Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

It's that time of year again, friends! Fall is clearly here. Thanksgiving is over for us Canadians. The leaves are changing and there's a nip in the air. And book lovers all over the world are hunkering down to read as much as possible in 24 hours. Because we're crazy like that. But Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon is just so much fun!

It's already an hour and a half into the day (I decided I needed to sleep in!) so I'm just going to get started with the opening questions and then get to reading!

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

As I mentioned, I'm Canadian. I live in St. Catharines, Ontario. (If you're unsure where that is, just place me in Niagara Falls. It's only about 20 minutes away.) 

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

As usual, I don't have a stack. I always approach the readathon with an open mind and hope that I'll finish at least one book, if not two. I'm starting with Smoke by Catherine McKenzie (I started it yesterday and am intrigued!). I think I'll also read A Sister's Place by Savannah Page. And probably something else!

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? 

Pumpkin beer. I bought some at a craft brewery yesterday in anticipation of the day (and the boyfriend asked me to haha). I'm not sure what else I'll snack on. Likely popcorn. It usually happens during the readathon! Maybe apple crisp if I decide to take the time to make it.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! 

I'm a Blue Jays fan. I've been watching them for only about ten years...since I started dating my boyfriend who is a HUGE baseball fan. I especially have to mention this because later today they have a game. A playoff game. They're playing baseball in October! To my non-Canadian and non-sports fan readers, this is a huge deal. The Jays hadn't made the playoffs in 22 years. So we're pretty excited! They lost last night (boo!) so we're hoping for a win against Kansas City tonight to even up the series. Go Jays Go!

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've been doing these read-a-thons for a while now and it's always a good time. I always sleep in (it starts at 7am in my part of the world. That's too early for a Saturday, thank you very much) and get started reading and just read as much as I can. October is great because I can snuggle in with blankets and tea and feel super cozy. I'm hoping I can find some new bookish friends because that's part of what makes book blogging so much fun...the community!

I'll be posting on Twitter and Instagram throughout the day, too, if you want to say hi over there!

First challenge is complete! The Diversity Shelfie hosted by An Unconventional Librarian.

First #readathon challenge: Diversity #Shelfie. ALL INCLUSIVE features a half South Asian heroine who may be bisexual (she's hesitant at putting a label on it). It has swingers and polyamorous couples and touches on the unfairness to natives in the tourism industry. It's a fantastic read! @pamlovesbooks

A photo posted by Kaley (@kaleys23) on Oct 17, 2015 at 8:13am PDT

I've finished my first book! I received and ARC of Smoke by Catherine McKenzie way back in May at BEA (the best part of my week there was meeting her, finally!). It comes out on Tuesday and it's such a good read. Riveting, would be a word I'd use to describe it. I had already read about a quarter of it yesterday on my lunch break and at the gym. I'm eager to dive into book #2. After I eat lunch. It's almost 1:30 and I haven't eaten anything since those mini wheats!

I'm well into book #2 now, A Sister's Place by Savannah Page. I realized early on that a book about sisters who have grown apart might not be the right thing to read when my sister, three years younger than me, is away working on a cruise ship. Happily, I will see her in just under two weeks! Anyway. The book is lovely. I'm tearing through it. (No surprise, I've loved the other books by Page that I've read.)

I needed a wee bit of a break so I'm taking part in an hour nine (we're now in hour ten...TEN!!) challenge, a book scavenger hunt hosted by Just One More Thing. We had to find words or phrases that corresponded with the prompts given. I decided to include quotes from the book because I think that's more fun than just one word.

Something Hard

“We will, Mom.” I give her a kiss on the side of her head, her auburn, sun-streaked hair dropping just past her shoulders in wide, heavy curls. “This will  pass.”

But it’s too soon,  I want to add. I restrain myself, knowing it won’t make matters any better, only bring my mother to more tears. It will only make the reality of loss that much more palpable.

Something Fast

Getting around home on bike is easiest and quickest, and I love the feeling of freedom and fresh air as I zip along the streets.

Something Sweet

When I came with the third orange, with intentions to give it to Mimi, I also brought another for a snack. The delectable fruit, at its most ripe, was nearly as comforting to my soul as the conversation I had with my grandmother.

Something High

“I haven’t done this since I was a kid,” I shriek as I hold in one hand the plastic yellow handle, made for a child’s small fingers, and gingerly guide the string with the other.
“Kite flying is just as fun for adults,” Cary says. He focuses on the slow-waving and rather steady motions of the kite.

Something Funny

“Excuse me if I’m closed for that kind of business.” I look down at my lap with raised eyebrows, and this gets a laugh from Juliette so loud we actually do turn some heads.

