tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74071880825786436542018-03-05T14:18:57.662-08:00Boats Against the CurrentMerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-59935803987191865462017-04-29T21:49:00.002-07:002017-04-29T21:49:37.948-07:00Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Part 2We're well past the halfway point, but the wifi is being challenging, so I'm not able to update as often as I'd like.<br /><br />I'm on book three, but Mom has abandoned reading in favour of a rerun of Midsomer Murders. I'm hoping to do a few more mini-challenges (I just did some exercise for hour 17 and thought up a great summer road trip for hour 18) and finish at least two more books before I hit hour 24 (or fall asleep)...Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-29466295278470090972017-04-29T06:09:00.000-07:002017-04-29T16:27:19.466-07:00Readathon - Opening hours<victoriaspan style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And we're off!</victoriaspan><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Opening Survey</span></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Victoria, BC</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? The Secret Garden - I saw the musical last week and need to fill in the plot gaps. </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Bacon from the breakfast buffet</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4) Tell us a little something about yourself. I work for a wine festival and theatre company. I play field hockey, trumpet and attempt to play golf. And I love to read, of course!</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">t's been a couple of years - I'll probably be less competitive. I'm visiting family, so I'll be taking longer breaks to socialize than I normally would.</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My mother is joining in, but isn't technologically inclined, so I'll update for her as well.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">10:20am PST</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Into hour six now and I've finished my first book. Mom is reading and dozing - I'll keep her page count for her. I'm at 340 with one mini-challenge completed.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Hour 9 Mini-Challenge:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mid-afternoon snack of orange juice and scone. About two-thirds the way through the book and halfway through the scone.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YrDk4AwwBUg/WQUAWdHqTYI/AAAAAAAAAOM/3nHO4IEcLOcYQII67nlcUQ3Y64l3o7HoQCHM/s640/blogger-image--1381634887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YrDk4AwwBUg/WQUAWdHqTYI/AAAAAAAAAOM/3nHO4IEcLOcYQII67nlcUQ3Y64l3o7HoQCHM/s640/blogger-image--1381634887.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4:20 pm PST</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Second book finished - Rather be the Devil by Ian Rankin. I haven't read a Rebus in ages.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My mother finished her first book - Deader Homes &amp; Gardens by Joan Hess. We're going to have to be social for a couple of hours with the family, but I'll bring my phone to sneak some reading in when I get a chance...</span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: &quot;open sans&quot; , &quot;helvetica neue&quot; , &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><strong>Mid-Event Survey! (add link or comment below)</strong><br />1. What are you reading right now? Just about to start Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. My mother is reading The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch.<br />2. How many books have you read so far? Finished two - my mother has finished one.<br />3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The one I'm on. I was thrilled it was available at the library when I was loading up OverDrive.<br />4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Just meal interruptions. We're about to go for dinner with family, so I've just resigned myself to losing a couple of hours.<br />5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How tired I am :) I usually don't start to get tired until much later, but I didn't sleep much last night. My mother appears to be surprised by how fast I read... </span>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-26709660344430156522017-04-28T17:07:00.000-07:002017-04-28T17:07:20.839-07:00Dewey's Readathon - April 29Looking forward to participating in <a href="http://www.24hourreadathon.com/" target="_blank">Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon</a> tomorrow. It's been two years since I've been able to do it, even though it's one of my favourite things in the world - reading for 24 hours straight? Magic!Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-69147929438772784282015-04-25T23:46:00.001-07:002015-04-26T10:49:45.086-07:00Final Stretch,Last six hours of Dewey's Read-a-thon. My eyes are starting to get tired, but I've still got some good reading left in me.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div><b>Hour 19 Mini-Challenge: Shelfie</b></div><div>Here are two of my fiction shelves and many knick-knacks. I'm trying to cull enough books to downsize one shelf, but all I've really done is made room for the unshelled books so far,,,</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5v8b1we4BbI/VTyJr27kEQI/AAAAAAAAAIc/alItGau7quU/s640/blogger-image-801687019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5v8b1we4BbI/VTyJr27kEQI/AAAAAAAAAIc/alItGau7quU/s640/blogger-image-801687019.