Dewey's Readathon July 2022

July 22, 2022 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

It’s time for another Dewey’s Readathon! This time it is the Reverse Readathon which starts Friday night at 8 PM and ends Saturday night at 8 PM. This works out so much better for me because of my job.

Here is my TBR pile!

11:50 PM

Well I am still going strong! I finished my first book, Poster Girl by Veronica Roth. I really enjoyed this dystopian thriller. It was so good. I would really like to read more set in this world.

My sweet dog is keeping me company while I read while the rest of the household sleeps.

I started an audiobook, The Couple at Number 9. And started another print book, Love & Other Disasters. Time for a cup of caffeinated tea. Earl Grey with blueberries!

Total reading time: 3 hours 50 minutes

Pages read: 300

Audiobook Time: 32 minutes

Books finished: 1

2:30 am

I finished my second book, Love & Other Disasters. Well what a delightful book. I really enjoyed this one. Sometimes I don’t enjoy cooking show romances because they can focus too much on the boring aspects of the show instead of the romance. But this one worked really well. I enjoyed London and Dahlia’s story!

I think my dog is getting grumpy with me being downstairs when he is ready for bed. I am getting sleepy myself so I think I will try to sleep for a few hours.

Total reading time: 6 hours 29 minutes

Pages read: 196

Audiobook Time: 37 minutes

Books finished: 1

5:00 am

I slept for 2.5 hours. It was just the refreshing sleep I needed. Next up is Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin.

9:00 am

I had my traditional Readathon cinnamon rolls this morning for breakfast. Yum yum!

I am so glad I got a few hours of sleep because it has helped me concentrate today. I have enjoyed a morning of snuggling with my sweet cat.

I finished Wild is the Witch. And wow it was so good. I enjoyed Rachel Griffin’s first book but this one was even better! Definitely a five star read. I was on the edge of my seat reading Iris’ story. It was so adventurous and suspenseful.

Total reading time: 10 hours 28 minutes

Pages read: 275

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Books finished: 1

2:00 pm

Having an enjoyable afternoon listening to my audiobook and reading the upcoming Jasmine Guillory book. I had a delicious charcuterie plate for lunch. Just plugging away but I sure could use a nap.

Total reading time: 15 hours 26 minutes

Pages read: 236

Audiobook Time: 2 hour 12 minutes

Books finished: 0

8:00 pm

And DONE! What a great Readathon. I had a great afternoon of snacks, animal snuggles and also my husband put together my new bookcase.

I finished Drunk on Love and it was delightful! It was 400 pages which is unusually long for a romance novel. But it really had some terrific character development. I started, but didn’t finish, Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. I also didn't get a chance to finish my audiobook The Couple at Number 9 but I made it 455 through.

My dog with my new bookcase. All TBR books.

Total reading time: 20 hours 11 minutes

Pages read: 348

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 16 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wrap-Up

I really love the Reverse Readathon because it gets the night time hours which are the hardest for me out of the way early on. It’s much easier for me to stay up at the beginning. Plus it gives me Saturday night and all day Sunday to recover. Dewey’s was much easier when I was self employed and could make my own hours. I am happy that I managed to read for a little over 20 hours. I am glad I took my two naps. It was a good balance. I read four total books and read parts of two other books. All in all a very successful readathon. I am photographing my beloved cousins wedding in October so this is my last Readathon event of 2022! See you in 2023!

Total reading time: 20 hours 11 minutes

Pages read: 1,355

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 50 minutes

Books finished: 4

Bout of Books 32

August 15, 2021 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Bout of Books is almost here! What is Bout of Books?

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 16th and runs through Sunday, August 22nd in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 32 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I am in the middle of a bunch of books so I hope to get a lot of good reading time in. I need it after this truly difficult past week. I will check back in on Monday!

Monday

Good first day of reading! Mondays are usually depressing so it was nice to have something to be excited about. Of course I had to work but I read on my lunch break and when I got home.

I finished Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. It was so good. It was probably my favorite of her books so far.. I stayed up too late to finish it but I could not put it down. A tropical storm is headed this way so it’s supposed to pour tomorrow so I will be at work sad that I am not at home reading ha ha.

Monday Numbers

Pages Read: 257

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 52 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Tuesday

What a day! I woke up at 3:30 to my phone saying there was a tornado watch and never went back to sleep. I drove to work in a monsoon tropical storm so it was quite an exhausting day.

I did get a little reading in even though I was pretty tired. I am listening to the an awesome podcast called Phoebe Reads a Mystery. She reads a chapter of a classic book per day. I am currently listening to The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I haven’t read this one before and I am really enjoying the mystery. Phoebe Judge has the best voice!

I am also reading When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles This is the sequel to where Dreams Descend which I really loved last year. This one comes out in October. I am not really enjoying it as much as the first one as it’s a little confusing but I suppose by the end it will all come together.

Also, I just had to share a bookish purchase I received today. I am obsessed with tea of course and I get this monthly tea box called Communitea. You have one tea per day to open and enjoy. It’s a terrific way to try new teas but there is also a fun community aspect where you talk about tea and post photos of tea. So they had a pride and prejudice tea the other day that I enjoyed and I had to order a tin of it and look how gorgeous it is!!

So altogether not a great reading day but hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Tuesday Numbers

Pages Read: 47

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 21 minutes

Books Finished: 0

Wednesday

Wow this has been quite a week. There is SO much going on and I feel so helpless to control any of it. I just can’t believe we are back in this mess. It feels like it is March 2020 all over again. Will it ever end? At least I have books to escape in. The only thing keeping me sane.

I am reading too many depressing books so I put them aside when I got home from work and started and finished Out of Left Field. It was a fun, light read.

I just feel super discouraged and feel like life will never be the same again. My parents refuse to get vaccinated and I wonder what the future holds. My sweet dog snuggled with me tonight and I don't know how people who don’t have pets are functioning right now.

Wednesday Numbers

Pages Read: 412

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 33 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Thursday

Again I put all my other books aside and started reading what I thought would be a romance book. It Only Happens in the Movies was not a romance and it was sad in parts but I really enjoyed it.

Thursday Numbers

Pages Read: 420

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Friday

Today was a tiring day. It was busy at work and I had to go out and get lunch so I didn’t have as much time to read. And when I got home I had to get ready for the wedding that I am photographing tomorrow so I mostly was able to get audiobook time in. I started a new book The Meet-Cute Project which I have been excited about reading. I also finally finished The Woman in White audiobook. Which I really enjoyed! I didn’t take any book photos today but here is a cute photo of my kitty. I probably won’t get very much reading done tomorrow because of the wedding but hopefully Sunday I will have more time.

Friday Numbers

Pages Read: 137

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 38 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Saturday

Just checking in really quick because it’s 11 pm and I am trying to recover from the wedding today. It was absolutely fabulous and I enjoyed it so much but I am exhausted! I didn’t have much of a chance to read since I was at the wedding most of the day but it was such spectacular day.

Saturday Numbers

Pages Read: 85

Audiobook Time: 46 minutes

Books Finished: 0

Dewey's Reverse Readathon August 2021

August 06, 2021 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

It’s time for the Dewey’s Reverse Readathon! With my job now this one is much easier to do this one than the regular one so I am super excited! I will be checking in throughout the evening. I did not pick out a TBR. I will go wherever the wind takes me!

11:45 pm

It’s been a lovely day of reading. I just finished my first book, Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda. This was a wonderful thriller that kept me on my toes. I also enjoyed some delicious cookies & cream muddy buddies. Yum yum. Nice sugar rush!

I also have had some good reading snuggles with my cat and dog. It’s a little cooler today so my dog actually laid in my lap while I read and petted him. I took my cat to the vet yesterday which was super dramatic so I will thrilled when she came out and cuddled with me.

It’s nearing midnight and I am still pretty awake so I am going to start another book. I will check in later. I hope everyone is enjoying their readathon!

Total reading time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Pages read: 333

Audiobook Time: 23 minutes

Books finished: 1

3:30 a.m.

I just finished Well Matched by Jen DeLuca. I really love this series and the acknowledgments made me tear up. It’s really emotional to read books that were written during 2020. I am hungry but I didn’t do a good job stocking snacks so I think I am going to head to bed. I had a nice cup of black tea at 1 a.m. but I don’t think that is going to keep me awake. I have also been listening to The Royal Correspondent audiobook and so I am going to let that send me to sleep.

Total reading time: 7 hours 26 minutes

Total Pages read: 669

Total Audiobook Time: 41 minutes

Books finished: 2

10:20 a.m

Well I woke back up at 7 after a nice nights sleep. I am sad that I forgot to get my traditional readathon cinnamon rolls so I had a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch instead.

I have had an enjoyable morning lazing around and reading. My bones were a little achy after reading all night so I had a nice long soak in the tub. I have a hair appointment this morning and then I am home for the rest of the day! Hopefully I will get more kitty snuggles!

Total reading time: 10 hours 47 minutes

Total Pages read: 832

Total Audiobook Time: 2 hours 16 minutes

Books finished: 2

4:30 p.m.

