End-Oh I had such good intentions to sleep for a just a few hours and then get up and read some more.  So didn’t happen.  So I didn’t make my goal, but I did have fun.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? The last one
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I really felt like Bunheads by Sophie Flack held my attention, but that is possibly because I love the subject (ballet) so much.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  Ummm, not really.  I just wish I could find the magic way to stay up longer!
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?  My favorite part is interacting with everyone else.
5. How many books did you read?  I read a lot of pieces of books, but not one complete book.
6. What were the names of the books you read?  Doom with a View by Daniel Nayeri (novella), Bunheads by Sophie Flack, The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin, “Some Fortunate Future Day” by Cassandra Clare (short story), Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet, 17 Things I’m not allowed to do any more by Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter, To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn, Vixen by Jillian Larkin.
7. Which book did you enjoy most?  Bunheads I think.
8. Which did you enjoy least?  The Moving Toyshop, but I think that is because I was feeling sleepy so I wasn’t “getting” it very well.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?  I wasn’t a cheerleader but I liked having them stop by!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  I am sure I will participate again, probably as a reader.

11:44 p.m.-Read Cassandra Clare’s story from Steampunk. Have made it through several chapters of Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet.  Drunk 2 large glasses of Diet Mountain Dew.  And with all of that, all I feel is more and more sleepy.  Every time I do a read-a-thon I say this will be time I stay up and read.  And every time (at least so far) I don’t do it.  I think if I can just push through I’ll get a second wind but so far I have never found out.  And tonight won’t be that time either.  Good night.  7 hours read.

10:18 p.m.-Got back from the party and started reading again just before 9.  (I made way too much food, but we’ll just enjoy crostini for a few days.)  I finished Bunheads, which I loved.  Every time I read a book with ballet in it, it makes me wish for more books about ballet.  I do have this post about dance titles but it could perhaps stand to be updated.  I drank a couple of cups of coffee, one with chocolate syrup added (YUM!).  Thinking about hitting the diet Mountain Dew.  Started The Moving Toyshop, but it might not be the best choice when I am starting to feel a little sleepy.  I only have about a billion other things I could read…now just to choose one.  5 hours, 55 minutes read.

5:45 p.m.-Taking an extended break for dinner and then off to a party.  Finally got to sink my teeth into Bunheads.  I am loving it so far.  I did buy a 2 liter of Diet Mountain Dew when I was at the store earlier, so perhaps I’ll do something wild and crazy like stay up all night.  Or at least until 12:00…4 hours and 35 minutes read.

4:02 p.m.-Cooking done!  Chili is simmering for dinner in a few hours.  Eggplant and sun-dried tomato tapenade in the fridge for party later.  (Not sure why I don’t like olives but I do like tapenade.)  Dear husband was a little surprised I bought pre-made toasts at the store, but I wanted a few minutes to read!  I listened to more of Vixen while cooking.  Up next, Bunheads! 3 hours, 15 minutes read.

2:48 p.m.-Back from errands.  Picked up Death Angels by Ake Edwardson and The Moving Topyshop by Edmund Crispin at the library.  Both are for discussion on 4 Mystery Addicts, a listserv I joined this week.  I also picked 17 things I’m not allowed to do any more by Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter.  It was recommended on another listserv, and I just had to get it.  I don’t read many picture books since I stopped being a children’s librarian, so this is a real treat.  I managed to listen to 30 minutes of To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn and another 30 minutes of Vixen by Jillian Larkin.  Then I stopped by a few blogs.  Now I am back to the audio while I prepare eggplant and sun-dried tomato tapenade crostini for a party tonight and chili for dinner.  2 hours, 30 minutes read.

12:30 p.m.-Back home.  Made a grocery list, frozen pizza for lunch.  Stopped by a few blogs to see what others are reading and how the read-a-thon is going for them.  Stopped by read-a-thon page to realize I had won a prize!  Cool.  I never win anything, especially if they are going for time reading on these events.  Now, off to the library and perhaps craft store before hitting the grocery store.  I will get in some audio book time and contemplate caffeine for later.  I bet I am the only person in Publix with earbuds NOT listening to tunes.

