Just curious - Who has already started reading?

[Bridgit]

I was just curious - it is 8/31 and the Fall Challenge officially starts tomorrow. But with the allowance that we can count any book as long as we have read less than 50% of it as of 9/1 - who has already started on their first book?

I havent yet, but am thinking about starting tonight with The Time Traveler's Wife. There is no way i will get through more than half by midnight...

[Candace]

Bridgit wrote: "I was just curious - it is 8/31 and the Fall Challenge officially starts tomorrow. But with the allowance that we can count any book as long as we have read less than 50% of it as of 9/1 - who has..."

Guilty! I've started a couple of my bigger books actually. I'm working on The Cider House Rules and Interview With the Vampire. Though I'm getting close to the halfway point on both, so I'm going to have to put them aside for a bit :)

[Leslie]

I got The Candy Bombers from the library for the Germany task, and it is huge! It's really only 550 pages, but with endnotes and whatever kind of paper/font its using, it looks enormous and scary, especially since I don't tend to read a lot of nonfiction. In order to make a dent in it, I started it yesterday. I'm now 3 chapters in, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit, though I'm a slower reader when it comes to nonfiction.

[Rachel Lee]

I had planned to start reading tonight, but then I only got 3 hours of sleep last night and had to work all day so I can barely keep my eyes open. I would have to re-read it anyway as tired as I am at the moment.

Oh, well! The best laid plans . . .

[Leora]

I started the 'Time Travelers Wife' for the Summer challenge but when I saw the task list for Fall and realized that I wasn't going to complete the Summer list anyway I put it down. I did the same thing with 'I Capture the Castle' too.

[Greyweather]

I have, but to be fair I was already planning to start this book before I figured out it fit the subtraction sub-challenge.

[Beth F]

I've got a few started:

The 9/11 Commission Report Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States which is an absolute BRICK! I decided it would be easier to read this in 15-20 pages a day increments than read all in one chunk so I started it last week and will hopefully finish in late September or early October.

Your Pregnancy & Birth Information You Can Trust from the Leading Experts in Women's Health Care is another one I started last week. It reads like a textbook and isn't enjoyable but I keep it on my nightstand and read a few pages every night. I hope to finish this one before my baby is born in late October or early November.

I also started Dreamfever over the weekend and even though my reading speed is very average, I quickly got close to the 50% point and had to set it down. Tearing myself away from it required some serious feats of strength on my part. I cannot wait for the clock to tick over to 9/01/09 so I can pick it up again. I'm trembling like a junkie right now.

I'm also a couple pages into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'll read it on the bus ride home tonight and probably for a little while this evening too but it's almost 600 pages long so I'm not worried about exceeding the 50% mark because like I said, I'm not one of the group's speed readers. :)

[Donna Jo]

I started the two books that are due back at the library on the 3rd. I'm 1/3 of the way into one and 1/4 into the other. I'm afraid to do more, since last week I bought Jayne Castle's Obsidian Prey and was going to work it in some way. But it sat there looking at me and I ending up starting it...diving into it...finishing it. Oh well, there are other books out there I haven't read yet.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner)]

I did..but barely..I'm on page 5 of Mrs. Dalloway..I've felt really sick all weekend but I thought I would feel better..I literally am so sick I don't have enough strength to hold a book for more than a minute or so..which is crazy to me..because I ALWAYS read when I'm sick! This has just knocked me off my feet and made me sleep for about 80% of the day so far. :(

[Alice]

I started Brick Lane for the summer challenge about a week ago but then i moved house and i couldn't find it so read a different one!! I then found it again and i picked it back up again last night and am now reading it for the fall challenge. I am nowhere near half way trhough so it's all fine!

[Sara ♥]

Leora wrote: "I started the 'Time Travelers Wife' for the Summer challenge but when I saw the task list for Fall and realized that I wasn't going to complete the Summer list anyway I put it down. I did the same thing with 'I Capture the Castle' too. "

I've got a couple in the same boat, except with the Spring Challenge. I Capture the Castle and Like Water for Chocolate.

I've also started The Count of Monte Cristo. I had to make myself stop... it's REALLY good! I accidentally read ALL of Dairy Queen yesterday, so I'm going to have to read the sequel, The Off Season for that task... Oops!

I have also ATTEMPTED to start William McKinley and His America, but I keep getting distracted--I'm only 3 pages into it.

[Juniper]

This afternoon I started The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. I am only on page 50. Being new to the Challenge, I am trying to plot my strategy! LOL!

[Sera]

I started An Innocent Man by John Grisham last night, but didn't get very far. I was doing well on the summer challenge (well, for me anyway), but I gave it up about a week ago since I didn't have any free time to read. I'm hoping to end strong with at least one of these challenges :)

[Petra]

I started Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell last week. It's huge and I've barely made a dint into it with just under 200 pages read. This one is too large to lug to work every day so it'll be my "at home" book and take a bit longer to get through.

