Book Obsessed is currently under construction. I am in the process of attempting to make it more personalized and fitting with my personality. So please bare with me as I move things around, change colors and generally make a dusty mess. When all that dust has settled it should be pretty, easier to find things and have a quick easy way for you to sign up for updates (view in a blog-reader or get email subscriptions).
Posts will continue throughout the construction process so just page down for the latest and greatest from BookObsessedGrl!
I had a plan for this week, but if you read this blog at all you are probably thinking to yourself Heather, really why do you bother with all that planning? All I can say is, I have no idea! I make these plans and have these ideas and then…well it never quite works out. What did I have planned for this week? Glad you asked! I was going to complete 7 reviews, do a post daily about books I am excited about and (this is where things went a rye) I planned to customize and me-a-fy my blog. I thought how hard can it be to make this blog a more comfortable place for me to hang out and to make it more representative of me. How hard indeed! This contest was supposed to go up two days ago, along with my reviews of Grimspace and Wanderlust (Books #1 & 2 of Ann Aguirre’s Jax Series). Customizing the blog has totally eaten up my days and a couple of nights. I didn’t want to post anything exciting until I was done with all my customizing. However, I have reluctantly accepted that this may take awhile so why should you guys have to wait on me?
All of that said, it has been a pretty good week. So instead of making this contest a part of my reviews I have decided to celebrate the good things that have come of this week! What am I celebrating? On Wednesday, I hit exactly 10,000 Tweets on Twitter! On Thursday, I won two book! (Sunshine by Robin McKinley from Book Reader Times and Demon Inside by Stacia Kane from Fantasy Literature…Frankly) They are small things but I truly believed that it is the small things we should be celebrating. Thanks to Mandi for noticing I’d hit exactly 10,000 tweets, thanks to Ivy and SB Frank for adding to my TBR pile, while at the same time saving me money (except that now I have to go by Personal Demons because Demon Inside is book #2 – but I don’t get picky about free books!)
On that note (that being free books) lets get this going with a free book for someone else!
It’s not easy to tread lightly wearing steel-toed boots.
Sirantha Jax isn’t known for diplomatic finesse. As a “Jumper” who navigates ships through grimspace, she’s used to kicking ass first and taking names later—much later. Not exactly the obvious choice to sell the Conglomerate to the Ithtorians, a people whose opinions of humans are as hard as their exoskeletons.
And Ithiss-Tor council meetings aren’t the only place where Ambassador Jax needs to maneuver carefully. Her lover, March, is frozen in permanent “kill” mode, and his hair-trigger threatens to sabotage the talks—not to mention their relationship.
But Jax won’t give up on the man or the mission. With the Outskirts beleaguered by raiders, pirates, and the flesh-eating Morgut, an alliance with Ithiss-Tor may be humanity’s only hope. Which has Jax wondering why a notorious troublemaker like her was given the job…
As I mentioned at the end of the post about Skin Game by Ava Gray a.k.a. Ann Aguirre this contest has been made possible through the kindness of Mandi at Smexy Books and SB Frank at Fantasy Literature…Frankly. How this came about was that I did my very first guest post called “On Becoming a Fangirl” on Fanlit…Frankly awhile back and they offered a copy of Doubleblind for one lucky commenter. We got tons on comments on that post and it was a great day all around. Mandi was randomly chosen as the winner, but she had already read the book and done her own review. So Mandi and SB Frank generously offered to give me the book for a contest here on Book Obsessed. As a thank you to them you all need to go over to their blogs, look around and comment on one of their posts!
I haven’t yet read Doubleblind myself, but only because of the postal strike in the U.K. that was going on when I ordered and I knew nothing about. My copy of Doubleblind mysteriously disappeared somewhere on the other side of the pond. (I’m in the U.S., but often order from the Book Depository in the U.K. – I highly recommend them as a place to get books!) My copy is on its way here (again) and I should be reading it soon!
I am very excited to read Doubleblind because I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! My reviews are not complete for Grimspace or Wanderlust but I highly recommend them both. I read each of them in less than a day and a half because I just couldn’t put them down! They are that good! Full reviews are still coming your way soon…soon as I get this place looking nice – what a mess!
