Dewey's Reverse Readathon August 2021

It’s time for the Dewey’s Reverse Readathon! With my job now this one is much easier to do this one than the regular one so I am super excited! I will be checking in throughout the evening. I did not pick out a TBR. I will go wherever the wind takes me!

11:45 pm

It’s been a lovely day of reading. I just finished my first book, Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda. This was a wonderful thriller that kept me on my toes. I also enjoyed some delicious cookies & cream muddy buddies. Yum yum. Nice sugar rush!

I also have had some good reading snuggles with my cat and dog. It’s a little cooler today so my dog actually laid in my lap while I read and petted him. I took my cat to the vet yesterday which was super dramatic so I will thrilled when she came out and cuddled with me.

It’s nearing midnight and I am still pretty awake so I am going to start another book. I will check in later. I hope everyone is enjoying their readathon!

Total reading time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Pages read: 333

Audiobook Time: 23 minutes 

Books finished: 1

3:30 a.m.

I just finished Well Matched by Jen DeLuca. I really love this series and the acknowledgments made me tear up. It’s really emotional to read books that were written during 2020. I am hungry but I didn’t do a good job stocking snacks so I think I am going to head to bed. I had a nice cup of black tea at 1 a.m. but I don’t think that is going to keep me awake. I have also been listening to The Royal Correspondent audiobook and so I am going to let that send me to sleep.

Total reading time: 7 hours 26 minutes

Total Pages read: 669

Total Audiobook Time: 41 minutes 

Books finished: 2

10:20 a.m

Well I woke back up at 7 after a nice nights sleep. I am sad that I forgot to get my traditional readathon cinnamon rolls so I had a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch instead.

I have had an enjoyable morning lazing around and reading. My bones were a little achy after reading all night so I had a nice long soak in the tub. I have a hair appointment this morning and then I am home for the rest of the day! Hopefully I will get more kitty snuggles!

Total reading time: 10 hours 47 minutes

Total Pages read: 832

Total Audiobook Time: 2 hours 16 minutes 

Books finished: 2

4:30 p.m.

It’s been a terrific Saturday! I have to say the Reverse Readathon is so much more convenient to participate in. I went and got my hair done. I really wanted to read while she did my hair but I knew that would be rude ha ha. But I did read while my color was setting. I then walked around the Saturday market on the town square listening to my audiobook. It was lovely.

I grabbed some sushi for lunch on the way home. It was so good.

So I finished The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins. Wow I hated this book. It was boring for 50% and then really ratcheted up and went into a very violent place. It left me with a really icky feeling. Luckily I have a very cute doggie to snuggle with.

Total reading time: 15 hours 23 minutes

Total Pages read: 1,032

Total Audiobook Time: 3 hours 4 minutes 

Books finished: 3

Wrap-Up

Well it was another great Readathon! The last four hours of my day were perfection. I actually went outside and read in the sun which was so nice as it has cooled down a little. I didn’t finish another book but I am almost done with The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley which I am really enjoying. I am happy with the amount of time I got to read! Already looking forward to the October readathon!

Total reading time: 18 hours 46 minutes

Total Pages read: 1,207

Total Audiobook Time: 4 hours 48 minutes 

Books finished: 3

Bout of Books 27.5: Safe At Home Edition

Many thanks to the wonderful ladies at Bout of Books for doing an in between Bout of Book readathon for people who have to stay at home during the coronavirus shutdowns. My library is closed and I am working from home as much as I can but I am glad to have this to distract me a little this week. I have a lot of Advanced Readers Copies to read for books that are coming out in the next few months so that is my biggest goal during this readathon. That and distraction and hopefully pulling me away from social media which is so bad for my mental health. So don’t expect many updates on Twitter except the ones that post from Goodreads. I will try to post on Instagram though.

Monday

Happy first day of Bout of Books! It was such a nice thing to be distracted from everything going on. This week and next week are the surge week for my state so my anxiety is at an all time high. So in between working, instead of going on Facebook and Twitter, I read.

An ultimate comfort read is Sense & Sensibility. This time I am listening to it as an audiobook read by Rosamund Pike. It is a really good edition and terrific narrator. It’s also my bedtime read to calm me down before I go to sleep.

I started reading What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter. And I could not put it down! It was so good. I finished it tonight. What delightful characters in this book. It comes out tomorrow so I really wanted to finish it today.

I also started a physical (bath) book Come Find Me by Megan Miranda. It is pretty creepy and so I am not sure if I can read it at night.

So I had to start a new book Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me before I could go to sleep. I am really loving this book so far. I am excited to see where it goes.

Monday Numbers

Pages read: 520

Audiobook Time: 1 hours 50 minutes

Books finished: 1 

Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! Today was a little bit of a rough day for me. As I think we all do, I have good days and bad days. It is just such a weird and bizarre time. I am such an introvert and I love staying at home and reading. But there is something about knowing you can’t go out and you need to shelter in place that makes me not want to stay at home. I am of course and will continue to but I am getting antsy.

I am still listening to Sense & Sensibility. I am also listening to Take Me On by Katie McGarry. I have been listening to some Audible Escape books during my free trial and this is one of them. These are YA books but I feel like they read a little older.

I finished Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me. I ended up not actually like it. The ending was strange and the romantic relationship of the book really bothered me. It was a shame because I was really looking forward to this one.

I also have been reading Ruthless Gods. It came out today and I have been trying to finish it before then but it has been really hard to read. It is very, very dark. I am finding it hard to read dark books right now. But I will try to finish it by the end of this week.

Tuesday Numbers

Pages read: 252

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 16 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wednesday

Today was a little busy. I had a lot of work to do today and I was also distracted so I did not get as much reading done as I would have liked.

I finished Sense & Sensibility. I enjoyed it so much. It was a terrific audiobook. I really enjoy hearing a beloved book in a new format. I love Jane Austen books so much!

Wednesday Numbers

Pages read: 75

Audiobook Time: 2 hour 49 minutes

Books finished: 1

Thursday

Today was a good reading day. I started the book Little Universes and had such a hard time putting it down tonight. This book is beautiful. I was very emotional while reading it. I am very close to my four sisters so the sibling relationship really resonated with me. I openly cried over parts of this book. It was just really heart wrenching and moving.

I also made the decision to DNF a book I was reading. I was just not enjoying it and was even dreading picking it up and reading it. I never used to DNF books but I have gotten better over the years about DNFing books. There is just not enough time to read books that you are not enjoying.

Thursday Numbers

Pages read: 245

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Books finished: 1

Friday

I finished the Take Me On audiobook. I was super disappointed not to find the next book on Audible Escape. I don’t really want to pay for it so I probably won’t read it unless the library has it.

I continued reading Come Find Me and there was a mid book twist that I did not see coming. Which made me happy because I often guess the twists.

I am almost done with Little Universes. I love the book.

I started a new audiobook, The Heartbreakers. It is a book about a girl who stumbles into a job on a boy band tour. It’s delightful so far.

Friday Numbers

Pages read: 133

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 43 minutes

Books finished: 1

Saturday

I love Saturdays even in quarantine! So much more reading time. I finished Little Universes. Wow, what an amazing book. I loved it so much.

I started Rural Diaries by Hilary Burton Morgan. This was such a good and comforting read. It was all about her life with her family and her finding peace in their cute, small town and on their farm. I could not put this down.

I started the first book in the Jessica Darling series. This was recommended to me by several friends. It’s one of those YA books I missed. I really am enjoying it. She is quite snarky. It definitely is a trifle dated but I am enjoying it.

Saturday Numbers

Pages read: 396

Audiobook Time: 1 hours

Books finished:

24in48: The Social Distancing Edition

Well things are just bizarre and out of body right now but honestly books are what will keep me sane. Thank goodness the crew at 24in48 Readathon have decided to remerge and host a Readathon this weekend. Read more here. I will also be posting on Listy and Instagram (Twitter is deleted from my phone so no updates there). My goal is to stay away from depressing and scary stuff and just tackle my TBR pile. I hope everyone is safe and socially distancing. I look forward to participating in this readathon.

Saturday

It has been a weird few weeks and so hard to concentrate on reading. So as a result I am a little behind in all my ARCs so my goal during this weekend is to catch up on all my ARCs that have already come out and get a week ahead. It really depends on how much I can read tomorrow. I didn’t get in as much reading today as I had planned but that’s because it is hard for me to concentrate. Other things keep grabbing my attention. That’s just the way of the world right now.

I am listening to Sense & Sensibilty on Auble. It is read by Rosamund Pike and I am really enjoying this version. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I had read this book. I read Pride & Prejudice all the time.

I am also listening to Take Me On by Katie McGarry. I have been working my way through the Pushing the Limits series on Audible Escape during my two month free trial. I am usually not the biggest fan of straight romance books but they are YA and usually have an interesting other element thrown in. She certainly likes her bad boys who have a secret soft side though. I do love that in fiction but not real life.

I finished The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian. It was a really good book. It dragged a little in the middle. Based on the synopsis you couldn’t really tell what it would end up being about and no spoilers but what unfortunate timing for it to be released last week. The cover is so gorgeous on this one.

And then I finally started The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. So let me tell you how much I loved Station Eleven. Until the end. Oh my god I was so upset when I got to the end. There was not the proper amount of closure, and she didn’t focus enough on the characters stories I loved. That book was on track to my favorite and the ending ruined it. So I went into this one clear eyed. I am really loving it. I love how she is able to write in so many different voices. I am truly sucked in. Let’s hope this one has a better ending.

Saturday Totals

Pages read: 445

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 13 minutes

Books finished: 1

Hours read: 10 hours 40 minutes

Sunday

It was another good day for reading! I continued on listening to my two audiobook.

I finished The Glass Hotel. This book was so, so good. It was beautifully written. I could see all of this in my head as I read. She did such a wonderful job switching between all the characters. This was a book that swept me up in its world and made me forget it was a book. 

Then I started and finished If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane. Never judge a book by its cover they say. Well I must admit I did judge this book by its cover. There has been a recent glut of these nicely illustrated romance books and I assumed that’s what I was getting. Which is fine. I enjoy those books and find them entertaining. But this book was so much more. It was heart wrenching and 20% in before you really even got to know one of the main love interests. I loved it. I love Laurie. I feel like I really emotionally suffered through this with her. I loved the feminism and diversity. This was a terrific book and I couldn’t put it down.

