Cover to Cover Challenge discussion
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August readathon: Progress and minichallenges
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★Meghan★
(last edited Aug 11, 2011 01:03PM)
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Aug 11, 2011 01:03PM
Jennifer, let me know what you think of A Vintage Affair. I have that book on my TBR and for some reason it really appeals to me.
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Have been away for 2 days with spotty Internet access, so here's a quick update:Day 4 Report:
FinishedThe Cellist of Sarajevo-61 pgs
(For Challenge #4) WONDERFUL book!
In progress:
The Story of Mankind-38 pgs
The Lonely Polygamist-49 pgs
(For Challenge #7)
Day 4 Total: 148 pages
Running Total: 870 pages
Day 5 Report:
In progress:
The Story of Mankind-31 pgs
The Lonely Polygamist-110 pgs
Day 5 Total: 141 pages
Running Total: 1011 pages
Looks like some great books are being read! I have read all your posts, even though I haven't left any comments this time (I'm happy to have made it to 1000 pages, the way my week has been...)
I just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and really enjoyed it. Great read, quite fresh story and with all the photos a good way of storytelling :-)Thanks for the tip!
Otherwise I am doing remarkably "slow" in this read-a-thon...
Shay wrote: "Just finished my 9th books. I'm now 6 books ahead on my yearly goal of 400 books. I actually need to be about 10 books ahead by December 1st. I noticed I usually read less in December."Congratulations, Shay! Both on the 9 books and for being on track for your yearly goal. I am in awe - 400 books, wow! And I thought I read a lot and can usually only manage 200 or so. (Maybe now that I retired, I will find more reading time!)
Nadine wrote: "I just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and really enjoyed it. Great read, quite fresh story and with all the photos a good way of storytelling :-)Thanks for the..."
This is on my TBR pile, and several of my friends have loved it!
I am LOVING
. I am reading it as part of a group read here with another group so I am only 3 chapters in but the characters are well formed - I am already feeling a connection, the scene is beautifully described - I feel like I am right there and there is definitely a good story being foreshadowed. I can't wait to see what happens next. I was a fashion major in college and have a thing for clothes from the 30's, 40's and 50's so I am touched by this book on a lot of levels. Hopefully it stays this good.Here is what I have finished to date:
The Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Finished on 8/6
100 pages read during read-a-thon
Two Dark Hunter Novellas by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Finished on 8/6
70 pages
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Finished on 8/7
413 pages
A Season for Seduction by Jennifer Haymore
Finished on 8/8
379 pages
White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz
Finished 8/9
495 Pages (Large Print)
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Finished 8/11
469 pages
I'm doing so much better with this read-a-thon than I have in the past. I finished Virals tonight and I have already started Elsewhere. I might actually finish all of the challenges. I'm already closer than I have ever been. :-)1.
2.
3. Etta by Gerald Kolpan
4. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin - currently reading
5.
6. Tisha by Anne Hobbs as told to Robert Specht
7.
1) Jennifer Donnelly: The Wild Rose 240 pages (and counting)2) Alan Moore: V for Vendetta (296 pages, finished)
3) Ransom Riggs: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (348 pages, finished)
4) Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Herland 60 pages so far
Oh I am so slow this time! But I am enjoying my books a lot :-)
I am so jealous. My husband has been home this week and I haven't been able to spend as much time reading. He thinks reading is a waste of time and tries to distract me every time I get into a book. Congrats to all of you who are reaching your goals and beyond.
I am waaay behind my goals, a lot of stuff kept distracting me this week...
I have read quite a bit more than in the past read-a-thons, so I'm happy with my progress. I'm up to 1,885 pages in 6-1/2 books. I have several things I have to get done today, but hopefully I'll get some more reading done this afternoon and evening.
Well, Day 6 was a fail. I knew this week would be tough - I'll do better in the next RAT.The Julius House-45 pgs (total for the day - sigh...)
Running total: 1056 pages
I'm in the middle of 3 long books, and there's no way I will finish any of them by tomorrow, so I started a shorter one in hopes of adding one more to my "books read" total for the week!