It’s been a terrific Saturday! I have to say the Reverse Readathon is so much more convenient to participate in. I went and got my hair done. I really wanted to read while she did my hair but I knew that would be rude ha ha. But I did read while my color was setting. I then walked around the Saturday market on the town square listening to my audiobook. It was lovely.

I grabbed some sushi for lunch on the way home. It was so good.

So I finished The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins. Wow I hated this book. It was boring for 50% and then really ratcheted up and went into a very violent place. It left me with a really icky feeling. Luckily I have a very cute doggie to snuggle with.

Total reading time: 15 hours 23 minutes

Total Pages read: 1,032

Total Audiobook Time: 3 hours 4 minutes

Books finished: 3

Wrap-Up

Well it was another great Readathon! The last four hours of my day were perfection. I actually went outside and read in the sun which was so nice as it has cooled down a little. I didn’t finish another book but I am almost done with The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley which I am really enjoying. I am happy with the amount of time I got to read! Already looking forward to the October readathon!

Total reading time: 18 hours 46 minutes

Total Pages read: 1,207

Total Audiobook Time: 4 hours 48 minutes

Books finished: 3

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon October 2020

October 21, 2020 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

So excited it is time for Dewey’s Readathon again! There are over 640 people signed up so far! I am excited to read, eat and have an enjoyable Saturday/Sunday. I specifically blocked off this weekend months ago just so I wouldn’t plan anything else. HA HA HA just kidding we are in the middle of a pandemic and I am going only to work and home. Work and home. Work and home. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

What exactly is a 24 hour readathon you ask? Well basically I (because I am in the Eastern time zone) start reading at 8 am Saturday morning and finish at 8 am Sunday morning. You don’t actually have to read all 24 hours. You just read as much as you can. This is (I think) my ninth time participating in Dewey’s Readathon. To view all my other posts just click on the Dewey’s tag at the bottom of my post.

My goal during the readathon is to read as many hours as possible. I have a hard time staying up past 10 these days so it should be interesting. I have a ton of digital ARCs to read. I will probably have one print book, one Kindle book, and one audiobook going. This is such a stressful time right before the election. I have been spending my weekends text banking for Joe Biden so it was a real decision to make whether to give this time to Readathon. But I decided I needed it for self care.

So it’s the night before Readathon and I finally have my TBR picked out. Usually my TBR is ridiculously big and I pick and choose stuff in the moment. But it’s always too much. So this year I just picked a few different books and hope to finish at least one. The physical books are Dairy Queen, Anxious People, and Plain Bad Heroines. I am excited for all three books as they have been highly anticipated reads. I will be listening to The Ten Thousand Doors of January audiobook and my Kindle book is The Searcher. Hopefully all those will keep me occupied.

I also got all my yummy snacks. I bought way too much per the usual but it’s nice to have options the day of! I am going to listen to some podcasts and then go to bed early. Talk to you all tomorrow!!

7:50 a.m.

Almost time! I can’t wait! I am going to start off reading with Anxious People.

Opening Survey!

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? The Dirty South!
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Dairy Queen. It’s an older book but I have heard so many good things about it so I have been anticipating reading it for months.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Really all of them but the garlic stuffed olives are really good!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I am a librarian, photographer and I live with my husband, cats and dogs in a very red part of the South which has been super difficult this year.
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 planning on attempting to stay up all 24 hours this year. Usually I try to go for at least 21 but this year I will try for the whole thing.

I am also going to do the bingo board this year which I have never done before. Let’s go!

11:30 a.m.

It’s been a good morning so far! I am little tired because I had a restless nights sleep and had weird nightmares.

So I am reading Anxious People by Fredrick Backman first. I am loving it so far. It’s funny, moving and I am enjoying all the different points of view and connecting threads.

I made my traditional cinnamon rolls this morning. They were quite delicious even though I cooked them a little too long.

I am also listening to the audiobook of Thousand Doors of January. This is an absolutely gorgeous book. The cover is stunning. When I am making breakfast and doing laundry I switch from my physical book to the audiobook so I can keep reading.

I am currently reading in my cozy chair in our media room. It had the best lighting this morning. And I was so happy when my cat, Gherig came in and sat in my lap. He so very rarely sits in my lap anymore so it was a really special treat. It’s a little cool here today so I am just snuggled in my blanket reading. Very cozy!

All right it’s time for lunch! I will check in later.

Total reading time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Pages read: 159

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Books finished: 0

4:00 p.m.

My husband surprised me with sushi and cake for lunch! It was so delicious! I am reading The Searcher by Tana French. I love, love her books. I am enjoying this one so far.

I finally finished my first book. Anxious People was so good! It was so beautifully written and a nice mesmerizing story.

Are you able to read and listen to music at the same time? I have started doing that over the past seven months. I didn’t used to be able to do so. Today’s music is Eliot Bronson’s record, Empty Spaces.

I am already deviating from my planned TBR. I have decided to read On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. I have had this book on my TBR pile for ages and I am already completely sucked in less than 100 pages in. I also am enjoying these amazing chocolate blueberries. They are so good!

My little Trixie cat decided to join me for this portion of the readathon. She was being super cute so it was hard to concentrate on reading.

Rawlings also wanted to get in some mommy time today. He doesn’t like readathons much because he really likes attention.

Total reading time: 8 hours 0 minutes

Total pages read: 461

Total audiobook Time: 2 hours 54 minutes

Books finished: 1

8:00 p.m.

Mid-Event Survey: 1. What are you reading right now? Listening to The Ten Thousand Doors of January, reading The Searcher and On the Come Up. 2. How many books have you read so far? 1. Anxious People. 3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Dairy Queen 4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? No, my husband knows not to bother me today. He is watching movies while I read. 5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? Not really anything.

10:00 p.m.

Well I am past the halfway point and still going strong. This is my normal bedtime so it may get rough soon but I have had three Cokes today :-)

Still reading the same three books. On the Come Up is so enraging, I am fired up. It’s so good but also making me mad and frustrated. I am eating some Andes candies which are the perfect refreshing candy.

I am almost at Bingo! I am realizing if you want to do the Bingo board you really have to plan out ahead of time. I guess I will have to find a non fiction book to read.

Total reading time: 14 hours 0 minutes

Total pages read: 858

Total audiobook Time: 5 hours 32 minutes

Books finished: 1

12:30 p.m.

I finished my second book, On the Come Up. Wow this is a must read book. Angie Thomas is such an amazing author and she always tugs at the heartstrings. Well, I am afraid that I am not going to be able to make it all 24 hours. I am so tired so I think I am going to have to go to bed/take a nap. Next Readathon I will take Monday off and then be able to stay up all 24 hours. Good night all!

Total reading time: 16 hours 30 minutes

Total pages read: 1,014

Total audiobook Time: 6 hours 31 minutes

Books finished: 2

6:20 a.m.

I had a wonderful nap/sleep from 12:30-4:00 a.m. I just couldn’t stay up all night and still enjoy my Sunday. All part of self care!

I did take a long and relaxing lavender bath when I got up. I always enjoy my Readathon bath. It’s nice to soak after reading for hours. It helps keep away the stiffness. This readathon I tried to made sure I moved around a lot. I started Dairy Queen, which I have been looking forward to. I am having a little bit of trouble getting into it but with less than two hours left in Readathon looks like I won’t finish another book so I may start Plain Bad Heroines.

Off to read some more. I will check in after Readathon ends. Happy reading!

Total reading time: 18 hours 57 minutes

Total pages read: 1,140

Total audiobook Time: 7 hours 20 minutes

Books finished: 2

Wrap-Up

Well I didn’t quite make it to 24 hours but I am happy with my time and amount of reading and now my Sunday won’t be spent sleeping.

I didn’t finish another book but I did start reading Plan Bad Heroines. It is so good and I can’t wait to read more of it.

I didn’t complete my Bingo Card but almost.

All in all it was a great Pandemic Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon. Probably the best part about it was being surrounded by bookish people on social media. I loved seeing other stuff getting pushed off for just one day. Now back to it!

Total reading time: 20 hours 37 minutes

Total pages read: 1,241

Total audiobook Time: 7 hours 39 minutes

Books finished: 2

Bout of Books 29

August 17, 2020 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

I am looking forward to this Bout of Books. I have lately been obsessed with K dramas (seriously watch Crash Landing On You. SO good) so have been lagging on my reading so this will be a great week to get back to it!

Monday

It was a good first day of Bout of Books since I worked all day. I am reading several books right now so my goal is to finish up these books and maybe reading one or two more.

First up, I am listening to the audiobook of The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney. It’s a really suspenseful book and I am really enjoying the narrators.

I am also reading Beach Read by Emily Henry. This is an interesting book about two authors. One is a literary fiction author and one is a romance author. They are having writers block and they decide to switch genres to shake them out of their readers block. I am really loving this book.

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell is a book about a band trying to make it good. I am just about 20% in but really liking it to far.

