A small update

Since my absence here, there've been a few awful things that have happened. My Dad, after fighting a difficult and simultaneously long and short battle with cancer and a stroke, passed away just before Thanksgiving. He was only 69, and it broke my Mom and I in ways I didn't think were possible. 

One month after his passing, and just before Christmas, just as both Mom and I were starting to feel a little "normal", she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. It's been devastating in all the ways you can imagine plus about a dozen more, and very trying on both of us. We are working with two absolutely wonderful Doctors who are helping us through this, and while Mom is doing seemingly innumerable tests, we are working on staying positive and trying to prepare ourselves for the onslaught of crap that will be coming our way in the next 6-ish months, and also waiting to see what kind of chemo she will have before surgery. (The idea is to shrink the lump and the one involved lymph node pre-surgery so it's not as traumatic an experience.) Both of our lives are up in the air as everything about them is rearranged over and over again, and I'm doing my darndest to keep grounded, calm, and realistically aware of what is going on. Thankfully both of us still have our sense of humor, or we'd be more crazy than we are. 

Some cheap-book shopping is happening, more than I'd like, and TV is my distraction of choice. I couldn't even tell you what I'm watching, it's just there as I stare and try and get out of my head. Researching healthy recipes for Mom to eat has been another distraction, aiming for nutritional content and ease of making/transporting is on the top of the list. I'd planned on treating her to some fresh-baked almond croissants but she said that they didn't sound that great to her, so I was forced to have them by myself for breakfast this morning. 

Oh, what a sacrifice. 

And, after 2 days of below zero temps and way-below zero wind chills, it's finally above zero (it's 19! a virtual heatwave!), and I have to go out and see if my car will start. Tomorrow I'm back to work (jobs #1 and #2) and will be chauffeuring Mom around in the morning too, so I'm going to enjoy the remainder of the day as much as I can, while cleaning and cooking for the rest of the week. 

If anyone knows of a time machine of some kind, please let me know, as I just want to get through this whole breast cancer business and try to figure out what new kind of normal my life will be. Thanks.

Happy New Year!

From my exciting place to yours, here's to a much better 2014!

My dear, it's the ending

I totally fell asleep. I'm not sure for how long, but I do know that I woke up just before the finish time and just went straight to bed. (But obviously only for a couple of hours - how am I awake right now?) My last update (just after 3AM my time) I turned on my audiobook in an attempt to finish it (I did!), and got one short book and half of another finished before I passed out cold.  

All in all, not a bad RAT. But here's shooting for staying up for all 24 hours next time!  Big big thanks to my favorite cheerleader and buddy Sherry Ann at Sherry Ann's Book Blog for being my friend and companion once again! It wouldn't be the same without you!

The stack of what I finished with the one that I only partially read standing up on the end, from bottom to top to right:

"The Conference of the Birds" by Peter Sis

"The Charlemaigne Pursuit" by Steve Berry (audio)

"The School for Good and Evil" by Soman Chainani

"Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy

"Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth, V. 1" by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie

"The Pirates! In An Adventure With Ahab" by Gideon DeFoe

"Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir" by Ellen Forney

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Final Totals:

Total books finished: 6
"The Conference of the Birds" by Peter Sis (160 pgs
"The Charlemagne Pursuit" by Steve Berry (10 hrs 48 min - I'd started this one pre-RAT)

"Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy (166 pgs)

"The School for Good and Evil" by Soman Chainani (488 pgs)

"The Pirates! In An Adventure With Ahab" by Gideon DeFoe (154 pgs)

"Jim Henson's Return To Labyrinth Vol. 1" by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie (208 pgs)

Total time reading: 18 hrs 7 min - 10 hrs 48 min audiobook, 7 hrs 19 min reading

Total pages read: 1,039 (including 115 pages of "Marbles", which I didn't finish)

Total challenges participated in: 9     Hour 1 (introduction questionnaire), Hour 2 (books and music), Hour 3 (book cover/food challenge), Hour 4 (book spine poetry), Hour 12 (Mid-event survey), Hour 13 (Best of Your Reading Year), Hour 19 (library show-off), Hour 20 (commenting/socializing), and Hour 24 (wrap-up survey, below)

Total blogs visited: 10

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Final Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Once again, 4:00 in the morning got me. That's when sleep seemed unavoidable.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Of the ones that I read this year, I'd say any in The Pirates! series would work, and even though it's a chunkster, "The School for Good & Evil" had so much going on and so many twists that I just wanted to see what would happen at the end.