Then I started When Panic Attacks: The New Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life. My therapist recommended I read this book. The subtitle made me a little skeptical. I am usually wary of people who say drug-free or dismiss the use of medication. However, within the introduction he made it clear that education was a good thing and there are people who need it. So far I am reading and being like wow that’s me right there. It helps you feel less alone to know others feel the same way as you do.

This was a wonderful reading day and a great end to the social distancing readathon.

Sunday Totals

Pages read: 581

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 24 minutes

Books finished: 2

Hours read: 9 hours 36 minutes

Wrap Up

This was a great little readathon. I couldn’t concentrate as much as I would have liked to. But I still read a lot of great books and enjoyed myself. I am looking forward to the next readathon hopefully in better circumstances.

Totals

Total Pages read: 1,026

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 37 minutes

Books finished: 3

Hours read: 20 hours 16 minutes

Bout of Books 27

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 27 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Oh yes it is Bout of Books time. It’s going to be a good week! I hope to catch up on some eGalleys and tackle my TBR a little.

Monday

Whew today was a super busy day at work. I am exhausted. I got a little reading in at lunch and when I got home. I need to go to bed early though. Tired.

I am currently listening to the audiobook of Anne’s House of Dreams. I have been listening to all the Anne books on audiobook and am enjoying it so much. I didn't realize how much I knew these book by heart. I often know what lines are coming up next.

I am also reading Crown of Embers. It’s the second in The Girl of Fire and Thorns series. I had to take this one back to the library for a few weeks because I did not finish it before it was due. I am happy to have it back.

I also started an eArc The Better Liar. Oh it’s so good so far and I can’t wait to see how this one turns out.

Monday Numbers

Pages read: 145

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 7 minutes

Books finished: 0 

Tuesday

Wow this week has been crazy busy at work today. Words can’t express. I came home from work and crawled right in bed and read until I went to sleep. I didn’t even write this post until Wednesday I was so tired. Thank goodness for audiobooks. I finished the Anne’s House of Dreams audiobook and A Better Liar which was so good!

Tuesday Numbers

Pages read: 109

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 4 minutes

Books finished: 2

Wednesday

This is the worst week for Bout of Books for me. It’s been so busy at work and tonight I had a dinner for a board I serve on so pretty much today was just an audiobook day. I would like to say tomorrow will be better but I will be at work until 8 or 9 so probably not. I am listening to the Anne of Ingleside audiobook. I forgot how much I loved this book. It may be the one I have read the least. It is so funny and entertaining.

Wednesday Numbers

Pages read: 49

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 14 minutes

Books finished: 0 

Thursday

Oh my goodness. Today was quite a long day. I was at work until almost nine. The only good thing is that I worked so much today that I get to go home early tomorrow. I will be reading all evening!

I am still listening to Anne of Ingleside. I love reading all the adventures of Anne’s kids. They are all so entertaining.

I started a new book, All the Ways We Said Goodbye. It is from the POV of three different women in three different eras. It is very good. But I am having to take notes to keep track off all the characters and how they relate to one another.

Well I am off to bed. More tomorrow.

Thursday Numbers

Pages read: 91

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Books finished: 0 

Friday

Today was a good reading day. I got off work early and just came home and read. It was glorious.

I started and finished Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. I have been following her on Twitter for awhile and noticed that I had only read one book of hers. Reading it reminded me how much I like those types of YA books.

I am looking forward to the weekend. I have a birthday brunch on Sunday but the rest of the weekend is reserved for reading!

Friday Numbers

Pages read: 391

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 46 minutes

Books finished: 1

Saturday

Today was a rough day! Forecasters have been predicted violent storms for a week so I was super anxious. Thank goodness it was not as bad as forecasted for us. It did cast a pall over the day though. I did still get some good reading time in though.

I finished All the Ways We Said Goodbye. It was really, really good. I did guess a few of the twists but it did not lessen my enjoyment.

I also started and finished A Perfect Stranger. This was such a thriller. I felt like I was holding my breath through a lot of this book. When I went to take my dog out that night I was jumping at shadows ha ha.It was s good!

I am almost done with the Anne of Ingleside audiobook. I am enjoying hearing these books so much! I will probably listen to these over and over again! It’s amazing how L.M. Montgomery can always make me weep no matter how many times I have read the books.

Saturday Numbers

Pages read: 602

Audiobook Time: 47 minutes

Books finished: 2

Sunday

I had a fun day having a long brunch with friends so I did not get as much reading done but I did finish two books. It was a good final day of Bout of Books.

Sunday Numbers

Pages read: 135

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 28 minutes

Books finished: 2

Wrap Up

This was a good Bout of Books week even though it was such a busy week for me. I had a great time reading books and relaxing a little bit.

Final Numbers

Pages read: 1,522

Audiobook Time: 22 hours 1 minute

Books finished: 7

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2019

It’s time for the wonderful Thankfully Reading weekend from Jenn’s Bookshelves.

I am so excited for Thanksgiving this year. We are staying in town and work is closing at 2 pm on Wednesday! I am looking forward to cooking, reading, and spending time with family. I plan to finish up a few books I am currently reading and starting Queen of Nothing by Holly Black and Intercepted by Alexa Martin. Let the reading time begin. I will start my Thankfully Reading on Wednesday.

Wednesday

Today was a terrific day! We closed the library at two and I had already shopped for all my food supplies. I spent the rest of the day reading, cleaning, and cooking. I don’t know why I cleaned. I am not even hosting Thanksgiving but I felt like I needed to since I got off early.

I finished The House on Tradd Street by Karen White. It was a delightful cozy ghost mystery. It made me chuckle out loud a few times. I had already started this before today so I did not read the whole thing.

I am also reading Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay Klein. This is a very difficult book to read if you grew up in that movement.

As I headed out of work I grabbed three graphic novels that just came in and looked interesting. I finished Jane and oh boy I loved it! It is a modern day retelling of Jane Eyre. The art work was gorgeous and I liked the changes to the story.

But my favorite read of the weekend so far is the audiobook of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This book is so good. I am really caught up in this story so it’s good I had plenty of audiobook time today while cooking and cleaning.

Headed to bed so I can be rested for Thanksgiving madness tomorrow.

Wednesday numbers

Pages read: 394

Audiobook time: 5 hours 46 minutes

Books finished: 2

Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving! I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my parents house.

And then we got home and I started having violent chills. I couldn’t stop shaking. I feel terrible. I had some Advil and feel a little better but I am headed to bed early so no more reading until tomorrow. I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Thursday numbers

Pages read: 20

Audiobook time: 3 hours 2 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday

Today was a much better reading day although I still feel pretty bad. I either have a bad cold or a sinus infection. I stayed in bed reading most of the day and then my husband and I finished the Crown this evening. I can’t imagine choosing to go out and shop Black Friday sales instead of reading. Shiver.

I finished Intercepted. It was an interesting romance novel about being the girlfriend of an NFL player. It was written by a former NFL wife. I wondered how much of it was true to life. Sounds awful.

I read the first 10 pages of Queen of Nothing before I was so tired I had to go to sleep. I look forward to diving more into that tomorrow.

Friday numbers

Pages read: 347

Audiobook time: 2 hours 33 minutes

Books finished: 1

Saturday

I started feeling a little better this morning so did a lot of errands. I still got some good reading in then though.

I finished the audiobook of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This was an extremely sad book. I cried through a lot of it. But it was such a good book!

I am about 80 pages into the Queen of Nothing. It isn’t really capturing my attention so far. The first two books I couldn’t put down. At least I had a cute little kitty keeping me company while I read.

I started and finished Alex, Approximately. This was the first Jenn Bennett book I have read and I loved it. It is very much in the style of a Kasie West book and I have finished all of her books so I was happy to discover this author.

I have started not feeling very good again so I have purchased The Discovery of Witches tv show on Apple and plan to watch it tonight while my husband is at a concert. I think it’s still in the spirit of Thankfully Reading since it’s based on a book series. It will be interesting to see how well it is adapted. I can’t picture it. Diana is very in her head and there are a lot of lulls to the book. I imagine there will be a lot of flashbacks utilized. I adore Matthew Goode too. Rawlings is ready to enjoy an evening of snuggling and watching TV.

Saturday Numbers

Pages read: 461

Audiobook time: 2 hours 34 minutes

Books finished: 2

Sunday

Being sick is no fun when you are on vacation. I felt worse today than I have all weekend. It’s really such a bummer.

I finished Queen of Nothing. So sad this series is over. I will have to let it sit a while before I can formulate my thoughts.

Sunday Numbers

Pages read: 219

Audiobook time: 2 hours 22 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wrap-Up

Well this Thankfully Reading would have been more enjoyable if I had not been sick. But as always thanks to Jenn for hosting this fun reading weekend.

Total Numbers:

Pages read: 1,441

Audiobook time: 16 hours 28 minutes

Books finished: 6

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon October 2019

Yay it is time for Dewey’s Readathon again! I am excited to read, eat and have an enjoyable Saturday/Sunday. It’s supposed to rain all day Saturday which could be good or bad! We will see. I might be sleepy.

What exactly is a 24 hour readathon you ask? Well basically I (because I am in the Eastern time zone) start reading at 8 am Saturday morning and finish at 8 am Sunday morning. You don’t actually have to read all 24 hours. You just read as much as you can. I don’t think I have ever hit the 24 hours but one day I will take the Monday off and try to do it. This is my seventh time participating in Dewey’s Readathon. To view all my other posts just click on the Dewey’s tag at the bottom of my post. This year I was determined not to schedule a photo session. But Sunday afternoon I am taking my cousins to the pumpkin patch for you guessed it a photo session. I just can’t help it in the fall! I put this in my calendar in April after the last Readathon.

So this time I have a delightful stack of YA books that I have been meaning to read. I am most excited about Wicked Saints. I have heard so many things about this book that I have it really built up in my head. I am also listening to the audiobook of She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. I also am trying to finish up a couple of ARCs so if I don’t finish them in the next couple of days I will dip into them.

