Readathon! First post

[wilderthan]

I'm starting the readathon early, so I can still get in twenty-four hours, since I'm going to lunch with my grandmother, who just got out of hospital, on Sunday. So I'm starting, well, about now, 11am GMT.

Because I like to start with a photo, here is a photo of me with my first book, Garth Nix's The Fall. If I still look fluffy and bed-heady and pajama'd, that'd be because I am.



Check back here for updates -- there will be a new post when this starts getting long.

11:55: Finished the first book, Garth Nix's The Fall. Total reading time: forty-three minutes. It's so short, it felt like cheating. Not sure what I'll read next. Realised I forgot to link to my 'stack': here. Writing a review of The Fall now...

12:06: Review up here. Now reading Jeanette Winterson's Lighthousekeeping, I think. I wish they hadn't picked today to fix the giant hole they made in the pavement outside...

13:01: Half an hour left of Lighthousekeeping, which I'm enjoying very much. And the first hour's meme:

1)Where are you reading from today?
Cardiff, Wales. Mostly from my bed, at the moment.

2)Three random facts about me…
a) My desk chair is unbearably squeaky.
b) Unrelatedly, my father's affectionate petname for me is Squeak.
c) I am doing a module on Tolkien for my medieval lit Master's degree. Be jealous.

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
About twenty-five. I've given myself lots of options!

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
Finish at least two of the books I've stalled with.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Make sure you're comfortable. You might risk falling asleep that way, but sleep will be much less tempting if you're not aching all over by hour fourteen.

14:34: Finished Lighthousekeeping. Total reading time, fifty-nine minutes. Reviewing now. Took a picture for the hour two meme, character photos. It's my silver and Welsh rose gold Clogau necklace, because the protagonist of Lighthousekeeping is called Silver and because the narrative is warm like the rose-gold. Here is the photo.

Also showered and put the oven on to pre-heat. Mini Cornish pasties, here I come!

14:59: Review up, here, and tiny Cornish pasties in hand. Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle next, I think. Not taking part in this hour's meme.

16:21: Finished and reviewed Cat's Cradle. Review here. Not taking part in this hour's meme, either, since it's pretty limited. Not sure what to read next...

16:47: Finally decided to read Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak.

18:00: I'm only about 30% of the way through Speak. It's been a slow hour. I've been yawning a lot, but a comfortable sort of yawn, not a sleepy one... Not doing the memes for the past two hours.

18:58: Still working on Speak. It shouldn't take me too long to finish, now. Not doing this hour's meme either.

19:30: Finished Speak and put up a review, here. Not sure what I want to read now. I'm going to take a tiny break and play Glitch, then have a stretch and see about dinner. I've been readathoning for nearly nine hours, now...

20:51: Stalled for a while there by the need to put some more books on my Kindle and eat dinner. Now settling down with Diana Wynne Jones' The Dark Lord of Derkholm.

21:51: Still up, and still reading, but I've decided that for various reasons, I do actually need to sleep tonight. Plus, I've only just got back the urge to read after mental health issues, and I really don't want to burn myself out. So I'm sort of stopping participating now -- I'm still going to read if I feel like it after I've had a bit of a rest, but I might not check in here.

Comments

[libritouches]

*waves pompoms* Go you, sweetie!

[wilderthan]

Thanks! How're you doing so far?

[libritouches]

I'm doing all right. ^-^ Need more liquid, though.

[wilderthan]

Yeah, I should go grab a drink. I'm mostly curling up in bed with my book so far!

[trialia]

If that's what you look like with bed hair, I'm frankly jealous! ;)

Good luck. I'm not taking part this year - pain level's really bad today.

[wilderthan]

Heh, with the way my hair is cut, bed-head tends to look pretty good on me, it's true. I can often get away without brushing my hair on a morning if I'm in a hurry. *grin*

Boo for pain levels. Hope you feel better soon.

[trialia]

You just have pretty hair full stop, Nikki. *g*

Thanks; that time of the month, you know, so you probably remember what my pain level is like right now from the first time you met me!

[libritouches]

I second that hair-comment. (I want hair like that...)

*sends good, painkilling vibes to Tria*

[wilderthan]

Hee, thanks. It is fun hair, but a pain sometimes!

[wilderthan]

Thanks. ♥

Meep. Feel better! That time of the month for me, too, and I can't take any NSAIDs now, which are the only painkillers I've got that really work for me. Bugger it.

[thetravelingreader.wordpress.com]

Nice nails. :)
Good luck with the read-a-thon. ;)

[wilderthan]

Thanks! I had red nails for two weeks, it was time for a change...

Thank you!

[kiwiria]

I'm impressed that you're writing reviews as you go along! I'll be saving mine for once I finish tomorrow (my progress post is over at livejournal - I'm kiwiria there too).

[wilderthan]

I always do -- I can't keep the details in my head if I don't get my reaction down pretty quickly. It slows me down, though! Hope you're having fun too.

Gautami's Comment!

[readbookswritepoetry.blogspot.com]

Have fun reading! Just chill!!

Re: Gautami's Comment!

[wilderthan]

Thank you!

Keep on ...

[gee-elsi.livejournal.com]

Hi -- nice to meet you through the Read-a-Thon. I seem to be reading much more slowly than is normal for me, so it's encouraging to see that you've finished a couple of books. And, not only have you finished reading them, but you've posted reviews. If I tried to post a review, I'd spend all my time blogging and not enough time reading. Enjoy the Read-a-Thon.

Elsi Reading in Texas (http://reading.elsi123.net/)

Re: Keep on ...

[wilderthan]

Hi! Nice to meet you too. I think I've picked relatively easy books this time round, probably the only reason I'm doing so well! Hope you're having fun.

[(Anonymous)]

I love Diana Wynne Jones, but I don't think I've read that one. I hope it's good! Happy readathon!

Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)

[wilderthan]

I'm enjoying it so far! I've been reading so much slower than expected, though.

[kinnareads.wordpress.com]

I wish I had your discipline to write reviews as soon as the books completed. Keep it up. Happy reading!

[wilderthan]

Thank you! Hope you had fun too.

[(Anonymous)]

Hope you get a few more hours in after taking a rest! Glad you could participate as much as you did!

Nise'

[wilderthan]

I did, thank you! Hope you had fun as well!

[anomilygrace]

I hope you got a good amount of sleep! As much as we love reading, sleep is necessary too :D

I hope you had a wonderful time! *\o/*

Emily @ Books and Threads

[wilderthan]

I did, thank you! And yes, I've done the readathon before and stayed up the whole twenty-four hours, but it wouldn't have been a good idea this time, sadly.

Yes, I did! I hope you did too.

[(Anonymous)]

I strive to do Readathon for 24 hours, but it does where you out, and being up late can in itself become depressing. Besides you have lunch with your Grandmother tomorrow, if you arrive with bags under your eyes it'll just worry.

Now get some beauty sleep and dream delicious bookish dreams!

[wilderthan]

Thanks, yes. That was one of the reasons I needed to sleep!

I did indeed dream delicious bookish dreams!