Updates
8:00 am - I woke up this morning and started reading Anna and the French Kiss. So far, so good!
10:30 am - I've been listening to David Sedaris essays while getting ready. So funny! I won't be back here until later this afternoon; hopefully, sooner rather than later. I will continue listening to audiobooks in the car!
6:30 pm - I'm back! I was gone for longer than I hoped, but such is life. I listened to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow during my drive and it made for another great Halloween themed read. It also turned out to be the perfect length as I listened to half on my way and half on my way back. A pretty day for a drive, too:
9:00 pm - I'm around the halfway point in Anna and the French Kiss. I love it already. Anna reminds me a lot of myself sometimes, especially with all the old movies. The movie references in the book make me a little giddy because I know what she is talking about! I've been working my way through the American Film Institute's list of 100 Best Movies, so it's nice to see that pay off in a bookish way! I've also listened to another David Sedaris essay while making a snack and commenting on a couple of other blogs. Oh, and I also discovered that I won a prize in hour 8! How cool is that!?!
11:00 pm - I have about 100 pages left of Anna and the French Kiss. I realized I hadn't moved in a while and was starting to get a little tired. So I just listened to "Ooh La La" by Goldfrapp and "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele in an attempt to wake myself up a bit. I also saw the origami heart bookmarks posted in the hour 16 post on the read-a-thon blog. Super cute! I will be making some in the future. Even pinned it to my DIY board so I wouldn't forget. Love Pinterest! Alright, on to finish this book!
1:00 am - I've finished Anna and the French Kiss. It was just as delightful as everyone said!
Next morning - Oops. I seem to have fallen asleep sometime after 2 am. I listened to another essay and then tried to start Rebecca... and then it was morning. My bad. It's probably for the best as I need to be well rested to face the work week. I am pleased with my first read-a-thon experience, even though I would have liked to have been here for more of the day yesterday. I'll just have to try it again next time!
Total Time Reading: 7.75 hours
Completed Readings:
4 essays from When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (audiobook)
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollows" by Washington Irving (audiobook)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Introduction Meme
1)Where are you reading from today?
Virginia
2)Three random facts about me…
My dream job would be to work for HGTV.
I've kept movie tickets for as long as I can remember and turned them into a unique piece of art.
I love blueberry Greek yogurt. Yummy.
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Eight - I forgot to list The Book Thief in my previous post.
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 just want to get some reading done! I'll take as much as I can get!
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
This is my first read-a-thon, so I'm hoping to learn from others!
Mid-Event Survey
1. What are you reading right now?
Anna and the French Kiss
2. How many books have you read so far?
I haven't finished any full length books since I was gone for most of the day, but I have finished The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and three David Sedaris essays.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
After I finish Anna and the French Kiss, I'll probably start reading Rebecca, A Walk in the Woods, or The Sea of Monsters.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
I honestly thought I had arranged for myself to have the whole day free, but then something came up that took me away from about 10:30 to 6:00. Whoops.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Interruptions haven't been a problem while I've actually been here reading.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
I staring to feel like I maybe don't read as fast as I thought. lol. I was also super surprised to discover I had won a prize during hour 8! Awesome!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope. Seems like everything is running great!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Since this is my first read-a-thon, I'm just trying to get used to the process. I've commented on a few other blogs, but I haven't quite mastered that part yet. I think by next time I will learn more about being a cheerleader and balancing all of the aspects of the read-a-thon.
9. Are you getting tired yet?
Not any more tired than usual. I've also consumed a lot more caffeine than usual...
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'm clearly a novice, but I think having a couple of audiobooks on hand is extremely beneficial. I was able to listen in the car while driving, which helped make up for some of my time away. I've also been listening to essays when I have to get up and do something, like accidentally burn some popcorn...could there be a worse smell? :)
Can You Sing? Mini-Challenge
Now, I'm from Virginia, not West Virginia, but this song emits such a sweet sentiment and reminds me of growing up in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. This particular youtube video has gorgeous photographs. They are not fake. I am lucky enough to live in place that looks like this!
End of Event Meme
1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Apparently the hour where I fell asleep, which I believe was hour 18. lol
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
I read Anna and the French Kiss this time and it kept me engaged. If someone hasn't read The Hunger Games series, they could zoom through that for sure!
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
No. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing!
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I don't have another read-a-thon to compare this one to, but I liked the option to do the mini-challenges.
5. How many books did you read?
I only finished one full-length book, but I also read 4 essays and a short story in the 7.75 hours I spent reading.
6. What were the names of the books you read?
Anna and the French Kiss, essays from When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
I loved Anna and the French Kiss. It was a perfectly engaging choice!
8. Which did you enjoy least?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow didn't live up to my expectations. I guess I've heard the story so many times that is has become embellished from the original.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I wasn't a cheerleader, but I certainly appreciated everyone's encouraging comments!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I definitely want to participate again. Hopefully, next time I can actually be here reading all day. I would also like to comment on other people's blogs more.
Happy Read-A-Thon!