Mid-Event Survey

1) What are you reading right now?

Still working on A Sister's Place. On page 254 of 363.

2) How many books have you read so far?

Just one but I'm creeping closer to two!

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

Thanks to a brilliant suggestion from my author friend Meredith Schorr, I think I'm going to read her upcoming novel Novelista Girl. (It's the sequel to one of my all time favourite books, Blogger Girl.) Unless I check my TBR list and see there's something else that has to be read ASAP. I've been lax on my scheduling lately...

4) Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Not too many. I slept in, did two loads of laundry (though they're still sitting on my, unmade since I washed sheets, bed), ate. The biggest thing has been the Blue Jays game. I mentioned earlier how I'm a fan and there's a playoff game today. They're down 6-3 in the top of the ninth AND I AM SO STRESSED OUT. So I'm drinking pumpkin beer.

5) What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

Not a whole lot, really. Maybe the only thing is that I haven't done nearly as many challenges as I feel like I normally do.

It's 12:17 AM and I have finished my second book! Along with a few beers. And a bowl of popcorn. Sadly, the Blue Jays lost. They're now down 2-0 in the ALCS. But the good news is, I spent today's Readathon reading two really great books. I adored Smoke as well as A Sister's Place. I highly recommend them both! (Links to both are above somewhere!) So this is it. This is when I bid you all good night! I hope those who decide to pull an all nighter have a grand time! For me, it's time to look after my crazy kook of a rabbit and head to bed. Thanks for another great day, fellow readathoners!

Closing Survey

1) Which hour was most daunting for you?

Probably 16/17. That's when it starts to get really late in my time zone and, as much as I love reading, I know that's when I need to call it a night. And because pumpkin beer is always in season during the October readathon, I'm usually quite buzzed by this point! I was also watching a TV show with the boyfriend so I was splitting my mental capacity there too! I was worried I wasn't going to be able to get the second book done but I persevered! 

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

Harry Potter, The Lake House by Kate Morton, The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), Burying Water by K.A. Tucker.

3) Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
It's not so much an improvement but something I noticed...I was tweeting and posting throughout the day and had a few cheerleader tweets but nothing from something like hours 6 on. I know it's hard to get cheerleaders and I know there are a lot of readers...I just found it strange that I had some tweets and then it was radio silence.

4) What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
Most everything ticked along as usual this year! Good job, guys.

5) How many books did you read?
Just 2! But that's ok :)

6) What were the names of the books you read?
Smoke by Catherine McKenzie and A Sister's Place by Savannah Page.

7) Which book did you enjoy most?
I honestly can't choose. McKenzie is one of my all time favourite authors and I really liked this one but I adored Page's just as much.

8) Which did you enjoy least?

See above! :)

9) How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

Oh, I'll definitely take part in the next readathons, as long as my schedule allows for it. It's always fun to hunker down with books and spend the day chatting with likeminded people. And it puts a dent in my TBR list. 

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Mega Post

It's that time of year again, friends! It's the Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon! As usual, the read-a-thon starts at 8am for me so I probably won't start until at least 9am. It's a Saturday, people. I want to sleep in a little bit! Truth: I'm actually writing this little intro on Friday night so on Saturday I can just get started on the opening meme and get the party started. I hope you have a great day and keep checking back to see what goodies I've posted.

Kicking things off, as usual, is the opening meme!

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

Today I'm reading from my little home in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. For those who have zero idea where that is, it's about 20 minutes away from Niagara Falls. 

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

Confession: I do not have a stack. I'm kind of winging it. I do have a vague idea that I might (finally, finally!) read Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. I'm starting the day reading Good to Myself which is by one of my favourite authors, Heather Wardell.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? 

I need to pop out later today and I will just happen to be by a Marble Slab and I just happen to have a fully stamped card so I think I might treat myself to some ice cream! I'll also be having popcorn. It's one of my favourite snacks and I usually end up having it during the readathon. That and hard cider (though I think tonight it'll be wine!). 

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! 

I'm a month and three days away from being 28. Last year I spent my birthday in Australia (where I finally learned to like wine even though I live in a major wine region) and this year I'll spend it in New York City (BEA!). I own the cutest little rabbit named Tonks (she'll be three this fall!). I have zero idea what I want to be when I grow up but I'm working on it. I'm ridiculously tall (6') and love it (except when I'm trying to find clothes that fit). I'm a huge tea fan and the people who work at David's Tea know me well.

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've been participating in read-a-thons for a little while now and always have fun. I approach it with a totally open mind and just do what I can do. I know I always go to bed on Saturday with the idea that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to get in an hour before the end of the read-a-thon but it never happens. And that's ok. Who wants to get up at 7am on a Sunday? I don't even want to get up at 7am on a workday! I'll read, I'll take part in challenges, I'll find new friends on Twitter, and I'll eat. It'll be great!