9:30 a.m.-Just finished reading “Doom with a View,” one of the novellas in Daniel Nayeri’s new book, Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow.  Nothing like a little Death, first thing in the morning.  Getting ready to go to a memorial service, so perhaps that is appropriate in an odd kind of way. 1 hour, 30 minutes read.

8:00 a.m.–So excited for another read-a-thon, although this one will be a bit of a challenge because of the various activities I have going on today.  Find out more about this read-a-thon by visiting Dewey’s Read-a-thon.  There will be posts throughout the day including  mini-challenges.  And of course, prizes! It isn’t too late to sign up.  You can also follow along on twitter, look for the #readathon tag.

Here is my introduction:

1)Where are you reading from today?  Naples, Florida

2)Three random facts about me…

a) I love television shows that are targeted to teens but today will be all about the books.

b)  I am a librarian at a university.

c) I love ballet (see 3 below).

3) My TBR pile is always huge and I always think I will read more for these read-a-thons then I do.  I would like to finish Bunheads by Sophie Flack.  (ballet=win!)

4) Even though I have a packed day, I want to read more than then 11 hours I read last time I participated.

5) My favorite part about read-a-thons, besides the luxury of reading, is connecting with other readers.  Visit blogs, post on twitter, share what you are reading.

Feeling a little sleepy this morning.  Going to start my reading off with a sampler from Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow by Daniel Nayeri…and coffee.

Even though I was busier than previous weekends when I have done the challenge, I still had a great time reading and networking with other bloggers and readers, especially new ones I hadn’t met before.  I am considering the next Dewey Readathon in the fall.

I feel like I met my personal goal, which was to participate as well as I could with everything else I had to do.  I also wanted to do more with commenting on other people’s sites, which I did Friday before I had even officially joined the challenge.  I wish I could manage to stay up later.  I am considering the next challenge might be a great reason to take a day off next year.

So the final numbers:  Time read:  13 hours 25 minutes.  Pages read: 762 Books read: 1 and more than 1/2 of 3 others Time networking: 1 hour 40 minutes

Sunday Afternoon, 1:40 p.m. Well, I made it maybe another 30 minutes after I posted last night, and while I got in a few hours this morning, church, lunch, and now university graduation and dinner out tonight will be eating into my reading time.  I am tempted to sneak a book into the arena, but I think people would notice…In an attempt to stay awake last night, I started Tahoe Heat by Todd Borg.  I love this series, and this one is just as good as the others.  If you like p.i.’s with intelligence and humor and an appreciation for art and Great Danes, you should check out this under appreciated series.  I also got further into Another Pan, which is getting creepier and creepier as it goes.  Teens will love it.  Time read:  10 hours 40 minutes.  Pages read: 636 Time networking: 1 hr 10 minutes

Saturday Evening, 11: 35 p.m. In spite of the double strength iced coffee and snacks, fading fast.  Past experience tells me if I push through, I’ll be good for a few more hours.  Made it about 1/3 of the way through Another Pan.  I enjoyed Another Faust, but this seems to be a stronger, better book in many ways, especially character development-wise.  I see elements from the original but they feel both modern and creepy at the same time. Time read:  8 hours 10 minutes.  Pages read: 454 Time networking: 50 minutes

Saturday Evening, 9:25 p.m. Finally have minute to stop and update my progress.  Surprised how much reading I fit in between the events of my day.  The dribs and drabs, minutes here and there added up.  I finished one book, Twice a Spy by Keith Thomson, the sequel to one of my favorite books from last year, Once a Spy, and I am happy to say that Thomson doesn’t suffer from a sophomore curse.  I read a few chapters of Another Pan by Daniel and Dina Nayeri, and listened to 100 minutes of Leverage by Joshua Cohen.  Time read:  6 hours 25 minutes.  Pages read: 332 Time networking: 25 minutes

Saturday Morning, 7:00 a.m. I can’t believe that it has been a whole year since the last 48 Hour Book Challenge.   I have been looking forward to this for several weeks, although it will be a challenge to get my hours in, as I have to work today, attend graduation tomorrow, as well as spend time with my in-laws who are visiting from Texas.

My goal this year is to have fun, read a variety of books, and try to network more.  There was a period of time earlier this year when it seemed like I wasn’t finishing any book I started or blogging.  So I am just excited to be back in the game.

