End of Hour 21

This hour I read:

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 12 pages Finished It!

I read for 49 minutes

Total pages read: 363 pages

Total minutes read: 737

Books Finished: 2

I finished Eating My Words! Woohoo! This book was one I carried over from last year. It wasn't a long book, just one I struggled to get into so I kept setting it aside. I am so, so glad it's done with. I started it after reading Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl, which I adored. This didn't even come close to matching up to G&S. But now it's done and I couldn't be happier!

End of Hour 20

This hour I read:

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 11 pages

I read for 40 minutes

Total pages read: 351 pages

Total minutes read: 688

Books Finished: 1

13 pages to go and I'll be done...gotta keep on going. Sweet Tea and Chocolate are getting me through!

End of Hour 19

This hour I read:

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 12 pages

Not Quite What I Was Planning Six Word Memoirs - 39 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 51

I read for 51 minutes

Total pages read: 340 pages

Total minutes read: 648

Books Finished: 1

Really struggling now. 25 pages left in Words but getting through each page is a struggle....I'm trying.

End of Hour 18

This hour I read:

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 8 pages

I read for 26 minutes

Total pages read: 289 pages

Total minutes read: 597

Books Finished: 1

Took a walk around the hotel at the first part of the hour to wake me up a bit. The reading is slow now but I'm still going.

End of Hour 17

This hour I read:

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 8 pages

Not Quite What I Was Planning Six Word Memoirs - 19 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 27

I read for 39 minutes

Total pages read: 289 pages

Total minutes read: 571

Books Finished: 1

Getting harder to concentrate now....think a little walk is called for. And definitely some more caffeine!

End of Hour 16

This hour I read:

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 17 pages

I read for 45 minutes

Total pages read: 262 pages

Total minutes read: 532

Books Finished: 1

I have a little less than 60 pages left in Eating My Words so think I will stick with it for now. If I get really stuck I'll read a few pages of Not Quite What I Was Planning. But I'm definitely gonna try to get some more of Words read....

End of Hour 15

This hour I read:

Not Quite What I Was Planning Six Word Memoirs - 19 pages

Carpe Demon by Julie Kemmer - 7 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 26

I read for 30 minutes

Total pages read: 245 pages

Total minutes read: 487

Books Finished: 1

End of Hour 14

This hour I read:

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 6

I read for 35 minutes

Total pages read: 219 pages

Total minutes read: 457

Books Finished: 1

Hour 13 was spent running back to the house and taking care of the kiddos (cats). Hour 14 was dinner, so I got a little bit of reading done while at Steak & Shake.

I am going to attempt to read as much as I can of Eating My Words. This is the last book I carried over from last year. It's just not an easy read and I even lost the book at point this year. I have really struggled to finish it. Maybe if I split it up between reading this and Carpe Demon I can actually struggle through it!

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now?

Carpe Demon by Julie Kemmer

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton (Will be the next hour)

2. How many books have you read so far?

Finished 1, read from two others

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Carpe Demon, as I just started it and it's quite funny.

Might see how much I can get done in Eating My Words, as it's been hanging around for quite some time now.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

We spent last night and tonight in a hotel.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Dog Barking...that's about it. Tried to go downstairs but it was noisier down there. Came back up to our room and just tuned the dog out.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

How much more focused I have felt this time in comparison to read-a-thons past. I think being away from home helps.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Nothing, it rocks!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Nada

9. Are you getting tired yet?

Hmmm, a bit but we're going out to dinner and I think the refueling will help.

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?

Lots of Sweet Tea (My source of caffeine), snacks and changing position a lot.

End of Hour 12

This hour I read:

Not Quite What I Was Planning Six Word Memoirs - 27 pages

Carpe Demon by Julie Kemmer - 19 pages

Pages Read This Hour - 27

I read for 48 minutes

Total pages read: 213 pages

Total minutes read: 422

Books Finished: 1

I wasn't really feeling Not Quite What I Was Planning so I moved onto Carpe Demon. So far it's quite funny.

End of Hour 11

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 18 pages Finished It!

I read for 37 minutes

Total pages read: 186 pages

Total minutes read: 374

Books Finished: 1

I finished Twilight. Woohoo! That was a big goal for this read-a-thon for me. I tend to skip around with what I'm reading but I have stuck with this book all day.
Not sure what I'm reading next.....

