Thankfully Reading Weekend

This year, Hubs and I find ourselves alone for Thanksgiving.  That's not a complaint - merely how things fell.  Our son and his fiance have to work; our daughter went to help a friend move from New Mexico to Kansas; I offered to cook for a friend who has been in the hospital, but doctors decided she should stay a few more days, so she and her husband will be sharing a hospital cafe meal.  

So I will be putting my feet up and reading, along with Jenn at www.jennsbookshelves.com and others who are thankful for some time with books. Thankfully Reading Weekend is a four day reading event that Jenn has been hosting for quite a few years now. 

There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for the year. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. If you think you can join in, grab the button  and add your sign up post to the link-up below. If you don’t have a blog, you can sign up the comments or sign up using a link to your Twitter account or Facebook page.  We’ll also be checking in on Twitter using hashtag #thankfullyreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure!

There will be challenges throughout the four days - including one right here.  If you have some time - any amount of time - to spend reading in the next four days, join in the fun and conversation.

I'm going to get a little jump start and read till I fall asleep - which will be a maximum of three pages.

Readathon 2016

It's readathon day again.  One of my favorite days of the year - a day focused on reading, talking about reading, entering contests about reading, blogging about reading and more reading.  If you want to join, go here to sign up.  

As always, the readathon begins with the standard "get to know you" questions:

1.  Where are you? - Southeast Nebraska, USA
2.  Who are you? - Check the "About me" tab above for all the details.
3.  What are you reading? - see picture below
4.  What are you eating? - Slightly stale cheese puffs are a readathon tradition.
5. Have you done this before? - Many times.  And I embrace the readathon motto: No rules, just read.

My Readathon choices.

Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon

I'm awake.  I'm out of bed.  I have coffee.  I have books.  Time to read!

For the opening post, the lovely ladies behind the scenes at Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon are asking the usual questions.  

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? - The Boonies, otherwise known as southeast Nebraska.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? - Since I rarely finish more than one book during a readathon, I didn't really make a stack this time.  But I'm starting off with The Burning Room by Michael Connelly and will alternate that with Where I Am by Billy Graham.  I also have to get in a little Christmas reading, so I have Winter Street 
by Elin Hilderbrand waiting in the wings.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?  Slightly stale Cheese Puffs (it's a Read-a-thon tradition).

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!  Reader's Digest version:  Wife, Mom, Grandma, co-owner of a grain bin construction business, crazed crafter and lifelong book nut!   (If you want the long version, click the "About Me" tab above)

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?  This is my 13th read-a-thon!  ** Caution - blatant self-horn blowing ahead **  If you want to know my read-a-thon philosophy, you can read my Warm-Up Post here.  (What an honor to be posted on the official read-a-thon site!  Thanks, ladies.)    If you don't want to waste your precious reading time on that drivel, here's the RD version again:  "Let it go!" is my theme for the day.  No rules, no expectations, just fun.

Now, let's read!  

But first I have to research:  Do they still print Reader's Digest Condensed Books?   Am I dating myself, and confusing younger readers, by using that reference?  

I'm Just Done!

I am plum tuckered out!  Dog tired! I've got one wheel down and an axle dragging!

Dave's step-father has been in the last stages of cancer for awhile now. Within the last month, he had progressed to the stage that he needed someone with him 24/7.  His sister and daughter covered the majority of the time, but I got called to fill in for a weekend. Nurse is high on the list of things I will never be.  Thank heaven for hospice nurses and aides that handle that area.  Preparing meals, doling out medications on schedule, and washing bedding are things I can do well, so I was happy to take my turn.  

During my visit, he experienced a time of increased pain that the medication wasn't handling so, to comfort him while we waited on the nurse, we read scripture, prayed and discussed his faith and his assurance of where he was going.  This is not a side of my father-in-law that I've seen a lot and I feel blessed that we had that time.

That bout with pain was the beginning of a downturn and a few days later, hospice suggested that time was short.  Our daughter who lives in New Mexico wanted to come for a visit and we had her on a plane within a few hours.  I spent the next week driving --- to the airport (90 minutes), to my father-in-law's home (4 hours), home, airport, home, father-in-law's, home, airport . . . He passed away on Wednesday the 2nd and the funeral was a couple days ago.  

