My readathon update post

This post consists of quick updates on my reading and socialising in the 24 Hour Readathon. New updates will be posted on top during the day.

Hour 24 – THE END

This last hour I spent reading two more stories in Ghostly:

• Click-Clack the Rattlebag ~ Neil Gaiman (2013)
• They ~ Rudyard Kipling (1904)

I *almost* finished the latter; having only five more pages to go.

Total pages read: 173
Total amount of time read: 4.55 hrs
Hours listened: 1
Hours watched: 2
Books finished: 1
Stories read/listened to: 6
Total amount of time spent relevantly socialising: 5.35 hrs

I will need to double check my numbers though ;)

Hour 22-23

Uh-oh, after reading P.G. Wodehouse’s Honeysuckle Cottage (which unexpectedly made me chuckle and read out parts aloud to Mr Gnoe), I just spent 70 minutes on selecting five nominations for my book group. Well, just shows you I take these things seriously.

These are the ones I suggested:

1. The Golden Legend ~ Nadeem Aslam (latest novel from one of my all-time favourite authors)
2. Dear White People ~ Justin Simien (must-read, recommended by my friend @rehanu)
3. My Cousin Rachel ~ Daphne du Maurier (classic haunting tale that I haven’t read yet and seems appropriate for this time of year)
4. Portrait of a Turkish Family ~ Irfan Ogra (highly recommended 1950 autobiography that I’m curious about but can’t remember who mentioned this)
5. The Keeper of Lost Things ~ Ruth Hogan (something light that speaks to my love for objects (a museum girl at heart))

Next Saturday we’re choosing one as our next read. Any of them that you want to plug to my fellow book club members???

Hour 21

Been updating this post and doing some socialising on the web/IG/Litsy. I love how so many of us are reading haunted haunting tales; I don’t recall that from previous autumn editions but it may very well be that I’m more sensitive to it now because I’m reading ghost stories myself this time. Neither the spooky genre nor short story collections appear much on my nightstand.

Hour 13-20

Oops. I went to bed for what was intended to be a 4 hour nap… and awoke at nine. Half an hour to make coffee, brekkie, feed the critters etc. and now I gathered everything and everyone on the bed to continue for the last stretch. It’s awesome fall weather outside mmmmmm real cosy! Next ghost story up is P.G. Wodehouse’s Honeysuckle Cottage (1925).

How are you all doing???

12th Hour

I read the 1904 ghost story The Mezzotint by M.R. James in Ghostly.

Total pages read: 100
Total amount of time read: 2.55 hrs
Hours listened: 1
Hours watched: 2
Books finished: 1
Total amount of time socialised: 3.30 hrs

Hour 6-11

How can it be hour 11 already? I haven’t gotten that much reading done yet! Time flies when you’re having fun and I was out with my film club friends watching Gone Baby Gone, an adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel directed by Ben Affleck. It’s a captivating and intelligent mystery that I can definitely recommend – though not to the tender-hearted. I’m putting Lehane on my list of authors to read! The film itself took two hours but of course we had lots to talk about afterwards and I know all these ladies from the book community. All in all I was away from home for a full four hours.

It’s almost 1AM over here and I’m starting the next story in Ghostly but I’ll probably won’t be able to finish it before my eyes get too heavy and I need to go sleep for a bit…zzz

See you later! Read on!

Hour 3-5

I finished “Donkey Basics“, reading 35 pages in 50 minutes. Surprisingly enough the chapter about breeding was much more interesting than expected.

I finally got to listen to the 15 minute story Memento Mori by Stephanie Victoire aka @weepingwillow84 on instagram; a perfect September tale nominated for the BBC National Short Story Award 2017!

As I wasn’t done cooking and doing housework in a quarter of an hour (lol) I continued with Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn on Audible for about 45 minutes. Now I’m writing this update while having dinner: a chill-veggie kind of stew with spinach and avocado & olives on the side. Don’t worry, Mr Gnoe isn’t here so I’m not being rude ;)

Next up is my film club… Will share later what adaptation we watched!

