Weekly Wrap-up for October 18, 2015: Readathon, #15in31 Progress.

What a crazy weekend! 

I participated in the readathon yesterday and for the first time in a few years, I actually read most of the day. I took a very laid back and relaxed approach to the whole event, and I think it really worked out in my favor. I didn't really participate in any challenges, but I enjoyed myself anyway. And I got a lot of reading done. 

Here is my complete stack:

I actually finished Teacher Man on Friday night, but I'm including it anyway since I only read for about 9 or 10 hours yesterday. I also through in Volume 18 of Fables, even though I read it this morning. And without those two, I still managed to read just under 1500 pages and finish 5 books from cover to cover yesterday. It was a fabulous reading day. :) I also really enjoyed everything I read, so that's always a bonus.

With all of that reading, and finishing another volume of Fables this morning, I caught back up where I should be for #15in31. I have 11 books under my belt for the month, and while I have 4 more volumes of Fables to go, I have a few novels I also want to read this month. We'll see how much progress I keep making, especially considering this is a busy week and the grading is still piling up.

I'm so glad that I'm pushing myself back into reading. I MISSED it. SO MUCH. It's very easy to get caught up in other things-watching TV, etc-so I'm glad I'm returning my first love. I'm probably not going to be as focused next month with NaNoWriMo, but I might tackle another #15in31 in December. I'm enjoying it so much and with 2 weeks off from school, I'll have time to read some lengthier books.

In any case, while I would love to keep the reading trend going to day, I have laundry and grading to keep me busy. I hope you all had a great reading week!

My Official 2015 October Readathon Post.

Saturday Night (11:31 pm):

This is officially my last post of the night. My eyes and body are tired, so I'm heading to bed for whatever sleep I can get.

I had a very successful and relaxing day. In addition to just relaxing here at home, I spent the whole day with Matt, watched a fabulous football game, and read...a lot. It was what I needed to feel a bit like myself again, if even just for a day.

But I'm pooped now, and while I want to continue reading, I know I need the sleep more because this week is going to be busy and draining.

I ended up reading 5 full books today, and count 6 as being finished. Huzzah for that. I'm catching back up for my #15in31 challenge, and with more volumes of Fables sitting on my shelves, I might be able to complete the challenge.

Anyway, here are my final stats for the night. Let me know how you did.

Stats:

Number of Pages Read: 1,476 (that's a pretty awesome number, even though 400 or so of those pages are from graphic novels).
Books Finished: 6 (I read 180 pages last night in Teacher Man to finish it, and read Everything Everything, Volumes 15, 16, and 17 in Fables, and The Impossible Knife of Memory today)
Cups of Tea: 5 (English Breakfast, Chai, and a couple glasses of iced green tea)
Instagram posts: 4? 5? I lost track. 
Snacks: We didn't really eat a formal dinner, but Matt made a big batch of nachos to snack on while we finished watching the game, and peanut butter cookies to end the evening. :)
Cat Snuggles: 6
Husband Distractions: Oh, too many to count. I took a long break this evening to watch the game (MSU WON), and he tried to get me  to clean or watch a movie, but my book was just too good.

Saturday Afternoon (5:25 pm):

I really didn't intend to be away that long! But here I am! After a late breakfast, I ended up falling asleep on the couch for a little while. I didn't sleep long, and while I would love to go back and sleep some more, I know I need to keep myself awake to get a good night's sleep tonight.

I did get some reading done-2 more volumes of Fables. I'm enjoying the series so much! I think I'm going to read one more volume while the game is on (MSU v. Michigan), and then switch over to an actual novel to end my evening. I'd be perfectly happy with reading a total of 5 books today, even if 3 of them are graphic novels. :)

Anyway, I want to get settled back in to the couch since the game just came back on. I hope your reading is going well. I know that I'm enjoying this quieter participation this time around.

Stats:

Number of Pages Read: 916
Books Finished: 4 (Everything Everything, Teacher Man, and Volumes 15 and 16 of Fables)
Cups of Tea: 3 (English Breakfast, Chai, and now a class of iced green tea, which will probably be my drink for the rest of the night)
Instagram posts: 3 so far. I'm going to post again in a moment with my 4th book of the day. :)
Snacks: We ate breakfast at around noon...so brunch. ;) I also made some mini-hot dogs as a game-day snack, and we stuffed ourselves on those. I'm not in a snacking mood today.
Cat Snuggles: 4-mostly Sparty. I'm snuggled under an afghan my grandmother made me, and he happens to like the blanket. I'll take it
Husband Distractions: 3. Making a list for the grocery store, making him a snack, and then the game. But I'm not complaining. He's gotten me a couple drink refills. :)

Saturday Morning (11:21 am):

Hi guys. I just finished reading Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. Just as I suspected, it was the perfect book to start with for a readathon. :) I love engrossing YA books on days like this. I can fly through them and get in the mood for a lot of reading.

I think I'm going to settle in with a few volumes of Fables next, as Matt is now awake and making me a very late breakfast/brunch. Something short is just what I need to get through the afternoon.

I haven't entered any mini-challenges, and I don't think I'm going to. Honestly, my body is so exhausted from this week and all the Lupus flaring that's been going on that I am perfectly content to have a quiet kind of readathon. :) I'm sure I'll update in a few hours. Happy reading.

Stats:

Number of Pages Read: 500 (All of Everything Everything and the 180 pages I read in Teacher Man last night. That totally counts)
Books Finished: 2 (Everything Everything and Teacher Man)
Cups of Tea: 1 (English Breakfast, my favorite)
Instagram posts: 2 so far. I'm about to make my third. But I posted my reading stack last night and a pic of my reading this morning
Snacks: None so far
Cat Snuggles: 2 (Sparty and Lily both snuggled with me this morning as I read)
Husband Distractions: 1. I had to make him a grocery list this morning so he could go buy snacks, etc for the day. :) He's amazing

Saturday Morning (8:53 am):

Good morning! I'm finally up and ready to read. I actually woke up at 5:30 this morning, but forced myself to go back to sleep because of how absolutely exhausted I knew I'd be without a few more hours of sleep. I'm glad I did so. But I'm finally ready to start reading and joining in on all the fun.

My goal for today is just to relax, so I'm going to try and pop on whenever I finish reading or just need a break. Again, let me know if you're participating so I can come cheer you on!

Since I finished Teacher Man last night (I read about 180 pages!), I'm going to dive into one of the YA titles in my stack-Everything Everything. I saved it specifically for today, so I'm excited to read it.

I'm also including my beginning of event survey here-HAPPY READING! I'll check back in later!

Intro Survey:
1. Where are you reading from today?
I'm reading from the lovely Rochester, Michigan (35-40 minutes north of Detroit). It's pretty cold outside today, so I'll be snuggled up on our couch.

2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
All of them? I think I have a great stack of books (seen below), so I'm craving a bit of everything. I am excited to read a few volumes of the Fables series, but Rowell's new book is also a big contender.

3. Which snack are you most looking forward to?
Today is also the big MSU v. Michigan football game, so my husband has a lot of game-day snacks in the house for us to munch on while we cheer for the Spartans (GO GREEN!). Out of those...probably our chips and salsa. YUM.

