitely prefer coffee to tea when hot and tea to coffee when cold.

Readathon Report: Hours 16 & 17

Time: 10pm - midnight

Totals
Time Reading: 11 hrs 1 min
Pages Read: 1357
Books Read: 5+
Mini-Challenges Completed: 7
Time Blogging: 4 hrs
Prizes Won: 1

Books Read
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Cantos X through XII in Dante's Inferno
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins
Changeless by Gail Carriger (still reading)

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Mini Challenge 16: Poetry Angst!

I do not read poetry. I do not write poetry. But as I'm getting a bit goofy...

There once was a girl from Leesbrook

Whose nose was oft' buried in a book

Her hoarding got bad

Her neighbors got mad

So the townsfolk bought her a nook

Coffee and Cola
Sugary caffeinated goodness
Shakey book pages

Mini Challenge 17: Ban this Book!

Ladies and Gentlemen, readers of the more subtle, discreet, and discerning nature, hear me and my most horrid predicament. Just yesterday while perusing my local library, I came across a most horrid book. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. In this wretched book which is sure to corrupt our children, the main character Milo is a perfectly reasonable, manageable, well-behaved boy when a mysterious package arrives for him. Not having the proper and appropriate parental guidance, he opens this package and assembles the tollbooth inside by himself and begins to...I can barely write this dear readers for fear of upsetting your delicate sensibilities..he begins to IMAGINE. His indelicate role-playing leads him to a different world where he is taught all manner of unspeakable things such as the importance of wisdom and the necessity to defy authority in the face of rhyme and reason. He also finds himself in the presence of many magical beings, which as we all know, are ferocious and satanic beasts. After his adventures in this insufferable land, Milo returns home a changed boy. He is no longer content to merely lie about being perfectly  undetectable which is most appropriate for a child. Instead, he now wishes to EXPLORE and PRETEND and HAVE ADVENTURES and in general be a most bothersome child. This book must be immediately banned so as not give our children any IDEAS.

Readathon Report: Hours 13-15

Time: 7pm - 10pm

Totals
Time Reading: 10 hrs 1 min
Pages Read:1258
Books Read: 5+
Mini-Challenges Completed: 7
Time Blogging: 3 hrs 12 mins
Prizes Won: 1


Books Read
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Cantos X through XII in Dante's Inferno
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins

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I'm not completing a mini-challenge this time around because something very important has come up: Thoughts of Showering. It's that time. Hour 16. I must get clean and refreshed for the final eight hours! So I'm off to bathe! Back in a bit. :)

Readathon Report: Hours 9-12

Time: 3pm-7pm 
(well 6:43 really, but I'm taking the next 15 minutes to talk to the hubby since he just got home :) )


Totals
Time Reading: 8 hrs 8 mins
Pages Read: 949
Books Read: 4+
Mini-Challenges Completed:7
Time Blogging: 3 hrs 12 mins
Prizes Won: 1


Books Read
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Soulless by Gail Carriger
The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Cantos X through XII in Dante's Inferno

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Mid Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? Just finished The Penelopiad, and I'm not sure what's next...

2. How many books have you read so far? 4 and a bit of Dante's Inferno

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I have two graphic novels that I'm looking forward to: Sandman vol. 4 and Unwritten

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope! I'm lucky that way. No pets, no kids, and the hubby works on Saturdays.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I warned family in advance to leave me alone. :P

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How fast it's going!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Not a single one.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Not a single thing.

9. Are you getting tired yet? Not quite yet, but I'm thinking it might be difficult to make it all 24 hours.

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? Move away from the computer if you want to get some reading done!

Readathon Report: Hours 6-8

Time: Noon - 3pm

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 2 hrs 10 mins
Pages Read: 190
Time Blogging: 50 mins

Totals
Time Reading: 6 hrs 3 mins
Pages Read:  629
Books Read: 2
Mini-Challenges Completed: 4
Time Blogging: 1 hr 57 mins


Books Read
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Soulless by Gail Carriger

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Mini-Challenge 7: Armchair Traveling

This may be a bit more imaginative than the question calls for, but I just finished Soulless by Gail Carriger, and I can not tell you how much it makes me want to visit this steampunk-paranormal 19th century England. The play of prudish manners coupled with the more animalistic nature of paranormals is just fascinating, and I would love to plop myself right down in the middle of it all!

