Update #4: End of Hour 24
I’m finished! Since my last update I’ve read three chapters of Bleak House and one story (The Dream Woman) from The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories by Wilkie Collins. I may not have read as much as some of you, but I wasn’t expecting to so I’m quite happy with what I’ve achieved!
Total time spent reading: 8 hours 55 minutes
Total pages read: 526
End of Event Meme
1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Hour 11, which due to my time zone was the hour when I decided I needed to go to sleep!
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
I found that The Victorian Chaise-Longue by Marghanita Laski kept me engaged even though I read it when I was starting to get tired.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
No, I thought everything was well organised (although the End of Event Meme was missing from the Hour 24 post, so I copied the one from last year – I hope these are the right questions that I’m answering!)
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
The mini-challenges seemed to be going well, though I had decided not to take part in any myself this time so that I could concentrate on reading.
5. How many books did you read?
I finished 2 books and read a few chapters of 3 others!
6. What were the names of the books you read?
The Night Watch, The Victorian Chaise-Longue (finished both of these), Dracula, Bleak House and The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories (did not finish any of these).
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
The Night Watch
8. Which did you enjoy least?
I actually enjoyed all of them.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I wasn’t a cheerleader this year, but I thought they all did a great job!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I will definitely participate again as a reader and would consider cheering next time too.
Update #3: Hour 21
It’s 9:30am on Sunday morning here. I finished The Victorian Chaise-Longue last night, then I went to bed. So far this morning I’ve read 54 pages of Dracula. There are still more than 3 hours of the read-a-thon remaining and I’m hoping to get lots more reading done in those 3 hours!
Total time spent reading: 6 hours 45 minutes
Total pages read: 413
Update #2: Hour 8
I’ve just finished reading The Night Watch by Sarah Waters and am about to start The Victorian Chaise-Longue by Marghanita Laski.
Total time spent reading: 3 hours 45 minutes
Total pages read: 260
Update #1: Hour 1
The October 2010 Read-a-Thon has now officially begun! I’m going to be updating this post several times throughout the day and the most recent updates will be at the top.
I’m not sure how much time I’ll be spending online today – although all the mini-challenges look very tempting, I’m hoping to actually do a lot more reading during this read-a-thon than I did during the last one! For now though, here are my answers to the Hour 1 Meme:
Where are you reading from today?
I’m at home in Newcastle, England.
3 facts about me…
I’m a vegetarian, my favourite colour is purple and this is my second readathon!
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
I’ve chosen 5 specifically for the read-a-thon but if I get bored with those I do have plenty of other books on my general TBR pile.
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)?
I don’t want to set any goals because I know I probably wouldn’t achieve them. I had a relaxed approach to the April read-a-thon, which worked perfectly for me, and I want to take the same approach this time too.
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Try not to put yourself under too much pressure. If you don’t manage to read as much as you were hoping, don’t worry! Having fun is the important thing.
I’ll be back in a few hours with my next progress report. Good luck to all the other read-a-thon participants and enjoy your reading!
She Reads Novels 
Have a great readathon!
(Non)traditional Buddhist readathon blessing:
Just as the books fill the shelves,
Pile together on the floor and stack up on the table
So may the joy of the readathon
Flow forth to brighten your day and lift your spirit.
Books already read, books in progress and books yet to be read.
By the power of every word on the page
May your book be delightful,
As scary as Lovecraft’s Cthulhu
Or as sweet as a box of See’s candy.
Let the power of the images evoked by words
Keep you stay awake long through the night
May no obstacle impede
Your day filled with books.
For all of those who are reading today
Who follow in the path of Dewey
May your day be filled with the four blessings
Of fabulous books, tasty snacks, comfy chairs and joy.
Hope you’re hanging in there and enjoying the read-a-thon as much as I am!
I see Dracula is hanging out in your Current Reads list; I started reading it earlier this month and expect it’ll get a bit of my Read-A-Thon time today too. I was interested to read your review of The Monk as I’d been eyeing it earlier as well. Good luck with your reading today!
Hope you are having a wonderful read-a-thon!!
I never set goals either. Good luck!
I’m looking forward to your comments and reviews of the books you read today. I’m sure I’ll have lots of new titles to add to my must-read list! Happy reading. 🙂
congrats on winning and Happy reading!!
Happy Reading! Congrats on winning a prize!
Hope you’re having a great Read-a-thon! Your booklist looks great…Wilkie Collins! And Sarah Waters! I’ve only read one book by her (Fingersmith?) so I’m gonna be interested to see what you think of that one. Enjoy the day!
1, 2, 3, 4
Hope your book isn’t a bore
5, 6, 7, 8
And your readathon is going great!
A thought to mull over: “The best of a book is not the thought which it contains, but the thought which it suggests; just as the charm of music dwells not in the tones but in the echoes of our hearts.” — John Greenleaf Whittier
Enjoy your reading!
You’re making great progress! Good luck for the rest of the read-a-thon.
Hour 14: Oh, the Laski is a terrific choice. She’s such a great storyteller and the pace of that one will keep your pages turning!
“Woke up this morning with/a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read.”-Raymond Carver.
Sunny reading vibes from Miami, Florida, United States…Dewey’s Read-A-Thon Cheerleader. Keep up the good work! Love your blog…
“Woke up this morning with/a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read.”-Raymond Carver.
Sunny reading vibes from Miami…Dewey’s Read-A-Thon Cheerleader. Keep up the good work! Love your blog…
The Victorian Chaise-Longue is I think a very tough read for the readathon, but I’m glad it worked for you 🙂 You did really well!