4. Tell us a little about yourself!
I'm a 30 year-old English and History teacher. I'm married to my high school sweetheart and we have three cats, and all 4 of them will likely bother me today while I'm reading. :) I love reading the classics, which is why I started my blog in the first place, but I'm a big YA reader as well.

5. If you participated in the last readathon, what's one thing you'll do differently today?
This is probably my 8th or 9th readathon, so I consider myself a pro at this point. My main goal is to read. I might do a couple mini-challenges here or there, but I really just want to relax and enjoy some books that have been sitting on my shelves.

Friday Evening:

Hi everyone! It's Friday, October 16, and I am settling in for a night of relaxation before the readathon tomorrow. Truthfully, I was really excited for this readathon when they announced the date, as I knew it was a weekend when I had nothing going on. And then life happened and while I'm not going anywhere tomorrow, my mind is definitely in a different place. I'm also in the midst of a pretty bad Lupus flare-I haven't had one in months, but I've been so stressed and overwhelmed by everything for the last month, I know that I triggered it myself.

Anyway, I'm still planning on reading a ton tonight and tomorrow, so I thought I would pop in and post my stack for tomorrow, as well as my plans.

I'm hoping I an get through a couple of things, not only to get caught up on my #15in31 challenge, but also to relax. I'm so in need of some relaxation.

My stack:

• Fables Volumes 15-22 by Bill Willingham: I just purchased the rest of the series last week because I really want to finish it by the end of the year. In some ways, I feel like I'm cheating by reading these for #15in31, but I know they'll make great readathon material. I can generally fly through them in an hour or so. And I have 8 volumes left. That sounds like an epic readathon.
• Teacher Man by Frank McCourt: I'm just under halfway through this one, and I really want to finish it. Truthfully, I'm pretty sure this book is why I stalled in my #15in31. I like it, but it isn't something I want to race through to find out what happens, if that makes sense. I already told myself I can ignore it for the weekend if something else grabs me.
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell: I've loved all of Rowell's books thus far, so I was really excited to snatch this one up at the bookstore the other day. I'm pretty sure I'll dig into this one soon, but we'll see what kind of mood I'm in tomorrow!
• The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson: I was on a BIG Anderson kick earlier in the year and read a good chunk of her work, but missed this one. And since a student is reading it, I thought I would give it a try. 
• Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather: I've been craving more Cather, and while I read this one not that long ago (2013), I kind of want to reread it. So...that might happen. It's also a short little book!
• Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon: This is one of those books everyone's been talking about and I saved it specifically for the readathon. I know it'll be a fast read and pretty engrossing, so perhaps I'll get to it tomorrow night. 
• The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith: I have two Smith titles on my #15in31 challenge list, but this one shouted out to me when I was pulling books. I'm not sure if I'll end up reading it because there are some others I want to read more, but it's a contender. Smith's books always grab me.
• Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster: I thought I needed another classic option, and this was another title on my #15in31 challenge list. I loved the other Forster book I read, and like the Cather title, this one is short-perfectly doable in readathon time.
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: I've been savoring this one slowly over the last month, so I imagine I'll read a little bit of it tomorrow. I'm loving this reread of it, so I'm not in any hurry to finish it.

Super ambitious, right? Yep. But I know that plans always change and I inevitably grab a different book off the shelf anyway. I don't know why I even bother. I just like stacking books. ;)

I'm going to update this post throughout the day tomorrow, and I will also be super active on Instagram (alliedanielson) and on twitter (@alliedanielson). I would love to cheer you on, so if you're participating, please let me know!

In any case, I'm starting a little early and diving into Teacher Man. Happy Reading tomorrow!

Classic Words of Wisdom Winners!

Hi everyone!

Had a small issue with my laptop booting, thus the delay in posting winners for my mini-challenge. First, a huge thank you to everyone who participated! I'm still trying to visit everyone to see your wonderful posts, but it'll take me a little bit.

There were 128 entries linked up, so I entered that into random.org.

Our winner is....number 59, Jessica Barnes! She chose a wonderful quote by C.S. Lewis. I will try and get in touch with you about getting you your Penguin Clothbound of choice!

I also decided to pick a second winner because I just can't help myself.

Congratulations to number 103, Amanda at Fig and Thistle! She chose a quote from To Kill a Mockingbird. :)

Thanks again to everyone who entered and participated. I hope you enjoyed the challenge and happy reading!

Dewey's Readathon Master Post: April 2015. Edit 4x.

Happy Readathon!

I haven't participated in a readathon in at least a year or two, so I'm excited that I can dive back in this year. I have fond memories of reading with bloggers a few years ago, and I even hosted back in 2011 (that doesn't seem so long ago in my head....but it was!).

I'm not planning on reading the full 24 hours, but I'm hoping for about 8. I have a lot of grading to do this weekend (Sunday), so I need to make sure I don't kill my poor eyeballs. :)

I'm also hosting a mini-challenge during Hour 2, so I hope you'll participate.

I'll be keeping track of all of my reading, etc in this post throughout the day (just to keep my blog clean and uncluttered), so stop by periodically to see what I'm up to.

Here are the books in my readathon stack:

From top to bottom:

1. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson: This is my current read, and I'm kind of addicted, so this will probably be my first book. I'm going to try and avoid jumping right into the sequel, but who knows.
2. The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather: This is the next read for my Willa Cather project. I started it a few years ago, but never finished it. I've been craving some Cather, so this is a good option.
3. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson: This is the last book I wanted to read prior to my 10th graders' book battle, since it has been a couple of years.
4. So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba: I mainly picked this because it's tiny, but I also remember quite a few bloggers reading it a number of years ago and really enjoying it!
5. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami: This is a new acquisition for me, but it's really long (and the text takes up a large chunk of each page), so I don't know if I'll start it or not.
6. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol: This is a new title to our media center, so I snatched it up On Thursday with hopes of reading it. I know it's gotten good reviews!
7. Yes, Please by Amy Poehler (not pictured): This is my current audiobook that I'm listening to at the gym, and since I plan on going to the gym, I'm sure I'll listen for an hour or so. 

Happy reading everyone! I'll check in periodically!

Hour 1:
Opening Meme:
1. What part of the world are you reading from today?
I'm going to be reading from my couch. ;) But really, I'm from Metro-Detroit. It's set to be about 60 today, so it's a little too chilly to be reading outside.

2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I'm going to start with Mistborn since I've already started it and I'm excited to keep reading it. Truthfully, it's a reread. I read it a couple years ago and never read the sequels, so that's my intention is giving it another go. I'm also going to dive into Anya's Ghost pretty early on.

3. Which snack are you most looking forward to?
We bought a bunch of veggies and veggie dip last night, so truthfully, I'm pretty excited for that! Ha! I'm trying to eat a little better, so all of my snacks today will be pretty healthy.

4. Tell us a little something about yourself!
I've just jumped back into blogging after a couple years of random posting. It's been great to jump back into the community, and I'm excited that today I will be able to reconnect and find some new bloggers! I read a lot of the classics, but recently I've been branching way out from that. I'm a high school English and History teacher, so I like reading YA to help with suggestions for kids I'm teaching.