I am also reading another thriller, Behind the Red Door. This was is really suspenseful and is about a kidnapping. I am looking forward to getting to the solution in this one.

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 133

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 24 minutes

Books finished: 0

Tuesday

I didn’t have a ton of time to read today so mostly made progress on my audiobook. I highly recommend this thriller. It’s so good!

I didn’t take any book photos today so you will have to be contented with this cute picture of Gehrig and Trixie.

Tuesday Numbers:

Pages read: 111

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 1 minute

Books finished: 0

Wednesday

Wednesday is my busiest days so not much reading accomplished today. But I did get some sweet cuddles from my little Trixie.

I did finish Behind the Red Door today.

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 147

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 23 minutes

Books finished: 1

Thursday

I am telling you that my K dramas are totally getting in the way of reading. I can’t stop watching!

This Bout of Books is not going well. I did finish Beach Read today though! What a delightful book! I throughly enjoyed it.

Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 98

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 6 minutes

Books finished: 1

Friday

So glad Friday is finally here. I am really hoping I get a lot of reading done this weekend!

I finished the Rainbow Valley audiobook today which I have been listening to for awhile.

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 12

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 29 minutes

Books finished: 1

Saturday

It’s the weekend finally! But I accidentally started a new Kdrama (Something in the Rain) and did no reading today except audiobook.

Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 0

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 4 minutes

Books finished: 0

Sunday

Well guys this Bout of Books is officially over and it’s definitely my worst one ever. Better luck next time.

Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 0

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 37 minutes

Books finished: 0

Bout of Books Total

Pages read: 501

Audiobook Time: 17 hours 4 minutes

Books finished: 3

Bout of Books 27.5: Safe At Home Edition

April 08, 2020 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Many thanks to the wonderful ladies at Bout of Books for doing an in between Bout of Book readathon for people who have to stay at home during the coronavirus shutdowns. My library is closed and I am working from home as much as I can but I am glad to have this to distract me a little this week. I have a lot of Advanced Readers Copies to read for books that are coming out in the next few months so that is my biggest goal during this readathon. That and distraction and hopefully pulling me away from social media which is so bad for my mental health. So don’t expect many updates on Twitter except the ones that post from Goodreads. I will try to post on Instagram though.

Monday

Happy first day of Bout of Books! It was such a nice thing to be distracted from everything going on. This week and next week are the surge week for my state so my anxiety is at an all time high. So in between working, instead of going on Facebook and Twitter, I read.

An ultimate comfort read is Sense & Sensibility. This time I am listening to it as an audiobook read by Rosamund Pike. It is a really good edition and terrific narrator. It’s also my bedtime read to calm me down before I go to sleep.

I started reading What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter. And I could not put it down! It was so good. I finished it tonight. What delightful characters in this book. It comes out tomorrow so I really wanted to finish it today.

I also started a physical (bath) book Come Find Me by Megan Miranda. It is pretty creepy and so I am not sure if I can read it at night.

So I had to start a new book Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me before I could go to sleep. I am really loving this book so far. I am excited to see where it goes.

Monday Numbers

Pages read: 520

Audiobook Time: 1 hours 50 minutes

Books finished: 1

Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! Today was a little bit of a rough day for me. As I think we all do, I have good days and bad days. It is just such a weird and bizarre time. I am such an introvert and I love staying at home and reading. But there is something about knowing you can’t go out and you need to shelter in place that makes me not want to stay at home. I am of course and will continue to but I am getting antsy.

I am still listening to Sense & Sensibility. I am also listening to Take Me On by Katie McGarry. I have been listening to some Audible Escape books during my free trial and this is one of them. These are YA books but I feel like they read a little older.

I finished Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me. I ended up not actually like it. The ending was strange and the romantic relationship of the book really bothered me. It was a shame because I was really looking forward to this one.

I also have been reading Ruthless Gods. It came out today and I have been trying to finish it before then but it has been really hard to read. It is very, very dark. I am finding it hard to read dark books right now. But I will try to finish it by the end of this week.

Tuesday Numbers

Pages read: 252

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 16 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wednesday

Today was a little busy. I had a lot of work to do today and I was also distracted so I did not get as much reading done as I would have liked.

I finished Sense & Sensibility. I enjoyed it so much. It was a terrific audiobook. I really enjoy hearing a beloved book in a new format. I love Jane Austen books so much!

Wednesday Numbers

Pages read: 75

Audiobook Time: 2 hour 49 minutes

Books finished: 1

Thursday

Today was a good reading day. I started the book Little Universes and had such a hard time putting it down tonight. This book is beautiful. I was very emotional while reading it. I am very close to my four sisters so the sibling relationship really resonated with me. I openly cried over parts of this book. It was just really heart wrenching and moving.

I also made the decision to DNF a book I was reading. I was just not enjoying it and was even dreading picking it up and reading it. I never used to DNF books but I have gotten better over the years about DNFing books. There is just not enough time to read books that you are not enjoying.

Thursday Numbers

Pages read: 245

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Books finished: 1

Friday

I finished the Take Me On audiobook. I was super disappointed not to find the next book on Audible Escape. I don’t really want to pay for it so I probably won’t read it unless the library has it.

I continued reading Come Find Me and there was a mid book twist that I did not see coming. Which made me happy because I often guess the twists.

I am almost done with Little Universes. I love the book.

I started a new audiobook, The Heartbreakers. It is a book about a girl who stumbles into a job on a boy band tour. It’s delightful so far.

Friday Numbers

Pages read: 133

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 43 minutes

Books finished: 1

Saturday

I love Saturdays even in quarantine! So much more reading time. I finished Little Universes. Wow, what an amazing book. I loved it so much.

I started Rural Diaries by Hilary Burton Morgan. This was such a good and comforting read. It was all about her life with her family and her finding peace in their cute, small town and on their farm. I could not put this down.

I started the first book in the Jessica Darling series. This was recommended to me by several friends. It’s one of those YA books I missed. I really am enjoying it. She is quite snarky. It definitely is a trifle dated but I am enjoying it.

Saturday Numbers

Pages read: 396

Audiobook Time: 1 hours

Books finished:

24in48: The Social Distancing Edition

March 18, 2020 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Well things are just bizarre and out of body right now but honestly books are what will keep me sane. Thank goodness the crew at 24in48 Readathon have decided to remerge and host a Readathon this weekend. Read more here. I will also be posting on Listy and Instagram (Twitter is deleted from my phone so no updates there). My goal is to stay away from depressing and scary stuff and just tackle my TBR pile. I hope everyone is safe and socially distancing. I look forward to participating in this readathon.

Saturday

It has been a weird few weeks and so hard to concentrate on reading. So as a result I am a little behind in all my ARCs so my goal during this weekend is to catch up on all my ARCs that have already come out and get a week ahead. It really depends on how much I can read tomorrow. I didn’t get in as much reading today as I had planned but that’s because it is hard for me to concentrate. Other things keep grabbing my attention. That’s just the way of the world right now.

I am listening to Sense & Sensibilty on Auble. It is read by Rosamund Pike and I am really enjoying this version. I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I had read this book. I read Pride & Prejudice all the time.

I am also listening to Take Me On by Katie McGarry. I have been working my way through the Pushing the Limits series on Audible Escape during my two month free trial. I am usually not the biggest fan of straight romance books but they are YA and usually have an interesting other element thrown in. She certainly likes her bad boys who have a secret soft side though. I do love that in fiction but not real life.

I finished The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian. It was a really good book. It dragged a little in the middle. Based on the synopsis you couldn’t really tell what it would end up being about and no spoilers but what unfortunate timing for it to be released last week. The cover is so gorgeous on this one.

And then I finally started The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. So let me tell you how much I loved Station Eleven. Until the end. Oh my god I was so upset when I got to the end. There was not the proper amount of closure, and she didn’t focus enough on the characters stories I loved. That book was on track to my favorite and the ending ruined it. So I went into this one clear eyed. I am really loving it. I love how she is able to write in so many different voices. I am truly sucked in. Let’s hope this one has a better ending.

Saturday Totals

Pages read: 445

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 13 minutes

Books finished: 1

Hours read: 10 hours 40 minutes

Sunday

It was another good day for reading! I continued on listening to my two audiobook.

I finished The Glass Hotel. This book was so, so good. It was beautifully written. I could see all of this in my head as I read. She did such a wonderful job switching between all the characters. This was a book that swept me up in its world and made me forget it was a book.

Then I started and finished If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane. Never judge a book by its cover they say. Well I must admit I did judge this book by its cover. There has been a recent glut of these nicely illustrated romance books and I assumed that’s what I was getting. Which is fine. I enjoy those books and find them entertaining. But this book was so much more. It was heart wrenching and 20% in before you really even got to know one of the main love interests. I loved it. I love Laurie. I feel like I really emotionally suffered through this with her. I loved the feminism and diversity. This was a terrific book and I couldn’t put it down.