Mini-Challenge: Classic Words of Wisdom
Hosted by A Literary Odyssey

I knew as soon as I saw the challenge that I wanted the quote to be from the Anne of Green Gables series. I've been rereading them this year (best idea of 2015) and I'm remembering how lovely the series is. I chose this quote because I really adored Anne of the Island plus it's just so true. College or university doesn't teach you everything. It teaches you a lot, and not just the typical education, but you're always learning and finding life lessons. Learning doesn't stop after you graduate.
What are some of your favourite classic quotes?

Mini-Challenge: 4 Seasons, 4 Books
Hosted by Bart's Bookshelf

For this challenge we posted a picture (with the hashtag #minichallenge4S) that showed four books featuring covers or titles that represented each season.

I went a tad obvious for two, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah and All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue. The seasons are right in the title! But the covers are very much representative of their respective seasons. Redesigning Rose by Lydia Laceby is my spring choice (gardening plays a big role in the book) and One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker is my choice for fall (just look at those colours!).

Update!
I have just finished my first book, Good to Myself by Heather Wardell. I adore Heather as an author and a person so I must admit I was feeling a little guilty because I hadn't read one of her books in so long. This one didn't disappoint and I'm really happy it coincided with the readathon! It's been a slow reading day since I got started late and had to pop out earlier. I signed up for an art class at Michaels as you could get 50% off if you signed up today - I'm going to learn how to make a metal stamped bracelet! And because it was so close to Marble Slab I just had to get some ice cream. I had a fully stamped card though so my ice cream, birthday cake with Crunch and Skor, was free. Yay! How's your reading been going? I'm finding I'm not doing as many challenges this time around as none of them are really speaking to me. Have you been taking part in any challenges? Well, time to get back to it. I'm really not sure what book I'm going to read next. The past month or so has been picking a book and reading it instead of working off a monthly list, which is what I usually do. It's kind of nice! Hm, and I think it's time for another cup of tea...and figuring out what to do for supper. It's almost 5:00pm here! Happy reading, all!

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?

Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker. I. Am. Hooked.

2. How many books have you read so far?

I've only finished one and I'm about halfway through this one.

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

Like I said before, I have no plan! I have no idea what I'll read next. Or if I'll even start a third one.

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

One major one when I had to go out. But I saved myself some money on signing up for a jewelry making class that I'm excited about and I got some ice cream so it really wasn't a big deal!

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

I'm not doing as many mini-challenges as I thought I would. I find that if I'm not immediately able to answer or do the challenge creatively, I don't bother. I want to be reading right now (which is why the massive pile of dishes in my kitchen is still there...) and don't want to put a ton of effort into a challenge that won't pay out with a good reward.

Update and End of Event Thoughts:
Well, this year's read-a-thon has come to a close! (Well, technically it ended almost three hours ago but I was still curled up in bed...it's Sunday!) I only finished two books but I'm totally fine with that. I do have a bit of a guilty feeling as I needed to do approximately five million other things other than read yesterday but it was nice to be reading when I knew so many others were doing the same. I read until about 1:00AM, which is later than I usually stay up. I wanted to get my book done and I had gotten distracted by wine, popcorn, the boyfriend coming home and watching Breaking Bad, the rabbit, the rat in the backyard that I named Porridge...ahem. Anyway! I spent the last half hour or so petting my rabbit with one hand and holding my book and turning the pages with the other. Hey, when Tonks wants to snuggle, I'll pet her! All in all, it was a good day. Could I have read more? Sure! But I'm happy with what I read and I hope you are too. There's no pressure with this event, it's all for fun. And fun I had! See ya in October, read-a-thon friends!

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Mega Post

Today's the day! If you missed my mini post about what I plan on reading for today's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, check it out.

Be warned: This is going to be one big ol' post by the end of the day.

First up: the opening meme!
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I'm reading from St. Catharines, which is just by Niagara Falls on the Canadian side.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Definitely Isla and the Happily Ever After but I'm not sure I'm going to get to it! 
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? 
It's not so much a snack as it is an alcoholic beverages...the boyfriend and I have been waiting weeks for the pumpkin beer at a local craft brewery to be done. It finally is and we'll be having some tonight!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! 
I am very tall (6') and have a ridiculous rabbit named Tonks (you should know the reference if you're reading this blog!). I mentioned in yesterday's post that I had to work today...I am the Event and Volunteer Coordinator for the Lions Foundation of Dog Guides Canada. Finally, I'm obsessed with tea.
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've been pretty happy with how I've taken part in the last few read-a-thons. I know today is going to be different (and difficult) because I have to go into work (ew) so I'm taking it easy and just reading whatever I can. I'll be happy if I can finish one book and get started on another.

