48 Hour Book Challenge: Starting Line and Updates

Final update:  As you can see below, I didn't update at all.  I ended up falling asleep fairly early for a Saturday night and Sunday I was really under the weather, which explains my early night on Saturday.  Did not get any reading done.  Hopefully, I will do better next year.

I had no idea this was going on this weekend until Courtney posted about it over at her blog, Stiletto Storytime.  I've participated in this one before, but I think I may have missed it last year.  Hosted by MotherReader, the 48 Hour Book Challenge is a read/blog-a-thon, from the host's blog: "which includes reading, blogging, and some connecting (for every five hours reading/reviewing you can take one hour of blog reading, tweeting, and general bookish socializing)."  I'm not really sure what I'll be doing.  I have some reading to catch up on and I have some blogging business to take care of.  I was going to start this morning, but I decided to wait until after my Saturday outing so I'm not doing the full 48 hours, but that's okay.  =O)  What I will probably be reading:

Edit:  I wrote this post earlier so it would be ready when I returned home tonight, but I have a little change of plans in the reading.  I picked up the book Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay today at the library and to treat myself and celebrate my first week on my new job this past week, I'm throwing caution to the wind and reading it first! Yes, I like to live dangerously.  LOL!

Middlemarch by George Eliot
The King Must Die by M. Gemini Sasson
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood

I will most likely be dabbling around in each, but who knows.

Beginning stats:
time: 9:00pm
current read:  Picnic at Hanging Rock
starting page: 1

48 HOUR BOOK CHALLENGE: WRAP-UP

I started the 48HBC at 12:15pm CST on Friday and ended today at 12:15pm CST.  I only managed to read half of The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber, but it is an over 800 page book and I finished it so a small accomplishment.  I have determined sincerely that I'm either a painfully slow reader or I'm very easily distracted.

Total hours spent reading:  24hr, 15 min.
Time spent on social networking (mostly Twitter):  1 hr.
Book read:  Finished Crimson Petal and the White (from page 363 until its end at 838)
Total pages read:  475

You can see a record of my 48HBC progress HERE

Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
I'm not going to write a full review right now because we are not finished discussing the book for TuesBookTalk and I don't want to chance spoilers.  I will say that Crimson Petal is a terrific portrayal of Victorian life and the stories and characters portrayed between its covers are vivid and endearing.  I highly recommend it.

48 HOUR BOOK CHALLENGE: THE START AND GOALS

Here I am at the start of another read-a-thon! This is the 48 Hour Book Challenge hosted by MotherReader. The start is anytime after 7:00am Friday and end by 7:00am Monday.  I'm going to start at 12:15pm (in approx. 10 minutes).  I'm not going to commit to a set amount of time, but I will read for the required minimum of 12 hours for sure.  I'm not really going to commit to a set reading list either, but I will probably read the following:

• (catch up on) John Adams
• (finish) The Crimson Petal and the White (for TuesBookTalk)
• (finish) Dante's Journey
• undecided
• undecided
• undecided

I'm not setting myself a lot of constraints this time.  Hoping a more relaxed approach will help me to be more productive.  We shall see!

UDPATES:


1st Chunk of Time
Time Started: 12:15pm CST
Time Finished: 4:15pm CST
Hours read: 3 hr, 45 min.  Blogging, Social Networking:  15 min.
Book 1:  Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
Start page: 363
End Page: 405

Nap: 4:15 - 6:15 approx.

2nd Chunk of Time
Time Started: 6:15pm CST
Time Finished: 4:30am CST
Hours spent:  10 hr   Social Networking:  15 min
subtract 1 hour for eating and phone call and 15 minutes for journaling
Total hours read for this chunk:  8 hrs, 45 min
Book 1:  Crimson Petal and the White
Start page: 405
End page:  553

Man, I'm a slow reader! I only read around 200 pages in all that time...ugh! Not sure when I'll start back later today.  It's almost 5:00am and I have plans for part of the day.  So I'll be back later....

Saturday, June 4--starting up again at 5:30pm CST, will finish Crimson Petal, then A Game of Thrones or                                    John Adams

3rd Chunk of Time

Time Started: 5:30pm CST

Time Finished:  2:00am CST

Hours spent:  8 hrs, 30 min.  Social Networking: 15 min.
Subtract 2 hrs for eating and other non-reading activities incl. journaling  

Total hours read for this chunk:  6 hrs, 15 min.