Then I started When Panic Attacks: The New Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life. My therapist recommended I read this book. The subtitle made me a little skeptical. I am usually wary of people who say drug-free or dismiss the use of medication. However, within the introduction he made it clear that education was a good thing and there are people who need it. So far I am reading and being like wow that’s me right there. It helps you feel less alone to know others feel the same way as you do.

This was a wonderful reading day and a great end to the social distancing readathon.

Sunday Totals

Pages read: 581

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 24 minutes

Books finished: 2

Hours read: 9 hours 36 minutes

Wrap Up

This was a great little readathon. I couldn’t concentrate as much as I would have liked to. But I still read a lot of great books and enjoyed myself. I am looking forward to the next readathon hopefully in better circumstances.

Totals

Total Pages read: 1,026

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 37 minutes

Books finished: 3

Hours read: 20 hours 16 minutes

Bout of Books 27

January 05, 2020 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 27 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Oh yes it is Bout of Books time. It’s going to be a good week! I hope to catch up on some eGalleys and tackle my TBR a little.

Monday

Whew today was a super busy day at work. I am exhausted. I got a little reading in at lunch and when I got home. I need to go to bed early though. Tired.

I am currently listening to the audiobook of Anne’s House of Dreams. I have been listening to all the Anne books on audiobook and am enjoying it so much. I didn't realize how much I knew these book by heart. I often know what lines are coming up next.

I am also reading Crown of Embers. It’s the second in The Girl of Fire and Thorns series. I had to take this one back to the library for a few weeks because I did not finish it before it was due. I am happy to have it back.

I also started an eArc The Better Liar. Oh it’s so good so far and I can’t wait to see how this one turns out.

Monday Numbers

Pages read: 145

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 7 minutes

Books finished: 0

Tuesday

Wow this week has been crazy busy at work today. Words can’t express. I came home from work and crawled right in bed and read until I went to sleep. I didn’t even write this post until Wednesday I was so tired. Thank goodness for audiobooks. I finished the Anne’s House of Dreams audiobook and A Better Liar which was so good!

Tuesday Numbers

Pages read: 109

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 4 minutes

Books finished: 2

Wednesday

This is the worst week for Bout of Books for me. It’s been so busy at work and tonight I had a dinner for a board I serve on so pretty much today was just an audiobook day. I would like to say tomorrow will be better but I will be at work until 8 or 9 so probably not. I am listening to the Anne of Ingleside audiobook. I forgot how much I loved this book. It may be the one I have read the least. It is so funny and entertaining.

Wednesday Numbers

Pages read: 49

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 14 minutes

Books finished: 0

Thursday

Oh my goodness. Today was quite a long day. I was at work until almost nine. The only good thing is that I worked so much today that I get to go home early tomorrow. I will be reading all evening!

I am still listening to Anne of Ingleside. I love reading all the adventures of Anne’s kids. They are all so entertaining.

I started a new book, All the Ways We Said Goodbye. It is from the POV of three different women in three different eras. It is very good. But I am having to take notes to keep track off all the characters and how they relate to one another.

Well I am off to bed. More tomorrow.

Thursday Numbers

Pages read: 91

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday

Today was a good reading day. I got off work early and just came home and read. It was glorious.

I started and finished Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. I have been following her on Twitter for awhile and noticed that I had only read one book of hers. Reading it reminded me how much I like those types of YA books.

I am looking forward to the weekend. I have a birthday brunch on Sunday but the rest of the weekend is reserved for reading!

Friday Numbers

Pages read: 391

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 46 minutes

Books finished: 1

Saturday

Today was a rough day! Forecasters have been predicted violent storms for a week so I was super anxious. Thank goodness it was not as bad as forecasted for us. It did cast a pall over the day though. I did still get some good reading time in though.

I finished All the Ways We Said Goodbye. It was really, really good. I did guess a few of the twists but it did not lessen my enjoyment.

I also started and finished A Perfect Stranger. This was such a thriller. I felt like I was holding my breath through a lot of this book. When I went to take my dog out that night I was jumping at shadows ha ha.It was s good!

I am almost done with the Anne of Ingleside audiobook. I am enjoying hearing these books so much! I will probably listen to these over and over again! It’s amazing how L.M. Montgomery can always make me weep no matter how many times I have read the books.

Saturday Numbers

Pages read: 602

Audiobook Time: 47 minutes

Books finished: 2

Sunday

I had a fun day having a long brunch with friends so I did not get as much reading done but I did finish two books. It was a good final day of Bout of Books.

Sunday Numbers

Pages read: 135

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 28 minutes

Books finished: 2

Wrap Up

This was a good Bout of Books week even though it was such a busy week for me. I had a great time reading books and relaxing a little bit.

Final Numbers

Pages read: 1,522

Audiobook Time: 22 hours 1 minute

Books finished: 7

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon October 2019

October 24, 2019 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Yay it is time for Dewey’s Readathon again! I am excited to read, eat and have an enjoyable Saturday/Sunday. It’s supposed to rain all day Saturday which could be good or bad! We will see. I might be sleepy.

What exactly is a 24 hour readathon you ask? Well basically I (because I am in the Eastern time zone) start reading at 8 am Saturday morning and finish at 8 am Sunday morning. You don’t actually have to read all 24 hours. You just read as much as you can. I don’t think I have ever hit the 24 hours but one day I will take the Monday off and try to do it. This is my seventh time participating in Dewey’s Readathon. To view all my other posts just click on the Dewey’s tag at the bottom of my post. This year I was determined not to schedule a photo session. But Sunday afternoon I am taking my cousins to the pumpkin patch for you guessed it a photo session. I just can’t help it in the fall! I put this in my calendar in April after the last Readathon.

So this time I have a delightful stack of YA books that I have been meaning to read. I am most excited about Wicked Saints. I have heard so many things about this book that I have it really built up in my head. I am also listening to the audiobook of She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. I also am trying to finish up a couple of ARCs so if I don’t finish them in the next couple of days I will dip into them.

I also really, really stocked up on snacks. Like an embarrassing amount. I have my annual bloodwork tomorrow and it’s good thing I won’t get my results back before I eat all this food ha ha.

What are you most excited to read for Readathon? I will be posting on this post, Twitter, Instagram and Litsy. I am @ReadingSusan on all platforms.

7:59 am

It’s almost time!

Opening Survey!

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

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Wicked Saints! I have been saving it.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Olives 😃 I have three kinds.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I can’t stick to a book buying ban.

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 is my 7th readathon and I think this time I will participate more on social media. #deweyoct

2:15 p.m.

Well I finally just finished my first book. It took me awhile. Sisters of Shadow and Light was excellent. I loved the world building and the alternate points of view. The main characters are really well done and distinctive and I really enjoy that. And I adore Raidyn and Naomi. This book comes out on November 5th and I am already ready to read the next book.

I am also listening to the audiobook of She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. I finished Ronan Farrow’s book, Catch and Kill last week and it was so shocking that I knew I had to check out this book as well. I am so glad the three of them exposed that horrible man getting away with wielding his power.

I had delicious cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then a perfect grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. Yum yum!

My cat has finally hopped up on the bed to snuggle with me so I am off to start my next book.

Total reading time: 6 hours 23 minutes

Pages read: 284

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 28 minutes

Books finished: 1

6:00 p.m.

I just finished my second book. I am reading a little slower than usual today but that’s fine. Just trying to enjoy a relaxing readathon. I also haven’t been eating that many snacks because I am not hungry. It has been raining all day which has been really nice. I will check back in later!

Total reading time: 10 hours 0 minutes

Total pages read: 610

Total audiobook Time: 3 hours 9 minutes

Books finished: 2

10:45 p.m.

Well it has been a lovely evening of reading and eating. I am currently reading Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan. I have been saving this book to read for a special occasion. It is really good so far but I forgot when I picked it what a long book it is so I probably won’t finish it by the end of Readathon.

She Said is getting pretty depressing so I have switched to the Anne of Green Gables Collection audiobook. I am currently listening to the second book, Anne of Avonlea. I love listening to old and familar books that I have read in print so many times.

I have been at this for 14 hours so I think I need to take a nap. I accidentally made multiple plans tomorrow afternoon so no way I can stay up all night and still function on Monday.

Total reading time: 14 hours 45 minutes

Total pages read: 758

Total audiobook Time: 5 hours 9 minutes

Books finished: 2

5:30 a.m.

I took a 3/12 hour nap before getting back to reading. I am up to 17 hours 40 minutes of reading. I was hoping to get to at least 20 hours and I am on track with that. I am really loving Wicked Saints. I can’t wait to see what will happen with this book. I have the ARC of the second book so if there is a cliff hanger it won’t be so tragic.

Around 4 I was wanting to go back to sleep so I switched books and went off my Readathon stack to read a Kasie West book. It’s about a girl who is trapped in a library. And I have major issues with the fact that she HAS NOT READ ONE BOOK. Who gets trapped in a library and doesn’t read books?

I will probably not check in again before the end since I won’t be starting any new books.

