Read-a-thon Hours 13-18

So I finally feel like I made some real progress with the books that I've been reading.

Finished

The Pink Motel - Carol Rearie Brink who is most famous for Caddie Woodlawn which I loved as a child but haven't read in years. Sometimes when one is reading old books one finds things that are jarring to modern sensibilities.

Portrait of Jennie - Robert Nathan - Someone recommended this on a mailing list I am on. It was short and sweet and just a little bit poignant.

45 Pounds (More or Less) - K A Barson - I thought this was middle grade when I requested it from Netgalley for some reason but it is definitely YA. I think I will review it properly and post it on the blog. It is going to be the same review I give the publisher and I put on Goodreads and possibly Amazon.

The second two are e-books so I really need to take back my words about reading paper books right now.

Still in Progress
Jo's Boys - I am too cheap to buy audiobooks so this is a Libre Vox recording I am listening to. They are books in the public domain read by volunteers which means you can't complain about the quirks.  I am not going to finish it today because it is nine hours long.

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls - this is funny but it is not a read all the way through at once kind of book.

Readathon Hours 8-12

Hour 12 Mid-Event Survey

1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?
I was sleepy but I shifted positions and am now sitting up again so I am okay. My eyes are a little tired.

2) What have you finished reading? 
A Nurse in Time and the Pink Motel

3) What is your favorite read so far?
Um I guess "A Nurse in Time" by default because "The Pink Motel" was just okay

4) What about your favorite snacks?
The kale chips were as good as I had hoped.

5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so give them some love.
I have been slacking a little on looking at blogs and twitter. Being out for three hours really put me behind but after dinner and a nap and more reading I will be commenting.


Progress is slow. I finished "A Nurse in Time" which was good but not as good as I had hoped. Then I started "The View From Saturday" and realized that I had already read it years ago which caused me to put it down and procrastinate on the internet. Sigh.

However I had a cupcake and cupcakes make everything better. I decided to do a couple of challenges before I go back to reading.

Book Puzzle

Two words

And another one:

Book Sentences Challenge

This took me a lot longer than I thought it would because none of my books would turn themselves into nice sentences. 

Since it is not altogether clear what the title is of the first book the sentence reads

Jenny Wren this is what happy looks like never let me go. 

Hours 1-7 Update

Well I am way behind on the blogging and the reading because pilates took up far more time than I thought it would. Now I need a nap.

Book progress -
A Nurse in Time - p 233
Jo's Boys - audio book - Chapter 4 I think. 

Now to get some serious books in.

Hour 2 Poetry Contest

I never said I was any good at poetry....

Not sure that is readable

Ghost dances:

this is what happy looks like.

A secret gift;

the violinist's thumb.

On the map

between men and beasts

Like I said. Poetry not my strongest field. 

Hour Five Portrait Challenge 

I hate having my picture taken and I don't really do selfies but here is part of my face with a book. The book is "A Nurse in Time" because I still haven't finished that.

Fortunately for the sick and injured of the world I will never actually be a nurse! 

Hour Seven Challenge 

Judging a book by it's cover. Which let's face it rightly or wrongly we all do. 

I am listening to the audio book of Jo's Boys and as that is a classic it has had several covers. 

Worst

I don't really know what is going on that picture. It looks like a mean old man has lots of children who are scared of him. I assume it is supposed to be Professor Bhaer? And the woman kneeling is Jo? The issue with this cover is that there are no little children. All the boys in Little Men grew up. Josie at 14 is the youngest. 

Best

This was hard because while there are many okay covers there are not many great covers for this book.

I like this one because it is old-fashioned and this is an old-fashioned sort of book. 

Readathon Introductory Post

Currently reading: A Nurse in Time - Evelyn Prentiss

Introductory Questionnaire 

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Washington, DC where it is 55F at 9am. So there might be some reading outside later. 

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

David Sedaris's book. I bought it specially and haven't started it yet. I'm saving it for later. 

3) What snack are you most looking forward to? 

Two snacks. One the cupcake that I bought yesterday and did not eat. This second one requires a link. Brad's raw kale chips which if you do follow the link I most certainly did not pay that much for! Yikes.

4) Tell us something about yourself!

I really want to be an actual book blogger and blog regularly about books but somehow I find it very hard to actually do. So for all of you who do it regularly or even semi-regularly I admire you guys. The reading I can do. The writing not so much. 

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what's the one thing you'll do differently?

This is my second readathon. More exercise. I'm going to a pilates class today. It is my regular Saturday. By regular I mean "the class I try to get to if metro makes it possible." I don't like audiobooks much but I realized that while I can't listen to a book in class I can maximize my reading time by listening to an audio book walking and metro-ing. So audiobooks + exercise I guess. 

My Stack

I was going to start this post with how choosing a stack is too much hard work but really I just chose a pile of books that I am somewhat likely to get to tomorrow and called it a day.

But I decided to take a really bad cell phone picture. Yes I have purple sheets They are jersey and super nice to sleep on. You can't read any of the titles so I will link them.

• Simon Garfield - On the Map: A Mind Expanding Exploration of the Way the World Words- this is a book I bought on a whim when I had a coupon. It looks interesting but I doubt I will finish it.
• Kathryn Joyce - The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking and the New Gospel of Adoption - I am fascinated by international adoption and even though this is heavy non-fiction I might read it.
• David Sedaris - Let's Explore Owls Diabetes with Owls - new David Sedaris. I think that is self-explanatory
• E.L. Konigsburg - The View from Saturday - I was so sad that she died and I am about 90% sure I never read this one.
• DW Gibson - Not Working People talk about losing a job and finding their way in today's changing economy - I like oral history compilations and this is a subject close to my heart
• Hector Mallot - Sans Famille - Yes I CAN read French. I usually do not but this a kid's book and not that long
• Evelyn Prentis - A Nurse in Time - I have a "Call the Midwife Problem" and I bought this book after I read all the books. I don't know why I haven't read it but I am super-excited to start.
• Victor Hugo - Le Dernier Jour d'un Condamné - More French. I have been reading "Les Miserables" for years but I believe that the read-a-thon is a happy time and reading Les Mis would make me sad. So I chose this instead.
• Nicole Krauss - The History of Love- A novel. For adults. I don't read many novels and the last one I read sucked.
• Carol Ryrie Brink The Pink Motel - I picked this up at a booksale and it is cute and short. Perfect for a readathon book

There are a couple of books I might substitute in. I have Prodigy by Marie Lu but it is the second book in a series so I am terrified it will end in a cliffhanger and then I will be all mad. I also have This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith. That one looks cute and fluffy. I also have some e-books for review from Netgalley. But I am not currently in an e-reader mood. I go through phases and right now it is a paper mood.A Also moving the Kindle and the Nook is going to be a lot easier than moving the pile of books.

Dusts off blog

Well it is almost time for Dewey's Readathon again so I am blowing cobwebs off the blog and hoping for the best. 

Honestly though I won't be able to read as much as last time because I am moving the following weekend. 

I do read a lot of books. I am just not compelled to blog about them. Apparently I am compelled to blog about nothing. That is what Facebook is for.