BookTube-A-Thon Wrap Up

Booktube-A-Thon is over!  I read some and had loads of fun watching people's videos and seeing what others were reading.  I

Here's my results:

Day 1: 45 pages read
Day 2: 41 pages read
Day 3: 71 pages read
Day 4: 82 pages read - First book finished
Day 5: 144 pages read - Second book finished
Day 6: 56 pages read
Day 7: 30 pages read

Total Pages Read: 469
I finished challenges 1 (Blue cover) 5 & 6 (Read a book without letting go of it and a book you really want to read).

I never get as much reading done as I think I will (though a RAT that's not during soccer season would be probably give me a better total) but I do get more read than I would without these RATs. I'm only one book away from making my yearly goal.  Woohoo!

BookTube-A-Thon

I'm taking part in Booktube-A-Thon for the first time.  It runs from August 3 - August 9. I don't have a youtube channel so I'll just be using Twitter.  #BOOKTUBEATHON

The challenges are:
1. Read a book with blue on the cover - The Fault In Our Stars
2. Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name - The Elite
3. Read someone else’s favorite book - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
4. Read the last book you acquired - The Elite
5. Finish a book without letting go of it - Lazarus #3
6. Read a book you really want to read - The Elite
7. Read seven books - Not even trying this one!  lol

I know I won't get through all of these but I'm excited to see just how much I can get read.  Maybe 464 pages?  ;)

#TBRTakedown 2.0 Wrap Up

#TBRTakedown 2.0 was so much fun!

Here's a breakdown of my reading:

Day 1 : 67 pages read
Day 2:  86 pages read
Day 3:  48 pages read
Day 4:  88 pages read - First book finished
Day 5:  23 pages read
Day 6:  44 pages read
Day 7:  106 pages read - Second book finished

Total pages read: 463

I finished challenges 1 & 2 and started 3.

I also took part in all five daily challenges and had loads of fun.

#TBRTakedown 2.0

#TBRTakedown 2.0 (July 25th - July 31st)

I'm so excited to be taking part in #TBRTakedown 2.0 on Twitter!  I've become slightly addicted to taking part in RAT's on Twitter and anything that helps me get more books read is a good thing in my book.

There are some challenges for this RAT which helped me pick my reading list.

#1 First book in a series 
#2 Sequel book in a series 
#3 Out of your comfort zone (genre, author, reviews, etc)
#4 On your shelf over a year (or the longest)
#5 Most recently hauled book

1. The Selection by Kiera Cass - I started this at the end of Casual Readathon 2 and it fits this category perfectly.  It's a series I've wanted to read for awhile and my husband was wonderful enough to buy me the first for Christmas.

2. Death of a Snob by M.C. Beaton - I love this series.  It's quick moving and easy to read plus I've learned a whole lot about Scotland from it.

3. They Call Me Naughty Lola - David Rose - No idea what this book is going to be like but it's totally different than anything else I own.

4. Loves Music, Loves To Dance by Mary Higgins Clark - This book has been on my shelf for over five years.  I bought it when we were still living in NC.  About time I read it!

5. Son by Lois Lowry - The final book in The Giver series.  Richard and I went out and bought it last week as we were reading Messenger.

I know I wont get them all read but I'll hopefully get through quite a bit of them.  I can't wait to get started!!

Casual Readathon July

This past week I took part in the second Casual Readathon via Twitter.  I went in thinking I would just get some extra reading done.  I never expected to enjoy myself as much as I did.  Between the great people running it to the fun participants and the excellent people I personally did the RAT with I had an incredible time.  Here's a breakdown of my reading:

Day 1 : 57 pages read
Day 2:  26 pages read
Day 3:  67 pages read - First book finished!
Day 4:  29 pages read
Day 5:  31 pages read
Day 6:  84 pages read
Day 7:  78 pages read
Day 8:  91 pages read - Second book finished!

Total pages read: 463

I also completed challenges 2, 3, 4, and 7.

Over all I finished 2 books (Messenger & Pretty Little Liars) and started a new one (The Selection) yesterday.

All in all I loved taking part in the Casual Read-A-Thon and I will definitely be taking part next month!

Bout of Books Update #7 & Wrap Up

I did it!  I finished all five graphic novels I had checked out from the library.  Woohoo!

Yesterday I finished off my fifth graphic novel (Morning Glories, Vol. 2: All will be free) and read a little bit in Landline as well.  I am totally obsessed with the Morning Glories series.  It's just so good.

