Thursday, April 23, 2009

What a weird week

I started off the week still reeling from being hit with the most horrible stomach flu ever early Sunday morning. (Of course it has to hit that day, when I was looking forward to the sermon at church, when we had an adoptathon.) Even though by Monday I was no longer retching my guts out it still took me a few days to really feel better and to not be scared to eat.

We got PB and Jay back this week, two cats we adopted out as kittens over two years ago. The reasons are stupid and not even worth mentioning. But it's been a week of juggling cat issues, between getting them back and trying to help them settle in, to moving the Snow Cats into my office, trying to work in a new kitten (who ended up not coming in after all, though the woman didn't bother to call and tell us she had found a home for her. No, we had to call her.), finding out there is another kitten we might need to take in, talking to a new kitten foster home (Thank You God! They have fostered for us before, just never kittens so I think they'll be able to handle it.), worrying over Muzzy (Is she losing weight? Do we need to get her back to the vet? She's 17, what can they do?), listing several cats for adoption on Petfinder and finally having a talk with a friend about the loss of Katrina, which I really needed to have.

It rarely discuss cats we have lost from our own foster home on here. It's not deliberate, just something that hurts and so I don't write about it. I'm not going to change that too much now except to say that I know the way I'm feeling right now has to do with losing Katrina.

How am I feeling? In a funk, our of sorts, at loose ends. Everything just feels a bit off. Things that usually make me really happy just kind of do. I can't settle on a new book to read. I don't really want to do much of anything right now.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Summary of the Read-A-Thon

Over all I read:

I read 285 pages in 4 different books. (That's the most I have read yet at a read-a-thon.)
I read for 466 minutes.
I finished one and have a hundred or so pages left in another.
I took part in three or four mini-challenges.
I won no prizes.

By book I read:
Hokus Pokus-123
Chosen Prey-36
Eating My Words : An Appetite For Life-13
The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide-113

End of the Event Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 10 or 11, as I was really feeling tired. (I thought it was just because I had two early starts. Now I think it was because I was coming down with the stomach flu.)

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? If you like action then The Sisterhood books from Fern Michaels are great. They have suspense, a little romance and some great revenge.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Naa, it's great!

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Everything! The Cheerleaders and hosts were awesome.

5. How many books did you read? I finished one, read from four different books.

6. What were the names of the books you read?
Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels
Chosen Prey by Cheyenne Mccray
Eating My Words : An Appetite For Life by Mimi Sheraton
The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels though The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro did have me laughing till I cried with one paticular story.

8. Which did you enjoy least?
Chosen Prey by Cheyenne Mccray

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

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

End of Hour 18

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 25 pages

Pages Read This Hour -25

I read for 48 minutes

Total pages read: 285 pages

Total minutes read: 466

Books Finished: 1

This reading was done in bed, with my book light. It's the last reading I'll do for this read-a-thon.

End of Hour 17

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 7 pages

Chosen Prey by Cheyenne Mccray - 1 page

Pages Read This Hour -8

I read for 12 minutes

Total pages read: 260 pages

Total minutes read: 418

Books Finished: 1

I decided to give up on Chosen Prey. In reading just one more page I realized I am not going to enjoy the book and all it was doing was upsetting me. So it's out of here. A year ago I would have made myself finish the book, since I have read over a hundred pages. Now I just figure those hundred pages helped me see this author is not for me.

(All these posts are being made a day late as I was hit with a horrible stomach flu on Sunday.)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

End of Hour 15

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 3 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 3

I read for 11 minutes

Total pages read: 252 pages

Total minutes read: 406

Books Finished: 1

This hour is cut short as a soccer game I have to watch is starting in three minutes. I will definitely be reading before I go to bed but will most likely post that in the morning. So this may well be Good Night for me. Thanks all you Cheerleaders and Fellow Readers who have payed me a visit. Good Reading everyone!

End of Hour 14

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 21 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 21

I read for 48 minutes

Total pages read: 249 pages

Total minutes read: 395

Books Finished: 1

End of Hour 13

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 16 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 16

I read for 28 minutes

Total pages read: 228 pages

Total minutes read: 374

Books Finished: 1

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels

2. How many books have you read so far? Finished One, Read parts of three others

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Hokus Pokus. This is a good one in the Sisterhood Series!

