End of Event Meme

Which hour was most daunting for you?
Hour Eighteen  The later it got the harder it got for me to concentrate.

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Anything by Nancy Atherton or Mary Jane Clark
Nancy Atherton rights charming mysteries with eccentric, quirky characters.  MJC rights mysteries revolving about a huge news team.  (She also writes another series about a wedding cake decorater but I haven't read those yet.)

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Post some easier challenges that take less time for the people who want to read but also want to take part.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
Just about everything.  The hosts for the hourly updates were wonderful!  I really enjoyed it.  For myself I like taking a pic with my phone every hour to have it to look back on.  I also love doing this with my husband and best friend.

How many books did you read?
I finished two and read from two others as well.

What were the names of the books you read?
Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - Finished
Sabine's Notebook by Nick Pantock - Started and Finished
Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - Started and got a good ways into.
Lily Dale: Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub - Started and read the prologue and a tiny bit of the first chapter.

Which book did you enjoy most?
Do You Promise Not To Tell? and Aunt Dimity and The Duke

Which did you enjoy least?
I liked them all.

If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
Pace yourself, give yourself time to enjoy others blogs and make personal comments that show you have read at least some of their RAT posts.

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
Most definitely!  I look forward to the RATs all year!  I will be reading and cheering.

End of Hour Twenty One

This hour I read:

Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - 12 pages

I read for 15 minutes

Total pages read: 265

Total minutes read: 484

Books Finished: 2

I read in the bathtub and on the bed.  I desperately wanted to read more as this book is so good but I was too tired.

End of Hour Twenty

I am heading to a bath and bed.  I may read a bit more but not much and will update any I read tomorrow.  Good Night All!

End of Hour Nineteen

I spent the hour cheering and I made an awesome goal.  I made it through all the readers on my cheer team!  That was a total of 46 different blogs or twitter feeds.  If the person was reading and I was able to comment on their blog/twitter account I did.  Woohoo!

End of Hour Eighteen

This hour I read:

Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - 8 pages

I read for 41 minutes

Total pages read: 253

Total minutes read: 469

Books Finished: 2

Not sure how much I really read this hour as I went and got in my jammies, had a snack, ect.  I am slowing way down....

End of Hour Seventeen

More cheering this hour.  I made it to 8 blogs this time.  I am definitely having trouble concentrating but may try a snack to see if that helps.

End of Hour Sixteen

This hour I read:

Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - 8 pages

I read for 14 minutes

Total pages read: 245

Total minutes read: 428

Books Finished: 2

Lots of distractions this hour as the kiddos were getting restless, wanting their dinner.  I am getting sleepy as well.  Gotta get awake!

End of Hour Fifteen

I was cheering this hour and made it to 14 blogs.  I love seeing what other people are reading.

Mid-Event Survey

1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?
Yep, and my shoulder is hurting.

2) What have you finished reading?
Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark
Sabine's Notebook by Nick Pantock

3) What is your favorite read so far?
Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark

4) What about your favorite snacks?
Combos and Reeses Pieces

5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!
I am just starting to do some serious cheering now.  But I did find Recreation Reading highly amusing.

End of Hour Fourteen

This hour I read:

Lily Dale: Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub - 8 pages

I read for 14 minutes

Total pages read: 237

Total minutes read: 393

Books Finished: 2

Had to make a stop at Sonic on the way home from dinner to get a Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper and get some caffeine.

End of Hour Thirteen

This hour I read:

Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - 23 pages

I read for 53 minutes

Total pages read: 229

Total minutes read: 379

Books Finished: 2

End of Hour Twelve

This hour I read:

Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - 4 pages

I read for 10 minutes

Total pages read: 206

Total minutes read: 326

Books Finished: 2

End of Hour Eleven

This hour I read:

Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - 23 pages

I read for 39 minutes

Total pages read: 202

Total minutes read: 316

Books Finished: 2

Nancy and I started reading our chosen book to read together this hour.  So far it's pretty good.  This next hour we're heading to Panera for dinner but as it's our usual reading spot on Friday nights we'll be getting some reading done!

End of Hour Ten

This hour I read:

Sabine's Notebook by Nick Pantock - 44 pages - Finished It!

I read for 36 minutes

Total pages read: 202

Total minutes read: 277

Books Finished: 2

I started and finished Sabine's Notebook this hour.  I read the first in this series a few years ago.  They are so odd, full of art and handwritten letters.  Definitely unique.

End of Hour Nine

No reading this hour....drove home from Starbucks, made lunch and ate and did a little book housekeeping (Marking as read, ect.)

End of Hour Eight

This hour I read:

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - 41 pages - Finished It!

I read for 54 minutes

Total pages read: 158

Total minutes read: 241

Books Finished: 1

I was totally off on who the bad guy was (though I did guess one of the lesser bad guys.)  A good read.

End of Hour Seven

This hour I read:

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - 7 pages

I read for 12 minutes

Total pages read: 117

Total minutes read: 187

And the internet went down at our house.  Boo!  So off to Starbucks we go.

