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Friday, April 26, 2013

Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-thon April 2013 Edition




The End

I really didn't get much farther after my last update. I did manage to finish Two Ravens and One Crow, but didn't remember anything I read from An Exchange of Gifts, so I don't think I'll even count that one.

My ending stats then are:

Pages: 383 (1 book/2 novellas)
Time listened: 59:30 (2 items, seriously?! 30 seconds short of an hour? Augh!)

Thanks again to all the organizers and cheerleaders, and everyone that makes this event happen!


Hour 17

I took a break and played some computer games and had dinner around hour 14. Just finished listening to The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, and I'm about 80% done with Two Ravens and One Crow, so I'm going to take that one, and also another Anne McCaffrey short to bed with me and see how far I get! This is probably my last blog update until in the morning, but I may still be on Twitter some.

An Exchange of Gifts by Anne McCaffrey

When Meanne, a princess of the realm, runs away from her father's castle and an unwanted suitor, little does she realize the hardships and difficulties that lie ahead of her. Loneliness is the worst part - until she finds a fellow refugee, a boy named Wisp. Together they must make new lives for themselves. Yet they both have secrets - hidden pasts and magical powers that can tear them apart!

Hour 13

My friend Azuki has a fun sounding challenge for us, we get to cook the books!

For this challenge, You will need to think of a popular title, twist it into a cookbook theme, then give us a little introduction about the book.

I struggled with this for a bit, and then inspiration hit, I won't say it was a good one, but I liked it, so I'm going to go with:

Gone with the Wok - A collection of authentic Civil War recipes with an Asian twist! Prissy might not have known "nothin' 'bout birthin' babies" but she could sure make a mean stir fry! You'll find everything from "Scarlett's Never Be Hungry Again Szechuan" to "Rhett's Don't Give a Damn Super Hot Kung Pao" in the pages of this delectable volume!

Hour 11

I finished up Cryer's Cross, very creepy story! That makes 2 books and 1 REALLY short audio finished, page count so far is 318. Now I'm having a hard time deciding what to read next. I've sampled a couple pages of some of my stack and they're just not grabbing me. I think I'll work on Two Ravens and One Crow for awhile, Atticus and Oberon are always good for a laugh!  I also started The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, a Sherlock Holmes story, ready by Alan Cumming while out driving around, so I'll probably try to finish that up soon, it's also very short, only 47 minutes.

Six years into the training of his beautiful apprentice, Granuaile, a large crow swoops down and transforms into none other than the Morrigan, a goddess who insists that Atticus come with her at once. He must leave his apprentice behind, along with his Irish wolfhound, Oberon—and he must also leave his sword. The Morrigan has always taken extreme pleasure in pronouncing the Druid’s mortal danger and imminent doom, so the fact that she won’t reveal the purpose of their journey makes him very nervous. Of course, any time the Celtic Chooser of the Slain drops in unannounced, it’s never good. When she does let slip that she’ll be saving his life in the near future, Atticus is left to wonder . . . will he soon be giving his legions of enemies something to crow about?
In this holiday-themed short story, Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, follow the trail of a lost hat and a Christmas goose through the streets of London and into a rapidly expanding mystery.


Hour 9

I haven't finished anything else yet, though I'm halfway through Cryer's Cross, have had lunch (Thai buffet yum!) and have new tires on my vehicle, so that's productive, right? Back to reading now, must stay off you tube! Evil Interwebs!

Hour 4

I made a quick detour and listened to Click-Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman, it's a 12 minute freebie I picked up around Halloween, and unfortunately not currently available, I checked. I can see why he's so popular, I enjoyed his reading of it so will definitely look into more of his audios!

A few words from Neil: "Why tell ghost stories? Why read them or listen to them? Why take such pleasure in tales that have no purpose but, comfortably, to scare? "I don't know. Not really. It goes way back. We have ghost stories from ancient Egypt, after all, ghost stories in the Bible, classical ghost stories from Rome (along with werewolves, cases of demonic possession, and of course, over and over, witches). We have been telling each other tales of otherness, of life beyond the grave, for a long time; stories that prickle the flesh and make the shadows deeper and, most important, remind us that we live, and that there is something special, something unique and remarkable, about the state of being alive. Happy Halloween!"

