Cover to Cover Challenge discussion

Great job to all who participated in the November readathon!

How has your reading week been? Did you get to read as much as you expected to? More? Less?

How many books did you get done? How do your stats look? And if you did the mini-challenges, which ones did you complete?

For a general outline:
- Number of books? Pages? Audiobooks? Hours listened?
- List of books
- Minichallenges
- Best reading day?

I read 4 full books:
(Variant, Saeculum, Magic Study, Candor)
And a quarter of a fifth:
(The graveyard Book)
All in all I JUST made it over the 1.500 pages I was aiming for. I had to read 2 pages past midnight though, so I cheated a bit. (1.502)
I was inspired by the mini-challenges but only completed some by accident ;-). Saeculum had 497 pages so that ticked off #1. I also let Goodreads suggest 2 books (Variant and Candor), which I enjoyed a lot. So that would be #2. I was inspired by the lists of you guys for challenge #6 and will read a few of those for sure, but I didn't read them within the marathon.
My best reading day was probably the Sunday, I was very much hooked to Saeculum that day and got a lot read.
I had a bit of trouble to motivate myself during the last few days, there were a few distractions I gave in to easily. But my books were way catchier in the first days as well. All in all I am very happy with my results! :-)

Dee's Read-a-thon Progress

Started 19th (at 11am EST)

Total Pages - 2760

Books Finished
Exposure (started at 30%)
Canary Island Song (started at pg 217) - got a bit too preachy towards the end, but its another country off the list on my around the world challenge
Just the Sexiest Man Alive - I devoured this book, for lack of a better term, the author drew me right in and I didn't want to put it down
Wrestling with Desire - cute coming of age read for a challenge in another group - new author, but i'll be checking out more by him in the future
Tiger Eyes (Audiobook)(started at 50%) - I remember reading this as a teen, so re-reading it now was entertaining, so much stuff that happened to Davy is still applicable today - I can't believe that is still shows up on the most frequently banned list after nearly 30 years in print
Eloquent Silence (audiobook) - 288 pages
Bridge to Terabithia (audiobook)(started at 75%) - 36 pages
Master of Crows (Mini-challenge 7) - 276 pages
Captive Angels (Mini-challenge 5) - 272 pages
The Guy Next Door - 378 pages

Books In Progress/Pages read during RAT
Sacred Horses: Memoirs of a Turkmen Cowboy (started at pg 154,currently at 260 - 106 pages read)
Still Waters in Niger (started at pg 51, currently at pg 74 - 23 pages read)
Ali and Nino: A Love Story (Started at pg 67, currently at pg 230 = 163 pages read)
Life, Over Easy - 70% read (125 pages) -
Finding Zach - 45% read (119 pages)
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - 75% (112 pages)

best reading day - probably Thanksgiving/Black Friday - but I did most of my reading in bits and pieces
audiobook wise - I probably listened to about 13 hours on and off - 1 full audiobook and then 3 partial ones

Congratulations everyone! I didn't do that well, but I did start a few books for the challenge part that I never would have picked. Art of Fielding- don't like baseball, but someone recommended it as their top 5. So I'm going to take a chance.

I did not get as MUCH reading done as I'd thought (I didn't factor in the holiday and the work at my son's school beforehand), but I did get quite a bit done!

Reading Progress

CHALLENGES COMPLETED:

Russian Winter by Daphne Kolotay = Not-Quite-A-Chunkster challenge (#1)

Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson and Richard Dilallo - I can't see the bottom of the pile challenge (#5)

CURRENTLY READING:

Bag of Bones by Stephen King - at page 230


Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer - at page 242 - an additional 190 pages since last update


David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - at page 110


Total pages read: 1500

Total Books Completed:

Shay wrote: "Congratulations everyone! I didn't do that well, but I did start a few books for the challenge part that I never would have picked. Art of Fielding- don't like baseball, but someone recommended it ..."

The Art of Fielding is really good! Take it from this non-baseball lover!

Dee wrote: "Dee's Read-a-thon Progress

Started 19th (at 11am EST)

Total Pages - 2760

Books Finished
Exposure (started at 30%)
Canary Island Song (started at pg 217) - got a b..."