I also really, really stocked up on snacks. Like an embarrassing amount. I have my annual bloodwork tomorrow and it’s good thing I won’t get my results back before I eat all this food ha ha.

What are you most excited to read for Readathon? I will be posting on this post, Twitter, Instagram and Litsy. I am @ReadingSusan on all platforms.

7:59 am

It’s almost time!

Opening Survey!

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

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Wicked Saints! I have been saving it.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Olives 😃 I have three kinds.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I can’t stick to a book buying ban.

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? This is my 7th readathon and I think this time I will participate more on social media. #deweyoct

2:15 p.m.

Well I finally just finished my first book. It took me awhile. Sisters of Shadow and Light was excellent. I loved the world building and the alternate points of view. The main characters are really well done and distinctive and I really enjoy that. And I adore Raidyn and Naomi. This book comes out on November 5th and I am already ready to read the next book.

I am also listening to the audiobook of She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. I finished Ronan Farrow’s book, Catch and Kill last week and it was so shocking that I knew I had to check out this book as well. I am so glad the three of them exposed that horrible man getting away with wielding his power.

I had delicious cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then a perfect grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. Yum yum!

My cat has finally hopped up on the bed to snuggle with me so I am off to start my next book.

Total reading time: 6 hours 23 minutes

Pages read: 284

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 28 minutes 

Books finished: 1

6:00 p.m.

I just finished my second book. I am reading a little slower than usual today but that’s fine. Just trying to enjoy a relaxing readathon. I also haven’t been eating that many snacks because I am not hungry. It has been raining all day which has been really nice. I will check back in later!

Total reading time: 10 hours 0 minutes

Total pages read: 610

Total audiobook Time: 3 hours 9 minutes 

Books finished: 2

10:45 p.m.

Well it has been a lovely evening of reading and eating. I am currently reading Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan. I have been saving this book to read for a special occasion. It is really good so far but I forgot when I picked it what a long book it is so I probably won’t finish it by the end of Readathon.

She Said is getting pretty depressing so I have switched to the Anne of Green Gables Collection audiobook. I am currently listening to the second book, Anne of Avonlea. I love listening to old and familar books that I have read in print so many times.

I have been at this for 14 hours so I think I need to take a nap. I accidentally made multiple plans tomorrow afternoon so no way I can stay up all night and still function on Monday.

Total reading time: 14 hours 45 minutes

Total pages read: 758

Total audiobook Time: 5 hours 9 minutes 

Books finished: 2

5:30 a.m.

I took a 3/12 hour nap before getting back to reading. I am up to 17 hours 40 minutes of reading. I was hoping to get to at least 20 hours and I am on track with that. I am really loving Wicked Saints. I can’t wait to see what will happen with this book. I have the ARC of the second book so if there is a cliff hanger it won’t be so tragic.

Around 4 I was wanting to go back to sleep so I switched books and went off my Readathon stack to read a Kasie West book. It’s about a girl who is trapped in a library. And I have major issues with the fact that she HAS NOT READ ONE BOOK. Who gets trapped in a library and doesn’t read books?

I will probably not check in again before the end since I won’t be starting any new books.

Total reading time: 17 hours 40 minutes

Total pages read: 927

Total audiobook time: 7 hours 15 minutes 

Books finished: 2

Dewey’s Wrap Up

This was a great Readathon! I really enjoyed it. I think the nap was key and at the correct time. I finished reading By Your Side about 20 minutes before 8. I took an enjoyable bath for the last hour. I am happy with how my reading went and I enjoyed spending a little more time on social media this time around.

Total reading time: 20 hours 10 minutes

Total pages read: 1,163

Total audiobook time: 8 hours 7 minutes 

Books finished: 3

Bout of Books 26

Yay! It is Bout of Books time. I love this readathon because it lasts a whole week and it is zero pressure. What exactly is Bout of Books?

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I started working full time at the library in the middle of May so I no longer have my mornings free to read during the week. So I definitely won’t get as much reading done this week as I have in prior years. My goal is just to take the time to read more when I get home from work. I have been so tired that I have not always had the energy to read. So I am looking forward to that. As always I will keep this post updated as I go.

This is what I plan to read this week. I doubt I will finish all of them even though I am halfway through A Dream So Dark and I have already started Journey to the Center of the Earth. I am looking forward to reading Wicked Saints. I have heard so many good things about it and I bought it on Independent Bookstore Day in Nashville earlier this year and it’s one I have been saving. I am looking forward to reading the second Belles book too. I didn’t love the first one but the world building was so good so hoping this second one works better for me.

Monday

Today was a good reading day. I was able to listen to my audiobook a little bit throughout the day. During lunch I had to edit some theatre photos so I listened to it while editing. Jules Verne is one of my favorite authors. I grew up loving his stories. I am really enjoying listening to this version of Journey to the Center of the Earth which is narrated by Tim Curry. It is excellent!

I finished my first book: A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney. I was lukewarm about the first book in this series. But this one hit the ball out of the park. It had everything I love in a fantasy: Adventure, intrigue, imposters, magic, darkness, lightness, magical lands, kick ass women, magical food, healing and magical creatures. Loved it!

Headed to bed now and hoping I can get more reading in tomorrow even though it is super busy day.

Monday Numbers

Pages read: 224

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 11 minutes

Books finished: 1 

Tuesday

Today was a super busy day at work and I had a headache so I didn’t have much chance to read a physical book but I had some good audiobook time. I finished Journey to the Center of the Earth. I highly recommend that Audible book. It was really good! After I finished that I started the Treasure Island audiobook.

I am also reading the second Belles book, Everlasting Rose. I am really detesting one of the characters and it is ruining the book a little bit.

Tuesday Numbers

Pages read: 108

Audiobook Time: 6 hours 32 minutes

Books finished: 1 

Wednesday

Well today was an interesting day. I worked until 12 and then had to come home because I felt so terrible. I slept for a few hours and then had to photograph a show at the theatre tonight. I am exhausted. I am still trying to get used to my new schedule three months in. I need more sleep.

I finished the Treasure Island Audible book. It was very good. It was more of a drama than a reading of the book. It was so good.

I also finished The Everlasting Rose. I really don’t like any of the characters in that book and I don’t think I will read any more of them. It was hard to get through.

I started the audiobook of Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America’s Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl. It is depressing and enraging but I highly suggest people reading it.

That one is a pretty heavy book so I also started my favorite new Audible book, The Anne of Green Gables Collection. It was only one credit and it’s all the Anne book! What a deal. I am enjoying listening to the first book and it’s a good book to fall asleep to.

Wednesday Numbers

Pages read: 174

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 38 minutes

Books finished: 2

Thursday

Today was a busy day! I worked all day and now I must go to bed early because I am so tired. Thank goodness for audiobooks!

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I can’t believe it has been eight years since The Night Circus came out. I love that book so much. I am only 50 or so pages in to this new one and it is so good. I am hoping it holds up all the way though.

Pages read: 55

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 48 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday

Today was another busy day at work but tonight I was able to get a little reading in after dinner with my husband. I still have a lingering headache so it was mostly audio today. I didn’t finish or start any books today. Looking forward to having all day Saturday and Sunday to relax and read.

Pages read: 50

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 55 minutes

Books finished: 0

Saturday

Well today was a glorious, relaxing day! It was exactly what I needed. I read and hung out with my dog and edited photos while listening to audiobooks. It was great.

I also watched a rom com movie with Scott Michael Foster who I adore. But it was about a wedding photographer and I kept yelling at the TV you are missing the shot. Seriously this photographer missed so many important shots. That’s why you can’t watch media about the job you have. All you see are the inaccuracies. I didn’t finish any books but I did start a new book, Maybe This Time by Kasie West that I impulsively bought. I almost finished the whole thing in a few hours. Such a delightful YA book. I can always justify my book purchases now by saying I will donate them to my library collection after I am done. I swear I have improved our YA collection so much by doing this. I finally finished editing a big photo session I have been working on for awhile and I am so happy. I also took a book break and watched some Jane the Virgin. I can’t believe I only have ten episodes of this show left. So sad. I am looking forward to tomorrow as I have nothing planned!

Pages read: 301

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Books finished: 0

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon April 2019

It is time for one of my favorite readathons! I didn’t plan to do it this year because I have a photo session for a large part of the day but I decided last minute I would just participate as much as I could. The Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon runs for 24 hours and you try to stay awake for 24 hours and read as much as you can. In my time zone it will run from 8 am Saturday morning to 8 am Sunday morning.

My stack this year is much smaller than usual! I plan to finish an ARC I am reading, The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I want to finally read The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and maybe get started on the sequel, Wicked King. I also will be listening to Where the Crawdads Sing on Audible and I hope to get started on Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg. I am looking forward to this readathon. Let me know in the comments what you will be reading! I will be updating on Litsy, Goodreads and Twitter.

6:30 p.m.

Well it’s been a busy day. I didn’t sleep enough last night so I am afraid I will not be able to stay up all night. But we shall see.

I woke up right before eight and started reading. I was already 50% done with The Lovely and the Lost. This book was very good! I definitely recommend it especially if you love Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Also, if you haven’t checked out her The Naturals series do so. It’s a great YA series.

I then started reading Shortest Way Home by Mayor Pete. I like the writing style of this so far. It’s very interesting to read about the start of his life and I am looking forward to finding out more about him especially when I found out he was born the same year as me. It made me pause and question my accomplishments :-) I had delicious leftover Pad Thai for lunch and that was it for the food I have in the house. Which of course is totally against everything the Readathon stands for.

I had to go to my photo session after lunch. I listened to my audiobook, Where the Crawdads Sing on the way there. Three hours later I headed to the grocery store to get my snacks. I might have overdone it a bit considering it was 4 pm. I don’t think I will have time to eat all this!

I am finally settling in for an evening of reading so I will check in later. Although the series finale of Crazy Ex Girlfriend is calling my name especially since I am enjoying some delicious pretzels. So afraid that I will see spoilers that I haven’t been checking Instagram or Twitter.

Reading time: 7 hours 33 minutes

Pages read: 211

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 14 minutes 

Books finished: 1

2:30 a.m.

Well still awake but I am getting pretty sleepy so I might have to nap soon.