Total reading time: 17 hours 40 minutes

Total pages read: 927

Total audiobook time: 7 hours 15 minutes

Books finished: 2

Dewey’s Wrap Up

This was a great Readathon! I really enjoyed it. I think the nap was key and at the correct time. I finished reading By Your Side about 20 minutes before 8. I took an enjoyable bath for the last hour. I am happy with how my reading went and I enjoyed spending a little more time on social media this time around.

Total reading time: 20 hours 10 minutes

Total pages read: 1,163

Total audiobook time: 8 hours 7 minutes

Books finished: 3

Bout of Books 26

August 18, 2019 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Yay! It is Bout of Books time. I love this readathon because it lasts a whole week and it is zero pressure. What exactly is Bout of Books?

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I started working full time at the library in the middle of May so I no longer have my mornings free to read during the week. So I definitely won’t get as much reading done this week as I have in prior years. My goal is just to take the time to read more when I get home from work. I have been so tired that I have not always had the energy to read. So I am looking forward to that. As always I will keep this post updated as I go.

This is what I plan to read this week. I doubt I will finish all of them even though I am halfway through A Dream So Dark and I have already started Journey to the Center of the Earth. I am looking forward to reading Wicked Saints. I have heard so many good things about it and I bought it on Independent Bookstore Day in Nashville earlier this year and it’s one I have been saving. I am looking forward to reading the second Belles book too. I didn’t love the first one but the world building was so good so hoping this second one works better for me.

Monday

Today was a good reading day. I was able to listen to my audiobook a little bit throughout the day. During lunch I had to edit some theatre photos so I listened to it while editing. Jules Verne is one of my favorite authors. I grew up loving his stories. I am really enjoying listening to this version of Journey to the Center of the Earth which is narrated by Tim Curry. It is excellent!

I finished my first book: A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney. I was lukewarm about the first book in this series. But this one hit the ball out of the park. It had everything I love in a fantasy: Adventure, intrigue, imposters, magic, darkness, lightness, magical lands, kick ass women, magical food, healing and magical creatures. Loved it!

Headed to bed now and hoping I can get more reading in tomorrow even though it is super busy day.

Monday Numbers

Pages read: 224

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 11 minutes

Books finished: 1

Tuesday

Today was a super busy day at work and I had a headache so I didn’t have much chance to read a physical book but I had some good audiobook time. I finished Journey to the Center of the Earth. I highly recommend that Audible book. It was really good! After I finished that I started the Treasure Island audiobook.

I am also reading the second Belles book, Everlasting Rose. I am really detesting one of the characters and it is ruining the book a little bit.

Tuesday Numbers

Pages read: 108

Audiobook Time: 6 hours 32 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wednesday

Well today was an interesting day. I worked until 12 and then had to come home because I felt so terrible. I slept for a few hours and then had to photograph a show at the theatre tonight. I am exhausted. I am still trying to get used to my new schedule three months in. I need more sleep.

I finished the Treasure Island Audible book. It was very good. It was more of a drama than a reading of the book. It was so good.

I also finished The Everlasting Rose. I really don’t like any of the characters in that book and I don’t think I will read any more of them. It was hard to get through.

I started the audiobook of Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America’s Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl. It is depressing and enraging but I highly suggest people reading it.

That one is a pretty heavy book so I also started my favorite new Audible book, The Anne of Green Gables Collection. It was only one credit and it’s all the Anne book! What a deal. I am enjoying listening to the first book and it’s a good book to fall asleep to.

Wednesday Numbers

Pages read: 174

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 38 minutes

Books finished: 2

Thursday

Today was a busy day! I worked all day and now I must go to bed early because I am so tired. Thank goodness for audiobooks!

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I can’t believe it has been eight years since The Night Circus came out. I love that book so much. I am only 50 or so pages in to this new one and it is so good. I am hoping it holds up all the way though.

Pages read: 55

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 48 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday

Today was another busy day at work but tonight I was able to get a little reading in after dinner with my husband. I still have a lingering headache so it was mostly audio today. I didn’t finish or start any books today. Looking forward to having all day Saturday and Sunday to relax and read.

Pages read: 50

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 55 minutes

Books finished: 0

Saturday

Well today was a glorious, relaxing day! It was exactly what I needed. I read and hung out with my dog and edited photos while listening to audiobooks. It was great.

I also watched a rom com movie with Scott Michael Foster who I adore. But it was about a wedding photographer and I kept yelling at the TV you are missing the shot. Seriously this photographer missed so many important shots. That’s why you can’t watch media about the job you have. All you see are the inaccuracies. I didn’t finish any books but I did start a new book, Maybe This Time by Kasie West that I impulsively bought. I almost finished the whole thing in a few hours. Such a delightful YA book. I can always justify my book purchases now by saying I will donate them to my library collection after I am done. I swear I have improved our YA collection so much by doing this. I finally finished editing a big photo session I have been working on for awhile and I am so happy. I also took a book break and watched some Jane the Virgin. I can’t believe I only have ten episodes of this show left. So sad. I am looking forward to tomorrow as I have nothing planned!

Pages read: 301

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Books finished: 0

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon April 2019

April 05, 2019 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

It is time for one of my favorite readathons! I didn’t plan to do it this year because I have a photo session for a large part of the day but I decided last minute I would just participate as much as I could. The Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon runs for 24 hours and you try to stay awake for 24 hours and read as much as you can. In my time zone it will run from 8 am Saturday morning to 8 am Sunday morning.

My stack this year is much smaller than usual! I plan to finish an ARC I am reading, The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I want to finally read The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and maybe get started on the sequel, Wicked King. I also will be listening to Where the Crawdads Sing on Audible and I hope to get started on Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg. I am looking forward to this readathon. Let me know in the comments what you will be reading! I will be updating on Litsy, Goodreads and Twitter.

6:30 p.m.

Well it’s been a busy day. I didn’t sleep enough last night so I am afraid I will not be able to stay up all night. But we shall see.

I woke up right before eight and started reading. I was already 50% done with The Lovely and the Lost. This book was very good! I definitely recommend it especially if you love Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Also, if you haven’t checked out her The Naturals series do so. It’s a great YA series.

I then started reading Shortest Way Home by Mayor Pete. I like the writing style of this so far. It’s very interesting to read about the start of his life and I am looking forward to finding out more about him especially when I found out he was born the same year as me. It made me pause and question my accomplishments :-) I had delicious leftover Pad Thai for lunch and that was it for the food I have in the house. Which of course is totally against everything the Readathon stands for.

I had to go to my photo session after lunch. I listened to my audiobook, Where the Crawdads Sing on the way there. Three hours later I headed to the grocery store to get my snacks. I might have overdone it a bit considering it was 4 pm. I don’t think I will have time to eat all this!

I am finally settling in for an evening of reading so I will check in later. Although the series finale of Crazy Ex Girlfriend is calling my name especially since I am enjoying some delicious pretzels. So afraid that I will see spoilers that I haven’t been checking Instagram or Twitter.

Reading time: 7 hours 33 minutes

Pages read: 211

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 14 minutes

Books finished: 1

2:30 a.m.

Well still awake but I am getting pretty sleepy so I might have to nap soon.

I haven’t been able to finish another book. I have just been switching between my audiobook and Mayor Pete’s book. I did start The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I have been looking forward to this one. I am liking it so far! I have eaten way too many snacks tonight. And I can’t believe the Cherry Coke I drank at dinner isn’t keeping me awake.

I started flagging a little before one but then bad storms started and my dog is terrified of storms so I had to go downstairs and keep him company.

Total Reading time: 13 hours 16 minutes

Total Pages read: 433

Total Audiobook Time: 6 hours 53 minutes

Total Books finished: 1

Wrap Up

Well this wasn’t my most successful Readathon but pretty good for deciding to do it the night before. I am determined not to schedule a photo session during the October Readathon.

Total Reading time: 15 hours 11 minutes

Total Pages read: 481

Total Audiobook Time: 7 hours 29 minutes

Total Books finished: 1

Bout of Books 23

August 19, 2018 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Hooray it is time again for Bout of Books! What is Bout of Books you ask?

"The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th 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 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team."

It will be a great week full of extra excuses to read (as if I need any). It will be a busy week work wise but hoping to get some good reading in. I have a small physical stack of books to read, a couple of eARCs and an audiobook. Happy reading y'all!

Monday

Today was a really busy day. I worked at the library and had a city meeting tonight so I mostly got reading in at lunch and when I got home I took a nice long bath. I did get to finish a book that I had started prior to Bout of Books, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. This was my second time reading it but after watching the Netflix movie twice over the weekend I had to read it again! Love that series. I hope Netflix makes all the other books into movies too!

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 325

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 9 minutes

Books finished: 1

Tuesday

Another busy day. I didn’t get much of a chance to read today. Tomorrow is even busier so it may be the weekend before I get any good reading in.

Tuesday Numbers:

Pages read: 163

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 34 minutes

Books finished: 0

Wednesday

Today was a super busy day working until 10 pm so reading was a bust for today.