Wow! I bow to your reading prowess! Great job!

I had a 1 day work week this week - it made for some great reading time

Nadine wrote: "I read 4 full books:
(Variant, Saeculum, Magic Study, Candor)
And a quarter of a fifth:
(The graveyard Book)
All in all I JUST made it over the 1.500 pages I was aiming for. I had to read 2 pages p..."

Isn't it funny how we read MUCH faster when the books are absorbing? Good job!

Thanks, Julie. And yes, with an absorbing book it is as if it is glued to me and I will use any free moments to read. With the not quite so catchy ones I will use my dedicated reading times only. Like before sleeping or for a little while after work.

Julie wrote: "Shay wrote: "Congratulations everyone! I didn't do that well, but I did start a few books for the challenge part that I never would have picked. Art of Fielding- don't like baseball, but someone re..."

I'm old, so this does date me... I don't like baseball, but I did get dragged to see Field of Dreams when it came out in theaters. I did like it. Baseball as metaphor and all. So, hopefully this will be great too- more about the people than a play by play of the game.

Shay wrote: "Julie wrote: "Shay wrote: "Congratulations everyone! I didn't do that well, but I did start a few books for the challenge part that I never would have picked. Art of Fielding- don't like baseball, ..."

We may be the same age, as I remember liking Field of Dreams as well - although Art of Fielding is not necessarily baseball as a metaphor, I think you will like it as well, as baseball is basically in the periphery (yes, the characters do play baseball, but the real drama is in the human interaction)

Final Summary

Total pages: 1538
Not bad, but one of these times I'd like to reach 2000!

Books started earlier,finished in Readathon:
Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller
Grave Surprise

Complete books in Readathon:
Challenge #3-Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Challenge #6-The Paris Wife
Personal Newberry Challenge-The Dark Frigate

Still in progress:
#1-Voyager
#2-Decline and Fall
#4-On Canaan's Side Booker Long List - I'm not very far into this, but I am enjoying it a lot (and it's definitely "readable")

I still plan to complete all the challenges within the next few weeks. The ones I haven't started yet:
#5-Fahrenheit 451
#7-Light in August

Great mini-challenges, as usual! It was fun to read everyone's updates. Looks like I'll have to add Tisha and The Art of Fielding to my TBR list!

It's great to get a few more books crossed off those lists before the end of the year, isn't it? Way to go, everybody!

Ann wrote: "Final Summary

Total pages: 1538
Not bad, but one of these times I'd like to reach 2000!

Books started earlier,finished in Readathon:
Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller
[book:Gr..."

The Paris Wife and Miss Peregrine's Home are definitely on my own wishlist - I really need to get them in my house and on my shelves! :)

Great job!

This is the best Read-a-thon that I have ever had! I finished 8 books, only one of which I had started earlier, and started 3 more:

Finished: Agnes and the Hitman - last 60 p.(which I had begun earlier)
Carbs and Cadavers - 277p.
Behemoth - 481p.(challenge #1)
One Bad Apple - 262p.(#2 challenge)
Tisha - 361p. (#6 challenge)
Pardonable Lies - 340p. (#7 challenge)
Getting Lucky - 364p. (challenge #5)
Girl with A Pearl Earring - 233p. (challenge #3)

Started but didn't get very far in:
The Language of Flowers - 21p.
Rules of Attraction - 52p.
Beauty Queens - 61p.

Total pages: 2,512

Best Reading Day: Friday, which is when I was could do my closest attempt at a 24-hour reading period.

I loved the challenges, and managed to complete 6 of the 7, although there wasn't enough time for me to get one from the Booker List from another library, so I had to skip that one. I really, really liked the others, though - I think these have been my favorite challenges so far in all the RAT's I've participated in.

This RAT also helped me get caught up to where I need to be for my yearly goal, and I was quite a few books behind when I started. In addition, I also noticed when I looked at my stats in My Books, I have now read over 50,000 pages for the year - 50,426 to be exact, and I am very pleased with that. This is the first year that I have actually listed all the books I have read, so I had no idea what my page total was for every year, but I am pleased with this amount.

Thanks, Aths, and thank you to everyone who participated - I love discussing books with all of you and keeping track of my reading this way.