End of Hour 10

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 18 pages

I read for 37 minutes

Total pages read: 186 pages

Total minutes read: 374

Books Finished: 0

End of Hour 9

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 17 pages

I read for 46 minutes

Total pages read: 168 pages

Total minutes read: 337

Books Finished: 0

There is an annoying dog next door to our room who is barking his head off and really distracting me. Grrrrr.

End of Hour 8

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 20 pages
It's really unusual for me to read one book for so long. I really wasn't that into this book at the midway point but now I am really interested to see how things turn out.

I read for 44 minutes

Total pages read: 151 pages

Total minutes read: 291

Books Finished: 0

End of Hour 7

Nothing new read.....Lunch Break..Now back to reading!

End of Hour 6

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 21 pages
I wasn't planning on sticking with the same book so long, but it's kept me interested so I have stuck with it. Who knows? I may wind up finishing it!

I read for 40 minutes

Total pages read: 131 pages

Total minutes read: 274

Books Finished: 0

Taking a break now to go get some lunch from the food court at the local mall.

End of Hour 5

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 24 pages
Some slight interruptions by Nilla this hour.

I read for 49 minutes

Total pages read: 110 pages

Total minutes read: 234

Books Finished: 0

End of Hour 4

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 22 pages

I read for 43 minutes

Total pages read: 86 pages

Total minutes read: 185

Books Finished: 0

End of Hour 3

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 24 pages

I read for 49 minutes

Total pages read: 64 pages

Total minutes read: 142

Books Finished: 0

End of Hour 2

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 11 pages

I read for 30 minutes

Total pages read: 40 pages

Total minutes read: 93

Books Finished: 0

Introduction Meme

Where are you reading from today?
La Quinta Hotel in Raleigh, NC

3 facts about me …
*Every 24 hour read-a-thon I have participated in, my husband has as well, so we have always done this together. We look forward to it.

*This is the first time I haven't done the read-a-thon from home. We had free nights we needed to use up so decided to use them for this.

*I don't usually eat breakfast. But when I am up early and doing things I am really hungry. So I have prob eaten more for breakfast today than I have in months.

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
20, 4 of which I was already reading before the read-a-thon started. I like choices!

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)?
Just to read an awful lot and enjoy the break from the real world. I would like to either finish Twilight or get a huge portion of it read.

Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Take breaks and read what you like, not what you think you should read. Have fun!

End of Hour 1

This hour I read:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - 29 pages
I am a little over half way through Twilight and it's slowly getting better. As I'm enjoying it I'll prob. read it for the next hour as well. If I get bored I have plenty of other books to try out.

I read for 63 minutes

It's sunny out and is just started pouring rain. Love the crazy weather.

Ready to Read

For the first time ever I am up and awake, ready for the read-a-thon! I'm still eating breakfast, but am ready to go. I'm going to start out with one of the books I am already reading, probably Twilight. Let the reading begin!

My Read-A-Thon Book Pile

The read-a-thon is Saturday and I am working on getting my pile of books together. Richard and I are going to a local hotel for the read-a-thon (We have free nights to use up and figure the change of scenery will be nice.) so I have quite a few books to go with me, so I have plenty to choose from. Aside from my pile I also will be taking the books I am already reading:
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, Eating My Words:An Appetite For Life by Mimi Sheraton, Fast Track by Fern Michaels & Dear Exile by Hilary Liftin & Kate Montgomery.

So in my pile I have:

Carpe Demon by Julie Kemmer-I have wanted to read this for awhile now.
Meg & the Disappearing Diamonds by Holly Beth Walker-This is an old childs book. I read some of this series when I was a little girl and found this at a used booksale.
Abigail Adams A Girl of Colonial Days by Jean Brown Wagoner-Another old childs book.
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris-I have read all by the newest Sookie Stackhouse series and love those. I liked her Grave series as well so am moving onto this one.
Derik's Bane by MaryJanice Davidson-I read a short story by this author in Bite and liked it so figured I would give this a go.
Death Waxed Over by Tim Myers-The first two in this series were quick and easy reads that I liked.
I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley-This was recommended to me and fits into my supernatural kick at the moment.
I Am A Star by Inge Auerbacher-A serious but short read I had sitting around, waiting to be read.
There Was A Little Girl by Susan Rogers Cooper-One of my favorite mystery series of all time. I am taking my time working through this series.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke-Looked fun and light.
Number The Stars by Lois Lowry-Short book that others have raved about.
Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye-Looks fun and light. (And with vamps, which I love.)
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney-A YA book that looked different than my other choices.
Motherhood is Murder by Mult. Authors-I have enjoyed the short story books I have read this year so thought this might be fun. I haven't read any of these authors so should be interesting.
Not Quite What I Was Planning Six Word Memoirs-I waited for this book for over a year on Paperback Swap. Most of the pages are really short and it looks really interesting.