Yesterday I returned Amanda to the airport.  On the way, she received a text that her flight was delayed 2.5 hours!  It used to be a joke that Amanda's planes were always delayed, but it's not that funny any more.  Albuquerque and Kansas City are both small airports and many of the flights in and out are "commuter" flights - small planes run by subsidiaries of United, US Airways and American Air.  Evidently they are all incapable of running on schedule, staffing reliable crews, and maintaining a fleet of planes.  Yesterday was the last straw.  I called United and asked for my money back - which they agreed to.  In fact, they even agreed to refund the "change fee" they had charged me because THEIR ineptitude meant Amanda would miss her connecting flight in Denver and had to be rescheduled.  And they saw nothing ironic or wrong with that!  From now on, this family flies Southwest exclusively.

Today I woke up with a mongo head cold and sore throat.  I am supposed to get back into my car for a trip to Omaha (90 miles) and a doctor appointment for a completely unrelated issue.  I debated rescheduling to avoid the drive and spreading my germs, but I finally decided to just get it done.  Armed with Day-Quill, Kleenex and hand sanitizer, I'm headed out shortly.  

I'm three days late getting started on the Re-Readathon hosted by Bex @ An Armchair by the Sea.  But when I get home, I plan to collapse on the couch with a comfort book and a cup of tea.  I'm starting with "Out to Canaan" by Jan Karon - the first of my favorites I'll be re-reading.

Bout of Books - Day 2

Forces have conspired to keep me from getting much reading done - work, a sewing project on deadline, a car that needed to go to the shop . . . wasting time with games on my phone.  I promise to do better the rest of the week.

I have managed to find time to enter today's Book Scavenger Hunt hosted by The Book Monsters.  Here are my finds:

Books beginning with the letter B

Blue Books

A book I hope to read during the readathon:

Books from my favorite genre - Mystery

     - I included the entire series that tops my fav list.  

My TBR shelf -  At least 5 of those are Dave's, so it's not just me.

Bout of Books Readathon: Better Late Than Never

Whew!  I'm sliding in under the wire.  The Bout of Books Readathon starts today.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. 

Theresa at Armchair by the Sea, who is hosting the Re-Readathon beginning September 7, called Bout of Books the push she needed to finish up what she's reading now, so she'll be ready to sink into some old favorites.  It's not to late to join both Readathons.


Fictional World Travel Challenge:  The first challenge of the readathon is brought to you by Leann at Between Library Shelves.  The idea is to choose 3 to 6 books of fiction, set in countries other than the one where you currently reside.  I learned something about myself - I'm not very adventerous in my reading.  It proved difficult to come up with a third book.

Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani is set in Italy.

The collection of English Country House Murders is self explanatory.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King is a bit of a stretch, 

but it takes place in the fictional world called Mid-world.

I'm off to the library to broaden my fictional world. 

Re-Readathon

From September 7th through September 20th, break out all your favorite books and re-read.  Bex at An Armchair by the Sea is hosting a Re-Readathon.  The rules are simple:

• Re-read old or new favourites at some point during the two weeks. Link up reviews or discussions via the link in the starting line post.
• Use #rereadathon on Twitter and Instagram to share the rereading love. 
• Enter mini-challenges and give-aways.

My TBR-R (to be re-read) pile includes Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen; The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch by Marcia Moyer; and at least one of The Cat Who . . . series by Lilian Jackson Braun; and the Mitford series by Jan Karon.  

What are your favorite books to revisit?

Ho-Ho-Ho-Readathon

The Ho-Ho-Ho-Readathon has begun!  A week of fun with other Christmas-loving book lovers.  My goal for the week is to read at least three Christmas-themed books.  In my sign-up post I posted a picture of nine un-read Christmas books I found on my own bookcases.  From that stack, I have selected "O Little Town" by Don Reid (member of the Statler Brothers) and "Murder Under the Mistletoe" by Jennifer Jordan.  


I also have a Christmas-themed book club selection to read during November, so that is the third book on my goal list - "Christmas Crimes" by Anne Perry ("A Christmas Homecoming" and "A Christmas Garland")  On a side note - this book is actually two of Ms. Perry's earlier novels, repackaged and sold to suckers like me who don't read the fine print - one of my biggest book-peeves.  But oh well, the price for the Nook Book version was very good for two complete novels.  


The Ho-Ho-Ho-Readathon features seven challenges which are open throughout the week.  One of them, The Purr-fect Holiday Reading List Challenge, is hosted by Melissa @ Mocha, Mysteries and Meows.  Melissa asks us to share our all-time favorite Christmas books.  That's not as easy as it sounds because it's a long list, but these three are on my shelves and have been re-read at least once - sure signs of a favorite book.

Shepherd's Abiding is the Christmas volume from Jan Karon's Mitford series.  I adore the entire series, but of course the Christmas story is my favorite.  Skipping Christmas by John Grisham is a top-pick book that has become a top-pick movie; and Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is, of course, a classic and a story that has been a fav with me since I listened to the audio version (then on a 33 1/3 LP) repeatedly as a child.  I try to fit in a re-read every December.