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Epic fail! I made the mistake of "resting my eyes" around 3am and opened them again at 6! I had a feeling that would happen - didn't get enough sleep the night before, so I started tired. Next April i'lol make it the whole way through (October is harder for me to do).</div><div><br></div><div><h2 style="border: 0px; font-weight: 700; margin: 36px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both;"><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;End of Event Meme:</span></h2><ol style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial;"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Which hour was most daunting for you? Definitely hour 22. I was having trouble seeing clearly, so I rested my eys and fell asleep... It had been going well up until then :)</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha was great when I was starting to get tired. Half-Blood Blues was a great read as well.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I thought it was great as always!</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The cheerleaders were amazing and all the mini-challenged really engaging.&nbsp;</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How many books did you read? 5.5</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What were the names of the books you read? Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha; Half-Blood Blues; Maggie and Pierre/The Duchess; Daughtere-in-Law, The Clothes They Stood Up In/The Lady in the Van; several stories in Alfred Hitchcock Favourite Suspense Stories; the first two chapters of This Body of Death on audiobook</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Which book did you enjoy most? Daughters-in-Law - a really engaging read</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Which did you enjoy least? Really liked them all - perhaps the audiobook, as I'd rather read than listen, but needs must!</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/a. My cheerleaders were fantastic. The encouragement was so great.&nbsp;</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Definitely will participate, though I'll probably only be able to read part-time in October.&nbsp;</span></li></ol></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-77678640295302279352015-04-25T17:55:00.001-07:002015-04-25T22:26:17.022-07:00Dewey's Read-a-thon Part 3 -Halfway MarkI can't believe we're past the halfway point. I just finished book four - page count 1081.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>I have to leave to go to the Whitecaps game in about an hour, so I think I'll move on to some short stories. That way I won't leave something unfinished. I' not sure if I'll listen to an audiobook or read on my phone as I walk. Perhaps the latter as I have a book on the go that I can pick up easily.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Hour 14 Mini-Challenge:Bookish Brew</b></div><div><br></div><div>I've been alternating between ice tea and real tea. And cold pizza...</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R1BOcEgng04/VTw6i7nCW2I/AAAAAAAAAII/eK7BuymWMQA/s640/blogger-image--619880000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R1BOcEgng04/VTw6i7nCW2I/AAAAAAAAAII/eK7BuymWMQA/s640/blogger-image--619880000.jpg"></a></div>Back after a very disappointing, though ultimately exciting game. Shocking refereeing- Laba's first card was bogus and I'm pretty sure you can't kick somebody on the ground after play has stopped. Or I guess you can if you're kicking a Whitecap. Not a good sports night for Vancouver - though really, the Canicks never fail to live up to expectations...</div><div><br></div><div><b>Hour 18 Mini-Challenge: Best Of...</b></div><div><br></div><div>Here are some of my best of books for the past year.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Best Book of the Reading Year - Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I can't count how many times I nearly walked into people reading it on my phone walking to work. But I couldn't wait,</div><div><br></div><div>I'll give Kate Atkinson Best Author of my reading year, because I loved the Jackson Brodie novels as well. And yes, I'm one of those middle aged women who sigh when they say his name (though mainly because Jason Isaacs is lovely when he's not platinum blond), so Jackson gets my Character of the Year as well.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Best Mystery - How the Light Gets In by Louse Penny. I discovered this series this year - I started in the middle and worked forwards and then backwards, which I think was an advantage, because the writing kept getting stronger. The only disadvantage was that it was pretty clear who the killer was in the first book, since the character wasn't in the later books :)</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-49756644439544650102015-04-25T11:14:00.001-07:002015-04-25T16:50:29.599-07:00Read-a-thon Part 2 - hour 7-12<div><br></div><div><br></div>I can't believe we're 1/4 the way through already!<div><br></div><div>So far I've finished one book - The Clothes They Stood Up In and am nearly through Daughters-in-law, approximately 500 pages in total. Roughly on track for both my goals.</div><div><br></div><div>Hour 7 Mini-Challenge: Treausre Hunt</div><div><br></div><div>I found two books that had the three words: tree snow weapon</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vTScULIftkE/VTvZgbAGGrI/AAAAAAAAAH4/S2umltDAAMA/s640/blogger-image--1084162509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vTScULIftkE/VTvZgbAGGrI/AAAAAAAAAH4/S2umltDAAMA/s640/blogger-image--1084162509.