I know, I know…get on with it…I hear ya!
Here’s how you enter:
Answer this Question – Do you prefer to read a series or do you like stand-alone books better and why do you feel that way? I am a series addict, because I fall in love with not only the stories but the characters also. Now I what to hear from you!
Include your email address or twitter ID with your response so that I can contact the winner.
Contest ends Tuesday, November 24, 2009 and winner will be posted shortly thereafter.
***This is a short contest so – comment now before you forget and someone else wins the book you want. If you already have Doubleblind, please comment also, just add a note at the end of your comment letting me know you already have a copy.
As Snow Patrol, Matchbox Twenty (two of my most favorite bands of all time), and The Magnetic Fields who I was introduced to today by Ann Aguirre on Twitter (Thanks Ann!) – play in the background I return to you my dear readers – how ever many or few you are. I am here to pick up where I so suddenly left you hanging 2 weeks ago for the next in my list of November Releases I am looking forward to. My apologies for the cliff-hanger but well, sometimes life gets in the way and the best laid plans…
I had planned *insert hysterical laughter here* to have this particular post up the day after its release day (11/3) because it deserves all the attention it has been getting and more. Okay, to be honest I haven’t read it yet either but, this post is about books I am looking forward to reading so that makes sense right? However, I have only heard wonderful things about this book and even though I am now two weeks behind on posting this and I can’t imagine there is anyone who hasn’t already heard of it – I am adding mine to the fray. “Why?” you ask, well the answer is simple the book is Skin Game by Ava Gray a.k.a. Ann Aguirre!
Here’s the cover and the blurb:
A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.
Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.
A hit man who never misses the mark.
Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.
Here is the link to the Ava Gray website where you will find the first chapter and information about the next book in the series Skin Tight. Plus there are links to several other places you can get the books besides IndieBound which is where you will be taken if you click on the image of the book cover.
Here are some reviews:
Katie Babbles About Books and More
Here are a couple of interviews with Ava a.k.a. Ann:
So there you have it. I can’t wait to get Skin Game into my hot little hands! I love her Jax series and from what everyone tells me I won’t be disappointed with Skin Game.
Speaking of Ann Aguirre’s Jax Series, I am woefully behind on reviews also – but later this week look for reviews of both Grimspace and Wanderlust two of the three book available in the Jax Series. Plus I will be hosting a giveaway for a copy of Doubleblind – even though I don’t have a copy myself, so haven’t been able to read it. The contest for Doubleblind comes courtesy of both Fantasy Literature…Frankly and Smexy Books (links above go check them out and say hello from me.) To explain why I am hosting the contest for this book with them as sponsors (of sorts), remember not too long ago I guest blogged at FanLit…Frankly? Well, the giveaway for that guest blog was a copy of Doubleblind and Mandi of Smexy Books fame was chosen as the winner – but as you can see from her links above she had already read and reviewed the book so she donated it to me for a giveaway to accompany my reviews. (come to think of it I really should have seen if I could finagle the copy for myself instead…oh well, my loss is your gain!) Thanks SB Frank and Mandi!!!! So stay tuned for your chance to win!
*Illustration by Jon Keegan – click on image to view his site*
Some of you must be wondering what the heck I have been up to that could possibly cause me to neglect my November releases announcements. Although you really shouldn’t be because I did post it on the events page you see at the top of the blog – but if you haven’t check out the events page then no worries I’ll go ahead and give you the link so you can see what I have been up too. This week I am hosting a Mystery and Wine Guest Blogging Take-over…er…uh…I mean…Event at author Denise Robbins’ Blog. Pop over there and help me and my fantastic crew solve the mystery and you might even win a prize pack of books and swag! Yes I did just say swag! *Commence your happy dance now* Who doesn’t loves some swag? The best reason to head over there is the great mystery and all the wine (I mean helllooo it wine!!!) But seriously we all have been working hard over there and having too much fun not to share.
If this is the first you are hearing of this the start with this post and then this one where I introduce my crew and then check out this post about the strange weather (you’ll understand why after reading it), then you’ll be all caught up and can keep up with us as we move forward today. Leave some comments. Join the fun and see if you can figure out whodunit!