I can't wait to get started reading, but before I head to the couch with some hot chocolate and the first book, let me tell you how you can join in the fun.  Visit our hostesses,  Jennifer @ The Book Shelfery and Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  Visit their blogs to sign up and read along.  

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas . . .

There's a saying defining insanity as doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.  So just let me say right now:  Hi, My name is Tami and I'm insane.  

Fresh off the high of Dewey's Read-a-thon, it was easy for Sis to talk me into signing up for the Ho Ho Ho Holiday Read-a-thon.  Yes, I'm aware that I have a horrible track record for participating in book events other than Dewey's - but this time will be different . . . seriously.  Books and Christmas are two of my favorite things!

This merry event is hosted by Jennifer @ The Book Shelfery and Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  I've never met these ladies, or even visited their blogs, until now.  But I see that at least one of them lives in Nebraska and they both obviously share my love of Christmas books - so they must be great gals.    Here's the scoop on their read-a-thon:

Grab those holiday theme books and bring your holiday spirit. Prepare to enter challenges, win prizes, meet new friends and Twitter chat with us. You can join for a day or sit by the fire and hang out every day. The more you participate the more entries you will earn for the Participant Giveaway.

Rules and other details, as well as the spot to sign up,  can be found here.  I don't see anything about setting a goal for number of books read, pages read, time reading  - - just read.  So - I'm going to start by selecting from this stack of books that I collected from my own bookshelf:

There are nine holiday books there - - nine holiday books that have been languishing on my shelves - unread.  That's disgraceful for a Christmas nut!  So, I'll start there and then drop by the library to see what's new.  

Thanks Kimberly and Jennifer, for hosting this fun event.  Can't wait to get started.

Books on Books: The Answers

I'm too old to pull an all-nighter!  I had a wonderful readathon, enjoyed it immensely, but it's harder to recover from sleep deprivation than it was in college.  By 6:00 a.m. on Sunday (Hour 23) my brain was so muddled that I totally forgot to post the answer to my mini-challenge puzzle.  Here are the fourteen books represented in the puzzle:

• The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
• The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
• Fahernheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
• I Can Read With My Eyes Shut by Dr. Seuss
• The Guernsey LIterary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kenney
• The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennet
• The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
• Misery by Stephen King
• Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
• Dewey:  The Small Town Library Cat by Vicki Myron

Thanks again to all of you who entered.  This was the first time I hosted in the closing hours of readathon, and I was concerned about getting entries.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Twenty-four people who really know their book covers (and were surprisingly coherent at that hour) stopped by the blog.  

Thank you all for entering and thank you for your kind comments.

See you in April 2015!

End of Event Meme

Another readathon is nearly over, and I'm already looking forward to April.  A huge "thank you" to the lovely ladies who put this together.  As always, I didn't read as much as I thought I would - but I've learned to live with that.   Dewey's Readathon is about reading - but it's also about the community of readers and bloggers.  It's about having fun - sometimes in a very nerdy way - with a group of people who totally get it.  

Thanks also to the cheerleaders who keep us going and the creative folks who dream up all those wonderful mini-challenges.  They are the highlight of the day, for me.  

Happy Reading - See in you April.

Which hour was most daunting for you?  I fell asleep at 12:15 and woke up at 2:30 a.m., so I guess I would have to say that Hour 18 (midnight to 1:00 a.m. in my world) was most daunting

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?  Unfortunately, I chose books that were too laid-back and character driven.  Next time I'll try to pick things that are more gripping.

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  Cheerleaders come to my house with cupcakes.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?  Everything seemed to go smoothly - I didn't even notice any bad links, which is amazing with so many people involved.  Good work!

How many books did you read? That depends on your definition of "read".  I read portions of 4 books, but finished none.  

What were the names of the books you read?  (see answer above)

Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon

Return to Me by Lynn Austin

The Question of the Missing Head by E.J. Copperman

Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Jewel Box 

Which book did you enjoy most?  Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good - I'm infatuated with the entire series. 

Which did you enjoy least?  I pass

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  100% - God and schedules willing!  I love hosting a mini-challenge so I'll likely do that again.  May also try cheerleading again.  All aspects of the readathon are great fun . . . except hosting - that's terrifying. :) 

And in case you missed this video at Hour 16 (posted by Hostess Courtney) - this is the funniest thing I've seen in ages.  Get up and dance and congratulate yourself on a job well done!

