Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon – The Updates Post

The April 2017 Readathon is here!!! This is where I will be posting sporadic updates throughout the day. Remember, for every comment on this post, I will donate $o.25 to the Ada Jenkins Center.

You can read my Readathon TBR post here.

Wish me luck for a wonderful day of reading!

Hour 24

We made it! After falling asleep at midnight, I woke up at 7am to complete the final hour. So my total hours spent reading = 17! I’m quite proud of that. I finished 5 books, and started a 6th.

Pages Read: 873
Books finished: 5
Local Time: 8am
Hours spent  reading: 17
Books finished: 5

Closing Survey:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Around Hour 15-16, when I was really tired but wanted to stay up just a bit longer to finish the graphic novel I was reading.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a reader engaged for next year? Definitely graphic novels! A lot of people seemed to be reading Saga, including myself. Ms. Marvel was another good one. 
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next season? Nothing other than the website problems – which are likely out of the control of the organizers. I couldn’t see the updates and links to mini-challenges after Hour 12.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I loved the Litsy and Twitter feeds! I didn’t spend that much time in the Goodreads group.
5. How many books did you read? 5, and started a 6th!
6. What were the names of the books you read? 1. Will Grayson, Will Grayson; 2. Ms. Marvel, Volume 6; 3. Milk and Honey; 4. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room; 5. Saga, Volume 4. 
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Will Grayson, Will Grayson
8. Which did you enjoy least? Saga, Volume 4. Nothing to do with the content, by I was having problems using Hoopla, and it took about 20 minutes to fix it and be able to open the book to read it. At almost 11pm at night, that was a little frustrating.
9. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Definitely will participate as a reader again, and would definitely consider hosting a mini-challenge in the future.

Hour 15

This will be my last update of the evening, as I am heading to bed, to read myself to sleep! Finished The Reptile Room, and switched back to graphic novels. I am currently reading Saga, Volume 4. I am hoping to wake up at 7am EST, to finish out the last hour of the readathon. See you on the other side!

Pages Read: 766
Books finished: 4
Up Next: Reading Saga, Volume 4, and then will either pick up Vol. 5 or 13 Reasons Why. It depends on how awake I am!

Hour 12

Whose having a great time! This book nerd is! I’m definitely slowing down, but still plugging away on Book 4! I finished Milk and Honey, and have moved on to A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room! Took a break for dinner, and to play basketball with M for a bit before the sun goes down. The whole night is ahead of us, and I am still excited!

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? A Series of Unfortuante Events: The Reptile Room
2. How many books have you read so far? This is my 4th one.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I do actually plan on sleeping tonight, so my halfway point has come and gone, LOL. I may stick to graphic novels for the rest of the night, otherwise I’m looking forward to starting 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. If not for the readathon, then immediately after.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Only a few, but they were welcome interruptions! Mostly from my daughter and spouse.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? That I made it this far without falling asleep, considering I haven’t slept well in the past few nights! It’s definitely catching up to me now, though.

Pages Read: 556
Books finished: 3
Up Next: Currently reading The Reptile Room, not sure what I’ll pick up after that.

Hour 9

The last few hours have not been quite as productive. I am about 2/3 of the way through Milk and Honey. I just took a long walk to take a break and move around a bit. It is so humid outside, I think the walk made me sleepier than reading all day!

M bailed a few hours ago to go play at a friend’s house, but she read 5 books this morning before heading out the door!

Don’t forget, for every person that comments on this post, I will be donating $0.25 each to a wonderful community nonprofit, The Ada Jenkins Center!

Pages Read: 438
Books finished: 2
Up Next: Still reading Milk & Honey

Hour 6

The Ms. Marvel volumes keep getting better and better! I just polished off Volume 6 over lunch.

Hour 5 Mini-Challenge

Hosted by Estella’s Revenge. Create a six-word celebration of Dewey’s Read-a-Thon.

Here is my entry:

There is always something to read.

Pages Read: 300
Books finished: 2
Up Next: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Hour 4

Just finished Will Grayson, Will Grayson! A few interruptions this morning: a hungry, needy cat, a few phone calls, and a breakfast break, but I am satisfied with my current pace. LOVED this book, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative effort is hilarious, powerful, and just plain fantastic. TINY COOPER!!! I love him so much.