If you want to participate, it isn’t too late to get in on the action.  More information here.  The twitter hash tag for the challenge is #48hbc, if anyone else wants to follow along, and should be updates from various readers at the Mother Reader blog.

Joining us on the blog today is Adam Jay Epstein, co-author with Andrew Jacobson of the upcoming middle grade novel, The Familiars. In The Familiars, Aldwyn the orphan cat decides to play along when a young wizard in training named Jack picks him for a magic familiar when he hides in an unusual pet shop.  Now if he could just convince the other animal familiars that he too has magical powers.  When Jack and two other wizards to be are kidnapped by an evil queen, the Familiars realize it is up to them to save the day.

Epstein, Adam Jay, and Jacobson, Andrew. (September 7, 2010).  The Familiars.  New York: HarperCollins.  ISBN: 978-0061961083

When I was 9 years old, I remember the thrill of leaving my classroom and heading down the short hallway to the library. My third grade teacher was uninspiring. She was more concerned with organizing her pencils and sucking on lasengers than engaging with her students. But I knew that three times a week, I would be transported away by the energetic words of Mrs. Schwabe, E.M. Baker’s school librarian.

Now, I wasn’t in love with her — that was reserved for the pig-tailed girl who lived three houses down from me, but the stories she told have stayed with me since those days collected in a circle, on the rug, looking up at her sitting in her big wooden chair. William Steig’s “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble” still holds a special place in my heart. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle, with its different shaped pages, is as vivid now reading it to my own three year old daughter as it was then. I’m not sure if those morning trips to the book-filled walls of Mrs. Schwabe’s domain turned me into the author I am today, but she certainly inspired my love of reading.

Now, I’m excited to think how school librarian’s across the country, the gatekeepers of imagination, will be sharing The Familiars — yeah, my book! — with third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders — as librarians read the first words: “It all started with Aldwyn’s whiskers beginning to tingle…” I wonder if children will be transported the way I was.

Adam Jay Epstein

ADAM JAY EPSTEIN spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, while ANDREW JACOBSON grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the two met in a parking garage out in Los Angeles. They have been writing for film and television together ever since. This is their first book.

One day, Adam asked Andrew, “Are you familiar with what a familiar is?” And from that simple question, Vastia was born, a fantastical world filled with the authors’ shared love of animals and magic. They wrote every word, sentence, and page together, sitting opposite each other.

Adam Jay Epstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jane, their daughters, Penny and Olive, and a black-and-white alley cat who hangs out in their backyard. Andrew Jacobson lives with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Elvis, four traffic lights away.

Check out The Familiars for more about the book.

Sunday Evening, 9:00 p.m.

Sunday Morning, 7:00 a.m. Decided to read Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George last night.  (I had momentarily forgotten I had it…)  I didn’t realize it was a sort of sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball.  I wonder if she plans a book featuring each sister?  That would be fun, each a different fairy tale.  Unfortunately, I didn’t even make it till 12 a.m. before giving into sleep, but I did finish it this morning, and I still have 14 hours left, although with time out for church and graduation, will be hard pressed to meet my goal.

Saturday Evening 8:55 p.m. Well, not doing the best job of  updating, am I?  Perhaps because I’m not doing the best job of reading…listened to part of The Confessor by Daniel Silva while making breakfast and shopping this morning.  I find this series about Gabriel Allon to be intriguing…so much packed into what could just be a spy thriller.  Then I went back to Malla Nunn’s Let the Dead Lie,  although a nap interrupted my reading.  I did manage a walk while reading this afternoon, and after an excellent dinner with my dh, finally finished it.  Another great book, this one so twisty and complex, but satisfying, especially the very end.  I don’t know what I’ll read next, but I hope I can stay awake for at least a little while!  Coffee anyone?

Friday Evening (Saturday Morning?) 12:00 a.m. Finished Bet, and I did enjoy it, although I was right about the twist at the end.  What can I say?  I’ve read a lot of historical mysteries.  I will have to decide how I feel about the end, right now I am left feeling like it was a little rushed, but then again, it took Bet’s whole lifetime to arrive.  DH says not enough sleep makes me grouchy so perhaps bed is in my near future.