Dream Cast Mini-Challenge

Shannon at River City Reads poses this question:  If the book you are reading were made into a movie, who would you cast to play the main roles?  I love this question because I so often disagree with the casting directors in Hollywood (Like that guy who played Morelli in One For The Money ????)

I happen to be reading Someplace Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon.  I have been rereading the entire series in anticipation of this latest release, so I feel like an expert on Father Tim and Cynthia Kavanagh.  Since this is my "Dream" Cast, I'm assuming that there are no limitations (like that they are still living) on who I can pick.  

James Garner would have been perfect for the role of Father Tim and Helen Mirren is the picture of Cynthia in my head.

Fun question to ponder, Shannon.  But now I'm slightly disappointed that I'll never see this couple on the Silver Screen.

Best of the Year Mini-Challenge

I have had an awful reading year - probably the worst of my 40+ years of reading.  I have let sewing, painting, knitting and other crafts consume my leisure time and I haven't read much.  Also, what little I HAVE read, hasn't been very good.  So here is my very short "Best of" list 

Hands-Down Best Book of the Year:  Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Best Non-Adult Book:  Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings 

Best Re-read:  Shepherd's Abiding by Jan Karon

Best Ending:  The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Books On Books Mini-Challenge

And the winner is . . . 
Ellie from Book Addicted Blonde
Congratulations Ellie, I will be contacting you about your prize.
Thanks to everyone who entered.

The mini-challenge is now closed.  The winner will be announced shortly.  

Thank you all for playing along.

Hello, Readathoners!  Welcome to Just One More Thing . . .  You've been reading for 20 hours, your head is bobbing, your eyes are drooping . . . so we're going to give your brain a wake-up workout.  

Fourteen books about books are represented in the picture puzzle below.  All you have to do is name as many of them as you can. 

 Since your brain may not be at it's best at this point, I'm going to make it a little easier:

1.  Cheating is encouraged.  Use the internet, scour your TBR pile, phone a friend - - whatever means you need to correctly name the books.

2.  Author is not required - just the title of the book. 

3.  I'll give you hints.  One to start you off, one at Hour 22, and one more at Hour 23.  However - the earlier you enter, the better your chances of winning. (see Rule 5)

4.  The challenge will close at the start of Hour 24 so I have time to announce the winner before the readathon ends.  Comments will not be visible till the winner is announced.

5.  The person who gets the most correct will be the winner.  If there is a tie, the winner will be selected by random drawing among those entrants.  HOWEVER, the earlier you enter the better your chances:

Entries received during:                Your name goes in the drawing:
         Hour 21                                                  5 times
         Hour 22                                                  3 times
         Hour 23                                                  1 time

What will you win?  New copies of Ex Libris and Rereadings by Anne Fadiman

Get yourself one more cup/glass of your caffeine of choice, shake your head a few times to wake up your brain, and have fun.  

     HINT #1:  The following words appear in the title of at least one book:

• Read
• Reader
• Literary
• Story
• Book 
• Diary
• Bookmobile
• Library

UPDATE:  HINT 2

Still trying to identify some of those book covers?  Here are a few more hints:

1.  There are three books that do not contain any literary reference in the title - but the story is largely about books.

2.  One book is a graphic novel.

3.  One book is written entirely as letters between the characters.

4.  One book was originally written in German.

UPDATE:  HINT 3

Still wondering about a few of the tough ones?  Your final hint is the author's last names.

•  Brown
•  Ende
•  Bradbury
•  Ahern
•  Seuss
•  Shaffer
•  Kenney
•  Bennet
•  Niffenegger
•  Zusak
•  Christie
•  King
•  Sloan
•  Myron

Pet Parade Mini Challenge

Tis the night of the read-a-thon and each place you look

some creatures are snoozing and some read a book.

Lola is nestled all snug by her dad

While he reads her stories of Lassie and Lad

Across the room, Gabby is asleep without care

No stories from HER dad; he snores in his chair.

Under the table, Miss Molly sleeps, too.

But Mom can't sleep yet, there's too much to do.

For Mom, in her jammies, has hours to go.

There's reading and challenges left, don't you know.

She slips to her reading chair with books, cup and light.

Merry Reading to all, and to all a Good Night.

Half-Time

Time for the Mid-Event Survey: 

1. What are you reading right now?  I'm still alternating between Somewhere Safe with Someone Good by Jan Karon and Return to Me by Lynn Austin

2. How many books have you read so far? Zip - but I'm breaking out some shorter, easier selections in the wee hours, so I have high hopes of finishing a book.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?  After one of the mini-challenges lead me to pull down some classics from my childhood, I'm looking forward to some re-reads.