Pages Read: 164
Books finished: 1
Up Next: Ms. Marvel, Vol. 6

Opening Survey

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Chévre cheese with rosemary crackers, and my Chocolove Salted Almond Butter in Dark Chocolate bar.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I occasionally get insomnia, and have slept terribly the past two nights, so my readathon might not go as well as I had hoped!
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? It’s my first readathon in a really long time! I’m looking forward to my daughter participating with me!

Book 1: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (starting at page 148).

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Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon TBR!!

I haven’t done Dewey’s 24 hour-readathon in years, and I am so excited to participate in the next one, which is coming up VERY soon on April 29, 2017! If you haven’t heard of Dewey’s Readathon, it is a book love fest where participants spend 24 hours reading books, talking about books, and posting about books on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Litsy, Instagram and more!

The first 24 Hour Readathon was hosted by Dewey at The Hidden Side of the Leaf in 2007. Sadly, she passed away in 2008 and the readathon was renamed in her honor. I last participated in the late 2010’s, and I am so excited to be back!

I live in the EST zone, so I will be starting at 8am in my time zone on Saturday, April 29.

My Readathon TBR Pile

I like to have a lot to choose from during a readathon, so I have a large stack of books that will be on hand:

• Ms. Marvel, Volume 6
• Saga, Volumes 4 -6
• Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (a re-read)
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
• Every Day by David Levithan
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio
• The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
• The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket (a re-read)

I am hoping to polish off at least two books for the #DiversityBingo2017 Challenge!

Oh, But there is more…

Additionally, I am setting myself a philanthropic goal as well, and for this one, I will need your participation!! The Dewey Readathon’s emphasis is on philanthropy in addition to the social aspect, and I embrace that whole heartedly!

I will be donating $1 to The Ada Jenkins Center for every page that I read during the 24-hour readathon, up to a maximum of $500! And for every comment that is cheering me on during the readathon, I will donate another $0.25 per comment, per person, up to a maximum of $100! That is a total of $600 that could potentially be contributed to an organization that promotes the importance of education and equal opportunity for all citizens, and helps those in poverty break the cycle and gain economic independence.

I will be setting up one master post on the day of the readathon where I will be updating as the day goes on. All you have to do is send out some happy cheerleading vibes throughout the day by commenting on the post, and sharing it with others.

The reason I chose The Ada Jenkins Center is due to my first-hand experience of all the wonderful things they do in my local community. The Center is a model for other community centers across the country, as a resource hub, a one-stop shop for a wide variety of social services and support programs.

I am especially impressed by the Ada Jenkins LEARN Works Program:

Linking
Everyone to
Achievement
Resources
Now

The purpose of LEARN Works is to partner with families, schools and volunteers to support the academic progress of students and advance family engagement. The after-school program they provide is AMAZING, and no child is ever turned away because of an inability to pay.

Let me know if you plan on participating in Dewey’s 24 hour readathon! I will be updating here on this blog, as well as at:

Twitter: @abergsmanNC I will have a threat that I will be updating quite often!
Litsy: 4thhouseontheleft – I’m just starting out on Litsy, but plan to use it frequently during the readathon!
Instagram: 4thhouseontheleft

Please link to your platforms in the comments! If you haven’t signed up for the readathon yet, you can do so here!

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Turn-offs

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week the theme is top ten things that will make me instantly NOT want to read a book. This is a hard list to come up with, as I don’t like sweeping generalizations. So there may be an exception or two, but in general, these are the things I usually avoid when picking out a book!

1. Zombies. I hate zombies, and they give me nightmares, which is why I avoid The Walking Dead and almost all books that are primarily about the undead who walk around in the night.
2. Womanizing, misogynistic men – If the primary character in a novel is a complete douchebag, especially in a romance, I will avoid it. If the male character glorifies women as objects and this is written by the author as romantic, I will not be a happy reader.
3. Christian fiction – nothing is wrong with this genre, it’s just not for me.
4. Apocalyptic contagious viruses – I love dystopian novels, but write a book about a flesh-eating virus that kills 99% of the population, and I will run far, far away.
5. I find out the author is problematic – if an author says or does something that is sexist, racist, etc. I am not very inclined to pick up one of their books again.
6. Same goes for the content – If a book is glaringly problematic in its treatment of PoC, people with disabilities, religious minorities, etc., I will avoid it, unless I am reading it for critical analysis purposes.
7. Princess stories – I have never been into the pink, pretty princess books. Throw a huge, beautiful dress and crown on the cover, and I might never pick it up.
8. Sappy animal stories – I love my pets dearly, but I’m not very interested in reading books about how much other people love their pets (or how much their pets love them). Therefore, I have never read Marley and Me, The Art of Racing in the Rain, or A Dog’s Purpose.
9. Master/slave, or Nazi/prisoner “Romance” – I HATE this. See #6.
10. Crafting books – I struggled coming up with #10, but there are a ton of non-fiction topics I don’t like, and crafting is pretty much at the top of the list!