Coffee or Tea Challenge
Amanda over at the Fig and Thistle is holding a fun challenge. Would you agree with:

Quote A: “What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?” – Anthony Trollope

OR

Quote B: “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” - C.S. Lewis

I've already mentioned I'm a tea lover so I am firmly #TeamCSLewis. Part two of the challenge asks us to share pictures of us with our beverage of choice so here are a few pics of me and my favourite drink! All of these pics can be found on my Instagram if you want to follow me for tea, bunny, and book pictures! :)

Top left: taking a pic for the David's Tea #selftea contest. In the rain. Top middle: buying a tea for McHappy Day. Top right: pic with tea at work because I liked my shirt!

Bottom left: my last mug of chocolate cake tea. Bottom middle: introducing author Samantha March to Tim Hortons! Bottom right: my first Christmas Starbucks beverage last November.

Update! The read-a-thon is now approaching...er...hour 14. I think? Anyway. I've driven an hour to and from work, worked an AGM (good gracious, those things are boring), ate a delicious meal (the boyfriend made chicken pot pie), and had two and a half glasses of pumpkin beer. AND finished book number one, which is the whole point of the day. The book was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Yes, the one that was just recently made into a movie. It was very much a The Hunger Games scenario for me - I had heard of the book but wasn't interested until I learned more about the story. I'm glad I read it even though I feel like bawling in the corner, clutching a teddy bear. I will take a brief break to drink more beer (seriously, it's like pumpkin pie in a glass), perhaps do some challenges, and then I'll dive into book two. Which I don't even think is on my kobo yet (it's a NetGalley book). Guess I better get back to it!

Mid-Event Survey: (technically later than mid but that's ok)
1. What are you reading right now?

I just finished If I Stay and I should move on to Blame it on the Mistletoe but it's not on my kobo yet.
2. How many books have you read so far?

Just the one. *shakes fist and curses at working on a Saturday*
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Still Isla!
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

TOTALLY. Work. Work on a Saturday sucks. It's been awhile since I've had to deal with that. I have dealt with that by drinking beer. And just rolling with it. I got one book done. I am thrilled with that!
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

That I was actually able to complete a book! It's a library book too and therefore not one I must review so I don't even have to worry about my mental review backlog (guess what I'm doing tomorrow...)

Colour Cover Challenge
You know what's fun? Inspecting your bookshelf for pretty colours after yummy beer. Wishful Endings created a fun challenge...picking four books that have the same coloured cover. Here are four GREEN books! I tried to find a fourth green and red one but it just wasn't happening. :)

Book Spine Poetry:
I really need to get back into reading but the challenges are fun. And I'm lazy (I have to retrieve my kobo and cord to put my next book onto it...not well prepared, obvi). What do you think of my poem for Ticket to Anywhere's challenge?

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: October 2014

It's that time of year again! Tomorrow is the Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. I've taken part for a couple of years now and I thought I'd give it another go this fall. Minor problem though: I have to work for part of the day tomorrow. Boo! I will be trying to squeeze in as much reading as I can in between a coffee date with a good friend in the morning, the commute to and from work (an hour with no traffic...ugh...wish I could have found good audiobooks...), and the few hours at work. This will be my Saturday night!

So, now that I've told you what my day will look like, what books will I attempt to read?

If I Stay - Gayle Forman
I read Just One Day/Just One Year last year (this year?) and LOVED them. I had put off this one because I didn't know if I was interested and then the damn trailers hooked me. I guess those film people know what they're doing.

Blame it on the Mistletoe - Nicole Michaels
It may be a tad early for Christmas books (the weather is still so nice and fall-like and the trees are oh so pretty!) but this is one I got from NetGalley and it expires on the 24. Time to get into the holiday spirit!

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE. As much as I cannot freaking wait to dive in, my friend does own a copy of this so if I can't get to this before it's due back at the library I have a Plan B.

Here for the Cake - Emily Poule
This is the next book in my Novel Escapes queue that I've been meaning to read for ages. Plus, it'd be nice to throw in a chick lit book amongst the YA and romance!

I know I won't get to them all but a girl can dream!

My start time for the read-a-thon is 8am. That's when I planned on getting up anyway but I won't start reading until after that.  I don't think the library would appreciate me bringing If I Stay into the shower. Unless I can come up with a way to waterproof my books?

Once again I'm taking a super laid back approach to the read-a-thon. I'll read what I can, do what challenges I can, and enjoy the day. It'll give me something to look forward to while I'm at work. Trust me...reading is MUCH better than an Annual General Meeting...