Update:Finished Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values - the last 128 pp
Finished John Adams - the last 82 pp
Read Secrets of a Perfect Night - 377 pp
Read Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe - 245 pp
Read March - 280 pp
ReadEleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart - 370 pp
Read Stardust - 235 pp
Read When You Dare - 448 pp
Total pages so far = 2165
Still reading
& starting
A few more to add:Overbite (278 pages)
Eternal (307 pages)
I Heart You, You Haunt Me (227 pages)
so my totals so far are:
Total so far: Hours read: 14 (not really keeping track now)
Books finished: 8
Pages read: 2070
Challenges completed: 4 (#2, #5, #6 and #7)
I finally finished challenge #6 - I re-read one of the Ramona books - Beezus and Ramona aloud to my niece and nephew- yes, all 183 pages of it! That series has always been one of my favorites ever since my son and daughter were young, so it was fun to read it again and see them laughing at all the antics of Ramona and the exasperation of her pesky sister! (They certainly can relate to that, being twins!!)
I'm pretty sure this is where I will stand as of close of the read-a-thon today. I finished another book tonight/morning and started another. This was great though, it got me much closer to being back on track. Yay!!1.
2.
3. Etta by Gerald Kolpan
4.
5.
6. Tisha by Anne Hobbs as told to Robert Specht - currently reading - 31 pages in
7.
I just finished book #14- probably the last book I'll finish. My daughter just got up. I have a few partially finished books I'll add to my page count when the challenge ends.
Woo-hoo! For the first time,I finished all of the challenges! I am hoping to also finish at least one more book by the close of the Read-a-thon today. Here are the books I read so far for the challenges:#1 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - 401p.
#2 Astronaut Academy - 176p.
#3 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - (also counts for #1)
#4 Under a War-torn Sky - 284p.
#5. Farm Fatale - 393p.
#6. Beezus and Ramona -b> 183p.
#7. G'Day to Die - 288p.
I am currently reading two others, so we will see what I get done by the end of the Read-a-thon!
Here is my result, not impressive, but it's the fun that counts, right? ;-)1) Jennifer Donnelly: The Wild Rose 240 pages (and counting) (the third part of a series, I am enjoying it)
2) Alan Moore: V for Vendetta (296 pages, finished)(my first graphic novel, I liked it, I was actually inspired by last readathon's challenge theme to try a new genre, what was the challenge called again?)
3) Ransom Riggs: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (348 pages, finished) (Great book, very special)
4) Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Herland (105 pages, not finished yet) (yeah yeah, women are sooo great! Interesting idea and special for the time it was written in, but it gets tiring to read about how much better a pure female society is working)
5) Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights (80 pages and loving it!)
6) Dash Lily's Book of Dares (60 pages so far) (Very nice read, perfect for a rainy Saturday)
1125 pages in total. Not so great, but I enjoyed the books I read (and am reading) a lot
Haha, yes, did you realize you were JUST above the magical 1000 pages line?
Well done! That's a pro, just having it in the guts when the magical limit is crossed!
I managed to get one more done before 10am:After (350 pages)
So that makes my final totals:
Hours read: 14 (not really keeping track now)
Books finished: 9
Pages read: 2,420
Challenges completed: 4 (#2, #4, #5, #6 and #7)
I fell a little short of my personal goal of 14 books, but did manage to complete all of the challenges I listed.
Thank you Aths for all of your work setting this thing up and I look forward to the next Read-A-Thon!!
I only finished 3 books, but I'm still satisfied with the results of this R-A-T :)Complete:
Lockdown 273pp
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 759pp
The Iliad 560pp
Incomplete:
Paranormalcy 20pp
The Golden Compass 55pp
I'm really happy about finishing The Iliad; it's one of those things I've always meant to get around to actually reading 'one of these days'.
Completed Books
by Riley Adams 288 pages
by Rachel Simon 296 pages
by Ellen Hopkins 666 pages
by Steven Pressfield 386 pages.
by John Barrowman (pgs 58-256= 198 pages)
by Jess Lourey. 229 pages. 
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock 277 pages
by Maeve Binchy (pages 88-645= 557 pages)
by Paula McLain (pgs 63-314= 251 pages)
by Catherine Gilbert MurdockPage Count: 278 pages
by John Jakes Read pages 163 to 816 during challenge
Book Pages Read: 653 pages
by Laura Levine228 pages
by Jacklyn Brady (currently on page 105)Page Count: 199 pages
Total Pages Read: 199 pages.
by David McCullough (pg 198-558. 360 pages)Partially Finished Books:
Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend 258 pages
Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 by Edwin G. Burrows (371-679= 308 pages)
The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer 232 pages read
Total Pages Read: 5,664 pages
Challenge Books
#1:
#2.