What are the things that instantly turn you off from a book? Happy Tuesday!

Book Review – A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (ASOIAF, #1)

Title: A Game of Thrones
Author: George R.R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam
Genre: Fantasy

I’m handling this review a little differently than most. I know I’m late to the game, but I also went into the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series with a bit of trepidation and wariness. Mainly in regards to the sexism and treatment of women. And to be sure, there are many women in Game of Thrones depicted as sexual tools; women who have no rights, and a hearty share of rape and sexual assault. There IS too much rape in this series, and as someone who is a survivor of sexual assault, sometimes this is a deal breaker for me. However, Martin’s female nipple obsession aside, I do feel that there is a hidden criticism of patriarchal society, feudalism and war hidden amongst the pages. Or, if there’s not, as a reader, I am going to create that criticism.

Do you know what can be hard? Being a progressive, intersectional feminist who enjoys all varieties of science fiction and fantasy, including the older stuff. Traditionally, these genres were not designed to be read by women. They are often filled with misogyny, female objectification and racism. Game of Thrones falls into this trap. There are some really cool aspects: this is highly creative fantasy, the world-building is incredible, the court intrigues and plot mysteries are addicting, but what I don’t understand and get annoyed about is the reliance on violence against women.

So why do I still plan on continuing with the series? Because I find it highly insightful to read Game of Thrones critically, keeping in mind its firm place in popular culture. Because some of the characters are incredible. Daenerys is tough and smart, Arya is a fighter. Jon Snow is…well, Jon Snow. And the stories of male violence that dominate so much of this story is something that needs to be discussed. Additionally, I always have a penchant for stories filled with twists, turns and surprises. A part of me hopes the series ends with Daenerys unleashing her dragons on the Seven Kingdoms, burning down every idiotic man in the process.

“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.”

The next part of the discussion contains spoilers for the first book in A Song of Fire and Ice. Consider yourself forewarned!

I love digging up little details and analyzing them, and I have a feeling this first book in the series contains a boatload of foreshadowing. Here are some of my thoughts on what happened in Book 1, and what may be to come

The White Walkers. I don’t think it is a random fact that the White Walkers appear at the very beginning, in the Prologue. All of the attention right now may be on the inner turmoil and civil war in Westeros for the crown, but I have a feeling that will eventually be overshadowed by the return of the Others.

The wildlings are not as they appear. The wildlings are described as..well, as the name applies…wild people, cruel and savage. Descriptions of them are filled with superstition and myth. I would also guess we will get to know the wildlings much better in the future, for who they really are, not the mythology that surrounds them. I bet they are surprisingly normal people who are just trying to survive in a harsh landscape.

He remembered the hearth tales Old Nan told them. The wildlings were cruel men, she said, slavers and slayers and thieves. They consorted with giants and ghouls, stole girl children in the dead of night, and drank blood from polished horns. And their women lay with the Others in the Long Night to sire terrible half-human children.

The mother direwolf.The foreshadowing here felt as if it led up to the events at the end of this book. The deceased mother direwolf had an antler in her throat: the Baratheon sigil is a stag, and the Stark sigil is a direwolf. Did this scene foretell Ned Stark’s killing on Joffrey’s orders (Baratheon in name, if not DNA)? Or does it point to a future development, a downfall of the Starks at the hands of another Baratheon, such as Stannis or Renly?

A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at the antler uneasily, and no one dared to speak. Even Bran could sense their fear, though he did not understand.

Red Priests. The red priests are mentioned multiple times in the opening chapter for Daenerys, especially one in particular. Thoros of Myr, “a madman who shaved his head and fought with a flaming sword.” Thoros is mentioned once more towards the end of the book, when his name makes the list of traitors to the throne. It seemed out-of-place alongside Tully’s, Baratheon’s, and Tyrell’s. Who are the Red Priests?