[[deleted user]]

I had started Julie & Julia over the summer but hadn't gotten past the halfway point. I also started Frenchman's Creek today for the sea task. I'm only on page 42 but it is so good that I'm going to have to control myself not to finish it tonight let alone get past the halfway point tonight. [image error]

[Angie]

OMG you mean I can start now? I've borrowed like 15 books from the library and they're just sitting there waiting for the first. I'll take it slow and start a few of the big ones tonight for sure. haha Thanks for the info

[Nicole]

I am taking a break after reading 6 books this weekend. lol

That and I am so behind with magazine reading, which I also love.

I did technically start a book, because I fit one of the books I teach into the challenge, so I am reading that with my 8th graders.

[Katie]

I'm still working on a book that doesn't fit into the challenge. I hope I finish it tonight! You guys are too quick for me--the challenge hasn't even started yet and I've already fallen behind. ;)

Jamie - I hope you feel better. Sick sucks. (I'm reading Mrs. Dalloway first, too, BTW.)

[Beth F]

Angie wrote: "OMG you mean I can start now? I've borrowed like 15 books from the library and they're just sitting there waiting for the first. I'll take it slow and start a few of the big ones tonight for sure. ..."

Yep. Rule #3 says, "Also if you started reading a book but had not finished more than of half of it prior to the beginning of a new challenge it can still be used to complete a task. Ex. If you were on page 100 of a 300 page book at the end of the day on August 31st but it fits a task for The Fall challenge you can use it."

[Andrea]

I started reading the Wizard of Oz a couple of weeks ago, but after I saw I could use it for a challenge, I put it down. Maybe I'll read a little more tonight, I was only on p 59.

[Lindsey]

I started last night at work because it's already 740am on the 1st here in Korea, and finished 1 really quick read. Not going to post it until it's the 1st in the states cuz that's what Cynthia said to do last time. :)

[Sara ♥]

Ah, Korea. Land in the future. ;)

[Lisa]

I have started The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I'm reading it by email subscription from DailyLit.com so it will be slow going.

[Jennifer]

I'm guilty too! lol

I've already got three on the go, but two of them are library books and they're due back on Friday. The other, Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, was going to be my 900+ page book for the Summer challenge, but I only got through 214 of the 1072 pages (20%)

The other two are Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich (page 151 of 368 = 41%) and The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb (page 268 of 740 = 36%)

[Tammy AZ]

I started Child 44 in the car today but it's an audio book and I'm only about 1/6 through. I have a short plane ride today & plan on starting Shadow of the Wind

[Nicole]

L wrote: " I have started The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I'm reading it by email subscription from DailyLit.com so it will be slow going."

How do you like Daily Lit? I have trouble getting into the books that way. I did The Kreutzer Sonata last challenge and have started A Room With a View this time around, but I send them to my Blackberry and read while I'm in line, or waiting around for something so I never feel involved in the books that way. Do you?

[Kate]

I'm starting 'A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City' for the German Task tonight.

I just finished 'What is the What' - Fantastic book by the way - and I like to give my head a couple hours between books to chew over the characters etc...

[Adrienne]

I've also started a couple of books. I've been reading The Somnambulist and The Angel's Game, but I only get to really read and night and then I tend to drop off, so I'm not very far in either. The Angel's Game is a library book, so I had to be sure to get that one done soon.

[Lisa]

Nicole NC wrote: "L wrote: " I have started The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I'm reading it by email subscription from DailyLit.com so it will be slow going."

How do you like Daily Lit? I have trouble getting into t..."

I like that I always have something to read with me because I read them on my iPhone. Like you said though I have a little problem staying into the story because I always feel like I need to read the end of the previous installment. I have read Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre this way.

[Nicole]

I am jealous so I think I will watch one more episode of Medium with hubby (watching the whole series for the first time through Netflix) and then tuck into the first book before bed!!!!!

I <3 reading!

[April]

Sara wrote: "Leora wrote: "I started the 'Time Travelers Wife' for the Summer challenge but when I saw the task list for Fall and realized that I wasn't going to complete the Summer list anyway I put it down. I..."

I'm excited you are enjoying CoMC! It's fantastic, are you reading abridged or unabridged? Which translation?

[Leora]

I did 'The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle' from the 1001 list with Daily Lit and I liked that I had the option of getting the next installment if I wanted or taking a guilt free break from it. I will definately use it again for more boring books.

[Bonnie]

Also guilty! I just realized I am in the first hundred pages of about 6 books. I've got my work book, my travel book, my iPod book (audio), my laptop book (audio) and two bedside table books. That wasn't planned, I'm apparently just really scattered. And I needed a "comfort book" Friday and Clan of the Cave Bear wasn't cutting it, which is why I started Watership Down as my second bedside table book.

[April]

I haven't started any books for the challenge yet. :-(

After midnight, I'll start.

