Take Control of Your TBR Pile Readathon

From Kimba:

To help those who are taking part in the month long Take Control of Your TBR Pile Challenge(you can still sign up) and anyone else who wants to catch up on some of those reads collecting dust I will be hosting a read-a-thon. Anyone can join in! The only requirement is that the books read must have been published before March 2013. Each day there will be fun challenges and prizes to help motivate you. You can link up using your blog, Goodreads, Facebook, or Tumblr account..or anywhere you can post your goals and results. This way we can cheer you on!

On twitter use hashtag #TakeControlRAT to share your progress and follow others, also look for challenge updates.

J is gone this weekend to Baltimore for a buddy's birthday party.  I guess this is his mini vacation.  So I am taking the opportunity to join this readathon.  I plan on hunkering down in the apartment (and possibly poolside) to have some uninterrupted hours of reading.

Goals:

• Finish Let's Pretend This Never Happened
• Read 2 books
• Review all books read

TBR Pile for March (what's left):

• Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• Sandition by Jane Austen (iPad)
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts
• The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper
• A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
• Confessions of a Vampire’s Girlfriend by Katie MacAlister
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• London Eye byTim Lebbon
• The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
• Next by Michael Crichton

Wicked Valentine's Readathon -- Finish Line

Pages read today: 199 (The Forgotten Garden) + 292 (Terror by Night) + 16 (Firestorm)

Pages read total: 2113

Time read today: 5 hours 41 minutes

Time read total: 22 hours 13 minutes

Comments: I'm so excited about my progress this week.  I finished some great books (The Forgotten Garden, Gone Girl) and knocked a few books off my list.  Plus, my total pages read and time read are huge!  Lots of fun!

Goals:

• Read 5 books √
• Review all books read √
• Read an average of 2 hours a day √
• Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress √

My TBR Pile:

• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
• 300 by Frank Miler
• Stories of Hans Christian Anderson
• Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce
• Cowboys vs. Aliens (added)
• Windfall by Rachel Caine (added)
• Firetorm (added -- in progress)

Wicked Valentine's Readathon #3

Pages read today: 342 (Windfall) + 88 (300) + 353 (The Forgotten Garden)

Pages read total: 1606

Time read today: 3 hours 7 minutes + 25 minutes + 4 hours 23 minutes

Time read total: 16 hours 32 minutes

Comments: One fun action adventure, one violent graphic novel, one amazingly intricate read.  I'd say my progress so far is very satisfactory.  I'm hoping to finish The Forgotten Garden before the end of the readathon.  Only 200 pages to go!

Wicked Valentine's Readathon #2

Pages read today: 393 (Gone Girl) + 112 (Cowboys vs. Aliens)

Pages read total: 823

Time read today: 4 hours 10 minutes + 32 minutes

Time read total: 8 hours 37 minutes

Comments: Finished a nail biter and an underwhelming graphic novel.  Yet, I am excited about my progress so far.  Looking forward to more great reading.

Wicked Valentine's Readathon #1

Instead of updating everyday, I'm going to update once every couple of days or so.

Pages read today: 292 (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) + 26 (Gone Girl)

Pages read total: 318

Time read today: 3 hours 35 minutes + 20 minutes

Time read total: 3 hours 55 minutes

Comments: A good start to the readathon.  I finished J's favorite book and started (albeit just barely) the book club's informal selection.  I hope to get most of Gone Girl read tomorrow, but have to walk to the library (returns) and do some cleaning.

Wicked Valentine's Readathon -- Starting Line

From My Shelf Confessions:

The Wicked Valentine’s Read-A-Thon is a time when we all get together to dedicate the days of February 7-14 to as much reading as possible. You read as much as you can in order to get yourself a little further through that huge to-read pile! We know real life gets in the way and even if you can’t participate more than one day, you’re welcome to join in on the fun!