Viserys. Boy, is he annoying! Although he may have been right about one thing, although not in the way he meant:

“When they write the history of my reign, sweet sister, they will say that it began tonight.”

Viserys says this the night that Drogo and Daenerys first meet. Except it won’t be his reign. I have a feeling that Daenerys will be the one worth writing about. And this was one character I was happy to see get the ax.

Starks. I really love the Stark’s, almost all of them – I have lukewarm feelings towards Sansa at the moment – and I am frustrated in both Catelyn and Ned Stark for trusting Littlefinger so easily and carelessly. But I really hope this quote from Ned Stark turns out true:

“The winters are hard,” Ned admitted. “But the Starks will endure. We always have.”

Tyrion. Despite his dalliances with “whores” (ugh, I hate that word which Tyrion uses ad nauseam), I have to admit to liking him. His kindness towards the Stark children shows a side of him he keeps well hidden – giving Bran a specially designed saddle, and his kindness towards Jon Snow at The Wall stand out. This is a guy that definitely plays the long game, and is not averse to playing dirty to get retribution. He’s filled with contradictions, which makes him an incredibly fascinating character.

“My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind…and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”

Okay, maybe I just like him because he reads so much.

Bran’s dream. There are many things I don’t understand about the dream Bran had right before he woke up. Are there seers in Game of Thrones? If so, Bran certainly seems like he is on his way to becoming one. In his dream he sees things that have happened while he was in a coma: the wasting away of his body into skin and bones, his mother in a cabin on a ship and the seasick Ser Rodrik, and his sisters’ grief on the Trident. The crow tells him to forget about the scene he witnessed between Jamie and Cersei, to “put it aside, put it away”, which he does forget upon awakening.

In his dream, Bran also sees shadows surrounding his family: one shadow dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another armored like the sun, golden and beautiful. The third loomed over the others, a giant in armor made of stone, his visor filled with nothing but darkness and thick black blood.

I would put the Hound and Jamie as the first two shadows, but who is the third? Possibly Gregor Clegane, who is known as “The Mountain That Rides”. Whoever or whatever it is supposed to represent, it is bigger and scarier than the other two shadows.

Finally, the three-eyed crow – which has to mean something important – takes him beyond the curtain in the North, to look deep into the heart of winter. I can’t wait to find out more on what this means.

Now you know, the crow whispered as it sat on his shoulder. Now you know why you must live.

“Why?” Bran said, not understanding, falling, falling.

Because winter is coming.

What Arya overheard. I’m still mulling over the conversation that Arya overheard in the dungeons of the Red Keep. It is a conversation that is full of half-secrets. One speaker has the “liquid accent of the Free Cities”; I’m guessing this is Illyrio. The second speaker is likely Varys, based on the description. So does this mean that Varys supports the Targaryens? Or is he playing a scheming game? And who are his fifty birds?

Varys. Varys is another highly complicated, intriguing character. Just whose side is he on? Can you believe anything that comes out of his mouth (the same could be said for Littlefinger)? The Master of Whisperers is an extremely cautious and calculating man. At first, I took him at his word in his conversation with Ned Stark in the dungeons, but I am starting to second-guess that decision. This is a character that is designed to be untrustworthy, but for what end purpose?

Rating: 3/5 stars.

Mini Review – Saga Vol. 1 & 2 by Brian K. Vaughan

I have to admit to my heart not being into writing book reviews for the past few weeks. My life has been quite topsy-turvy this month. I’m currently dealing with all the emotions that followed meeting my biological family for the first time, only to come home to one very sick kitty.

Our older cat, Isabel, has been struggling with a lot of gastrointestinal issues over the last seven days, and has needed a lot of love and attention (as well as multiple trips to our beloved veterinarian, and one stint at the ER vet). We’re currently waiting for the Prednisone to kick in and hopefully help ease the symptoms, as our vet thinks we are dealing with inflammatory bowel disease. If she isn’t any better by Monday, they will probably want to do a biopsy to rule out cancer.

Also on Monday my father will be entering the hospital for a 3-day stay for a heart catheterization after cardiac symptoms recently re-appeared. Hopefully we will know by Monday afternoon if he needs a stent, or another bypass.

Needless to say, this will be a short review!