I haven’t been able to finish another book. I have just been switching between my audiobook and Mayor Pete’s book. I did start The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I have been looking forward to this one. I am liking it so far! I have eaten way too many snacks tonight. And I can’t believe the Cherry Coke I drank at dinner isn’t keeping me awake.

I started flagging a little before one but then bad storms started and my dog is terrified of storms so I had to go downstairs and keep him company.

Total Reading time: 13 hours 16 minutes

Total Pages read: 433

Total Audiobook Time: 6 hours 53 minutes 

Total Books finished: 1

Wrap Up

Well this wasn’t my most successful Readathon but pretty good for deciding to do it the night before. I am determined not to schedule a photo session during the October Readathon.

Total Reading time: 15 hours 11 minutes

Total Pages read: 481

Total Audiobook Time: 7 hours 29 minutes 

Total Books finished: 1

Bout of Books 23

Hooray it is time again for Bout of Books! What is Bout of Books you ask?

"The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team."

It will be a great week full of extra excuses to read (as if I need any). It will be a busy week work wise but hoping to get some good reading in. I have a small physical stack of books to read, a couple of eARCs and an audiobook. Happy reading y'all!

Monday

Today was a really busy day. I worked at the library and had a city meeting tonight so I mostly got reading in at lunch and when I got home I took a nice long bath. I did get to finish a book that I had started prior to Bout of Books, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. This was my second time reading it but after watching the Netflix movie twice over the weekend I had to read it again! Love that series. I hope Netflix makes all the other books into movies too! 

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 325

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 9 minutes

Books finished: 1

Tuesday  

Another busy day. I didn’t get much of a chance to read today. Tomorrow is even busier so it may be the weekend before I get any good reading in.

Tuesday Numbers: 

Pages read: 163

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 34 minutes

Books finished: 0 

Wednesday  

Today was a super busy day working until 10 pm so reading was a bust for today.  

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 58

Audiobook Time: 1 hour

Books finished: 0

Thursday 

Today was a very rough and sad day as a family dog died. I got home from work and just didn’t feel like reading so I watched tv instead.  

Thursday Numbers

Pages read: 121

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday 

It was another busy day but when I got home from work I tucked myself away with my books and had a glorious evening reading. My husband was at a football game until late so I had no one to interrupt my reading. It was a good way to cap off a long week.

I finally finished The World As It Is audiobook. I have been reading it for about a month. It was painful to get through at times. It was an unflinching look at what is was like working in the Obama White House. I liked the honesty but a lot made me made. So many obstructions. Maddening.

I also finished The Proposal. I adored Jasmine Guillorys first book. It was delightful but this one lacked the same magic for me. 

I also finished P.S. I Still Love You. I forgot how unlikable Peter Kavinsky was in this book. I hope they change that if they make the second movie. 

Friday Numbers 

Pages read: 191

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Books finished: 3

Saturday 

My depression and tiredness kind of overwhelmed me today so I stayed in bed most of the day. I slept and read The Kiss Quotient. I also am listening to the first Maisie Dobbs audiobook. I have read the book before but never moved on in the series so starting it again!I also started How Fascism Works which was probably a bad idea considering how I feel. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Saturday Numbers 

Pages read: 326

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 23 minutes

Books finished: 1

Sunday

I felt so much better today that I ended up spending most of the day working on photography things. So I really didn't get much of a chance to read.

I finally started Dread Nation by Justina Ireland! It has been on my TBR list for awhile so I was excited to finally read it. 

I am sad it's the last day of Bout of Books. 

Sunday Numbers 

Pages read: 80

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 9 minutes

Books finished: 0

Warp Up

Well this Bout of Books ended up being different from others I have done. It was a weird emotional week and it was also busy at the library. I didn't have as much time to read as I would have liked. But it was always nice to be able to sink into a book when I was feeling bad. 

Bout of Books 23 Totals

Total pages read: 1,264

Total audiobook Time:  12 hours

Total books finished: 5

Dewey's Summer Reverse Readathon

The wonderful folks at Dewey's Readathon have decided to do a surprise pop up reverse readathon. It will start at 8 pm Friday evening and end 8 pm Saturday night instead of not starting until Saturday morning. I will definitely not have time to read for anywhere close to 24 hours but I will be light participant and see how much reading I can get in!

Saturday

11:00 am

I started reading at 8 pm last night when the Readathon started and went to bed at 2:30 am. I slept in until almost nine and then started reading again.  

I finished my first book China Rich Girlfriend. Sooooo good! Those books are so over the top and indulgent but I love them. Book number three should be arriving today but sadly my mail doesn’t usually come until 5 pm. 

I am also listening to the audiobook The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes. I am loving it. He really digs into the nitty gritty of his time in the Obama White House and he does not shie away from being candid.

I finished my second book Pat of Silver Bush. I love that book so much. I have read it so many times I can’t count and I still sob like a baby when a certain character dies. L.M. Montgomery has the richest grasp of language and paints the most beautiful scene. 

Reading time: 5 hours 46 minutes

Pages read: 111

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes 

Books finished: 2

24in48 Summer 2018 Readathon

I am coming right in under the wire in signing up for this readathon! I had a photo session Saturday and a birthday party Sunday so I wasn't able to sign up for the 24in48 Readathon. But my little client is under the weather so I am jumping into this one! I have lots of good books to read and thought I would have to wait until Dewey's next weekend to get some good reading time in. It stats in two  hours! Glad I had a Coke for lunch. It will help me stay up for a little bit tonight!

All right here is my TBR pile that I gathered with 20 minutes before the Readathon starts! I have already started Rust & Stardust and Unbelievable so I hope to finish both of them. I also have a few graphic novels on my iPad that I hope to read as well. And the other two are just in case I finish all the others. I have heard so many good things about The Star-Touched Queen so I am excited to read that. I will also be updating on Twitter and Litsy (ReadingSusan). Happy reading everyone!

1:20 am

Well I think that's enough reading for tonight :-) I can't stay up any later and my eyes are trying to close. But I am enjoying getting back to reading tomorrow!

Totals for this time block

Reading time: 1 hour 16 minutes

Pages read: 43

Audiobook Time: 45 minutes 

Books finished: 0

1:00 pm

I got up a little before eight and jumped right back into reading! I finished my first book, Rust & Stardust. It was a very difficult book to read. I didn't realize until the end that it was based on a true story and was the inspiration for Lolita. It was beautifully written but wow packed a gut punch. 

I  am still listening to Unbelievable by Katy Tur. I can't believe how much stuff I have forgotten. That's all like a gut punch too.

I started The Star-Touched Queen. I have been wanting to read this book for awhile so I was excited when my sister lent it to me. It is so good so far.

Is there anything better than a day spent reading? I think not!

Totals for this time block

Reading time: 5 hours 31 minutes

Pages read: 311

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 13 minutes 

Books finished: 1

8:00 p.m.

I finished Unbelievable. What a great title for the book. I couldn't have said it better myself. I still can't believe all that stuff happened.

I am really, really loving Star-Touched Queen. Her descriptions are just beautiful and I love the world building. I had delicious salty lunch today. I have eaten way too much bad food today so I am just going to eat a bowl of broccoli for dinner :-)

Totals for this time block

Reading time: 7 hours 

Pages read: 190

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 46 minutes 

Books finished: 1

2:00 a.m.

Time to call it a night (morning?). I have my dads birthday party tomorrow so I can't stay up any later. 

I finished the Star-Touched Queen. Wow! What a good book. Maya is a terrific character. I loved getting swept up in this book. I could barely put it down. The descriptions in this book were beautiful and made it so easy for me to picture it in my head. What a great story. I was shocked when I went to do a review on list and saw the low rating. I really loved it.

I started the next Crazy Rich Asian book, China Rich Girlfriend. The Crazy Rich Asians movie comes out next month and I can't wait!! I normally don't like going to the movies but I am so excited for this one! It looks so good. This book is good too. I really like all these characters but Astrid is my favorite!

I am also listening to The World As it Is by Ben Rhodes, President Obama's speechwriter, deputy national adviser and various other positions. It is an unflinchingly honest look at behind the scenes of the Obama presidency. I am enjoying the content of the book but not crazy about the narrator so far (Yes that's my cute dogs paw in that photo). 

I am also reading The Complete Pat of Silver Bush series by L.M. Montgomery. I was so excited to snag these titles on my Kindle. Of course I have them in paperback but its nice to just be able to read them on my phone and iPad. I love the Pat books. I have read them several times. Not as much as the Emily and Anne books but they are so good too. I had a delicious snack of cookies and milk earlier. These cookies from the Publix deli are so good! They have M & M's and giant chunks of chocolate in them. Yum yum!

Well headed to bed and hoping I can get to 24 hours tomorrow. Happy reading everyone!

Reading time: 9 hours 1 minute 

Pages read: 222

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 47 minutes 

Books finished: 1

4:00 p.m.

I woke up before eight this morning and just read the whole morning away. Twas glorious! I didn't finish any books today but I have had a fun day of reading. I think I will get back to reading China Rich Girlfriend. It's such a good book and I want to see what happens!

Reading time: 4 hours 20 minutes 

Pages read: 115

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 13 minutes 

Books finished: 0

Wrap Up

What an amazing 24in48. I had so much fun and read so many good books. I am so glad I was able to do this last minute. It's such a fun readathon. 

Total Numbers

Reading time: 27 hours 8 minutes 

Pages read: 881

Audiobook Time: 11 hours 15 minutes 

Books finished: 3

Bout of Books 22

It is time for Bout of Books!  

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 14th and runs through Sunday, May 20th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 22 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I love Bout of Books. It is always a fun time. It will be a busy week so not sure how much reading I will get in but I plan on having fun.

This is my TBR for Bout of Books. I also have a graphic novel, audiobooks and ARCs to read from and I have two books in process. I will be happy if I get a chance to finish 3 books this week. 

Monday

Day one of Bout of Books was actually pretty great thanks to audiobooks! I had to work at the library and then had a photo shoot that evening so I didn’t get much regular book reading in. But my audiobook Exit, Pursued by a Bear is so good it is really hard to turn off. I also finished one book I had to read for work. It is a children’s book, The Poppy Lady. It is about the women who popularized the use of poppies as a symbol of fallen soldiers in WWI. I have a patron who wants to come in and do a program on her and I am excited because it’s a fascinating story. 