#3:
#4
#5: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
#6: Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George
#7: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Finished 14 books, 3 partially completed books.5,664 pages read during challenge.
Are we going to have a separate thread for August summaries like we had in May? Thank you, Aths for organizing this. Already looking forward to the next one!
Shay wrote: "Finished 14 books, 3 partially completed books.5,664 pages read during challenge."
Wow... did you have the days off? Or a job/school going on?
Nadine wrote: "Shay wrote: "Finished 14 books, 3 partially completed books.5,664 pages read during challenge."
Wow... did you have the days off? Or a job/school going on?"
Haha no that is just Shay! She amazes me with how much she reads.
Nadine wrote: "Shay wrote: "Finished 14 books, 3 partially completed books.5,664 pages read during challenge."
Wow... did you have the days off? Or a job/school going on?"
I only work part-time, but I've been working more hours recently. I also have 3 kids. I think I just read really fast. I did make an effort to read more this week- I think on a normal week I finish about 8 books. I actually did it, I think, by not going on GR as much as normal.
I had a really busy week, so I didn't accomplish as much as I would have hoped.The Dark and Hollow Places - 374 pages
Miki Falls: Autumn - 169 pages
Scars - 233 pages
A Heart of Stone - 244 pages
The Sparrow - 16 pages
audiobooks:
Before We Were Free - 30 minutes
Little Bee - 1 disk
The Sentry - 1.5 hours
Fear the Worst - 1 disk
No Place Like Home - 5 disks
Total: 1036 pages
approx. 9 disks of audiobooks
I ended up only reading 3 of the challenge books, but I did get a lot of reading completed.Pages : 2,173
Books : 7-1/2
Great job everyone! Sorry it took me a while to set up the summary threads, but it is up now! Can't wait to see the full rundown!
My challenge ended about an hour ago for my week. I finished 3 of the 6 books planned, and got half way through a 4th. Not bad for me. Congratulations to all those who finished their goals.
I wished I was a faster reader as well. I admire your ability to get so much done (reading-wise) with so much other stuff going on as well!!
Nancy wrote: "I finally finished challenge #6 - I re-read one of the Ramona books - Beezus and Ramona aloud to my niece and nephew- yes, all 183 pages of it! That series has always been one of my favorites eve..."I really miss those days of reading aloud to my kids! You must be having fun with your niece and nephew.
Michelle wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Haha, yes, did you realize you were JUST above the magical 1000 pages line?"haha yes! Before I added it up, I even I thought "man, I wish I could have at least read 1,000 pages, ug..."
I was trying hard to reach that magical "1000" pages as well! Next time, I'm hoping the RAT falls on a good week for me so I can go for 2000!
Nadine wrote: "I just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and really enjoyed it. Great read, quite fresh story and with all the photos a good way of storytelling :-)Thanks for the..."
Looks like this was the book read most during this RAT. I'll have to add it to my TBR list.
Hey Ann - I just put it on my TBR as well, looks interesting.
Tracy wrote: "Hey Ann - I just put it on my TBR as well, looks interesting."Maybe we can read it together for the next RAT. I doubt I'll get to it before then!
Ann wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I finally finished challenge #6 - I re-read one of the Ramona books - Beezus and Ramona aloud to my niece and nephew- yes, all 183 pages of it! That series has always been one of my..."I have had a ton of fun with them this week, and best of all, all of the reading I did for myself and to the 7-year-old twins encouraged my older nephew (aged 15) to want to read and I ended up buying him 6 teen books so he could join in! It was very gratifying to see a teenager who used to NOT like reading change into one who now not only enjoys it, but actually wants me to buy him books!!
Nadine wrote: "I just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and really enjoyed it. Great read, quite fresh story and with all the photos a good way of storytelling :-)Thanks for the..."
This one just went to the top of my TBR pile! So many good recommendations - thanks!
