Dewey's Read-a-thon today!

Thanks to all who organized Dewey's Read-a-thon! Even though I am a weak reader who needs to sleep, I read four books and a half books, plus three chapters of another, and listened to 2/3 of one and the first six chapters of another. And made good progress on the front hall renovation project! On the downside, it was perhaps a mistake to buy that Nutella...too tasty for my own good.

8:00 End of Read-a-thon! 76 pages of The Mystic Phyles: Beasts read with great enjoyment.

7:07 am Woke at six, later than I had hoped, and curled up with Secrets at Sea, by Richrd Peck. It is a delightul tale of a family of mice off on a late 19th century ocean voyage to Europe.

Still time to read one more book....

9:08 The exigencies of children have meant that I read nothing in the last hour and a bit...we are now all going to snuggle in the big bed and continue reading Wizard of Oz (part of a determined effort to promote Cultural Literacy whether they want it or not). (edited to add--three chapters read). I am quite likely to fall asleep first, but I hope to be back in the read-a-thon saddle early tomorrow morning.

7:49 Listened to the second disk of The Secret Zoo while sanding the front door Am struck by how many similies the author manages to include, and wonder if I would have noticed it if I were reading to myself (am also struck by how long it is taking to sand the door. It was originally varnished wood, and that is what we are getting it back too--they painted on top of the varnish, so a lot of the paint came of with no trouble. It's just the bits in all the ornanmental trim that are a pain).

Read a book that I just wanted to read for fun, not because it was a review copy or for the Cybils--The Bassumtyte Treasure, by Jane Louise Curry. Enjoyed it very much, except that the romance was dissappointingly rapid; I'll be using it for a Timeslip Tuesday down the line. Was pleased to see she wrote another time travel/old house book--Poor Tom's Ghost, and will be adding it to tbr list!

4:50 Forced to visit library for an hour for son's homework assignment, but managed to get the hall ceiling painted while listening to the first disk of The Secret Zoo! Disk three of the Fiend and the Forge failed to play properly...sigh!

1:17 Have now listened to the first two disks of The Fiend and the Forge, and read a Cybils mg sff book--Drop In (Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution), by Donnie Lemke. Not my cup of tea--I have no sympathy for skateboarders who wreck public railings, and the concept of powerful fragments of a mystical skateboard doesn't exactly appeal....But if you are a skateboarding teenaged boy (don't think may of those read my blog) it will probably appeal a lot more to you!

Mini Challenge: Book Puzzles! (Hosted by One Librarian's Book Reviews) Guess what titles these pictures represent:

1. (easy)


2. (a tad less easy) The

10:51 Listened to audio book of The Fiend and the Forge while sanding the front door, doing dishes, and cleaning the kitchen....am giving up on keeping track of time "read."

8:48 am First book completed--We Are Not Eaten by Yaks, by C. Alexander London. Pages read--238 pages (I had already reached page 114), time spent reading 48 minutes. Eleven-year-old twins Oliver and Celia Navel are forced to take part in the adventure of a lifetime hunting for the lost library of Alexandria, and their mother (who was lost while looking for it several years ago. What the kids want is to stay home and watch tv. What they get is Danger! Excitement! Unappetizing meals!

Thrown off an airplane on the way to Tibet, the twins must confront the perils of nature--cliffs, waterfalls, etc., the perils of cryptozoology--yetis, the perils of the Poison Witches, and, worst of all, the perils of unscrupulous, power-hunger types who would kill for key to the lost library of Alexandria....

Those who enjoy action-packed extravaganzas of strange adventures should enjoy it lots.

Introduction:

I'm reading from southern New England, on a cool crisp morning with a nice little fire burning in the wood stove, and tasty snacks on hand. Children and house renovation projects on hand also; husband off at an Irish pipers' convention, so the children and the house will both be demanding my attention....the chickens, however, are safely at home under the barn, so I don't have to worry about them (when they free range, it takes a bit of attention to make sure they aren't free ranging into the neighbor's yards....they generally don't, but still one has to keep an eye out).