Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon

Hey guys so the day has arrived, I am so excited to begin this one, here in the U.K we have about 3 hours before the start, I am going to be using this time to choose my TBR. I have decided that I want to read as many books as possible this time round, the main reason for this is that I don't have many scheduled to be reviewed and I need to make sure I have quite a few scheduled. Working full time I only really get the holidays and so I need to make sure I cram a lot in. 

I will be using this page to update throughout the day and if I don any challenges they also will go here. Although I love a challenge it does mean I have less reading time.. I am just so stuck when it comes to things like this. 

Anyway as soon as I have chosen my TBR I will upload a pic here. Please interact with me throughout the day if you are joining in, I love to see how everyone else is progressing and help cheer them on. 

My TBR 

Good Luck all you readers and I hope it is a great read-a-thon for you. 



Challenge: 10 Years in 10 Books:

So the first challenge is to share a book from each year that the read-a-thon has been going for, starting with 2007. 

My 2007 recommendation is Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella. 

I loved the series and I was massively into chick lit at the time, this was the next installment and it was great. I cannot recommend the Shopaholic series enough, if you love chick lit then this is a series that you must read! 

2008 recommendation: Another Sophie Kinsella - Remember me? 

This is another chick lit, but a stand alone. Lexi has woken up in hospital, she is 27, everything seems perfect but she can't remember the last 3 years after a car crash. This was another fun chick lit from Sophie Kinsella. 

2009 recommendation: 2009 is a tricky one, this was the year I began prolific reading and there are so many that I enjoyed. I think I have to go for If I Stay by Gayle Foreman. 

One morning Mia goes for a drive with her family and her life changes in an instant. This is a moving book that will draw you to tears, I am sure that you have read this but if not this is a must BEFORE you watch the film. I thought the film was actually very good as adaptations go, however the book was still more enjoyable. 

2010 recommendation: I heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

This is another series that I love, I heart Paris is the third in the I heart series and it is a great series which you can get lost in. This was during the prime of the series and I would recommend this if you love to escape and want an easy read. 

2011 recommendation: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell 

 

Everyone loves Rainbow Rowell and this was the book that introduced me to her, I think this was her first adult book (please correct me if I am wrong) it is about the work place and how a relationship develops initially over email. I just love this, I love the idea of a romance beginning this way. If you haven't read this or any of Rainbow Rowell's novels you should start one!

2012 recommendation: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This was the year that I really got into thrillers and I would say this was the start of explosive thrillers like you had never seen before. This was an intense read and one that I will never forget. Since then I have gone on to read some amazing thrillers, the film wasn't bad either of this one, but again I recommend you reading the book first!

2013 recommendation: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

 

This was such a good read, I absolutely loved this novel, it had me on the edge of my seat. This is a must read for any fan of family dramas/secrets, this book is full of them!

2014 recommendation: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

 

After reading The Husband's Secret, I could not wait for the new release by Liane Moriarty, I certainly was not disappointed. This was an amazing read, focused around mothers with their children at the same primary school. This thriller will have you on the edge of your seats, once you have read this, make sure you check out the t.v adaptation too. 

2015 recommendation: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 

 

This was also an explosive thriller, one that too got an adaptation. This I raced through and I was lucky enough to get a proof copy of this so got to read it early. This was a brilliant thriller, if you have not read the book or seen the film, to be honest I am not sure where you have been!

2016 recommendation: I see you by Clare Mackintosh 

This was another thriller that had many twists and turns in it, after reading many thrillers, I need something a little different or not see the ending coming, this book delivered that for me and I really enjoyed it. It also was a really quick read!

2017 recommendation: So far I feel that I cannot recommend a book for this year yet, there are still so many books to be released and I cannot choose one I have read so far. Is this lame? Probably but I don't want to commit!

So these books are probably not a surprise and you probably have read all of them, looking at my choices though it is interesting how my taste in books has changed over the years, don't get me wrong I do still love a chick lit but I seem to have to be in the mood to read one these days. 

I hope you have enjoyed my recommendations and please check back again for more updates throughout the day. 


Hour 0:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Hello! I am from the South of England in the U.K :) 

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I think There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins - I have heard so many good things about this. 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Oh my god... I don't even think I have any in the house!!! I think I have a giant bag of Kettle crisps so these?

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I am a primary school teacher and I have just broken up for the half term holidays, I get very little time to read during term time so I am super excited to make a dent in my books this week. :) 

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? 

