End Strong, Start Strong End of the Year Readathon! Dec 21, 2018 - Jan 6, 2019

[Patricia]

Shelby wrote: "Finally finished . Great book. Go read it."
I just added it to my book shelve, thanks for the suggestion.

[Elyse, Moderator]

I'm about halfway through listening to but otherwise did not get any time to read yesterday. Won't have much time today or tomorrow either as we've got 1 niece and 3 nephews (ages 7, 13, 15, 16) sleeping over tonight! We're going to see Recycled Percussion tonight and then going snow tubing at a local ski mountain tomorrow! Woot!
Still only 25% through reading .

[Shelby]

Patricia wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Finally finished . Great book. Go read it."
I just added it to my book shelve, thanks for the suggestion."

Enjoy!

[Shelby]

Still haven’t had the time for Reaper at the Gates. I’m still not finished my writing goal but I’m getting close. The plan is to have that done by the end of the week. I kind of want Reaper to be my reward for finishing that so I can just sit back and enjoy it for the last few days of the year.

[Elyse, Moderator]

I think I am going to re-read as my first book of the year! Since comes out the following Tuesday and I am very excited for the sequel! I borrowed The Cruel Prince from Overdrive and then recently bought the hardcover and have had The Wicked King hardcover preordered for mooooonths.

[Shelby]

Elyse wrote: "I think I am going to re-read as my first book of the year! Since comes out the following Tuesday and I am very excited fo..."

Yes! Join meeee!!!! I have The Cruel Prince in hardcover and audiobook and I preordered a signed, personalized copy of the Barnes and Noble edition of The Wicked King (which has bonus content) but that will take a while to arrive because it has to cross the border so I also preordered the ebook so I can start it the second it’s available.

*EDIT* If anyone wants to order signed The Wicked King, you have until tomorrow:

https://www.gcreadingvs.com/#/

[Stacie]

Not a lot of reading done today, but I did get 2.5 hours in on during my commute, and 20 pages of and 20 pages of during the rest of the day.

[Charleen]

As predicted, the last couple days have been fairly light ones, but readathon motivation helped to squeeze some time in:

- finished last 41 pages of The Music Shop
- read 14 pages of Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day (and listened to ~1hr music)
- read 53 pages of All Systems Red (DNF)
- listened to 38m of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

I'm glad I was able to get in a decent chunk of reading time tonight after my brother left, but I was really disappointed by All Systems Red. Everyone seems to love it, but it did nothing for me -- the story didn't grab me, the characters didn't grab me, I didn't care what happened with the "murderbot" -- and for such a short book, I think 50 pages is giving it plenty of time to win me over.

[Shelby]

Hopefully I'll be able to finally join in for real tomorrow evening. :)

[Shelby]

FINALLY finished the writing project. Now I can finally read. :)

[Shelby]

Officially started Reaper at the Gates, an I'm liking so much so far. So glad I have three whole days left to read it!

[Elyse, Moderator]

Joanne wrote: "With only two days to go for 2018 I want to wish everyone a Happy new year.
And Happy new year reading I hope everyone stays healthy and safe in 2019. I hope exciting things happen.

Thanks to th..."

Happy New Year to you, Joanne!

[Elyse, Moderator]

Like I thought, did not read much Thursday and Friday. Had a blast with the kiddos and was not sorry to see them go home. Exhausting! lol.
Today my goal is to finish reading ! I'm 32% through.

[Shelby]

Working today but I intend to read plenty when I get home!

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

I read Doc Christmas and the Magic of Trains! over the last 3 days! Haven't been reading as much of Emma as I should be, since I still have a way to go, so I'm really gonna have to pick up the pace on that one. Aside from that I may cram in a graphic novel or two before year's end.

I'm LOVING this vacation! I have been reading a decent amount, but I've also been doing lots of Netflix bingeing and catching up on some housework. And sleeping a lot.

[Charleen]

Since my last update...

- finished last 2h34m of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (#200!)
- read 16 pages of Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day (and listened to ~2hrs music)
- read 63 pages of Elevation

I'm on December 7th in Year of Wonder, and still hoping I can cover the final three and a half weeks of music selections in the next two days. Plus finish the super slim Stephen King I just picked up today. But nice to have finally hit my official goal.

[Stacie]

Elyse wrote: "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07..."


