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On Saturday, October 20th, I participated in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon. (There were nineteen challenge-related posts!) But I wanted to take a few minutes and summarize my experience. I was awake for nineteen and a half hours, about fourteen or fifteen hours were spent reading books or reviewing books. (The challenge began, for me, at 8 AM Central.) Another hour was spent doing mini-challenges and such. I ended up falling asleep around 2:30 in the morning. (About two or three hours past my normal bedtime.) I woke up around 6:30 and stayed awake reading, blogging, commenting, etc. until the 8 o'clock finish. I didn't go back to bed. This is the shocking part for me. I didn't necessarily feel tired or droopy or disjointed or whatever. That came much, much later. As I spent my afternoon hours on the computer I realized how lonely I suddenly felt. Saturday was about the community. There was always something going on. There were new posts popping up all over the place. And it felt exciting to be a part of something this big, this exciting. But Sunday, it seems I was all by my lonesome. I did end up napping from 6PM to 8PM--waking up in time for Desperate Housewives surprisingly enough. But I didn't really begin to feel exhausted until this morning. I realized waking up at 9:30 that I could stay in bed for a really, really long time. I suppose I'll be trying to catch up on those missing hours for a few days at least.

What did I love about the Readathon? Well, I loved the community aspects of it. The hourly posts updates, the mini-challenges, the cheerleaders and fellow readers being supportive enough to leave comments on posts, and, of course, the reading. I read eight books for the challenge, and reviewed nine. (The ninth being the book I had finished the night before.) Many of these books were ones I'd rate as 'great' or 'outstanding.' The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker was so hilarious, so perfect. An Unlikely Friendship by Ann Rinaldi, I loved how Rinaldi was able to tell the stories of two completely different women so believably. You felt for each heroine in many ways. And her style, beautiful. A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban is such a great book. She makes being eleven sound like the best thing ever. It's just so fun, so joyful, so funny. Almost Forever by Maria Testa, for such a small book this one packs a lot of powerful emotions. It is just really incredible how she does this. Really, I enjoyed all of the books I was able to read for this challenge.

But my favorite part of the Read-a-thon? Writing letters to Lisa Wheeler and Natasha Wing. I heard back from them on Sunday! I love hearing back from an author!!!

So thank you, Dewey, for a wonderful day!

Post Read-a-thon Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 19. After finishing a book at this stage, I was too tired to even CHOOSE another book to begin.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? That's hard to say. Everyone has different tastes. I would say this however. Keep a few light, breezy books nearby for the wee hours. It's much less daunting to start say a 100 page kids book than it is to face another thick book.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I liked everything really. The mini-challenges were fun. I would think that having challenges open for two hours at a time would work better. 24 is a bit too long, but one hour is awfully short. There were a few times where I didn't think to check the site--or couldn't check the site--until ten or fifteen minutes before the hour was up. Then if the challenge was a "must" I had to scramble, scramble, scramble to participate. I think twelve challenges would still be a lot to offer and is slightly more realistic than twenty-four.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The host was great :)

5. How many books did you read? I read 8 books. I reviewed (or partially reviewed) 9 books altogether.

6. What were the names of the books you read? See this post.

7. Which book did you enjoy most? Too hard to say, but A Crooked Kind Of Perfect was great. It really kept me up past when I was tired.

8. Which did you enjoy least? I enjoyed all of them really. But the Bradbury probably would go here. I liked what I liked in it. But a few stories left me blah.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? Skipping this one.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I would probably consider this again. Why not? It was fun.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have finished another book. This one was A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban. I loved, loved, loved it. I won't say much more since I plan to do a REAL review sometime next week. It is 211 pages long and it really didn't take me long to read it. Maybe an hour.

Perry, Chrissie. 2007. The Secret Club.

The Secret Club is the first in the Go Girl! series. It was originally published in Australia. It is a fun, light chapter books for young readers--I would imagine all girl readers. The print is on the large side; there are some black and white illustrations. It's a chapter book that is fun and enjoyable for that age group. If I had to guess--and keeping in mind that it's after 1 AM--I'd guess 7 to 9 year olds. It's a little younger than the original Babysitters Club books I grew up reading. Anyway, I liked the book.