I have participated for a few years now, so perhaps 6 or 7 read-a-thons, but in April I was away on holiday so other than the plane journey I didn't get to be involved online, this year I am hoping to have a bigger presence online. 

After the 1st hour of reading:

Pages read: 211
Total pages read: 211
Books read: 1
Total books read: 1

Hour 3 challenge: 

#RATbookdrink 


Pages read: 49
Total pages read: 260
Books read: 0
Total books read: 1

End of hour 3:

Pages read: 26 + 2 chapters of an audio book
Total pages read: 286 + 2 chapters of an audio book
Books read: 0
Total books read: 1

End of hour 4:

Pages read: 17
Total pages read: 303 + 2 chapters of an audio book
Books read: 0

Total books read: 1

Probably my worst reading hour, however I did get a delivery with a new toy that I was excited to install, the next hour will be better!

End of hour 6:

Pages read: 20
Total pages read: 306 + 2 chapters of an audio book
Books read: 0
Total books read: 1

End of hour 7:

Pages read: 58
Total pages read: 364 + 2 chapters of an audio book
Books read: 0
Total books read: 1

End of hour 8:

Pages read: 38
Total pages read: 402 + 2 chapters of an audio book
Books read: 0
Total books read: 1

End of hour 9:

Pages read: 61
Total pages read: 463 + 2 chapters of an audio book
Books read: 1

Total books read: 2

Dewey's 24 hour readathon

I cannot believe that the 24 hour readathon has come round again! In April I didn't really participate as well as I could have, there was a lot going on and I went away on holiday so found it difficult. I cannot wait to join in tomorrow, I have just finished my first half term and I am ready to relax! I cannot wait to just get stuck in! 

It is going to be massive this year, with it being the 10th anniversary!  

I have had rather a lot of book post this week too so I am unsure what I am going to start with, I have picked up one book but not really started it yet so I think I am going to start something new. 

Are you joining in tomorrow? It starts at 1pm U.K time but you can find out when it starts for you by visiting Start Times

If you already have a TBR let me know what you hope to read. Maybe it will give me some inspiration! 

Please check back tomorrow with my updates throughout the day. 

Dewey's Readathon Mini Challenge Rainbow Tower Hour 18

Hello and welcome Readathoners to the Hour 18 Mini-Challenge!** You have almost made it, I hope you have really made a dent in your TBR pile and are loving things right now. There is still a few hours to go and still lots of time to read, blog and cheer-lead so hang on in there!


Thanks for stopping by for my mini challenge, after all that reading I decided to get you active, don't worry it's not that tough! What do I want you to do?

Those of you who have not stopped by before, hello, I hope you like what you see. Please make sure to check me out on twitter or instagram. You can find links in the side bars.


The Challenge:

This is the Rainbow Tower Challenge and it is just that! Grab all your books in the colours of the rainbow and stack them high! How high can you get them? Now that IS the challenge!


If you need a reminder of the 7 colours here they are!





Once you have taken your Rainbow Tower picture please leave a link in the comments below to your picture or you can use the #rainbowtower on Twitter and Instagram. I am really looking forward to seeing how high you can get your towers!


Don't forget to link up your entry to the rafflecopter below to be in with a chance of winning a prize. I will contact the winner as soon as the challenge is over and I have selected a winner. This challenge will stay open until the end of hour 22 so make sure you get your entry in before then!







This is my very pathetic attempt! Remember the higher the better!!!

Prize:

Of course there is a prize, if you win you are able to choose a prize from the prizes page www.24hourreadathon.com the winner will need to fill out the form and note that you are an hourly winner for the Rainbow Tower Challenge. To make things quicker and easier please complete the challenge then pop your details into the simply linked below for me to choose a winner as soon as possible. 

** I’ve set this to post well before the hour 18 mark so I can make sure it is live and make sure there are no issues, as I am likely not about (i.e. asleep) at the allotted time, so if you’ve come across this early a) don’t worry, you’ve not managed to lose a few hours, and b) feel free to enter early if you like!

Dewey's 24 hour readathon April 2016

So already I seem to be a little behind in the readathon this year. I have been faffing, I went and did a good deed though, I handed out 16 books for #worldbooknight which made me feel really good, after catching up on the internet I am now finally ready to begin. So, so far not a good one as it is hour 3 and I haven't even read a page... I did buy a couple of books this morning however, so I think these will be added to my list to read today. OK so all mini challenges I complete will be updated to this page. 