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 157

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 47 minutes

Books finished: 1

Tuesday

Today was a busy day so not much time for reading. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I have a photo session in the morning but then I am off the rest of the day. It’s supposed to rain all day so I plan to snuggle in bed with books and kitties!

Tuesday Numbers:

Pages read: 47

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wednesday

Today was a much better day reading wise! I had a photo session in the morning, hung out with my sister and kitties for a little bit and then went home and read all afternoon. It was an awesome day! I finished Furyborn. It definitely lives up to the pre published hype. I enjoyed the world creating and am looking forward to the reading the other two in the future.

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 313

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 27 minutes

Books finished: 1

Thursday 

Well today was pretty much a terrible reading day. I worked until 10:30 at night so I only had time for a little bit of audio booking and a few pages of my ebook.  It was an exhausting day.

 Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 79

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 13 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday 

This was another terrible reading day. I was just too busy. I worked all day and then headed to my sisters to spend the night for her Royal Wedding party tomorrow. I can’t wait! 👑  

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 22

Audiobook Time: 28 minutes

Books finished: 0

Saturday 

I simply didn’t have time to read today. I had to watch the Royal wedding. Twice. And my husband and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary. It was a packed and wonderful day with not much reading time but that ok. That’s what I love about Bout of Books. I don’t feel guilty when I can’t get a lot of reading in.

Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 22

Audiobook Time: 24 minutes

Books finished: 0

Sunday 

This was a much better reading day! I read the whole day except for four hours when I had to photograph a theatre show. It stormed so hard today and there is nothing better than curling up with a good book while it’s pouring. 

I finished Flunk. Start. Wow what an excellent book. If you are looking for a book on Scientology that is shocking with lots of reveals and shocking details this is not the book for you. This is a book full of exploration and inner thoughts of a woman caught up in this cult. It’s very good.

I came within an hour of finishing The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue audiobook. It’s such a funny but also sad book. I really wanted to finish it but I am too tired and about to fall asleep.  

I am also reading an e-ARC The High Season. I am enjoying it so far. Although sometimes I get tired of reading books about people who just keep getting screwed over. I hope this one has a happy ending. 

 Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 307

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 17 minutes

Books finished: 1

The Big Game's On Read-a-thon

Happy Super Bowl Sunday or as I like to call it Happy Reading Day! I am not a huge football fan unless the home town team is playing so this year I will one again be participating in Jenn's Bookshelves The Big Game's On Read-a-Thon. I plan to spend the day curled up under a blanket reading. It is rainy and cold here so it is a perfect day for reading! I will check in periodically throughout the day.

5:00 p.m.

I started out the day getting back to All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater. I just can't get into this book. It's very slow and just not catching my attention. But I bought it and I am determined to finish it.

I decided to start this Adanced Reading Copy of Curtis Sittenfeld's new short story collection. One word: fantastic!!

I only have a week and a half left on this book before I have to  take it back to the library. So I decided I better start it. I can't even stand to look at this cover. Had to fortify myself with a bloody mary.

Wrap Up

Well that was a fun little read-a-thon! I enjoyed this relaxing Sunday. I only finished one book and didn't read that many pages but my husband and I spent the evening watching a movie and then The West Wing. It was fun!

Numbers

Total Pages read: 324

Total audiobook time: 2 hours 27 minutes

Books finished: 1

Bout of Books 21 January 2018

It's that time again! Bout of Books is here! What is Bout of Books? Well I am glad you asked!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I am really looking forward to this readathon as I have been experiencing a bit of a book slump lately. So hopefully this will break me out of it. I have a bookshelf full of books I got for Christmas and some e-ARCs I need to finish so that is probably what I will be reading this week. You can keep up with my reading this week on Litsy (ReadingSusan), Twitter and Instagram. 

Monday

I always like to listen to audiobooks during readathons. I used to listen to audiobooks all the time but podcasts have really cut down on my audiobook time. I went to Overdrive and decided I wanted to listen to a collection of short stories. I found M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. I am definitely enjoying him reading this book!

I am also trying to get some books read that I have been reading for a week or two. I have some eARCs that are about to come out. I am reading Carnegie's Maid and I am really enjoying this historical fiction. The only thing that annoys me about this book so far is that Clara is very judgmental about things Andrew does when she is being really deceitful.

I am also reading another historical fiction book, The English Wife. This comes out tomorrow so I am trying to finish ad review it tonight but I am only 30% in. I am really loving this book though. I like how it comes back and forth between two points of view and two times to slowly spool out the truth. 

And I am finally about 50% of the way through Juventud. Wow this book is so amazing. But it is a very heavy subject and I can only take it in bits and pieces. It is so beautifully written.

I finally snagged a copy of Paper Girls Vol 3! I was so excited. It was so good.  I finished it quickly. I can't wait to see where this story goes next!

All in all this was a terrific day of reading! Especially considering I worked more hours than I normally do.

Today's challenge: Introduce Yourself #insixwords: Photographer, Librarian, Wife, Sister, Reader,  Feminist.

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 329

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 52 minutes 

Books finished: 1

Tuesday

I didn't get much reading done today because I was busier but I had time to listen to audiobooks while I was running errands and getting stuff done.

I finished The English Wife before I went to bed because it came out today and I wanted to get my review in. I ended up really liking it. 

I am almost done with Juventud which took a turn I expected but was still so heartbreaking.

Sorry I don't have much to say! Hopefully tomorrow will be a better reading day since I am working in the morning and have most of the afternoon to read!

Today's Challenge: 2018 Reading Goals-- Ironically my reading goal this year is to read less and people more. It has been so cold this winter that I have not wanted to keep this goal.

Tuesday Numbers:

Pages read: 318

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 4 minutes 

Books finished: 1

Wednesday

Today was the day to finish reading all the books. I finished M is For Magic, Juventud and Carnegie's Maid. I also started a new audiobook, That Old Cape Magic and The Woman in the Window. I just fit in the reading around work but didn't have as much time to read as I thought I would have. My new longer work hours start tomorrow and I have a big project for my other job so I don't know how much reading I will get done tomorrow. That's what makes Bout of Books so awesome. It doesn't matter how little you can read!

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 190

Audiobook Time: 53 minutes 

Books finished: 3

Thursday

Pretty much a bust for reading except for my audiobook. There's always the weekend.

Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 81

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 27 minutes 

Books finished: 0

Friday 

Bout of Books is so different now that I am working a second job. I just don’t have as much time to read.

Friday Numbers 

Pages read: 153

Audiobook Time: 49 minutes

Books finished: 0

Saturday 

Today I spent the day celebrating my birthday with my sisters so once again I didn’t get much reading in. But it was such a fun birthday celebration! 

Saturday Numbers 

Pages read: 40

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 26 minutes

Books finished: 0

Sunday

I spent all morning hanging out with my sisters and then all afternoon and evening reading! Twas a glorious day for the last day of Bout of Books! 

Sunday Numbers 

Pages read: 655

Audiobook Time: 21 minutes

Books finished: 2

Wrap Up

This definitely felt like one of my least productive Bout of Books. I was rushed a lot of the week and sometimes when I was home didn't feel like reading. But the reading I did get in was very satisfying. My favorites were The Great Alone and Paper Girl Vol 3. I am off tomorrow so I plan to continue reading. In the comments below all me how you did for Bout of Books!

Total Numbers

Pages read: 1,766

Audiobook Time: 10 hours 52 minutes

Books finished: 7

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2017

It is one of my favorite times of the year! I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. There is lots of yummy food, no presents and lots of time for reading. Thankfully Reading is the first readathon I ever participated in seven years ago. I love this readathon because there are no rules and I can read whenever I can fit it in. Thanksgiving is pretty busy with cooking and family time so its good to have some quiet reading time. As usual I will be starting my Thankfully Reading on Wednesday. This is the first time since I started this readathon that I am working outside my own business so I made sure to take Wednesday off for cooking and Thankfully Reading! All updates will be in this post. For more information on this readathon and to sign up head to the host, Jenn's Bookshelves website! http://www.jennsbookshelves.com/2017/11/14/2017-thankfully-reading-weekend/

Here are all my Thankfully Reading posts from previous years!

I am getting my TBR list together and I have picked A LOT of books haha. It's as if I have two weeks to read and not just a long weekend. Here is my print book pile. I also have an audiobook and some e-books. I can't wait to get started!

Kick Off Morning!

Yay Thankfully Reading starts today and I couldn't be more excited. 

• How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving? I will celebrate Thanksgiving at my house. My immediate and extended family will be coming and enjoying the day with us. I am so excited.
• What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend? My TBR pile is pictured above. I also hope to finish up some ARCs and an audiobook.
• How much time do you think you’ll have for reading? I should have a lot of time for reading except for Thanksgiving Day. I have one photo session on Friday and then my husband and I will probably binge the last season on Broadchurch Sunday but that is all I have planned! 
• What book are you starting out with? I am going to start out with Alias Grace on audio. This morning I plan to cook most of my Thanksgiving dishes so I will listen to that as I cook. 
• Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each? Definitely all of them! 

I will check back in later today! Happy reading!

Wednesday

Day one of Thankfully Reading is in the books and it was a good day. It was so great to have an entire week day to read. 

I woke up early this morning and started cooking so my first book had to be an audiobook. I decided on Alias Grace. I am loving it. It’s such a good book. I bought the Kindle edition and added on the Audible audiobook and that is my new favorite thing. It is terrific how easily you can switch betweeen the two. I am about 40% of the way through this book. 

The first book I finished was Confess by Colleen Hoover. I have a love hate relationship with some of her books but this one I liked better than any others I have read. It was a quick and entertaining read. 

And then I finally dove in to The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur. I loved this book of poetry so, so much. I can’t always relate to her poems on a personal level but they always crush me with the honesty and the rawness of them. 

The last book of the evening that I started is the absolutely stunning The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. This book is gorgeous! The covers, the paper, the colored inks and the illustrations are just amazing. It’s so aesthetically pleasing I can barely concentrate on the content of the actual book!