5. If you have participated before, what's one thing you'll do different today?
I have participated before, but not in a couple of years! I've never gone the full 24 hours, but the year I co-hosted I came pretty close. My goal for today is to read for about 8 hours, talk with members of the community, and have a good time. :) I'm trying not to stress too much about this whole thing! I am planning on cheering more than I have in the past, and I'm hosting a mini-challenge again! Huzzah!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (8:41 AM):
# of Pages Read: 0
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Ounces of Water Drank: I just woke up, so my water bottle is full!
# of Kitten Cuddles: 1 (Lily was cuddling on my feet this morning when I got up, so that totally counts)
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: 0 (He's still asleep)
Random Thoughts: I'm ready to start reading, but I'm going to hang out online until my mini-challenge launches. :) I'm excited!

Check-In 2:
Things are going pretty splendidly over here. I read for a bit, but took a break to cheer for people on Instagram. I also looked at quite a few entries for my mini-challenge, which has ended. I posted winners in a different post.

I read a good chunk of Mistborn, but I saw a photo on Instagram of someone's pile and noticed Ethan Frome by Wharton, and now I have to read it. So, that's what I'm settling in with now. :)

I'll probably read for another hour before eating some lunch and taking a social media break. Matt is still home (he goes to work at 4), so it's hard to stay focused with him bugging me all the time.  

Readathon Nonsense Stats (1:30 PM):
# of Pages Read:111
# of Books Finished: 0 (I was only about 50 pages into Mistborn and it is 600+ so I'm okay with that).
# of Ounces of Water Drank: 24. I'm slacking. I actually find it easier to drink lots of water when I'm at school.
# of Kitten Cuddles: -Lily joined me early this morning on the couch, then Hemi. Then Lily joined me again a little while ago, but Sparty kicked her out of her spot and is currently annoying me.
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: 2 I had to stop to go wake him up. And I had to make him breakfast because he's a whiner.
Random Thoughts: I'm ready to read Ethan Frome. Amazing how I never end up reading from my pile.....

Check-In 3:
I finally settled into reading for an hour or so, then had to shepherd Matt out the door to go to work (he's working part-time at a restaurant cooking). And now that he's gone, I thought I would take a few moments to pop in an update.

I didn't have the most productive few hours. I did eat a late lunch, then stopped to clean. Then I settled in with Ethan Frome, which was a random decision, but I read it in one long, delicious sitting. Ahhh, SUCH a good book. I think that was probably my 6th or 7th time reading it....

I think I'm going to tackle Anya's Ghost next, since it's a graphic novel and will be a fast read...How are you all doing?

Readathon Nonsense Stats (5:19 PM):
# of Pages Read: 210 (my copy of Ethan Frome was exactly 99....I find that amusing...)
#of Books Finished: 1! And a chunk read out of Mistborn this morning
# of Ounces of Water Drank: 72. I drank a full bottle (24 oz) with my lunch and have been sipping away ever since. 
# of Kitten Cuddles: Like....10? They seriously won't leave me alone. Currently Lily is perched on the back of my desk chair.
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: 4. The 2 new ones include him refusing to refill my water for me and the other was me trying to get him out the door so he would let me read! But now he's at work until 10, so I have the place to myself. Except for the cats.
Random Thoughts: Not sure what I'm going to make for dinner tonight. Also, I feel guilty not grading some essays....so I might try and read Anya's Ghost, then call it a night on the reading. :/ We'll see if the guilt continues...

Check-In 4:
Well, I finished another book in the last 2 hours! Truthfully, it didn't take that long to read, but I got sidetracked cleaning and just now decided to sit down and update (and do the mid-event survey). I'm still feeling a little guilty about reading when I have essays to grade, but I think after dinner I'm going to settle back in with Mistborn and try to get a little further. I knew going into today that I wasn't going to stay up through the night, but I do want to read more!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (7:39 PM):
# of Pages Read: 431 (Anya's Ghost is a graphic novel, thus the inflated # of pages)
# of Books Finished: 2! 
# of Ounces of Water: 80. I need to drink 20 more to hit my daily goal, so that's totally doable!
# of Kitten Cuddles: I've lost count. They seriously will not leave me alone today.
# of times my Husband has annoyed me: Not any new instances since he is at work. :)
Random Thoughts: I have no idea what I'm making for dinner. But I need something delicious.

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
As I just finished Anya's Ghost, nothing. Although, now that I'm staring at my pile...I have another REALLY short book that I could probably finish tonight........

2. How many books have you read so far? I finished 2-Anya's Ghost and Ethan Frome. I also read 100 pages of Mistborn. I also listened to a few minutes of Yes Please earlier when I was cleaning and will probably listen as I cook dinner and do a few cleaning things around the apartment. Saturdays are typically my cleaning days, so I can't avoid it!

3. What book are most looking forward to for the second half of the Readathon?
I really love Mistborn, even though it's technically a reread, so I am happy to get back into it. I left off at the beginning of "Part 2," so it should be easy to jump right in. And now that I looked at my pile....I might grab So Long a Letter to read this evening after dinner.....It's only 89 pages...

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Let's be honest....I interrupt myself. I keep finding chores to do or silly things around the house. But hey, I am glad to be participating and while I might not be reading as much as many other readathoners, I'm having a good time with the book blogging community today. :)

5. What surprises you most about the Readathon so far?
Hmmm, no surprises. Well, I guess I'm excited to see a large presence on Instagram. I spent about an hour this morning liking pictures and commenting and didn't even make a dent. I'm glad to see how big this readathon has gotten. The first one I did, way back in October 2009, was only semi-successful (I also didn't blog about it). My second attempt, in April 2010, was much better (I read A LOT). I know there were only a few hundred participants, so I'm happy to see the event growing and trending on twitter. :) Book nerds rock.

Readathon Post! *Update x4*

8:10 PM: I think I'm calling an to my readathoning...or lack thereof. I was really looking forward to today, but my body isn't too happy with me. After writing the last post, I passed out on the couch for another 3 hours and only woke up because Matt came home. My joints are aching and I feel like I could sleep for days...so while I will probably read for a few more hours, I don't think I'm going to update anymore.

I hope everyone had a very successful readathon!

3:49 PM: Well, I ended up taking a bit of nap, then I read for a little while before taking a shower and taking care of a few chores around the apartment. I'm ready to get settled back into Bitterblue and read until Matt gets home from work in another 3 hours or so.

I hope you're also getting a lot of reading done!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (3:52 PM):
# of Pages Read:211
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages: 3 (all big bottles of water-no caffeine yet!)
# of Kitten Cuddles:3 (Lily cuddled this morning, and Sparty has been attacking me off and on for the last hour. Right now he is eying my lap...)
Random Thoughts: Really just want to dive back into Bitterblue!

10:52 AM: Breakfast had so much potential, but sadly let me down. Please note that you should check to make sure you have everything you need before cooking and eating. I mixed my pancake mix, got them all cooked, then when to grab my syrup, and it was ALL GONE. :( I ate them anyway, but they would have been better with syrup on top.

Nevertheless, I will soldier on now that I have food in my tummy. Bitterblue, here I come!