Hour 8 - 10:
On a break - caught up and had dinner. 

Hour 7: 

Pages: 61
Number of books: 1
Total pages: 261
Total books: 1

Hour 6:

Pages: 61
Number of books: 
Total pages: 200

Total books: 


Hour 5:

Pages: 87
Number of books: 
Total pages: 139
Total books: 

I decided not to do the Mini Challenge for hour 4 as I want to get into reading!
Hour 4: 
Pages: 52
Number of books: 
Total pages: 52
Total books: 

I decided not to do the Mini Challenge hour 3.

Mini Challenge 2: Hour 2:
Ok, here are my top books I read as a child, I can't actually remember more than 3 as I tend to go crazy over an author and read all of their books in the series. So here are the 3:

1. My earliest memory of a book I loved was Katy Laura and the dream boat. This was a short story, I think one of the very first I was able to read on my own. I also loved having this read to me. 

2. Anything by Jacqueline Wilson - I literally had the entire set of her books, I also used to read them to my baby brother!

3. I really loved my stage books when I was at school. Biff, Chip and Kipper in The Magic Key series. 



Pages: 
Number of books: 
Total pages:
Total books: 


Mini Challenge 1: Hour 1 



1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Well hello! I am over here in the U.K. South of England to be exact. :)


2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I am trying something different today, I have decided not to have a TBR pile, which I have created just for the readathon. I am going to be reading whatever my mood is. So I can't answer this question at the moment.


3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Snack??! Well I am going to say my dinner - going to have fajitas, I have been so hungry today already I have eaten more than I do in a normal day...


4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

OK, this is my fourth 24hour readathon, each one I participate I tend to read less than the previous one, I know that is not a good sign, however I really am going to try and exceed my target today!


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?

I am most looking forward to getting time to sit and read for a long period of time. I have been in a little reading slump the last couple of weeks so I am really hoping to get out of it today.

Each hour I will leave my stats as shown: 

Pages: 
Number of books: 
Total pages:
Total books:

Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon TBR

So it is that time of year again, Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon is upon us. This is my favourite read-a-thon, I try to devote as much time as possible to reading and it helps to tackle my TBR pile. 

I have already written my introduction post you can find it here

O.K so all that was left was for my to share my TBR pile with you all. This year I am going to try and get through more books than I ever have. I am going to be cheating a little, if you can cheat? I am going to be getting through all the quick reads for this year. Quick reads are short stories to encourage others to read. I have been sent these for review and although I have read a couple, the others are sat waiting for a review. 






I have currently read, A baby at the beach cafe and the double clue. Both of these reviews you can find here and here

The next book I am going to read or should I say finish reading is, Follow Me Back. I have started this and am in the first third of the book. This is a relatively short book so I am hoping to have this finished rather quickly. 





After finishing all of them I would quite like to read one of my own books. I know this is a good oportunity to eat into that review TBR, however I bought A Thousand Nights by E.K Johnston a while back and would love to try and get to that. Another book that I have to review is Dumplin' I would also love to read this. 

            

I think the problem is I just have too many books to read, I want to read all of them at once, which I know is not possible, however this read-a-thon gives me good opportunity to try! 

I also have to pop out during the day, as I am acting as a taxi! (Husband off to the footy again...) During this time I hope to finish an audio book that I am currently listening to by Cecelia Ahern. 

So that's it! I will be so pleased if I get to read all of those books, are you joining in with the read-a-thon? What is your TBR? I would love to know. Please leave a comment. 

Bout of Books 14

So where have I been?? Well apart from moving house and going to weddings...I seemed to have missed that BoutofBooks 14 is here already! As it is during the summer holidays I can actually participate in this one! So you guessed it I have signed up and I cannot wait to begin! 

For those of you who are unsure what Bout of Books is all about, here is the official blurb: 

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. - From the Bout of Books team


Goals:

• To read a minimum of 3 books this week, I have just started Asking for it so I would like to finish this very soon. 

• I would also like to participate in a twitter chat if possible.

• Visit fellow Boutofbooks blog posts. 

• Overall by the end of the week I would have loved to have read over 700 pages. Make sure you check back for updates to see if I reach my goal. Good luck if you are participating. 

Updates: 

Although the readathon hasn't started yet, I have already begun my first book which is Asking for it, I will be keeping a record of the number of pages read from 12am tonight. 