Mini-Challenge 8: Love to Hate

Trying to decide on a character I love to hate is somewhat difficult. I very rarely hate the characters in books - even the truly evil ones - and I'm not sure if it's because I'm sympathetic or have some sort of sick dark side...let's hope for the former. Gentleman Rivers from Sarah Waters' Fingersmith does come to mind because he is just so unbelievably smarmy. Lord Henry Wotton from The Picture of Dorian Gray is also rather detestable. And yet, I do so enjoy both of those characters...

Mini-Challenge 9: Shake Your Pom-Poms

I was terribly remiss in creating cheers for the readathon this year. My brain seems to have gone all fuzzy from too much grading I'm afraid, so this is all I could come up with.

One, Two, Three, Four

Get one done and read some more

Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Reading so much, can't see straight

Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve

Pick another up off the shelf!

Happy Reading!

Readathon Report: Hours 4 & 5

Time: 10am - noon

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 120
Pages Read: 183
Time Blogging: 0 mins

Totals
Time Reading:  3 hrs 53 mins
Pages Read:  439
Books Read: 1.5
Mini-Challenges Completed: 2
Time Blogging: 1 hr 7 mins

Books Read
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Soulless by Gail Carriger (still reading)

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Mini-Challenge 5: Show Me the Books!

While the majority of my books are housed here, I also have bookshelves in the dining room, living room, and the office, so you are looking at probably 3/4 of my total at-home library. I know, it's a problem....

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Mini-Challenge 6:  A Story in 100 words or less

Breaking all the odds, it always rains on Thursday. Disregarding the continual warnings of Tuesday, Thursday neglected to notice the finicky Rain for quite some time, turning an indifferent shoulder to the needy climate. Had he been more aware, Thursday could have prevented the weekly deluge with appropriate bribes and complements; however as always Thursday ignored the world around him and the advice of his siblings. The wicked promises of Saturday night held him in thrall despite the fact he was temporally incapable of enjoying them. And so on Thursday, it will rain.

Readathon Recap: Hours 1-3

Time: 7am-10am



Totals
Time Reading: 1 hr 53 mins
Pages Read:  256
Books Read:1
Mini-Challenges Completed: 2
Time Blogging:1 hr 7 mins


Books Read
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster


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Mini-Challenge #3: Six Word Celebration!

Andi from Estella's Revenge is hosting the hour 3 mini-challenge challenging participants to come up with six words in celebration of the readathon! My six words are:

Avid Readers Indulging In Our Passion

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon: The Beginning

Let the Readathon Begin! Okay, I'm like 27 minutes late for a let-it-begin post, but I wanted to start my day off reading. I am a little embarrassed that I only made it 15 minutes before I absolutely had to turn on my computer and see what's what.  But there you have it. :D

To kick off the festivities, the start of event mini-challenge:


Where are you reading from today?
I am reading from a lovely wraparound couch in the basement of a tri-level house a ways south of Chicago otherwise known as my favorite spot at my home. While other people will spend their time bouncing from one place to the next, I will probably spend 2/3 of my time in this one ridiculously comfortable spot before heading upstairs for the latter portion of the evening so the husband can watch tv on the big screen.

3 facts about me …
I teach literature, composition, and film at a local college.
I have a home library with over 1500 books, all organized on shelves.
I have no pets and no children.

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Way too many to actually read. While I set aside books to draw from, I put so many in that pile it's a bit silly to do it in the first place. Right now I have about 30 books in the pile. Kind of doubt I'll read all of them. :)

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
I try not to sets too many goals as I like to keep it more like fun and less like work.


If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Sometime around Hour 17, take a shower. Something about the water and the cleanliness really helps wake you up and keep you going for the last chunk of the readathon!

You ready to readathon!