Thanks so much for this recommendation. I had some that were a different brand, and they were acceptable for audiobooks and phone calls, but they were terrible for listening to music. These are so much better. Merry Christmas to me :D

Today was all about house cleaning and Harry Potter. 150 pages of

[Shelby]

Got a little further in tonight (up to 15%). There's going to be a lot of reading for me to do tomorrow.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Shelby wrote: "Got a little further in tonight (up to 15%). There's going to be a lot of reading for me to do tomorrow."

You're making me itch to re-read and then finally read and !! lol. Maybe after I read , I will start Ember since I will need something to read before comes!

[Elyse, Moderator]

Shelby wrote: "Elyse wrote: "I think I am going to re-read as my first book of the year! Since comes out the following Tuesday and I am v..."

I'll make a thread for the buddy read! :) Wow, that's crazy you bought it in every format. I've only accidentally done that. haha

[Elyse, Moderator]

I didn't read as much as I wanted to yesterday. Got sucked into the DVR hole. lol. But I am now 50% through . It is certainly not as good as . It's slow going. And I've got 5 hours left of , which is also slow and pretty boring. Gah. These 2 books once complete will give me 300 books but they are hard to finish! I want to read something else!!! lol.

[Shelby]

Elyse wrote: "I didn't read as much as I wanted to yesterday. Got sucked into the DVR hole. lol. But I am now 50% through . It is certainly not as good as tonight (up to 15%). There's going to be a lot of reading for me to do tomorrow."

You're making me itch to re-read..."

I ended up really likening A Torch Against the Night. I’m just kind of sad the last book was moved to 2020 but I’m still planning to catch up on the series by the end of the year. There’s so many more series I need to get to next year.

[Shelby]

Elyse wrote: "Shelby wrote: "Elyse wrote: "I think I am going to re-read as my first book of the year! Since comes out the following Tue..."

Yay buddy read! :) I only got the audiobook of The Cruel Prince too because it was dirt cheap at the time. I don’t have the ebook for that one. I rarely get both the ebook and physical copy. Only on the rare preorders I’m dying to start the moment they come out. Especially if the physical copy will only arrive days later.

[Karol]

So - I've finished reading a lot of stuff during this read-a-thon that I had started, and I read one entire book from beginning to end. Not sure how much reading time I'll have from now through Jan 6, but it would be nice to get the year off to a good start!
Finished since 12/21:
Promise Me This
What Works When Life Doesn't
What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days: 52 Encouraging Truths to Hold on to
Ghost Towns of Michigan: Volume 1
Nourished: A Search for Health, Happiness, and a Full Night’s Sleep
A Hope Undaunted

[Elyse, Moderator]

I finished reading yesterday and I should be finishing up listening to today as I have to go grocery shopping.
I've also started reading and , less than 300 pages between them so I should be able to finish them both today. I've definitely been spending too much time getting my DVR queue down this readathon because I've had so much time off, which is good, but today I will be focusing on those 2 books. Because I don't feel like they will bog me down like Once Upon a River and The Goblin Emperor have!
I would love to read today but I'd rather get the 2 shorter books out of the way and then continue getting my DVR queue down. We don't have any plans this year and no one is coming over! We never discussed anything and I'm too old to go out on NYE. lol.
I am excited to start re-reading tomorrow!

[Shelby]

Got to 62% in A Reaper at the Gates. The plan is to finish it this evening after work, so exactly on time.

[Charleen]

Final update for 2018!

- finished last 83 pages of Elevation
- finished Gwenpool, the Unbelievable, Vol. 4: Beyond the Fourth Wall
- finished Gwenpool, the Unbelievable, Vol. 5: Lost in the Plot

And, the one we've all (well, I've) been wondering about...

- finished last 61 pages (and ~2hrs music) of Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day

Huzzah! So, took care of the "end strong" portion of the readathon... now let's see if I can keep that going for the rest of the week. (Husband is back to work on Wednesday, and the little man doesn't really nap anymore, so no promises.)