Amazingly, I didn't go out and buy any of these books for the read-a-thon. They were all here at my house, just waiting to be read. Theres no way I'll get through all of these but I like to have options...I can't wait to start!

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.

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.)

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.

24-Hour Read-A-Thon!

Yae! I am so ready for this!

My Reading Goals for the Year 2009

Last year I had a goal to read 24 books. I surpassed that and finished 32. This year I am making my goal 36 books, three a month. I finished one in January already so I'm off to a good start. I want to work on reading some of the series books I have. I have a lot of books that are parts of series that I haven't read one of. It would be nice to know which series I truly want to read and which ones aren't really my style. Since a lot of the series books I have are mysteries it looks like I'll be reading a lot of mysteries. I also want to finish The Cold Moon, the books that seems to have taken me forever to read! I actually have three books I carried over from 2008 and want to finish all three.

1. Read 36 books
2. Read series books
3. Finish all books carried over

Summary of the Read-A-Thon (a very late post)

Over all I read:
I read 254 pages in 5 different books.
I read for 677 minutes.
I finished two books and almost finished another one.
I took part in three mini-challenges.
I won no prizes.

By book I read:
The Devil's Arithmetic-134
Dead Until Dark-32
Any Given Doomsday-62
Under the Duvet-22
Eating My Words-4

This wrap up is very late, as life got pretty complicated for me right after the read-a-thon, so somehow this just never got done. Better late than never!

Embrace

My word for the following year will be embrace. I looked up the definition and it is:
1. "to take or clasp in the arms"
2. "to take or receive gladly or eagerly; accept willingly"

I plan on doing both, to hold those I love close to me and make sure they know I love them. And I plan on being open to new things and to be truly open to the feelings of whats happening around me, of what I'm involved in. Life is full of so many moments we should enjoy and we don't take the time. This year, I am going to.

Grieving and Soap Operas

I lost My De the first of this month. It wasn't a shock, as she had been ill a long time. But theres really no way to be prepared for the loss of someone you love. You think your ready. Your a sensible person, you know theres no cure, but still it stuns you when it happens. The idea of our parents dieing just seems unthinkable. And yes, De was my parent. The world would view her as my grandmother, but she helped raise me and was a mother to me as much as my mom is. My mom is the more free spirited one, who taught me to be independent. My De was the over protective mother. She worried about me, fussed over me, did all those things that make you crazy but make you feel loved just the same. I was My De's first grandchild and I spent a good portion of my life living with her. That parent who thinks their child is perfect? That was how My De was with me.

For the past few weeks I have been back and forth to Texas, spent the last week of her life with My De and been through a memorial service in a town I hoped never to go back to. The whole thing has been a bit surreal. I have felt like I have been cast in a play or TV show that someone forgot to give me the script to. I've just felt a bit out of step, a bit off. Things that would normally worry me haven't really upset me as much as they normally would and the things that would usually make me ecstatic just haven't affected me as much. I was able to speak at her memorial and I will always be glad I did. To say I love My De doesn't cover it. I adore her. She was my best friend and my confidant. She was someone I could call up and tell her anything and know that she would still love me. That's a precious and rare thing and I know how blessed I am to have had that. I was glad I spoke about De as I knew her, not some person other people made her out to be. My De was spunky and full of fire. She was a pistol and hard to handle and proud of it. She was far from the stereotypical grandmother and that's part of what made her so special.

So now I am back to my "normal life". Things are going along, I'm working with my foster cats, working on bringing others in, doing all the things I'm supposed to. I keep thinking about grieving. Have I done it? Am I doing it? I'm honestly not sure. In some ways I feel like I have been grieving off and on for years, since she first became sick. I had times of being so angry this illness was happening to her and times where I would cry so hard blood vessels would break in my face. Maybe that's why I haven't cried as much as I thought I would after the fact. Maybe it's because I'm not ready to mourn and will do it when I am. I'm not sure.