3. Do you have an suggestions for how to improve the RAT next year?
Nope! It was great, and all of the hosts did an excellent job!

4. What do you think worked really well in this year's RAT?
Honestly, the variation of hosts, the inclusion of videos, and the mini-challenges were all great - um, so everything!

5. How many books did you read?
6 finished, and I read from 1 other

6. What were the names of the books you read?
Please see above

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
It's a tie between "School for Good..." and "The Pirates!..." because they were both engaging and funny and I was never quite sure what the finale would bring.

8. Which did you enjoy least?
My audiobook, "The Charlemagne Pursuit". It was a lot of detailed information, and jumps in both location in time, with short paragraphs, and a narrator that didn't change his voice much from character to character. I was lost a lot of the time. I'd read Steve's books again, but only in print (and as it was, I was glad that I'd grabbed a copy from the library so I could figure out what was going on). Not recommended, especially for something with this format.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, ...
N/A

10. How likely are you to participate again, and in what role?
100%, and as a Reader. I keep toying with the idea of being a cheerleader, but the thought of not reading all the time just bums me out. Who knows, though?!?


Thanks so much to all of the cheerleaders, hosts, and friends who stopped by. I'm headed back to bed and then off to probably read some more!  See you all again soon!

Hour 20

Don't know how I'm still awake, but I am. I think maybe because I'm a little cold that that's helping. 

Books finished: 1

Pages read: 166

Time reading: 1 hr 14 min

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Total books finished: 4

"Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy (166 pgs)

"The School for Good and Evil" by Soman Chainani (488 pgs)

"The Pirates! In An Adventure With Ahab" by Gideon DeFoe (154 pgs)

"Jim Henson's Return To Labyrinth Vol. 1" by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie (208 pgs)

Total time reading: 14 hrs 22 min - 7 hrs 12 min audiobook, 7 hrs 10 min reading

Total pages read: 764

Total challenges participated in: 8     Hour 1 (introduction questionnaire), Hour 2 (books and music), Hour 3 (book cover/food challenge), Hour 4 (book spine poetry), Hour 12 (Mid-event survey), Hour 13 (Best of Your Reading Year), Hour 19 (see below), and Hour 20 (commenting/socializing)

Total blogs visited: 10

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Hour 19 Challenge

This challenge, hosted by Dead Book Darling, invites us to post a picture of a treasured book or set of books that we're proud of. Show off our own book porn? Um, OKAY!

My collection of signed Jasper Fforde books is certainly a prized possession. Not just because I love his work (and have a bit of an Author Crush on him),or because it allows me to buy multiple copies of his books in each country they're published, but also because I met one of my best friends at his signing one year ago. 

It's also because he recently came back here for another reading and signing, and not only did he kindly make fun at the obscene amount of books that we brought for him to autograph (5 FULL tote bags!), he smiled and joked with us the whole time he did it. PLUS, the library (where the event was held) had great fake adverts put up all around the room that featured in his books, and he signed a full set of them for each of us!

So now, any doubt as to my purchasing a copy of his newest book in hardcover has been swiftly banished, and instead replaced by a certainty that I will purchase 2 of them and have him just sign one and then sign and personalize the other. I think it's safe to say that I'm a big fan of him and all of his works! 

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It's getting harder to stay awake, but haven't quite reached that head-nodding stage yet, where facial injury is possible if I read while laying down. Just in case, I'm thinking I should read a paperback.

Anyone else still awake out there?

Hour 18

Well, I had to bust out the popcorn and orange soda to give me that little kick to finish my book!  Now I'm starting to fade, though, and I'm not sure what I feel like reading next. 

Books finished: 1
Pages read: 184
Time reading: 1 hr 19 min

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Total books finished: 3
"The School for Good and Evil" by Soman Chainani (488 pgs)
"The Pirates! In An Adventure With Ahab" by Gideon DeFoe (154 pgs)
"Jim Henson's Return To Labyrinth Vol. 1" by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie (208 pgs)

Total time reading: 13 hrs 8 min - 7 hrs 12 min audiobook, 5 hrs 56 min reading

Total pages read: 764

Total challenges participated in: 6     Hour 1 (introduction questionnaire), Hour 2 (books and music), Hour 3 (book cover/food challenge), Hour 4 (book spine poetry), Hour 12 (Mid-event survey), and Hour 13 (Best of Your Reading Year)

Total blogs visited: 7

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I think I'll wash my face for the night and pick up something smallish to read, probably a graphic novel or something.

How are you all doing?