Weekly Geeks: Dewey's Readathon

In just 24 hours, Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon begins, and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am. Being able to dedicate an entire day to reading - and nothing but reading - makes me feel all tingly inside. Since Weekly Geeks is focused on plans for the readathon this week, and since I am woefully unprepared at this time, I thought a blog post dedicated to getting my act together was a good idea.

Before I get to the what I'm going to read portion, I thought I would focus on a different question posed over at Weekly Geeks: What is your strategy for the readathon?

Fantastic question. I did not have a plan last year: I spent 14 hours 8 minutes reading, and yes I did keep a very specific and correct account. I read 8 books and 1771 pages. Eight hours and 11 minutes were spent blogging where I completed 9 mini-challenges and left 150 comments on others' blogs. I also hosted a mini-challenge and somewhere in there managed to shower and eat a butterscotch sundae.

I'm going in with the same non-plan plan this year. I'll have it a bit easier as my overworked brain couldn't think up a fun mini-challenge, so I'm just reading and cheerleading this time around. My family, students, and friends have been notified I will be MIA this weekend. The hubby will more than likely eat dinner and head out with friends, so I should be good to go for 24 solitary hours of reading. I even nixed the possibility of phone calls for that period of time!

Here are the books I really want to get to during the readathon:

The Financial Lives of Poets by Jess Walter
A cultural satire, FLP stars an out-of-work, going broke bloke who comes up with an unusual and illegal way to make some cash.

The Dark is Rising Trilogy by Susan Cooper
I have heard wonderful things about this series, and I finally own it.  With all three installments, nicely packaged in one book, I'm ready to go.

Vanishing by Deborah Willis
A collection of short stories which has been given big thumbs up by many bloggers, this is one I'm really excited to get to.


The Virago Book of Ghost Stories ed. by Richard Dalby
As the title clearly indicates, this is a collection of ghost stories which I think is a perfect way for me to get in the Halloween spirit!

Here are some books I plan on using as breaks from the more text-heavy reads:

The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex by Kristen Schaal and Rich Blomquist
This is "the ultimate guide to getting your rocks off" and so far I'm loving it. I think it will be a great 'need a break' book since it's told in small snippets of funny.

Sandman Vol. 4:  Seasons of Mist by Neil Gaiman
A graphic novel and the fourth in an awesome series, Seasons of Mist is an obvious break book.

Why We Love and Why We Fight by Simon Van Booy
Full of short, thought-provoking selections on the titled topic, these two books will be fun reads if they are anything like Why Our Decisions Don't Matter...which they will be...seriously, there's no doubt they will be just like that one...


Cirque du Freak nos. 9 through 12 by Darren Shan
These are very fast, easy reads and will be perfect for the later hours of the readathon when my brain starts going fuzzy.

As I have hundreds of books on the TBR shelves, there is really no guarantee that these will be the books I end up reading - I'm too much of a spontaneous reader to limit myself to a list - but these are my thoughts right now.


So anyone else doing the readathon - and planning making it all 24 hours!?!?!?!

Readathon Mini-Challenge: If the Cover Fits...

If the Cover Fits...

It's time for another mini-challenge.  This time around I am challenging you to find book covers that fit the following categories:

Disturbing

Vibrant

Beautiful

Scary

Moving

Make a post with your choices.  You may include the images directly in the post or just post the title of the book and link to the book cover on another site. Post a comment when you've completed the challenge and be sure to include a link to your challenge post.

As I am unable to participate today (*insert really really sad face here*), the Readathon Team will choose a winner who will then receive a $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble! 

You have three hours to complete the challenge!  Have Fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sort of Like This~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DISTURBING

VIBRANT

BEAUTIFUL

SCARY

MOVING

Sunday Salon: Five More Days Until...

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon!  I'm so excited my little geek heart may just burst with the anticipation.  Last October was my first readathon and I adored it.  By the end of the 'thon, I had read for 14 hours and 8 minutes and finished 8 books. I hosted 1 mini-challenge, completed 9 mini-challenges, and left 150 comments on others' blogs for a total of 8 hours and 11 minutes blogging.  I suppose for the remaining 1 hour and 41 minutes I was using the restroom, making food, etc.  Yeah, I know, I was anal about tracking my time to the point of ridiculousness.  I bet I do the same this time around though; it's just fun for me.

