Once Upon a Readathon 3 - Day 3 Final Update

Time Read Today: 1 hour 44 minutes

Total Time Read: 5 hour 40 minutes

Pages Read Today: 54 (Twelfth Night), 42 (Carole's Christmas) and 172 (The Sweet Far Thing)

Total Pages Read: 810

Comments: Somehow I forgot to post this last night, so here you go.  I definitely fell short of all my goals.  However, I think I did some respectable reading for the many interruptions.  I'll be reviewing the books read as soon as possible.

TBR Pile (in the order I want to tackle):

• The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (66% finished)
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
• Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
• Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
• Hater by David Moody
• Dog Blood by David Moody
• Jemima J by Jane Green
• Restoring Grace by Katie Fforde
• A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
• The Wizard of Oz by Baum
• Mythology by Edith Hamilton
• Addition -- Twelfth Night anthology
• Addition -- Carole's Christmas

Once Upon a Readathon 3 - Day 2 Update

Time Read Today: 2 hours 6 minutes

Total Time Read: 3 hour 56 minutes

Pages Read Today: 73 (Twelfth Night) and 227 (The Sweet Far Thing)

Total Pages Read: 542

Comments: As I thought, I didn't get much reading time today.  We spent almost 7 hours at Great America.  We have a season pass, but had yet to check out the waterpark side.  An 88 degree day was perfect for that, but not so perfect for my reading.  I'm sure I'll read some before bed...

TBR Pile (in the order I want to tackle):

• The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
• Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
• Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
• Hater by David Moody
• Dog Blood by David Moody
• Jemima J by Jane Green
• Restoring Grace by Katie Fforde
• A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
• The Wizard of Oz by Baum
• Mythology by Edith Hamilton
• Addition -- Twelfth Night anthology

Once Upon a Readathon 3 - Day 1 Update

Time Read Today: 1 hour 50 minutes

Total Time Read: 1 hour 50 minutes

Pages Read Today: 100 (Twelfth Night) and  142 (The Sweet Far Thing)

Total Pages Read: 242

Comments: Before going to bed last night (it was after midnight), I started Twelfth Night, a collection of 12 sexy holiday stories.  I've found that I do better reading short stories before bed.   Dove into The Sweet Far Thing sitting at the pool.  I'm sure I'll read a bit before bed, but I'm cutting it off now for the update.

Mini Challenge: From IBBookBlogging

Question 1:What is your favorite cover that has been revealed this summer and why? Post a link or picture of the cover if you want.

Hmm... such choices this year.  I'm going to go with Siege by Rhiannon Frater.  Besides the fact that it's part of a trilogy about zombies, the cover has a great contrast going on with shadows and fire.  Plus, I just received the entire trilogy in the mail.  Can't wait to get to them...

Question 2:Do you rely on the cover to help you choose whether you want to read a book or not?

Yes, I do.  I'll admit it, I'm a bit of book snob.  I really bad cover can turn me off to reading the book.  Dynamic covers draw me to books.

TBR Pile (in the order I want to tackle):

• The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
• Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
• Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
• Hater by David Moody
• Dog Blood by David Moody
• Jemima J by Jane Green
• Restoring Grace by Katie Fforde
• A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
• The Wizard of Oz by Baum
• Mythology by Edith Hamilton
• Addition -- Twelfth Night anthology

Once Upon a Readathon 3 - Starting Line

Goals:

• Read 5 books
• Review all books read
• Start working on cleaning up broken links on blog

TBR Pile (in the order I want to tackle):

• A Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
• Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
• Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
• Hater by David Moody
• Dog Blood by David Moody
• Jemima J by Jane Green
• Restoring Grace by Katie Fforde
• A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
• The Wizard of Oz by Baum
• Mythology by Edith Hamilton

Once Upon a Readathon 3

It's time for sign ups for the third annual Once Upon a Readathon! I can't believe this read-a-thon has now been running three years but I'm excited to get back to it again!!!!  This Readathon is hosted by Lori at Pure Imagination, Candace at Candace's Book Blog, and myself. It runs from 12:01 AM on July 9 to 11:59 PM on July 11th.