I read a total of 158 pages yesterday.

I read a total of 727 pages over the course of Bout of Books.
I finished a total of 5 books.

I blew my last BoB total out of the water.  Interesting since last time Richard had the whole week off and this time he only had one day off.  We had a busy week but I made sure I made at least a little time to read each day and that made a huge difference.  I really enjoyed this round of BoB.

Bout of Books Update #6

I finished my fourth graphic novel yesterday (Morning Glories, Vol. 1: For a better future) which I loved, loved, loved!  Oh wow is it dark and twisted but I love it.  I started the second in the series (Morning Glories, Vol. 2: All will be free) as well.  I'm really hoping to finish this one by the end of Bout of Books.  Fingers crossed!

I read a total of 88 pages today for a total of 569 pages.

Bout of Book Update #5

I didn't finish a book today but I read in both Morning Glories and Landline by Rainbow Rowell, a book I had started awhile back and have been reading off and on.

I read a total of 122 pages today for a total of 481 pages.

Bout of Books Update #4

I finished my third graphic novel yesterday (The Woods) and I liked it a lot more than I thought it would.  It wasn't my normal kind of book and I almost gave up on it in the first few pages.  I'm glad I didn't as it was a perfect book to get lost in just when I needed it most.  I also started another graphic novel, Morning Glories, and finished the first volume.

I read a total of 101 pages today for a total of 359.

Bout of Books Update #3

We had a baseball game to go to tonight (Giants vs Astros) so didn't have much time to read.  I managed to read the second volume in The Woods.

I read 26 pages today for a total of 258 pages so far.

Bout of Books Update #2

I finished my second graphic novel yesterday (Blue Bloods) and I really liked it.  I have the book and I think I'm more likely to read it now.  The graphics were lovely as well.  I also started another graphic novel, The Woods, and finished the first volume.

I read a total of 79 pages today for a total of 232.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Authors I Want to  Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they update their blog with a list of ten things that have to do with a predetermined topic.  I've read the responses by others for years but never taken part till now.

This week's topic is: Top ten authors I want to meet.

I've been lucky enough to get to meet quite a few authors (Charlaine Harris, Wendy Corsi Staub, Maureen Johnson, Susan Rogers Cooper), since I live close enough to an awesome bookstore in Houston who often has authors visit.  Murder by the Book is just fabulous and I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in the area.  Now back to the topic...

1. Faye Kellerman - Her Decker/Rina series is one of my all time favorites.

2. Laura Lippman - I fell in love with her books last year.  Funny and well written.

3. Michele Bardsley - Her Broken Heart series is a lot of fun.  Plus she's a hoot.

4. Mary Jane Clark - Her Key News series is one of my all time favorites.

5. Stephen King - The Stand is my all time favorite book and he's so interesting.

6. MaryJanice Davidson - Not only do I love her Betsy series I love her.  She cracks me up.

7. M.C. Beaton - I am a big fan of her Hamish Macbeth series.  The village and the characters come alive on the page.

8. Sarah Dessen - I read my first book by Sarah this year (which I really liked) and started following her on Twitter.  I really like her.

9. Louisa May Alcott - Little Women was such a huge book in my childhood.  I've seen every version of the movie and adore the book.  Plus she was so far ahead of her time in her way of thinking.

10. Laura Ingalls Wilder - Growing up I wanted to be Laura.  I read all the Little House books and as an adult I'm still fascinated by her.  My love of her is ingrained in who I am.

Interesting that all but one are women...

Bout of Books Update #1

I finished my first book yesterday and got half way through a second one, Blue Bloods.  It's been ages since I read a Deadpool book and I really enjoyed it.  They're funny but dark and twisted at the same time.

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I read a total of 153 pages yesterday.

Bout of Books - Bookish Survey

Bookish Survey

1. How do you organize your shelves?
I organize by genre, but also have two shelves for my favorites.  I keep the books I read for the current year on the top between bookends and at the end of the year I have a whole reorg of my shelves.

2. What is one of your favorite book that’s not in one of your favorite genres?
Weekend Warriors by Fern Michaels.  It's so not my normal kind of book but it completely drew me in.

3. What is the last 5 star book you read?
Lazarus, Vol. 2: Lift by Greg Rucka.  This series of graphic novels has me completely obsessed.  It's not my normal kind of read but I just love it.

