(Extended) Readathon Wrap-up: Three Books, Plus Some

I didn't exactly keep my reading mojo after this morning's post. I went to the grocery, ate at a new Japanese hibachi that opened near us, and went to the movies to watch The Cabin in the Woods. When we got home, I stuffed eighty-two Ziploc baggies with "TCAP Survival Kits" for my students, who are taking the state standardized tests this week. I haven't read a word, although I'm about to begin lazing around with a book in my hand.

Here are my answers to the wrap-up questions posted on the official Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon page:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? I suppose I should say hours 17+, since I went to bed by 11pm! If I had stayed up, it wouldn't have been pretty! I was ready to rise and shine a little after 7am this morning, though, and I finished listening to an audiobook then.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? My theory proved to keep me reading. That theory was to differentiate my genres. Too many of the same kind of books would only cause boredom. I read the latest books by authors I already knew I loved -- Sophie Kinsella & Sue Grafton. I also spent the readathon finishing books I'd already begun -- also key, I think, because I already had an interest in them.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? None at all. I didn't participate in any mini-challenges, so I wasn't as community-driven in my readathon participation as I could have been. In readathons past, I've thought that everything was very well done, and that goes for this year, too.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Again, I didn't participate enough with the hourly contests, etc. to give an opinion.
5. How many books did you read? I finished three. All of them were books I had previously started. I finished about 500 pages altogether and about two hours of listening to an audiobook. Outside the books I finished, I read about 200 additional pages in two separate books that remain unfinished.
6. What were the names of the books you read? I finished Sophie Kinsella's I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER, Sue Grafton's V IS FOR VENGEANCE, and Sherman Alexie's THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN. I read some of Sara Roahen's GUMBO TALES: FINDING MY PLACE AT THE NEW ORLEANS TABLE and Jonathan Tropper's THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? I really enjoyed all the books I read. I'm the kind of reader who abandons books fairly easily, so you don't often find me reading something I don't enjoy. If I were rating them, I might rate Alexie's the highest. It was deeper than the other two, although I loved all of them.
8. Which did you enjoy least? Again, I liked them all. I am having difficulty really engaging with Roahen's book, but only because it is in nonfiction essay form rather than fictional plot form. It is extraordinarily interesting, but not a page-turner.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I wasn't, but I love when they cheer me on both on my blog & on Twitter!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I certainly hope so, although the next time it rolls around I will have a newborn, so it might be more challenging! I will probably just be a reader again (due in part to the aforementioned baby's arrival).

(Extended) Readathon Update: Three Books Completed!

After I extended my own personal Readathon this morning, I got right to the business (or pleasure, rather) of reading. I needed to make breakfast, etc., so I listened to an audiobook rather than sitting stationary with a book in my lap. I began listening to Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian a week or so ago. At just under five hours, it wasn't a long listen at all.

I listened to the last two hours last night and this morning. I have to say, I'm not sure why I'd never read this book. Although I can't see teaching it in the middle school classroom -- it's a bit PG-13 in places -- I think it's an excellent addition to my classroom listening library. I have older 8th graders who would love it, and who would learn a lot from it. Life lessons, lessons about cultures unfamiliar to them. I can't wait to recommend this book to some of them! The male narrator coupled with the basketball scenes make it an important book that even my reluctant boy readers will enjoy.

I'm onto the next book now. I haven't decided if I'm leaning towards Gumbo Tales (foodie nonfiction) or This Is Where I Leave You (literary fiction that is both hilariously funny and deeply sad). I suppose I'll let you know when I post my next update!

Readathon Update: Extending My Time (aka A Pregnant Girl's Gotta Sleep!)

Last night I did not stay up all night to keep reading for the Readathon. If you've ever been pregnant, you fully understand this. No pregnant person should ever forgo sleep if she can help it. I read until about 10:30 (super late for me these days), then listened to an audiobook until I fell asleep.

I didn't finish anything entirely, but I read some more of an ebook I started on spring break (Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, written by Sara Roahen), the beginning of Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You, and listened to an hour and a half of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Not too shabby, although I would have preferred to finish all three!

So I am hereby declaring the Readathon not over for me. I'm going to continue reading all three (in fact, Alexie's book is playing on my iPod right  now, as I type). I may even finish them today. Fingers crossed!

Readathon Update: Two Books Read Today!

Since my first update (and since the first book I finished this morning), I've been quite the busy bee. I took my stepson to his Nana's, went shopping with my mom, had lunch at Zaxby's (my only real pregnancy "craving" so far), and took a nap! I also managed, in between all that, to finish Sue Grafton's V is for Vengeance. I hadn't made it much past 100 pages or so before, so I read just at 300 pages to finish it.