Fun Fun!  I've never joined this readathon before, but February seems like the perfect month.  I've always gotten into a reading slump in February and I'm hoping this helps me stay out of one.  Since I've already committed to Fantasy February, my books for this readathon will be fantasy related.

Goals:

• Read 5 books
• Review all books read
• Read an average of 2 hours a day
• Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

My TBR Pile:

• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
• 300 by Frank Miler
• Stories of Hans Christian Anderson
• Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce

A Winter's Respite Readathon -- Finish Line

Pages read today: 190 (Thomas Paine)

Pages read total: 1135

Time read today: 3 hours 7 minutes

Time read total: 14 hours  47 minutes

Comments: I had very low totals for Friday and Saturday, so no updates. I've been reading a biography of Thomas Paine for the last few days.  It's really good, but very dense.  I should be able to finish it tomorrow.  Overall, I didn't surpass last year's totals, but I am happy about my accomplishments.

My goals:

• Read 5 books √
• Review all books read √
• Read Part IV of Persuasion (online readalong) √
• Read Long Way Gone (January book club selection) √
• Read an average of 2 hours a day √

My TBR pile (I like lots of options):

• Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
• Persuasion by Jane Austen
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (iPad)
• The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin (iPad)
• Lost by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson (iPad)
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Crossed by Ally Condie
• One Day by David Nicholls
• Velveteen by Daniel Marks
• Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce
• A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock
• Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson (in progress)
• One Day by David Nicholls

A Winter's Respite Readathon Day #4

Pages read today: 218 (The Reader) + 102 (The Wedding Gift)

Pages read total: 945

Time read today: 4 hours  26 minutes

Time read total: 11 hours  40 minutes

Comments: Wednesday was a bust.  I got busy reading blogs and doing house things.  I didn't read but 20 pages.  Oh well.  Thursday was much better.  I finished one book (The Reader), but the review is pending until I watch the movie.  I also sped through a romance novella.  Just the ticket after the slightly depressing The Reader.

A Winter's Respite Readathon Day #2

Pages read today: 283 (A Foreign Affair)

Pages read total: 625

Time read today: 2 hours 50 minutes

Time read total: 7 hours  14 minutes

Comments: Good historical mystery for quick reading...

A Winter's Respite Day #1

Pages read today: 232 (A Long Way Gone) + 62 (Persuasion) + 48 (A Foreign Affair)

Pages read total: 342

Time read today: 2 hours 45 minutes + 1 hour 7 minutes + 32 minutes

Time read total: 4 hours  24 minutes

Comments: Jane, depressing book, and good start!

A Winter's Respite Readathon -- Starting Line

From Michelle at Seasons of Reading:

It's here! The official sign up for A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon! It's just a month away on January 21 - 27! It will start at 12:00am Monday and end at 11:59pm on Sunday.  Times are central standard time so adjust your times accordingly.  Of course, like most read-a-thons, the books read must be novels or novellas, adult or young adult are fine, and you can read children's books too (as long as you do read some novels too).  You DO NOT have to participate the entire week.  Join in when you can, start in the middle, end early...whatever works best for your schedule.  As long as you sign in at the sign-in post and do some kind of wrap up post, you're in for the big giveaway at the end.  As with my previous read-a-thons, it will be a week of relaxed reading during which we can personally challenge ourselves and whittle away those ever looming TBR piles/shelves/libraries.  I hope you will join me! I will not be hosting any mini-challenges, as we learned from my last two read-a-thons, focusing on the reading rocks. However, if anyone else would like to host a mini-challenge, you are more than welcome. We will have a few scheduled Twitter chats again (and perhaps some more reading sprints). Our twitter hashtag is #WintersRespiteSign up in the linky below. You do not have to do a post now, unless you want to help spread the word (hint, hint...) If you don't have a blog, use Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads. Having a blog is not required. Be sure to grab the button at the top of this post. (Don't forget that this is just the sign-up linky. There will be starting line sign-in and wrap-up linkies during the read-a-thon and doing both is required to be eligible for the giveaway).