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Now I want to read one of them :)</div><div><br></div><div>Hour 10 Mini-Challenge: Party Planning</div><div><br></div><div><p style="font-style: italic; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What book is your party themed around?&nbsp;</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Great Gatsby - it's not only one of my all-time favourite books, but it's pretty much one party after another.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="font-style: italic; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What food will you serve?</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Oysters on the shell,canapés, a chocolate fountain&nbsp;</span></p><p style="font-style: italic; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What’s your signature drink?</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Bathtub gin. But I'd also mix some Belmont Marks, which is my version of a bourbon lemonade</span></p><p style="font-style: italic; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What games will you play?</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lots and lots of mind games. And maybe Cards Against Humanity or Taboo to make things a little uncomfortable.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="font-style: italic; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><strong style="font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What party favors will you send home with your guests?</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A pink shirt&nbsp;and a puppy. &nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mid-Event Survey</span>:<br>1. What are you reading right now? The Duchess by Linda Griff<br>2. How many books have you read so far? 3.5<br>3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha - I've been meaning to read it for ages.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; outline: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? No interruptions at all, other than emails that can wait. &nbsp;It helps that my mother and sister are out of town and I'll be seeing some friends briefly tonight.&nbsp;<br>5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How fast it's gone. I can't believe it's nearly been 12 hours.&nbsp;</span></p></div><div><br></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-9158923365666993652015-04-24T18:25:00.001-07:002015-04-25T06:22:34.087-07:00Dewey's read-a-thon Part 1&nbsp;And we're off!<div><br></div><div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Opening Meme:</span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? &nbsp;Vancouver, BC</span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? The Clothes They Stood Up In</span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Hawkins Cheesiest</span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I love to read, play sports and play the trumpet.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? I will definitely get more reading hours In this time. I don't have anything planned for Sunday, so I plan to stay up the full 24 hours.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div>Hour 2:</div></div><div>Mini-Challenge: Words of Wisdom</div><div><br></div><div>I've finished my first novel (to be fair, it's more of a novelette), so I'm taking a brief break to complete my first mini-challenge.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>My favourite classic word of wisdom would have to be from EM Forster and Howard's End: "Only connect." Sometimes the seemingly simplest statements are the most profound. I've spent most of my working life in not-for-profit theatre and while it has never been financially rewarding, the opportunity to be part of making connections between the idea and the audience has been more than fulfilling. Every time I think I'm ready to move on, I'm inspired again by a production.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>But it would also be remiss not to mention the line that inspired my blog title: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." Perhaps I'll have to put both books on today's reading list!</div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-63736111103168449462015-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:002015-04-24T16:56:52.915-07:00It's April, must be time for another Read-a-thon!What's better than curling up with a good book for a few hours on a rainy Saturday? Curling up with a stack of good books for 24 hours (give or take)!<br /><br />It's time for the semi-annual <a href="http://24hourreadathon.com/">Dewey's Read-a-Thon</a>, from 5am Saturday, April 25 to 4:59am Sunday, April 26 (at least in my neck of the woods).<br /><br />I'm aiming for 20 hours and 1800 pages, but that's likely setting the bar a little too high. I'll lose about 3 hours in the evening, as I have tickets to the Whitecaps game,but I'm planning on downloading an audiobook for the walk to and from the stadium (and maybe even during the game - or at least halftime). The forecast is for rain (that's a shock for April in Vancouver), which is a perfect reason to read the day away. <br /><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VB6FM9sUGQM/VTnG9CLqKsI/AAAAAAAAAHg/QzibmdjZq2Y/s640/blogger-image--632693740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VB6FM9sUGQM/VTnG9CLqKsI/AAAAAAAAAHg/QzibmdjZq2Y/s640/blogger-image--632693740.jpg" /></a>Here's the first crack at my pile of books for the day. I downloaded the first five parts of <i>This Body of Death</i> from the library on audiobook, so that will be my Whitecaps book. Which means I won't finish it, unless I get through everything else and start listening part-way through :)<br /><br />My plan of attack: pick up some healthy-ish snacks on the way home from work; order pizza tonight (yay Dominos playoff special), because cold pizza doesn't need prep time and still tastes great; set the alarm for 4:30 so I can have a shower to wake myself up properly; get into my comfy clothes (yay flannel loungepants from Swains); and curl up on the couch until it's time to head out to the game.