Saga, Volumes 1 & 2

Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Illustrator: Fiona Staples
Publisher: Image Comics
Genre: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction

Marko and Alana’s love story reminds me of an intergalactic Romeo and Juliet. Alana is a soldier from Landfall, a planet this has been at war with the citizens of its moon – Wreath – for…well, for a very, very long time. The Moonies are magic wielding and the Wings are brutally nationalistic and militaristic. Within that context, you have this duo that are so funny and lovable that you can’t help but root for them as they hustle to try to get out of danger and protect their newborn child. They love each other. They argue and bicker, they get on each other’s nerves. But the love they share is pure and true, and is an inspiration, considering their people hate each other’s guts.

Most definitely not for a young audience, you never know quite what you’re going to see when you turn the page. Ghost children/babysitters missing the lower half of their body, Robotic royalty with TV heads, a lie detector cat, torsoless sex workers, there is definitely some odd stuff in this graphic novel series! If Saga were a movie, it would be directed by Quentin Tarantino.

The grandparents come on the scene in Volume 2, and the family dynamic is oh-so-wonderful! In Volume 2, we also get the back story on how Alana and Marko met…it was definitely not instalove.

The narrator in both volumes is their daughter Hazel, which is brilliant. And also a relief, her narration makes it quite clear that she lives at least into young adulthood. You see, one of the main reasons Marko and Alana are being chased is due to Hazel. Her very existence undermines the ongoing war, and defies the odds, as it had been believed that a “Moonie” and a “Wing” could not conceive healthy children together.

The cast of supporting characters are equally interesting: freelancers The Stalk and The Will, Robot Prince IV, Marko’s scorned ex-girlfriend Gwendolyn, and Marko’s parents. It makes for quite an adventurous….Saga.

Monday Musings: A Poem by my Birth Mother

 

This past week was a spring break like no other. This was not a trip to the beach, or Disneyland, or a National Park. This spring break was going home, and finding a new home, all at the same time.

I am an adoptee, and I travelled back to my hometown in Pennsylvania last week to meet my biological family. While I’m not at the point where I am ready to talk in-depth about that trip: a trip filled with both joy and sadness, exhilaration and despair…I would like to share a poem written by my birth mother, Diane.

Diane lived a complicated life, one that sadly came to an end too soon in 2009, before I ever had a chance to meet her. What we do have, however, my half-sisters and I, are letters and poems. Diane loved to write, and her words are powerful. This poem is one of the most meaningful to me.

Adolescence

Angry fights, filled with sorrow
For no apologies, not even tomorrow
Missing connections, not getting through
All the time wanting to say I love you

I didn’t want to cause pain
But adolescence is not sane
Wanting to say I’m just scared
But somehow I never dared

Your values I thought to be true
But about my life, I didn’t know what to do
Everyone said I was smart
But not inside my heart

So I just went on rambling
Living life as a scramble
To prove I was right
That I was not bright

But to everyone I would say
My parents are the best any day
I would pick no others
For a father and mother

~Diane L. Watkins, June 1987

Top Ten Tuesday: Fandoms

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week the theme is Top Ten Fandom Freebie.

This will be my last post for the next week or two, as I will be taking a hiatus for Spring Break. And what a fun topic to talk about before going on a break..FANDOMS!!! Narrowing it down to my Top Ten was quite a challenge, so I have a few runner-ups as well.

Studio Ghibli

I love all of Studio Ghibli films, and have for years! For those who haven’t heard of Studio Ghibli, you will probably recognize at least one of the movies that they have made: My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, The Secret World of Arietty, Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service. A majority of the films made by the studio are written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Harry Potter

I am most definitely still a Potterhead, ever since I read the first Harry Potter back in college, not too long after it was first published. I love the books and movies.

Superheroes

Okay, I’m cheating by combining Marvel and DC together, but I love them both! Although, Marvel definitely has a slight edge. My current favorites in the superhero universe are: Ms. Marvel comics, Wonder Woman (especially the upcoming movie!), Supergirl, Flash, Doctor Strange, Thor….okay let’s just say that I love them all (except for possibly Hulk).

Hamilton

There are times I feel like I live, breathe, and sleep Hamilton. The music is on in our home 24/7 some days, and it just gives me all the good feels when modern-day politics make me want to hurl. And with the recent release of a new batch of tickets, I am so excited that I will FINALLY be going to see it on Broadway!!!