While you are there you can also learn more about Denise Robbins books. She is a Techno-Thriller Romance author. That’s a mouthful isn’t it? It is but being a accurate description of her books we’ll stick with it.
I am honored to have been invited to host this Mystery Week while Denise is busy with a big mystery event of her own. So show her some love for not only being a great author but also a super cool person who’s taken the chance on a newbie blogger/someday published author, by handing the reigns of her blog over and letting me run with it.
*Proof-image of Cover for Denise’s Up-Coming New Release Connect the Dots to be released this December*
Now go click on those links above!
Cheers,
Heather
I had planned on posting not only books that were released on 10/27 or (fairly) easily found in a bookstores that day even though their releases dates aren’t officially until 11/1-11/3 but also to show off books coming up in November – but that was days ago & now it’s already release day again (11/3) & I’m out of time. So I am going to do a few posts with one or more books I am really looking forward to you should run out to buy! 
All of which release this month. Someone tell me why I didn’t think of this idea sooner?
Some of the books will be ones I am already expecting to receive in the mail because I purchased them (as is the case with our first book here today). Others will be ones I am still hoping to win or get from some wonderful friend who likes to pass along books after she’s finished with them – still other’s in a small group (probably no more than one in this group but there may be more) that I just can’t afford right now even with the 45% discount being offered at some retailers. 
So without further ado here’s…
Book #1
(most anticipated for me personally of debut authors to arrive on the scene in past couple of months)
Tempest Rising (First Book in the Jane True Series) by Nicole Peeler
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 368
ISBN-10: 0316056588 & ISBN-13: 978-0316056588
Currently available: Target, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Amazon, Book Depository & some Indie-Sellers
Paperback retail price: $7.99 (is on sale at* Book Depository for $1 off with free worldwide shipping, more or less at a few other places)
Blurb:
In the tiny village of Rockabill, Maine, Jane True—26-year-old bookstore clerk and secret night swimmer—has no idea that her absent mother’s legacy is entry into a world populated by the origins of human myths and legends. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: vampires are not quite what we think; dogs sometimes surprise us; and whatever you do, never—ever—rub the genie’s lamp. For Jane, everything kicks off when she comes across a murder victim during her nightly clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean. This grisly discovery leads to the revelation of why she has such freakish abilities in the water: her mother was a Selkie and Jane is only half human. With this knowledge, Jane soon finds herself mingling with supernatural creatures alternately terrifying, beautiful, and deadly—all adjectives that quite handily describe her new friend Ryu. When Ryu is sent to Rockabill to investigate the murder, he and Jane fall hard for each other even as they plummet into a world of intrigue threatening to engulf both supernatural and human societies. For someone is killing half-humans like Jane. The question is, are the murders the work of one rogue individual or part of a greater plot to purge the world of Halflings?
Other links of note relating to this much anticipated book:
Some Reviews:
Writings of a Wicked Book Addict (Partially included because I love the word Wicked but is great review also)
You can find a bunch more reviews with links on Nicole Peeler’s website. She didn’t only link perfect glowing reviews either. They are all balanced and fair reviews. (I say fair right now but I reserve the right to change my opinion about how fair or not they are until after I have finished reading the book!)
Excerpt/First Chapter: Available here on Nicole Peeler’s Website
Upcoming Second Jane True Cover Preview and Links:
Tracking the Tempest
Is this not one of the most awesome book covers you have ever seen??? If I ever finally do get a tattoo I am heavily considering this cover!
There is an excerpt and blurb available for this one also but you will have to go over to Nicole’s blog to find it because I refuse to post possible spoilers here about a book I haven’t read yet! Can’t risk finding out something myself that I don’t already know!!! 
Now go buy Tempest Rising and support this new author who is super cool & has awesome taste in not only supernatural beings but cover artists too!
***Please consider going to or ordering online from your local Indie Bookseller. I am really trying to do local or Indie-Seller only. I can’t always accomplish it due to personal financial reasons but I am trying. Here is the link to IndieBound to help you on your journey to an Indie-Seller only home. IndieBound.org will help you locate local Indie Stores selling the books you are looking for, give you a list of local Sellers in your area & if you can’t find the one you want locally will point you in the direction of another Indie-Seller who does have the book for online order in another part of the country. Nothing would make me happier than to save the local Indie-Sellers throughout the country. We are already only down to only a couple here in Miami.***
Winner of Thunder and Blood Contest is…
Elizabeth Kaylen
Congrats, Elizabeth!!!
