Saturday, June 18, 2011

SiS Readathon Report #2

I had so much fun reading in the Spring Into Summer Readathon! I hope this event is repeated next year! I'd love to do it again. I thought it was just the right length for a readathon!!!

Books read for the readathon:
  • The Search for Wondla by Tony Diterlizzi
  • Back to School with Betsy by Carolyn Haywood
  • Squish Super Amoeba by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
  • Babymouse Mad Scientist by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
  • Nemesis by Agatha Christie
  • Saint Training by Elizabeth Fixmer
  • Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
  • The Rumpeltstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
  • The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton
  • William's Midsummer Night Dream by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Other books read from for the readathon that I did NOT complete:
  • Psalms 1-50 (The Bible, NASB)
  • The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
  • Joy Comes in the Morning by Betty Smith
  • Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers
  • Pompeii by T.L. Higley
  • Possession by Elana Johnson
  • Cold Lonely Courage by Soren Paul Petrek
Final Update

It is now: 9:00 PM
Total Books Read: 10
Books Read From: 17
Total Pages Read: 2427
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read Since Last Update: 38
Total Time read: 13 hrs 32 minutes

Favorite Books

If I had to pick just one book to have as a favorite, it would be The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton. It is just a WONDERFUL fantasy. Loved the writing style, the language, the world she built; loved the characters and the story. It was just a great book!

If I get two "honor" books then I'd definitely go with William's Midsummer Dreams by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It's set in the late 1930s (1938 or 1939?) and it's about William S. Hardison and his perfect summer away from home. He LOVES Shakespeare. And he gets to be Puck in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. If you love historical fiction, if you love Shakespeare, if you love drama, then this one is a must! Speaking of historical fiction, Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan is quite the read. It's set in India in 1919. Our heroine, Rosalind, is fifteen or so, and she's getting more independent every day. Her father thinks that his daughter needs the discipline that only her aunts can provide back in England. (And truth be told, one of the aunts IS that frightening.) But her mother doesn't want to lose her daughter. Rosalind becomes interested in Gandhi and the Congress party--the movement to free India from British rule. And this one has some drama!

Mini-Challenges & More Thoughts on the Readathon

I did many mini-challenges--I think I skipped two or three? (Still, I did more of the mini-challenges for this readathon than I usually do for Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon.) I thought the mini-challenges were good. They were creative, but not overwhelming. Which is a GOOD thing.
I have enjoyed many things about this read-a-thon. I liked having updates every two hours during the day. It was just enough space in between to get some reading done. Yet they provided structure and a sense of accomplishment too.
I am pleased with what I was able to read. Ideally, I would have liked to read two or three more hours so I could have finished one more book. BUT at the same time, it was important for me to have a couple of breaks so I could relax.
I loved the updates and I love the mini-challenges being timed as they were.
I wouldn't change a thing! I loved the start time and end time. I thought everything went smoothly!
YES!!! I would love to participate in another readathon--of course, part of that would depend on the date! But still, I'd love to do this again!
Thanks for hosting!!!


© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2 comments:

Tracy said...

Wow, you read a lot, well done!

Julie said...

You got a LOT of books read! I loved Small Acts of Amazing Courage when i read it as well; I just kept thinking that it would be a good book for school, too, because it would give kids a little bit of the history of India, which might make them want to learn more. I have Saint Training and Pompeii in my TBR piles (Pompeii for review)
Great job!