Are you taking part in the read-a-thon? What are you planning on reading? Have you read any of the ones I'm planning on tackling?

Dewey's Read-a-Thon 2014

Good morning readers! It's read-a-thon time! If you don't know what I mean, check out this site. And join in if you like! The event actually started almost an hour ago so I'm behind in getting started. But I didn't want to get up at 8am on a Saturday! This post will end up being a large one as I'm going to continuously update it throughout the day. Here we go!

Kick Off

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

I'm reading from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Location helper: I'm 20 minutes away from Niagara Falls.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I don't often read a ton of YA but this contemporary (my fave!) novel has been getting a lot of good press.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Tea. Lots of tea. And maybe popcorn. And hard apple cider for later. And leftover Easter chocolate!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I'll do the basics: I'll be 27 in a month and two days. I'm 6'0" tall (so if you know tall girl books, send me the titles!) with curly-ish brown hair. I own the most ridiculous pet rabbit ever (her name is Tonks – yes, from HP – and I adore her). I just started a new job at a nature centre last week in a marketing/communications type role. That's me in a nutshell!
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've done the read-a-thon before (twice, maybe?) and I've never really, totally, completely committed. As you can tell, I haven't really done it this year either. I love the idea of it and everything but as much as I love reading, I'm not willing to totally disrupt my sleep pattern for it! :) So, there's not a whole lot I'll do differently. Maybe try to participate in more challenges. We'll see!

Update #1: 11:40am = almost 4 hours into the readathon.
I just finished my first book, Who Killed "Tom Jones"? by Gale Martin. In all honesty, I should have DNF-ed it yesterday but I didn't and then I read the bit about the murder today and just couldn't stop. Needed to know for sure who the murderer was! So far I've read for just over two hours and have finished 182 pages. Not bad. Time to move on to Brooklyn Girls!
Did I mention the three books in the above pic are all library books? Thought I'd use the readathon to get through the books that are due soon!

Challenge #1: Best of the Reading Year

Lisa's World of Books is hosting hour six's mini-challenge. She wanted us to share about the bests of our reading year. She has a huge list of options on her page and we were to choose at least three titles. I went with five, even though I could have chosen more. Have you read any of these ones? Links lead to my review if you're interested in learning more!

Best Book: The Orenda – Joseph Boyden

Best New Adult Book: Ten Tiny Breaths –K.A. Tucker

Best Non-Fiction Book: Never Have I Ever – Katie Heaney

Best Fiction Book: One More Thing – B.J.Novak (short stories!)

Best Cover: Landline – Rainbow Rowell (no review yet...book releases in July!)

Update #2: 4:00pm = hour nine is beginning!
I just finished my second book! Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess was a lot of fun. If it had been released this year it'd be considered new adult but I feel like it won't get lumped into whatever NA has become. It was a really fun read and I'm so happy I have the second book in the series to review!
There are a couple of very thought provoking challenges up right now so I'm going to take some time to deal with those. And maybe find another snack! (In case you missed it on Instagram, here's my rabbit, Tonks, eating her snack.)

Challenge #2: A Literary Tea (or Coffee)
Over at the Fig and Thistle, Amanda has asked us readathoners to create a literary coffee or tea drink. Ooh, time to get the brain thinking about something more than the book we're reading. Books and tea are two of my all time favourite things so I had some fun with this one!

In Zoey and the Moment of Zen by Cat Lavoie, our heroine, Zoey, is sent to a wellness resort (her friends tell her it's for her own good but she's not so sure) that doesn't allow anything fun (read: caffeinated) on the premises. I don't know how a coffee shop owner survived without caffeine! I created a tea that uses rooibos leaves – they're caffeine free. Perfect for the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort! I came up with this one because I adore a sweet, dessert tea and the chocolatey taste could almost convince the coffee drinker in you that you're drinking sometime caffeinated.

Zoey's Salted Caramel Escape

Red rooibos leaves

Caramel pieces

Sea salt

Chocolate chips

You'd need about a teaspoon and a half of tea leaves per cup of tea. If you were feeling particularly fancy, you could turn this into a latte!

Challenge #3: First Edition
Jessica at The Bluestocking Society has come up with a challenge that's teaching us something! Her challenge post tells us how to tell what edition we're reading. So, I took up the next book I'm planning on reading, Dorothy Must Die (trying not to think about the whole Full Fathom Five thing...) This is what I found:

It tells me that it's a first edition, right there at the bottom. I can also figure out that it was published in 2014 (which I knew but you can also tell because of the 14 15 etc. to the left). However, I would have thought that there'd be a 1 in the sequence in the left. Can a book still be a first edition if it's in its second printing? Someone help! :)
Looks like I need to brake for supper (the boyfriend made some delicious smelling steaks) but then it's back to reading!