It was 92 pages long.

Angels of A Lower Flight by Susie Scott Krabacher is such a great book. It's not my typical kind of book. I don't read much nonfiction. Let alone nonfiction geared towards adults. But this one is a wow book, and I am so so glad that I accepted this book for review! It is an amazing story of a woman who has had highs and lows, successes and failures, joys and heartaches. It's a redeeming story. A story that challenges everything that is so common, so ordinary about American life. Susie Krabacher is a former Playboy Playmate who has dedicated over a decade to Haiti--especially Haitian children. Going places where most would never dare to go, seeing, smelling, hearing all sorts of horrors. And all in the name of love and peace. It is a great story. I hope to review it more in-depth at my blog, Becky's Christian Reviews. I may post it here as well. But if truth be told, I find writing reviews at 12:40 AM is dangerous. I'd like to use whatever is left of my energy to read just a few more pages.

The readers of the hour are 3M and L-Squared. 3M is still reading, she's started Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith. And she's been visiting other readers as well :)
L-Squared is planning on reading Dracula. I read this one in September and loved it!

I want to thank those that are commenting in these late hours. If I had checked my email and found 0 messages, I would have been a sad girl indeed. The comments really do bring cheer :)

Bradbury, Ray. Quicker Than The Eye

I've been reading a short story here and there since Thursday (and continuing through today) from Ray Bradbury's collection Quicker Than the Eye. I am not loving it like I did The Martian Chronicles.

The first story, "Unterderseaboat Doktor" was just weird. Weird without being good if you know what I mean. Pointlessly weird.

The second story, "Zaharoff/Richter Mark V" was better. It was oddly amusing. It is about an elite group of architects that routinely plot all the world's calamities just so they can rebuild cities.

"Remember Sascha" was okay for me. It is not gonna be one that I remember forever and ever. But it wasn't bad. Just okay. It's about a young couple madly in love and expecting a baby. It has its odd moments--they hear the baby talking to them--but again it was just okay.

"Another Fine Mess" was like a mediocre Twilight Zone. You know the sort. The kind that you might watch once, but you're not dying to see it in repeats. Slightly odd and nostalgic about old film stars and old Hollywood...but mostly just okay.

"The Electrocution" went way over my head. I admit. I read this one as clueless as can be. I just didn't get anything. It was like one of us (I don't know which) was from another planet. Either the language of the story really is that odd. OR what is most likely, my head wasn't quite functioning properly when I tried to absorb this one. Regardless, it is probably my least favorite of the bunch.

"Hopscotch" is one that I read and promptly forgot. Even reading the first paragraph or two doesn't jot my memory. I guess this means my impressions of this one are mediocre at best. At least I don't remember hating it or being confused.

"The Finnegan" is a weird story about a large creepy human-eating spider. It probably would have made a great radio broadcast with lots of effects and whatnot.

"That Woman on the Lawn" is a pleasantly strange story about a man who lives in a house with a haunted front yard. At some point, he realizes that it is the ghost of his mother--only the ghost is of a very young woman. A woman who hasn't loved and borne a child yet. It's a strange one, no doubt.

"The Very Gentle Murders" is a strange story of an old couple NOT in love with each other. The husband is trying to kill the wife; the wife is trying to kill the husband. They're trying to outwit each other, yet everyone around them seems clueless as to what is going on. It's a slightly irreverant, often humorous, very weird story. But one that unlike "Hopscotch" will apparently stick with me for a while.

"Quicker Than The Eye" is a short story about a magic act. It's okay. Nothing special.

"Dorian In Excelsus" is probably the strongest story in my opinion. It seems creepier and weirder than the rest. And the action seems tighter. If I had to pick a favorite, this one would be a contender. See how it begins: "Good evening. Welcome. I see you have my invitation in your hands. Decided to be brave, did you? Fine. Here we are. Grab onto this." The tall, handsome stranger with the heavenly eyes and the impossibly blond hair handed me a wineglass. "Clean your palate," he said. I took the glass and read the label on the bottle he held in his left hand... Doesn't that opening just hook you?