Friday Evening, 11:00 p.m. More than halfway through The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted.  I am enjoying it, although I can see the upcoming plot twist from a hundred miles away.  It makes me think a little of Alanna by Tamora Pierce mixed with Dead Poet’s Society or perhaps A Separate Peace by John Knowles.  Already I am feeling sleepy, the victim of regular schedules and bed times, perhaps a little time on twitter and reading blogs will refresh me.

Friday Evening, 9:00 p.m. I can’t believe that it has been a whole year since my first 48 Hour Book Challenge.  I was newish to the book blogging community, and so excited to connect with other bloggers.  Once again I have gotten all my Friday chores out of the way, even cleaned the shower!

My goal this year is to try and read more than last year, which was 24 hours and 15 minutes.  It might be hard, as I have plans to go out to dinner with my husband tomorrow and will be attending the Hodges graduation Sunday.  Perhaps I will be more successful this year in giving up sleep.

A second goal is to connect with still more blogs and bloggers who read and review books.  The twitter hash tag for the challenge is #48hbc, if anyone else wants to follow along, and should be updates from various readers at the Mother Reader blog.

Sunday Evening, 9:03 p.m. Finished School for Dangerous Girls after reading it while cooking dinner and walking around the neighborhood.  (I’m not sure what my fellow residents think of me.  I was thinking next time I should wear my Ask a Librarian T-Shirt.)   This book definitely picks up steam, and it it is almost scary because some of it could happen.  Great to pair with something like Lord of the Flies.  Also dipped into Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody German.  I couldn’t let the last hour and a half of my challenge go to waste!  I will post a wrap up/summary post soon, I promise, but first I have to tend to the ironing.  (All of these blog updates make me sound terribly domestic which I guess I am.)  Total time spent on the challenge is 24 hours and 15 minutes, 21 hours and 15 minutes reading, 3 hours blogging and connecting online.

Sunday Afternoon, 3:30 p. m. After a great lunch of salmon, asparagus and chocolate pie, settled down for more reading.  The pouring rain seemed to fit somehow, even if it ruined my plans to go read by the pool.  Just finished Forest Born by Shannon Hale.  389 pages and all I can think is that I want to run out and get all the other Bayern books and read them RIGHT NOW!  Hale really gets inside her female characters and understands their being.  And the fantasy elements are just an added bonus almost.  It sometimes seems they are necessary to the story, which I suppose in the best fantasies they are.  Total time is now up to 19 hours and 25 minutes.  (I was going to add another hour for twittering and blogging, but realized I had mistakenly counted a second audiobook in my time from yesterday, so adding the one and subtracting the other evens things out.)

Sunday Morning, 10:55 a. m. Read Forest Born by Shannon Hale for about an hour.  I am about 100 pages in, and I remember how much I like The Goose Girl, and wonder why I never sought out Enna Burning and River Secrets?  Had some chores to do:  sweeping out the garage, cleaning up the kitchen, so I spent an hour and a half finishing the audiobook of Mozart’s Ghost by Julia Cameron.  Completely satisfying as a romance and a tale about young people living in New York.  If more paranormals were like this one, I would be a bigger fan.  Total time now spent on the challenge 16 hours and 25 minutes.

Sunday Morning, 8:10 a. m. Just finished Envy by Godbersen and again, she has written an epic addition to the series that leaves me wishing the next entry was already written so I could pick it up and start where Envy left off.  Especially in this volume, I could really see this making a great tv show, although I can’t figure out that anyone would think it would be a success.  Total time is now 14 hours and 55 minutes.  I am down to less than 13 hours in my 48 hour challenge.

Saturday Evening, 11:44 p. m. 322 pages into Envy.  Unfortunately the second wind never showed up.  I am off to bed, and will pick up reading again in the morning.  Total time is now 14 hours and 15 minutes.

Saturday Evening, 10:58 p. m. 248 pages into Envy by Godbersen.  Taking a snack break, wondering if I can push past the tired feeling and read a few hours more.  My dh I think just thinks this is all a little strange…Now up to 13 hours and 45 minutes.

Saturday Evening, 9:36 p. m. 141 pages into Envy by Godbersen and loving it just as much as the other Luxe novels.  Glad that there will be a sequel.  I am enjoying reading about the group’s trip to Florida, since that is the part of the world where I live now and funny enough (to me, anyway) this part of Florida is still like that.  There is a Season complete with wealthy people from the North…Total time is 12 hours and 45 minutes.  (10 hours and 45 minutes reading, 2 hours twittering and blogging.)

