Susan Used to Live on Reader Lane

[Susy]

Happy readathon, Susan! Looks like you're all set to go!

[Kate]

Enjoy the readathon Susan. :)

[Ann A]

It looks like you have a great reading and food plan, Susan! I bought "Prisoners of Geography" a while ago, but haven't gotten to it yet. It looks fascinating. I'll have to miss the RAT this time :( but hopefully will be back in October.

[Susan]

Susy wrote: "Happy readathon, Susan! Looks like you're all set to go!"

Thanks, Susy! Happy Readathon to you, too!

[Susan]

Kate wrote: "Enjoy the readathon Susan. :)"

Thanks, Kate! That’s the plan ;). Enjoy your Readathon, too!

[Susan]

Cynda wrote: "I had popcorn last weekend. Must've sounded really excited as neighbor had to buy some too. I hope you enjoy your popcorn as much as I did!"

Cute story! Maybe you’ve started a trend, Cynda ;). Here’s to popcorn!

[Susan]

Ann A wrote: "It looks like you have a great reading and food plan, Susan! I bought "Prisoners of Geography" a while ago, but haven't gotten to it yet. It looks fascinating. I'll have to miss the RAT this time :..."

Hi, Ann! I bought “Prisoners of Geography” awhile ago, too. When I remembered there’s a section on Russia, in light of current events, I thought it would be a good time to pull it out. You’ll be missed today but hope to see you in the fall

[Susan]

Opening Event Survey

What fine part of the world are you reading from today? From Maryland, USA, where the azaleas and dogwoods are in beautiful spring bloom.

Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Very hard to say, because I have a couple books I’ve been saving for the readathon and am eager to read — Sliver by Ira Levin, Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan, and French Braid by Anne Tyler — so one of those.

Which snack are you most looking forward to? A frozen watermelon bar.

Tell us a little something about yourself! My reading buddy, Ms Jaxie, is a medium sized rat terrier-something else mix who has no interest in books, but is very interested in any and all snacks.

If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first readathon, what are you most looking forward to? Fewer interruptions, more reading

[Susy]

Susan wrote: "Susy wrote: "Happy readathon, Susan! Looks like you're all set to go!"

Thanks, Susy! Happy Readathon to you, too!"

Thank you!

[Elyse]

Hope you're having a good readathon, Susan!

[Susan]

Elyse wrote: "Hope you're having a good readathon, Susan!"

Thanks, Elyse! I am. Hope you are, too

[Elyse]

Susan wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Hope you're having a good readathon, Susan!"

Thanks, Elyse! I am. Hope you are, too"

I am! But now it's getting dark and my eyes are getting tired. The night is the hardest part for me!

[Susan]

Mid-Event Survey!

What are you reading right now? I’m two-thirds of the way through French Braid by Anne Tyler and am enjoying her take on dysfunctional family relationships.

How many books have you read so far? I finished Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan, so 1 done and 1 underway.

What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the readathon? Sliver by Ira Levin

Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yes, a few, but that’s life. Deal with them and keep reading ;)

What surprises you most about the readathon, so far? As always, how fast the time goes

[Susan]

Elyse wrote: "Susan wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Hope you're having a good readathon, Susan!"

Thanks, Elyse! I am. Hope you are, too"

I am! But now it's getting dark and my eyes are getting tired. The night is the ha..."

I know what you mean. I’m going to switch to an audiobook for a change of pace once I finish French Braid. I never do stay up all night, but I’ve got awhile to read before bedtime. Hope your eyes feel better.

[Cynda]

Time does always slip away, doesn't it. Fortunately we enjoy ourselves and come back again and again. . . . .If you stay awake, come stop by Hour 23 co-moderator thread as I am co-moderating then.

[Vanessa]

I am reading National Geographic kids March 2020 issue . I've read four issues so far . After this one I will go back to reading MY TURN by Nancy Reagan . I'm nearing halfway of the book . I'm looking forward to making more progress in it .

I took a 2 hour break to practice clarinet . And have been reading since 4:30pm Albuquerque , New Mexico time .

What surprizes me most about the Readathon ? The enthusiasm . No one ever gets tired of sharing their thoughts about books , regardless the hour .

[Vanessa]

Elyse wrote: "Susan wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Hope you're having a good readathon, Susan!"

Thanks, Elyse! I am. Hope you are, too"

I am! But now it's getting dark and my eyes are getting tired. The night is the ha..."

Same . I usually wake up at 5am to get a few more pages before deadline .

[Susy]

Cynda wrote: "Time does always slip away, doesn't it. Fortunately we enjoy ourselves and come back again and again. . . . ."

This, indeed! :)

[Susan]

Susan, I hope you are reading away and enjoying the readathon!

[Susan]

Cynda wrote: "Time does always slip away, doesn't it. Fortunately we enjoy ourselves and come back again and again. . . . .If you stay awake, come stop by Hour 23 co-moderator thread as I am co-moderating then."