Update #3: Approaching the Midway Point!

Time for the Mid-Event Survey! And also time for me to get back into reading.
1. What are you reading right now?

Just about to start Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
2. How many books have you read so far?

I've finished two (though one I was already reading...I was about 25% complete when I started)
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Because Dorothy has been a wee bit tainted due to the Full Fathom Five issue, I'm looking forward to To All the Boys I've Loved Before even more.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?

Not really. Honestly, I don't have much of a life! :) The rabbit is pretty self sufficient and the boyfriend cooked supper (steaks...om nom nom). I put off going out to the mall but it wasn't pressing. And  I might have held off suggesting that we have friends over tonight!
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Not so much. I was annoyed that I needed to do laundry and dishes but they were quick to do. Of course, I did it at a time where supper came soon after so it's been a couple of hours since I've read!
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

I haven't really been too involved in the online community aspect of it, I admit. I've been posting pictures and updates but haven't been checking out other people's. I'm happy that others are responding to my posts even though I'm not out there doing the same. So, thank you to the people who are balancing their commenting and reading!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

Not really...my irks only come from the fact that not everything is open internationally!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?

Just read more. And comment more. But I like my laid back approach.
9. Are you getting tired yet?

Nope! It's just 7:30pm in my part of the world. But I am making myself a caffeinated tea (Coffee Cake from David's Tea...damn, it's so good) before getting into the hard ciders I'm looking forward to later!
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?

I'm sure others have discovered it but go into the readathon with a plan. Know how your day is going to play out and what you're going to read when. And if you live with anyone, let them know what you're doing...and why you're reading a tad more than usual!

Challenge #4: Name in Titles
So. It turns out that it is REALLY hard to spell my name (Kaley) using the books I have at home. Wow. But, props to The Geeky Blogger's Book Blog for this awesome challenge! I've also been distracted by watching 24 and drinking and making popcorn :) BUT. Here's my title pic:

Keeping the Moon - Sarah Dessen
Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
Life After Yes - Aidan Donnelley Rowley
Exes and Ohs - Shallon Lester
You Had Me At Hello - Mhairi McFarlane

Now, it's back to Dorothy Must Die! I'm 78 pages in (chapter eight) and it's ok so far. Happy reading, friends!

Challenge #5: Page 35
Hoo boy, this was a difficult challenge for my last one. Full disclosure: it's approaching midnight here and I've had a couple of drinks sooo...I'm not at my best :) With this challenge, hosted by Bibliophibian Inc., we had to find the third sentence on page 35 of the book we're reading and then create something to go along with it. Like I've said, I'm reading Dorothy Must Die. I can't exactly categorize it (fantasy, I guess?) but the goal is to try to write something different than the original material. I have no idea how this sounds to anyone else (did I mention the alcohol I've had?) but here it is:

After a while, the bedraggled fields by the side of the road turned into huge cornfields on either side, with stalks as tall as my body. The first thing I thought of when I saw the cornfields was baseball. That might sound silly to some but I'm a sucker for ball movies. Really, I'm a sucker for anything baseball. But add in Kevin Costner and I'm a happy girl. I mean, come on. Have you seen Bull Durham? Guys might think it's a baseball movie but it's got one hell of a romantic storyline. But that's not where the cornfields come in. No, that's that other ball movie, Field of Dreams. You know the one where there are ghosts playing baseball in Kevin's backyard? "If you build it, he will come" and all that? Baseball's a romantic sport, and I'm not talking about the lovey-dovey romance. I'm talking about a certain kind of relationship you get with the sport. With the way it's played. With the players themselves. Like Annie in Bull Durham, I like to pray to the Church of Baseball. It might not mean much to you but when I see a cornfield I think of Field of Dreams. I think of the men who were banned from playing ball after the Black Sox scandal. I think of Costner's character finally playing catch with his father. And I think of all the feelings I have. Somewhere in there is romance. And who can argue with that?

And now...bed! I'll update with final numbers and include a Storify link for all of my #readathon tweets tomorrow!

Final Update
As promised, here's the Storify link for my #readathon tweets.
And here are my final numbers: 7.8 hours read over 15 hours. 160 pages read. Finished a book I was about 25% through already (Who Killed 'Tom Jones'?), finished a full book (Brooklyn Girls), and finished close to half of another (Dorothy Must Die).
Notable consumables: chocolate, tea, steak supper, popcorn, and hard cider.
I'm pretty happy with how the day played out. I wish I was able to put off my chores (laundry and dishes just had to be done!) as that contributed to a large chunk of non-reading time in the afternoon. I do wish I had been able to finish Dorothy (I did finish it today) but that's alright. I made a dent in my TBR list and that's all I could have hoped for! I hope everyone else participating had fun. I'm hoping I can participate in October's read-a-thon, too. Maybe I won't be quite as focused on reading and will interact more with others! Now it's time to write up some reviews and dive into my next book! 