"No News, Or What Killed the Dog?" is a short story about a family whose dog has died, and they have decided to have a funeral and bury their pet in a pet cemetary. It's okay. Nothing special.

"The Witch Door" is another good story. One of the better ones in my humble opinion. I can almost see it as a radio drama or acted out on a Twilight Zone type tv show.

"The Ghost In the Machine" was one that frankly I could have done without. I just didn't like it. It wasn't awful or anything. I just didn't get anything out of it. I wasn't confused by it. I just didn't care.

"At The End of the Ninth Year" is one that I liked. I can almost see this one acted out as well. As a great little sketch drama students do in class and such. It's about a married couple who love each other yet aren't quite in love with each other anymore. Anyway, it's a story about familiarity and love and commitment and knowing and being yourself.

"Bug" was okay. It's a short story about high school friends who drift apart through the decades. A man known as "Bug" loved to dance. When the narrator runs into him several decades (at least) later, they barely recognize each other. He no longer dances, and he's just ordinary again. Anyway, it's a story about the past and present colliding. And a story about regaining past glory in a way. It was okay for me.

"Once More, Legato" was an okay story for me. I didn't love it or hate it. It is about a "musician" who steals his melodies from the birds outside his house--his window. When the birds migrate, he panics and begins counting the days until their return.

"Exchange" was a clever little story about librarians and their patrons all these years later. About how books are friends. And librarians are great. What's not to love?

"Free Dirt" was okay, but ultimately forgettable.

"Last Rites" is another one I just can't remember. I know I read it, but my mind must have been miles away somewhere.

"The Other Highway" was a good story. I'm glad the book ended with a strong story. I can almost see this one dramatized as well. It's a family story. A man, his wife, and his kids are on a trip and they go off the highway and discover an old road, an old town, an old lifestyle. They contemplate trading their hectic, crazy lives for a more relaxed lifestyle. But ultimately, they head back to the crazy modern world.

Reformatted just for Dewey :)

Testa, Maria. 2003. (Paperback 2007) Almost Forever.

At just 70 pages, Almost Forever is a short but incredibly powerful read. It's a verse novel about a young girl--a first grader--whose father is sent to Vietnam in February of 1968. The story is about her family--her mom, her brother, and herself, of course. About what changes, and what doesn't when someone you love--someone you depend on--is far from you. The emotions are powerful. And this is one I highly recommend. This book isn't about politics--if war is wrong or right--it's about love and family. Highly recommended.

One Year (Not Such A Long Time) pp. 13-14

The four of us
gathered
with other families,
we all gathered
in a building
on the Army base,
all in a special room
set aside
for saying goodbye.

One year
is not
such a long time,
Daddy said,
kneeling on one knee
in front of me,
squeezing
my shoulders.

In one year, Baby,
you'll be in
second grade,
not first,
and you'll be
seven years old,
not six,
and then
I'll be home.
One year
is not
such a long time.

I did not
tell Daddy
that he was wrong--
that second grade
was half a hallway
and a whole world
away from first,
that seven
was everything
six was not,
and that one year
was forever.

1. What are you reading right now? Assuming that this blog survey isn't the 'right' answer. I'm halfway through two different books. I'm reading Angels of A Lower Flight by Susie Scott Krabacher. It's nonfiction, and I'm loving it so far. Lost In His Love by Lyn Cote is the second book I'm in the middle of. I'm not sure which one I'll actually choose to pursue. I'm coming back from a nice two hour break.

2. How many books have you read so far? I've reviewed four. But actually read three today.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I will probably try to finish Angels of a Lower Flight.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? No. Not really. Of course, it would have been easier on me to have the Readathon not on a weekend. I have way more time during the week to read. But it's been interesting trying to make Saturdays stand still for long periods of time.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Yes. Lunch and supper. Both family get-togethers with the whole bunch--mom, dad, me, sis, and brother-in-law. One at Chickfila and the other at Cotton Patch Cafe.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? I love the mini-challenges. They're very fun. :)

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I can't think of any on the spot. Other than being able to stop and start time so there are more hours in the day. Or maybe like that old old tv show where you could pause everyone around you but then be unfroze yourself. So you could read and do whatever.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I'm not sure. I'm happy so far with my progress. The kids books are a good idea I think.