Even though it’s after hour 23, I want to take a look at your thread, Cynda, to see what topic you picked. Looks like you had a good Readathon, and I hope your A/C gets fixed soon. See you next time

[Susan]

Vanessa wrote: "I am reading National Geographic kids March 2020 issue . I've read four issues so far . After this one I will go back to reading MY TURN by Nancy Reagan . I'm nearing halfway of the book . I'm look..."

Hi, Vanessa, The National Geographic kids sound like fun. I always forget I could read magazines, and they would be a nice change of pace. You are so right — lots of enthusiasm for books and reading at all hours for the Readathon. Hope you enjoyed your reading and to see you next time

[Susan]

Susan wrote: "Susan, I hope you are reading away and enjoying the readathon!"

Hi, Susan, I did enjoy the Readathon. When my eyes got tired last night, I went to bed and listened to my audiobook a bit, and I listened some more as I woke up this morning (The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters, a Father Cadfael mystery). I hope you had a good Readathon, too!

[Vanessa]

Susan wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "I am reading National Geographic kids March 2020 issue . I've read four issues so far . After this one I will go back to reading MY TURN by Nancy Reagan . I'm nearing halfway of the..."

Thank you Susan ! The text of adult novels can be quite stark sometimes , especially when you are binge reading . So I change to some lighthearted kids stuff for a while to break the slump .
As usual the 2022 Readathon ( like the 4 previous ones I participated in ) was time well spent .

[Susan]

End Survey

How would you assess your reading overall? Not my best, not my worst. I read two of the books I was most looking forward to (Small Things Like These and French Braid) and started the third (Sliver). And I read some poetry (although not as much as I’d hoped).

Did you have a strategy, and if so, did you stick to it? Not sure it was much of a strategy, but I planned to start with the two library books I had been saving for the Readathon, and I did.

What was your favorite snack? Rice krispy treats

Did you add any new books to your TBR/wishlist after seeing what everyone else is reading? It’s hard to resist ;)

What was your favorite book or experience from this readathon?

My favorite reading experience might have been listening to my audiobook, The Virgin in the Ice, which was at a very exciting spot.

I always enjoy seeing my reading buddy/pooch (or should I say snacking buddy ;) chow down on her special Readathon treat, a bully stick.

[Susan]

Vanessa wrote: "Susan wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "I am reading National Geographic kids March 2020 issue . I've read four issues so far . After this one I will go back to reading MY TURN by Nancy Reagan . I'm nearing ..."

Glad you enjoyed your Readathon, Vanessa! Hope to see you next time

[Susan]

Still need to do a little round-up of my reading, check the bingo boards, enter finished books in database, etc, but first have to dash off to see an old friend who is in town.

[Susy]

Susan wrote: "End Survey

How would you assess your reading overall? Not my best, not my worst. I read two of the books I was most looking forward to (Small Things Like These and French Braid) and started the th..."

Sounds like a pretty great readathon, Susan! See you in August hopefully!

[Susan]

Susy wrote: "Susan wrote: "End Survey

How would you assess your reading overall? Not my best, not my worst. I read two of the books I was most looking forward to (Small Things Like These and French Braid) and ..."

Hope to see you for the Reverse Readathon, Susy!

[Susan]

What I read:

Completed:
Small Things Like These, Clare Keegan, 128 pages
French Braid, Anne Tyler, 256 pages
Perfect Black, Crystal Wilkinson, 96 pages

Started/Continued:
Sliver, Ira Levin, 40 pages
Virgin in the Ice, Ellis Peters (audiobook) 1-1/2 hours (abt 45 pages)
The Stolen Lake, Joan Aiken, 10 pages

Total — 575 pages

[Cynda]

I watched all the Brother Cadfael episodes, so I recognize The Virgin in the Ice. I hope you like reading it as much I enjoyed watching it.

See you next Dewey's!

[Susan]

Cynda wrote: "I watched all the Brother Cadfael episodes, so I recognize The Virgin in the Ice. I hope you like reading it as much I enjoyed watching it.

See you next Dewey's!"

Thanks, Cynda! Father Cadfael is such a great character, and I am enjoying The Virgin in the Ice (only an hour left on the audio). I should check out the series, too, some time.

See you next Dewey’s!

[Ann A]

Susan wrote: "What I read:

Completed:
Small Things Like These, Clare Keegan, 128 pages
French Braid, Anne Tyler, 256 pages
Perfect Black, Crystal Wilkinson, 96 pages

Started/Continued:
Sliver, Ira Levin, 40 p..."

Looks like you had a great readathon and enjoyed your books, Susan! It's been probably 30 years (yikes) since I've read Anne Tyler. I should read one of her more recent works. I also added the first Father Cadfael book to my TBR-series list. JUST what I needed - ha ha. As you said though, it's hard to resist adding books when you see what everyone else is reading.

