Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-Thon

April 26, 2014 Blogger Events 28

 

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Good morning all! Today is Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-Thon and I’m excited to get started! This is my master post which I’ll be updating all day, as well as hanging out on twitter, so feel free to stop by and say hello. Happy reading everyone!

Hour 1

Starting reading from bed with The Shadow Queen and doing the kick-off meme.

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I’m reading from Cortland, NY

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Raisinettes!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I’m a computational biology grad student and I’m excited to take the day off and just read! And also eat chocolate.

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
I’m going to do more short reads this year. I didn’t listen last year, but it’s good advice!

Hour 2

This hour, I’m still reading The Shadow Queen in bed, as well as eating cinnamon raisin toast and participating in the pick a paragraph mini-challenge

Hour 3

Still the same, bed and The Shadow Queen. Loved doing the Jigsaw Puzzle Cover Challenge!

Hour 4

Still reading The Shadow Queen but moving to the couch. What can I say? I’m ambitious like that 🙂 Also snacking on clementines and considering having some real food.

Hour 5

Enjoying The Shadow Queen more and more, still cozy on the couch, and have decided in favor of crackers and cheese instead of a real meal. Maybe at dinner!

Hour 6

Finally couldn’t resist the raisinettes and about 60% of the way through The Shadow Queen. I’m also doing the Best of Your Reading Year mini-challenge and I have a ton of brilliant books to recommend,

Best Romance – Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Best Fiction – The Word Exchange

Best Non-Fiction – The Know-It-All

Best Fantasy – The Way of Kings

Best Fairy Tale Retelling – While Beauty Slept

Best Indie Book – Lumiere

Hour 7

Finally finished my first book! Not that I didn’t very much enjoy The Shadow Queen, but it’s nice to make progress. No more snacking for now, but I am jumping in on the Six Word Celebration mini-challenge: Good friends, good books, good day 🙂

Hour 8

Decided to copy Jenn from The Relentless Reader and do some bathtub reading, which turned out to be a decent substitute for reading in the sun, something made sadly impossible by the clouds this morning. I’ve started reading Lolita for a read-along being hosted by Rebecca from Love At First Book and Allison from The Book Wheel.  No snacking but I did start boiling water for some bean soup!

Hour 9

Back to the couch for some more Lolita which is good but also creepy beyond all reason. Still waiting on that soup.

Hour 10

I can’t believe it’s hour 10 already but I’m pretty sure I’ll be feeling differently by hour 15 or so! Slow going on reading Lolita this hour as I’ve been lured away by my latest social media network, Instagram. It’s so much fun! Also sharing my “shelfie” (bookshelf photo) for the Shelfie mini-challenge.

Hour 11

Dinner break for bean soup and more reading Lolita on the couch 🙂

Hour 12

Still reading Lolita but making good progress and doing the Mid Event Survey.

1. What are you reading right now?
Lolita

2. How many books have you read so far?
I’ve finished one and started another.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon
Probably still The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Not really.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
I’ve taken some breaks to spend time with the boy, take care of my cat, and make some food. I just remind myself that this is a fun event and I don’t need to read every minute of it.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How much I’m enjoying Instagram and how long I feel it’s taking me to finish books.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope, so far I’m loving everything about it

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Nothing so far 🙂

9. Are you getting tired yet?
Sadly yes and it’s only 7pm here!

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?
Be sure to let yourself take breaks and take the time to interact with other bloggers.

Hour 13

Finished Lolita! Surprisingly tired already so for a nice, easy read, I’m picking up How To Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity next. I’m also having some chocolate covered bananas and some tea.

Hour 14

How To Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity is actually helping me get my energy back, it’s so much fun! Perhaps time for some healthy snacks now…  I’m also doing the Your Name In Titles challenge:

Knife of Dreams
After the Ending
Three Souls
In The Forests of the Night
Eat, Pray, Love

Hour 15

Hosting the That Reminds Me of A Book mini-challenge and still laughing out loud over How To Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity.

Hour 16

Still moderating my mini-challenge, now fortifying myself with some more raisinettes and starting to tackle American Gods. This might turn out to be too much of a chunkster for this time of night, but I’m seeing Neil Gaiman on Tuesday (squee!) and would like to have read it first.

Hour 17

Much as I wanted to make it 24 hours again this time, I think my new goal is hour 20. I’m getting tired already and want to get eight hours of sleep before heading to book club tomorrow. For now, still reading American Gods and too full to even eat more raisinettes.

Hour 18

I’m enjoying American Gods enough that I’m almost not even tired any more! Almost 🙂 Also enjoying some more crackers and cheese, plus cuddling with my cat on the couch.

Hour 19

Definitely still tired, but also still enjoying American Gods.  Next to last hour for me, I think.

Hour 20

This is the last hour for me! Heading to bed so I can be well rested for book club tomorrow. I hope everyone had a wonderful read-a-thon! 🙂

28 Responses to “Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-Thon”

    • DoingDewey

      Haha, thank you 🙂 Getting to eat junk food is one of my favorite parts of the read-a-thon, although I’m trying to get some healthy food in their too this year.

      Reply

  6. Fay

    Congrats on finishing the first book – I am hoping to be finished with my first in a couple hours but we shall see! I am loving your progress 😀 Keep going 😀

    Reply

  9. Angie @Angela's Anxious Life

    You know… this is my first time participating in this readathon and this WHOLE time I thought the event was hosted by you! LOL! I am enjoying instagram too and have loved seeing your pictures on there!!

    Reply

    • DoingDewey

      Haha, I can see why you might think that! I’m hosting a mini-challenge, but fortunately am not responsible for the whole event. I’m new to Instagram, but I’m loving it so far 🙂

      Reply

  10. Charleen

    “…how long I feel it’s taking me to finish books.”

    Me too! I mean, I’m not upset at my progress, but it’s slightly disappointing that I STILL haven’t finished my first book of the day. (Well, I finished two shorter ones, but I haven’t finished the one I’d started with, the one I considered my “main” book.)

    Reply

    • DoingDewey

      I wonder why that is? Perhaps we’re just paying more attention to the amount of time we’re spending on reading than we usually do… Ah well, at least we have lots of time to read in today!

      Reply

  11. Christina

    Go go go! I look forward to your thoughts on The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which I absolutely loved!

    Reply

    • DoingDewey

      Thanks Christina! Since I decided to start American Gods, I might not get to Guernsey tonight, but it’s definitely reached the top of my TBR 🙂

      Reply

  12. C.J.

    You can do it! You’ve made it this far and you’re doing great. I’m reading my first Neil Gaiman book right now, The Ocean At The End of the Lane, but I hear a lot about American Gods.

    Reply

    • DoingDewey

      Thanks C.J.! The only book of Gaiman’s I’ve read before is The Graveyard Book, but I get the impression all of his books are fantastic in their own way. So far, American Gods is as good as I expected, which is saying something. I hope you’re enjoying The Ocean At The End of the Lane just as much 🙂

      Reply

  14. Aylee

    Aw, this makes me a bit jealous reading over your summary for the day, I must say! Really makes me wish I had participated… I’ll have to try it out next year, if I can! I think your advice on reading shorter books for a readathon is probably good.

    Reply

    • DoingDewey

      Oh, you should! Even if you can only read for part of the read-a-thon or go to bed a bit early like I did this year, it’s nice to feel like certain hours are reserved for reading. I had a lot of fun 🙂

      Reply

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