Monday
Number of pages I've read today: 178
Total number of pages read: 178
Total number of books I've read:
Books: Asking for it - Louise O'Neill 

Daily Challenge: 

Anna and the French Kiss - France
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul - Afghanistan 
One night in Italy - Italy
After the Storm - Honduras 

Tuesday
Number of pages I've read today: 126
Total number of pages read: 304
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Asking for it - Louise O'Neill 

Daily Challenge:

Book Scavenger Hunt #Boutofbookshunt

My first book I had to find was one beginning with B, I found Bad Brides by Rebecca Chance. 

The second hunt I had to do was the book I am currently reading - Asking for it. 

Next I had to find Blue Books, here are my three. 

Books from my favourite genre - chick lit...

Finally some of my TBR piles. 

Wednesday
Number of pages I've read today: 0
Total number of pages read: 304
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Asking for it - Louise O'Neill 

So today it was epic fail, I read nothing! I did have a very busy day though and also some friends over for dinner so this is my excuse! I also didn't manage to do the daily challenge for this reason. 

Thursday
Number of pages I've read today: 168
Total number of pages read: 472
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Asking for it - Louise O'Neill, Burnt Paper Sky - Gilly MacMillan 



Friday
Number of pages I've read today: 20
Total number of pages read: 492
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Asking for it - Louise O'Neill, Burnt Paper Sky - Gilly MacMillan 


Saturday
Number of pages I've read today: 149
Total number of pages read: 641
Total number of books I've read: 1
Books: Asking for it - Louise O'Neill, Burnt Paper Sky - Gilly MacMillan 

Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon

Today I will be linking all my challenges and my progress about the read-a-thon here, I hope you enjoy this post and if you are joining in, good luck! Here in the U.K the read-a-thon starts at 1pm, so just over an hour. This has given me time this morning to head out and grab some snacks for the event. If there is one thing I have learnt since participating that is to make sure you stay fed and watered.

I posted my TBR a couple of days ago - you can find the link here.

I am hoping to manage to read a lot this time around. Last time I only managed to read 2 books, I have a few short ones this time to try and break them up. 

Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon challenges!

Here I will be placing all of my challenges that I take part in. 

Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: 0
Pages read: 0
Books finished: 0

Opening Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Hello from the UK, I am in the south of England. 

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

This is a bit of a tricky question as two of these books I already started a few weeks ago so I am really looking forward to finishing them. They are Catch me if you Cannes and Girls on Tour. 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

To be honest I think I am most looking forward to my mango, it's so refreshing and I don't have it often as it is quite pricey for cut mango, thought I would treat myself. :)

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

OK, this is my third 24 hour read-a-thon and I love them. I didn't manage to read too much for the last one so I am really hoping that today is different and I can make a big dent in my TBR. I am a primary school teacher so don't often get that much time to read adult books. I make sure I read children's books to them, as I want to spread my love of reading.

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 time I am going to try my hardest not to get distracted. This should be better this year as my house is quite and the hubby has gone to the football. This gives me a few solid hours alone to read as much as I can. I also want to try and complete every challenge this time around. They break up the reading for me and are a lot of fun.

Good luck if you are participating today. 

End of hour 1:

Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: probably around 35 minutes when I have taken out all the distractions!
Pages read: 31
Books finished: 0

So far I have had a few distractions, I am also getting a bit peckish so I think I am going to grab some lunch now. I have begun Girls on Tour  - Rachel does Rome and I am hoping to finish it during this next hour. 

Hour 2 challenge - Classic words of wisdom. 

This challenge is being run by aliteraryodyssey

Here is my classic quote and 'Words of Wisdom': 
“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.” by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet.  

This quote I think is important to everyone. There is no point in loving someone that you either cannot have or doesn't love you back. Life is too short and when you find love that is returned  you should cherish it. I am lucky to have found that with my husband quite early in life, however whenever it comes along you should value it. 

End of hour 2:

Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: probably around 1 hour when I have taken out all the distractions!
Pages read: 63

Books finished: 1 - Rachel does Rome

Hour 3 challenge - 4 seasons, 4 books. 

This challenge is being run by bartsbookshelf

I have decided to choose my four books to represent the seasons. Starting with Spring here they are. 

I chose Ivy Lane for Spring due to the colours and the fact things are planted to grow. Too Hot to Handle for the Summer as it is set in St Lucia. A part of me again down to the cover for Autumn as the trees are becoming bare and finally The Snow Child for Winter again down to the cover.