If you are a fan of mysteries and you haven't read Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series (also known as the Alphabet series), do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. As Grafton is working her way through the alphabet, there will eventually be twenty-six books; V is for Vengeance is the most recently published, leaving only four remaining to be written. Although it may seem like after twenty-two books, both Grafton and Millhone would have little to say, that isn't the case with this series. Although there have been a couple of misses in recent years, overall I would say this is one of the most consistently good series I've read.

Set in the late 1980s in Santa Teresa (a fictional name for Santa Barbara), California, private detective Kinsey Millhone works her way through cases of all sorts. Grafton shares with readers the best of these, always coupled with an excellent side story. V is for Vengeance took me a while to get into (after those first hundred pages, the book sat ignored for a month or more), but reading the rest in its entirety today gave me a renewed appreciation for Grafton's writing.

It's also sometimes hard to read a single book in a series when you've read the others back-to-back in the past. I tend to get obsessive about a character or series (the same is true for television series -- I've watched the first three seasons of Sons of Anarchy over a month or so's time on Netflix), and to read all the books in order that I can get my hands on. After doing that, waiting a year or two between books tends to lessen my obsession -- and cause me to forget things about a character that I loved.

Kinsey is plenty worthy of character worship, so if you've never read Grafton's books before, you're in luck. With twenty-two books to read, you probably won't finish until the next book is already released, giving you a happy surprise after falling for Grafton's 1980s California world.

I'm going to keep reading, although I haven't decided what's next. I may try Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You, as I feel the need for something different. Switching up writing styles and genres seems like a smart move for readathon reading -- so my day will be British chick lit, 1980s mystery, and literary fiction. Who knows how late I can stay up (I mean, let's be honest -- I've taken two naps already today!), but perhaps I can try for two more to wrap up with four. I would be highly pleased with that!

Readathon Update: One Book Completed!

I will readily admit that I have already taken a short nap during the readathon. (I got up before six and started early, though!) I have already finished Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number, which was simply delightful.

I've read all of her Shopaholic series, and also her standalone books published under the pen name Kinsella. She also has several books published originally in the UK only under her real name (Madeleine Wickham), and I haven't read any of those. That puts my page count at around 200 (I was already half-way finished before the readathon started).

I've Got Your Number was predictable in a very Sophie Kinsella kind of way, but it kept my attention nonetheless. It was actually a wonderfully humorous romance, which is what she's great at, if you're in the mood for a fast, fun read. Her female characters are always slightly ditzy (but actually quite smart), her males are always wonderful or terrible (in a very Bridget Jones sort of way), and all the English-speak makes her novels delightfully amusing. A full review will come later, of course, but suffice it to say I wholly enjoyed I've Got Your Number -- and it was the perfect easy, light book to begin a readathon.

Dewey's Readathon: Pregnancy Edition

I think that pregnancy gives you the right to lay around all day, right? Well, I haven't done that thus far in my pregnancy (just into the second trimester at about fifteen weeks), but today is that day! I have to do a little running around later in the morning, but other than laundry my house is relatively clean, and I am going to lay perfectly still and do nothing but read for as much of today as is possible! Every other readathon I've participated in has actually resulted in very little reading for me. But today, I'm using the pregnancy excuse to do nothing but read!

Most of those participating have a stack of books ready to go. I'm more of a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of girl (and I like to read whatever suits my fancy at the moment), so I don't really have a stack waiting. But I have many books on my shelves that I'd like to read, so I'll have plenty to choose from.

A smattering of those titles:

• Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number (currently midway through, and loving it, even if it is a very typical Kinsella-style storyline and setup)
• Sue Grafton's V is for Vengeance (I've had this title since at least Christmas, and I even started reading it. Somehow I got distracted, but today is the day I may return to Kinsey. And then, of course, let my mom finally borrow it!)
• Laura Lippman's The Most Dangerous Thing (another title I've owned for quite a while, from one of my favorite authors)
• Kathy Reichs' Flash and Bones (the latest in the Tempe Brennan series that inspired the TV show Bones)
• Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You (I've read rave reviews, never read Tropper, and picked this up last time I was in my local library.)

There are also dozens of ARCs which have arrived on my doorstep (mostly) unsolicited, which I may dive into if the mood strikes me. If you decide you'd like to read all day, sign up for Dewey's Readathon by clicking here.

24-Hour Read-a-thon Wrap-Up & Favorite Reads Giveaway: A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons

24-Hour Read-a-thon Wrap-Up

Over the weekend, I (semi-) participated in the twice-a-year Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon. I came in with a late start, and did not read for 24 hours straight without stopping, but still managed to finish three books during the read-a-thon. All were books I had already begun and not yet finished. I still felt a sense of accomplishment for adding three titles to my April book list, though!