Hour 15 (with a few challenges thrown in for good measure)

Oy vey. Have finally gotten around to sinking my teeth into a book and it's so good!  I realize that it's been a couple of hours since I last checked in, so I wanted to give an update and check on my RAT buddy Sherry Ann!

Been reading: "The School for Good and Evil" by Soman Chainani

Food: nothing but water, but I'm feeling the munchies starting to hit. Maybe I'll have some OJ to put off eating for awhile, at least until I finish the book.

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Total books finished: 2
"The Pirates! In An Adventure With Ahab" by Gideon DeFoe (154 pgs)
"Jim Henson's Return To Labyrinth Vol. 1" by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie (208 pgs)

Total time reading: 11 hrs 49 min - 7 hrs 12 min audiobook, 4 hrs 37 min reading

Total pages read: 580

Total challenges participated in: 6     Hour 1 (introduction questionnaire), Hour 2 (books and music), Hour 3 (book cover/food challenge), Hour 4 (book spine poetry), Hour 12 (Mid-event survey - see below), and Hour 13 (Best of Your Reading Year - see below below)

Total blogs visited: 7


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Mid-Event Survey
1) How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?

Yes, getting sleepy most definitely, though my eyes aren't tired yet. It's coming, though.

2) What have you finished reading?
Just two books, both of them enjoyable. "The Pirates! In An Adventure With Ahab" slightly better than the "Return to Labyrinth" manga.

3) What is your favorite read so far?
So far, it's the book I'm reading right now, "The School for Good and Evil". Can't wait to finish it!

4) What about your favorite snacks?
Sadly, it was the salad. But the tater tots are close behind. :)

5) Have you found any new blogs through the readathon? If so, give them some love!

I couldn't do this without my faithful RAT buddy Sherry Ann @ Sherry Ann's Book Blog! I haven't spent a lot of time reading others blogs, but I have checked out nearly every blog that hosted a mini-challenge!  This spot will have some names in it after the RAT is over with, I promise. For now, I just want to get back to reading!

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Hour 13 Mini-Challenge - The Best of Your Reading Year

This challenge (hosted by Lisa's World of Books) invites you to pick 3 of 19 categories and answer honestly!

1) Best Author of Your Reading Year: Louise Penny. This was a tough one, but I enjoy and read her books like no others, and I'm gearing up to read my second one of hers this year (the fifth in the Gamache series) and I'm so looking forward to it. 

2) Best Children's Book of the Year: "The Secret Staircase" by Jill Barklem. I totally adore everything about her books, but most especially the illustrations, in this book in particular, are out of this world. I've always loved books that were small (like Beatrix Potter's) and were full of little details and little watercolored illustrations and anthropomorphic animals. Jill's books are a great example of all three of these things, and take me right back to reading them as a child - though I don't think I ever did read her when I was a child, only as an adult. But you know what I mean, right? It just puts me right back to a head full of open wonder. Simply marvelous.

3) Best Graphic Novel Author of the Year: Rick Geary. This is a pick-your-own category, but when I was looking through my list of books that I've read this year, I noticed that not only have I read a lot of Graphic Novels and Mangas, but that the ones I enjoyed the most and felt myself wanting to re-read were by Rick Geary. Picked up totally on a whim, I have since read every copy of one of his books in my library system. There's something about his drawing that's spot-on, and he seems to distill just the exact right amount of information (and deliver it at the right time) that makes reading his work like a little bit of enchantment. Sure, it's enchantment about murders and unsolved crimes from the last couple of hundred years, but it's enchantment all the same to me. 

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Okay, back to it! Just over a hundred pages to go in my book, and then it's on to something else!

Hour 11

I'm having a hard time concentrating today, despite the fact that all I want to do is read!  

Still reading/listening to "Charlemaigne" (which is starting to drag a bit but has been handy to just turn up and listen to as I putz around the house), and I took a break for an early dinner (I ordered a salad, some tater tots, and a pizza) and watched TV for a bit. But at least I've changed laundry loads and turned off the TV, so here's hoping I can settle myself down for a while.

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Total books finished: 2
"The Pirates! In An Adventure With Ahab" by Gideon DeFoe (154 pgs)
"Jim Henson's Return To Labyrinth Vol. 1" by Jake T. Forbes and Chris Lie (208 pgs)

Total time reading: 9 hrs 5 min - 7 hrs 12 min audiobook, 1 hr 53 min reading

Total pages read: 362

Total challenges participated in: 4     Hour 1 (introduction questionnaire), Hour 2 (books and music), Hour 3 (book cover/food challenge), Hour 4 (book spine poetry - see below)

Total blogs visited: 5