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? TONS of interruptions - "grandparenting" a Great Dane puppy, fixing lunch for Hubs and Son, K-State football game (tried to read AND watch the last quarter), a little laundry, a little unintentional snoozing . . .  I deal with them by saying "c'est la vie".  I'm having fun with the challenges and socializing.

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?  Hmmmm.... No real surprises so far.  I will be surprised later if I'm able to read through the night.  I'm hosting the mini-challenge at 3:00 a.m. (central time).

Show It Off!

Kay @ Dead Book Darling is hosting this hour's challenge to show off your favorite, most valuable or most interest books:  "The unique, signed or simply dear-to-your-heart editions that you’d grab if there were a fire."  

I have shelves of books I love, but the ones that are "dear to my heart" are the books with a connection to someone special.

1.  365 Bedtime Stories by Nan Gilbert - A great aunt (I think) gave this book to my sisters and I sometime in the late 60's.  One short story for each day of the year, but I couldn't wait and read the whole book.  My older (rule-following) sister declared that I had "ruined it" by reading ahead. :)  This is not the original - this is a 1955 copy I bought on ebay, but it looks identical.

2.  More Poem Portraits by James J. Metcalf  (Published 1951)  Inscribed with my Grandma's name.  I believe it was a gift to her from a friend.

3.  Gold of Friendship - a collection of poems and sayings about friendship.  The book itself is nothing special, but it was a gift from my BFF who was being treated for leukemia.  She purchased it in the hospital gift shop because that was the only store she got to visit.  Wanda passed away in 2004, so this book is a treasure!

4.  The Yearling Gift Library For Girls (Set 1):  

• Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer
• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
• The Empty Schoolhouse by Natalie Savage Carlson
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
• Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

 This set was a Christmas gift from my parents in 1969 (I was 8).  I read them all, but Charlotte's Web and Harriet the Spy were the ones I returned to again and again.  I haven't taken them down from the shelf for years (witness the inch of dust that was on top) but I believe I'll add them to my readathon book stack.  They would be great for those late hours when concentration becomes more difficult.

Thanks, Kay, for a fun challenge that lead me down memory lane.

Read-a-thon Update #1

It's been four-and-a-half hours since Readathon kicked off - I've read 70 pages.  I know, pretty sad page total, BUT - I also entered several mini-challenges, started a load of laundry, cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and I'm doggie-sitting my son's Great Dane pup -- not conducive to concentration.  Considering all that, I'm not doing bad.  I'm going to fix a bite of lunch and return to the books.

This hour, Kim at On The Wings of Books is challenging readers to post a picture of one of the books they're reading, staged with items that go along with the story.  

One of the three books I'm reading today is Return to Me by Lynn Austin . . . and how can you return somewhere without a road map?  Ok, lame, I know -- but I couldn't find a shofar (that's the animal-horn trumpet he's blowing on the cover).  Fun challenge, anyway!

Now, back to the books.

Coffee or Tea?

This hour's mini-challenge is a question posed by Amanda at Fig & Thistle.  Do you prefer coffee or tea with your books?

I'm definitely a coffee girl - especially in one of Grandma's cups and saucers.   #TeamTrollope

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon Is Here Again!

It's that time again. Round up the books, chase the family out of the house and put on a pot of coffee . . . it's READATHON DAY!  It's 7:00 a.m. in my part of the world and I've been up preparing (and maybe getting in a little sewing) before the reading day begins.

The coffee's ready, as is the book stack, and I'm pumped.  I'm assuming we will be starting with the standard questions, so here goes:

What fine part of the world are you reading from today?   I'm in the southeast corner of Nebraska, USA

Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?  Somewhere Safe With Someone Good by Jan Karon.  I've had the book for about a week and have forced myself to wait til this morning to start.  

Which snack are you most looking forward to?  I'm trying to remain on the healthy eating road today - so fresh fruit, carrot sticks and hummus await me.

Tell us a little something about yourself!  Wife, mother of adult children, grandma, reader, crafter, sewer, cupcake addict.  For more info, click the "about" tab.

If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?  I've participated many times and I usually have the same plan:  Read 45 minutes of each hour, spend 15 minutes on mini-challenges, etc.  For the first time in years, I'm going to try to read through the night.  

So, welcome fellow readers!  Have a great day of bookish fun.  If you aren't participating, there's still plenty of time - nearly 24 whole hours!  Visit the website and sign up.

Come back at 3:00 a.m. (Central Time) for my Books on Books Mini-Challenge.


Button artwork by HelgaMcL - available on her Etsy store