Just like in October, I'm signed up to be a reader, cheerleader, and mini-challenge host.  I like the variety and really the cheerleading is something I would do anyways so why not make it official.

One thing I haven't done this time around is set aside a pile of books to read, then mull over it for days, change it around, remove a book, add a book, stare at it some more, etc.  Hence, I am feeling very unprepared.  Yes, I realize I have five whole days to figure out what I'm going to read...  But here's a starting line up:

Incognegro - A graphic novel touted as "a page-turning mystery and a disturbing exploration of race and self-image in America, masterfully illustrated with rich period detail".  The story is about African-American journalists from the north who head south to expose racism.  These journalists are so light skinned they can pass for white: hence the name "incognegro".  One journalist, however, must use his blending skills back in Harlem to help his brother.

The Alcoholic - A graphic novel from Jonathan Ames about his alter-ego's slide into alcoholism and his subsequent difficulties navigating the perils of career and relationships with such a heavy burden.

The Surrogates - A graphic novel set in 2054 featuring a world where people live their lives by inhabiting the minds and bodies of androids. The villain in the novel is attempting to thwart humanities dependence on their surrogates, and detective Harvey Greer (I believe the protagonist) doesn't know what to believe.

The Book of the Unknown - A collection of stories by Jonathan Keats that "re-imagines Jewish folklore in his collection of stories about the Talmudic idea of the Lamedh-Vov, 36 righteous souls who must exist at all times in order for humanity, and the world, to sustain itself".

From Dead to Worse - I have taken an over long Sookie break and now I think I'd like to start up again and hopefully finish the series this month.  Hmm...does anyone know how many Sookie books there are and whether or not more are coming out?  I'm too lazy to look right now.

Beastly - A retelling of beauty and the beast by Alex Flinn, the story is set in modern New York City.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out as the way I understand it, there are some pretty substantive changes to the original story - as there has to be.

I have a ton of other books laying around waiting to be read, so I certainly won't be without options.  I'm also thinking I might re-read some of the Harry Potter books as that was one of my goals this year.  Plus a series just makes for good reading during a readathon.  I'd love to go out and buy the remaining Cirque du Freak books - I've read 7 or 8 of them - but I'm really trying not to buy books when I have so many at home I haven't read yet.

So are you guys participating and what are you reading?  Any suggestions on what I should read?

Read-a-Thon Hour 24

6am-7am

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 0
Pages Read: 0
Time Blogging: 30 mins

Totals
Time Reading: 14 hours 8 mins
Pages Read: 1771
Books Read: 8
Mini-Challenges Completed: 9
Time Blogging: 8 hours 11 mins
Total Comments: 150

Books Read
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan

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End of Event Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

• I must say the worst for me was hour 21 when I realized how close and yet how far away I was from the end.
  

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

• I read some absolutely excellent books this time around. The Vampire's Assistant series by Darren Shan were very fast, exciting reads. Big Fish and Dreaming Anastasia were light reads but very beautiful. And anything by Neil Gaiman rocks, but The Sandman series is especially suitable for later in the readathon as it is a graphic novel series.
  

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

• I think it went fabulously. It might be nice to have people who are participating sign up the day of the readathon in a Mr. Linky other than the original sign up post. I spent a lot of time clicking on names of people who weren't actually participating. I also missed having mini-challenges in hours 22 and 23; this was the time I needed some light distractions from reading.
  

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

• As this was my first time, I obviously can't compare to the past, but I loved the consistent hourly updates on the main blog. And the cheerleaders are awesome!
  

5. How many books did you read?

• 8
  

6. What were the names of the books you read?

• See above
  

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

• Ooooohhh tough call...I think I have to pick the entire Darren Shan series. It was like one big, long movie I was watching.
  