[Elyse, Moderator]

I ended up listening to today! It was pretty silly! I also finished reading . Now I just have to finish reading . Got caught up playing on the Nintendo Switch with my husband and now it's already 8pm! lol

[Stacie]

Got in an 1.5 hrs of (which I'll probably finish tomorrow) and another 100 pages of

[Andrea, Moderator]

I'm having some Apple Cinnamon tea while finishing up logging my last books of 2018. Not sure I can replicate the amazing reading year 2018/ has been. Not only did I read/listen to 167 books, I also read 52 books I own. For a long time I was getting to be a collector. It feels good to have read the books and passed them along so others can enjoy them. This year I made the commitment to read more of what I own and it felt very rewarding. I also read so many really great books. I would have to take a guess that my 4/5 star ratings were higher than previous years.


I'm looking forward to 2019 and all the great adventures to be experienced through reading.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2019!!

[Shelby]

Just finished , meaning I've made it to 100 books this year!!!

[Charleen]

Andrea wrote: "I'm having some Apple Cinnamon tea while finishing up logging my last books of 2018. Not sure I can replicate the amazing reading year 2018/ has been. Not only did I read/listen to 167 books, I als..."

Congrats, Andrea, sounds like a great year!

[Elyse, Moderator]

I finished reading Blue Hydrangeas with 18 minutes till midnight! 303 books read in 2018!

Happy New Year all and see you on the other side!

[Shelby]

We got another hour and ten over here. See you in the new year!

I'm very excited to reread The Cruel Prince again.

[Stacie]

Finished before work. Happy New Year, everyone!

[Lori]

Between family and work I have only managed to read 2 books so far. I have 2 half finished and that is how I will start the new year. Then I hope to get some more netgalley books off of my list.

[MrFluffyBun]

Happy New Year!

How many books do you have left to meet your GR goal (if you haven't already met it)?
100 books! I made it! Still had about 16 books yesterday, so I kinda cheated by reading a bunch of kiddie books and some short comics. I went to a party, but didn't end up reading there and had to finish at home. I stayed up 'till midnight and finished with 8 minutes to spare. Jinkies!

Have you modified it at all this year?
Yes. I'm pretty sure it started at 50, then 75, then 100, then 125, then quickly back to 100.
I've been super busy from school (I'm in the IB), so I ended up reading tons and tons of manga and webcomics to get there. In fact, the reason why I even made it so high is because I knew I'd read a lot of comics.

What's your goal for 2019?
Right now, starting with 100 and seeing where it goes from there. I don't plan on lowering it.
I want to make up for all the comics that take up my yearly shelf by either reading more full length books (if I have the time), by making my book/page goal even bigger, or reading some plays/novellas/collections of short stories. I guess it depends.

Any other personal reading goals besides the GR Challenge?
I have a couple small goals that I may or may not keep. Probably not? Not making any promises on these.
(view spoiler)[- 100 volumes of manga (might count other comic stuff in there) since I'm in a challenge group for that
- 24-36 full-length novels (maybe a couple plays and stuff mixed in there lol)
- 12 book reviews. I don't usually write any, but who knows, it might be fun. (hide spoiler)]
These I'm going to try my absolute hardest to get. Triple-dog dares to myself. Pinky promises. Blood oaths (minus the blood cause I don't like needles).
(view spoiler)[- At least 100 books total, includes all genres
- At least 15k pages (I'd rather have at least 20k, but I'm gonna be applying to college soon) (hide spoiler)]

Do you consciously pick a book for your first read of the new year or is it whatever comes up next in your TBR?
I usually don't, but I'm thinking of planning reading schedules monthly. That way, I can stay on track. I'm not get at being organized and I don't want to read a dozen "Step into Reading" books at the last minute again.
Right now, I'm reading .
I originally planned to read it in December, but I started it really late because of the coal my teachers gave me for Christmas. Instead, I decided to make it my first book of 2019!
Now, about the book:
(view spoiler)[It's amazing. I've been in the mood for some beautiful art, fantasy, and romance, which is just what I'm getting. I'm not even done with it, but I highly recommend reading it (and watching the anime), even if you're new to manga. The translation is great, the plot is intriguing, and man, I never thought I'd find someone like Elias handsome. Maybe I'll regret saying that, only time (and finishing the manga) will tell.
I started the anime and was loving it, but I don't have paid subscriptions for anime streaming services and reached the limit of free episodes a while ago. They're probably free now, but I wanted to give the manga a go and then catch up on the anime. (hide spoiler)]

Time to do some homework and light reading!
Good luck to all you guys, Happy New Year, and don't forget to... idk... um...
spend time with friends and family!
Also, think of things ahead of time. I need to.