Dewey's Readathon: A Delayed Start

Hello friends! This weekend marks the spring edition of Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon. I attempted to do last fall's read-a-thon but didn't plan well enough in advance. This year I thought I'd be on the ball and try to do as much reading as possible because I am way behind on my stack o' books. Well. It's now almost two hours into the event and I'm jut doing the intro post. Woot! I'm ok with taking a lazy approach to it because I do have other things to look after today. Like putting together a new booshelf (woohoo!) and looking after my bunny who just had surgery this week. But, I will read and do as many challenges as possible because who doesn't like reading? :)

Without further ado, here are my answers to the intro questions!

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I'm in St. Catharines, Ontario (right near Niagara Falls)
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Confession: I didn't even really plan out what I was going to read! Gasp! I know. I would liked to finish The Queen of Unforgetting. It takes place in the tiny town I grew up in which is super cool.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
It's a little time consuming but I think I need to have popcorn at some point today. I have this delicious flavouring - maple sugar - that is, well, delicious!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I'm trying to get into the world of publishing! I was a publicity intern at Random House of Canada from January to April and now I'm an intern at a great nonprofit. I'm not making much money but I'm learning a lot! And getting lots of free books!
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'd like to actually finish two books. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Like I said, I'm taking a laid back approach because there's just too much going on at the moment for me to start stressing about how much I've read or what challenges I've completed! Fun is the name of the game.

CHALLENGE! Book Spine Poetry
After some thought I decided I wanted to put my own unique spin on things and have created a Canadian bookspine poem. Enjoy!

Update #1
I honestly don't even know what hour we're in right now. 8? Maybe? No matter. I have, finally, finished my first book. It's not that exciting since I was well into it when the day started, but I finished it nonetheless. The slow reading day was due to a necessary errand for library books for my internship and chicken noodle soup for the boyfriend.

Ta-da! Dreamland is complete. I want to get into The Queen of Unforgetting but I think I might check out the Harlequin romance I need to read for an upcoming review. Time for another cup of tea!

Mid-Event Survey

Time for another update and a little survey! We're eight hours in now. I got distracted from another cup of tea earlier because my boyfriend put together my new bookshelf for me!

It was desperately needed and, as you can sort of tell, I'm eventually going to need another! Now, survey time!

1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?

No sleepyness on my end yet. It's just 8pm in my world.
2) What have you finished reading?

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen.
3) What is your favorite read so far?

Well, that's the only book I finished and the one I'm reading now is a cute little romance. While it's enjoyable, it's no Dessen so Dreamland wins over Wind Chime Point.
4) What about your favorite snacks?

The red velvet cake tea I had earlier was delish but the aforementioned boyfriend made one tasty supper for us. I have much to look forward to this evening, though I'm not sure how well my plan of beer and reading will end up going.
5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!

I have to admit that I haven't been bopping around too much so I haven't really come across anyone new. Perhaps tomorrow I will check out some blogs and see if I can find some new favourites.

Now, where's that beer I was mentioning... :)

MINI CHALLENGE! Share a Quote
As you can tell, I haven't really been taking part in many mini challenges. After finishing book #2 (woohoo!), Wind Chime Point by Sherryl Woods, I decided to check out the website and see what was happening. When I saw that it was a share a quote challenge, I knew I wanted to throw my hat into the ring. Why? Because I actually took a picture of a page in Dreamland because a quote made an impression on me. Here's the picture:

It's a little long to type out so I hope you can all see it in the picture alright. It starts in the last full paragraph with "I stood..." and ends with "...save her." That save her part is why it hit me so hard because I spent a good portion of this book wishing I could save Caitlin. She's a decade younger than I am and I wished I could hop into the book and protect her from her boyfriend.

Now, I have to decide what book to dive into next, even though I know I probably won't be reading for much longer tonight. I also have a bunny to look after and she needs tonight's round of meds. It took us 25 minutes to get them into her this morning, complete with a scratch on my arm. Think good thoughts for us! Then, it's reading, another beer, and that popcorn I mentioned earlier!

End of Event Survey
Well, it's an hour and a half past the end of the read-a-thon and I just got up a half hour ago. My laid back attitude carried on and I decided sleep was important :) For those who are interested, beer was delicious, popcorn was tasty, and I got some more scratches on my arm when trying to give the bunny her meds. Sigh. I think she hates me now. I also started a new book, Vanity Fare, which was an excellent choice. I can't wait to dive back into it later today. For now, here is the end of event survey. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and cheered me on!