"'What kind of story would you like me to tell you?' 'Well,' he said, thoughtfully, 'I don't think it should be too scary, because then when I go up to bed, I will just be thinking about monsters the whole time. But if it isn't just a little bit scary, then I won't be interested. And you make up scary stories, don't you?'" So begins this subtle, witty, deceptive little tale from master storyteller Neil Gaiman. Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and enjoy!


Hour 3

I've finished If Wishes Were Horses, a nice short fantasy novella and I'm moving on to Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann. I really enjoyed her Dreamcatcher series, a couple of which I read in past read-a-thon's so it should be perfect!  This one is a bit longer, so I don't expect you'll be seeing another update for awhile! ;)

Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer's Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she's not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind.

But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to... the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico.

Determined to help and to stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search--and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried....


Good Morning! - Hour 1

Apparently my cat was just as excited for the read-a-thon as I was since he started calling for breakfast at least half an hour before I'd set the alarm.  *looks pointedly at unrepentant feline*  So I'm up and have chosen to start with If Wishes Were Horses by Anne McCaffrey a beloved and much missed favorite author.

Young Tizra and her twin brother Tracell find their world abruptly changed when their father is unexpectedly called to fight in a war which promises to last much longer than the usual three-day skirmish. Their mother -- the village healer -- enlists her children to assist her in caring for the many refugees left wounded and homeless by the conflict. Inspired by her mother, Tizra learns never to surrender hope even in a time of fear and uncertainty.


The Night Before

It's almost time again for another Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon! It begins at 7 am on a Saturday morning for me, and it's almost like when you're little and have a hard time sleeping on Christmas Eve. Read-a-thon prep is always fun though, as you have that completely clean slate, and you start massing all the books you want to read, and it's always more than you'll ever get through, but you just don't know what you'll be in the mood for right? Here's my stack so far, but even as I was posting this picture I was thinking of other books that I might want to add to it, plus I have a couple of shorter stories on my Kindle app ready to go.


I see a lot of people talking about planning out snacks, some are healthy, some not so much, I don't do a lot of that other than to make sure I have a nice tasty dessert around. I'm also not really one for staying home the whole day, I always think that sounds great, but my attention span is kind of short, and I need to move around a lot, especially while reading. If I get too comfortable, it's lights out for me! There are always errands to do still, but my husband is kind enough to drive so I can still read, I have impressed upon him the importance of read-a-thon, and luckily he's a reader himself so he understands. At least he understands it's important to me, and you should always humor the crazy woman, right? Just nod, it's okay.

Well, I think that's about all for now, I'll probably add a few more books to the stack tonight. I'll do all my updates in this post, not sure if I'll do newest at the top or the bottom. I think I do my updates differently every single time, I'm still looking for the perfect method!

Happy Read-a-thon everyone, and my the pages turn ever in your favor! (Listening to Mockingjay today so I had to say it!)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon 2013



This is the week for read-a-thon's! We just finished up a Random Read-a-thon for My Shelf Confessions Blogaversary, and now it's time for the Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon over at Seasons of Reading from April 22-28. Towards the end of that is Dewey's Read-a-thon on April 27th, but you know what's better than one read-a-thon? TWO at the same time! Muahahaha!!! Yes, I might have a problem. It's okay though, it's not contagious... or it might be, as I seem to have infected some other people.

As my scary book I have chosen Ghost Hunt: Chilling tales of the Unknown by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, yep, the Ghost Hunters themselves. -- Finished 4/24/13 304 pages



I am only about halfway through Tithe by Holly Black, so I'll work on finishing that up too. -- Finished 4/23/13 -- 177 pages



I'm ready to start a new Kindle book too, so I think I'll see how far along I can get in The Riftwalker (Vampire Empire #2) by Clay and Susan Griffith.



I have a completely different set of shorter books that I've chosen for Dewey's so I'll probably keep the two separate, not sure yet. I think the above is a pretty lofty goal for me! Looking forward to seeing what everyone else chooses to read!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

My Shelf Confessions Blogaversary Read-a-thon April 19-21

blogaversary readathon


Well, will you look at that! I take a day off from work and a read-a-thon appears, convenient that, huh? Join us in celebrating My Shelf Confessions 2nd Blogaversary with a read-a-thon and other goodies!  No rules, just read!  Click on the hat above to go to the sign ups.  I'll do all my updates below.  Happy Blogaversary ladies!
Finished up the last 100 pages of Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles. Great start to a cozy series, great characters and a smidge of paranormal so far! Recommend! It is $.99 for Kindle on Amazon.
124 pages, No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey is perfect for a read-a-thon, a quick, light story full of court intrigues, but none more intriguing than the cat who seems to know all.
Tithe by Holly Black - I started on page 95 and got to 154, so another 59 pages on this one. No where near done so I'll work on finishing it during the Spring into Horror Read-a-thon that starts tomorrow. I wasn't crazy about the start, but it's picking up now, we'll see how I feel by the end.

