Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Pages read total: 475
Books read: Finished Bel Canto by Ann Pratchett, read What I Was by Meg Rosoff and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Total reading time: approx 7 hours

This is a book that I've been meaning to read for ages as it's one of those 'must-read' classics but kept putting off because I didn't think I'd enjoy it - and boy I was wrong.
The Old Man in the Sea is about an old mans (surprise!) stuggle and determination to prove himself. Once he hooks a giant fish he battles for days to bring the fish in, he battles not only against the fish but pain, hunger and tiredness. This book really reminded me of Japanese sea stories in its style. I may have to read more Hemingway in the future.

Challenges:
1001 btrbyd
A-Z (Author)
1% well read challenge
999 (1001)
Guardian 1000 Novels

Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon: What I Was by Meg Rosoff

Pages read total: 348
Books read: Finished Bel Canto by Ann Pratchett, read What I Was by Meg Rosoff
Total reading time: approx 5 hours


What I Was is a teenage love story with a twist. Kipper is sent to boarding school in East Anglia (not too far from where I grew up), stuck in a small market town near the sea and a typical (of books) fierce boarding school he looks for an escape.
One dreary morning he abandons the cross country run and meets Finn, a young boy living alone in a shack by the sea. He has that first flush of teenage love - a love of longing and not sexual - and wants to become like Finn, to be free to do as he pleases and to fend for himself.
This is the third Rosoff book I have read and the third one that I have loved.
Challenges:
2009 YA Challenge
999 (YA Fiction)

Well I've had dinner now and it'll probably be dark here soon, can't believe the time is passing so quickly.

Going to decide what to read next and go visit a few bloggers

Read-a-thon Hour 3

I'm going slower than I thought!

Books Read: I finished Bel Canto by Ann Pratchett
Pages read in total: 149
Time spent reading 2 1/2 hours

I started with a book that I was half way through and wanted to complete for my own Latin American challenge. The language in this book just grabbed me and needed to be read slowly to be really appreciated. I'll definately post a review on this book later in the week as it was fantastic.

Intoduction Meme: (find it here)
Where are you reading from today?
I'm on my couch in the surprisingly sunny (its rained and been horrid and grey for the last week or so) England. Oh, and the neighbour has decided to bang and drill for the last 2 hours to accompany my reading...

3 facts about me …

- I have a house rabbit, who decided that she wanted lots of attention in the first hour
- I teach English in a high school
- my favorite read is Possession: A Love Story be AS Byatt

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

I have 9 novels and 12 books in total

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

Hopefully 4 - 5 books and 18 - 20 hours

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?

I'm a first timer


I'm going to flick through my google reader than I'm off to read What I Was by Meg Rosoff

Read-a-thon The Beginning

Well I've had a busy morning, the tea is brewing as I type and I've just got to run upstairs and grab my first book. I'm starting with Bel Canto as I have to get it finished, I'm over half way through so it shouldn't take too long.

I'm planning on popping online every two to three hours so I don't get too distracted.

Good luck to all the other read-a-thoners!

Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon

UPDATE: I no longer have to work tomorrow evening! Yay! I have to go in tonight instead so I'll be able to join in for much longer now.

Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon my pile

I'll say this now, I won't be reading for 24 hours, I have to go and work in a bar for 5-7hrs of Saturday - it depends on how busy it is to the time we close. I'm also going back to school on Monday after 2 weeks Easter break so don't want to be completely shattered, I plan on sleeping for 3 hours early Sunday morning.
I'm planning on completing 12-16 hours reading..

The Pile:


Despite not being able to commint for the full amount of time I still have a fairly big pile as I like to read as the mood grabs me.
From top to bottom:
Beauty Sleep by Cameron Dokey: I'm really looking forward to this book, I have saved it for the read-a-thon for the last 4 weeks as it looks fun, easy and short. For Carl's Once Upon a Time III challenge.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Heminway, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa: All of these are 1001 books I've been meaning to read for ages, if I get one read I'll be happy.
Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien: For Becky's End of the World challenge.
The Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards: This is a short story collection by the author of The Memory Keeper's Daughter, I've read several of these already, I'm hoping to read one for Ready When You Are, C.B's Short Story Sunday.
An Elergy for Easterly by Petina Gappah: My first Early Reviewer copy from Librarything.
What I Was by Meg Rosoff: (Ssshhh! I stole this from the school library this week when the librarian wasn't in - will sneak it back later this week). This is for the 2009 YA reading challenge, loved this authors other books.
These three are for when my eyes get tired and also to give me a sense of accomplishment: Y: The Last Man - Cycles a graphic novel, The Viewer by Gary Crew and Shaun Tan and Mrs Biddlebox both kids books with gorgeous pictures.

I also have Tar Baby by Toni Morrison on my ipod if my eyes get too sore.

I'll be happy if I can read 4 of these novels, a short story and the last three books.
Last year I just read the posts and what I remember mainly were all the posts about peoples delicious looking snacks, now I'm Weight Watchering (my own made up word I'm sure), so I'll be drooling over people's snacks whilst eating apples and Ryvita.