Last week I participated in Bout of Books 4.0. This was my third (second?) attempt at a read-a-thon, and once again life didn’t give me much help in my efforts. My sister’s baby decided she was good and ready to get out into the world, so mid-week I rushed to Nebraska to meet my new niece. (I tweeted a pic in case you missed it.) Then I had to rush back to Chicago to work all weekend protecting civil liberties during the NATO summit.Â
So, you know, pretty quiet week. 😉
Despite these hiccups, I actually managed to finish two books and start a third, which is a pretty impressive week for me all things considered. I’ve been reading soooo slooooowly this year, and this read-a-thon jump started my reading life a bit. Big thanks to Amanda at On a Book Bender, Kelly at Reading the Paranormal, Shirley at Creative Deeds, and Hannah at Once Upon a Time for running the event and keeping me entertained on Twitter!
- Read four books
- Finish at least one physical book I already own
- Catch up on my backlog of comics
Well, I read pages out of three different books, and that’s something. Although I didn’t finish a physical book, I at least started one (A Clash of Kings). I did not get to my comics – I brought a stack to work with me over the weekend hoping to tackle some during downtime, but there was no downtime to be had!
Books I finished:
- Bourne by Lisa T. Bergren
- Lover Avenged by J. R. Ward
Books I started but in no way came close to finishing:
- A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
The Game of Thrones books require lots of concentration from me. Martin has this way of writing that seems full of hidden puzzles that I must read carefully in order to ferret out. During one day’s roundtrip commute I can generally fly through 80-100 pages of a book. Martin’s book? Try 30 pages, if I’m lucky. I find myself re-reading the same passages over and over. Is it just me? Maybe this is why I don’t read more fantasy. I’m always terrified I’m missing things.
You can see a more detailed break-down of my reading week in my Bout of Books 4.0 update post. I know I may not have read anything close to what other people did, but the beauty of these read-a-thons is that they are to challenge yourself. I set pretty high goals (which frankly I didn’t think I’d meet anyway), but given the craziness of the last week I’m REALLY proud of myself. I got farther than I thought I would, and it got me excited about reading again.Â
And that’s always a good thing.Â
So you had all these wonderful reasons (aka very cute niece there) for not making your goals 🙂 I wish I could say the same LOL
Congrats on the new niece that is beyond exciting 😉
Thank you! And yes, she was a good excuse. Probably the best. 🙂
Hey, life does that. You got to read some and as you stated, it was a good reading week for you despite all the stuff!
Congrats on your baby niece!
Yep, I’m trying not to compare too much. And I do have that beautiful baby girl to keep me grounded!
I’m glad you participated in this one, even if you didn’t meet all your goals. This is always a fun challenge to follow. I did it last year, but didn’t feel like I had enough time to repeat it this year. Maybe I’ll hop in and participate again next year. About your comics, are you just trying to read them or something else?
Yes to the comics. Man I am practically drowning in unread issues. It’s bad. Last night I finally reorganized them and bought a software program to help me keep them all straight.
Glad it was a full week! Fun and entertainment! That’s our ultimate goal! 😉
Thanks! Fun was definitely had!
I know exactly what you mean about Martin’s books. Well, it’s ok that RL gets in the way. It did for me too!
Bout of Books Wrap-up
Ning @ Reading by Kindle Fire
Glad I’m not the only one. I find that sometimes I can get a good pace going, but once the real political stuff sets in I start re-reading pages.
I find that I do take longer to read Martin’s books but I think thats just because theres so much information on each page, I can’t say that I reread a lit though. I can’t wait to start A Clash of Kings.
Here is my progress post.
Lauren at Northern Plunder
I think you did fantastic for becoming a new Aunt and flying out of state! Great job and congrats on your new niece.
Well it looks like you did a good job even with those challenging circumstances. Your niece is a real cutie pie. Is she your first niece? I have two nieces and 3 nephews.
So is that NATO thing cleared up or are still working on it cause I have missed your wit and reviews! Where the bleep are you? Should we send a search party? Or chocolates and another tiara? Formal or every day?
Heather