Elizabeth please email me your mailing address at bookobsessed@comcast.net and I will get your signed copy of Thunder and Blood with signed bookmarks included out to you as soon possible! If I don’t hear from you with the mailing information by Tuesday (11/3/09) of this week I will have to chose another winner and neither of us want that to happen!
News – Contest Coming Soon:
Stay tuned everyone…I will be hosting a giveaway to accompany my reviews for Grimspace &Wanderlust Books 1 & 2 of the Jax Series both by Ann Agguire. Contest will be for one copy of Doubleblind by Ann Agguire (Book 3 in Jax Series) courtesy of the wonderful and amazing Mandi of Smexy Books (link includes her review of the book), she won the book but had already read & reviewed it, so passed it along to me for contest to support & promote Ann Aguirre (And me although she might not have actually said that I know she meant to…LOL).With thanks to SB Frank from Fantasy Literature…Frankly who has a great blog on Fanlit and hosted the original contest as part of my guest post there “On Becoming a Fangirl…” last week and will be mailing out the winning book! Special thanks to Kat at FantasyLiterature.com for letting me do a guest post and approving this unorthodox giveaway! Further information will be posted in the Upcoming Events section as well as on main blog – maybe even here! So stay tuned and keep an eye out for info about Ann Agguire books! (Hint:She has another one about to be released under a pen-name that I will be blogging about within the next day or so. Of course that has nothing to do with the contest but by all accounts it is an awesome read in its own right!)
Today my very first attempt at guest blogging is front and center over at Fantasy Literature…Frankly ! SB Frank, Host and Blog Master for Fantasy Literature News has generously allowed me to wax philosophical about how I came to read what I read as an adult. I tell the tale of my journey to becoming a Fantasy and Urban Fantasy Fangirl. Plus they are giving away a copy of Doubleblind by Ann Agguire in honor of my current obsession with the Jax series!
Take a few minutes to pop over, check it out, say hello and tell us how you became the reader you are today. While you’re there wander around get acquainted with SB Frank and the crew at Fantasy Literature. They have over 900 book reviews all in one place. Does it get better than that?
What are you waiting for? Why are you still here? Go, Go, Go!!!
Cheers,
Heather
Here is the first meme of the day & after that is my first update!
Where are you reading from today?
I am on my back patio in Sunny(ish) Miami, Florida.
3 facts about me …
1. I began my career as an Obsessive Reader at the tender age of 7 years old.
2. I live with my husband, 2 teenage daughters and 4 insane cats.
3. I am an insomniac, which is a wonderful way to get all my reading done.
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
I have approx. 15 books in my Read-a-Thon TBR pile.
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon?
My only goal since this is my first time participating in the Read-a-Thon is to read as many books from my pile as possible. Do you think its possible for me to read them ALL??? Anything is possible, right?
And the race is on…
I of course overslept. I woke up at 7:30 which is only half an hour before I was supposed to start reading. Lets just say it was a bit hectic getting myself together to try and make the 8AM start time. But here I am and I started reading just after 8:00!!! I have my coffee and my cigarettes so I am good to go for the morning reading session. **No comments on the smoking please…yes I know I should quit…I know it’s bad for me & honestly I am quiting in January, so no need to urge me to quit. I love you all & appreciate your concern, but I am a smoker. Soon to be former-smoker.*** Now that the smoking disclaimer is out of the way…On to the good stuff!
How I will be updating:
I will be using this post for the entire 24 hours. I will update approx. every hour unless there is a qupte from whatever book I am reading that just needs to be documented or I finish a book before the next designated check in time. I may also deviate from the every hour updating if I just need a break from reading, considering the way I read somehow I doubt that will happen often but you never know. So please check this post periodically to see what I am up to – what I am reading, how much I have read, and what I think of the books I am reading. Cheerleader comments are always welcome and even encouraged – especially as the day/night progresses! I will also be periodically updating on Twitter & encouragement there is welcome too! Feel free to follow me @bookobsessedGrl !