What you do:

To participate in the Once Upon a Readathon you must  ENTER INTO THE LINKY! The linky is the same on all of our blogs so you only need to enter once! Then, from 12:01 am on July 9th to 11:59 pm on July 11th you read, read, and read some more! Make sure you do at least one update post (if you don't have a blog you may do this on facebook and/or twitter) and participate in at least one challenge. Don't forget to add the button to your sidebar!!

Lori, Candace, and Angel are hosting a giveaway for a 60$ AMAZON GIFTCARD OR 60$ to Book depository for International winner. This will go a random participant when the Readathon is finished. There will also be giveaways held by the mini-challenge hosts and maybe some other giveaways through-out the read-a-thon. You are only eligible if you do at least one update post and participate in at least one challenge. We will check!

Very excited to do this one again.  I've been itching for a good readathon for the past month. This one comes at the perfect time for me.  

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Wrap-Up Post

Total Books Read: 2

Pages read since last post: 49

Total pages read: 595

Time read since last post: 30 minutes

Total time read: 6 hours 15 minutes

Here are my goals:

• Read at least 5 books. -- Only finished 2, on my 3rd
• Post once a day. -- Completed
• Review all books read. -- Reviewed the two finished books
• Check in on and comment on at least 5 other participants. -- Read a lot, but didn't comment

Tentative reading list:

• Have Spacesuit Will Travel -- Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction)
• Ringworld -- Larry Niven (Science Fiction, 2011 With a  Twist)
• A Matter of Class - Mary Balogh (Summer Romance Historical)
• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (Science Fiction, 2011 With a Twist) -- In progress
• Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (2011 Back in the Day, A to Z Author X)

So I didn't complete my goals.  And really my hours reading were fairly low.  But compared to the last week, I got a lot accomplished.  Moving and adjusting to a new schedule, city, way of life has been a bit of a challenge.  I have been motivated to do things for the house and find a job, not to read.  Hopefully this challenge encourages my reading patterns.  I am enjoying Ender's Game and hope to finish in the next two days. I did have fun doing the mini challenges and reading everyone else's update posts.  A partial success in my book.  Now back to my regularly scheduled posting...

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Update #3

Current read: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Pages read since last post: 0

Total pages read: 546

Time read since last post: 0

Total time read: 5 hours 45 minutes

Books completed: 2

I've haven't read at all tonight.  Crazy I know.  But today has just been uber lazy and distracting.  So I have cracked one open yet.  Hopefully tonight, I'll actually do some reading.

I participated in YA Bliss's Mini Challenge on Love Triangle.  And one from The Bookish Type on blurbs. And one from Books from Bled to Basically Amazing on recommendations.

Here are my goals:

• Read at least 5 books. Two done
• Post once a day. In progress
• Review all books read. Two done
• Check in on and comment on at least 5 other participant

Tentative reading list:

• Have Spacesuit Will Travel -- Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction)
• Ringworld -- Larry Niven (Science Fiction, 2011 With a  Twist)
• A Matter of Class - Mary Balogh (Summer Romance Historical)
• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (Science Fiction, 2011 With a Twist)
• Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (2011 Back in the Day, A to Z Author X)

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Mini Challenge #5

From

Books from Bled to Basically Amazing

: 

Anyone who talks to me on Twitter knows that I simply live for book recommendations and getting someone to read a book I recommend is awesome. Even better though, is having that someone turn around and tell me how much they loved it. :)

Because I'm such a fan of book recommendations, I want you to recommend books to me. I want you to recommend 2 books to me.

The first is any book of your choice. Pick any book you want and tell me and the world why it should be read and loved.

The second is what you would pick as your favorite of the read-a-thon. You can chose to answer this question now, during the third day, or I'll give you one extra day to give that book just waiting to be picked up a chance. :)

#1 Recommendation: The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

I read this book a few months ago and it just blew me away.  Most YA novels that I've read have been fun, but didn't really touch me.  This one did.  Groff paints us a landscape featuring a town, a lost girl, a monster, history, and some quirky towns members.  We are taken on a journey of emotions.  We feel pain, joy, confusion, clarity.  I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I raged.  This book took me everywhere.  And yet when it ended, I was satisfied.  Satisfied by the characters, the ending, the final emotions.  A definite must read.