9. Are you getting tired yet? Sleepy? Not really. I'll probably be up another three or four hours. But tired of reading books? Getting there. Definitely getting there.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? No. Not really.

Dewey is having another hour-challenge. And I really, really, really want to win. The prize is potentially a "Future Book" that Dewey reviews. The catch? It can't be a library book she's reviewing. Since she reviews such great books, I'd love to win this one.

Anyway, the challenge is to write a letter--a blog post--to the author of the book we're currently reading. I was reading some picture books in preparation for posting them to my Young Readers site--as well as for this one. So I am going to write two mini-letters and hope that that still qualifies.

Dear Natasha Wing:

I wanted you to know that I absolutely LOVE your picture book GO TO BED, MONSTER. Maybe an adult should be embarrassed to admit their 'again, again' moments with picture books. But I'm not. I wanted to read this one again and again, and again, and again. I could probably read it forever and never tire of it! Lucy is such a great little heroine. I love her imagination. And the monster, he is priceless. This book for me represents pure joy and happiness. This book radiates with smiles and giggles. And while I know that as an author you might not have had a lot of say in who the illustrator was...I just have to say that the illustrations are perfect. They are just right for your text!!! Everything is just so right about this book.

Becky

Dear Lisa Wheeler:

Jazz Baby makes me happy. I want you to know that. I am trying to think of the perfect way to phrase this. Some texts sing. Some texts are just ordinary, average, plain. But yours is one that sings. I just love the rhythm. Reading it is just so much fun. It really begs to be read aloud. Again and again and again. This book reminds me of Al Perkins' Hands Hands Fingers Thumb. Which I'll just tell you right now is in my top five picture books that I love, love, loved growing up. This book, your book, just works so well. I love it! It is one of my favorite picture books of the year. And I just wanted you to know how much your book does mean to me!

Becky

Shanahan, Lisa. 2007. The Sweet, terrible, glorious, year I truly completely lost it.

Originally published in Australia, The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly Completely Lost It is a fun YA romance that many girls--from preteen to adult--will enjoy. (Okay, maybe not every adult will enjoy this one, but those young at heart just might!) Meet Gemma Stone. She's feeling a bit out of sorts since her sister announced her engagement. Her sister, Debbie, is marrying a boy she's only been dating for one month. Now, Gemma is being dragged to bridal fairs and made to try on ugly dresses--though I bet no one can guess what she ends up wearing!--and spending lots of time with her sister's future in-laws and her sister's three best friends/bridesmaids. To say she is wishing herself far far away is an understatement. Everything is "Debbie, Debbie, Debbie." And she is expected to drop everything so she can do all these 'favors' and 'errands' and what not for her sister. But in the midst of all the family drama, Gemma is making time for herself. She's got a crush on a guy named Nick. A guy who only acknowledges her existence when it's convenient for him. (Most often when he's trying to get a petition signed). Nick casually mentions to her that she should try out for the school play. The drama department is doing The Tempest by William Shakespeare. She gathers up her courage, and decides to be brave for once in her life and goes after what she wants. What does she want? Nick's attention and approval. What she gets? The attention of the school weirdo, Raven, a 'deliquent' sort who comes from a long line of troubled brothers all named after birds--Crow, Magpie, Raven, Sparrow, etc. But Gemma is about to learn that love is full of surprises and that first impressions can be way off the mark. Raven or Nick? Which one is worthy of her time and devotion?

This book is a super-fun romance novel that I couldn't help loving. From her family dramas to her boy troubles, Gemma is a narrator I enjoyed spending time with.

Three readers of the hour are being highlighted. Jessica. Alison. And Deb.

Jessica is reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.
Alison is reading Pretties by Scott WEsterfeld. I have read this book--this trilogy--and it is quite good. :) Uglies and Extras, the fourth novel, are my favorites so far. She had started out the day with The Historian. Another book I've read recently. But she's hoping Pretties will go faster than that very very very thick book about vampires :)
Deb is currently reading The Book of Vice by Peter Sagal.