I am so happy that I had such a good reading and cooking day!  I am ready for Thankgiving tomorrow and so excited to spend the day with my family!

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 703

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 30 minutes

Books finished: 2

Thursday 

Thanksgiving was wonderful! I had all my family at my house. We had four tables groaning with food and it was amazing. We have the best cooks in my family. 

​I listened to my Alias Grace audiobook while getting ready and cleaning up after. It is getting really intense. I am about to find out what really happened to Grace. I was finallly ready to sit down with Language of Thorns and a glass of wine but eyes were dry so I popped upstairs to take out my contacts and I accident broke a blood vessel in my eye. 😭 My mom suggested I not strain my eye and read. So that was it for the night. I didn’t even update the blog until this morning. So sad. But I think I will be fine to read all day today. I have a photo session in a few hours and then the rest of the day to read. 

Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 64

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 37 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday 

Today was another good reading day! I finished The Language of Thorns. I loved this book of fairy tales from the Grisha Verse. You really don’t have to read any of the Grisha books to appreciate this. I love the twist she puts on some classic fair tales. So good! And the book itself was gorgeous! The illustrations, the ink colors and the beautiful cover made a wonderful reading experience.

I also finished Alias Grace. This was such a good book! I don’t know why I have only read three Margaret Atwood books as I have loved every one of her books! I am also looking forward to watching the mini series on Netflix. 

​I started One of Us Is Lying. And it is so good so far. I don’t think I have figured out the culprit yet and I am enjoying the different POV. That can be a very risky way to write a story as it can get confusing but I am liking it in this book.

I also started the Young Elites audiobook. I have been wanting it read this series for awhile and I have owned the second book for months. So I finally found the audiobook on Overdrive. I am really enjoying it so far. I love everything Marie Lu writes. 

I had a great day of a wonderful family photo session, yummy Thanksgiving leftovers, a Christmas movie and lots of delightful reading time!

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 479

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Books finished: 2

Saturday 

I didn’t get in as much reading today as I thought I would. I had a lot of stuff today so I just mainly listened to my audiobook and read print books here and there.

I finally started Shadowshaper. This is a book I have been wanting to read for ages. And when I posted a photo of my to read shelf to Litsy everyone was like read that one, read that one. It is really good. The shadowshaper stuff can be a little confusing at times though but I am thinking that is intentional.  

​I finished One of Us is Lying. I loved it! I did guess part of the ending before the end but I still really enjoyed reading this book. 

I am also reading The Thousandth Floor. I got the second one accidentally at the library but luckily I had the first one on my Nook. I am really enjoying this book so far. It’s set really far the future and NYC is now all inside in a thousand floor tower. It is fascinating world building. I have also had a ton of Thanksgiving leftovers this week. I probably need to go on a long walk tomrorow to compensate for all the delicious food I have eaten. 

The main reason I didn’t get much reading in is that my sister, brother in law and I went shopping this afternoon. It is Small Business Saturday so we went to our local downtown and supported our small, locally owned businesses and got some Christmas shopping done. Tomorrow probably won’t be that great of a reading day since I plan to decorate for Christmas and watch the final season of Broadchurch.

​​Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 453

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 17minutes

Books finished: 1

Sunday 

So sad it’s the last day of Thankfully Reading Weekend. And I ended up having an awesome reading day due to the fact that Broadchurch doesn’t come on Netflix until tomorrow. Boo!

I finished The Young Elites audiobook and was not happy with the end. Hoping that it gets resolved in book two but not hopeful at this point. I really enjoyed that book. It was very good!

I about 2/3 of the way through The Thousandth Floor and still loving the concept of this book. I am looking forward to settling down and reading it more tomorrow. 

I finished Shadowshaper and it did not disappoint. I am always afraid that having a book really hype do up will cause my expectations to be overblown. But this one really came through. I loved it and I love Sierra. She was an awesome heroine and I can’t wait to read the next one! 

​I took a break from novels for a minute to see what graphic novels Hoopla has. I found the next two Archie volumes and the last volume of season nine of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am loving the Archie volumes and can’t wait until the next ones come out. It also inspired me to watch a few episodes of the show Riverdale which I really enjoy. 

I also started the book Hanna Fell From The Sky. Whew. That’s a tough one to read! It is very maddening. It’s all about an fundamentalist LDS like cult. The men are awful and they have all the power as the young girls are forced into plural marriages. It’s truly horrible. But the book is beautifully written with some magical realism elements popping up. I am looking forward to seeing where this book goes!

Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 644

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 6 minutes

Books finished: 4

Wrap-Up!

What a fun Thankfully Reading Weekend! I had a blast reading and enjoying some relaxing down time.

Total Numbers

Pages read: 2,343

Audiobook Time:  21 hours  45 minutes

Books finished: 9

Bout of Books 20 August 2017

It is finally the week of Bout of Books 20! I am so excited.

"The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 21st and runs through Sunday, August 27th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 20 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog." - From the Bout of Books team.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is one of my favorites because it lasts a whole week. And no surprise my week is packed with work and after work activities. So I don't know how much time I can make for reading but I will get in as much as possible. 

My goal is to finish up the books I am currently reading which are the following:

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

Devil's Bargain by Joshua Green

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

When Paris Went Dark: The City of Lights Under German Occupation, 1940-1944 by Ronald C. Rosbottom

I am also reading A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin but I doubt I will have time to finish it as I am "only" 400 pages in.

Well I am going to get to reading before I have to head to work for eclipse madness!

Well thank goodness for audiobooks is all I have to say. I didn't have a terrific reading day. Work was insane. We were getting phone call for eclipse glasses every 30 seconds before the eclipse started. The good news is I got to see the eclipse. It was so amazing! I definitely am going to plan a trip in the path of totality for the next one.

I mostly read my Game of Thrones book and listened to my audiobook but I hope to get more into the Lying Game tomorrow. It's a fascinating story so far and I am looking forward to finding out what really went on. It has been a long day and I have to be up super early tomorrow as I have a photo session an hour away. Better luck tomorrow!

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 160

Audiobook Time: 3 hours

Books finished: 0

Tuesday

Helloooo Tuesday! Today was an insanely crazy day. I was in my car most of the morning, driving to a photo session and then running all these long overdue errands. I worked at my second job at the library all afternoon so I only got some reading in before bed. But the good thing about being in the car all day is that you have plenty of time to listen to audiobooks!

I finished listening to When Paris Went Dark. I don't know if loved it is the right word considering the subject matter. But this book was really informative and had a good narrative flow. Books about the Nazis are extra chilling these days.

I also finished Before I Let Go. I loved the first half of the book. This was a haunting tale of a girl trying to figure out how and why her best friend died. The pain and grief of Corey was palpable in the pages. And then suddenly the book turned confusing and disjointed. It kind of turned out to be nothing? I was really confused by the resolution of the story. I also didn't like the phone call scenes. They really took away from the flow of the book and didn't really add much (FYI I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).

I also am reading a book at work called Inside, Outside, and Online: Building Your Library Community. It's very heavy on research and stats. I am trying to read more about the Library world and how it works so this is very helpful. 

Tuesday Numbers  

Pages Read: 330

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 50 minutes

Books Finished: 2

Wednesday

Another subpar day. This just wasn't the best week for me in terms of being able to read. My time is so crunched this week. I think this Bout of Books will just be all about audiobooks. I had work and then had to photograph a really long play so I didn't get much actual reading done. I mainly just was able to finish reading The Lying Game before work. I really loved it! It was just the right amount of suspense and mystery. 

I would say I am hoping for a better reading day tomorrow but I have to take my MIL to the dr. tomorrow and it will probably take up all my time before work. Sunday is the only day this week I will have to read all day so I am looking forward to it.

Wednesday Numbers

Pages Read: 256

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 8 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Thursday

Nope. Just a wash. Better luck tomorrow or the weekend.

Thursday Numbers

Pages Read: 169

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 56 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Friday

OMG its finally Friday! So happy. It has been a long, long week! I feel like the eclipse threw everything off. I am hoping to catch up on sleep and reading this weekend. I didn't get much of a chance to read again today as Friday is one of my long work days. I am sad about my lack of reading time this week. I do miss being able to take time off during read-a-thons but I am so thankful to have found a part time job I love. So it's ok if I wasn't able to read as much as usual. I am happy I am able to read at all!

Friday Numbers

Pages Read: 82

Audiobook Time: 21 minutes

Books Finished: 0

Saturday

Yay finally a decadent reading day and I spent hours at my Grandmas today and still got some good reading in.

I finished Small Admissions. It was quite disappointing. I saw so many good reviews about it. It just reminded me of the usual different girls in the city books. I wasn't that attached to the people in the book and I probably only finished it because it was a readathon.

I was so excited to get an ARC of Andy Weir's new book, Artemis. I started it tonight and it is SO good. It definitely kept me up later than usual. I forced myself to go to bed. When I got Martian I started reading it at 6 pm and I stayed up all night until I was done. I love that this book has a female protagonist. 

Well tomorrow should be a good reading day although I am also hoping to spend some time with my husband too!

Saturday Numbers

Pages Read: 355

Audiobook Time: 38 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Sunday

Well this was definitely the best reading day of the whole week. I finally just got to real and enjoy reading.

I finished Artemis. I really enjoyed this book. I don't think it's always easy for a male to write a female MC and there were a few instances where I thought that missed a little. But I thought this book was so fun. I liked Jazz and her cast of characters. Like The Martian my eyes would glaze over at the hard core science stuff. This book reminded me of an old fashioned heist movie even though they weren't heisting anything!

I also was excited to get am ARC of Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World. This book is awesome! Its a graphic novel packed full of beautiful illustrations and text about awesome ladies from history that you don't usually hear about. It is SO good. 

I started Moonglow too because I have five days to read it before it has to go back to the library.

Sunday Numbers

Pages Read: 522

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 7 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Wrap up!

Well this was not one of the best Bout of Books I have ever done. I just didn't have the time I usually did. But I still did decent. It was a long and exhausting week and I was glad the little pockets of time I was able to escape and read.

