1. Tell everyone three random things about yourself:
– I once wrote a song about milk. Yes, milk.
– I love snow.
– My favourite food is pizza.
2. Is this your first readathon?
No! I’ve participated in the Bout of Books readathon twice and the Dewey 24-hour readathon. Love them!
3. Do you have any specific goals for today? (# of books or pages to read?)
See above … I plan to read 2 books, meet new bloggers, and read for 12 hours (I have a timer). Oh, and have fun!
4. Do you have any specific snacks, drinks, or books planned?
I have 3 books picked out … Shadow, by Michael Morpurgo; The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett; and Distant Shores, by Kristin Hannah. All are books from my TBR pile, except Shadow, which is a library book. Snacks are whatever I find in the kitchen, though I think a bagel pizza will be on the menu! And drinks will be tea and lemon water.
5. What hours do you plan on reading during?
I started at 7:00 this morning and have a timer set for 12 hours. Since I have a few chores to do and have to tend to the fire and the dogs, I’ll pause it when I take a break! I’m aiming for a full 12 hours of reading.
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SECOND MINI CHALLENGE:
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THIRD MINI CHALLENGE:
Here’s my ‘Read’ picture … I’m sure on a normal day I could do something more creative, but as I was in the kitchen, this is what happened. Too bad I wasn’t still reading Anna Dressed In Blood … the ketchup would’ve been fitting!
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FOURTH MINI CHALLENGE:
For the 4th mini challenged, we are to take one of the books we’ve read or are reading, list the main characters and create a cast for the movie!
I decided to choose the book Shadow, by Michael Morpurgo, because I absolutely BAWLED while reading it. This is the same guy who wrote War Horse, and while I think that movie sounds good, I’m definitely more of a dog person than I am a horse person so I immediately thought THIS book should’ve been done instead.
So I’ll make my own movie.
The main characters are simple:
Grandpa: I immediately thought of Michael Caine because he’s so cool and so British. I don’t think he’s British in the book, but I see him as being British in the movie.
Matt: Matt’s a young kid and I don’t really know a lot of young kid actors, but I think Chandler Canterbury would be a good fit. He has an innocent look about him, but looks like he could put up the fight needed at the end of the novel (and those blue eyes!).
Aman: I am quite ignorant when it comes to young Indian actors — I don’t watch a LOT of movies or TV to know names, but I do remember the boys from The Kite Runner … I think Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada has the perfect look for Aman.
Aman’s mom: Again, another Indian actor, but this time I have someone in mind. I choose Tabu from The Namesake. I thought she was wonderful in that movie (at least for the last part of it when she started to show emotion).
Sergeant Brodie: Immediately when I thought of this role, I thought of Stephen Lang — I usually only see him in mean Army-guy roles, but I think it would be nice to see the softer side of him.
Shadow: And for the role of Shadow? The awesome dog that took my heart? I would choose my dog, Grace, after she received a TON of acting lessons because she’s CRAZY, but she looks so much like the dog on the cover!
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FIFTH (& FINAL) MINI CHALLENGE
1. How many books and/or pages were you able to read?
I managed to read 2 full books — Shadow, by Michael Morpurgo and Distant Shores, by Kristin Hannah — as well as about 100 pages or so more of The Historian, a book I started to read during the Bout of Books readathon two weeks ago (and, yet, I’m still not halfway through it!). I was hoping to get around to reading The Secret Garden today, but thought my time would be better spent continuing The Historian, since it’s been quite a few days since I’ve read anything from it.
2. About how many hours were you able to read for? (Were there many distractions, breaks, etc?)
I had a timer going, so I set it to count down 12 hours. I’d start it when I was actually reading and end it when I had to get up and do chores or make dinner. Surprisingly, I wasted quite a bit of time doing who-knows-what? I know I did laundry, took a shower, made a fire, made dinner, but 5 hours worth? I guess when I factor in doing the challenges — since those were off the clock, so to speak — it adds up. And my husband came home from visiting his brother for the weekend, so there was a bit of a break there, adjusting from a perfectly quiet house to a noisy house. 🙂 Since the readathon went until the end of the 22nd, as in midnight, I read for 11 hours. Like, actual reading. That’s crazy!
3. Do you have any likes/dislikes about the 12-hour readathon, compared to a 24-hour readathon?
I really preferred the 12-hour readathon … I felt it was easier for me to actually focus on reading for 12 hours, whereas I get really sleepy doing the 24-hour readathon. Of course, having started at 7am, I still went until midnight reading and STILL didn’t read for 12 hours. What the heck was I doing? Maybe next time I’ll be able to manage my time better.
4. Favorite and least favorite books that you read today?
I absolutely adored Shadow. It’s more of a middle-grade, teen book, so it was easy to read, only took a few hours. A big focus in it was a dog and I cried and cried. The dog doesn’t die — don’t worry! — it was more of those happy cries. 🙂 The other book I read, Distant Shores, was good, though I felt that the ending wasn’t exactly absolute. I felt like I was missing something when I finished it. I wouldn’t say it was my least favourite because I really enjoyed it, but I just didn’t feel that it was complete.
5. Do you have any suggestions for things you’d like me to do differently if I host another mini-readathon?
I really enjoyed this one! Maybe more advertising to get more people signed up? I liked chatting on Twitter, but felt there wasn’t a lot of chitchat going on. Although, the size was nice — easier to keep track of people! I loved the challenges … that Wordle one was great! And I really liked, as I said before, that it was 12 hours. So much more manageable! Thank you for hosting — I had a lot of fun AND managed to conquer some of my TBR pile!
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© 2012, Reading In Winter. All rights reserved.
Good luck with your mini readathon!
The Muggle
1. US/Can Giveaway of Tempest by Julie Cross
2. My International Giveaway
Thank you!
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Oh, enjoy The Sevret Garden! That one’s on my list for “eventually.” I have never read it. Have fun today and good luck with your goals, Kristilyn!
Thank you! I have so many books on my ‘eventually’ list … now, they’ve just merged into one big TBR bookcase. 🙂
* Secret
Love your Wordle!
Thank you! 🙂
I love milk, it is definitely song-worthy.
Hope you’re enjoying the readathon! The timer idea is genius, btw.
I really am! And yes, the milk song … if you search ‘One Glass at a Time’ or ‘The Milk Revolution Song’ you might find it on YouTube, sung by a Grade 4 class I wrote it for. 🙂
LOL: “Kleenex” and “Too-Much Tweeting.” 😉
It’s the darn books about DOGS! They make me cry. 🙂
Love the ketchup – so spontaneous. I don’t make music or art. I just read.
Ha ha … thanks! It was more of desperate move than spontaneity … I was clueless!
Ahhh, I love spaniels. I’m guessing Grace is a springer? If so, it’s quite the coincidence because one of my dad’s springers is called Gracie. (The other is Busta).
I love your answers to the challenge; partly because you chose a book with Inidan characters. Quite fascinating.
She is a springer … English springer. Great dog! I have 2 of them AND a Bernese Mountain Dog. It’s a houseful! 🙂
Wow, you read a lot, two books! I love your wordle.
LOL I love the ketchup!
I’m glad you had fun, and I’m totally thinking about stealing your timer idea. I probably would have been more focused, lol.
Next mini-readathon will probably be in July, hope to see you then too 🙂
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