Reading Status Update:
8:15 AM
The first book I am reading is Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (208 pages) at the intense urging (for years) of my husband. It is his favorite book. I hope I like it because I will never hear the end of it if I don’t!
I have already read 6 pages so far and it has quite an interesting beginning. Good Start.
Now back to reading…
12:00 PM
So the updating hourly has not gone well so far. This is due in part to my Darling Husband stealing the computer for over an hour.
I am still reading Fight Club.
Here’s the breakdown:
Title of book(s) read since last update:Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik
Number of books read since you started: Still on first one!
Pages read since last update: 30
Running total of pages read since you started:45
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 4hrs trying but breaks down to 2hrs of actual reading
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2hrs
Mini-challenges completed: 1 – Starting Meme
Other participants you’ve visited:Actualize and Crystal Posey
Prize you’ve won: None yet…
6:30 PM:
I have no decided that updating on the blog hourly is overly ambitious for me. So I may or may not actually post updates hourly for the rest of the Read-a-Thon. I had decided to stay off the internet for a few hours so I could attempt to bulldoze my way through Fight Club (see notes below for how far I got). Lets just say I should have taken my buddy Colette’s advice hours ago and set it aside. Instead I feel asleep for 2 hours! LOL I am back now and moving on to a new book: Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland.
Here’s the breakdown:
Title of book(s) read since last update:Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik (DNF)
Number of books read since you started: Half of 1 and Starting another
Pages read since last update: 70
Running total of pages read since you started:100
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 3 hrs (sleeping, eating & being interupted the rest)
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 5 hrs
Mini-challenges completed: 1 – Starting Meme
Other participants you’ve visited:Actualize, Bibliophile by the Sea & Princess Bookie
Prize you’ve won: None yet…
9:30 PM:
I have given up on the Mini-Challenges & Meme page I set up do from now on they will be posted here. This is my second time typing this Mid-Event Meme so forgive me if its not as amusing as the original one I had all typed up when my WP & Browser crashed.
Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland
2. How many books have you read so far? One #2 – 1st one just couldn’t hold my interest.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? The one I am reading now.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Just a few.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Many, Many interruptions. The good news is that I appear to be indispensable at home. But everybody in my house better back off and deal now because I’m diving in head first & not coming up for air from now on – okay well I’ll still be tweeting & checking other people’s progress & maybe a few bathroom breaks but thats it! LOL
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How hectic it is & how hard some of the challenges are!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Only one I can think of right now is that some of the challenges & contests could have clearer rules.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I would only choose books that I am really excited about reading & not ones I have been harassed into reading.
9. Are you getting tired yet? Nope accidentally fell asleep reading in bed around 3PM & slept until 6 so I am good to go! 
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? If a book isn’t holding your interest stop reading it and move onto another book. You will feel less discouraged that way!
And now back to reading!!!
10:14 PM:
A Mini-Challenge I just couldn’t pass up! This one from Fizzybeverage at Fizzy Thoughts:
The challenge was to tell her what music I like to listen to while reading or what song reminds me of a particular book. Here’s my answer: (lyrics or a link to someplace to hear the song were requested)
Set Fire to the Third Bar by Snow PatrolFor the Weather Wardens Series by Rachel Caine
Why?:It so completely fits the relationship between Jo & David and the haunting feel of the song really works with many scenes throughout. I listen to a lot of Snow Patrol while reading. Excellent music for Urban Fantasy reads!