I've already done the Bout of Books readathon to kick off 2013, but you know I have to join this one.  Second year in a row!

My goals:

• Read 5 books
• Review all books read
• Read Part IV of Persuasion (online readalong)
• Read Long Way Gone (January book club selection)
• Read an average of 2 hours a day

My TBR pile (I like lots of options):

• Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (book club selection)
• Persuasion by Jane Austen (week 4 -- iPad)
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (iPad)
• The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin (iPad)
• Lost by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson (iPad)
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Crossed by Ally Condie
• One Day by David Nicholls
• Velveteen by Daniel Marks
• Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce
• A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock
• Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson
• One Day by David Nicholls

Last Year's Totals (Let's see if I can beat them):

• Total Books Read: 8
• Total Pages Read:  2003
• Total Time Read: 13 hours 26 minutes

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Finish Line

Pages read today: 352

Pages read total: 2671

Time read today: 3 hours 42 minutes

Time read total: 22 hour 51 minutes

Today in 6 words: Volume three is a gripping ride!

My goals: 3 out of 5 goals met ain't bad...

• Read at least 5 books √
• Review all books read √
• Participate in at least 2 mini challenges -- Failed, too much else going on
• Read at least 2 hours a day √
• Comment on at least five participant blogs each day -- Failed, distracted by life and reading

My TBR pile: Loving my total of 6 books (and a chunk of Persuasion) read!

• A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
• Persuasion by Jane Austen (week 2 -- iPad)
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (iPad)
• The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin (iPad)
• Lost by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson (iPad)
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (iPad)
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• Beauty or the Bitch by Jasmine Haynes (iPad)
• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
• Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
• Chill Factor by Rachel Caine
• The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Crossed by Ally Condie
• One Day by David Nicholls
• Velveteen by Daniel Marks

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books 6.0 team

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Day #6

Pages read today: 109 (Ill Wind) + 352 (Heat Stroke)

Pages read total: 2319

Time read today: 4 hours 14 minutes

Time read total: 19 hour 9 minutes

Today in 6 words: Reading a book straight through fun!

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Day #5

Pages read today: 243 (Ill Wind) + 59 (Persuasion)

Pages read total: 1858

Time read today: 4 hours 5 minutes

Time read total: 14 hour 55 minutes

Today in 6 words: Great start to a new series...

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Day #4

Pages read today: 192 (Good Omens)

Pages read total: 1056

Time read today: 2 hours 47 minutes

Time read total: 10 hour 50 minutes

Today in 6 words: Hilarious read from two fantasy masters!

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Day #3

Pages read today: 252 (A Game of Thrones)

Pages read total: 864

Time read today: 3 hours 50 minutes

Time read total: 8 hour 3 minutes

Today in 6 words: What an epic fantasy adventure read!

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Day #2

I'll be posting winners of my Cover Challenge tomorrow morning...

Pages read today: 114 (Beauty and the Bitch) + 187 (A Game of Thrones) + 221 (Good Omens)

Pages read total: 612

Time read today: Estimated 3 hours (I was off and on planes all day, didn't get a great time count)

Time read total: 4 hour 13 minutes

Today in 6 words: Plane travel leaves time to read...

Bout of Books Readathon Challenge: Cover Love

Now updated to include winners...

Let's talk cover love today.  I've admitted in the past to being a cover snob.  I love a pretty or interesting cover.  Often it's the cover that gets me to buy the book.  I tend to be attracted to the more abstract covers, but sometimes ones featuring people grab me.

My favorite cover from this past year's reads is the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.  Okay, I'm cheating a bit as the covers are a set, but these are too gorgeous not to include all three.  J picked up this box set at Half Price Books sometime in 2010.  I love the colors, the raised gold lettering, and especially the constellations in the background.  These covers fit the story to a tee.

Honorable mentions:

The Magicians and The Magician King by Lev Grossman -- These two fit beautiful together.  I get a sense of Fillory in each cover.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake -- Look at those colors!