End of Hour Six

This hour I read:

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - 21 pages

I read for 28 minutes

Total pages read: 110

Total minutes read: 175

I got so tired this hour and had to take a wee little nap.

End of Hour Five

This hour I read:

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - 18 pages

I read for 36 minutes

Total pages read: 89

Total minutes read: 147

Snack time!  Combos and Reeses Pieces.

End of Hour Four

This hour I read:

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - 20 pages

I read for 36 minutes

Total pages read: 111

Total minutes read: 71

Had a slight distraction by Miss Muzzy this last hour which I took advantage of to change out of my jammies into real clothes.  It's gonna be a hot one here today.  So much for Fall!   A little over 80 pages to go in this book and still no idea who the bad guy is.  Love it!

End of Hour Three

This hour I ate breakfast and did some cheering.  I commented on 15 different readers blogs.  Not a bad hours work.

End of Hour Two

This hour I read:

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - 20 pages

I read 31 minutes

Total pages read: 51

Total minutes read: 75

I did a bit of Facebook housekeeping this hour (Have to keep my cafe going! LOL).  This book is really good.  I keep changing my mind about who I think the bad guy is.  Honestly at this point (just a little over a hundred pages to go) I have no idea who it is!

End of Hour One

This hour I read:

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - 31 pages

I read for 44 minutes

Total pages read: 31

Total minutes read: 44

I am going to add some pics again this time...not sure if I'll be doing one every hour but we'll see....

Introduction Meme

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
The Woodlands, TX

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton & Lily Dale : Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Onion Dip with Ruffles

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I spent yesterday shopping for books at a local used book stores book sale & then scrapbooking - two of my favorite things.

I'll be reading with my husband, my best friend and all our kiddos (cats) - all my favorite reading partners.

I'm slightly behind on my reading goal for the year so this is a great chance to get back on track.

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

This is my 10th read-a-thon.  Usually I read and then do the introductory meme after the firt hour so already I am switching things up!  Last read-a-thon my mom had just been diagnosed with breast cancner the week before and we went out to meet her for lunch the day of the read-a-thon.  The chemo is done, the surgery is done and my mom is in the midst of recovery and we'll be staying in for lunch this time.  Let the reading begin!

Getting read for the Read-a-Thon & My Read-a-Thon Pile

The next read-a-thon is tomorrow, October 13!  Life has been pretty busy so this is the first I have had time to post about it (I just got home now from a day of book buying and a scrapbook crop).  This will be the 10th Read-a-Thon Richard and I have taken part in.  I can't wait!

The books I have picked out to read from are....

Furthur Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes - I was actually reading this at the time of the last read-a-thon.  It usually stays in my girls room and I read it to them.  I have less than a hundred pages to go in it.

Do You Promise Not To Tell? by Mary Jane Clark - I'm currently reading this one, almost half way through.

Lily Dale: Believing by Wendy Corsi Staub - I read the first of these earlier this year and loved it.  I really had to search to find this and can't wait to read it.

Aunt Dimity and The Duke by Nancy Atherton - Nancy and I will be reading this one together!

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot - It's on my list to read this year.

Sabine's Notebook by Nick Pantock - I read the first in this series a few years ago.  It was unusual and interesting and not a long read so perfect for the read-a-thon.

I'm also cheering for four hours for team Sweetarts.  Look for me to be cheering you on as you read too!

I'm off to bed now to get some sleep before it's time to start reading.

September Reads

In September I read five books.

I read.....

3rd Degree by James Patterson - 4 stars - I really love this series.  I am emotionally attached to all the characters and love the storylines.  This was quick paced, emotional and a great mystery. This was a great entry in the series.

Matched by Ally Condie - 5 stars - Wow! I absolutely loved this book. It drew me in and I just couldn't stop reading. I loved the characters and appreciated that they all felt real to me. I was reading with tears in my eyes at points and gasping in surprise at others. Drama, revolution, mystery and romance...they were all here. Definitely one of my all time favorites.

101 Things To Do Before You Turn 40 by Kristin McCracken - 3 stars - This was the perfect book to have in the car. Some of the suggestions were pretty dumb in my opinion but it was light and interesting.

The Victoria's Secret Catalog Never Stops Coming by Jennie Nash - 5 stars - A touching, well written book that made me laugh and cry.  This was a very personal book for me as my mom was diagnosed with an almost identical diagnoses in April.  I happened upon this book just weeks before my mom was due for surgery.  It moved me and prepared me for her surgery in ways no talk with a doctor ever could.  For that I'll always be grateful.

The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen - 4 stars - I got to see Tess Gerritsen speak this month and get her latest Rizzoli and Isles book.  She signed both that and my copy of The Surgeon.  She was fun, interesting and one of the best authors I have had the privlege of hearing speak.  This book was so creepy but was also really well written and had some interesting twists and turns. I love when their are plot points I don't see coming. Tess Gerritsen manages to scare me once again and make me like it!