Lyrics:
I find the map and draw a straight line
Over rivers, farms, and state lines
The distance from ‘A’ to where you’d be
It’s only finger-lengths that I see
I touch the place where I’d find your face
My finger in creases of distant dark places
I hang my coat up in the first bar
There is no peace that I’ve found so far
The laughter penetrates my silence
As drunken men find flaws in science
Their words mostly noises
Ghosts with just voices
Your words in my memory
Are like music to me
I’m miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
I, I pray that something picks me up
And sets me down in your warm arms
After I have travelled so far
We’d set the fire to the third bar
We’d share each other like an island
Until exhausted, close our eyelids
And dreaming, pick up from
The last place we left off
Your soft skin is weeping
A joy you can’t keep in
I’m miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
And I, I pray that something picks me up
and sets me down in your warm arms
I’m miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
and I, I pray that something picks me up
and sets me down in your warm arms
3:30 AM
Okay – here we go – gonna try to make this a quickie update since the hours are dwindling & I really want to at least finish 1 book in the 24 hours! This slow progress is really bad for my rep! I have participated in some Mini-Challenges recently & even successfully left comments on a few blogs! *If you did left me a comment & didn’t get one back from me please accept my apologies! I know Crystal at ACTUALIZE is one who didn’t. I had mad issues most of the day with comments not saving*
Here’s the breakdown:
Title of book(s) read since last update:Still Reading Mark of the Demon
Number of books read since you started: Half of 1 and a Qtr. of Current 1
Pages read since last update: 73
Running total of pages read since you started:173
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 4 hrs (That’s Only counting actual focused reading time – snaking, Tweeting , Mini-Challenges, Cheering Others & being interrupted the rest)
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 9 hrs Amazing how much time everything else takes up!
Mini-challenges completed: 5 (WOO-HOO!)
Other participants you’ve visited:Actualize, Bibliophile by the Sea, Princess Bookie, Denise Robbin’s Blog (a couple of times its like an addiction!), Bookcation, 1330V, Books that Bite, The Bookcase, A Striped Armchair, My Bit of Earth, Care’s Online Book Club, Ms. Bookish, Jenn’s Bookshelves, The Hungry Readers, Karin’s Book Nook, Life is a Patchwork Quilt, Katrina Reads & Stella Matutina (WOW! That’s more than I thought it was!!! No wonder the time passed through my hands like grains of sand – should have signed up as a cheerleader! Of course not everyone got comments due to my commenting issues but we won’t go there…)
Prize you’ve won: None yet…that I know of
Now for my quick entrances for some recent Mini Challenges: (then back to reading I swear!)
**We were asked to turn to page 23 and insert an interesting or funny phrase into the following sentence: “I would rather read than _____________________any night!”
Here are my entries:
“I would rather read than be a small lump surrounded by stained concrete any night!”"I would rather read than be summoning a demon any night!”"I would rather read than reach out with my arcane sense any night!”
From Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland
**Seriously there are some great ones over there YOU MUST go check them out. Click on the Name of the blog to take you there. All are right there in the comments section so you won’t have to go clicking around a bunch.
Now here is my entry for the Challenge on Stella Matutina’s Blog:
Challenge: To show pictures either taken yourself of from around the web that remind you of the book you are reading.
Here you goes:
And now back to reading!!! (not as quick as I thought sheeshss)
5:58 AM:
Short Update…
I’ve only read 10 more pages since last update. There is finally nobody bugging me & the house is quiet and the book is getting better and better but NOW THERE ARE ONLY 2 – 2 1/2 hours left of the Read-a-Thon! Now I am upset that it is almost over! Plus reading is getting a bit more difficult but this time it is only because my eyes keep crossing & my brain is trying to shut down on me. Ughhh…The injustice of it all!
And that’s it for now…Back to reading!
7:32 AM: (only a half hour left)
Here’s the breakdown:
Title of book(s) read since last update:Still Reading Mark of the Demon
Number of books read since you started: Half of 1 and a bit more than a Qtr. of Current 1
Pages read since last update: 20 (sad I know but slowed down as it got earlier in the morning)
Running total of pages read since you started:193
Amount of time spent reading since last update:2 hrs - I am not really sure at this point its a blur
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 11 hrs Amazing how much time everything else takes up!
Mini-challenges completed: 5 (WOO-HOO!) No new ones except Meme below
Other participants you’ve visited: Denise Robbin’s Blog (a couple of times its like an addiction!)
Prize you’ve won: None yet…that I know of…I’ll check when I wake up!