Sunshine by Robin McKinley -- My cover actually sparkles and somehow it doesn't seem cheesy at all.  Plus that little bit of red really calls to mind the vampires in the story.  Amazing!

Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux -- Check out the zombie peeking at Allison through the book stacks. Very scary!

I also hold a place in my heart for funny or ridiculous covers.  I really love this selection.  Check them out!  Questions: Does anyone else have issues with where that pile of wood is on The Rifleman?  What is up with Retief's codpiece?  Does anyone else agree that clowns are always scary, but extra so when it looks like one is trying to pick you up?  And is that a weedwacker or are you just happy to see me?  Extra creepy...

Now I want to hear yours.  What's your favorite cover?  Or What's the funniest cover you've seen?  Tell me in a blog post (linked in my comments) or in the comments section to win.

Prizes:

• 2  $10 Amazon or Book Depository GC -- Favorite cover and funniest cover (open internationally)
• 2  Choice of book or series from my giveaway pile -- Random winners (open to US and Canada)

Rules:

• Must be a participant of Bout of Books to enter
• Must leave a comment or link to your blog in my comments section
• Contest runs 12:01am CST to 11:59pm CST

Giveaway stash (note that all books are preloved, but in good condition):

• Allison Hewitt is Trapped / Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux (2 books)
• As the World Dies trilogy by Rhiannon Frater (3 books)
• Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant (3 books)
• The Jewel of St. Petersburg by Kate Furnivall
• The Girl from Junchow by Kate Furnivall
• Consider Lily by Anne Dayton
• Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
• The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn
• Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris
• Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes
• Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
• An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell
• Pinned by Sharon Flake
• Serial by Jack Kilbourn and Blake Crouch
• Mythology by Edith Hamilton
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Tudor Rose trilogy by Susan Wiggs (3 books)
• The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees

Good Luck and Happy Reading!!!!!

I had a hard time choosing, but I finally picked the winners for the Cover Challenge.  Thank you to everyone who entered.  It was awesome seeing all the beautiful/ridiculous covers.

My favorite cover was: Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales submitted by Ner.  I love the simple, yet intricate, design.  And the red hood and wolf tongue just pops!

The funniest cover was: Enchanted Again by Nancy Madore submitted by Aleksandra @ Aleksandra's Corner. Check out this ridiculousness. Who decided that flowers seeminly growing out of her butt was a good idea?

Random winners:

• Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews
• Jennifer @ A Librarian's Library

Have Fun and Keep Reading!

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Day #1

Pages read today: 90 (A Game of Thrones)

Pages read total: 90

Time read today: 1 hour 13 minutes

Time read total: 1 hour 13 minutes

Today in 6 words: A little reading, great twitter chat...

Bout of Books Readathon 6.0 -- Goals

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books 6.0 team

Round 6.0: I'm ready for it.  I absolutely adore this low pressure, but super fun readathon.  I love reading at my own place but also participating in challenges and twitter chats (when I have time of course).  This is a great way to start the new reading year.  I've got my stack of books and am ready to jump in with both feet.  I'm traveling all day Tuesday, so that will be a great day to knock out a ton of pages.  I usually take a pic of my TBR pile, but I'm not currently at home so no picture this time.  Maybe for the end of the week...  Also check back on here Tuesday for a challenge!

My goals:

• Read at least 5 books
• Review all books read
• Participate in at least 2 mini challenges
• Read at least 2 hours a day

My TBR pile (there's no way I'll finish all these, but I like options):

• A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (already started)
• Persuasion by Jane Austen (week 2 -- iPad)
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (iPad)
• The Wedding Gift by Lucy Kevin (iPad)
• Lost by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson (iPad)
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (iPad)
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (iPad)
• Beauty or the Bitch by Jasmine Haynes (iPad)
• Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire (iPad)
• Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
• Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
• Chill Factor by Rachel Caine
• The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
• P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
• One Day by David Nicholls
• Velveteen by Daniel Marks