Total Numbers

Pages Read: 1,874

Audiobook Time: 20 hours

Books Finished: 6

Reading Susan Read-a-Thon

Wow, I suddenly find myself with a whole weekend FREE. It's a miracle. I was so sad to miss the 24 in 48 marathon a few weeks ago. So I have decided to do my own readathon this weekend. No rules, just reading. I will be posting on here, Twitter, Instagram and Litsy using the hashtag #ReadingSusanRAT. Join me if you want! 

Friday

I am so glad I decided to do my own readathon this weekend. As soon as I got home from work with my Chick-fil-A, I settled in to read. There was rain in the forecast all day but I was sad because it didn't actually rain. I love reading on the porch while it rains. I finished up Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. This book will come out in September but I was excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley. I loved it! You can read my review on Goodreads. 

I am also reading Con Academy  It is about a boarding school and a con man? Yep that ticks a lot of boxes for me. It's falling a little short so far but I am hoping it picks up.

I also needed to take my dog for a walk so I downloaded an audiobook to listen to: When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944. This is one I have been wanting to read for a long time.

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 287

Audiobook Time:  53 minutes 

Books finished: 1

Saturday

I didn't end up reading the whole day because I went to lunch, the library and the grocery store with my husband but I did spend a good portion of the day day reading and stayed up late tonight because I couldn't put my book down.

I finished Con Academy. It was a pretty lackluster book. It had so much potential but the author dropped the ball. The writing wasn't terrible but the story wasn't that great.

However, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake was so good! It was a very unusual book and I definitely saw a lot of mixed reviews after I finished it. But I loved it. The idea that a girl can taste the emotions of the people who cook or make food was so unique! But it is impossible to read this book without a treat! My mouth watered every time I looked at the cover.  

I am also reading two different books about World War II. The non fiction audiobook When Paris Went Dark and The Women in the Castle. The latter is a fascinating story that skips around to the different stories of a few war widows. I feel like in a lot of WWII books the whole book you are just waiting for people to be reunited so I found it interesting that the book starts with the reunion and then goes back filling in the story. The writing is really lovely. This isn't one you read quickly but savor. 

Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 542

Audiobook Time:  3 hours 22 minutes 

Books finished: 2

Sunday

I didn't end up reading all day because I ended up doing other stuff but I still managed to get some reading in. I finished one book, Turbo Twenty-Three. I love the Stephanie Plum books even though they are all the same. 

Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 291

Audiobook Time:  1 hour 56 minutes 

Books finished: 1

Wrap Up

I had a great weekend of reading and relaxing! It was an awesome weekend!

Weekend Totals:

Pages read: 1,120

Audiobook Time:  6 hours 11 minutes 

Books finished: 4

Bout of Books 19 May 2017

Yay, it is time for Bout of Books again! 

"The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 8th and runs through Sunday, May 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 19 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog." - From the Bout of Books team

I love this week long Readathon. This will be my fourth time doing it. I did Bout of Books 16, Bout of Books 17 and Bout of Books 18. This years readathon will be a little different since I now work all afternoon. But I am still looking forward to reading as much as I can. Check back here during the week for updates. I will also be posting on Goodreads, Instagram and Litsy (@ReadingSusan).

Monday

Happy first day of Bout of Books! I am going to try to get in some reading before I leave for work. The first challenge is to introduce yourself in six words: Photographer. Wife. Sister. Reader. Friend. Liberal. 

I am starting off with Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. I have been wanting to read this book ever since it came out. I got the audiobook from the library. Looking forward to diving into this one.

Well day one was pretty much a wash. I worked most of the day and then had a newspaper assignment all night. Better luck tomorrow. 

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 81

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 58 minutes 

Books finished: 0

Tuesday

Tuesday was a little better reading day especially because its one of my shorter days at work but also I had a lot of photos to edit so I was able to listen to my audiobook while editing. 

I was quickly sucked into The Ex by Alafair Burke. It is a terrific mystery and I am dying to find out the solution. I hope to have time to finish it today.

I am still reading LaRose but I have to admit it is a struggle. I wouldn't say I am enjoying it necessarily. The writing is very good and the story is compelling enough to not DNF it. But the lack of quotation marks is infuriating!

I am still loving Z. I am about half way through. I really love the historical fiction books based on real peoples lives. 

I am going to attempt to finish a book today! And maybe read some of my graphic novels before I have to return them to the library. 

Tuesday Numbers:

Pages read: 205

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 36 minutes 

Books finished: 0

Wednesday

Half way through the week. I finally had the time to read a lot more. 

I am almost done with Z and it makes me so mad to see how she was treated. I hate that Scott insisted on putting his name on her stories. Infuriating!

I had to return LaRose to the library since I was out of renewals. I will pick it up again at some point but I am also not crying over having to return it.

I finished The Ex. Even though I guessed the ending I still enjoyed the twists and turns through the whole book. It was so fast paced and suspenseful.

I also read Twilight: The Graphic Novel. I was hoping that it would be better than the original books which I am not a fan of. But I guess I just don't like the whole concept. Bella is willing to give up her whole life and family for a guy. That's just not romantic to me. It's sad.

I started and finished Saga: Volume 5. Before Litsy I never would have been reading four or five graphic novels a month. Before this year I had only read the Buffy graphic novels and Lucy Knisley graphic memoir. Now I love all sorts of graphic novels like Paper Girls, Lumberjanes and Saga. This volume of Saga was so good and had a much anticipated moment. 

The next book I started was What Comes After. This book is SO sad. Don't read it if you are feeling down. Iris' story is pretty tragic and I am hoping this one has a happy ending.

Also, I just found out the new Anne of Green Gables adaption comes out on Netflix Friday so already anticipating that day to be a wash! 

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 725

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 53 minutes 

Books finished: 3

Thursday

Another busy day. If there is one thing I have learned from working outside the home again is that there is no time to do anything anymore especially read. So I just got a little bit of reading in, mainly audiobooks while editing photos.

Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 383

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 3 minutes 

Books finished: 2

Friday

Another washed out reading day. I worked and had an after work event and then came home and watched the first episode of Anne with an E. And then I was so exhausted I went to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better reading day. I

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 157

Audiobook Time: 0 

Books finished: 0

Saturday

Oh hello Saturday! So glad to see you! I had awesome day with lots of relaxing and reading. I am still trying to shake this strep throat so I needed a day of rest. 

The Woman Who Stole My Life is a hilarious book that flashes back and forth between the MC's past and present. It is so funny and I am really enjoying it 100 pages in. 

I finished the graphic novel, Locke & Key: Brain Games. I loved this volume! It was so crazy and fascinating. The detail in the drawings just amaze me. I can't wait to read the third volume!

Paperweight was such a hard book to read. It is about a seventeen year old with an eating disorder. Being in Stevie's mind can be a really uncomfortable experience. She views her body and the world through this warped lens and it so tragic. But this book is SO good. So well written. I highly recommend it but it is also difficult.

Wrecked was another heart wrenching book as it was about college rape. It was an interesting perspective as the main story wasn't from the POV of the victims or the accused. I was definitely left with some questions after the book was over which dropped it in my estimation. 

I started Hunted which is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. I am a sucker for retelling of fairy tales stories! I am only 50 pages in but am enjoying it so far.

My husband and I also watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I loved it! It was so good. I loved how much more magic there was than in the HP movies. I can't wait until the next one!

Tomorrow is Mothers Day and I am hosting so I don't know how much reading I will get done. I probably won't finish any more books. I might dip into Game of Thrones again since I have been reading it since the last Bout of Books. I need to stop getting books from the library and read my own!

Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 617

Audiobook Time:  0

Books finished: 3

Sunday

As expected I didn't get much reading done since it was a busy Mothers Day. When you aren't a mother on mothers day you have to do lots of non fun stuff like cook and clean for mothers ha ha. So my last day of Bout of Books was sad. I wish these reaadathons wouldn't coincide with events like this.

Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 176

Audiobook Time: 0

Books finished: 0

Wrap Up

Definitely my worst Bout of Books yet. I used to be able to work just a little bit during this readathon since I was my own boss. So this was a quite an adjustment. I love this readathon but this time it just felt more stressful with work. So I don't know if I will do this again. It makes me sad.

Final Numbers:

Pages read: 2,344

Audiobook Time: 15 hours 30 minutes

Books finished: 8

Dewey's Readathon April 2017

Well it is that time of year again! Dewey's Readathon starts in a few days. I am so excited for it. I have made sure to block off the whole 24 hours and not planned anything else. I can't believe this is only my third Dewey's. You can check out my blog post for October 2016 and my first year in April 2016. 

This is my current pile of books to choose from. I always make sure to have lots of choices as that is what will keep me interested and awake. This year I made sure to get even more graphic novels. My goals this year is to stay awake for at least 22 hours and finish 3 books and 3 graphic novels.  

I have also stocked up on a lot of delicious snacks! Healthy and non healthy. 

I am so excited to get started! Let me know if you have read any of the above books and what you thought of them.  I will also be posting intermittently on Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram and Litsy (ReadingSusan).

Day Of!

Yay! It is finally here! Readathon day! The official start is about 20 minutes away so I thought I would go ahead and do the opening meme before I get started reading!

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Georgia, U.S.A. 

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Gemina. Of course it's a long one so I don't know if I will be able to get through the whole thing. But I also think it looks longer than it is because of the formatting.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Cheese and chocolate!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself? My name is Susan. I am in my mid 30's. I am a photographer and part time adult programming librarian. I have two cats and a dog that will be keeping me company while I read today.

5) If you participated in the last readathon, what's the one thing you'll do different today? Try to  stay up longer and plan my nap better. I missed the end of RAT last time because I napped too late and just didn't want to get up. I feel myself getting sick so I hope that won't interfere with the readathon.

I plan to start out reading in my comfy chair in my sunroom. My dog won't be happy because he has pretty much claimed it for himself.

9:30 am

An hour and a half in to readathon and just stopping by for a quick update. I am already tired which is not a good sign. I woke up too early and couldn't go back to sleep. 

I started off with listening to A Man Called Ove audiobook as I did all my morning chores. I love how grumpy Ove is. I think I see where is this book is going.

I made my traditional readathon cinnamon rolls. Delicious. I started my first print book All American Boys. And wow its really heavy so far. It's early to already be getting emotional about a book. 

Well headed off to read some more. I will check in later. I hope everyone is enjoying the readathon so far!