Readathon Nonsense Stats (10:54 AM):
# of Pages Read:156
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages: 2 (finish a large bottle of water early this morning, and I am halfway through a bottle of grape enhanced water. YUM).
# of Kitten Cuddles:1 (Lily was very affectionate this morning, rubbing on the corner of my book and nudging my hands to be petted).
Random Thoughts: I think I have chocolate on my face...

9:54 AM: I decided to take a little break now, after settling in with Bitterblue for the first hour and a half. I made some great progress, and I am SO GLAD I decided to start with that book! It's amazing!

I'm getting pretty hungry, so I suppose I should eat breakfast. And I am definitely thinking of some pancakes...with chocolate chips. Yep, that sounds about right. :) I also need something to drink since I downed my bottle of water already (My Brita refillable water bottles are one of the best purchases I have ever made.

Anyway, breakfast time and more reading. I'll probably check the website since the next post should be up soon. :)

Readathon Nonsense Stats (9:58 AM):
# of Pages Read:156
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages:1 (a very large bottle of ice water-yummy)
# of Kitten Cuddles:1 (Lily was very affectionate this morning, rubbing on the corner of my book and nudging my hands to be petted).
Random Thoughts: Really loving Bitterblue so far-wonder when Cashore's next book will be out!

7:46 AM: Hi everyone! I'm excited to be participated in the 24-hour readathon happening today. I wasn't sure if I was going to, but I really need the down time! I've been having a flare-up the last few days, so sitting and reading sounds FABULOUS.

I've participated in every readathon since I started blogging, so this has to be my 6th or 7th go! I've learned not to push myself too hard, and to just enjoy spending some time catching up on some great titles. Whenever I push myself too hard, I regret it later. I'm planning on my usual routine today. And to keep you up to speed, I will be updating this post all day so I won't bother you with numerous little tidbits all day!

I have a good mix of books on my pile:

• The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather: This is the only one I've actually started already (about 40 pages in), and I definitely want to make a dent. I think I might save this one for later on...
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: I've been really wanting to read this one, so I might begin it in a little while...
• Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore: I have been saving this title to read today, so this is the first book I'll be diving into!
• Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: I adored Between Shades of Grey, so this one has been on my shelf since it came out.
• Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans: I love the bright colors and the premise sounds amazing. I might save this one for later tonight when I get tired.
• Every Day by David Levithan: This will be my second attempt at Levithan's writing, and I am looking forward to it. I've heard great things!

I'm sure that I'll end up reading a book not on my little list at some point today-as is the beauty and wonder of the readathon, but we'll have to see. 

And, before I start reading, the introductory meme:

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

Lovely Michigan. Thankfully, today it looks like Spring outside. In addition to having some 70* days this week, it also snowed on Wednesday. Ah, lovely Michigan. In my apartment, I'll be mainly reading from my couch. :)

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Definitely "Bitterblue." I've been saving it so I could read it in one big sitting, so hopefully it lives up to those expectations. I'm also looking forward to diving deeper in my Cather title. 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

We have a little local diner about 2 minutes from our apartment, and I already know I'm ordering lunch from them. :) They make the BEST salads...and I have students who work there, so they always hook me up. :) I also have some apples in the fridge and peanut butter in the pantry, so I am sure that will be making an appearance.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I've been in a bit of a reading slump (after reading something like 7 books over my Spring Break), so I really need this downtime!

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?
I've learned how to pace myself. I always start with a fun title I am looking forward to-that way, when I finish it, I'm energized for the day. I've also learned that I can't do the full 24-hours. It leaves me cranky the next day, and since I have a LOT of grading to do, I definitely need to be alert tomorrow! I've also learned to drink lots of water, take breaks to chat on twitter, and to cheer others on! But most of all, READ. Spending too much time online or participating in complicated memes means less reading time!

And my readathon stats (I will add to this throughout the day and attach it under each update):

Readathon Nonsense Stats (8:02 AM):
# of Pages Read: 0
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Beverages: 0
# of Kitten Cuddles: 0
Random Thoughts: I'm ready to get this party started!

Weekly Wrap-up for January 6, 2013: End of Vacation, Classics Club Readathon, and more.

I woke up early this morning to find that it was snowing outside. We still had snow on the ground from the storm that hit us on the 26th, but I am glad that a new, fresh layer is down. I sincerely love the winter and everything it brings-including snuggling up in hooded sweatshirts with warm fluffy socks. So, I decided to stay nestled in bed for another couple hours to finish My Antonia, which I started last night for The Classics Club Readathon. It was nice to settle in with a warm and comforting read while the cold winter winds blew outside my window. The cats were also grateful to snuggle in for some cuddles. It was a great way to spend the last morning of my two-week break from school.

Obviously, I am sad that break is coming to an end. I enjoyed being home with my husband and having time to recharge. I also didn't get everything done that I wanted to, but I guess I have to be okay with that. :) I am excited to get back to school, and the next few weeks will be really eventful. We have a full week this week to get things back in order and finish up content for the first semester. Then, next week is exam week. We'll be reviewing content and testing, so that'll be a fun time. :) After that, we start the new semester!

My classes are changing quite a bit second semester. We run on a 6-period schedule. Right now, I have 2 sections of U.S. History, 2 sections of mythology, and 1 section of sophomore English. My sixth hour is also my planning period. Second semester I have 3 sections of U.S. History, 2 sections of sophomore English, and I will be co-teaching theater. It is going to be a very FULL day of teaching, since I do not have a planning period. I'm excited for the new challenges of the theater class, and knowing that there is another teacher in the room with me settles my nerves a bit. :) I'm also excited to have more sections of the other two classes, since I very much enjoy teaching them!

I've done some plan/prep work this break, and I think that once things get started, I'll be just fine. I've taught the second half of both the core classes before, so I have materials and resources to turn to. I won't be "starting from scratch" like I did this fall (with 3 classes), so it should run much smoother this semester.

I'm hoping this means more time for reading and personal hobbies, since I didn't have much of a personal life this fall. But 2013 is already off to a great start, thanks in part to The Classics Club Readathon that took place yesterday. While I didn't manage to read all day, I did make enough progress that I feel successful. :) I finished the second half of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, read all of Tennessee William's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and read My Antonia by Willa Cather. I consider that a huge success! Starting 2013 with a string of good books makes me optimistic for this year.

I'm not sure what I'm going to grab next. I might stay with a couple slimmer books, but I've been eying a few big titles as well (Anna Karenina for one, Uncle Tom's Cabin is another). If you have recommendations, please suggest away!

I think it also helps that I got a jump-start on a few of my 2013 goals. I spent some time on Wednesday reorganizing the bookshelves in the living room. Everything got messed up a couple months ago when we purchased our new entertainment center and moved the old bookshelves (that housed our DVDs) into the second bedroom. Books have been sitting in piles everywhere and double-stacked on the living rooms shelves, so I re-alphabetized and rearranged my classics. I even managed to move all the "sets" I've been collecting onto one bookshelf, and I very much like how it looks:

 The top shelf has the Puffin Classics series, then the beginnings of my Penguin Clothbounds (Northanger Abbey goes in that open spot-I had it out since I was reading it). The second shelf contains the remaining clothbounds (including the two new titles I got for Christmas from my mom!). The next two shelves are the Penguin English Library editions that I've started collection. I'm up to 56/100, so I'm making good progress. ;) I'm trying to finish up all the Dickens titles (have 3 to go), and then I'll own all his major works.