[Lindsey]

Sara wrote: "Ah, Korea. Land in the future. ;) "

What is it they say "Don't worry about today,it's already tomorrow in Australia"? Just change that to Korea. :) BUT in 15 days I will be back stateside. WAAAAHOOOOOO!

[Susan]

I've been reading "Full Catastrophe Living" for the last week, and am only on page 30 or so-no fear of making much further today! I also started a David Sedaris book tonight.

[Cindy]

There were so many books that looked good when I started figuring out my plan for the Autumn challenge that I couldn't resist starting a couple of them! But I always have more than 5 books on the go (one for every kind of mood or situation), so I haven't gotten very far in them yet. Except for American Nerd The Story of My People, which I literally stopped at the halfway point. I'll probably finish it tomorrow! I am so glad I found this group -- you're all my kind of people!

[Rach]

Leora wrote: "I started the 'Time Travelers Wife' for the Summer challenge but when I saw the task list for Fall and realized that I wasn't going to complete the Summer list anyway I put it down. I did the same..."

I'm in the same boat as Leora - I started The Time Traveler's Wife for the summer challenge, got about 15% in, and put it on hold when I realized I wouldn't finish the summer challenge and it fit so well into the fall challenge. :)

I'm also about 35% into The Ordering of Love: The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L'Engle, which I started for the spring challenge, didn't finish in time, and then put on hold for the whole summer. I'm glad there's a poetry challenge this fall, because now I have a reason to pick it up again and finish it! :)

[Tani]

I'm working on Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz for the multiplication task, Bear Daughter by Judith Berman for 10.3 (bear in the title), and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende for 10.4 (Hispanic Heritage Month). What can I say? I'm a very impatient person. :)

[Emily]

I have started The Book Thief and New Moon - I had to slow down when nearing the mid-point (I'm loving The Book Thief and finding myself surprisingly into New Moon)! I've also been reading Fables Storybook Love which wasn't in my challenge-plans but may just end up being my "thing" book and I am a few pages into The Sisters Grimm Book 1 The Fairy-Tale Detectives - tried to start that one over lunch break but was interrupted over and over again! Look forward to diving into this tomorrow!

[Manday]

I am already into two books - one because I began it for the summer challenge and decided I did not have time to finish it, and one because I always keep an audio book in my car going and I started the new one yesterday.

[Nicole]

I still haven't started yet because a. I just had to field 9 new questions about my task and b. I was making this awesome ticker:


[image error]

I LOVE IT!

[Sara ♥]

April wrote: "I'm excited you are enjoying CoMC! It's fantastic, are you reading abridged or unabridged? Which translation?"

It's SO GOOD. It's unabridged on audiobook... 35 discs/43 hours, but it nearly killed me to have to stop half-way through! As for the translation... I'm not sure, but the language is BEAUTIFUL. The translator was spot-on. This is the version I'm listening to: The Count of Monte Cristo

[Sara ♥]

Lindsey wrote: "Sara wrote: "Ah, Korea. Land in the future. ;) "

What is it they say "Don't worry about today,it's already tomorrow in Australia"? Just change that to Korea. :) BUT in 15 days I will be back stateside. WAAAAHOOOOOO! "

Something like that! :) Korea's awesome, but it'll be good to be back. My mom and brother are coming back to the States in December, and my dad in January. I want to go visit SO BADLY!

[Sara ♥]

Nicole wrote: "I still haven't started yet because a. I just had to field 9 new questions about my task and b. I was making this awesome ticker:

I LOVE IT!"

I went for the Halloween route...


I LOVE candy corn, so it's perfect!

[Nicole]

Sara wrote: "Nicole wrote: "I still haven't started yet because a. I just had to field 9 new questions about my task and b. I was making this awesome ticker:

I LOVE IT!"

I went for the Halloween route...

I ..."

So cute! I am a teacher, so that's why I took the back to school route. LOL

[Adrienne]

Took time out from reading to create a ticker, but I'm not sure I understand how it really works. Do I go back to the site and change the points number each time and then copy and paste?

[Julia]

I too am guilty!! I went to my campus library and checked out a couple of the books I really want to read and started The Book Thief... I didn't get very far though. Work called!

Oh, all this talk of Korea is making me wish I was back in Seoul! And Seoul is the reason I didn't get very far in the last challenge!

Also, love the tickers. And Jamie? I hope you feel better soon! Sick without reading is a sick I don't want to be.

[Roseann]

Hi all,

Just stopping by to see if my ticker works.

Yes, I've started reading. My husband is just shaking his head at me.

[Kim]

I am so glad to read this thread! I told DH that I was going to start reading a couple of books for the challenge and stop before I got halfway and he told me that sounded kind of fishy. He was making me feel a little guilty so I am very glad to see I am not the only one who can't wait for this challenge to start, LOL! I have been collecting books from the library and I have them all arranged on my nightstand shelf in the order I am going to read them.

Now I need to go make a ticker... :)