Once Upon a Time

The last two seasons have really grated on my nerves, but I still have a soft spot for a show based around fairy tale retellings. If Lana Parilla (Evil Queen/Regina) ever leaves OUAT, though, I’m out.

Jane Austen

“How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book.” ~Jane Austen, 1813

More than two centuries after the publication of her most well-known book, and she still inspires millions. Preach it, sister.

Star Wars

I have to admit to leaving this fandom during the dark years that were The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith. Honestly, I still don’t particularly like any of the prequels. But I was won back, and then some, with The Force Awakens. And Rogue One was also pure amazingness. I’m still devastated that we lost Carrie Fisher last year.

Lost

This one is more of a flashback and paying homage to a past fandom that has fallen by the wayside since Lost wrapped up. I used to have so much fun thinking and hypothesizing about each and every episode! I still love when Lost characters pop up elsewhere, and I like tuning in to Hawaii Five-O occasionally just to get my Daniel Dae Kim and Jorge Garcia fix. When I first spotted Henry Ian Cusick on Scandal, I was SO thrilled, and equally disappointed when he left the show. Naveen Andrews will forever be my favorite, despite his underwhelming adventure that was Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

Lunar Chronicles

Some of my favorite fanart I have ever seen is done by those in the Lunar Chronicles fandom!

Gilmore Girls

What bibliophile doesn’t love Gilmore Girls? I still have the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge tucked away that I chip away at every so often, and I have always loved the fast-talking duo, and all the pop culture references that get worked into the show.

Runners-Up:

There are three hugely popular fandoms that I am incredibly late to the game for, but slowly getting drawn in:

• Game of Thrones
• Sherlock
• Doctor Who

I know, where have I been?

And a few other fandoms that just missed the cut:

• West Wing – I will always, always love West Wing. Now I’m regretting not putting it in the Top Ten!
• My Little Pony (I enjoy this one with my daughter)
• Friends
• Hunger Games
• Lord of the Rings
• Percy Jackson

Reading Challenges Update: Jan – March

Winter has come and gone…well, hopefully it is gone…and it is time to do a quarterly update of the three year-long reading challenge I am participating in this year!

My goal for NovelKnight’s Beat the Backlist challenge is to read at least 24 books off of my massive TBR list! I am not quite as far as I would like to be in this challenge, but I’m hoping to play catch-up in April and May.

This is what I have read for this challenge from Jan – March:

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
• The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• George by Alex Gino
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
• Year of No Sugar by Eve O. Schaub

Favorite: The Underground Railroad

Least Favorite: Year of No Sugar

Total Read: 6/24 books  – 25% Complete. ON SCHEDULE!

 

Diversity Bingo 2017

This is definitely my favorite challenge of the year! Here is what I read from Jan – March:

• MC of Color in SFF – Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.
• Black MC (Own Voices) – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
• Indigenous MC (Own Voices) – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
• PoC on the Cover – Ms. Marvel, Volumes 2-5 by G. Willow Wilson.
• Practicing Jewish MC – Dawn by Elie Wiesel.
• Bisexual MC (Own Voices) – Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst.
• Book by Author of Color – The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
• D/dEAF/Hard of Hearing MC – El Deafo by Cece Bell.
• Own Voices (Transgender) – George by Alex Gino.

Favorite: The Hate U Give

Least Favorite: Of Fire and Stars

Total Read: 9/36 books – 25% Complete. ON SCHEDULE!

 

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2017

Popsugar always has a fun 52-week reading challenge that I like to do. Last year I failed miserably at completing the challenge, and I am hoping to do better in 2017! Here is my progress so far:

• A book that has been on your TBR list for way too long: Dawn by Elie Wiesel. 

• A book that is a story within a story: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. 

• An espionage thriller: The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

• A bestseller from a genre you don’t normally read: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

• A book with a subtitle: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family or Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance.

• A book that’s published in 2017: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab.

• A book about food: A Year of No Sugar by Eve O. Schaub.

• A book with a red spine: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.

• A book with a title that’s a character’s name: Ms. Marvel, Volumes 2 – 5.

• A book with an unreliable narrator: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda.

• A book with pictures: Why I March: Images from the Women’s March Around the World by Abrams Image, New York

• A book about a difficult topic: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. 

Favorite: A Conjuring of Light

Least Favorite: A Year of No Sugar

Total Read: 12/52 – 23% Complete. BEHIND SCHEDULE (but not by much!)