Since being back home I have found comfort in an odd place: Soap Operas. Well, one soap opera precisely. When I was 12 I was home schooled for a year. I can't say that year did much for my academic life but it did give me and De a chance to start watching Soap Operas. There were three we liked, two of which have gone off the air, but our true love was one in particular: Guiding Light. Over the years I got busy and stopped watching, though I always had a soft spot for it. Last week I found myself watching it again and thinking about De. The funny thing is the couple we watched all those years ago who was in such romantic turmoil is the same one I am watching now. Josh and Reva are still star crossed lovers who we all know belong together but there are obstacles in their way. De thought Josh was so handsome (Eh, not really my type.) and she always liked Reva (She rocks in my book.) Alan's still there causing problems and I read today that Philip will be back next year. For an hour a day I watch GL and that time when De and I would lay on the bed in her room and watch the show together doesn't seem that far away or that long ago. Maybe it's because it struck me this year that there are shows I'll never get to watch with her that she would have loved. (She would have loved to laugh at Bones and would have thought David Boreanaz was good looking. And One Tree Hill would have drawn her in. I know she would have been a Nathan fan just like me.) It may seem silly to mourn over shows you can't share but it's not the shows so much as the sharing. It's something we always did and sadly can't do anymore. But with GL we can in a way. Soaps really don't change much over the years and theres a comfort in that, especially now. I feel closer to My De when I'm watching GL and it makes me feel better. That's priceless for me. So for now and the foreseeable future, I'll be getting my daily dose of soap. It's an hour out of the day that's just about De and me, just like old times.

End of the Event Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Hour 21, the last one I did.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Under The Duvet
The Devils' Arithmetic
Some of Tim Myers Candlemaking Mysteries

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Nope, it's great!

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

Everything

5. How many books did you read?

I finished two and started two more, one of which I almost finished.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes - Finished
Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handelhan - Finished
Eating My Words:An Appetite For Life by Mimi Sheraton
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolan
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Any Given Doomsday & The Devil's Arithmetic

8. Which did you enjoy least?

Eating My Words-It's a good book, but not as good as Garlic and Sapphires

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?

Definitely as a reader!

End of Hour 21

I'm calling this hour a bit early as I am tired and heading off to bed.

The Devil's Arithmetic - 8 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 8

Total pages read: 254

Minutes Read: Aprox. 677

I only have 36 pages to go in my book but I am too tired to keep going. It's bed time for me.

End of Hour 20

The Devil's Arithmetic - 22 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 22

Total pages read: 246

Minutes Read: Aprox. 661

End of Hour 19

Dead Until Dark - 12 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 12

Total pages read: 224

Minutes Read: Aprox. 608

Spent some time reading with Muzzy, our 16 year old foster kitty and then with the foster boys (and Katie) in Richard's office. My eyes are beginning to feel like they are crossing. I'm trying to keep going a bit longer.....

End of Hour 18

The Devil's Arithmetic - 9 pages

Dead Until Dark - 8 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 17

Total pages read: 212

Minutes Read: Aprox. 569

Had a snack of a bagel with cream cheese, to give me an energy boost. It worked!

End of Hour 17

The Devil's Arithmetic - 16 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 16

Total pages read: 195

Minutes Read: Aprox. 530

End of Hour 16

The Devil's Arithmetic - 3 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 3

Total pages read: 179

Minutes Read: Aprox. 487

The games almost over and my boys are kicking LA butt! Will pick up my reading speed when the games done.

End of Hour 15

The Devil's Arithmetic - 4 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 4

Total pages read: 176

Minutes Read: Aprox. 469

Not getting much reading done as Houston Dynamo is playing and they are my boys.

End of Hour 14

The Devil's Arithmetic - 6 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 6

Total pages read: 172

Minutes Read: Aprox. 430

End of Hour 13

The Devil's Arithmetic - 5 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 5

Total pages read: 166

Minutes Read: Aprox. 397

Took a bit of a break, watched some soccer, did some mini-challenges and visited a few blogs.

The Very Mini-Library Cat Challenge

Mac
Everett Library
Queens University of Charlotte
Charlotte, NC

Spencer Public Library

Puss in Books,

Dewey Readmore Books

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now?

The Devil's Arithmetic

2. How many books have you read so far?

Finished two that I had started before the challenge

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Reading more of The Devil's Arithmetic. So far it's a very good book.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Not really anything special, just made sure to keep the day free.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Meals and the cats getting into stuff.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

How tired reading can make you!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

I wish it started later. I know it's the same it is to try and be the best for all time zones but I am just not a morning person.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Nothing.