Here is the Meme for the last hour:
1. Which hour was most daunting for you? The last one!
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland, Grimspace & Wanderlust both by Ann Aguirre
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The Cheerleaders & the Main Website
5. How many books did you read? Combined it would equal 1 but none finished start to finish
6. What were the names of the books you read? Fight Club & Mark of the Demon
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland
8. Which did you enjoy least? Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I was just a Reader who occassional spent too much time on others blogs cheering…LOL
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I will definitely participate again most likely as a Reader but possibly as a Cheerleader also.
Now I am going to read for the next Half hour – maybe hour since I started a half hour late yesterday morning – but only if I can keep my eyes open beyond 8AM! No More Updates until I am fully rested – but expect to see my final thoughts in a post within the next 24 hours – just no promises about what time that will be.
Thank you everybody who hung in there with me & cheered me on!!!! G’Night or G’day as the case maybe…
Cheers,
Heather
Above are the books in my Primary Pile. These are my first choice books for the Read-a-Thon, but knowing myself like I do I have created a back-up pile (which ended up requiring 2 pictures instead of just 1). The back-up pile is available in case I don’t feel like reading anything in my primary pile when it comes time to go to the next book. What I choose to read & when all depends on my mood at that moment. So while I do want to read all of the books in both groups sometimes I am just in the mood for something else.
That said here are the books in the Back-up pile:
Some of them in each group are rereads but most are not. I generally don’t reread books but the ones included here are books I read as a child that are special to me. I remember scenes from them. I even remember the plots but I thought it would be interesting to see what I missed while reading them as a child that I will see as an adult. Plus they are short which makes them excellent choices for the Read-a-Thon.
Don’t forget to check in with me throughout the day to see what I’m reading!
Tomorrow, 10/24/2009:
I will be participating in Dewey’s 24 hour Read-a-Thon. That’s right I will be reading pretty much non-stop for 24 hours straight and blogging about it as I go! If you haven’t signed up to for this awesome reading endurance event there is still time! Hop over there and sign-up. You do not have to do the entire 24 hours, you can customize how long, what and when you read. They even have positions for Cheerleaders! Cheerleaders are people who drop by readers blogs and cheer them on. There is a sign-up section for cheerleaders on the Dewey’s 24 hour Read-a-Thon page also. So if reading that much for that long sounds to daunting or you just can’t fit it into your schedule especially at this late date then consider being a cheerleader. Believe me we could use all the support we can get! You don’t sign up to be either a reader or an offical cheerleader check in often tomorrow to see what I am reading, what my thoughts are and how I am doing getting through my stack of books. I can definitely use the encouragement plus you might just find a ‘new to you’ book to add to your own personal TBR list. Shortly I will be posting the list of books I have chosen for the 24hr Read-a-Thon…so check back.
November 1 – 30th:
I have finally given in and decided to participate in the 2009 Nanowrimo. What is Nanowrimo, you ask? It is National Write a Novel Month and it is a writing marathon with a goal of writing 50k words in 30 days! For a complete explanation please go here and read all about it. Lets just say it is absolutely crazy and a ton of fun – or so I am told. This will be my first year participating even though I have been thinking about it for years. I want to be a published author someday and the advice I hear over and over is “Write everyday.” What better way to kick start the habit of writing everyday than spending a month do little else? Besides think of the feeling of elation when December rolls around and you have reached or *gasp* even exceeded your goal. I’m ready. Are you? There is still time to join the madness that is NaNoWriMo. Just like with the Read-a-Thon if you are not ready to dive headlong into the abyss then you can always be a cheerleader. I think it may be even more valuable to have cheerleaders for NaNoWriMo than for the Read-a-Thon (Shhhh…just don’t tell the Read-a-Thon Peeps that I said that!)
November 9 – 13:
I will be hosting a week long guest bloggers event on author Denise Robbins’ blog while she prepares for her upcoming Mystery/Wine event. Denise a Techno-Romance Thriller author of the books Killer Bunny Hill and It Happens in Threes. You can read excerpts at her website. Joining me as Guest Bloggers will be, Michelle from Torch Under the Blanket Books, Crystal from ACTUALIZE, Jason from Jason Meyer’s Information and April from Cafe of Dreams. Seriously this is an amazing group of bloggers and you won’t want to miss a second of it, so mark your calenders NOW!
There are more announcements but I have not been given authorization to disclose yet so that’s all for now. Will update as soon as I can!