I also pulled out a few doubles I had to pass along and moved my Shakespeare to a different location. It makes the room look a lot nicer, now that books aren't piled all over. ;)

Anyway, I'll be spending the rest of the day doing more planning and prep work. I finished my unit on The Great Gatsby last night, so today I turn my attention to my U.S. History classes.

Have a wonderful Sunday and happy reading!

Classics Club Readathon Update Post. *Edit x4*

1:15 pm: The Classics Club Readathon is well underway and I just managed to finish my first book, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I started it earlier this week, then set it aside for a couple of days. I got suck right back in and flew through the last 150 pages or so...

Now I'm trying to decide what to do. After being bed-ridden most of the day yesterday, I have a slew of things to do around the apartment, but I really just want to stay curled up and read. I did pull a pile of slim volumes off the shelf as options...help me pick?

• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams
• Rosencratz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
• The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
• The Fall by Albert Camus
• My Antonia by Willa Cather

I think I am going to go clean for a half hour, then settle back in with a book. :) I hope everyone else is reading away!

5:19 pm: Well, I've been productive, but not with my reading. I did manage to take a shower, read a few pages of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, go over to my mom's to pick up a load of laundry I left there, tweeted some readathoners, posted over at The Classics Club, and started dinner (have zucchini and butternut squash roasting in the oven as we speak). I really want to dive back into the Williams' play, so as soon as dinner is done and in my tummy, I am hiding out in the office to read away.

I'd really like to finish the play and start My Antonia before the night is over. I do need to get some school stuff in order tonight (to make tomorrow less daunting), so I'm planning on calling it quits on the reading at around 10 or 11pm. We'll see. Maybe I'll get sucked in. :)

Let me know how all of you are doing!

7:22 pm: I just finished Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and really enjoyed it! So full of luscious drama! It reminded me quite a bit of Lillian Hellman's Little Foxes. It had that same Southern charm and fire.

Since I finished that a bit earlier than I thought, I am definitely going to dive into My Antonia, inspired by Adam and his read of O Pioneers! earlier today. I haven't read it since I was a freshman in high school (13/14 years ago), so I am excited to see it with "fresh" eyes. I definitely want to read more of Cather, and she is one of a few options for a "Complete Works" project I may tackle this coming year.

Anyway, I'm going to go grab some fresh water in my water bottle and snuggle back into my chair to read. Matt is in the living room watching a movie, so he's been letting me have my reading time today, which is MUCH appreciated. :)

10:33 pm: I jinxed myself by saying that Matt was leaving me alone. He proceeded to annoy me for a solid hour after my last post. :) After I finally got him shepherded off to bed, I browsed twitter for a bit, procrastinated washing dishes, brushed the cats, washed the dishes, and made myself a snack before settling in to read My Antonia,

Cather's novel was the perfect choice. I settled right into it, and I am loving it. I'm up to page 115 (about halfway through) and to be honest, I could finish it tonight. However, I know I am going to regret it tomorrow if I don't get something for school done tonight. So, I think I am going to work on something school-related for an hour, then go to bed (the only school things I have are prepwork, so it's fun school stuff, not grading!). I'm hoping to get up early in the morning (to get back in the swing of things), so perhaps I will settle in with My Antonia for another hour or so then.

If you're still reading tonight, good luck!

12:42 am: Well, I sat down and decided that I needed to get some school things done before I headed off to bed. And work I did! I managed to revise the lessons and sheets I had made for a unit on The Great Gatsby. It lifts a big weight, since that is what we'll be starting in the beginning weeks of second semester. I also did a couple other nit-picky things. And then I look at the time and freaked out a bit! I planned on being in bed an hour ago!

Anyway, while I am tired, I am going to take My Antonia to bed with me and try to read another chapter or two. I will see you all in the morning.

Classics Club Readathon Starting Post.

The Classics Club is hosting our first Readathon event today, and I am planning on participating for a good chunk of time. I do need to get my sleeping schedule squared away before school starts on Monday, so I'm hoping to be a good participant for a good 8-10 hours. We'll see how that goes. :) I was in bed pretty much all day yesterday (sick), so there are some things that need tending to round these parts!

As for my book choices, I'm really not sure WHAT I'm going to read. I am definitely going to finish Northanger Abbey, and I've been eying a few other titles, but I'm not sure what I'll grab. I want to make some progress with both lists, so I think I'm just going to take a walk by my shelves and see what jumps out at me.

If you're participating, please let me know so I can stop by and visit during the day.

And, to kick us off, here are my answers to the starting point questionnaire!

1. Name and Blog: Allie at A Literary Odyssey
2. Snacks and Beverages of Choice: I'm going to stick with water for as long as possible. I'm trying to reduce my caffeine intake for health reasons, so I'm going to be good! As for snacks, we have a lot of fruit in the house (pears, clementines, and apples) that are calling my name. I'll probably snack on some pretzels too.
3. Where are you reading from today? Michigan, but more importantly, my couch. Probably under a pile of warm cats.
4. What are your goals for the Readathon? I just want to make some progress on my list! Ideally, I'd like to finish a book or 2, but I'm taking it easy. I'm not sure how much I'll update, but I imagine every few hours?
5. What book(s) are you planning on reading? I'm still not sure! I'm probably going to gravitate towards some smaller titles, but a chunky book to sink my teeth into also sounds good.
6. Are you excited? Very. :)

Winners for the Oldies but Goodies Mini-Challenge.

First, I want to apologize that I am announcing my winners so late-I was out all day with my husband and just got home a little while ago.

I had a great time reading through your entries! I went to random.org to pick my winners and you'll see them here in reverse order. Since I had over 100 entries, I am adding a third winner!

First up is our winner of ONE PEL title....Congrats to...

Meredith of Boats Against the Current!

The second winner get their choice of THREE PEL titles. Congrats to...

Laura of Devouring Texts!

Last is our big winner who gets to choose FIVE PEL titles. Congrats to...

 Nomad Reader!

Winners-I will be sending you an e-mail soon to touch base about your titles!

Thank you all for entering. I will give you a hint and let you know that I will be doing a holiday themed giveaway with PEL titles as well. Make sure to come back and visit me! :)

Keep on reading!

The "Oldies But Goodies" Mini-Challenge.

Welcome readathoners!

I hope your readathon day is going wonderfully, and that you are reading a slew of amazing things. While I signed up to participate, I won't be starting my reading until later tonight (some things came up that I have to take care of today). 

In any case, I DO have a mini-challenge for you. A couple of years ago, I hosted a similar challenge and passed out some wonderful Penguin Clothbounds to the winners. I decided that I really wanted to host something similar, because hey, I read a lot of classics round these parts...

But instead of those Penguin Clothbounds, I decided to offer up something a little more exciting-Penguin's new English Library Collection (henceforth called PEL). You can see my own budding PEL collection at right. What I love about these titles is that they have the same style and covers as the clothbounds, but in a broader selection of titles! They're wonderful books...and I want to share them with two winners.

