We’re now halfway through the read-a-thon, which means it’s time for the Mid-Event Meme. We invite you to answer the following questions and then enter your link in the Mr Linky below:
Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
2. How many books have you read so far? 7
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Nothing in particular just reading as long as I can at this point
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Because I only found out about the Read-a-Thon on Monday I didn't have time to free up the whole day but yes I would have had to make special arrangements
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I have a two year old so there were plenty of interruptions but I also read a lot of kids books with him and listened to an audio book when I couldn't sit and read all proper like and we had guests that I had to take a couple hours off to hang out with
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much I am loving feeling like I am a part of something
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? not yet but maybe after I am all finished
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? take the time to clear my day and involve my husband in helping out with the little guy to let me read more
9. Are you getting tired yet? a little
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 stress just read what you can when you can.
Read - A - Thon Update #4 mini challenge
Read - A - Thon Update #3 mini challenge
This is a mini-challenge that I am taking part in which is hosted over at Opi's Ramblings
Perspectives Mini-Challenge
Time Slot: 1pm to 4pm eastern(US)
Prize: Two books, paperback: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon & A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, as well as a mini bonsai kit & book thong
Challenge: Name three books that are told from a different world view, a different perspective, that you have read and enjoyed. Give a one sentence summary of the book, and another sentence that explains how the book shares a unique perspective. The prize books are great examples of this different perspective. In “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, the story is told from the perspective of a book who has autism- he sees the world very differently than someone without autism. “A Prayer for Owen Meany” tells the story of Owen Meany- a boy with a entirely unshakable certainty about the future…he knows his own ultimate fate, and sees things in a whole different light because of it.
Here are my 3 books:
A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke - tells the story of a man living and working in France for the first time and is told from the perspective of a first time expat learning the culture and the language of a new country.
Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore - tells the story of a young man falling in love with a beautiful vampire and is told with the young man in mind. He is a scrawny, artist who moved out West to become somebody, what he got was vampire love.
And Fools by Christopher Moore - follows the Fools from King Lear and is very very funny. It is basically the King Lear story from Shakespeare told from the perspective of his Fool.
Read - A - Thon Update #2
Well, I read a couple more children's books and put the little guy to bed. I also read about 30 pages in The Songbird in My Heart and listened to the audio of Pride Prejudiced and Zombie while making lunch. Now that he is napping I have to do a little more tidying (did I mention we have company coming over later today?) and then dig into my reading again.
Read - A - Thon Update #1
Well, I am taking my first break from the read-a-thon this morning. I started reading right on time this morning with a few pages in The Songbird In My Heart and then had to take a moment to fix the speakers in the back of the house so I could begin listening to Pride, Prejudice and Zombies throughout the house while made breakfast for the little guy and myself as well as do a little tidying around the house because I learned we would have house guests today just last night.
Then we went on to read a few children's books, Frog and Toad Together, Jenny Giraffe and the Streetcar Party, Jenny Giraffe int he French Quarter, A Tree is Nice and Clovis Crawfish and the Petit Papillon have all been finished. Now the little guy is watching Dinosaur Train and I am doing this. I plan to warm up my cup of coffee (it is really cold here today) and continue on reading The Songbird... for as long as I can then back to kids books when I need to.
Maybe a mini challenge first?...
Getting ready for the Read-a-Thon
I am pretty excited to take part in this reading challenge. Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon is the first time I have ever done anything like this actually in person or over the Internet. I am a little disappointed that I did not find out about this challenge earlier so that I would have enough time to promote and get sponsors so donate to a charity, I love the idea of doing this for fun but it would have more purpose if I was reading for a cause. However if this read-a-thon goes well I will participate in the next one which I believe is in April and in that case I will have plenty of time to set something like that up.
While I am reading the blogs of other people who are also taking part in the read-a-thon I notice people are building strategies so I figure I should come up with one of my own. Here is my plan, it is sort of loose and go with the flow, there are a lot of variables that I can't control or don't know what is happening with them right now so my plan sort of has to be open for change. First, I will actually get up when my 2 year old son comes into get me out of bed in the morning (usually around 6am) then we will start out our reading day with a few children's books that he will most likely bring to me from his book shelf. Then after a quick breakfast I will start reading my books while he plays around with his cars which he can do for quite some time before becoming bored. There might be a little Sesame Street watching in there too so I can make the most of my reading time.
Then here come a few more variables we have been invited to a block party from noon to 2pm but I am not sure if we are going yet because that cuts into nap time (for him and of course my reading. Also my husband who has been working all week in Mobile, AL may or may not be driving home on Saturday to spend the day with us. If he does this is great because he can spend quality time with the little guy while I read, if he doesn't then I will be reading a lot more children's books than I really want to but all will be ok in the end either way. Then I get to read all through naptime and then we will see how the evening goes with me reading as much as I can without giving the little guy too much TV time. And then I plan to read after he goes to bed but not super super late because he will be up and ready to go in the morning with no regard to my having stayed up all night just to read some books and so I will need my beauty rest better known as my So Mommy Doesn't Yell At You Rest.
I am hoping to do a few of the Mini Challenges too and update my blog as often as I can to keep people posted on my progress. I am thinking of updating whenever I finish a book or I need a break from reading. Also, I won't write full on reviews tomorrow just quick thoughts, I will write reviews on all the books I finish tomorrow in the next few days so I can use as much time for reading tomorrow as possible.
NPR story: Rule Of The Undead: Zombies Invade Bookstores
I am never in my car at the right time or day to hear all the wonderful stories they air on NPR but I love them to I often scan NPR's website for new and fun things for my listening pleasure. Today I found a story on all the new Zombie books that are creeping onto bookstore shelves this Halloween season. Read it or listen to it for yourself by hopping over to their site, just click here.
Currently "Reading":
Magazine - This month's Parents Magazine
Book - Stop, Rest, and Think
Audio - any day now I am finally going to finish that Studs Terkel book I have been listening to off and on forever.
Read - a - Thon Pile
* A Wife's Guide to In-Laws (and if my in-laws read this I received this book to review I did not buy it, I love you guys)
* The Songbird in My Heart
* A Year in the Merde
Then on to other books I have on my list that have not been started yet:
* Critical Mass
* Rusty
*Difficult People
* Grey Apocalypse
*Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
*Backpack
And now to a special category see I have a 2 year old son who will be with me 99% of the day on Saturday. He sleeps well at night and takes a good nap but the rest of the time he will be mine to entertain luckily he loves books so on top of the collection of books he already has we went to the library today and picked up a ton of children's books for me to read to/with him when he is in need of love and attention throughout the day. It's a win/win I get to keep reading and he gets new books to enjoy while I read them out loud to him. That list is:
* Dinosaurs Before Dark
* Tales of Oliver Pig
* Dinosaur Time
* A Tree is Nice
* Jenny Giraffe Discovers the French Quarter
* Jenny Giraffe and Streetcar Party
* Clovis Crawfish and the Patit Papillon
* Clovis Crawfish and his friends
* The Sweetest Fig
* Where the Wild Things Are
* Stellaluna
* The Lorax
* The Gift of the Magi