Saturday Evening, 7:55 p. m. Finished my glass of wine, and put on my tennis shoes to walk around the neighborhood and read at the same time.  (Haven’t done that in a long time.)  Finished reading Breathless by Warman, all 316 pages.  People are going to compare it to Looking for Alaska, but I liked it better, perhaps because it felt much more intimate, the main character was really the focus and has a lot going on in her world.     Total time is up to 10 hours and 25 minutes.  Off to take a quick shower and back for more coffee and ready.  Up next?  Envy by Godbersen.

Saturday Afternoon, 5 :10 p. m. Another 45 minutes of reading, done.  Now on page 162 of Breathless by Jessica Warman, and have to say it is VERY hard to put down at this point as something important and meaningful just happened.  But the house smells incredible, and I am thinking about getting a pot of coffee ready to brew because I want to stay up and read read read.  Plus coffee and pie were made for each other, right? Total time spent on challenge is 9 hours, 25 minutes.

Saturday Afternoon, 4:25 p.m. Have polished 5 pairs of dh’s giant shoes.  Neither he nor I can remember when they were last polished.  (A year and a half ago?  Don’t tell my father-in-law!)  Great for listening to more of Mozart’s Ghost though! Can’t figure out why this book was not a bestseller.  In addition to being a great teen cross over, it reminds me of a younger edgier version of the television show Medium.  Added another hour to my reading total!  Then a shower and starting dinner–roast chicken and carrots, salad and mashed potatoes.  Pie for dessert!  But while the chicken roasts, back to the reading.  Breathless is calling my name.  Total time is now 8 hours and 40 minutes.

Saturday Afternoon, 2:15 p.m. 15 more minutes of Case Histories in the car plus an hour and 15 minutes of Mozart’s Ghost while cooking the chocolate meringue pie.  (I think the corn starch clumped up a lot, and not sure about the meringue.  I KNOW the chocolate is good!)  Mozart’s Ghost is getting more interesting, as Mozart is showing up more often and the romance progresses.  Total time spent reading, blogging, and connecting is up to 7 hours and 40 minutes.

Saturday Morning, 11:30 a.m. Read for an hour after breakfast, 84 pages of Breathless by Jessica Warman.  I left to run errands, post office, Target and Publix.  In the car I have been listening to Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, which I am really enjoying.  (Again reminds me that genre fiction gets NO respect.)  On my mp3 player is Mozart’s Ghost by Julia Cameron.  I usually only listen on my player when I am exercising, but as part of the challenge have allowed myself to listen to add to my time!  I racked up another 2 hours and 10 minutes with audio.  That brings my total to 5 hours and ten minutes reading, plus about an hour blogging and connecting with others, for total of 6 hours and 10 minutes.  More to come after lunch!

Friday Evening, 11:05 p.m. Must be getting old, 2 hours into the 48 hour book challenge and me and my tired eyes are headed to bed.  I did finish reading The Sweetheart of Prosper County which I enjoyed VERY much.  It reminded me of the town we lived in when I was young, Swansea, South Carolina.

Friday Evening, 8:40 p.m. Am so excited, have seen so much chatter about the 48 hour book challenge, that I am going to start tonight!  I have made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed the toilets, and mopped the floors.  I also made chocolate chip cookies and put together a grocery list.  So I figured I would start the clock at 8:30 p.m.  but remembered the Twenty Boy Summer Tweet Party is tonight, so stopping there first.  The reading clock will begin at 9:00 p.m.

Friday Morning–I will be participating in the Fourth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge.   The challenge has started, but I am choosing to  read Saturday and Sunday, since I have to work today.  The rules are here, and the basic idea is to read as long as you can stand it and then share what you are reading with others, whether on facebook, twitter, your blog, etc.  There is a list of prizes too, but for me, it is about the challenge to see how little sleep I can give up!

A second goal is to connect with more blogs and bloggers who read and review books.  The twitter hash tag for the challenge is #48hbc, if anyone else wants to follow along, and should be updates from various readers at the Mother Reader blog.