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Aside from not watching as many soccer games as we normally would, no.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? The kiddos (Grafton especially) but they really haven't been too bad. I'm easily distracted though so will never be as focused as I would like to be.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? It's gone really quick!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Just keep it up. I was so happy to know it would still go on in Dewey's honor. It's something Richard and I look forward to.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Usually I pick some good back up books to have ready, in case I need a change of pace. I wasn't well planned out this time around so that didn't happen. Luckily Hokus Pokus is a good book that has kept me interested. And starting off with a book of short stories worked out well.

9. Are you getting tired yet? I was. The break for dinner really helped.

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? Nothing earth shattering. Just do this because you enjoy it and don't put any restrictions or rules on yourself.

End of Hour 12

This hour I read:

Eating My Words : An Appetite For Life by Mimi Sheraton - 13 pages

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 2 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 15

I read for 48 minutes (while eating).

Total pages read: 212 pages

Total minutes read: 346

Books Finished: 1

The Strawberry Smoothies at Panera are yummy!

End of Hour 11

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 3 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 3

I read for 9 minutes.

Total pages read: 197 pages

Total minutes read: 331

Books Finished: 1


Didn't get much reading done as we were on the way to Panera and service was slow due to computer problems.

End of Hour 10

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 22 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 22

I read for 35 minutes.

Total pages read: 194 pages

Total minutes read: 322

Books Finished: 1

It's time for dinner so we'll be heading off to Panera. A change of scenery will do me some good as I am really fighting not to fall asleep! Will update when we get back.

End of Hour 9

This hour I read:

Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels - 24 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 24

I read for 39 minutes.

Total pages read: 172 pages

Total minutes read: 287

Books Finished: 1

Some distractions this hour (in kitten form) and I am fighting the urge to take a nap.

End of Hour 8

This hour I read:

Chosen Prey by Cheyenne Mccray - 22 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 22

I read for 38 minutes.

Total pages read: 148 pages

Total minutes read: 248

Books Finished: 1

I'm not really enjoying this book too much. It's romance/suspense and I was hoping for more suspense and less romance (which in this book is closer to smut IMO). If I wasn't a third of the way into the book I would be tempted to give up on it. I definitely will be reading a different book for the next hour.

End of Hour 7

This hour I read:

The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro - 5 pages Finished It!

Chosen Prey by Cheyenne Mccray - 13 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 18

I read for 29 minutes.

Total pages read: 126 pages

Total minutes read: 210

Books Finished: 1

I debated starting a new book but decided to stick with ones I have going already. If I get bored or just need a change I have plenty I can start.

End of Hour 6

This hour I read:

The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro - 18 pages

I read for 31 minutes.

Total pages read: 108 pages

Total minutes read: 181

End of Hour 5

This hour I read:

The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro - 19 pages

I read for 36 minutes.

Total pages read: 90 pages

Total minutes read: 150

Time for some lunch now.

End of Hour 4

This hour I read:

The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro - 24 pages

I read for 40 minutes.

Total pages read: 71 pages

Total minutes read: 114

End of Hour 3

This hour I read:

The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro - 31 pages

I read for 48 minutes.

Total pages read: 47 pages

Total minutes read: 74

I need some caffeine here. I spent all day scrapbooking till 11 o'clock last night and I am tired! Good thing this book is funny so it's keeping me interested.

End of Hour 2

(End of my first hour reading, though most of it was spent eating breakfast (a yummy blueberry muffin) and doing the intro. meme.)

This hour I read:

The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Guide by Laurie Notaro - 16 pages

I read for 26 minutes.

Introduction Meme

I got up at 9 so am getting a little of a late start (but early for me!)

Where are you reading from today? My home, mostly on the couch next to my husband who is reading too.

3 facts about me …
*All our kids (9 cats and 1 dog) are all excited that mommy and daddy are both home and downstairs reading. They make for quite the distraction.

*I am so not a morning person. So the fact that I am up this time on a Saturday morning tells you how much I love to read.

*I realized last night that I am still reading one of the same books I was last read-a-thon. I seemed to hit a wall with it. Hope I can get some read in it today.

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Well I'm reading 5 books (my norm) but not sure I will read from all of them. If I get bored I will most likely pick something light and easy from my huge TBR pile.

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)?
Finish at least one of the books I have going.
Enjoy it!

Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Have fun with it! Don't get too bogged down with goals, just enjoy a day of reading with others all over the world.

Friday, April 17, 2009