Peace out,
Rose

[Liander (The Towering Pile)]

With the 2018 part of the read-a-thon done, I have completed my goals! I finished my two in-progress books (Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City and Emma). I also completed my Mount TBR Reading Challenge by reading Doc Christmas. And I made a dent in my library pile by reading Lumberjanes, Vol. 4: Out of Time and The Witch Boy.

I finished Emma just after noon on New Year's Day, but still counted it for 2018. I was reading it for months in 2018! No way am I letting that be my first 2019 book!

I don't really have specific goals for the rest of the read-a-thon, since there are no more deadlines. I would like to shrink my library pile more. I'm gonna start with An Unkindness of Magicians.

Happy New Year! :)

[Elyse, Moderator]

I didn't get much read yesterday, family came over for awhile. I barely started reading .
This morning I started listening to and started my ARC of ! So I've got my usual 3 formats going; physical, audio, and e-book. I think An Anonymous Girl will suck me in, I already don't want to put it down, there's so much mystery!

I do have to work these next 3 days, longer hours as well, but I'm determined to at least finish the 3 books by the end of the Readathon. I got my DVR queue down last week and my shows haven't started up again so I will not be turning on my TV! And 2 of the books are from my 2018 shelf so they knock off Read My Shelves and Mount TBR!

[Shelby]

Forgot to mention that I’ve started both and this year.

[Stacie]

Listened to 2 hours of , and about 50 pages of (which nearly made me late for work! You'd think that I wouldn't get sucked so deeply into something I've already read countless times... you'd be wrong, LOL)

[Elyse, Moderator]

I'm about halfway through listening to , about 75 pages through , and about 10% through . I'm hoping to make some good progress in The Cruel Prince tonight.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Stacie wrote: "Listened to 2 hours of , and about 50 pages of (which nearly made me late for work! You'd think t..."

Agh I preordered The Book of Dust and I *still* haven't read it yet! It is on my TBR for this year.

[Shelby]

I've decided to switch to a physical copy of Monkey: The Journey to the West because I wasn't a fan of the audio for it. My hold on Mary Poppins came in today though so I still have an audiobook on standby to listen to.

I know this challenge is only until the 6th, but personally, my reward for finishing all my goals by the end of 2018 is to spend the first two weeks of Jan just reading as much as I can, so I'm still early in my own personal read-a-thon.

[Andrea, Moderator]

I kicked off the year with Love and Ruin which was so enjoyable!!! I love the story of Ernest Hemingway. I now want to go back and read his books again, and others for the first time. It made me think I might want to add one "classic" author to my series challenge.

I'm hoping to finish The Ever After tonight. It has been really fast paced and interesting.

I have way too many library loans right now and some of the are very long! The struggle is real :)

[Elyse, Moderator]

Andrea wrote: "I kicked off the year with Love and Ruin which was so enjoyable!!! I love the story of Ernest Hemingway. I now want to go back and read his books again, and others for the first tim..."

After reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, I don't have a very positive view on Hemingway. Love and Ruin is not in my TBR for this year but I just entered the GR Giveaway for it so maybe if I win it!

Speaking of libraries...lol I think I'm going to take a break from the library and Ovderdrive, let my holds come in and not make new ones. Focus on my own books. I'm going to try. lol.

[Shelby]

Just finished Mary Poppins. My first read of 2019.

[Stacie]

Elyse wrote: "Agh I preordered The Book of Dust and I *still* haven't read it yet! It is on my TBR for this year. "

Same! I preordered the audiobook and am just now getting around to it. Originally I was disappointed that it didn't get the same full cast treatment as the His Dark Materials trilogy (which I hadn't known when I preordered) but the narrator is very good, so now that I've started it I don't mind as much.

[Shelby]

As well as reading the entirety of Mary Poppins today, I also got to page 67 in The Cruel Prince.

[Elyse, Moderator]

I'm up to reading 4 books in 2019 and haven't completed one yet. lol. But I will be done listening to today. And hopefully will be done re-reading today or tomorrow. I started reading the Folk of the Air novella yesterday and should be done that today or tomorrow as well. Then I just have to finish !