9. Are you getting tired yet?

Yes! Am taking a bit of a break, watching a soccer game and getting some caffeine in me.

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?

A change of scenery works wonders. We went out to dinner at a local cafe where we could eat and that gave me a boost.

End of Hour 12

The Devil's Arithmetic - 5 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 5

Total pages read: 161

Minutes Read: Aprox. 382

Read during dinner at Panera

End of Hour 11

The Devil's Arithmetic - 14 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 14

Total pages read: 156

Minutes Read: Aprox. 363

Read during dinner at Panera

End of Hour 10

The Devil's Arithmetic - 11 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 11

Total pages read: 142

Minutes Read: Aprox. 327

Off to get some dinner now.....

End of Hour 9

The Devil's Arithmetic - 6 pages
So far I am really enjoying this book.

Dead Until Dark - 12 pages
Not too sure about this one yet.

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 18

Total pages read: 131

Minutes Read: Aprox. 305

End of Hour 8

I spent the first 15 minutes listing my new books on Shelfari, ect.

The Devil's Arithmetic - 25 pages

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 25

Total pages read: 113

Minutes Read: Aprox. 263

End of Hour 7

I spent the last part of this hour figuring out what to read next. Since I finished two today I started two new books as well.

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland - 26 pages Finished it!

Books Finished - 2

Pages this hour - 26

Total pages read: 88

End of Hour 6

Time for lunch, so this hour I only read a little over 30 minutes.

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland - 11 pages

Books Finished - 1

Pages this hour - 11

Total pages read: 62

End of Hour 5

Under the Duvet by Marian Keys - 11 pages Finished it!

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland - 9 pages

Books Finished - 1

Pages this hour - 20

Total pages read: 51

End of Hour 4

Under the Duvet by Marian Keys - 5 pages

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland - 11 pages

Pages this hour - 16

Total pages read: 31

Read-A-Thon Introduction Meme

Where are you reading from today?

So far, the couch in our living room. I'm sure I'll wind up reading in our bedroom a bit and we have planned dinner out at a local sandwich place where we can read while we eat.

3 facts about me …

1. I'm a scattered reader, reading from multiple books at one time.

2. I turned the heat on for the first time this year since it's chilly and I want to be cozy to read.

3. My cats think this read-a-thon is wonderful, as it means both myself and Richard and lounging in the living room today.

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

Way too many! But I like to have choices.

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 want to finish two of my books I am currently reading (Under the Duvet & Any Given Doomsday). I like easy, attainable goals!

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?

This is my second read-a-thon. I guess the thing I find helpful is to take short breaks when I feel burnt out and to have multiple books going so I have plenty to choose from.

End of Hour 3

I got a late start on the read-a-thon. I tried to get going on time but it was impossible for me to get going at 8 a.m. Here's what I read this hour (the first hour for me, third for everyone else.)

Eating My Words by Mimi Sheraton - 4 pages

Under the Duvet by Marian Keys - 6 pages

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland - 5 pages

Total pages read: 15

The Jury by Fern Michaels

I finished this book early on this month and am just now getting around to posting it (A bit of housekeeping before tomorrow's read-a-thon). This is the fourth in The Sisterhood series and my least favorite so far. It felt a bit disjointed to me. Having said that, I love this series and it came as such a surprise to me. I was not expecting to be sucked in by it and yet, I have been! Since I started the series back in June I have always had one of the books going. I rarely do that with a series, preferring to space them out. But I have been so intrigued with the characters and the whole premise of the books (A group of women who seek revenge on those who have done them wrong and whom the justice system has failed to punish.) that I have kept reading. I am currently reading the next in the series, Sweet Revenge, along with four other books. If I wasn't reading other books at the same time I could have quite easily finished the series by now. I am so glad there is a follow up series that is currently being written. I will have more books to read in the Sisterhood series for quite a while to come!

Bridget Jones Diary & A Change in Challenges

I tried to read Bridget Jones in September. I made it to page 60 and found I just really wasn't enjoying the book at all. Since life is too short and there are so many good books out there I gave up on it.