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-2790859791634121322014-10-18T22:01:00.001-07:002014-10-18T22:01:23.516-07:00Hours 15-20Had another break for dinner, longer than anticipated due to a miscommunication. C'est la vie.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>But I missed the Dose of Darcy break, which is too bad considering I drink my tea out of a Mrs. Darcy mug.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Moving on...</div><div><br></div><div>Here's my partner in reading for the day. She likes to rub against books but she's not much for the page count. But then neither am I this time round!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bjio4l_WLjw/VENFoshdRlI/AAAAAAAAAGY/3-3Q2jWxNzk/s640/blogger-image--1280595699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bjio4l_WLjw/VENFoshdRlI/AAAAAAAAAGY/3-3Q2jWxNzk/s640/blogger-image--1280595699.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-53024472439757686802014-10-18T16:32:00.001-07:002014-10-18T16:32:31.855-07:00Hours 11-14Back on the couch happily with a good book.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div><p style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mid-Event Survey</span>:<br>1. What are you reading right now? Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon<br>2. How many books have you read so far? This is my second.&nbsp;<br>3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? looking forward to finishing A Good Turn<br>4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Very long hiatus to play field hockey and have lunch. I would have preferred to do the readathon all the way through, but I decided I would've rather do some than nothing!<br>5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? That I'm still awake. And that I played a kick-ass game despite getting up 3 hours earlier than normal :)</span></p><div><br></div><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(43, 43, 43); line-height: 24px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"></p></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-57803925163926246202014-10-18T10:57:00.001-07:002014-10-18T14:28:00.752-07:00Hours 6-10There won't be much reading in this block as I have a hockey game. Biggest game of the season so far, sadly on the crappy cancer causing field turf that the soccer mafia has imposed upon us.<div><br></div><div>Tie game, which was a reasonable result. But no reading until after late lunch. I might be rude and surrepticiously read on my iPhone.&nbsp;</div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-18929488873393275582014-10-18T06:58:00.000-07:002014-10-18T08:50:38.684-07:00Readathon Hours 1-5<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Managed a few hours sleep before the alarm went off. &nbsp; I left my first book on the bedside table so I'm still enjoying my lie-in.&nbsp;</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Opening Meme:</span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? &nbsp;Vancouver, BC<br><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? The beer after my field hockey game, even though I'll lose a few hours of reading.&nbsp;</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I love to read, play sports and play the trumpet.&nbsp;</span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">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 missed a couple of readathons so I'm just looking forward to enjoying some books with a purpose. I'll be less focused on page count this time as I know I won't be able to read more than 12-15 hours.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Hour 2:</b></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm definitely #teamCSLewis. About to make my first cup!<br><br><span id="goog_752980788"></span><span id="goog_752980789"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-X6FeQ_xnge0/VEJyPXHpzGI/AAAAAAAAAGI/Q5ZtFH0BEhI/s640/blogger-image--2144346209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-X6FeQ_xnge0/VEJyPXHpzGI/AAAAAAAAAGI/Q5ZtFH0BEhI/s640/blogger-image--2144346209.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Hour 3:</b></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A little over 2/3s through <i>A woman's guide to 50 shades of Canadian men. </i>I hope to finish by the end of the hour.&nbsp;</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Weirdest Reading Position. I'm not very inventive in my reading positions these days (lying on the couch, in bed, or walking down the street), but when I was in grade 4 I used to wedge myself onto a shelf in the library of my primary school.&nbsp;</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hour 4:&nbsp;</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I've started Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon, so my quote for the mini-challenge is from that:</div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“It was only later, as a voice on the PA was chasing stragglers from the hall and the lights went out over the signing area, that Mr. Nostalgia noticed that Luther Stallings had walked off with his gold pen.”&nbsp;</span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">That was my last book started in a previous readathon, so I'm going early this time in the hopes that I'll be conscious while reading...