"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Friday, April 23, 2021

April Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon


I've decided to participate in the April Dewey's 24-hour readathon this weekend, with modifications:

1. Instead of attempting to read for 24 hours in one day, which would involve staying up all night, I will attempt to read 24 hours during the weekend.

2. I will update my progress on this page, not create separate pages every time I post about my progress. Follow my progress below. I will attempt to update at 6-8 hour intervals.

3. My list of hopefuls:

  • The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict is for an upcoming book club. Print. Current progress 0%.
  • The Girl with the Louding Voice by Dare is for another upcoming book club. Audio. Current progress 9%.
  • Dune by Frank Herbert is my 2021 only reading goal. Audio and or e-book. Current progress 68%.
  • Saving My Enemy by Bob Welch. He has asked me to preview his book. Print. Progress 5%.
  • Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Kafka. My Classics Club spin book. Print. Progress 0%.
  • The Atlas of Happiness by Russell. Progress 75%
  • Fred Rogers: The Last Interview and Other Conversations. Progress 0%
  • I've requested "Grab bag" poetry books from the library, allowing the librarian to surprise me with the selections. I hope to read one or more of these. Print. (See #5 below)

4. Want to join yourself? Here is the linkup spot: Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon  

5. I just got home from the public library. In addition to the books I requested I asked for a 'Grab bag' of poetry books for adults. These are the treasures that were sent home with me:

  1. His Day is Done: A Nelson Mandela Tribute by Maya Angelou
  2. The Ancient Mariner by David Jones
  3. Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz 
  4. Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Ray
  5. Scribbled in the Dark by Charles Simic
  6. I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood by Tiana Clark

First Update: Saturday morning, 9 AM. 

  • Yesterday (and this morning) I figure I read/listened for about six hours worth of reading. Finished: His Day is Done: a Nelson Mandela Tribute; Scribbled in the Dark; We Are Water Protectors; The Atlas of Happiness. Progress made on Dune; Saving My Enemy; Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.

Second update: Saturday evening, 7 PM. 

  • I had a few unexpected interruptions today, most of them pleasant, that kept me from reading as much as I had hoped. I figure that I managed another 5 hours worth of reading since my last update. Finished:  Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, Fred Rogers: The Last Interview and Other Conversations, and Dune. Progress made: Saving My Enemy.

Third update: Sunday morning, 9 AM.

  • The family gathered to watch another Academy Award nominated film, The Sound of Metal, last night so I got little reading done after my last update but I got up early and have managed another 2 1/2 -3 hours of reading. Progress made: Saving My Enemy; Postcolonial Love Poem; I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood. I started The Metamorphosis and Other Stories by reading some of the introductory material but found myself not that interested in the minute details of Kafka's writing style so I skipped ahead and began reading the first short story in the collection, "Meditation." My eldest daughter and her young family are visiting us this afternoon so it seems unlikely I will accomplish my goal of reading for 24 hours over the course of three days so I may have to stretch out into Monday.😔

Fourth update: Monday morning, 9 AM.

  • I got little reading done yesterday with a three-year-old and a baby in the house. The whole day I tried to tuck in a little reading here and there and managed to cobble together 3-3 1/2 hours during the last 24-hours. That brings my total reading hours from Friday until today to 17 hours. But I am determined to finish this task of reading for a full 24-hours, even though it is really just reading. Ha! Finished: I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood. Progress made: Saving My Enemy and The Girl with the Louding Voice.

Fifth update: Monday evening, 9 PM.

  • I spent the majority of the day either reading or listening and managed to scrunch in 5 1/2 hours of reading in between life. I will likely read for another 1/2 hour before going to bed, so let's say 6 hours since the last update. That means I managed to read/listen for 23-hours over the past four days. Finished: Saving My Enemy. Progress made: The Girl With the Louding Voice and Postcolonial Love Poem.
 I'll write a wrap-up post tomorrow.

-Anne

7 comments:

  1. I like your modifications because I always think I'll participate and then life gets in the way, but if you add in Sunday it feels more doable. Have a great reading weekend!

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  2. I really like your variety of books for this reading challenge. I find this type of Readathon a bit stressful. My Ramadan reading challenge is for an entire month. Good luck and have a great reading weekend!

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  3. Not sure I could read so many different books in one weekend. Wow!

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  4. Not sure I could read so many different books at the same time!

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  5. I think that's a sensible way of doing a readathon. I've only been able to read for twenty-four hours straight one time in thirteen years, and that wasn't a pleasant experience.

    It looks like you had a great readathon.

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  6. What did you think of "The Sound of Metal?"

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    Replies
    1. It was very well done and gave me a lot to think about.

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