November Read-A-Thon:
Books read: 6-1/4
Total pages: 1,703

and part of

November Read-a-Thon Mini-challenges
(Did not get to challenges 2 or 4, and challenges 1 and 5 were only partly done.)

1. Not-quite-a-chunkster: Giants in the Earth (453 pp.) - read 1/4 so far
2. Test drive:
3. What reading resolution are you talking about?: Eventide
4. Moderators Pick: On Canaan's Side(Booker longlist )
5. Honey, I can't see the bottom of the pile: Giants in the Earth (overlap w/#1)- read 1/4 so far
6. And the best book is...: Milkweed (Zakiya)
7. Random Fortune: Stork Raving Mad

November Read-A-Thon
Books Read: 9
Total Pages: 2,827

I read in dribs and drabs from Nov 19 through Nov 25 since I had to work all week and dedicated Saturday Nov 26 as my "reading" day where I read pretty much straight through from 9 am until 11:30 pm.

From Nov 19 - Nov 25, I read:
Defiance - 259 pages
Goddess of Legend - 309 pages
Kiss of a Demon King - 417 pages (mini challenge #1)
Bite Club - 337 pages
Nutcase - 259 pages

On Saturday Nov 26, I read:
The Missing Ink - 299 pages
Holidays Are Hell - 374 pages
In Her Nature - 198 pages
Vicious Circle - 375 pages (mini challenge #3)

I also listened to a few cassettes (3 hours worth) of Angel Fire East by Terry Brooks. I'm not sure of the page count so didn't include it.

Did anybody read less than I did???? I was relatively proud to make it to 1.502 pages and now I only see higher results!

I read less than you did, Nadine. I didn't even get to 500 pages. That's a great amount that you read, though! Great reading!

Ah thank you! I was a bit shocked about seemingly being the slowest reader! ;-). Did you enjoy your 500 pages?

~~Books I read from: Eragon, Cloaked, Frostbite, and ttyl
~~Books I finished: Cloaked and Frostbite
~~Total time read: 10 hr, 50 min
~~Total pages/percent read: 406 pgs, 46%

~~Audiobooks listened to: Emma
~~Total time listened: 1 hr, 6 min
~~Total chapters listened to: 4

Other Info:
~~Book I liked most: Frostbite
~~Longest reading stretch: 1 hr, 42 min
~~Best reading day: Wedn, the 23rd (4 hr, 28 min)

Nadine wrote: "Did anybody read less than I did???? I was relatively proud to make it to 1.502 pages and now I only see higher results!"

Haha I may have hit 300 pages...I got a little distracted with a show that I found on Netflix and has now got me completely hooked. (Started last weekend and have watched the first season and half the second). Sometimes my favorite shows get majorly in the way of some good reading time.

★Meghan★ wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Did anybody read less than I did???? I was relatively proud to make it to 1.502 pages and now I only see higher results!"

Haha I may have hit 300 pages...I got a little distracte..."

Meghan, remember 300 pages is still more than most people read in a month! BTW, what show?!

Yes, what show??

I had a busy week with my son home from college for Thanksgiving, cooking, errands, etc. I didn't read anywhere near as much as I'd hoped.

Completed:
The Empress of Mars - 301 pgs.
The Little Prince - 73 pgs.
Dead Reckoning - 336 pgs.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - 362 pgs (large print)
On Canaan's Side: A Novel - 150 pgs.

Audio books:
Only Time Will Tell - 45 minutes (I was on the final disk when the read-a-thon began)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - 2 disks
Tricks - 2 disks
The Distant Echo - 1 disk
Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber - 7 disks
Milkweed - 2 disks (was in the middle of this book when the read-a-thon began)

My best day was Saturday, 11/26.
I completed 2 1/2 minichallenges.

Congratulations on a great job, everyone! I read even less than normal! With the holiday and my husband being off work all week, I just didn't get to read as much as usual.

Nadine wrote: "Ah thank you! I was a bit shocked about seemingly being the slowest reader! ;-). Did you enjoy your 500 pages?"

I did actually! :D I read like half of a book on my Kindle, too, so maybe it was somewhere around 500 hah :)