</span></div><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-90262147121633005602014-10-17T22:24:00.001-07:002014-10-17T22:24:10.445-07:00Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon October 2014I didn't think I would be able to participate this year, but I decided at the last minute to at least do a few hours of reading tomorrow.<br /><br />I have a few commitments during the day, but I'm hoping to at least manage 12 hours of good reading. It's actually my birthday on the 18th and I would love nothing more than to read to my heart's content :)<br /><br />So off to bed to get at least six hours sleep and up at 5am to get 5-6 hours in before I have to play field hockey.Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-8830171217205152832013-04-28T01:34:00.001-07:002013-04-28T05:15:02.622-07:00Read-a-thon Home StretchLess than four hours to go and I'm starting to fade - time for an energy drink. Reading <em>Lionheart</em> now, but interspersing it with some Fitzgerald stories. My page count isn't going to be as high as I'd like, but I made some good headway today. Looking forward to sleeping, though!<br /><br /><strong>Hour 22 Mini-Challenge: If It Were a Movie:</strong><br /><br />I'm reading <em>Lionheart </em>by Sharon Kay Penman right now, which would be a fun movie to cast. I know she imagined Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson as Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, but that casting would work better for <em>Time and Chance - </em>I'm thinking maybe Helen Mirren as an older Eleanor of Aquitaine. I'm having a hard time thinking of anybody except a young Anthony Hopkins as Richard, but I could imagine Dan Stevens as Coeur de Lion, at least in terms of looking the part. And Benedict Cumberbatch wouldn't necessarily look the part, but he'd&nbsp;make a great John. Matthew Macfadyen perhaps as William Marshall, Laurence Fox as Philip of France. And Peter Jackson to direct, since he could start with <em>When Christ and All His Saints Slept</em> and have enough material for a dozen movies... He'd probably have Howard Shore compose the score, but I'd like Patrick Doyle or perhaps Murray Gold, with a scattering of Holst.<br /><br /><strong>END OF EVENT MEME</strong><br /><br /><ol><li>Which hour was most daunting for you?<br />Hour 21-&nbsp;I dozed a bit around 2am and then caught a bit of a second wind, or at least enough of one to be able to concentrate on reading again.</li><li>Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?<br />I enjoyed re-reading some of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories. They were nice palate cleansers in between longer reads.</li><li>Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?<br />I think everything about it is a great event!</li><li>What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?<br />There was a good mix of mini-challenges from quick answers to ones that took a little more thought.</li><li>How many books did you read?<br />I read two, finished&nbsp;two that had been previously started and got part-way through another two.</li><li>What were the names of the books you read?<br /><em>The Magnificent Century </em>by Thomas Costain (the final 234 pages)<br /><em>What's a Golfer to Do? </em>(240 pages)<br /><em>Wine for Dummies</em> (388 pages)<br /><em>Friends, Lovers, Chocolate </em>by Alexander McCall Smith (the final 130 pages)<br /><em>Lionheart</em> by Sharon Kay Penman (the first 160 pages)<br />Several short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald (135 pages)</li><li>Which book did you enjoy most?<br />I'm really enjoying <em>Lionheart</em> so far.</li><li>Which did you enjoy least?<br />I've actually really enjoyed all the books this time round, in different ways.</li><li>If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?</li><li>How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?<br />The October Read-a-thon is challenging for me, as my weekends aren't free in October, but I'll do as much as I can.</li></ol>And now to bed!Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-56183353066275813762013-04-27T23:15:00.001-07:002013-04-27T23:15:35.418-07:00Read-a-Thon Hours 17-20I've finished <em>Wine for Dummies</em> and <em>Friends, Lovers, Chocolate</em>&nbsp;now, so it's time to start a new book. I'm not sure if I want to commit myself to <em>Lionheart</em> this late in the game; maybe I'll give <em>Telegraph Avenue </em>another chance. I tried to read it last Read-a-thon, but started even later than this and didn't get far.<br /><br />I'm not feeling too tired yet, but then I rarely fall asleep before 1am, so I'm a couple of hours away from normal sleep patterns. <br /><br />Back to the books!Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-18241233457440349532013-04-27T19:22:00.003-07:002013-04-27T19:36:34.908-07:00Read-a-Thon Hours 13-16I finished <em>What's a Golfer to Do</em> and will finish <em>Dummies for Wine </em>next, but since I only loaded half of "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" on my iPhone, I pulled out a collection of Fitzgerald short stories and I'll stagger through through the rest of the read-a-thon. <br /><br /><strong>Hour 14 Mini-Challenge: Share a Quote</strong><br />Pulling out the Fitzgerald also lets me share one of my favourite endings. I'm a big fan of endings (hence the title of my blog) and I'm particularly fond of the ending to "The Offshore Pirate":<br /><br />"What was in the bags?" she asked softly<br />"Florida mud," he answered. "That was one of the two true thinbgs I told you."