#2 Recommendation:

A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

I've only read two books so far (I know, bad me.  But there's been a lot of household things going on.)  But most definitely, A Matter of Class has been my favorite.  I like historical romances, but I often tire of the clichéd characters and plot lines.  This one avoids all those clichés.  The main characters Reginald and Annabelle are thoroughly likable.  They each hide a secret.  I won't spoil the secrets, but they're good.  Very unexpected.  Definitely a fun read.

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Mini Challenge #4

From The Bookish Type: Today I'm hosting a mini-challenge and giveaway as part of the Once Upon a Read-a-Thon! I got this idea from a contest Kiersten White hosted a few weeks ago that I thought was a lot of fun.

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it:  Pick any book from your readathon pile and write a fake synopsis based solely on the cover. The synopsis does not have to be related to the actual book at all, just the pretty, pretty cover.

My entry: A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh  

The lady was lost.  She had wandered too far away from her country home and found hereself in a barren land.  There were a few trees, but nothing to really give her cover.  Her white muslin gown wouldn't last much longer in their wasteland.  Her only hope was that her magic parasol would send an SOS beacon to her knight.  He would figure out a way to rescue her.  Until then she was stuck!

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Mini Challenge #3

From YA Bliss: I am hosting a mini-challenge for this awesome read-a-thon. So, for this one you will have to post on your blogs (I will accept posts on twitter if you dont have blog, just include @YABliss in your tweet!) your top 3 LOVE TRIANGLES. 

In my opinion, a well done love triangle should be one where the choice is not clear, where you can't help but being torn yourself between both characters and you are uncertain as to which will end up being 'the one'. So if you were, lets say Team Mr. Obvious from book 1, and he ended up getting the girl and you were stoked about it because you hated Mr. Wrong all along, that is NOT a good love-triangle. That is merely A love-triangle. Got it? Tough decisions...  I had a heck of time thinking up some good love triangles. Oh sure, I thought of love triangles, but many times it really is obvious who should be with whom...  So I finally came up with these (caution: Spoilers!)

• Mary and Henry and Travis from The Forest of Hands and Teeth -- I was really torn on this one.  Mary loves Travis.  He seems to love Cassandra.  Henry loves Mary.  Mary loves Henry (but more of a best friend way).  However, Henry would have been really good for Mary.  Such a hard choice.  Ultimately I was okay with Mary choosing Travis even for the short time they had.
• Sookie and Bill and Eric and Alcide from Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris --  (I never liked Quinn, so I'm not including him) Each one of these men offers something unique for Sookie.  If I had to choose, I'd pick Alcide, but only because he's the closest to human.  Bill is a pansy.  And Eric is way too unpredictable.
• Rachel and Darcy and Dex from Something Borrowed -- As much as I wanted to hate Darcy, I couldn't.  She's entitled to a chance at love also.  And Rachel could be just so whiny.  But it was a well done triangle.

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Update #2

Current read: Starting Ender's Game

Pages read since last post: 277

Total pages read: 546

Time read since last post: 2 hours 35 minutes

Total time read: 5 hours 45 minutes

Books completed: 2

Since my last update, I completed two books (Have Spacesuit-Will Travel and A Matter of Class) and wrote the reviews.  I also participated in Monday's two mini challenges.  Challenge #1 from IB Book Blogging was an opinion question on mythology.  Challenge #2 from The Musings of ALMYBNENR was a cover picture hunt.  Very fun to do!  Looking forward to today's challenges and more reading...

Here are my goals:

• Read at least 5 books. Two done
• Post once a day. In progress
• Review all books read. Two done
• Check in on and comment on at least 5 other participants.

Tentative reading list:

• Have Spacesuit Will Travel -- Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction)
• Ringworld -- Larry Niven (Science Fiction, 2011 With a  Twist)
• A Matter of Class - Mary Balogh (Summer Romance Historical)
• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (Science Fiction, 2011 With a Twist)
• Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (2011 Back in the Day, A to Z Author X)

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Mini Challenge #1

From IB Book Blogging:

There will be two winners today. The winners will each get to choose from four mythology books that I have in my giveaway pile. They include an ARC of Die for Me by Amy Plum, an ARC of Wildefire by Karsten Knight, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton. That sounds awesome, right?? You can post your response to the questions on your blog, twitter, or facebook. Winners will be selected at random from each linky after the read-a-thon ends on July 13th at 11:59 p.m. Make sure to answer both questions and put your link to the answers in the linky below Question 2.