Total pages read: 80
Total amount of time read: 2.20 hrs
Hours listened: 1
Books finished: 1
Total amount of time socialised: 1.15 hrs

Hour 1-2

I have read for one and a half hour and in that time I finished the 1911 ghost story The Beckoning Fair One by Oliver Onions. I hadn’t expected it to affect me so much! I really need a break now and am glad to have selected books to alternate with this collection. Like… donkeys! Those always make my heart smile. But first I’ll stop by some other participants!
(Pages read: 45)

Hour 0 Opening meme

I answered most of the questions for the traditional opening meme in my intro post but here’s a summary.

1. I’m reading from Utrecht, the Netherlands, Europe (mostly at home).
2. The books in my stack that I’m mostly looking forward are my two current reads that I hope to finish: Ghostly (Audrey Niffenegger) and “Donkey Basics” (Margret Keijzer).
3. Strangely enough I’m not looking forward to any specific snack… but to eating healthy today!
4. J-Lit (Japanese literature) is a favourite genre and I’m a sucker for donkeys and (other) rescue animals – the older the better ;)
5. I intend to take healthy snacks and drinks and get as little distracted as possible…

Advertentie

Read-a-thon Hour 1 meme

Here’s my first status report in April’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon! It’s two o’clock in Utrecht and all over the world the readathon is actually starting while I’m already three and a half hours in ;) I know I said 10am in my earlier post, but I technically started at half past. It was smart to get a ‘false’ start because it helped me get going!

Mini-challenge: Dewey’s Hour 1 meme

Where are you reading from today?
My reading chair in Utrecht, Netherlands, Europe.

3 facts about me …
1. I’m not alone in the house: Mr Gnoe, cats Juno & Ringo and dwarf hamster Yoshi are keeping me company.
2. David Mitchell is my favourite author. Barbara Gowdy and Haruki Mrakami come second.
3. I love many (but not all) things Japanese and hope to travel there in the next few years.

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
9, but I don’t expect to read them all… (Here’s my pile, with the addition of David Mitchell’s latest). Not counting my complete bookshelf ;)

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)?
My goal is to actually READ more since I got so over-excited in November that I hardly read anything. Stay relaxed and enjoy everything ;) For the community aspect I’ll check in every 2-3 hours.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
This is only my 2nd time participating but I learned a lot last time and decided to do some things differently. Read about them in my Sunday Salon! My main advice to first-timers is… try not to get too excited :\ But I guess that’s just a lesson you’ll have to learn the hard way! ;)

Status report

Time period: 10.30 – 13.55

Currently reading: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger — and thoroughly loving it!

Total of time read: exactly 2 hrs 30 mins (breaks for lunch and laundry)
Total amount of pages read: 64 pages

Books finished: 0
Mini-challenges I participated in: 1 (Intro meme)

In the Mood for a Read-a-thon (Easter Sunday Salon 04-04-2010)

I began this Easter Sunday reading in bed. Cuddling up to Mr Gnoe with cats & coffee; can’t get any cosier than that :) Yeah well, the dwarf hamster prefers to stay in her cage ;)

I’m still enjoying Murakami’s Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. Only a hundred pages to go until the end of the book. So far my favourite stories are The Ice Man and The Seventh Man. The latter I read at least a week ago, but yesterday I feared the ocean I saw in Nowhere Boy because of it… :\

You might remember I was already reading ‘Blind Willow’ during my previous Sunday Salon 3 weeks ago. I don’t seem to get much reading done these days; I’m also slowly progressing in Sei Shōnagon’s The Pillow Book (see below). Still, there’s no need to worry, because there’s a new 24 hour read-a-thon coming up next week! I had great fun in October, even though I got so over-excited I really couldn’t get much reading done… LOL Why don’t you join us this time?