<br />"Perhaps I can guess the other one," she said; and reach up on her tiptoes she kissed him softly in the illustration.<br /><br /><strong>Hour 15 Mini-Challenge: Casting Couch</strong><br />I like this one! I'm always casting stories I read.<br /><br />Story: The Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald<br />Character: John T. Unger of Hades, Mississippi<br />Actor: Time capsule choice - Robert Sean Leonard.<br />Why?: RSL - He read the audiobook, so he naturally came to mind, but I think he would have been perfect in his&nbsp;Dead Poets Society/Swing Kids days. He had that blend of sensitive elgance I imagine in Fitzgerald heroes. I tried to think of someone a little more age-appropriate in 2013, but&nbsp;couldn't think of anybody except maybe Nicholas Hoult.Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-55262454059674607072013-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:002013-04-27T18:02:47.201-07:00Read-a-Thon Hours 9-12I'm heading off to the soccer game in half an hour, but I have "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" on my iPhone and some podfics that will take up about half of the time I'll be away. I'll read on the bus and listen at the game, so that I can watch the field.<br /><br />I've been reading What's a Golfer to Do? with golf on in the background in the hopes that I'll get reinforcement while I read...<br /><br />Back home now with about an hour and a half of audio achieved. Unfortunately I only loaded half of Diamond on my iPhone, so I'll have to read the rest.<br /><br />HOUR 12 Mid-Event Survey:<br /><br />1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?<br />I'm quite energized, having walked a ways from the bus stop. <br /><br />2) What have you finished reading?<br />I've finished one book and am most of the ways through two more.<br /><br />3) What is your favorite read so far?<br />So far it's been listening to "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" - FSKF and RSL FTW :)<br /><br />4) What about your favorite snacks?<br />I just picked up some sticky rice, sunomono&nbsp;and gyoza, so am looking forward to that in a bit.<br /><br />5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!<br />I'm going to finish my books in progress and then do some surfing!Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-28437909655270698592013-04-27T11:31:00.000-07:002013-04-27T11:42:03.428-07:00Dewey's Read-a-thon Hours 5-8Six and a half hours in and I'm about 1/3 of the way through my second book. I'll read the next part and then <br /><br />Hour Seven Mini-Challenge: Best and Worst Covers<br /><br />I chose <em>Friends, Lovers, Chocolate</em> as I thought it would be the best bet for having different covers (not a lot&nbsp;of cover variation in the "Dummies" series!).<br /><br /><img alt="" height="200" id="main-image" rel="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/A10ld6Kw-7L._SL1500_.jpg" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xZ22gixzL._SY300_.jpg" style="display: inline;" width="128" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.thebookplace.com/bookplace/display.asp?ISB=0349118043&amp;CID=mccallsmith"><img alt="book cover: Friends, Lovers, Chocolate" border="1" height="240" src="http://www.mccallsmith.com/friends_lovers.jpg" width="150" /></a>&nbsp; <img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNgq7Ij4YGM_0Kpb0bqtKJK0bcOdmV_eE8TkwEr7vd0p6JXMOQ1g" data-sz="f" name="y03ezG0_Hg1nsM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNgq7Ij4YGM_0Kpb0bqtKJK0bcOdmV_eE8TkwEr7vd0p6JXMOQ1g" style="height: 160px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 120px;" /><br />Cover 2 is the edition I have, which is middle-of-the-road for me. Cover 1 is the version I liked the least, as it felt more like a travel book to me - there are better variations of the theme in other covers. Call me boring, but I actually like Cover&nbsp;3 the best -&nbsp;simple,&nbsp;with a bit of tartan at the bottom for Edinburgh and a suggested image.<br /><br />Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-91495169095151984412013-04-27T05:06:00.001-07:002013-04-27T09:17:42.248-07:00Dewey's Read-A-Thon Hours 1-4And we're off! I have my books on the table, a few snacks to energize me and I'm ready to read.<br /><br /><strong>Introductory Questionnaire:</strong><br />1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?<br />Vancouver, BC, Canada<br /><br />2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?<br /><em>Lionheart</em> by Sharon Kay Penman, even though I'm not a big Richard I fan.<br /><br />3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?<br />Breaking the diet! Sour cream and onion potato chips.<br /><br />4) Tell us a little something about yourself!<br />This is my fourth read-a-thon. I'm an arts administrator and marketing contractor, a player of field hockey, golf, and trumpet, and I love to read.<br /><br />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?<br />I'll be able to put a little more time to the read-a-thon this time round - I hope to read for at least 20 hours. I do have to go to the Whitecaps game this afternoon, so this year I'll also try listening to an audiobook while I'm out of the house.<br /><br /><strong>Hour 3 Mini-Challenge: Book Appetit!</strong><br />I'm reading Wine for Dummies at some point, so I'm imagining a tasting menu based on wines in my "cellar" and books in today's queue:<br /><br />Reception:<br />Majella Sparkling Shiraz - a selection of&nbsp;fruit - pears, apples, cherries - that might have been available during the time of <em>Lionheart</em> (Sharon Kay Penman)<br /><br />Appetizers:<br />Gray Monk Gewurztraminer - a good Okanagan wine, also home to some of BC's best golf courses (<em>What's a Golfer To Do?