End of Event Survey Questions:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? I read as I wanted to, so I can't really say; I enjoyed every minute I was reading, and enjoyed other things when I wasn't. No daunting hour here. 
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I had been listening to The Help on audiobook from Audible long before the read-a-thon. I found that listening to it -- and finishing it -- on my iPod helped me stick with "reading" for the read-a-thon, but still allowed me to get housework done that I needed to complete over the weekend. 
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? None! 
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I really enjoyed Tweeting with the #readathon hashtag. It helped me feel like I was part of the Read-a-thon without putting too much time or effort into creating actual blog posts. 
5. How many books did you read? I finished three (all already begun before the read-a-thon). 
6. What were the names of the books you read? I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett, My Wife's Affair by Nancy Woodrull, and Semi-Sweet by Roisin Meaney. 
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Well, probably The Help. But I really enjoyed all three a lot. They were very different books, which I think is important. Three similar books would have been difficult to finish all at once; I liked that I had options. 
8. Which did you enjoy least? N/A 
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? Not a cheerleader :) 
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Fairly likely to participate again. Probably just as a reader next time; if the event happened in the summer, I could spend more time on it. As it is (in April and October), it falls smack mid-semester for me, so I'm pretty busy teaching through the week & trying to keep my house under control on the weekends!

 I had a fabulous time reading books and catching up on other participants' experiences via Twitter (#readathon hashtag for those of you who would like to see what it was all about). Look for reviews of the books I read coming up this week (The Help and My Wife's Affair) and later in April (Semi-Sweet).

Favorite Reads Giveaway: A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons

Three weeks ago, I kicked off my new giveaway series with Gibbons' first novel, Ellen Foster. Last week, I introduced The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton as another favorite read of mine. (The winner for last week's giveaway is Meredith Miller. Meredith, I hope you enjoy Jane Hamilton's The Book of Ruth!)

While Ellen Foster is one of my favorite books, this week I'm bringing you my absolute favorite Gibbons novel: A Virtuous Woman. Also an Oprah's Book Club pick, A Virtuous Woman is the story of a marriage. The title comes from the Bible verse regarding marriage:

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." (Proverbs 31:10) 

Husband and wife Jack and Ruby alternate narrating this tale, recounting scenes from their life together. The novel is short, as is Ellen Foster, but it is a beautiful story about the blessings that come from sharing life with another person. As in all of her novels, Gibbons depicts both the good and the bad; ultimately, however, good shines through and humanity is celebrated.

To enter the Favorite Reads Giveaway for A Virtuous Woman, fill out the entry form below:

The Big Game's On Read-a-thon Wrap-Up

I signed up for The Big Game's On Read-a-thon (sponsored by Jenn's Bookshelves) last week, when I had no idea what my Sunday would look like.

I figured I would have some time to read, and that a book would be in my hand for at least part of the game. My day was kind of crazy, and I don't think I read a single word during the actual Superbowl. But earlier in the day, I read about 80 pages of the fourth Pretty Little Liars series novel Unbelievable, which I scooped up at the library yesterday afternoon.

I cooked breakfast Sunday morning, including a delicious and super-easy new take on bacon. I've been following the How Sweet It Is blog for quite a while now. I love Jessica's recipes and thoughts on life, but I had never made anything featured there until this weekend. The Cinnamon Sugared Bacon did not disappoint. If you think it sounds good, I promise it tastes even better. I also made pancakes to go with the bacon (you know -- so the syrup could cut the sweetness of the bacon). It was all fabulous, but took some time to prepare and then to eat.

Later in the day, my fiance and I went to lunch at O'Charley's where I had their delicious California Chicken Salad, which comes loaded with yummy chicken, fruit, and bleu cheese. Then I went to Kroger for groceries, came home and cleaned the kitchen, and made Ranch Oyster Crackers.

Somewhere in there, between all the cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, and eating (and eating and eating and eating), I managed to squeeze in a few minutes of reading. Not what I planned, but a good day overall. As it was a laid-back sort of read-a-thon, I supposed I abided by the rules as well as anyone else may have.

Tomorrow, look for a post about the third Pretty Little Liars novel, Perfect, and more coming later in the week!

Read-a-Thon Wrap-Up (Or: How I Failed, But Didn't Really)

So my first 24-hour read-a-thon is over, and I can't brag and say I made it the whole time. I can say that I was conscious of it happening during its time frame, and that I made a concerted effort to read more than not-read.