4. What book are you most excited to read during the read-a-thon?
Night of the Living Deadpool by Cullen Bunn.  It's been years since I read a Deadpool book.

5. What book do you recommend the most?
It would have to be Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.  I even had my husband read it.

My Bout of Books TBR Pile

I decided I'm going to try and finish off the pile of graphic novels I got from the library, mostly left over from Dewey's RAT.  I have five, most of which I have never read anything in the series (Deadpool being the exception).  I'm flexible though and will see how the week goes but this is my starting point.

I'm taking part in Bout of Books!

This will be the second time I've taken part on Bout of Books and I'm really looking forward to it. Any excuse to read!  I don't have a specific goal for myself in mind (as the date gets closer maybe I will) just to spend more time reading.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

Reading My Library Update #2

I finished two more books in the Reading My Library Challenge and I'm happy to say I really liked them both.  Oddly enough they were both the second in a series.

End of Event Meme

All our books we read during the RAT

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  Probably hour three.  I am so not a morning person and the early wake up hit me hard.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?  I love graphic novels and Angel & Faith Vol. 2 is really good so far.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  Not from a management point of view but for myself, having a soccer game to attend the same day as a the RAT was hard.  My two great obsessions, books and soccer do not do well in competition with each other.  I wound up missing roughly 5 hours of the RAT.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?  The cheerleaders were amazing!  I got so much support and it really made the RAT that much more enjoyable.
5. How many books did you read?  I finished one that I had started before and read over half in another.
6. What were the names of the books you read?  The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson and Faith & Angel Vol. 2 : Daddy Issues by Christos Gage
7. Which book did you enjoy most?  Both were good in different ways
8. Which did you enjoy least?  Both were good in different ways
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?  I didn't cheer this year but was so impressed with the cheerleaders this year.  You guys rocked!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  I'll be there with bells on, with my husband and best friend in tow!  I'll probably read and may cheer again.

My RAT journal gets a break till October

End of Hour Twenty-Two

This hour I read:

Angel & Faith Vol. 2: Daddy Issues - 34 pages

I read for 37 minutes

Total pages read: 243

Total minutes read: 586

Books Finished - 1

This is gonna be the last hour for Nancy and I.  Richard went to bed at 3 and we're both starting to flag.

Nancy and Coal

My Favorite

Our famous foot shot to close out the RAT

End of Hour Twenty-One

This hour I read:

Angel & Faith Vol. 2: Daddy Issues - 13 pages

I read for 18 minutes

Total pages read: 209

Total minutes read: 549

Books Finished - 1

Our fancy schmancy popcorn boxes for our gourmet popcorn

Mini Challenge

That Moment When You Fall in Love With a Book-

Share the last 5 star book you read.

"Sky on Fire Monument 14 #2.  This was the second in a trilogy that I have just fallen in love with.  So often the second books in trilogies are let downs but this one was excellent.  It was just as exciting, totally nerve wracking and I loved the characters just as much.  A great, great book."

End of Hour Twenty

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 5 pages - Finished It!

Angel & Faith Vol. 2: Daddy Issues - 34 pages

Total pages for the Hour - 39

I read for 49 minutes

Total pages read: 196

Total minutes read: 518

Books Finished - 1

Grafton, playing model with my finished book

Richard and Grafton, reading during his last hour before he called it a night

End of Hour Nineteen

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 17 pages

I read for 49 minutes

Total pages read: 157

Total minutes read: 467

So close to finishing my first book...

Sleepy Kitties

End of Hour Eighteen

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 5 pages

I read for 21 minutes

Total pages read: 140

Total minutes read: 418

I spent a lot of the last hour updating my blog and twitter.  I will finish this book!

I spent more time on this the past hour than on my book.

Grafton loves Read-A-Thons!

End of Hour Seventeen

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 19 pages

I read for 55 minutes

Total pages read: 135

Total minutes read: 397

Games over and I'm home and back to reading.  Now to finish this book...

Payday Dip & Pineapple Cake - Yum!

End of Hours 13-16

No reading these hours as I was at my soccer games.  We wound up tying 4-4 and it was a crazy game.  Even though I really wanted the win I'm proud of how we played, with a lot of fight and passion.  I love my team!

My Happy Place

Games against Kansas are always crazy

Kick Off

Celebrating a great goal!

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

2. How many books have you read so far? Still working on one

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Finishing Madness and trying out some of the graphic novels

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? My soccer game...but hey gotta roll with it and enjoy.