What is your favorite type of myth (Greek, Roman, Egyptian etc)?

I am definitely going to have to go with Greek Mythology.  While Egyptian is interesting, I could never remember all the different gods and goddesses and their stories.  I have a good memory when it comes to Greek.  Maybe it has to do with all my background in history.  Maybe because of all my reading.  Maybe I watched too many Greek myth related movies as a child.  (I'm talking about you Clash of the Titans! -- definitely not the new one)  And Roman mythology is just Greek with some Etruscan influences.  Definitely Greek!!!

Mini Challenge Question 2:  

What is your favorite book with some type of mythology in it?

Since I love Greek mythology, is it any wonder that I thoroughly devoured the Percy Jackson series?  I read the series to my boys for their nighttime book, but I think I enjoyed them way more that the boys did.  I absolutely loved the series.  And we finally picked up

The Lost Hero

.  So I can now start on the new series!

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Update #1

Current Read: Have Spacesuit-Will Travel by Robert Heinlein (really liking it so far, getting close to the end.  It's a quick read)

Total pages read: 269

Total time read: 3 hours 10 minutes

I wished I had time to read more today.  I had to do some major grocery shopping.  And deal with the boys, make lunch and dinner, and some laundry.  After dinner the boys, J, and I are finishing our Lord of the Rings marathon with The Return of the King.  Therefore, I don't think much reading will be getting done tonight.  Hopefully tomorrow goes a bit better.

Here are my goals:

• Read at least 5 books. in progress
• Post once a day. done Day 1
• Review all books read.
• Check in on and comment on at least 5 other participants.

Tentative reading list:

• Have Spacesuit Will Travel -- Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction) in progress
• Ringworld -- Larry Niven (Science Fiction, 2011 With a  Twist)
• A Matter of Class - Mary Balogh (Summer Romance Historical)
• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (Science Fiction, 2011 With a Twist)
• Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (2011 Back in the Day, A to Z Author X)

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon -- Intro post

From Pure Imagination (the details):

It's time to sign up for the second annual Once Upon a Readathon! This Readathon is hosted by Angela at Reading Angel, Candace at Candace's Book Blog and Lori at Pure Imagination. It runs from 12:01 am on July 11 to 11:59 on July 13th.

What you do: To participate in the Once Upon a Readathon enter into the linky so we can visit you! Then, from 12:01 am on July 11th to 11:59 pm on July 13th you read, read, and read some more! Make sure you do at least one update post (if you don't have a blog you may do this on facebook and/or twitter) and participate in at least one challenge. Be sure to grab the button for your sidebar too!

What you get: Many participants will receive prizes. We have swag packs as well as books for giveaway. These will go to random participants and we will list the winners on our blogs when the Readathon is finished. These prizes will be shipped from us, from authors, or from publishers. We do have some goodies for international participants as well! You are only eligible if you do at least one update post and participate in at least one challenge. We will check! All winners will be picked after the readathon is over.

Here's just some of the authors that are donating prizes: Wendy Delsol Jennifer Hubbard Kelly Keaton Jessi Kirby Carolyn MacCullough Lee Nichols Leila Sales Siobhan Vivian (...and that's just the beginning of the awesome prizes)

So it's been awhile since I did a Readathon.  I thought July would be a nice time.  I did make an overall goal for myself of at least one readathon a quarter.  This one's quick, easy, and at the right time.  Here are my goals:

• Read at least 5 books.
• Post once a day.
• Review all books read.
• Check in on and comment on at least 5 other participants.

Tentative reading list:

• Have Spacesuit Will Travel -- Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction)
• Ringworld -- Larry Niven (Science Fiction, 2011 With a  Twist)
• A Matter of Class - Mary Balogh (Summer Romance Historical)
• Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (Science Fiction, 2011 With a Twist)
• Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (2011 Back in the Day, A to Z Author X)

Notice I'm heavy on science fiction...  I really need to get moving on that reading challenge...