8. Which did you enjoy least?

• Stormbreaker, but not because it wasn't good. It was my first book of the day after very little sleep, and I had a hard time focusing because I was so curious as to what was going on online!
  

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

• Come up with some fun comments ahead of time, but still personalize them to the individual blogger if you can as I just think that's more polite.
  

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

• I will absolutely participate. I have had so much fun today. It's not often I can take a regular 12 hour day to read, let alone a full 24, and it was wonderful to have an excuse to just indulge myself! I was a Cheerleader, a Mini-Challenge Host, and a Reader this time around, and I would probably do the same next time. This was a wonderful experience for me!
  

Read-a-Thon Hours 22 & 23

4am-6am

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 65
Pages Read: 213
Time Blogging: 50 mins

Totals
Time Reading: 14 hours 8 mins
Pages Read: 1771
Books Read: 8
Mini-Challenges Completed: 7
Time Blogging: 6 hours 41 mins
Total Comments: 146

Books Read
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan

Some Thoughts
Only one hour to go, and I think I'm going to spend it cheering, twittering, and in general on the computer. It's nice to finish the readathon by finishing a book, I think, and I don't want to grab a random short short book just to be able to finish it in the next hour.

Read-a-Thon Hours 20 & 21

2am-4am

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 70
Pages Read: 226
Time Blogging: 60 mins

Totals
Time Reading: 13 hours 3 mins
Pages Read: 1558
Books Read: 7
Mini-Challenges Completed: 6
Time Blogging: 5 hours 41 mins
Total Comments: 124

Books Read
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan

Three Hours Left!

Read-a-Thon Hours 18 & 19

12am-2am

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 60
Pages Read: 112
Time Blogging: 50 mins

Totals
Time Reading: 11 hours 53 mins
Pages Read: 1332
Books Read: 6
Mini-Challenges Completed: 6
Time Blogging: 4 hours 41 mins
Total Comments: 100

Books Read
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman

~~~~~~~~~
The Picturrific Challenge!

I'm just about to start The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan, which is about to be a movie release, so I really lucked out on this one. Here is a screenshot from the upcoming film:



Awesome! Yes?

Read-a-thon Hours 16 & 17

10pm-12am

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 90
Pages Read: 158
Time Blogging: 15 mins

Totals
Time Reading: 10 hours 53 mins
Pages Read: 1220
Books Read: 5
Mini-Challenges Completed: 4
Time Blogging: 3 hours 51 mins
Total Comments: 80

Books Read
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Some Thoughts
We've hit the witching hour here in the midwest with seven hours of reading left. My butterscotch sundae was absolutely delicious; although I mixed it up almost enough to be more of a butterscotch shake. I'm oddly awake and hopeful that I will make it all the way to seven. How many of you out there are going for the full 24 hour push?

Now what am I going to read next?

~~~~~~~~~~
5 Children's Books (straight off the top of my head) Mini-Challenge hosted at Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile

The Phantom Tollbooth - Best children's book out there in my opinion

The Story of Ping - see my post here for the complete story!

Anything by Gary Paulsen - just a wonderful author

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Many lessons can be learned from these rats

The Chronicles of Narnia - enough said

Read-a-thon Hours 14 & 15

8pm - 10pm

Since Last Update
Minutes Read: 75
Pages Read: 132
Time Blogging: 32

Totals
Time Reading: 9 hours 23 mins
Pages Read: 1062
Books Read: 4.5
Mini-Challenges Completed: 4
Time Blogging: 3 hours 36 mins
Total Comments: 78
Caffeine Drinks in my Stomach: 4

Books Read
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (not finished)

Some Thoughts
I hit 1000 pages! Yay! That was my unspoken goal for the readathon, and I still have nine hours left. And I'm happy to say that my 1000 pages didn't include children's books or graphic novels. Not that there is anything wrong with either (in fact I'll be reading a graphic novel next) but I personally wanted to hit 1000 pages of text, instead of the pictures and white space that are part of children's books and comics. Now that I've hit the mark, well, all books are up for grabs!

Now I am rewarding myself with a bowl of butterscotch covered ice cream!