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? That I haven't finished my first book yet.  Grr.

End of Hour 12

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 7 pages

I read for 16 minutes

Total pages read: 116

Total minutes read: 342

Dessert time for the first half of the hour then we headed off to the game.

Lemon Cake

End of Hour 11

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 4 pages

I read for 33 minutes

Total pages read: 109

Total minutes read: 326

I read a wee bit during dinner.

Chicken Friand - My favorite

End of Hour 10

Off to Houston this hour to grab dinner and head to the game so no reading.

Forever Orange - I Bleed Orange

End of Hour Nine

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 13 pages

I read for 35 minutes

Total pages read: 105

Total minutes read: 293

I have 57 pages left in my book but have to get ready this hour to head into Houston for the game. Once we get there we'll stop somewhere to eat so we can get some more reading in.

Nilla, playing guard dog while we all read

End of Hour Eight

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 16 pages

I read for 48 minutes

Total pages read: 92

Total minutes read: 258

Nancy reading & Andie sleeping

End of Hour Seven

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 12 pages

I read for 42 minutes

Total pages read: 76

Total minutes read: 210

Lunch time this house and a few random conversations.  I'm down to less than 100 pages to go in my book and it's so good!

Jersey Mike's - Yum!

End of Hour Six

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 16 pages

I read for 38 minutes

Total pages read: 64

Total minutes read: 168

I've been munching on the cookies I made.  They are so good it's dangerous to have them near.

Yummy cookies

End of Hour Five

Oh ya, I felt like those zombies before my nap.

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 5 pages

I read for 13 minutes

Total pages read: 48

Total minutes read: 130

My nap went a little over into this hour, though I managed to get some reading in at the end.  I'm much more awake now, thankfully.  Nap are our friends.

End of Hour Four

Nap Time

No reading this hour...napping

End of Hour Three

Pretty Colors

This hour I read: 

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 18 pages

I read for 45 minutes 

Total pages read: 43

Total minutes read: 117

I'm so tired...think the next hour will be a nap.

End of Hour Two

Breakfast, courtesy of Dunkin Donuts

This hour I read:

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 18 pages

I read for 47 minutes

Total pages read: 18

Total minutes read: 72

I'm yawning but my book is really good!

End of Hour One

Using my Dynamo blanket for the first time.

This hour I read: 

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - 7 pages

I read for 25 minutes 

Total pages read: 7

Total minutes read: 25

I did the Intro Meme last hour, drank some tea and got myself situated.  I didn't get much reading done but in just the little I read some startling information came to light.  I can't wait to see what happens!

Opening Meme

Opening Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?  The Woodlands, Texas, where it has just started to rain.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I'm really liking The Madness Underneath so am looking forward to reading more of that.  Landline intrigues me & the whole Monument series has been so good that I'm excited to see how it all wraps up. Plus I have some really interesting graphic novels.  OK, so I'm looking forward to a lot!

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Payday Dip, mostly because I already tried out the Salty Ritz Cracker Oatmeal Cookies so I know they're awesome.  Oh plus Nancy bought this yummy looking popcorn with caramel and cheese.  Yum!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! This is my 15th RAT that I've taken part in, along with my husband.  (8 in Texas, 7 in NC) Originally it was just something I happened to find on the internet that seemed like fun.  Who knew how important it would become to us.  That first RAT we just kinda did it with little to no planning.  Now we have a plan for food, our schedule, everything.  Oh and I am not a morning person so me being up this early speaks volumes about how much I love the RAT.

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?  Well we have to go out tonight (We're Houston Dynamo season ticket holders and we don't miss games.) so I know I'll have time away from the RAT which I generally try and avoid.  But hey, soccer is one of the only things I love as much as reading so that can't be helped.  I do sometimes overdo it on food prep, making way more food than the three of us can eat, so I scaled that back a bit and think we have a good but not overwhelming selection. 

OK...let's get to reading!

Nilla isn't a morning puppy.

My TBR Pile for the Read-A-Thon

It's the night before Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon and I've been busy with prep work.  Between Richard, Nancy and I we've baked, cleaned and got almost everything ready.  I finally got my TBR pile together and here it is.

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson - I'm a little over 100 pages into this one.  Maureen Johnson is one of my favorite authors and this one is so good.

Down By The River by Robyn Carr - I'm only about 40 pages into this one.

Hide Yourself Away by Mary Jane Clark - I realized I hadn't gotten this one out (it's the next in the series) so luckily my husband was sweet enough to dig it out for me.