This book would have counted towards two challenges (New Classics & Book to Movie Challenge). However I have found I really only enjoy the challenges that have very loose guidelines. Otherwise I feel pressured to read certain books and end up not enjoying them. I do best with challenges like the Cozy Mystery Challenge and the July Book Blow out, where I set the number and chose the books. Otherwise I seem to lose the joy in reading. So from now on I am going to be a lot more selective in challenges and most likely will not finish the two mentioned above. I never was very good at reading books I was told to read so this should come as no surprise! Since reading for me is all about enjoyment I know this is the right decision.

24 Hour Read-A-Thon

This Saturday is another 24 Hour Read-A-Thon. I have quite a few books I am close to finishing up so I should be able to finish them off on Saturday. I am in a reading mood at the moment so hopefully this will be a good Read-A-Thon for me. Of course, Richard will no doubt outread me! I also have a few posts I need to make on here about some books I have finished. Last time was great and this one should be a fun day.

Cozy Mystery Challenge Wrap-Up

My goal for this challenge was to read three cozy mysteries. I didn't really make a list to start with, just chose some likely candidates. I did read one book I mentioned (Snuffed Out, second in the candle series) but did not read any by Laura Childs.

I read:
The Big Nap by Ayelet Waldman
Home Again, Home Again by Susan Rogers Cooper
Snuffed Out by Tim Myers

I enjoyed all three books and can't wait to do this challenge again.

Snuffed Out by Tim Myers

I finished Snuffed Out by Tim Myers today.
Just in time for the challenge deadline!
It was a good, easy read and I was never completely sure I had the "bad guy" figured out. My hunch was right but that didn't spoil it for me. It was a great cozy mystery.

By finishing this book I completed the Cozy Mystery Challenge. I set my goal at three books and I completed three books. I enjoyed all three and had a great time with this challenge.

Home Again, Home Again

I finished Home Again, Home Again by Susan Rogers Cooper.
It was a very good book, in my favorite cozy mystery series.
This one was a bit different than the other two I have read in the series, as it is told from both EJ's POV and her husband's. It kept me guessing and while I was close to guessing who the "bad guy" was, I wasn't dead on perfect. This series is set in Texas Hill Country and it always makes me miss home. It was a great read. This is the second book I have read for the Cozy Mystery Challenge.

The Big Nap

I finished The Big Nap by Ayelet Waldman. This counts toward The Cozy Mystery Challenge. This was a good book. It kept me entertained and I didn't figure it out till they told me who the "bad guy" was. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than the first is the series (Nursery Crimes).

Garlic and Sapphires

I finished Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl yesterday. It was a wonderful book that I hated to finish. The author rights about food in such a way that you envision it and practically taste it. She is the first person to ever tempt me to try Sushi, something I thought unimaginable. I took my time with this book, reading little bits here and there, not wanting it to end. Sadly it did, but this book is definitely a keeper so it will be with me for a long time to come.

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Wrap Up

It was a fun day of reading. I never read as much as I think I will (I have a horrible habit of getting distracted by noises, by the babies, ect.) but I got quite a bit read. I finished up one book I had been drawing out (Garlic and Sapphires), got a bit read on one I had been reading for a bit (Under the Duvet) and got a good start on my two newest books (The Big Nap and Bridget Jone's Diary.) The TV was never on, except for when I took a short break and played Wii for a half hour or so. All the kids enjoyed having us home (What better combo than a cat and a book.) and it was a much needed relaxing day for Richard and a nice break from all the craziness of normal life for us all. All in all I think it was a successful day.

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 12

Hour 12

Final Hour

Under the Duvet-3 pages
Bridget Jone's Diary-10 pages
Total for this hour-13 pages
Total pages read=159 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 11

Hour 11

Dinner Time

The Big Nap-5 pages
Under the Duvet-2 pages
Total for this hour-7 pages
Total pages read=146 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 10

Hour 10

Part of this hour was spent trying to sort out dinner.

Bridget Jone's Diary-6 pages
Under the Duvet-11 pages
Total for this hour-17 pages
Total pages read=139 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 9

Hour 9

I finished Garlic and Sapphires this hour. I'll post and review it tomorrow.

Garlic & Sapphires-14 pages
Under the Duvet-5 pages
Total for this hour-19 pages
Total pages read=122 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 8

Hour 8

Garlic & Sapphires-4 pages
The Big Nap-10 pages
Total for this hour-14 pages
Total pages read=103 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 7

Hour 7

No reading done, took a break.

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 6

Hour 6

The Big Nap-12 pages
Total for this hour-12 pages
Total pages read=89 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 5

Hour 5

Lunch time

Garlic & Sapphires-4 pages
The Big Nap-7 pages
Total for this hour-11 pages
Total pages read=77 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 4

Hour 4

I only read for the first half of the hour. I took a little cat nap for the last half hour.