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 58

Audiobook Time: 1 hour

Books finished: 0

Thursday

Today was a very rough and sad day as a family dog died. I got home from work and just didn’t feel like reading so I watched tv instead.

Thursday Numbers

Pages read: 121

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday

It was another busy day but when I got home from work I tucked myself away with my books and had a glorious evening reading. My husband was at a football game until late so I had no one to interrupt my reading. It was a good way to cap off a long week.

I finally finished The World As It Is audiobook. I have been reading it for about a month. It was painful to get through at times. It was an unflinching look at what is was like working in the Obama White House. I liked the honesty but a lot made me made. So many obstructions. Maddening.

I also finished The Proposal. I adored Jasmine Guillorys first book. It was delightful but this one lacked the same magic for me.

I also finished P.S. I Still Love You. I forgot how unlikable Peter Kavinsky was in this book. I hope they change that if they make the second movie.

Friday Numbers

Pages read: 191

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Books finished: 3

Saturday

My depression and tiredness kind of overwhelmed me today so I stayed in bed most of the day. I slept and read The Kiss Quotient. I also am listening to the first Maisie Dobbs audiobook. I have read the book before but never moved on in the series so starting it again!I also started How Fascism Works which was probably a bad idea considering how I feel. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Saturday Numbers

Pages read: 326

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 23 minutes

Books finished: 1

Sunday

I felt so much better today that I ended up spending most of the day working on photography things. So I really didn't get much of a chance to read.

I finally started Dread Nation by Justina Ireland! It has been on my TBR list for awhile so I was excited to finally read it.

I am sad it's the last day of Bout of Books.

Sunday Numbers

Pages read: 80

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 9 minutes

Books finished: 0

Warp Up

Well this Bout of Books ended up being different from others I have done. It was a weird emotional week and it was also busy at the library. I didn't have as much time to read as I would have liked. But it was always nice to be able to sink into a book when I was feeling bad.

Bout of Books 23 Totals

Total pages read: 1,264

Total audiobook Time: 12 hours

Total books finished: 5

Dewey's Summer Reverse Readathon

July 27, 2018 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

The wonderful folks at Dewey's Readathon have decided to do a surprise pop up reverse readathon. It will start at 8 pm Friday evening and end 8 pm Saturday night instead of not starting until Saturday morning. I will definitely not have time to read for anywhere close to 24 hours but I will be light participant and see how much reading I can get in!

Saturday

11:00 am

I started reading at 8 pm last night when the Readathon started and went to bed at 2:30 am. I slept in until almost nine and then started reading again.

I finished my first book China Rich Girlfriend. Sooooo good! Those books are so over the top and indulgent but I love them. Book number three should be arriving today but sadly my mail doesn’t usually come until 5 pm.

I am also listening to the audiobook The World As It Is by Ben Rhodes. I am loving it. He really digs into the nitty gritty of his time in the Obama White House and he does not shie away from being candid.

I finished my second book Pat of Silver Bush. I love that book so much. I have read it so many times I can’t count and I still sob like a baby when a certain character dies. L.M. Montgomery has the richest grasp of language and paints the most beautiful scene.

Reading time: 5 hours 46 minutes

Pages read: 111

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Books finished: 2

Bout of Books 22

May 13, 2018 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

It is time for Bout of Books!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 14th and runs through Sunday, May 20th 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 22 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I love Bout of Books. It is always a fun time. It will be a busy week so not sure how much reading I will get in but I plan on having fun.

This is my TBR for Bout of Books. I also have a graphic novel, audiobooks and ARCs to read from and I have two books in process. I will be happy if I get a chance to finish 3 books this week.

Monday

Day one of Bout of Books was actually pretty great thanks to audiobooks! I had to work at the library and then had a photo shoot that evening so I didn’t get much regular book reading in. But my audiobook Exit, Pursued by a Bear is so good it is really hard to turn off. I also finished one book I had to read for work. It is a children’s book, The Poppy Lady. It is about the women who popularized the use of poppies as a symbol of fallen soldiers in WWI. I have a patron who wants to come in and do a program on her and I am excited because it’s a fascinating story.

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 157

Audiobook Time: 4 hours 47 minutes

Books finished: 1

Tuesday

Today was a busy day so not much time for reading. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I have a photo session in the morning but then I am off the rest of the day. It’s supposed to rain all day so I plan to snuggle in bed with books and kitties!

Tuesday Numbers:

Pages read: 47

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wednesday

Today was a much better day reading wise! I had a photo session in the morning, hung out with my sister and kitties for a little bit and then went home and read all afternoon. It was an awesome day! I finished Furyborn. It definitely lives up to the pre published hype. I enjoyed the world creating and am looking forward to the reading the other two in the future.

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 313

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 27 minutes

Books finished: 1

Thursday

Well today was pretty much a terrible reading day. I worked until 10:30 at night so I only had time for a little bit of audio booking and a few pages of my ebook. It was an exhausting day.

Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 79

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 13 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday

This was another terrible reading day. I was just too busy. I worked all day and then headed to my sisters to spend the night for her Royal Wedding party tomorrow. I can’t wait! 👑

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 22

Audiobook Time: 28 minutes

Books finished: 0

Saturday

I simply didn’t have time to read today. I had to watch the Royal wedding. Twice. And my husband and I celebrated our eleventh anniversary. It was a packed and wonderful day with not much reading time but that ok. That’s what I love about Bout of Books. I don’t feel guilty when I can’t get a lot of reading in.

Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 22

Audiobook Time: 24 minutes

Books finished: 0

Sunday

This was a much better reading day! I read the whole day except for four hours when I had to photograph a theatre show. It stormed so hard today and there is nothing better than curling up with a good book while it’s pouring.

I finished Flunk. Start. Wow what an excellent book. If you are looking for a book on Scientology that is shocking with lots of reveals and shocking details this is not the book for you. This is a book full of exploration and inner thoughts of a woman caught up in this cult. It’s very good.

I came within an hour of finishing The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue audiobook. It’s such a funny but also sad book. I really wanted to finish it but I am too tired and about to fall asleep.

I am also reading an e-ARC The High Season. I am enjoying it so far. Although sometimes I get tired of reading books about people who just keep getting screwed over. I hope this one has a happy ending.

Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 307

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 17 minutes

Books finished: 1

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon April 2018

April 27, 2018 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

I am so excited that I am able to participate in Dewey's this year. This is my fourth time doing the Readathon. I am ready to start reading tomorrow. I have finished all my current books as of right now so I am going to start fresh. I can't wait for reading, snacking and socializing with other readers. I have been carefully picking out my stack and once again I have way too many picks in my stack. Here is my print, ebook and Audible stack. I will be happy if I get to finish three books. I have been falling asleep pretty early lately so I am not sure if I can stay up all night but I will try. Happy reading everybody!

I will be posting on Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram (@ReadingSusan) and Litsy (@ReadingSusan).

Previous Readathons I have done!

Dewey's Readathon April 2017

Dewey's Readathon October 2016

Dewey's Readathon April 2016

Opening meme

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Atlanta, GA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter. I have been saving this for readathon!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Prosciutto!!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I am a photographer and a librarian who prefers books to socializing most of the time :-)
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? Hopefully I will be able to stay up for all 24 hours. I got more sleep last night than I usually do before a readathon. But I also have a photo session tomorrow and Monday night so not sure if its wise to stay up all night.

Here is my cozy reading spot for today. It's nice and sun drenched.

10 am

Happy Readathon! So excited that it’s finally here! I have had two good hours of reading so far. I started Crooked Kingdom. So excited to finally read this book. I also started listening to I’ll Be Gone in the Dark while making breakfast. This book has been on my TBR for a long time and with the recent arrest of the killer I knew it was time to read it. I made delicious cinnamon rolls for breakfast which is my Readathon tradition.

Total pages read: 72
Total audiobook time: 1 hour 7 minutes
Books finished: 0

1:00 p.m.

Onto hour five. I feel like I am reading slowly today. I am about 200 pages into Crooked Kingdom and think I will switch up books soon. I went outside to enjoy some of this sun. And then made myself a nice picnic lunch.

I am really fascinated by I'll Be Gone in the Dark. It's very frightening and I may not be able to sleep tonight. But knowing who the actual killer allegedly is makes it even more fascinating. I am so sad that Michelle never got to know the truth. I may not be able to turn this audiobook! I am getting some cleaning done while listening.

Total pages read: 196
Total audiobook time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Books finished: 0

4:30 p.m.

Well this day has just flown by. I can't believe I have been reading for 8 + hours. Whew. My Coke at lunch helped though. I am not really tired anymore.

I took a Crooked Kingdom break and started Not if I Save You First by Ally Carter. I adore her books. And I am enjoying this one. I love her awesome, fierce female protagonists. My sweet cat, Trixie came to snuggle with me for a while and then I went outside and enjoyed a cupcake. I feel like its going to be much harder to stay engaged when the sun goes down so I am going to enjoy it while it is here.

Total pages read: 323
Total audiobook time: 3 hours 49 minutes
Books finished: 0

10:00 p.m.