Monument 14 Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne - The last in a trilogy I've read and loved this year.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - Checked out from the library to see what I think.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell - Checked out from the library to see what I think.

I got quite a few graphic novels from the library:

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz 

Morning Glories 1 & 2 by Nick Spencer

The Woods by James Tynion IV

Angel & Faith Vol 2 Daddy Issues by Christos Gage (Hoping it's better than the first in the series)

Y:The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan

Runaways Teenage Wasteland by Brian K. Vaughan

Lazarus 2 Vol 2 Lift by Greg Rucka

Reading My Library Update

I finished my first book for the Reading My Library Challenge.   It wasn't my favorite in this verse but there were some interesting parts and the Harmony story was fun.

Getting ready for the Read-a-Thon

Once again I'm taking part in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon!  I don't have my booklist set yet (though I have a vague idea of what I'll be reading) because we have a book sale to attend the day before the RAT so I may just find something I have to read there.  I know for sure I'll have some graphic novels to read.  I put an inter library request in for a few and am so happy they arrived in time for the RAT!

Snackwise we have a plan.  I'm making Payday Dip to be served with graham crackers and Salty Ritz Oatmeal Cookies.  Nancy is making a Pineapple Cake and bringing popcorn from The Popcorn Bar. We're getting some Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and Jersey Mike sandwiches for lunch.  I'm sure we'll have some other yummy snacks to munch on through out the day.  Dinner is probably going to be La Madeline as we will be heading to Houston as the Dynamo have a game and that can't be missed.  So there will be soccer amidst the reading.

I just can't wait to get started!!

Reading My Library Challenge

I'm taking part in this challenge.  I already have some library books out and definitely plan on getting more this month.  I also happen to be a big fan of libraries.  Some of my favorite memories from my childhood were spent in libraries.  :)

I'm reading a Supernatural graphic novel and have two others checked out as well as a few requested. Let's get to reading!
 

Bout of Books #7 & Wrap Up

I read 12 pages in Beauty Queens.

Total Book Finished - 3
Total Pages Read - 365

The last day of BoB was a little crazy for me, as the Golden Globes were on (which I love) and I went out during the day with Richard and my mom to get new phones.  I snuck in just a few minutes of reading before we went to bed and got another chapter read.

Over all I'm really happy with what I accomplished during this week of reading.  I got a good start to the year of reading and all the check lists I'm doing.  I really enjoyed the time with Richard and loved starting the year this way.  My first Bout of Books was a success!

Bout of Books #6

I read 17 pages in Beauty Queens.
I read 12 pages in Annabel and finished it.
I read 29 pages.

Total Book Finished - 3
Total Pages Read - 353

Bout of Books #5

I read 39 pages in Beauty Queens.  This book is crazy but really smart and loads of fun.

Total Book Finished - 2
Total Pages Read - 324

Bout of Books #4

I read 31 pages in Beauty Queens today.

Total Books Finished - 2
Total Pages Read - 285

Bout of Books #3

I read 58 pages in Beauty Queens today.  The book is quite funny and has me laughing quite a lot.

Total Books Finished - 2
Total Pages Read - 254

Bout of Books #2

I started and finished The Walking Dead Vol. 5 The Best Defense.  My least favorite in the series so far.  I started Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.  We spent part of the day at a park in Houston that has an outdoor reading space then a new tea room we tried out.  With some added reading time at home we had a good day of reading.
Read 147 pages for the day & finished 1 book.

Total Books Finished - 2
Total Pages Read - 196

Bout of Books Update #1

So I had a nice little time getting some reading done today.  I read for over two hours and finished my book I was reading, The Next Always by Nora Roberts.  This is the first book by Nora Roberts I have read and I really liked it.  It's always wonderful to find a new author you like.

So over all I've read 49 pages so far, finished one book and read over my goal time wise.  Yae!

Next up for me is The Walking Dead - The Best Defense.

I'm taking part in Bout of Books!

I'm ready!  This will be my first time taking part in Bout of Books and I'm excited!

For those that don't know what Bout of Books is... here you go:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 11th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 12 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I want to read at least two hours everyday.  My husband chose to take his Christmas time off work during the first week of January so this is great timing for BoB.  I know I'll be reading the next graphic novel in The Walking Dead series that I have but aside from that I'm not sure what I'll read. Mostly I just want to spend some time reading.