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10 books/10 years

Sunday, October 22nd, 2017

Lets see if I can bang this out in 15 minutes, shall we??

2007: Water for Elephants

2008: The Mysterious Benedict Society

2009: Soulless

2010: Room

2011: Ready Player One

2012: The Song of Achilles

2013: The Scorpio Races

2014: Texts From Jane Eyre

2015: Uprooted

2016: When the Moon Was Ours

2017: The Stolen Child

And DONE!

 

 

Readathon, October 2017

Saturday, October 21st, 2017

And here we are again, readathoners. My weekend is quite full so I won’t be participating at my usual level, but I’ll be listening to audiobooks from now until around 5p, so 1/3 of the day is better than none, right??

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? I’m starting out at home in Portland, Maine, and will be driving to Stoughton, Massachusetts (Ikea run!) and then Wellesley, MA this afternoon/evening.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I haven’t even made a stack for this RAT, I’m just going to keep at books I’m currently reading. I’m really into The Hate U Give on audio right now.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I didn’t RAT grocery shop, either! Who even AM I?!? But, I made homemade sauce and fresh pasta this week and will probably have some for breakfast in a minute here because why not?
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I’m 37, live with my 19yo brother and two spoiled cats, am a part-time student, volunteer for multiple LGBTQ+ organizations, work for LibraryThing (it’s the best!), and this is my NINTH year participating in Dewey’s Readathon, holy shit. Here’s my first RAT post from back in 2009.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I’m not going to be as present as usual, nor as stationary, so I’ll probably be mostly engaged on Litsy @GlitterFemme), Instagram (@GlitterFem), and Twitter (@Glitter_Fem) and probably won’t get to many, if any, challenges.

Happy reading, everyone, and best of luck in reaching your goals!

Readathon, April 2017

Saturday, April 29th, 2017

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Portland, ME, USA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I didn’t really make a book stack since I was away for most of the week and basically had time to either do that or get snacks. I do have Alif the Unseen which I’ve heard great things about, and a few comics I’ve been wanting to get to for ages: Paper Girls 1&2, Bitch Planet, and March.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

They’re all pretty standard fare around here since I work from home and am more of a grazer than a meal person. But, I did whip up some pasta alfredo last night and got some shrimp for today, so that’s going to be yummy 😊
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I’m 36, a full-time employee of LibraryThing, a part-time student, and sister-mom to my 19 year old brother. I read a lot of sci-fi/fantasy and YA lit, particularly anything LGBTQIA. I’m joined today by my two spoiled cats, who are extra needy after me being gone for a few days!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

I’ve gotten to a point where I pretty much know how this is gonna go, and I’m happy with it. I read as much as I can, sleep at least 3-5 hours (got in half of that this morning, oops!), and enjoy getting to know some new folks on social media.

Happy reading, all!

Baby shower!

Wednesday, April 12th, 2017

Readathon October 2016, opening meme

Saturday, October 22nd, 2016

introductionmeme

Opening Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Portland, Maine
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I’ve had The Invoice stuck in my head ever since I read the first chapter before it was released; I think it’s going to be a good one.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I didn’t meal/snack prep as well as I usually do, but I made a fish chowder a few days ago that is gonna be delish when I warm it up later, especially on this grey, rainy day.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I’m a part-time student again as of this fall, so I am REALLY excited to be reading for pleasure today!
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? Differently: I’m pretty sure I’m going to sleep more. I’m most looking forward to not doing any homework 😊

Happy readathon-ing, everyone!

Readathon book pile: selected.

Wednesday, April 20th, 2016

One of my favorite days of the year, the day I update my blog header to reflect the titles I’m excited to read during the upcoming 24-Hour Readathon. I’ve been participating in Dewey’s readathon since October of 2009, and every time, I meet awesome book bloggers and reading fiends, and inevitably end up adding to my book stacks.

This header update is extra exciting because now my widget links to our new product, TinyCat. It’s BEAUTIFUL, and simple, and just a wonderful new way to interact with personal and tiny libraries. Check it out by clicking any of the titles ^^^up there^^^ in the scrolling covers!

Here’s the list of titles in my LibraryThing catalog

Tomorrow (or maybe Friday), the second best thing about readathon: the food!

Shakespeare’s First Folio

Saturday, March 26th, 2016

Just a quick post to share images from my visit to the Portland Public Library’s exhibit including the first folio. Incredibly cool.

IMG_9175

Readathon Top 10 and check-in

Saturday, October 17th, 2015

dewey day and night

I always get to this point in the day and think, “How is it possible that more than 5 hours have already passed??” And since this is also when I think, “Jeez, I’ve hardly read anything besides social media in the last five hours,” I will leave you with this Readathon Top 10 I wrote for the Hour 5 mini-challenge, and I will go READ :)

Top 10 ways to enjoy the 24-hour Readathon:

10. Choose a short, easy read first: it’s good to have a sense of accomplishment early on!
9. Don’t slog through anything you’re not feeling.
8. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
7. Caffeinate, caffeinate, caffeinate! :-P
6. Have a variety of places to read, in various positions: sitting upright, curled up, reclining, etc.
5. Snacks! Fruit, raw veggies, pretzels, deli meats, olives, cheese, anything easy to eat with one hand while holding a book with the other.
4. Have an audiobook ready for when you need both hands; showering, driving, cooking, etc.
3. Get up and move around the room at least once an hour, even if it’s just to shake out your limbs and wiggle a bit to get the blood flowing.
2. Let everyone know you’re readathon-ing, so they can join you, cheer you, or leave you the heck alone! ;)
1. Engage with fellow readers on social media. Don’t worry about how much time you’re spending not-reading, because while it is a “readathon,” the spirit of the thing is about reading communally, sharing the love of reading, and meeting other people also crazy enough to dedicate a solid 24 hours to the greatest pastime in the world!

Introductory Meme, October Readathon 2015

Saturday, October 17th, 2015

introductionmeme

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Portland, Maine
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? It’s really too hard to say… I’m excited about all of them! But I’ve been holding off on Ernest Cline’s Armada for today, so that’s had some time for anticipation to build.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I got some puff pastry to use for “puffles,” or waffle iron pockets of whatever delicious thing I put in them. That’s going to be amazing.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I’m a 35 year old queer Femme raising a kickass teen brother (he’s a SENIOR this year, WHUT)

I have the dream job of working for LibraryThing for Libraries supporting public and academic librarians around the world who use our products (like the lovely scrolling book display widget in my header – click on a cover! Isn’t that cool??)

My cats love Readathon as much as I do, and will appear in various photos throughout the day because I’m That Girl

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? I’m officially Cheering for the first time this year, so that’s going to be a fun challenge, especially since I know the last few hours is when readers need cheering the most, and when a lot of folks have tapped out. I’m probably going to nap so I have a little something in reserve for those who are still reading when we wrap up!

Okay kids, it’s time! Happy Readathon!

Mini-challenge number 1: The Classics

Saturday, April 25th, 2015

girlreadingI’ve often talked about the fact that I didn’t read many of the classics in high school like most of my contemporaries did. So the quotes that stick with me when I read them as an adult are probably different from the ones that would have impacted my younger self. That being said, this quote came to mind immediately when I read Allie’s challenge over at A Literary Odyssey. And while they may not seem like words of wisdom, per se, I think they do advise the reader/writer in classic, cutting Bradbury style.

“The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies.” ~ Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

As to what the words mean to me, they serve as a reminder that writing should explore and discover and find the delight in all aspects of the story being told, even the most mundane details that are often taken for granted or overlooked.

Now back to my modern classic, the enjoyable Marvel adaptation of Northanger Abbey!