The first winner of this challenge will win their choice of FIVE TITLES from the PEL line. The second winner will get to choose THREE TITLES. And if 100 people enter, I'll add on a third winner who will get their choice of ONE TITLE. If you want to know what titles are available, you can visit the PEL Website to see the covers and titles (I should comment that the collection consists of 100 titles-30 of which haven't been released just yet).

The Rules:

• You must be a participant of the readathon to enter.
• You must 13 years of age or older.
• This challenge is open to anyone that the Book Depository delivers to (most countries).
• You MUST leave me an e-mail in your comment below so I can contact you if you win.
• To officially enter, leave a comment below (with your e-mail) and your answer to the following question: What classic book should ALL high school aged children read and why?
• This challenge will end after three hours (*I do want to note that I may not post winners right away. For that, I apologize, but I have something I have to take care of this afternoon). I will disqualify any comments left after that time has passed.

Good luck! I look forward to reading your answers and sharing those titles with my students!

Weekly Wrap-up: Readathon and a Park Story.

Hey everyone-

I was planning on making one more post last night to officially call it quits on the readathon, but I just didn't have the energy. After my last update, I curled up on the couch with Matt because he wanted to watch a movie together. And yeah, I took time with my husband over reading because I just haven't seen too much of him recently. When our movie was done, I finished The Little Foxes and crashed in bed.

I did have to work this morning, so I couldn't stay up all night and still function at the park (more on the park in a minute).

Even though I finished 2 books during the course of the readathon, I don't think I was super productive. If I had the day off, I am sure that I would have read more, been more interactive, and entered more of the challenges. I need to make sure that I request future dates off so I don't get stuck like I did this time around.

I think I might do my own mini-readathon next weekend to makeup for my lack of reading yesterday. I still want to get through most of Clarissa, so I figure if I get ahead with all my school stuff, I'll be able to devote a lot of time to reading next weekend. :) We'll see how it works.

Anyway, my first day at the park was yesterday, and it was relatively uneventful. Today was also pretty boring until about 3:30, a half hour before I was supposed to clock out. A woman came to inform us there was a suspicious man in the woods and that her kids saw him burying something. Intrigued, I went down with my other supervisor to see if we could find anything. We discovered a bag buried under some leaves where the man had been, so I called the police to come take a look. I didn't want to open it, you know?

So, a police officer comes, as well as one of the full-time rangers from another park. I lead them down into the woods on the hillside where the bag is. The officer actually seemed all excited to find something good.

Imagine all of our disappointment when he opened the bag to find two water bottles, two bottles of juice, two wine glasses, a wine cork opener thing, and a bottle of Chardonnay all set in the bag full of ice. We all started laughing. Apparently our suspicious man was planning a date night of some sort...and we ruined it. We don't allow alcohol in the park, so there was no way we could leave it.

It was a funny moment and was a good way to get back into the swing of park life.

Alright, enough procrastinating for me. I have one small stack of papers left to grade, and I need to get them done! :)

Readathon Master Update Post. April 2012. Update x3

Update 1 (8:03 AM):

To prevent your readers from clogging up, I am going to do what I have done for the last few readathons-create one master post where I will keep all my updates, challenge entries, etc. It makes my life easier to deal with. :)

I have Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver sitting next to me, and the goal is to finish it by the time I go to work at noon (roughly 4 hours from now). I don't know if it'll happen, but that's the plan.

Anyway, here is the into meme and my answers:

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

I am reading from Rochester, MI. I am currently home, and when I go to work, I'll be reading from the park. I'll make sure to take pictures of that location!

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I am really excited to start Pandemonium, even though I wasn't completely blown away by Delirium. I think it is because I feel like I am cheating on Clarissa. That's okay, right? I mean, Clarissa is ginormous, she can hunker down for awhile. 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
I'm not really sure...I'm sure when I'm at the park we'll be snacking and goofing around for part of the day (It is cold and chilly today, so I'm not sure how much we'll have to do outside). I am bringing some homemade soup with me for dinner, so I am pretty darn excited about that.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I have way too many books in a small apartment. I like Diet Coke way too much (I am trying to stop drinking pop altogether). And my blog usually focuses on classics...which is why this YA title feels like such a guilty pleasure sort of thing.

Oh, and I have a huge craving to watch "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Some time might be spent doing that later. :)

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 readathon #5 for me, and I think I finally have it figured out. Start with a fun book before moving to things I want to read. I always feel more accomplished when at least one thing is finished early on. I am most looking forward to just enjoying a day of reading. Reading hasn't been a big priority recently, so I can't wait to focus a bit. I might also grab some random books off the shelves, so anything can happen!


Readathon Nonsense Stats (8:09 AM):
# of Pages Read: 0
# of Books Finished: 0
# of Cups of Tea: 1
# of Kitten Cuddles: 1
Random Thoughts: I really, really wish I didn't have to work today. How lame that my first day back at the park is also readathon day? Boo-hiss.


Update 2 (11:05 AM):

I just had a solid 3 hours of reading. I love when a book can suck you in that way. I didn't even move off the couch until I closed the back cover. :) I haven't done that in AGES.


So yes, I finished my first book (Pandemonium). I liked it a lot better than Delirium, as I thought the world-building was better. The only piece I didn't like was the very end. I hate cheap tricks like that. Boo hiss Lauren Oliver. But, I will most definitely read the third book when it comes out!

I just scarfed down a bowl of oatmeal and I am attempting to type this entry with a cat on my lap. I have to shower and such before leaving for work, so I'm not sure if I will update until I get home. Sorry for going dark for 8 hours, but I will be back! :)

Readathon Nonsense Stats (11:14 AM):
# of Pages Read: 375
# of Books Finished:1
# of Cups of Tea: 2
# of Kitten Cuddles: 3
Random Thoughts: Still really mad I have to go to work. I'm not happy about missing a large chunk of the readathon. Lame.

Update 3 (8:50 PM):

Well, I just got home from work a few minutes ago. I just settled into my PJs and I am now firmly planted on the couch. I'm a little mad that I got home later than I was supposed to (we had cars in the lot past close, so I had to wait for the people to leave before I could lock up and go), so I'm all kinds of cranky. Otherwise, work was fine. It was really cold out, but we got some maintenance things done around the park. I also got to meet the new inhabitant at the park office...a very big Red Tail Boa Constrictor. I'm not the biggest fan of snakes. I can tolerate smaller ones as long as they aren't touching me, but big snakes freak me out. And he's pretty big. I also don't like that his cage is in our main meeting/lunch room. While I was eating my lunch, I kept feeling like he was watching me trying to size up if he could eat me. Unnerving. Supposedly he is going to be moved into one of the full-time Rangers' office, so that'll make lunch time a little less creepy.

I managed to read a little bit. I decided to read The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman as my next read. It is a short little play, so it would normally be a perfect choice. I thought I could fly through it on my lunch break, but I only managed to get through 2 Acts. There is only 1 Act left, and it is only about 20 pages, so I should finish it quickly. I'm not sure what will be up after that...maybe Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot? Or maybe I'll suck it up and start Clarissa. Not sure...