I told my husband I now have 12 reading hours to make up after missing the readathon ;) Hopefully, I'll be around for the next one!
*fingers crossed*

[Susan]

Ann A wrote: "Susan wrote: "What I read:

Completed:
Small Things Like These, Clare Keegan, 128 pages
French Braid, Anne Tyler, 256 pages
Perfect Black, Crystal Wilkinson, 96 pages

Started/Continued:
Sliver, I..."

Enjoy your 12 hour make-up reading, Ann! I like that idea.

I think you’ll enjoy Father Cadfael. As for Anne Tyler, I do like her work, but French Braid was a real disappointment, so I don’t recommend it. I’m rereading The Accidental Tourist atm to remind myself how good a book she can write. Of the recent books I’ve read, Vinegar Girl was my favorite. Hope to see you in July and/or September!

[Susan]

I’m running late, but I’ll be reverse reading with the rest of you ;). I just signed up and made it official.

Since I had a good time with a theme of beach reading for the reverse Readathon last summer, I’m going with a theme again —this time, I’ll be reading at an (imaginary) Paris cafe. Now to plan my reading — don’t want to pack too many books in my imaginary luggage ;).

[Cynda]

Good to see you Susan! A Paris cafe. . . . how nice. I will stop by your table now and again, maybe order a coffee and crossing to go. . . .

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl]

Susan wrote: "I’m running late, but I’ll be reverse reading with the rest of you ;). I just signed up and made it official.

Since I had a good time with a theme of beach reading for the reverse Readathon last ..."

Sounds nice!

[Susan]

Cynda wrote: "Good to see you Susan! A Paris cafe. . . . how nice. I will stop by your table now and again, maybe order a coffee and crossing to go. . . ."

That will be fun! Glad to see you for the Readathon

[Susan]

Avid Reader and Geek Girl wrote: "Susan wrote: "I’m running late, but I’ll be reverse reading with the rest of you ;). I just signed up and made it official.

Since I had a good time with a theme of beach reading for the reverse R..."

I guess in cyberspace we can be wherever we want ;) Nice to see you again

[Susan]

Here’s my preliminary packing list ;)

Books to Pack:

Lisette’s List (fiction, set in Paris and Provence)
Madam, Will You Talk?, Mary Stewart (suspense, set in Provence)(Kindle)
Maigret, Georges Simenon (mystery)
Eugene Grandet, Honore de Balzac (fiction)
Tell Them of Battles, Mathias Enard (fiction)
The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, Denis Theriault (fiction)
Tartuffe, Moliere (comedy and audio play)
Britannicus, Phaedra, and Athaliah by Jean Racine (plays)
French Poetry: From Medieval to Modern Times, ed. Patrick McGuinness
How to Live or A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell (Kindle)
Wind, Sand, and Stars, Antoine de Saint-Exupery (adventure memoir)

*From the Library*

The Red Notebook, Antoine Laurain (fiction)
Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne (graphic novel)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne (graphic novel)

[Lynnette]

Susan wrote: "Here’s my preliminary packing list ;)

Books to Pack:

Lisette’s List (fiction, set in Paris and Provence)
Madam, Will You Talk?, Mary Stewart (suspense, set in Provence)(Kindle)
Maigret, Georges..."

Love it!! Bring me back an order of French Onion Soup.

[Susan]

Good idea, Lynette! If only they’d let me bring it through security ;).

[Susan]

Meal and snack ideas:

Breakfast: Croissant or bagel, coffee, orange juice

Lunch: Salad Nicoise (tuna salad plate with green beans, baby potatoes, and cherry tomatoes) with either toast or crackers

Dinner: Omelette with salad or chicken pesto pizza with salad

Snacks:
—iced tea or coffee
—lemon seltzer
—baby carrots, cucumber, green pepper
—watermelon chunks
—popcorn
—ice cream sandwich

bully stick for Jaxie

[Elyse]

Welcome back, Susan! "Paris" sounds lovely! ;)

[Susan]

Hi, Elyse, it’s nice to see you here! I’m having fun thinking about Paris ;). IRL, I’d probably be too busy sightseeing to read ;).

[Cynda]

French food at the French cafe. . . .nice.

[Susan]

Cynda wrote: "French food at the French cafe. . . .nice."

Thanks. I thought you had a good point about cool foods, given summer temperatures

[Lynnette]

Susan wrote: "Good idea, Lynette! If only they’d let me bring it through security ;)."

lol

[Vanessa]

Cynda wrote: "French food at the French cafe. . . .nice."


Same .

[Leni]

Oh, this is an amazing concept! I'm tempted to borrow your beach idea, because of the heat. But also because of the heat, I don't think I can muster any planning beyond cold drinks and reading in front of a fan.

[Ann A]

Ahhh.....Paris. My favorite city! Your packing list looks fascinating. I have only read Tartuffe and a Maigret.

Also impressive food plans. I'm happy to hear Jaxie gets something special as well :)

See you Friday!