Sarah's mini-challenge is to take an hour (including the time it takes to find it) to read a book in a foreign language. My native language is English. So the book I'll be trying to work through a little bit at a time is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland translated into French, Adventures d'Alice au pays des merveilles. I've had two years of high school french (way back in 94-95 and 95-96...and several semesters of college french way back in 96-97. So I'm hopeful that I'll be able to recognize a few of the basic verbs and most of the pronouns.

I found the translation--it took a good twenty or so minutes--doing a google book search. At first I was trying to find it just using the normal English search engines and terms. Then I gave up and tried the link so kindly provided by Sarah. I searched for Lewis Carroll and after sorting through five or six links that didn't get me what I wanted, I finally arrived at my destination. (Funny, how they thought it would be helpful to have like twelve random pages throughout this book. Like reading page 36, then page 67 then page 92 would help someone figure the story out.)

"La belle avance," pensait Alice, "qu'un livre sans images, sans causeries!" (1)

Il n'y avait rien la de bien etonnant, et Alice ne trouva meme pas tres-extraordinair d'entendre parler le Lapin qui se disait: "Ah! j'arriverai trop tard!" (2)

Un instant apres, Alice etait a la poursuite du Lapin dans le terrier, sans songer comment elle en sortirait. (3)

To sum up, I tried to read about the first eight or ten pages of the book. But my French is too rusty. It was like reading and it being blah blah blah blah with blah blah blah she blah blah blah eyes blah blah blah but.

I'm currently reading The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan. This is so a teen book. To be specific a book for teen girls to get all giddy about. It's YA romance at its finest. There is the clueless girl with a crush on the guy that is so not right for her...while right under her nose...the true gem awaits. Anyway, I'm enjoying it!

Rinaldi, Ann. 2007. An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley.

Reading An Unlikely Friendship is like reading two completely different books. Okay, maybe some slight exaggeration, after all both stories are of real women who lived in the nineteenth century. Both lived in the American South. Both lived during the time of slavery. The difference? One was the daughter of slaveholders. The other was a slave. So there stories are so very different from one another. The thing is, Ann Rinaldi's writing makes them both compelling narrators. I knew very little about Mary Todd Lincoln going into this book. And I had never heard of Elizabeth Keckley. So my expectations were to learn about them both. And that mission was accomplished. The writing was never boring. The first 131 pages of the novel belong to Mary Todd Lincoln. We learn that she had an often unhappy childhood after the death of her mother. Her father remarried very quickly. And according to Mary Todd, she was an absolute nightmare of a stepmother. Very harsh. Very angry. Very one-sided. What do I mean about one-sided? Well, she favored her children and disliked the ones from his previous marriage. She always treated Mary with dislike or distrust. Mary was close friends with her Mammy. She was the one person that she loved and trusted above all others. And she was more than happy to keep her Mammy's secret. Mammy would help runaway slaves. Unbeknownst to her parents, their house was a stop on the underground railroad. Mary's story is one of loneliness, boredom, unhappiness. She didn't have many friends and her family wasn't always supportive. Her father was a bit on the neglectful side as well. She felt unloved at times, and her father would buy her presents all the time to cheer her up. But as far as spending time with her, listening to her, loving her...well, money speaks louder was his philosophy. While the narrative of this half is good, it's nothing compared to the second half of the novel.

From pages 135-241, the novel belongs to Elizabeth Keckley or "Lizzy." This is how the narrative opens: And so I was born and my birth registered in the mistress's household diary. I was listed right above the recipe for Muster Day gingerbread. And right below the new shipment of household supplies. "Two bristol boards, a bottle of varnish, a varnish brush, and writing paper." It goes on to say, My birth did not go unnoticed on the large plantation. With every birth of a slave child the master is that much richer. And I suppose that with my mother I would have been sold for $1300. (135). A few pages later it begins, If I were to be sold at age four, the price I would bring, after being weighed on the scale, would be about $300. A little shady girl like myself isn't worth much. And then only if sold along with my mother, whose price would be about $1100 because she is such a good nurse and seamstress. I already knew that at age four. I heard Masa talk about it, though I knew he would never sell off me and Mama. Only planters of no account sell off their own daughters, although some have been known to do it. But no matter how much I am worth, here is how I lived and why. (138). I was just blown away by the writing. Lizzy's story has so much depth--so much to say. So much heartache to share. This is her story of how she came to become more than a slave, more than property. About how she worked hard and earned money so she could buy herself out of slavery. It's a great story, and one that I think needs to be told.