Not tired yet! Maybe it has something to do with the three Cokes I have had today. I don't think I have ever had that much Coke! I had a delicious dinner of sushi, took a nice audio walk to stretch my legs, ate a delicious dessert outside, made some delicious lavender raspberry iced tea, finally finished my first book and started Crazy Rich Asians which I am loving! I can't wait to see the movie! I have only finished one book this readathon since I have been reading longer books but I am ok with that. I am enjoying all the books I am reading so much.

Total pages read: 623
Total audiobook time: 5 hours 46 minutes
Books finished: 1

2:30 a.m.

I dislike about half the people in Crazy Rich Asians. But I can't put this book down. It's so good. The amount of wealth is pretty mind boggling. I am getting a little tired in hour 18 but mostly of sitting in one place. I tried to go downstairs and read and all I could hear was weird noises outside. Thanks I'll Be Gone in the Dark ha ha. I had to start listening to the Winnie-the-Pooh audiobook to try to banish some of the scary images from my mind. I had some chocolate at midnight and I just had another plate of snacks. Too much salt tonight! I must chug water. I have decided that since I have a photo session tomorrow I am going to go to sleep at three and then wake back up at six. I don't have the luxury anymore of just relaxing after a couple of days of readathon.

Total pages read: 883
Total audiobook time: 6 hours 25 minutes
Books finished: 1

Wrap Up!

This was a fun Dewey's Readathon! I ended up napping from 3-6 so I didn't get the full 24 hours but I am happy with 20 hours and 44 minutes. I didn't finish many books because I was reading some long ones but I really enjoyed every book I read.

I started the new Siobhan Vivian book, Stay Sweet this morning after eating breakfast in bed with Winnie the Pooh. Stay Sweet is definitely the perfect getting in the mood for summer book. I really just want to read this the rest of the day but I am going back to bed before my photo session this afternoon. I hope everyone else enjoyed the Readathon as much as I did! I am already looking forward to October.

Total pages read: 1,007
Total audiobook time: 7 hours 18 minutes
Books finished: 2

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon Prep

April 08, 2018 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

I am so excited that I will be able to do the Dewey's Readathon this month! I have had to miss it the last couple of times but managed to put it on my calendar before scheduling anything else. I am also participating in the prep this week for the readathon. From April 8th-14th the goal is to read 1000 pages. I am hoping this will be a good opportunity to catch up on the SEVEN books I am currently reading. I will be tracking my progress here. Who else is participating? I will also be posting in Litsy and Twitter @ReadingSusan. Drop me a comment below if you are participating in the Readathon or this prep week.

Sunday, April 8th

Even though I was busy today I still managed to get some reading in the morning and evening. Thanks audiobooks! I finished two books and read a total of 474 pages. 526 more pages to go.

Monday April 9th

It was an extremely busy day today so not much time for reading. I read 75 pages. Hopefully I can read more tomorrow even though I am working most of the day.

Total pages read: 549

Tuesday, April 10th

It was a busy day at work celebrating National Library Week so I didn’t get much reading in except through audiobook. I finished 116 pages.

Total pages read: 665

Wednesday, April 11th

I got in some reading before work and at lunch but planned to read the eveing away. You know what they say about best laid plans. I had a terrible migraine when I got home from work so my evening reading was ruined. I did manage to read 91 pages in the morning and at lunch.

Total pages read: 756

Thursday, April 12th

I finally finished the audiobook of Children of Blood and Bone and wow it really lived up to the hype! I loved it so much. I already want the next one. The authors note at the end made me weep. I was glad to get some good reading in tonight. I ended up with 177 pages. Looks like I will hit 1000 pages tomorrow. *knock on wood*

Total pages read: 933

Friday, April 13th

Ohhh Friday the 13th. It was lucky for me as I reached and slightly surpassed my page goal! I read 132 pages. Looking forward to the weekend and more reading time. I will keep track of my reading through tomorrow.

Total pages read: 1,065

Saturday, April 14th

Today was an awesome Saturday. I went strawberry picking with my sister which was so fun. It was a gorgeous day. And I still got plenty of reading time in. I finished two books today and read 341 pages.

I am very happy with how my pre Readathon prep went especially because I didn’t get as much reading time as I thought I would. All together over this week I finished five books and read 1,406 pages. I am so excited for the Readathon in a couple of weeks! I am going to start getting my TBR piles ready this week!

The Big Game's On Read-a-thon

February 04, 2018 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Happy Super Bowl Sunday or as I like to call it Happy Reading Day! I am not a huge football fan unless the home town team is playing so this year I will one again be participating in J enn's Bookshelves The Big Game's On Read-a-Thon. I plan to spend the day curled up under a blanket reading. It is rainy and cold here so it is a perfect day for reading! I will check in periodically throughout the day.

5:00 p.m.

I started out the day getting back to All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater. I just can't get into this book. It's very slow and just not catching my attention. But I bought it and I am determined to finish it.

I decided to start this Adanced Reading Copy of Curtis Sittenfeld's new short story collection. One word: fantastic!!

I only have a week and a half left on this book before I have to take it back to the library. So I decided I better start it. I can't even stand to look at this cover. Had to fortify myself with a bloody mary.

Wrap Up

Well that was a fun little read-a-thon! I enjoyed this relaxing Sunday. I only finished one book and didn't read that many pages but my husband and I spent the evening watching a movie and then The West Wing. It was fun!

Numbers

Total Pages read: 324

Total audiobook time: 2 hours 27 minutes

Books finished: 1

Bout of Books 21 January 2018

January 07, 2018 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

It's that time again! Bout of Books is here! What is Bout of Books? Well I am glad you asked!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th 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 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I am really looking forward to this readathon as I have been experiencing a bit of a book slump lately. So hopefully this will break me out of it. I have a bookshelf full of books I got for Christmas and some e-ARCs I need to finish so that is probably what I will be reading this week. You can keep up with my reading this week on Litsy (ReadingSusan), Twitter and Instagram.

Monday

I always like to listen to audiobooks during readathons. I used to listen to audiobooks all the time but podcasts have really cut down on my audiobook time. I went to Overdrive and decided I wanted to listen to a collection of short stories. I found M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. I am definitely enjoying him reading this book!

I am also trying to get some books read that I have been reading for a week or two. I have some eARCs that are about to come out. I am reading Carnegie's Maid and I am really enjoying this historical fiction. The only thing that annoys me about this book so far is that Clara is very judgmental about things Andrew does when she is being really deceitful.

I am also reading another historical fiction book, The English Wife. This comes out tomorrow so I am trying to finish ad review it tonight but I am only 30% in. I am really loving this book though. I like how it comes back and forth between two points of view and two times to slowly spool out the truth.

And I am finally about 50% of the way through Juventud. Wow this book is so amazing. But it is a very heavy subject and I can only take it in bits and pieces. It is so beautifully written.

I finally snagged a copy of Paper Girls Vol 3! I was so excited. It was so good. I finished it quickly. I can't wait to see where this story goes next!

All in all this was a terrific day of reading! Especially considering I worked more hours than I normally do.

Today's challenge: Introduce Yourself #insixwords: Photographer, Librarian, Wife, Sister, Reader, Feminist.

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 329

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 52 minutes

Books finished: 1

Tuesday

I didn't get much reading done today because I was busier but I had time to listen to audiobooks while I was running errands and getting stuff done.

I finished The English Wife before I went to bed because it came out today and I wanted to get my review in. I ended up really liking it.

I am almost done with Juventud which took a turn I expected but was still so heartbreaking.

Sorry I don't have much to say! Hopefully tomorrow will be a better reading day since I am working in the morning and have most of the afternoon to read!

Today's Challenge: 2018 Reading Goals-- Ironically my reading goal this year is to read less and people more. It has been so cold this winter that I have not wanted to keep this goal.

Tuesday Numbers:

Pages read: 318

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 4 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wednesday

Today was the day to finish reading all the books. I finished M is For Magic, Juventud and Carnegie's Maid. I also started a new audiobook, That Old Cape Magic and The Woman in the Window. I just fit in the reading around work but didn't have as much time to read as I thought I would have. My new longer work hours start tomorrow and I have a big project for my other job so I don't know how much reading I will get done tomorrow. That's what makes Bout of Books so awesome. It doesn't matter how little you can read!

Wednesday Numbers:

Pages read: 190

Audiobook Time: 53 minutes

Books finished: 3

Thursday

Pretty much a bust for reading except for my audiobook. There's always the weekend.

Thursday Numbers:

Pages read: 81

Audiobook Time: 2 hours 27 minutes

Books finished: 0

Friday

Bout of Books is so different now that I am working a second job. I just don’t have as much time to read.

Friday Numbers

Pages read: 153

Audiobook Time: 49 minutes

Books finished: 0

Saturday

Today I spent the day celebrating my birthday with my sisters so once again I didn’t get much reading in. But it was such a fun birthday celebration!