Things I’ll do differently:

• I’ll start a few hours early because 2pm is not a good time to begin the read-a-thon.
• Compensation for my early start will be taken Saturday night: I’m going to see butoh dancer Takateru Kudo perform Go-Zarashi.
• I will not put my laptop directly beside my reading chair…
• I will check in every two hours on the dot so I can do some cheering, join in mini challenges and get the community feeling, but won’t get too distracted. Maximum pc time allowed: 15-20 minutes.
• Mini-challenge entries will be short (at first; I might make ‘em more fancy after the read-a-thon has ended).
• Maybe I’ll even let Mr Gnoe guard my new iPhone because it’s such a distracting device ;) LOL
• I’m not buying any books especially for the read-a-thon; there’s enough on my shelves to choose from.
• I have no need for excessive snacks & sweets… Really I don’t. Cross my heart and hope to die.

Although I’m free to pick anything of my liking of the shelves, I actually have a small pile of books set aside already. Last time I really benefited by the advice of some ‘old-timers’ to have a selection of different genres at hand. So my book stack contains novels and short stories, fiction next to non-fiction in both English and Dutch, plus comics and a graphic novel. I even have some audio books available for when my eyes get too tired :)

DA BOOX:

• Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, Haruki Murakami; or, if finished:
• a choice of the following short stories: De arm (One Arm) by Yasunari Kawabata, The January Man by David Mitchell, Helen and Julia by Sarah Waters
• Het hoofdkussenboek van Sei Shōnagon (The Pillow Book), Sei Shōnagon; just the journal entries to keep up with my read-along
• Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger
• Dromen van China (The China Lover), Ian Buruma
• Geketende democratie: Japan achter de schermen (‘Democracy in Chains: Behind the Scenes of Japan‘), correspondent Hans van der Lugt: a belated birthday present — that’s what happens when you flee the country at the actual day: gifts pouring in for a while afterwards ;)
• Mutts: Dog-eared, Patrick McDonnell
• Waltz with Bashir: A Lebanon War Story, Ari Folman & David Polonsky

So, how do like my ‘short’ list? :) And do you have any good advice for the read-a-thon?

Bookish posts

This week’s bookish posts on Graasland:

• My First Favourite Book about The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
• ‘A Steam Whistle in the Middle of the Night‘ a selection of Haruki Murakami’s short stories that haven’t been translated to English yet (Hello Japan’s Murakami March entry).

The Pillow Book

Arrived at entry: 41/41
Entries read since last time: 10

It’s been a while since I last read in Sei Shōnagon’s Pillow Book and not much comes to mind when I try to think of something to say about it. I guess it’s not making much of an impression :( Maybe the pace is too slow for me (not really getting a feel for the narrator), or or it might have to do with my recent discovery of preferring plot-driven books. I will admit I’m looking at 7 post-its sticking out of my volume: quotes that I should copy into my own journal but that I haven’t gotten round to. Once I’ve done so, maybe I’ll have more to say.

Unfortunately I had to cancel my visit to the Sketches from the Pillow Book theater play in Amsterdam. But blogging-buddy-to-be Marion went and wrote a short post about it. Feels a bit like I’ve been there anyway ;)

Now, back to my leisurely Easter Sunday. I’m going to read some more, have a nice dinner of cannelloni and mandarin tiramisu dessert (recipe will follow later), and will finish watching the first season of Damages. What are you doing today?

The Sunday Salon is a virtual gathering of booklovers on the web, where they blog about bookish things of the past week, visit each others weblogs, oh — and read ;)

Books for the What’s in a Name challenge #3

As you know I have joined next year’s What’s in a Name challenge, hosted by Beth F. Even though it is not compulsory I decided to try and compile a list of books fitting the categories — just to keep myself on track. Of course I might change titles along the way.

1. Category food: Living Among Meat Eaters by Carol J. Adams (non-fiction), or The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (‘Zoet’ in this title being a Dutch surname meaning ‘sweet’).
   * read in April – May *
2. Category body of water: Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving,
   or The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch.
   * read in July *
   
3. Category title: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa.
   * read in January *
4. Category plant: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
   * read in August *
   And The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
   * read in August – September *
5. Category place name: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi ( an ancient capital, Unesco World Heritage Site in what is now Iran)
   * read in September *
   Or The China Lover by Ian Buruma.
6. Category music term: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.
   * read in April *
   And Silence by Shusaku Endo.
   * read in June *

Can I start now? Please? ;)