End of hour 3:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: probably around 1 hour 30 mins when I have taken out all the distractions!
Pages read: 97 

Books finished: 1 - Rachel does Rome

I have decided that I won't be participating in challenge 4 as it will take too much of my time up and I am rubbish at coming up with clues for books. I will be back again with another update in an hour. Hopefully this hour I will finish Girls take Manhattan.  

End of hour 4:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: probably around 2 hours 15mins when I have taken out all the distractions!
Pages read: 133 

Books finished: 2 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan

Hour 5 challenge: The casting couch 

This challenge is run by littlepocketbooks

Here it is:
1. Book: Girls on Tour - Nicola Doherty
2. Character: Poppy
3. Actor Name: Isla Fisher
4. Why you picked that actor: To be honest I don't know, just through reading the book I could she her playing the part. In my mind this is what Poppy would look like. I also think her personality would suit.

End of hour 5:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: probably around 2 hours 45mins when I have taken out all the distractions! This hour I spent some time typing up and scheduling reviews for the books I have read. 
Pages read: 154 

Books finished: 2 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan


End of hour 6:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: 2.45 - this hour was my hour I needed to go pick up my husband from the station after he has been to football all day and dinner. I am however back now and ready for the next hour. 
Pages read: 154 

Books finished: 2 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan

Hour 7 challenge: Treasure Hunt

This challenge is run by boghunden

I needed to find a book with a tree, snow and a weapon on the front cover. Here are mine:

End of hour 7:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: 3.30
Pages read: 188 

Books finished: 2 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan





End of hour 8:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: 4.15
Pages read: 234

Books finished: 3 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan, Catch me if you Cannes Part 2



End of hour 9:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: 5
Pages read: 278

Books finished: 3 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan, Catch me if you Cannes Part 2

End of hour 10:
Local start time: 13:00
Hours spent reading: 5.20
Pages read: 298

Books finished: 4 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan, Catch me if you Cannes Part 2, Catch me if you Cannes Part 3

 Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now?

In the middle of Catch me if you Cannes part 4

2. How many books have you read so far? 

4
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

I am hoping to get onto the Happy Afterlife of Rosie Potter. 

4. Have you had many interruptions? 

Sleep! I have slept for about 6 hours!

How did you deal with those?

I just gave in...

5. What surprises you most aboutthe Read-a-thon, so far?

That I have done so well! 

Hour 19 challenge- Shelfie 

As you can see they aren't actually on a bookshelf!!! They are full! 

End of hour 20:

Local start time: 13:00

Hours spent reading: 6

Pages read: 356

Books finished: 5 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan, Catch me if you Cannes Part 2, Catch me if you Cannes Part 3, Catch me if you Cannes Part 4

End of hour 21:

Local start time: 13:00

Hours spent reading: 6.40

Pages read: 396

Books finished: 5 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan, Catch me if you Cannes Part 2, Catch me if you Cannes Part 3, Catch me if you Cannes Part 4

End of the Read-a-thon Meme

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Probably when I hit hour 12 and realised I was falling asleep! 

1. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Books that are a short series, by reading many novellas it really got me motivated and I was proud of myself when I finished them as I felt like I had really got somewhere with them. 

1. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

No...

1. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

So many people were joining in across many different social network platforms, this allowed me to connect with lots of new people. 

1. How many books did you read?

I managed 5 novellas and currently reading a novel for my sixth, even though I didn't manage to finish it for the read-a-thon, I am hoping I do finish it today.

1. What were the names of the books you read?

1. Rachel does Rome, 

2. The Girls Take Manhattan

3. Catch me if you Cannes Part 2

4. Catch me if you Cannes Part 3

5. Catch me if you Cannes Part 4

6. The Happy ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter 

1. Which book did you enjoy most?

This is tricky as they were all chick lit so unfortunately I cannot choose!

1. Which did you enjoy least?

Again I can't choose one. 

1. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

I wasn't I'm afraid. 

1. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

Yes! I absolutely love them and if I could have more than twice a year I would!!! I will be a reader again next time. This time I put myself forward to host a challenge, unfortunately I was unsuccessful so I am hoping next time I get the opportunity to host one. 

Final stats:

End of hour 24:

Local start time: 13:00

Hours spent reading: 7
Pages read: 411

Books finished: 5 - Rachel does Rome, The Girls take Manhattan, Catch me if you Cannes Part 2, Catch me if you Cannes Part 3, Catch me if you Cannes Part 4