24B4Monday - Introduction and Kick-Off Questions

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

It's (almost) time for another 24B4Monday event!

These are a bit like a read-a-thon, the idea is to read as much as you can from Friday night until Sunday night. The name is inspired by the idea of reading for 24 hours over the weekend, but of course you’re welcome to set your own smaller goal. Whether you’re aiming for 2 hours, 12 hours or 24 hours everyone is welcome to join in.

To get started please share your goals in this thread and then head over to the event progress thread and grab a post to keep track of your reading. We are also trying something new this time, with a simple team game.

Be on the look out for some additional, small games throughout the weekend!

Happy reading!

Questions

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
If you would prefer to provide your updates in pages then please do so. The idea is to read as much as possible so we wouldn't want the format to distract from the reading :)

2. Which books are you planning to read?

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.

[Ellie]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
The weather isn't looking so great so I'm going to aim for 12 hours.

2. Which books are you planning to read?
Authority, To Be Taught, If Fortunate, Heartstopper: Volume Two, The Priory of the Orange Tree

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
I'm ahead right now but not really reading challenge books this month!

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
Probably War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line which was devastating and brought home the horror of modern warfare.

[Derek]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
My goal is to spend between 12 and 16 hours reading

2. Which books are you planning to read?
War and Peace, Watership Down, Inkheart, and I Capture the Castle

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
Honestly, I've been busy finishing my Bachelor's degree, so the amount of reading I've done has usually been all academic.

4. Tell us about the best book you've read so far this year.
Day of Tears, by Julius Lester. History, in some forms, seems to be repeating itself. We would do well as a nation to read this important book.

[Hannah]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
Hopefully about 15. I am to do some lesson planning and resources preparation this weekend, so if I can find some audiobooks that I don't need to concentrate on too much, I might be able to do more.

2. Which books are you planning to read?
I've got three books I want to finish, and I have three others out of the library ready to start. I've also got a couple of non-fiction books that I'm reading a chapter or section a day from.

Currently Reading:
Archangel
Reckless
The Last Dance and Other Stories

Up Next:
Foreign Bodies
A Gentleman in Moscow
Howards End

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
I'm ahead right now, but I've been mainly reading for the Summer Challenge, so I think I've only finished 1 prompt for ATY in the last 2-3 months!

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
I've read a couple of really good books, but after reading Home Fire, I added all of the author's backlist to my TBR.

[°~Amy~°]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
I don't have a specific goal this weekend. We are hosting an openhouse on Saturday so I am sure the prep, the event itself, the cleanup and the guests who just won't go home will impact my reading quite a lot. I am hoping to just read at least a few pages a day.

2. Which books are you planning to read?
I just started Thunderhead yesterday so I will continue with that. It's 500 pages so I am not likely to finish it.

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule? I am 11 books or 20% ahead of schedule according to the main AtY page. I'm discouraged because I am usually done with AtY and have moved on to Popsugar by the end of July. I'm quite concerned that I won't get both done this year (and most certainly won't get to a rejects list at all.) :(

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
Oh, that would have to be The Little Prince Deluxe Pop-Up Book. I'd never read it before and this edition briefly described the authors life before and after writing The Little Prince, which just made the whole story even more heart wrenching. Highly recommended.

[SarahKat]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
I will shoot for 6 hours to start.

2. Which books are you planning to read?
I'm working on The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste with my son
Warcross by Marie Lu on audio
Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine
From Hell by Alan Moore

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
It tells me I am 1 book behind schedule. I'm doing graphic novels for ATY this year and From Hell is taking longer than most (it's for the over 500 pages prompt). I'm not worried though, since most of the graphic novels can be knocked out in a day.

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
Siddhartha or Man's Search for Meaning. I can't choose. Both were about the struggles of being human. Both had really amazing insights into certain aspects of those struggles. Siddhartha is more of a story, or parable. Man's Search for Meaning is written by a Holocaust survivor who is also a psychologist so he has really interesting thoughts on finding meaning and how important that is.

[Kathy]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
12 I hope

2. Which books are you planning to read?
Cousin Phillis - Elizabeth Gaskell
The Overstory - Richard Powers
The Moon and Sixpence - W. Somerset Maugham
The Children of Noisy Village - Astrid Lindgren

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
I'm ahead and hoping to finish by the end of August, or September.

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
Right now, I'm finishing up The Overstory and it is fantastic.

[Pam]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
12

2. Which books are you planning to read?
Finish: The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump: Essays and Reportage, 1986-2016
Start: Penguin Highway, Dandelion Wine, Sweetland - Haven't decided yet!

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
Ahead but have slowed down significantly this summer.

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
I've had lots of great reads this year! Circe, The Friend, and There There are a few favorites from the beginning of the year.

[Joan]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
I'll try to read 8 hours. I'm not sure if I'll keep track in pages or hours but I'll try and start with hours.

2. Which books are you planning to read?
I'm planning on finishing:
What Alice Forgot
The Color Purple
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
I'm behind again. I think I'm behind 4.

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
I think Educated is still my favorite so far this year. I'm reading What Alice Forgot now and it has surprised me how much I'm into it. It's pretty good. Becoming was another favorite this year and The Woman in the Window.

[Rachel]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
I'll shoot for 12, but I don't really have a set goal in mind. I just want to read as much as I can. It's hard for me to set goals by hours because I lose track if I'm interrupted, but I also don't have a page number in mind either.

2. Which books are you planning to read?
The Rosie Result
Sadie
The Kiss Quotient or Spinning Silver

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
I'm behind. I've read 18 books so far toward this challenge.

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
Tough choice! I'd say probably Crooked Kingdom, but I also loved On the Come Up, Vengeful, and The Woman in the Window

[Traci]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
12-16

2. Which books are you planning to read?
Barkskins
This is the Story of a Happy Marriage
Tenth of December
I'm curious if I'll finish any. I still have 450 pages to go in Barkskins, and that's the main one I'm focusing on.

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
Technically I might be a bit behind, but have a few quick one's coming up after I finish Barkskins, so I think I'm right on track.

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
This is a weird combo, but it's either Becoming or The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories. I cried some during each for different reasons and one of the stories in The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories just left me feeling empty...in a good way.

[Sarah]

1. How many hours are you aiming to spend reading this weekend?
It's a rainy weekend here and I work all weekend so I am hoping for 12 - 16 hours

2. Which books are you planning to read?
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories
Spinning Silver
Partners in Crime

3. How are you doing with the Around the Year in 52 books challenge? Ahead, behind, right on schedule?
At the moment I am 4 books behind. I hope to slot these 3 books in my list somehow and play catch up this weekend

4. Tell us about the best book you’ve read so far this year.
Well I loved Not My Father's Son, which was made all that much better because it was narrated by Alan Cumming. Also I just finished The Shadow of the Wind so it stands out in my mind, oh and The Graveyard Book was a great read.