</em> Golf Digest and Ron Kaspriske). Nachos shared with my virtual foursome.<br /><br />Main Course:<br />Ravenswood Zinfandel - roast pork (or better yet, boar) in honour of <em>The Magnificent Century</em> by Thomas Costain<br /><br />Dessert:<br />Graham's Late Bottled Vintage Port&nbsp;- chocolate of course, since I'm reading <em>Friends, Lovers, Chocolate </em>by Alexander McCall Smith<br /><br />Hour 4 Mini-Challenge: Re-Title Your Current Read<br />I just finished <em>The Magnificent Century </em>by Thomas Costain (311 pages - 74 already read - 237). Given the subject, I'd retitle it A Parcel of Rogues, Warriors and Visionaries.<br /><br />Next up is <em>Wine for Dummies</em>...<br /><br />Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-81811374151402022092013-04-08T12:04:00.000-07:002013-04-25T12:34:50.939-07:00Dewey's 24-Hour Read-A-Thon - April 2013I only ever seem to use this blog for the read-a-thon, so perhaps my goal for 2013 will be to become more active. Until then, I will be participating in the April event. I was supposed to be out of town, but my plans fell through (twice), so reading it shall be!<br /><br />Half the fun for me is in the planning, so I'll be going through my bookshelves looking for a good mix of engaging fiction and non-fiction.<br /><br />So far on the shortlist is:<br /><br />Thomas Costain - The Magnificent Century (I'm part-way through, so I'll start off by finishing it)<br />Sharon Kay Penman - Lionheart (since I'm on a Plantagenet kick)<br />Wine for Dummies - I'll get some work done and feel productive<br />Neil Oliver - A History of Ancient Britain (though I might be getting a bit too history heavy)<br />Alexander McCall Smith - Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (in progress)<br /><br />I also need to download an audiobook if I go to the Whitecaps game - something three hours long will cover me! I was going to give my ticket away, but I think getting some fresh air in the afternoon will be good.<br /><br />Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-71866036880763563732012-10-13T21:45:00.000-07:002012-10-14T04:51:58.739-07:00Last Eight HoursIt's not really the home stretch - I'd say that will come at 1am, when I'm scheduled to settle in with <em>Telegraph Avenue</em> (I'd meant to tell Michael Chabon how thrilled I was that I had a new book to read for the Read-a-Thon, but I managed to make a complete idiot of myself just asking for an inscription - without telling him my name - that I couldn't bring myself to say anything other than a heartfelt "Thank You.").<br /><br />I'm not sure what I'm going to start next. I pulled <em>The Corrections </em>out, but it feels like more of a commitment than I'm prepared to give right now. I might browse the bookshelf for something comforting and familiar instead.<br /><br />Happy reading everyone!<br /><br /><strong><u>End of Event Meme:</u></strong><br /><br />Which hour was most daunting for you?<br />The last hour - I haven't managed many coherent pages since about 3:30am PST.<br /><br />Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?<br />I think once you hit the final hours of the Read-A-Thon, it's good to have books that can be tackled in short chunks, so that the feeling of accomplishment at finishing each one keeps you going. Short story/essay collections have been my late-night saviours.<br /><br />Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?<br />I think it's great as it is.<br /><br />What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?<br />There were tons of prizes for readers and cheerleaders.<br /><br />How many books did you read?<br />I finished five and started a sixth.<br /><br />What were the names of the books you read?<br /><em>Vinyl Cafe Diaries</em> by Stuart McLean<br /><em>Bad Boy </em>by Peter Robinson<br /><em>Walk Like a Man</em> by Robert Wiersema<br /><em>Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim</em> by David Sedaris<br /><em>The Empty Stage </em>by Peter Brook<br />Started: <em>Telegraph Avenue </em>by Michael Chabon<br /><br />Which book did you enjoy most?<br /><em>Dress Your Family</em>&nbsp;- David Sedaris always makes me smile.<br /><br />Which did you enjoy least?<br /><em>The Empty Stage</em> - I was way too tired to tackle cultural theory.<br /><br />How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?<br />I'll definitely participate again - I was out of town last April, but I'm less likely to have conflicts then. I'll be a reader, but if I don't lose a chunk of the day, I'll try to spend some time as a cheerleader as well.Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-56416865639725749692012-10-13T15:43:00.003-07:002012-10-13T18:31:12.379-07:00Return to ReadingTook a longer break than I thought I would - two games in the rain (lost both 1-0, which is my least favourite score in the world) - and then as I was driving home, my mother called to say her plane had just landed and could I pick her up. Never got the email she sent, so it's lucky I was heading in the right direction at the time.<br /><br /><strong>The Reading Child Mini-Challenge</strong>:<br /><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CSuZsCviKys/UHnuCJsbksI/AAAAAAAAADk/j-QGt55D1xY/s1600/mer+book1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" nea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CSuZsCviKys/UHnuCJsbksI/AAAAAAAAADk/j-QGt55D1xY/s320/mer+book1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is a good one for me, as&nbsp;I have stacks of pictures of me as a child reading a book. This is my all-time favourite, however, as I like how I look slightly maniacal :)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mid-Event Survey</strong></span><br /><br />1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?