Book 1:  Crimson Petal and the White

Start page: 553

End page:  647

fell asleep at 2:00am.  Didn't wake up until 7:00am

Sunday, June 5--start time 7:00am, still Crimson Petal and the White

4th Chunk of Time

Time Started: 7:00am CST

Time Finished:  12:15pm CST

Hours spent:  5 hr, 15 min   Social Networking: 15

Subtract   1/2 hour for eating

Total hours read for this chunk: 5 hr, 30 min. 

Book 1:  Crimson Petal and the White

Start page: 647

End page:  838

48 Hour Book Challenge--Finish Line

Well, it's over (for me) and I did not do as well as I would have liked.  I didn't set a goal so at least I don't have to deal with that failure...LOL! Still I finally finished a book I needed to finish so there's that.  Here are my final stats:

Title of book(s) read since last update: Cardboard by Fiona Place, started The Red Door by Charles Todd
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 193
Running total of pages read since you started: 295
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 14 hours

Since I have nothing else planned for the rest of the night, I'm going to continue reading The Red Door, if I can stay awake, that is!

I still can't believe it took me almost 14 hours to read one book.  I did not think I was THAT slow of a reader.  I still don't think I am.  I just think the book was a difficult read.  I read books like that much slower! Anyway, thanks so much to MotherReader for hosting this awesome event.  Hopefully, next year I'll do a lot better!

48 Hour Book Challenge--Update #3

My read-a-thon performance has been less than stellar because I could not stop falling asleep! I finally finished Cardboard.  It was a difficult read, but it was worth reading.  I'll have my review up some time this week.  Here is my progress report:

Title of book(s) read since last update: Cardboard by Fiona Place
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 157
Running total of pages read since you started: 259
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 6 hours, 15 minutes
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 12 hours, 15 minutes
Up Next: I've decided to crack open The Red Door by Charles Todd.  Since Cardboard was such a difficult and involved read, I need something more suspenseful and exciting...I hope!

I'm in the homestretch now! I end at 10:15 pm...let's see if I can finish The Red Door. *fingers crossed*

48 Hour Book Challenge--Update #2

I'm back and getting started reading again.  Mom and I had a great time today.  We went to eat and she bought the boys some summer clothes.  We also had movie night tonight so I'm late getting home.  We watched Nine...not what I expected and I wasn't that impressed although Daniel Day-Lewis was great, as usual...and Halloween II...one word, GORY! Anyway, off topic here. 

Official start back time is 2:30 am
Picking up Cardboard by Fiona Place (on page 208) and finishing it!
Next up:  Virgin and The Crab by Robert Parry

I'm really tired so we'll see how this goes!  =O)

48 Hour Book Challenge--Update #1

Well, I've had a less than stellar reading experience so far.  I started at 10:15 pm last night and as time wore on, I kept falling asleep.  And I did not get much reading done.  I'm either an extremely slow reader or I'm just dragging my feet on what I'm reading.  While I'm interested in Cardboard, it's not a fast read like other books.  So here are my pathetic stats:

Title of book(s) read since last update: Cardboard by Fiona Place
Number of books read since you started: Still reading the first one.  =O(
Pages read since last update: 103  =O(
Running total of pages read since you started: 103
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 6 hours
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 6 hours
Up Next: Virgin and The Crab by Robert Parry

I'm off for my day with mom.  I'll be back late tonight to start reading again.  I'll be reading until 10:15 pm Sunday night so maybe, just maybe, I'll do better.  I hope so!

48 Hour Book Challenge--Official starting line

Well, I had planned to start at 7:00 pm, but a certain two boys (I won't mention names...we know who I'm talking about) kind of threw a wrench in my plans! So I'm starting at 10:15pm which means I will end Sunday at 10:15pm...woooo hooo!

Title of book(s) read since last update: I'm starting with Cardboard by Fiona Place
Number of books read since you started: I’ve started 1.
Pages read since last update: n/a
Running total of pages read since you started: n/a
Amount of time spent reading since last update: Just starting
Running total of time spent reading since you started: (keep track of this one to be eligible for a prize!)- Just starting
Up Next: Virgin and The Crab by Robert Parry

And here I go....

48 Hour Book Challenge

So...I'm doing another read-a-thon this weekend! The Fifth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge hosted by MotherReader is this weekend.  I'm not going to be able to read for the entire 48 hours, but I'm planning on starting tonight at 7:00 pm and ending on Sunday at 7:00 pm. 

Here's my list of planned reads:

Cardboard by Fiona Place (finish)
Virgin and The Crab by Robert Parry (finish)
Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show by Frank Delaney
The Red Door by Charles Todd
Under the Dome by Stephen King (I really hope I can finish all the others so I can start this one...finally!)

Are you joining the festivities this weekend?