Anyway, I best get cracking on some reading. I'm going to call it quits at midnight or 1, so I need to make some progress. :)

Readathon Nonsense Stats (8:57 PM):
# of Pages Read: 429
# of Books Finished:1 (almost done with 2!)
# of Cups of Tea: 2 (no more tea at work, but I had some Gatorade and a lot of water)
# of Kitten Cuddles: 3 (I am sure that snake wanted to cuddle at work)
Random Thoughts: My husband is watching some crappy car show and I find it irritating. I think I am going to read in the bedroom instead. :)

Readathon Start.

I made sure I went to bed at a decent time last night so that I could be up nice and early for the readathon this morning. Unfortunately, I have to work an 8-hour shift this afternoon/evening at the park, so I'm not going to be able to be online all afternoon like I wanted to. But, since it is cold and kinda icky out, I'm sure we won't have too much to do. I can probably sneak in some reading and tweeting if that's the case. :) But if I don't update for a few hours, that's why.

I am only planning on reading two titles today. I am kick-starting my morning by reading a fun YA title that I just picked up. I decided to read Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver since I enjoyed Delirium when I read it last year (not my favorite, but I enjoyed it well enough to read the second in the trilogy). When I finish, I will be spending the rest of the day reading Clarissa. I am still hopelessly behind, and while I really enjoy it, the book kills my hands when I read it. There is something about propping it open that just kills after about 30 minutes.

I have been eying a play on my shelf (Lillian Hellman's Little Foxes), so I might even read that at work as something fast and easy to fly through. I fared a lot better in October by allowing myself to read whatever sucked me in, so while I say these are my plans, I am leaving my options open.

Anyway, time to go brew a little pot of tea and settle in with Pandemonium. I am hoping I can finish it before I have to be at work at noon (work is only a 5 minute drive, so I hope I can make it).

Good luck-I'll check in before I leave for work!

Readathon Plans.

Saturday is Dewey's biannual 24 Hour Readathon. If you haven't participated before, you should really consider joining in on the fun if you have some time to devote to reading Saturday.

This will be my fifth readathon since I started blogging, so maybe I am a readathon pro?

I think what I have learned from participating in readathons is not to hold myself to lofty goals. Or to make ginormous stacks of books. I usually only manage to read a book or two...and that's perfectly okay.

For the readathon in October, I started out the day by reading something fun and light-hearted. I really liked starting out the day that way, since it allowed me to get through one book before I started in on my classics.

For Saturday, I am debating between A Million Suns by Beth Revis and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Both are sequels to books I read last year, and both would be easy, fun reads to start out the day. After I finish one of those, I am spending the rest of the day with Clarissa. I have made minimal progress with it, even though I'm really enjoying it.

I am working Saturday as well (my first day back at the park), so I won't be reading all day...but since it will be relatively crummy out, I probably won't be up to too much at work anyway.

I will most likely have one master post that I'll update sporadically throughout the day.

Who else is joining in?

Weekly Wrap-up for February 19, 2012: Productivity, Good News, and Reading Plans.

This has been a cuh-razy week. I mean CRAZY. It finally hit me that the month was slipping away and I had made no progress on any of the plans I had to get things in order around here, so I told myself that by today, I had to get something done.

I tackled a couple of big projects this week. The first thing I did was organize my recipe binder (also jump started by the fact that Matt knocked my card box off the counter and broke it. After watching the cats bat my recipe cards everywhere-including under the fridge (that was fun to retrieve)-I decided to tackle this project this month instead of next). While doing my laundry at my mom's on Friday, I also tore through her recipes and wrote down the ones I wanted. I am still waiting for my specialty page protectors to come in the mail. As soon as they do and everything is perfect, I'll show you what I did. I foresee lots of cooking in the future. :)

My new goal of trying one new recipe a week is still completely successful. :) We've liked everything I've made so far, but the trick is going to be keeping this up as we get busier!

I also went on a cleaning/organizing RAMPAGE yesterday. We've been dealing with some clutter and mess in our second bedroom, so I finally decided to tackle it. Most of it was just tossing old magazines, filing bills and paperwork, and putting things away. I also cleaned out my desk and put some of the things away that have been out for no reason (like our Christmas wrapping paper. It was still out). From there, I got into a zone and tackled our bedroom. I did laundry on Friday, so I started organizing and putting clothes away. But then I was digging in my drawers and closet and wound up with a bag full of clothes to donate. THEN, I noticed my jewelry was a certified mess, so I spent 2 hours sorting out my jewelry, re-arranging, and setting aside a PILE of old jewelry for my nieces. I figured they would appreciate some new sparkles. :)

By the time I finished everything, I had a small pile of stuff to donate (I'm taking it all this afternoon), two bags of garbage, and it was 10:00 PM. I told you I was productive. But the apartment looks awesome and I feel really good about getting that all taken care of so I don't have it lingering over my head.


It also comes at the perfect time because I got some good news on Friday afternoon. If you were on twitter, you probably saw, but I got a long-term subbing position for the rest of the school year! :) I interviewed for the job on Tuesday morning, and they called to tell me Wednesday that they wanted a second interview next week. I was incredibly surprised to see the school calling me Friday afternoon, and the principal offered me the job! My mom and I did a happy dance.

I'm really excited to be going back into a classroom. The last 3 or 4 months have been hard with nothing to do. I'm even MORE excited that I'm going to be back in the school I worked in LAST year. It was a great environment, so I can't wait to be returning.

I'll be teaching sophomore English again (I get to teach The Crucible again! Yay!), a section of eleventh grade English (research papers), and a class called Exploring Literature. I'm really excited for the last class, since it is geared for students who don't like reading. I think it'll be a great avenue to push some books on kids and test my own abilities to engage non-readers. :) I'll know more about what I'm doing after our meeting Thursday morning.

But I am stoked. :)

I'm celebrating by reading all day today (and since I failed to read anything yesterday). I'm going to join in on the readathon going on with Literary Stars. Having other people reading today is good motivation, and since Matt has to work on homework, I know he'll leave me alone. ;)

Goals for today:
-Finish David Copperfield
-Read the third section of Roots for my post due Wednesday!

I hope you all had a marvelous week-Happy Reading!

Winter's Respite Readathon Update.

As I mentioned on Monday, I am participated in a little readathon this week.

I haven't read every day this week, but I busted out some reading last night and earlier today to get through two Shakespeare plays (Henry IV Parts I and II). I still want to finish the remaining three plays I have before Sunday so that posts can go up next week-I still have The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I'm actually not feeling super hot at the moment-I've been feeling a headache coming on all afternoon, so as soon as I pull the last load of laundry out of the dryer and fold it, I am nestling into bed for a few hours with ice on my head (ice is my number one remedy for getting rid of headaches-works every time). Hopefully I'll be up and around in a few more hours so I can finish Merchant before bed. :)

How's your reading going this week?

(and HOW is it almost February?? Where has time gone?)

A Winter's Respite Readathon.

I wasn't going to sign up for this readathon, but after thinking it over today, I decided I better. :)

This readathon is hosted over at The True Book Addict and lasts from today through Sunday. I am signing up late, but I don't think it is a big deal. :)

Since this week is exam week for the school districts around here, I doubt I will get many, if any, subbing jobs. And while there are a few other things to take care of this week, I would love to make more progress on my reading list.