Nancy wrote: "Ann wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I finally finished challenge #6 - I re-read one of the Ramona books - Beezus and Ramona aloud to my niece and nephew- yes, all 183 pages of it! That series has always be..."What books did you get your 15 year old nephew? My son is a very reluctant reader, so I'm always looking for suggestions.
Nancy, you are blessed because my son won't touch a book. I thought by my reading all the time he would at least get curious. He did say, however, that he would look at James Patterson's new book Middle School.
Ann wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Hey Ann - I just put it on my TBR as well, looks interesting."Maybe we can read it together for the next RAT. I doubt I'll get to it before then!"
I can put it off until then!
Shay wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Ann wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I finally finished challenge #6 - I re-read one of the Ramona books - Beezus and Ramona aloud to my niece and nephew- yes, all 183 pages of it! That series..."I started him with The Hunger Games series, which he read really quickly - I had to run out and buy him Catching Fire and Mockingjay, the second and third ones. I gave them to him earlier this summer. Then this week I got him The Maze Runner and its sequel, Scorch Trials , which are similar stories, and the first book in several other series that I think he will like:
- excellent adventure, fantasy, and alternate history - although I didn't tell him about the history part; its sequel, Behemoth
- about a society where every teen is forced to undergo surgery to become 'Pretty' - teens like this series because of the teen rebellion against the forced surgery (There are three sequels but I just got him first one to see if he likes it.) Note: I HATE the new cover of the paperback edition because it looks like a 'girl' book and it's not really - tons of my male teenage library patrons loved that series!
Incarceron - first in a fantasy series about a prison that is alive - my teen boys also liked that one this past year
I think that's it. The key is to get kids, especially boys, hooked on one book or one series and then find others like that. It has certainly worked that way with my nephew, and with a ton of the boys in my high school library.
Just a note: The Hunger Games has a lot of violence in it, so I only recommend it to kids I think can handle the fantasy of it all, and recognize that it is fiction and not anything real.
Good luck with your son - if you need more recommendations, let me know. I have been reading YA books for many years, and have built a very successful high school reading/library program --- from which I have just retired and will be having "Book Recommendation" withdrawal!
Tracy wrote: "Nancy, you are blessed because my son won't touch a book. I thought by my reading all the time he would at least get curious. He did say, however, that he would look at James Patterson's new book M..."Tracy, If you look at the note I just posted in reply to Shay's message, you will see the books I bought for my nephew. He absolutely refused to read at all unless he had to for school until I hooked him with The Hunger Games - now he actually wants to read! I consider it a miracle!
What are your son's interests? I know that my nephew likes books where there is a lot of adventure with things happening every second. James Patterson's books generally are like that, so maybe you will hook him with that one.
Nancy wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Nancy, you are blessed because my son won't touch a book. I thought by my reading all the time he would at least get curious. He did say, however, that he would look at James Patterso..."My son is only 11 and really not into anything but sports but does not like to read about them. He does like looking at the world record books though.
I have read the Hunger Games series and The Maze Runner series and I enjoyed both. He did listen to a little of The Scorch Trials with me on audiobook. He liked that but he said he would not read The Death Cure when it came out.
Tracy wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Nancy, you are blessed because my son won't touch a book. I thought by my reading all the time he would at least get curious. He did say, however, that he would look at ..."Do you think he would like The Lightning Thief series? Some of our harder-to-reach students got hooked on that one. What about graphic novels? Some of our students who don't like to read have also gotten into them because of the graphics. Another series that has hooked some of our boys is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, again because of the graphics and easy-to-read format.
I don't believe that I have read any of The Lightning Thief, maybe I could check it out. I have though bought him some of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid though but he didn't read them. He bought them from the schools book fair and I think he got them because his friends were getting them. I read Stranger In Paradise (graphic novel) for this challenge and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. He did pick it up and start to read it but I had to take it away because it is not one I would want him to read. Thanks for the suggestions!! I am going to try them and maybe if I set his Wimpy Kid books around he might just pick one up.
Cover to Cover Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Unwind (other topics)The Knife of Never Letting Go (other topics)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (other topics)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (other topics)
No Place Like Home (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
John Barrowman (other topics)Norman Mailer (other topics)
Catherine Gilbert Murdock (other topics)
Margaret George (other topics)
Jean Rhys (other topics)
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