<br />I was a little tired earlier, but I've caught a second wind and am ready for more reading!<br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />2) What have you finished reading?<br />I've finished <em>Vinyl Cafe Diaries</em> by Stuart McLean and <em>Bad Boy</em> by Peter Robinson.</div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3) What is your favorite read so far?</div>I'm a sucker for Stuart McLean, even though I've read the stories before.<br /><br />4) What about your favorite snacks?<br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Haven't had much to snack on yet - a lousy sandwich from the gas station when I picked my mother up at the airport and some cold chicken. I'm just about to order pizza though, and my stomach is rumbling.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I lost a lot of time with hockey and airport duties, so I haven't been surfing yet. I'm looking forward to doing some visiting and cheerleading later tonight.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Hour 14 Mini-Challenge</u></strong></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfxhUoCW5Sk/UHoU2euzoTI/AAAAAAAAAD0/R15z3fpNNrE/s1600/bruce-springsteen-_2135592b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" nea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfxhUoCW5Sk/UHoU2euzoTI/AAAAAAAAAD0/R15z3fpNNrE/s320/bruce-springsteen-_2135592b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This was good timing for a challenge, as I'm just about to start reading <em>Walk Like A Man</em>, a book about coming to age through the music of Bruce Springsteen. I've had it sitting to the side, but I've been on a Springsteen kick in preparation for the concert in November, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to finally read the book. And who doesn't like a little forearm porn! </div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-62129354334431226082012-10-13T05:09:00.001-07:002012-10-13T08:14:28.713-07:00Hours 1 to 8 (ish)And we're off. I'm starting with Stuart McLean's <em>Vinyl Cafe Diarires</em> to ease into the day.<br /><br />Introductory Questionnare:<br /><br />1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?<br />Vancouver, British Columbia<br /><br />2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?<br /><em>Telegraph A</em>venue by Michael Chabon (if I can find where I put it...)<br /><br />3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?<br />A fresh apple from the Okanagan.<br /><br />4) Tell us a little something about yourself!<br />I'm an editor, grant writer, field hockey and trumpet player, and reader!<br /><br />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?<br />I missed the last coupe of read-a-thons, because of other commitments - I have other commitments today as well, so the one thing I'm doing differently is taking a big break in the middle and therefore not setting as high goals for myself.<br /><br />Hour 4 (8:13am PST) - finished <em>Vinyl Cafe Diaries&nbsp;</em>(325 pages)&nbsp;and am fighting with Firefox to post an entry to the mini-challenge. Next up - <em>Bad Boy</em> by Peter Robinson (signed!). I hope to get at least 100 pages in before I have to go to hockey.Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-54353227897195116202012-10-12T23:26:00.001-07:002012-10-12T23:26:34.811-07:00October 2012 Read-A-ThonI like to leave things until the very last minute, so I just decided to sign up for the October Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon. I have two field hockey games in the middle of the day, so I won't be able to rack up the hours and page count this year, but at least I'll be able to participate for 19-20 hours (unless it turns out that I do have to pick my mother up at the airport...)<br /><br />Going to bed now, so that I can at least get 5 hours sleep before I start reading!Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7407188082578643654.post-75580446396288251112011-04-10T15:42:00.000-07:002011-04-10T15:42:57.096-07:00Final tally for Read-a-ThonHours spent reading - I read at least 30 minutes out of every hour, but the aggregate time was probably closer to:<br /><br />21-22 hours - pure reading<br />1-2 hours - blogging and doing mini-challenges (next time I'll make accurate notes of the time started and stopped)<br />1 hour - meal preparation, bathroom breaks, snack runs and one micro-nap with book in hand...<br /><br />Number of pages read - 2062 (note to self - avoid trade paperbacks in non-fiction)<br /><br />Number of Mini-Challenges completed:<br /><br />Hour 1 - Intro Post<br />Hour 2 - Where in the World are You Reading<br />Hour 5 - Oldies but Goodies<br />Hour 8 - Book Club Recommendations<br />Hour 12 - Mid-Event Survey<br />Hour 13 - Book Habits<br />Hour 15 - Character Theme Song<br />Hour 17/18 - Classics Paranormal Mash-up (Three Wyrd Sisters)<br />Hour 19 - Character Crush<br />Hour 20 - Movie Madness<br />Hour 23 - Referral Challenge<br />Hour 24 - Final Survey<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fUtBySr5aKw/TaIZmZEZinI/AAAAAAAAABo/i-xfHyqUqXo/s1600/bok+stack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fUtBySr5aKw/TaIZmZEZinI/AAAAAAAAABo/i-xfHyqUqXo/s1600/bok+stack.JPG" /></a></div>If anyone who made a pledge comes by, here's the link to the GVPTA's <a href="http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s97815">CanadaHelps Page</a>Merhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10321620855095087500noreply@blogger.com1
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