Here are my reading plans for the week:

• Finish the five remaining Shakespeare plays I have on my project list: Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Read Volpone by Ben Jonson and Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe to finish my plans for Shakespeare Reading Month (both were contemporaries of Shakespeare, so I thought it would be a fun way to end the month).

That's it! I hope I can at least get the Shakespeare plays done-that would be a huge relief! :)

Are you joining in? Either way, what are you reading plans for the week?

Weekly Wrap-up for January 1, 2012: New Year, Goals, and Readathon.

2012 is looking good so far! :) I spent last night at my eldest brother's house with some good friends and family. There was a lot of food, some drinks, and a lot of laughing. Even though I haven't been feeling good and would have preferred to stay in bed, I had a good time.

I'm feeling a bit better today, but still congested. I hate having colds. They make me miserable, and it always seems silly to feel so run down just because of a stuffy nose!

Anyway, I won't let that hold me back from some things that I need to get down this week. I just hope that I can start breathing like a normal person in the near future.

I'm really excited that it is finally January. I feel refreshed and ready to go in this New Year. Earlier in the week I outlined some of my goals for the new year, so today I am going to start putting them in action. I have plans for a walk a little later this afternoon to jump start some of my exercising. Matt and I actually live near a park, so I think a stroll this afternoon while listening to some Shakespeare is just what I need to start the year off right in regards to exercising.

Today is also the start of my little "Day After" readathon. I'm excited to get into 2012 by reading some good books. I still need to finish The Age of Innocence, book 125 and the book everyone selected in my poll. I've had a bit of a busy week, so I haven't spent any time reading. After the Wharton, I'm going to dive right into some Shakespeare. I think I might read Antony and Cleopatra first, then a biography I picked up yesterday, but I am going to play it by ear. :)

Well, I best get started on my reading. I will probably update my progress a little later this afternoon or into the evening. For those of you joining in, enjoy your books!

Happy New Year!

The "Day After" Readathon.

Hi guys!

Yep, I am hosting another readathon! woohoo!

After some conversations with Lori on twitter a few weeks ago, we decided to host a little readathon in the new year. We both want to kick-start the year in grand fashion and with some really good books. Personally, I know I have some Shakespeare to plow through, so this is the perfect excuse.

Anyway, here are the details if you want to join in:

• The readathon will go through January 1st and 2nd. You can start anytime you'd like-just read during those two days (do let me know in a comment that you're participating so I can cheer you on!
• I will be updating on my blog, as well as little updates on twitter (much like I did in my readathoning in November). You can update...or not.
• Have fun! The only purpose and goal is to get into the groove of a new reading year in 2012.
  

That's it! I know that I will be reading up a storm both days since the husband is working. :) I hope you'll think about joining us-even for a couple of hours!

A Very Casual Readathon Update Post *X 5*

I figured I might as well keep track of what I am doing in regards to reading this weekend here on the blog. I wasn't going to, since it would go against the idea of this being super casual, but I figured it would hold me more accountable knowing you all are reading it. :)

Friday Evening, 8 PM:

It is currently 8pm on Friday night and I haven't "started" yet. I intended to a few hours ago, but I got distracted by my DVR (Big Bang Theory and Project Accessory from last night), as well as cleaning, cats, and new books coming in the mail. Plus just general slacking and internet browsing. Oh, and a nap. Yeah, I'm super productive.

But I have EXACTLY 100 pages left in The Portrait of a Lady, and if I start right after I hit publish, I will finish in an hour or two, right for when Matt comes home from work. That's the plan, and I'm going to do it!

How are you all doing so far? Have you started? Want to join? Just want to cheer me on and taunt me? Feel free. :)

Saturday Morning, 10:30 AM:

I slept in a little longer this morning than I had planned, but I also stayed up a little later talking to Matt. We worked a bit of an opposite schedule yesterday (I subbed during the day and right when I got home he had to leave for work), and that really isn't all that unusual. I don't see him for great lengths of time during the week, especially when I am teaching.

He ended up getting home when I was only 30 pages from the end of The Portrait of a Lady, which irked me! I just wanted to finish! After watching some TV together, I retreated to bed and finished it. *sigh* It was such an amazing book. I'm still wrapping my head around the ending. I also started Sense and Sensibility, but only managed 25 pages or so before crashing around 1 am.

Before I dive back into Austen this morning, I need to finish going through my closet. When I realized I wouldn't be teaching full time, I knew it would give me the opportunity to get some things taken care of around here. Last week I culled and organized books, this week it is my clothes!

How is everyone doing this wonderful Saturday morning? Are you getting your read on? :)


Saturday Afternoon, 3:30 PM:

It is about 3:30 here in Michigan. And guess how much I have read since my last update? if you guessed nothing, you're pretty darn close. :) I just cracked open Sense and Sensibility again a few minutes ago, but I figured a post would be good before I lose myself in Austen.

I spent my morning and early afternoon taking care of a couple things-I pulled the rest of the clothes I want to donate and bagged them up. I also made a quick run to the grocery store for a few things to get us through until our next pay day. We were missing some staples, so I picked up as much as I could. I also ran into a student from last year and her mom, so I spent a good twenty minutes chatting by the dairy section. :) It was good to see her!

Now I am home, with some cinnamon bread baking in the oven, a nice big glass of icy Diet Coke beside me, and The Juliana Theory singing at me from the speakers. I'm ready to read some Austen! I won't check in again until I hit the 150 page mark, so I hope everyone else is getting some reading done as well!

Saturday Night, 9:00 PM:

Well, I am close to 150 (I'm at 134, which is the end of the first volume) and it is time for a little update. I took a break for dinner and a movie (The Holiday-it was on TV and I rather enjoy it), so not as much progress (I do want to mention that I did start back over from the beginning. Some details were hazy from last night-134ish pages isn't bad for an afternoon!).

Matt walked in right as I finished volume 1. He is going out with the guys tonight, so I will be able to get back to Austen. I'm enjoying my read of Sense and Sensibility. It was one of the first classics I picked up on my own. I believe I was in college and determined that to better educate myself, I should be reading these titles. So for every 3 "fun" books, I had to read a classic. This title, as well as Austen's other books, Edith Wharton's novels, and George Eliot's, were some of my favorites back then. But I don't remember this story all that clearly. This read is a good rediscovery of something I once read in a different place in my life.

I've been trying to decide, as I read, whether I am more of a Marianne or an Elinor. I bet that if I tested, I would pop up as Elinor. She seems a little more my style-concerned with propriety and the like, but I do like to think I have a bit of Marianne's spunk and passion. We'll see if that changes as I continue my read.

Off to read Volume 2. If I don't post again tonight, plan on hearing from me early in the morning.

How are my fellow readers doing? Have you finished anything? ARE YOU BEING PRODUCTIVE? :)

Sunday, 4:50 PM:

I didn't update this post this morning since I did my usual weekly post. I did finish Sense and Sensibility this afternoon! WOOHOO! It had been a while since reading it, so I was really excited about finishing it. I also have a copy of the film, which I've never seen, but I am saving it to watch with the Advent with Austen crew next Sunday, rather than putting it on RIGHT NOW like I want to. :)

I am going to make dinner for myself and the hubby (we're having pasta with meatballs and spinach salad if you're curious) before settling in with Paradiso.

How are you all doing?