Saturday Numbers

Pages read: 40

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 26 minutes

Books finished: 0

Sunday

I spent all morning hanging out with my sisters and then all afternoon and evening reading! Twas a glorious day for the last day of Bout of Books!

Sunday Numbers

Pages read: 655

Audiobook Time: 21 minutes

Books finished: 2

Wrap Up

This definitely felt like one of my least productive Bout of Books. I was rushed a lot of the week and sometimes when I was home didn't feel like reading. But the reading I did get in was very satisfying. My favorites were The Great Alone and Paper Girl Vol 3. I am off tomorrow so I plan to continue reading. In the comments below all me how you did for Bout of Books!

Total Numbers

Pages read: 1,766

Audiobook Time: 10 hours 52 minutes

Books finished: 7

Bout of Books 20 August 2017

August 21, 2017 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

It is finally the week of Bout of Books 20! I am so excited.

"The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 21st and runs through Sunday, August 27th 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 20 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog." - From the Bout of Books team.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is one of my favorites because it lasts a whole week. And no surprise my week is packed with work and after work activities. So I don't know how much time I can make for reading but I will get in as much as possible.

My goal is to finish up the books I am currently reading which are the following:

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

Devil's Bargain by Joshua Green

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

When Paris Went Dark: The City of Lights Under German Occupation, 1940-1944 by Ronald C. Rosbottom

I am also reading A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin but I doubt I will have time to finish it as I am "only" 400 pages in.

Well I am going to get to reading before I have to head to work for eclipse madness!

Well thank goodness for audiobooks is all I have to say. I didn't have a terrific reading day. Work was insane. We were getting phone call for eclipse glasses every 30 seconds before the eclipse started. The good news is I got to see the eclipse. It was so amazing! I definitely am going to plan a trip in the path of totality for the next one.

I mostly read my Game of Thrones book and listened to my audiobook but I hope to get more into the Lying Game tomorrow. It's a fascinating story so far and I am looking forward to finding out what really went on. It has been a long day and I have to be up super early tomorrow as I have a photo session an hour away. Better luck tomorrow!

Monday Numbers:

Pages read: 160

Audiobook Time: 3 hours

Books finished: 0

Tuesday

Helloooo Tuesday! Today was an insanely crazy day. I was in my car most of the morning, driving to a photo session and then running all these long overdue errands. I worked at my second job at the library all afternoon so I only got some reading in before bed. But the good thing about being in the car all day is that you have plenty of time to listen to audiobooks!

I finished listening to When Paris Went Dark. I don't know if loved it is the right word considering the subject matter. But this book was really informative and had a good narrative flow. Books about the Nazis are extra chilling these days.

I also finished Before I Let Go. I loved the first half of the book. This was a haunting tale of a girl trying to figure out how and why her best friend died. The pain and grief of Corey was palpable in the pages. And then suddenly the book turned confusing and disjointed. It kind of turned out to be nothing? I was really confused by the resolution of the story. I also didn't like the phone call scenes. They really took away from the flow of the book and didn't really add much (FYI I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).

I also am reading a book at work called Inside, Outside, and Online: Building Your Library Community. It's very heavy on research and stats. I am trying to read more about the Library world and how it works so this is very helpful.

Tuesday Numbers

Pages Read: 330

Audiobook Time: 5 hours 50 minutes

Books Finished: 2

Wednesday

Another subpar day. This just wasn't the best week for me in terms of being able to read. My time is so crunched this week. I think this Bout of Books will just be all about audiobooks. I had work and then had to photograph a really long play so I didn't get much actual reading done. I mainly just was able to finish reading The Lying Game before work. I really loved it! It was just the right amount of suspense and mystery.

I would say I am hoping for a better reading day tomorrow but I have to take my MIL to the dr. tomorrow and it will probably take up all my time before work. Sunday is the only day this week I will have to read all day so I am looking forward to it.

Wednesday Numbers

Pages Read: 256

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 8 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Thursday

Nope. Just a wash. Better luck tomorrow or the weekend.

Thursday Numbers

Pages Read: 169

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 56 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Friday

OMG its finally Friday! So happy. It has been a long, long week! I feel like the eclipse threw everything off. I am hoping to catch up on sleep and reading this weekend. I didn't get much of a chance to read again today as Friday is one of my long work days. I am sad about my lack of reading time this week. I do miss being able to take time off during read-a-thons but I am so thankful to have found a part time job I love. So it's ok if I wasn't able to read as much as usual. I am happy I am able to read at all!

Friday Numbers

Pages Read: 82

Audiobook Time: 21 minutes

Books Finished: 0

Saturday

Yay finally a decadent reading day and I spent hours at my Grandmas today and still got some good reading in.

I finished Small Admissions. It was quite disappointing. I saw so many good reviews about it. It just reminded me of the usual different girls in the city books. I wasn't that attached to the people in the book and I probably only finished it because it was a readathon.

I was so excited to get an ARC of Andy Weir's new book, Artemis. I started it tonight and it is SO good. It definitely kept me up later than usual. I forced myself to go to bed. When I got Martian I started reading it at 6 pm and I stayed up all night until I was done. I love that this book has a female protagonist.

Well tomorrow should be a good reading day although I am also hoping to spend some time with my husband too!

Saturday Numbers

Pages Read: 355

Audiobook Time: 38 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Sunday

Well this was definitely the best reading day of the whole week. I finally just got to real and enjoy reading.

I finished Artemis. I really enjoyed this book. I don't think it's always easy for a male to write a female MC and there were a few instances where I thought that missed a little. But I thought this book was so fun. I liked Jazz and her cast of characters. Like The Martian my eyes would glaze over at the hard core science stuff. This book reminded me of an old fashioned heist movie even though they weren't heisting anything!

I also was excited to get am ARC of Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World. This book is awesome! Its a graphic novel packed full of beautiful illustrations and text about awesome ladies from history that you don't usually hear about. It is SO good.

I started Moonglow too because I have five days to read it before it has to go back to the library.

Sunday Numbers

Pages Read: 522

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 7 minutes

Books Finished: 1

Wrap up!

Well this was not one of the best Bout of Books I have ever done. I just didn't have the time I usually did. But I still did decent. It was a long and exhausting week and I was glad the little pockets of time I was able to escape and read.

Total Numbers

Pages Read: 1,874

Audiobook Time: 20 hours

Books Finished: 6

Reading Susan Read-a-Thon

August 04, 2017 by Susan Crutchfield in read-a-thon

Wow, I suddenly find myself with a whole weekend FREE. It's a miracle. I was so sad to miss the 24 in 48 marathon a few weeks ago. So I have decided to do my own readathon this weekend. No rules, just reading. I will be posting on here, Twitter, Instagram and Litsy using the hashtag #ReadingSusanRAT. Join me if you want!

Friday

I am so glad I decided to do my own readathon this weekend. As soon as I got home from work with my Chick-fil-A, I settled in to read. There was rain in the forecast all day but I was sad because it didn't actually rain. I love reading on the porch while it rains. I finished up Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. This book will come out in September but I was excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley. I loved it! You can read my review on Goodreads.

I am also reading Con Academy It is about a boarding school and a con man? Yep that ticks a lot of boxes for me. It's falling a little short so far but I am hoping it picks up.

I also needed to take my dog for a walk so I downloaded an audiobook to listen to: When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944. This is one I have been wanting to read for a long time.

Friday Numbers:

Pages read: 287

Audiobook Time: 53 minutes

Books finished: 1

Saturday

I didn't end up reading the whole day because I went to lunch, the library and the grocery store with my husband but I did spend a good portion of the day day reading and stayed up late tonight because I couldn't put my book down.

I finished Con Academy. It was a pretty lackluster book. It had so much potential but the author dropped the ball. The writing wasn't terrible but the story wasn't that great.

However, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake was so good! It was a very unusual book and I definitely saw a lot of mixed reviews after I finished it. But I loved it. The idea that a girl can taste the emotions of the people who cook or make food was so unique! But it is impossible to read this book without a treat! My mouth watered every time I looked at the cover.

I am also reading two different books about World War II. The non fiction audiobook When Paris Went Dark and The Women in the Castle. The latter is a fascinating story that skips around to the different stories of a few war widows. I feel like in a lot of WWII books the whole book you are just waiting for people to be reunited so I found it interesting that the book starts with the reunion and then goes back filling in the story. The writing is really lovely. This isn't one you read quickly but savor.

Saturday Numbers:

Pages read: 542

Audiobook Time: 3 hours 22 minutes

Books finished: 2

Sunday

I didn't end up reading all day because I ended up doing other stuff but I still managed to get some reading in. I finished one book, Turbo Twenty-Three. I love the Stephanie Plum books even though they are all the same.

Sunday Numbers:

Pages read: 291

Audiobook Time: 1 hour 56 minutes

Books finished: 1

Wrap Up

I had a great weekend of reading and relaxing! It was an awesome weekend!

Weekend Totals:

Pages read: 1,120

Audiobook Time: 6 hours 11 minutes

Books finished: 4