Bridget Jone's Diary-13 pages
Total for this hour-13 pages
Total pages read=66 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 3

Hour 3

Didn't read as much this time as I spent the first part of the hour getting caught up here.

The Big Nap-11 pages
Under the Duvet-5 pages
Total for this hour-16 pages
Total pages read=53 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 2

Hour 2

The Net is back up and working so I am good to go.

The Big Nap-22 pages
Total for this hour-22 pages
Total pages read=37 pages

J&R Personal Read-A-Thon Hour 1

Hour 1

I am up on time and ready to read! However out Internet was down so I am blogging this from my handwritten notes.

Garlic & Sapphires-4 pages
Bridget Jone's Diary-11 pages
Total for this hour-15 pages
Total pages read=15 pages

Plans for tomorrow

Richard took the day off work tomorrow and we are planning our own little read-a-thon. Starting at 10 am we'll be reading the day away. (Those of you who know me are laughing at me doing anything functional at 10 but I swear I am going to try!) Since I started reading The Jury yesterday (It's the next in the Fern Michaels Sisterhood series-I couldn't resist.) and started two books for challenges today (Bridget Jone's Diary & The Big Nap) I have plenty to read. I'm currently reading six different books, though I am very close to finishing Garlic and Sapphires (I hate to see it end.) Hopefully I can get quite a bit read and there will be hourly or so updates tomorrow on my progress.

Vendetta by Fern Michaels

I finished Vendetta today. This wasn't for a challenge or anything, just a series I enjoy reading. This is the 3rd if the series and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. (I have a lot to read for challenges and such so I am debating whether to read it next or not.) These are quick, entertaining books with characters you really get to care about. I started reading the first in the series, not sure if I would like it at all as it wasn't my usual kind of book. I read it very quickly and was onto the next in the series. I usually don't read books in series back to back, as I like to spread them out. But with these I just wanted to know what was going to happen and how it would all turn out. The next book is in a box in the room next to me.....I'm not sure I can resist the temptation!

Finishing this means I read two whole books in August. Not a lot, but I read lots of parts of other books too. It's not about the numbers with me, it's about the enjoyment of reading.

Book #1 New Classics Challenge Black Water

I finished Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates late last night. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I thought the concept was interesting. It was obvously supposed to be about Ted Kennedy and the Chappaquiddick incident. Unfortunately I hated the book. It was repetitive and had a very odd writing style that just made it hard for me to get that interested in the story. There were whole paragraphs with only one period right at the end. It made me a bit crazy.

The one thought I really got from it was how sad it was, that this young girl was so flattered that this man was interested in her that she was willing to change all her plans to go with him. She didn't dare say she thought they were lost as she didn't want to upset him. She was so thrilled to be "the one". In the end she lost her life because of it. It's a concept I can understand intellectually (having seen it in some of my friends) but not emotionally. I was raised to believe in my worth as a human being. I wish more girls were. I wanted to grab Kelly and shake her and tell her how much better she could do than this old, skeezy man. This aspect of the book left me feeling sad, frustrated and angry. But at least it made me feel, which is more than I can say for the rest of the book.

Here's hoping I have better luck with the next book I read in this challenge.

Cozy Mystery Challenge

I am taking part in yet another reading challenge. This one is a good one for me as I love cozy mysteries. I don't want to overwhelm myself though, as I have quite a few challenges going on. So I am going to make a goal of 3 books for this challenge. Hopefully I can wrap up some of the other books I am reading now before September so I can be on track to get reading some cozy mysteries!

I have the second in the candle series my Tim Myers and quite a few by Laura Childs. I have a lot of cozy mysteries to choose from so it will be fun to pick when the time comes.

Started the New Classics Challenge

I started reading Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates yesterday, as part of the New Classics challenge. So far, so good. It's a bit of a strange writing style but it moves pretty quickly and has kept my interest. It's not a long book and even with the other books I'm reading (Doesn't everyone read 5 books at a time?) I should be able to finish it in August.

Book to Movie Challenge

I'm taking part in this challenge. Between Sept 1 and Dec 1 I have to read three books that were made into movies. My choices are:


1. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
2. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
3. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

I have seen only one of these movies (Practical Magic) so will definitely plan on watching the movies as well.