I managed 283 over the last 3 days, or averaged 94 pages per day, not bad for me!  Thanks again to April and Tabitha over at My Shelf Confessions for hosting, and Happy Blogoversary! 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Giveaway: US Kindle copy of Wild at Heart Vol. I and II Benefitting Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge



Dewey's Read-A-Thon is just around the corner, and the Wild at Heart Anthologies would be perfect for it! Even if you don't participate in read-a-thons, these are enjoyable reads and even better, their purchase benefits the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge near Eureka Springs, Arkansas.


Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

The refuge is dedicated to providing a forever home for abandoned, abused and neglected big cats. Being the big softies they are, there are other animals there as well, including, you guessed it, several bears, probably so that we could all say "Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!" when we visit. They have recently performed a rescue of 32 big cats from another location that needed to close down, taking 28 of the animals into their own fold, a massive undertaking to say the least. Their goal is to eventually be able to provide large habitats for all the animals so that they can run and play and enjoy the grass beneath their feet and just have room to move around in. Much of the work is provided by interns and volunteers, including the building of the habitats which can cost around $25,000 each. As you can imagine food and veterinary care for that many large animals is also very expensive.

My husband and I visited the refuge last year and were very impressed. We actually stayed there for two nights in one of the several different housing options they have so that we could listen to the lions caroling to each other, as a big cat lover, I thought it was very cool. If you're looking for an interesting vacation idea and love big cats, I highly recommend giving them a visit, and scenic/historic and maybe haunted town of Eureka Springs is close by, so there is plenty to do!


Wild at Heart Anthologies

(paraphrased from the descriptions of the two anthologies) These are available for Kindle on Amazon at $2.99 each or in paperback for $8.99 each. These two volumes of short stories were produced by the Diamond State Romance Authors, and showcase the plight of large wild creatures and their need to have safe homes and/or freedom. They are a mixture of paranormal and contemporary stories. Volume II is specifically young adult stories. All profits from this collection will go directly to the refuge to help with the care and feeding of the rescued animals.

Wild at Heart Vol. I
Wild at Heart Vol. II


The Giveaway

I am going to give away one copy of each for the US Kindle. I'll have two separate giveaways since one is for young adult specifically so be sure to enter both if you are interested in both. I'll choose winners Thursday April 25th so that I can try to get it sent out in time for Dewey's Read-a-thon on April 27th if the winners are interested in that. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Seriously Series Challenge 1st Qtr Check-In



We're three months into the year, can you believe it? It's time to check in on my progress for the Seriously Series Challenge.

So far I've read 5 books, 1 short story and listened to 2 audiobooks towards my updated 34 book goal, and 1 book that doesn't count towards my amended goal. I've added a few series and I've taken one out. I haven't actually finished any series yet, but I hadn't necessarily planned to by this time either, since I like to skip around. I very rarely will read 2 books in a row in the same series, or even by the same author.

I add 3 series to Series Started Before 2013, taking me to 9 series, and the Seriously Serious level.

I took out 1 series from Series Started in 2013, keeping me in the Semi Serious tier.

I feel behind where I should be, but I'm going to leave it as is for now, hopefully by the next check in I will have finished up at least one series!

Book read:

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (audiobook) - finished 3/11/13
Killbox by Ann Aguirre - finished 3/5/13
Dead Matter by Anton Strout - finished 1/9/13
Nice Girls Don’t Sign a Lease Without a Wedding Ring by Molly Harper (short story) - finished 1/10/13
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey - finished 2/18/13 (added after start)
Tricked by Kevin Hearne (audiobook) - Finished 3/18/13 (added after start)
The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld - finished 2/24/13
Odalisque by Fiona McIntosh - finished 4/2/13
Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson - Finished 1/27/13 - (removed from challenge, cute read, just not really into it right now)
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