1) Which hour was most daunting for you?

Since I didn't really do too much, I can't really answer this. I didn't stay up late or have cat naps to keep me going. It was a regular day of lots of reading for me!

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

Hm. Good question. I think it's all up to the reader. Last night when I was trying to pick a book, I went with something that was closer to my favourite and most comforting genre (chick lit) instead of going for two of the really popular historical fiction novels I have and really want to read.

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

Can't really think of anything...I think any improvements I want to make are just on my own stuff!

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

I know a lot of people really enjoy the cheerleaders so make sure you keep them around!

5) How many books did you read?

I read two and a bit books.

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

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, Wind Chime Point by Sherry Woods, and part of Vanity Fare by Megan Caldwell.

7) Which book did you enjoy most?

Tough one...even though I'm only partway through Vanity Fare, I think I have to go with that one.

8) Which did you enjoy least?

I guess Wind Chime Point, which isn't to say I didn't like it. It was a lovely little romance and I enjoyed reading it.

9) How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? 

I'd like to participate, it just depends on when it is. I'd also like to really be able to do the full 24 hours. I wish I had known about this when I was still living alone because once you throw in someone else in your house (not to mention a recovering bunny), it's hard to say "I am spending my entire day reading and ignoring you, please go find your own fun." :) So, we'll see if I show up again for the next read-a-thon! 

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon

I was scrolling through Twitter last night during a Castle marathon when I saw a tweet about Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon. I've heard of this before and I decided to finally investigate further. Then, once I read a bit about it, I decided to sign up. Less than 10 hours before the start of the event. And after drinking a few beers. Stellar decision making skills, right there. 

So what is this read-a-thon? Coming straight from their website:
For 24 hours, we read books, post to our blogs about our reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. We also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day. It happens twice a year, in April and in October. It was created by the beloved Dewey. The first one was held in October 2007. Dewey died in late 2008. We’re still saddened by her absence, but the show must go on. The read-a-thon was renamed to honor its founder in 2009.

I haven't necessarily been in a slump but I have been trying to work through a big biography as well as working full time and taking two distance ed courses. Combine all of that and my slow non-fiction reading skills and you've got a bit of a humdrum, slow reading period. I did the Random House Canada Olympic Read-a-thon in the summer and that helped me get a move on so I'm hoping this read-a-thon will do the same.

So what am I planning on reading today? Like I said, I'm trying to finish a biography (the new Mick Jagger one, to be specific). I'm just at the part where the Stones are starting to get big so I suspect things will start moving along a little quicker soon. I don't think I'll finish it, but I need to get more read asap.

I also want to finish the short story Eye of the Storm. I'm about halfway done and it's quite mysterious so far!

I would also like to start and finish One Pink Lineby Dina Silver. She asked me to review her novel ages ago and I'd like to read it this month because of a promotion she has going on. She will be donating $1 from every sale of her book to a charity. Pretty awesome, right?

I don't want to commit myself to too much. I'm realistic. After all, it's two and a half hours into the read-a-thon and I have yet to pick up a book. (I desperately needed a sleep in!) I am planning on trying to read in a couple of different places, too. My thoughts? My house, the gym, and a coffee shop. There are errands to be done today so I may as well treat myself to a tasty drink while I'm out!

I'll update this post throughout the day as I get some reading done.

Happy reading :)

*****

Update #1
It's now approaching the...er...ninth hour of the read-a-thon. I think. Numbers aren't really my thing. It started in my timezone at 8am and it's now 5pm so you can do the math and let me know if I'm wrong :) I thought I'd let you all know that I have failed on the reading in different places front. Too lazy to make it to the gym today! I have finished the short story and have read four chapters (123 pages) of the Mick Jagger bio. I have also gone to the bank and the grocery store, cleaned my plastic container cupboard, and put dishes away. Productive, no? It's been fun having a bit of a motivator in this read-a-thon to really get moving on the biography. I'm off to investigate some of the mini-challenges the organizers hold to see if I can participate a little more fully in this read-a-thon!

Update #2
Ah, the day after a read-a-thon. I feel happy with what I accomplished. I ended up reading a total of 224 pages of Mick Jagger. I'm just getting to some real craziness (their ex-guitarist just died, days after  Mick and Keith fired him) and am looking forward to the rest of it. I did one mini challenge (had to guess the titles of books based on partially hidden covers). Next time I'll plan this all out better instead of deciding the night before to participate :) Overall, I'm glad I took part and I'll be marking my calendars for the next read-a-thon in April!