Here is my favorite bit of her story:

I believe that Moses and Solomon in the Bible were negro, that lightning never strikes a sycamore tree because Jesus blessed them, and that springs of water in the ground come from the steps of angels. All these things my mama taught me. And I'll always believe them, because not to believe certain things is to die. (142)

My current book: An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley by Ann Rinaldi.

Dewey's mini-challenge is to post five interesting facts about the setting of our book.

My book is unusual in that it has several settings: Lexington, Kentucky; Springfield, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and those three are just in reference to Mary Todd Lincoln! I believe Elizabeth Keckley spent most of her childhood in Virginia before moving to St. Louis, and then later Baltimore, and then Washington D.C..

Lexington, Kentucky:

it is the second largest city in Kentucky.
It is the home to Transylvania University.
It is the birth place of Mary Todd Lincoln. Tourists can even visit one of her childhood homes that has been turned into a museum.

Washington, D.C.

If Washington, D.C., were a state, it would rank last in area (behind Rhode Island), 50th in population (ahead of Wyoming), first in population density, and 35th in gross state product.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States, situated within the District of Columbia (abbreviated as "D.C.").
The city and the district are located on the banks of the Potomac River and bordered by the states of Virginia (to the west) and Maryland (to the north, east and south).
Washington is a popular destination for tourists, the site of numerous national landmarks and monuments, the world's largest museum complex (the Smithsonian Institution), galleries, universities, cathedrals, performing arts centers and institutions, and native music scenes.

Pennypacker, Sara. 2007. The Talented Clementine.

First sentence: I have noticed that teachers get exciting confused with boring a lot. But when my teacher said, "Class, we have an exciting project to talk about," I listened anyway.

Clementine is back. For those that aren't familiar with this spunky, zany gem of a character visit my review of the first book, Clementine. The teacher's "exciting" announcement was the fact that the school was going to be raising money. The third and fourth graders will participate in this school-wide event by putting on a talent show. Almost every kid hears this news with joy. They're excited at the chance to show off--most want to do cartwheels as an act. But Clementine, well, Clementine is worried. She is not quite sure what her talent is. You can't really label the special talents she has.

Clementine is a wonderful narrator with a way for words. Note Clementine's exchange with her principal, Mrs. Rice.

"Come in," Principal Rice said. When she saw it was me, she held out her hand for the note from my teacher that would tell her what kind of chat we should have. We have done this a lot.
But today I just sat on the chair and started right in. "Which are smarter? Chimpanzees or orangutans?"
"That's an interesting question, Clementine," Mrs. Rice said. "Maybe you could ask the science teacher after you've told me what you're doing here."
"Also, I've been wondering what the difference is between smashed and crashed."
Mrs. Rice handed me her dictionary.
And then suddenly I didn't want to know anymore! That is the miracle about dictionaries! (5)

Clementine's observations about herself and the world around her--her family, her classmates, her teachers, her principal--make for an entertaining, often funny read. I really can't recommend Clementine highly enough. This narrator has won my heart.

I'm lucky that way: astounding ideas are always popping into my head, and I don't even have to use my brains to get them there. (20)

And I love Clementine's question:

If a teacher can have a substitute teacher, how come a kid can't have a substitute kid? (84)

Pages: 137
Time Spent: About 40 minutes

Gardner, Lyn. 2007. Into the Woods.