Total pages read: 102
Total audiobook time: 46 minutes
Books finished: 0

1:30 pm

I had to take about an hour break to pick my MIL up from dialysis but then I was able to get back to reading. 

I finished All American Boys. I love how it is not only written from two different boys perspectives but how it was actually written by two men coming from different places. This was a very heavy book to start out the readathon with but I feel like it will be on my mind for weeks to come. It was very well written and thought provoking.

Next up is lunch and a graphic novel of Romeo and Juliet. I am so excited to read this!

Hours Spent Reading: 5 hours 8 minutes
Total Pages read: 366
Total Audiobook time: 1 hr 58 minutes
Books finished: 1

6:00 pm

What a good afternoon of reading! I finished Romeo and Juliet. I really enjoyed it. I like how he added some modern touches to the drawings and switched the race and religion of the characters. My cat, Gehrig finally emerged but refused to snuggle with me. Probably because it is so hot today.

Next, I read a book I have been wanting to read for a few months, I Am Your Biggest Fan by People editor Kate Coyne. I laughed, cringed and winced at her celeb encounters. It's very funny and you have to appreciate someone who tells embarrassing things she has done in front of celebrities. I also broke into my chocolate stash. As usual I bought too many snacks and haven't eaten that much today. Sitting around and reading isn't exactly the best way to be hungry ha ha

I am still listening to a Man Called Ove audiobook in between the other books or when I am doing a quick social media check. I am really loving this book. I am real worried about how this is going to end though.

I am getting a little sleepy so I probably need to go for a walk or something. I am thinking the chances of me staying up too late tonight is just not going to happen. Which is fine. I no longer have the luxury of being able to take a couple of days to recover from readathons. Ok back to reading.

Hours Spent Reading: 9 hours 36 minutes
Total Pages read: 696
Total Audiobook time: 2 hours 58 minutes
Books finished: 3

8:15 pm

I had a lovely walk around the neighborhood while listening to my audiobook. It was supposed to storm all day today but it has been beautiful all day! I sat outside and read the fourth volume of Lumberjanes. I love these graphic novels. They are so funny and I really love the artwork. The adventures of the Lumberjanes are always fun. What the junk!

I just ate dinner and it was so delicious. But very salty ha ha. I will be chugging water the rest of the night. I started Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway a few months ago and I am loving it a few chapters in. 

Hours Spent Reading: 11 hours 49 minutes
Total Pages read: 846
Total Audiobook time: 3 hours 59 minutes
Books finished: 4

1:30 am

I was getting sleepy so I had half a Coke and some chocolate and got my second wind! I finished Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here. I enjoyed it but it didn't blow me away or anything. It reminded me a lot of Fangirl.

I started and finished the third volume of Saga. So good! This was my favorite volume so far. It was action packed.

My household is all sleeping now and I am the sole person awake. Even the cats are sleeping under the bed. I am afraid if I try to nap that I won't want to wake up but I may try to nap from 2-4. We will see. Time for a bath and my next book!

Hours Spent Reading: 16 hours 47 minutes
Total Pages read: 1232
Total Audiobook time: 5 hours 16 minutes
Books finished: 6

5:00 am

Wow I just finished Things I Should Have Known. I won this during the 24 in 48 Readathon and I am just sorry that I didn't read it before. I really enjoyed the story. It was all about sibling bonds and the character development worked really well for me.

I can't believe I am still awake. I don't think I could go to sleep even if I wanted to. There are birds loudly tweeting outside. Its very annoying. I also am having to face the fact that what I have been dismissing this week as allergies is me being sick. I can't stop coughing. I may actually make it to 8 am. But hoping I will be able to go to sleep. I am going to start reading the next volume of Saga and hopefully I will get sleepier. I am chugging throat comfort tea too. Hoping that helps my throat.

Hours Spent Reading: 20 hours 24 minutes
Total Pages read: 1543
Total Audiobook time: 6 hours 16 minutes
Books finished: 7

Wrap Up!

Well I am super happy with how my third readathon went! I finished 8 books, including 4 graphic novels, one memoir and 3 YA books. The key for me this year was definitely sticking to shorter books so my interest didn't wane especially in the early morning hours. I also finished about 71% of my audiobook A Man Named Ove, All the books I read but one were a four or five star so that makes it extra successful! I also hit my reading goal in Goodreads of 100 books! I can't believe I made it to that even with my new job! I fell asleep before the official end of readathon but I am really pleased with my final numbers. Also, I went to the dr this morning and I just have really bad allergies so I am not sick. Yay!

Totals

Hours Spent Reading: 22 hours 3 minutes
Total Pages read: 1695
Total Audiobook time: 6 hours 49 minutes
Books finished: 8

I am already looking forward to October! Tell me in the comments how your Readathhon went and link to your blog if you have one.

April 2017 Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon stack completed 

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon October 2016

I am so excited that this weekend is the

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

. It is such a fun event. It goes from 8 am Saturday to 8 am Sunday in my time zone. It is a time to read books, relax, chat with other book lovers and try to stay up 24 hours to read. I did it for the first time

earlier this year

 and it was so fun! I wasn't able to stay up for 24 hours but it is always fun to attempt. There is no pressure to read a certain amount of books and not a lot of rules to follow. 2016 has been a rough year so I am looking forward to a reading weekend!

This is my stack of possible books to read. Obviously I won't read all of them. But what I learned from the first readathon is that it was nice to have books to dip in and out on.

I will be updating this blog post a few times during the readathoon. I always try to spend a little time online so I will be updating

Twitter

,

Instagram

and

Goodreads

as well. Now I am off to buy snacks!

10 am

Well I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked last night so I am doubting I will be able to make the whole 24 hours. But I popped out of bed excited to get started on reading. I began with an audiobook while getting ready for the day,

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

. I didn't really like the second book in this trilogy but I decided I wanted to find out what happened. Hopefully this one is better than the second. Then I made cinnamon rolls (from a can:-) for breakfast and started Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon while waiting for them to cook. I have been waiting to read this book for months. It is not a disappointment. It is funny, entraining and touching. However, I don't see any way around it being a heartbreaker.

Hours Spent Reading: 2

Total Pages read: 168

Total Audiobook time: 40 min

Books finished: 0

1:30 pm

Everything Everything ended up being terrific. I definitely gasped out loud near the end. I was NOT expecting that. I highly recommend you read it. I can't wait to read Nicola Yoon's new book when it comes out.

My second read of the day was Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher. It was a hilarious book with also some pretty sad moments. It was only about a 150 pages so it was a quick read. My head is feeling a little fuzzy so before I start my next read I think I will go for a walk while listening to my audiobook.

Hours Spent Reading: 5.5

Total Pages read: 468

Total Audiobook time: 1 hr 6 min

Books finished: 2

4:30 pm

I enjoyed a beautiful walk while listening to 

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

. It is a gorgeous fall day here. A little chilly but warmed up throughout the afternoon. I love fall but hate that winter is on the way. 

I enjoyed a yummy pizza for lunch. And then sat on the front porch to read my third book,

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

. I love this modern take on the Holmes/Watson story. I am really enjoying the characters and the story. I am developing a little bit of a headache and if this advil doesn't work I may have to take a nap to get rid of it.

Total Hours Spent Reading: 8.5

Total Pages read: 624

Total Audiobook time: 2 hr 20 min

Books finished: 2

9:30 pm

Wow I can't believe I am halfway there and I am still reading. That seems like a win to me. It took me quite a long time to finish A Study In Charlotte. I absolutely loved it. I loved the characters of Holmes and Watson. I am looking forward to reading more of their stories. I dug into my snack stash for some yummy candy corn which means it really is fall!

I started lagging a little so I decided I needed caffeine in order to make it through the evening. I rarely drink caffeine and never after one so this should keep me pretty hyper at least for awhile.

I started my fourth book

Fortune's Bride by Jane Peart

. This is a reread. I love the Brides of Montclair series. I have been reading them since I was about 12 years old. I started my reread a few months ago and this is the third book in the series. I loved these generational series as a young girl where it followed one family through many different generations and times. I broke into some more snacks after realizing I forgot to eat dinner.

Hours Spent Reading: 13.5

Total Pages read: 891

Total Audiobook time: 3 hr 22 min

Books finished: 3

1:00 am

Well I am getting a little sleepy. I may have to nap soon. I am reading in bed now and that's not the best place to stay awake. My husband is at a work event though and I probably won't be able to sleep until he gets home.

So I have pretty much been reading or listening to an audiobook since 8 am except for popping in on social media and writing blog. It's a lot! I am glad I had the audiobook so I can get up and move around. Ironically I have more Fitbit steps today than I have had the whole week.

I finally had one of my cats come snuggle with me after being snubbed by them all day. They can't resist the red blanket! I think Trixie knows how pretty her light fur looks against it. I finished Fortune's Bride after forgetting how annoying the heroine was.

I bought some special pastries at Publix yesterday: fall petit fours and a mini cannoli. They were quite delicious and gave me a wonderful sugar buzz. And they are so pretty too!

I just started my fourth (fifth if I count audiobook that I haven't finished) book of the day:

Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace

. I read the Betsy high school books every fall so I thought Readathon was the perfect time to start. I took a nice relaxing bath hoping that would wake me a little. It did not. Just made me sleepy but I am going to try to stick with it at least another hour before I try to nap.

Hours Spent Reading: 17

Total Pages read: 1104

Total Audiobook time: 3 hr 42 min

Books finished: 4

Wrap-up

Well at three thirty I decided take a little nap and set my alarm for five. My alarm went off and I could barely open my eyes so I listened to my audiobook for about 15 minutes and then decided I wanted sleep more than reading and woke up at nine. A little sad I missed the very end of Readathon but also happy I won't want to spend all of Sunday sleeping. Because of course I will be reading! This was a terrific readathon. I finished four books and got halfway through another and about 1/3 of the way through my audiobook and I read over 1000 pages which was my goal. I didn't read as many books or say awake as long as I did in April. But I also spent more time this year participating in social media and blogs throughout the day. I am already looking forward to April!

Final Totals:

Hours Spent Reading: 19 hr 30 min

Total Pages read: 1250

Total Audiobook time: 4 hr 54 min

Books finished: 4

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