Dewey 24 Hour (Modified) Readathon Update

1st update:

Here I am several hours into my 24 hours readathon. I've modified the experience to include the whole week-end in an attempt to actually get in 24 hours of reading into a weekend already full of other activities. Here is my update:

Hours spent reading or listening to audiobooks so far: 6 1/2 hrs.

Books Completed: The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters.

Currently Reading and Progress made:

• Sailing Around the Room: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins. Currently on page 65, which is about 40% of the book. I went to see Billy Collins read his own poems last night. More on that later!
• Jackaby by William Ritter. Currently on page 109, about 1/3rd of the way done. This author will be in Tacoma next Saturday for the Cavalcade of Authors West. I hope to meet him.
• The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork. This is an audiobook. I listened to 2 1/2 hours of this yesterday and I have a little less than two hours left.
• Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey. I've been working on this book for months but today I read around 20 pages. My goal is to complete at least two chapters of it this week-end.
• Golden Boys by Sonya Harnett. Another audiobook. This is the one Carly and I listened to this driving and from the Billy Collins event last night. Progress: 40 minutes.

Now I am off to assist at the local food bank. Next update 6 pm PDT. Bye!

Update#2: What's new since my initial posting (Saturday, 8:30 PM)

Hours spent reading or listening to audiobooks since last update: 6 1/2 hrs. for a total of 13 hours so far.

Books completed:

• The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork. This is an audiobook. I listened to last two hours of it en route to my volunteering position today and when I got home.
• All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness by Sheila Hamilton. Wow. I learned a lot. I will review this book for you early next week.

Progress on other books:

• Sailing Around the Room: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins. Currently on page 93, only 20 or so pages since the last update. I may have to set this book aside until tomorrow morning. My brain is tracking on the poems tonight.
• I've made no additional progress on the other books I reported earlier.

Up next:

• Finish books I've currently started.
• Lit Up by David Denby
• Blizzard by Jim Murphy
• The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

I know lots of participants are entering hour 13+ in one day and I admire your strength to do the whole challenge in one day, but I am pretty proud of myself for the progress I have made and think it will be possible to actually read for a total of 24 hours this week-end. I've got plenty of reading materials. Believe me.

I'm back at it. Bye!

Update#3...What's new since my last update.  (Sunday, 11 AM)

Hours spent reading or listening to audiobooks since last update:  5 hrs. for a total of 18 hours.

Books Completed:

• Jackaby by William Ritter. A YA paranormal mystery. Fun!
• Blizzard: The Storm that Changed America by Jim Murphy. A Junior nonfiction book about the blizzard of 1888 in New York.

Progress on other books:

• Sailing Around the Room: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins. On page 152, 88%. I read out many poems to the family as we ate breakfast.
• Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey.  I finished a tedious chapter and have 20 pages left on the next chapter. It was my goal to get these two chapters finished today. Then I will be a little over half way done with the book.

I'm off to my second volunteering opportunity of the week-end. I hope I still have 6 hours of reading in me when I get home. Tootles!