Originally published in England, Into the Woods is a fun little fantasy novel about three sisters--Any, Storm, and Aurora--and the adventures they have together after their mother's death and father's disappearance. What stands out about Into the Woods? Well, you'll notice right off that it weaves various fairy tales together--Rapunzel, Pied Piper, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, etc. This is a popular genre in today's fiction, and it is easy to see why. Familiar characters and motifs explored in fun and often new ways make for an enjoyable read. Storm is our narrator. She is human. She's not perfect. Her judgment isn't always right on. But she has heart. Same goes with her older sister, Aurora. Like any sibling relationship, this one has plenty of tension and plenty of history. There are fights galore, but at the heart of it all the sisters do love one another. Any is the strangest one of all to figure out. Her mother died shortly--very shortly--after Any's birth. For the first six months or so, this baby girl was just baby. It was only later that the sisters decided to name her. And her official name is Anything. Any's strange 'gift' is the ability to talk--fluently as an adult--though she isn't much more than one year old. Before her mother died, Storm was given a pipe. A musical pipe and told to take care of it and use it in times of need. She's not quite sure what the pipe is 'good for' but as the tale unfolds, the danger becomes evident. This is a fun story filled with danger as three children go into the woods to escape the wolves at the door. Their resulting journey is quite exciting and should hook readers early-on.

The 24 Hour Read-a-thon Challenge has begun. It started at 8AM Central for those keeping track. I have only been up a few minutes. So I haven't done much yet. And I'm about to head off for breakfast. Will be back in a bit to really begin.

My first review of the day is Into the Woods. I completed this one yesterday. But the time spent blogging should count towards something in this challenge since our time can be split between the two activities. Let's say this one took me about fifteen minutes to review.

My second review of the day is The Talented Clementine. I finished this one in about forty minutes--maybe a few minutes more or less. I wasn't keeping exact track of time. But definitely less than an hour!

Here is my review of An Unlikely Friendship. It took me a little over two hours to read, and probably add on an additional fifteen or twenty to review. The page count is 241.

My review of The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It. I read this one is a couple of hours. Maybe closer to two and a half. Anyway, it's done. It is around 295 pages.

Here is my review of Almost Forever by Maria Testa. It was about 70 pages long. It took me about twenty minutes to read and ten minutes to review.

Here is my review of Quicker Than The Eye by Ray Bradbury. I read this one over several days. But I did cover about half of this book today in bursts. It's 261 total. But probably only 100 or 120 were read today...if anyone is keeping score. I probably spent an hour or maybe an hour and a half--off and on--on this one. And it took about twenty or thirty minutes to review.

I have reviewed Secret Club by Chrissie Perry and Angels of a Lower Flight by Susie Scott Krabacher. The second was about 322 pages in length. I had read about 100 or 120 pages before today. The Secret Club book was about 92 pages. The time spent reading Secret Club, about fifteen or twenty minutes. I don't know on the other book, since I read a chapter here and there throughout the day.

I have read but not reviewed A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban. It is 211 pages. And took I guess about an hour give or take five minutes.

As far as total time spent. I figure I was awake about 20 hours of the 24. With the last hour being after a good four or five hour sleep. Of those 'awake' hours. I probably read/blogged/participated about sixteen.

As I mentioned a little while ago, Dewey of The Hidden Side of A Leaf is hosting a 24 Hour Readathon. She has now posted an update. Her post is very long, but it's worth reading all the details and fine print! You can sign up to be a reader, cheerleader, or promoter via Mr. Linky. I have *officially* signed up to be a reader. I know I won't last the 24 hours. But I'm hoping to give it my all while I can keep my eyes open! For those in the Central time zone, it starts at 8AM on October 20th. "People who sign up to be readers are committing to reading books, posting updates in their blogs, and if they need breaks, visiting the blogs of other readers and encouraging them. The most hardcore among us will stay up the entire 24 hours and do nothing but read and update, even going so far as to skip showering and eat meals while reading. However, not all of us are that hardcore, and it’s ok for you to customize this readathon to meet your needs."

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20TH, starting at 2pm GMT

We’re timing it to line up with the 24 Hour Comics Day, so the date will be Saturday, October 20th. I checked Google Analytics and saw that the majority of my readers are in North America, with the second largest readership in Europe. So I tried to come up with a time when the greatest number of people will be rested. 2pm GMT is 6am in California, which may be early, but if you normally get up at 8, you can just start at 8, no problem. Here’s a world time zone map.