To all those who made it the entire 24 hours without taking (long) breaks, congratulations and, "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!" (in the spirit of Wayne & Garth). In fact, just to call attention away from my own transgressions, let's revisit that scene and celebrate those of you who made it the whole time (and therefore are similar to Alice Cooper? I'm not sure about that metaphor!):



So to sum up my own reading, I'll tell you what I read over the weekend rather than over that 24-hour period of time set aside for the read-a-thon:

• U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (403 pages), read late Friday and into the wee hours of Saturday morning
• The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens (353 pages), read in the wee hours of Saturday morning, sporadically throughout the day on Saturday, then from 10pm or so Saturday night until the wee hours of Sunday morning
• Bones of Betrayal by Jefferson Bass (so far, 249 pages read with an additional 47 to go), read Sunday in spurts throughout the day & night
• The Cracker Queen: A Memoir of a Jagged, Joyful Life by Lauretta Hannon (so far, 32 pages read with an additional 190 to go), read late Sunday night

Not the most prolific list, and nary a dent in the ubiquitous TBR (to-be-read) pile, but an entertaining weekend of reading nonetheless. More detailed thoughts on the finished books later!

Just Signed Up For The 24-Hour Read-a-Thon... Think I Can Make It?

I just entered my name on the list for Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-Thon, and I'm more than a little hesitant. Read for 24 hours straight? I'm not sure I can manage that, especially with everything going on right now in my life.

My grandmother has been in the hospital all week. A feisty, independent 82 year old, she was out working on her farm raking and burning leaves when she fell and broke some ribs and punctured one of her lungs on Monday morning. She's been most unhappily confined to her hospital bed, so the whole family has been keeping her company in an effort to keep her spirits up. All this means I'm a bit tired, but it could present more opportunity for reading. I mean, what better to do while sitting in a hospital than read? Perfect, right? So maybe I can do better than I think.

It sounds kind of fun to stay up all night reading (I stay up really late often enough, anyway!), but I'm not so sure I can make it 24 hours without sleeping at all. Dewey says it's okay to sleep, so I guess I can still consider myself a "reader" for the read-a-thon, even if I don't actually read for the full 24 hours!

Join in here if you're interested. Remember, no one will be policing your reading hours, so a full 24-hour commitment isn't necessary. But it should be fun! It'll be my first, so we'll see how things go. If you have any questions (or are afraid of not being able to commit yourself), check out the FAQs to banish your fears and learn what it's all about.

'Comfort Food' Offers Perfect Way to Start the New Year

So you're laying in bed, cozy with a quilt (and perhaps a dog at your feet)... It's snowing outside, or at the very least it's so cold you don't want to budge from underneath the covers. That's what my New Year's weekend was like. I started off the New Year right by participating (somewhat) in a New Year's Read-a-thon sponsored by Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century. I didn't really get a chance to read much on New Year's Eve until later, then I dove straight into a comfy read -- Kate Jacobs's feel-good novel Comfort Food. I was immersed in Jacobs's book for most of the next two days (both New Year's Day and January 2nd), then I completed it late that second night. I spent the last day of the read-a-thon with a New Book shelf find from my local library, Richard Powers's The Echo Maker. It's a deeply interesting read -- kind of a cross between Carolyn Parkhurst's The Dogs of Babel: A Novel and Dean Koontz's The House of Thunder... And yes, I realize that on paper those two have absolutely nothing to do with one another. Just trust me (and wait for my final word on that novel after I finish it).

But back to Comfort Food. Such a lovely read. Not literary or pretentious, just a good plot and likeable characters. How often I find myself searching for only that -- a good storyline & characters I actually care about. Jacobs delivers just that in this book. Augusta "Gus" Simpson is a CookingChannel star who came from a tough background and fought her way to the top. She is successful because she's put in the time -- twelve years, to be exact.

Gus finds herself becoming less and less relevant as new technology (think video-chatting with viewers in mid-stir) & pretty faces move in and good old-fashioned cooking and entertaining are being pushed out. She finds herself in a position where she must compromise or walk away, and compromise she does. Rising network star Carmen Vega, a former beauty queen who isn't afraid to sleep her way to the top, walks into the CookingChannel studio and gives Gus a run for her money. Also included in the action are Gus's grown-but-not-grown-up daughters, a neighbor who has spent her life running from scandal, a Wall Street stockbroker-turned-chef, and various CookingChannel executives who are in it only so long as their bank accounts are growing.

Gus is the epitome of Food Network (ahem, CookingChannel, I mean) stardom -- down home, but a performer in truth. However, in Comfort Food she's forced to make a choice between keeping her personal life separate (and her on-air persona "clean") or giving the viewers what they want -- the real-life Gus Simpson, with all her flaws laid out for the television camera to capture.

Jacobs gives readers quite a few interesting subplots, and there is plenty romance spread around among the characters. All in all, it's a winning combination of pop culture references, well-rounded characters, and good storytelling.

Jacobs is also the author of The Friday Night Knitting Club series, which has been optioned by Universal Studios for an upcoming movie.