It's Time for the Literary Blog Hop!

Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos! Bonjour!

It's time once again for the Literary Blog Hop, a thrice-yearly event sponsored by Leeswammes in which bloggers from all over the world who love all-things-literary visit other bloggers  and offer lovely prizes. It will be held from midnight on Saturday, November 1st, 2014 to 11:59 pm on Wednesday, November 5th, 2014.

My Giveaway

As part of the blog hop I will be giving away...

                                                  A $15 gift card to Book Depository, open worldwide!!!

bookdepository.com

.

Rules for the Readerbuzz's November Literary Blog Hop Giveaway are simple:

(1) You must follow me.

(2) You must leave a comment here that (a) names the five best literary books you have read, 
(b) tells the literary book you'd most like to win from Book Depository, and (c) includes an e-mail address (posted in an elusive way to thwart the wicked).

BONUS:
If you really, really want to win this giftcard,

you are welcome to receive extra entries by:

Following me at Twitter

Befriending me at Goodreads

Befriending me at Facebook

I will leave this giveaway open until 11:59 pm on Wednesday, November 5th, 2014.

Good luck!

For more fun, visit all the wonderful literary blog hoppers!

Linky List:

Leeswammes Read Her Like an Open Book (US/CA) My Book Self (N. Am.) The Book Stop My Book Retreat (US) Books in the Burbs (US) Guiltless Reading Word by Word Juliet Greenwood BooksandLiliane Words for Worms (US) The Relentless Reader The Misfortune of Knowing The Friday Morning Bookclub (US) Readerbuzz Lavender Likes, Loves, Finds and Dreams The Emerald City Book Review Wensend

Laurie Here A Cup Of Tea, A Friend, And A Book (US) Moon Shine Art Spot (US) I’d Rather Be Reading At The Beach (US) Lost Generation Reader Books Speak Volumes Mom’s Small Victories (US) Books on the Table (US) Orange Pekoe Reviews Lavender Likes, Loves, Finds and Dreams Words And Peace (US) Booklover Book Reviews Inside the Secret World of Allison Bruning (US)

My Roots

Wilkinson County, Ms.

For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go (and You Can Win a Copy!)

I'm a lucky girl. In 2010, in what must have been a heavenly intervention, I was able to leave my ordinary life, fly across the big ocean, and spend two weeks in amazing France.

I still can't quite believe it happened. And I will never forget that trip.

And how about you, my friend? Are you like I was for so many years, desperately hoping to find a way to go there? Or have you been there, like me, and think every day about going back?

I have the perfect solution for all of us women...everyone who has been once and hopes to go again...everyone who has never been but hopes one day to go...and even those who know in their hearts that they will probably never get to go...and here it is: 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go by Marcia DeSanctis. It is perfect for you to plan, to dream, to scheme about all the best places we women should visit in France. DeSanctis choose all the beautiful places, all the fun places, all the quiet places, all the secret places that we want to go---sometimes places we don't know we want to go.

And even if you never get to put these plans into reality (as I suspect will happen to me), so what? You can still read about these hundred wonderful places, and, for a time, you will be there.

It's much more than a Best of book; I felt while I was reading it like DeSanctis herself was sitting in the room with me, telling me stories about places she had ventured to in France, sharing secrets she was afraid to tell too many people.

Here are some of the wonderful places DeSanctis shares: the lavender route in Provence; make-your-own-perfume in Grasse; the inspiring Marie Curie Museum in Paris; French language immersion classes; a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a 3-star restaurant in France; George Sand's house in Nohant; the beaches of the Battle of Normandy; the lighthouses of Brittany...oh, I could go on and on.

Not only does DeSanctis make great choices, but can she ever write! Here is a little sample from her book:
                    "Ile Saint-Honorat is a place to pose your own questions and find the silence
                    in which to resolve them in the dry heat among 17the century olive trees and
                    gatherings of palm, parasol pines and cypress. This is where to come for a
                    spiritual retreat (you don't need to be Catholic---you just need to crave some
                    solitude) and to live from two to six days as the monks do: simply, closely
                    connected to the land they carefully tend. When I disembark at the island's
                    tiny harbor, I head past lavender bushes along a densely packed red soil path
                    that leaves a claylike residue on the soles of my shoes. I ask my friend what
                    smells so sublime. Eucalyptus, pine, dry wood, tea olive blossoms and vine,
                    perhaps something sweet that blows in over the waves. The island is blanketed
                    by the pastel shadows of the Mediterranean sun and supported by a foundation
                    of secluded coves, chalky cliffs and rugged beaches, which frame the vineyards
                    and wild vegetation that cover the parts of Saint-Honorat that the remains of
                    medieval chapels do not...."

You see what I mean, don't you? Yes. Let me give you a minute to take in one more breath of that eucalyptus and pine. Ah. Now go on. Go. Go get this book.

Author Marcia DeSanctis 

on Tour

October 27-November 5, 2014

with

100 Places in France
Every Woman Should Go

Travel Essays

Release date: October 21, 2014

at Travelers’ Tales

380 pages

ISBN: 978-1609520823

Goodreads

***

SYNOPSIS

Told in a series of stylish, original essays, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is for the serious Francophile, for the woman dreaming of a trip to Paris, and for those who love crisp stories well-told. Like all great travel writing, this volume goes beyond the guidebook and offers insight not only about where to go but why to go there. Combining advice, memoir and meditations on the glories of traveling through France, this book is the must-have in your carry-on when flying to Paris.

Award-winning writer Marcia DeSanctis draws on years of travels and living in France to lead you through vineyards, architectural treasures, fabled gardens and contemplative hikes from Biarritz to Deauville, Antibes to the French Alps. These 100 entries capture art, history, food, fresh air and style and along the way, she tells the stories of fascinating women who changed the country’s destiny. Ride a white horse in the Camargue, find Paris’ hidden museums, try thalassotherapy in St. Malo, and buy raspberries at Nice’s Cour Saleya market. From sexy to literary, spiritual to simply gorgeous, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is an indispensable companion for the smart and curious traveler to France. [provided by the author]

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo credit: Ron Haviv

Marcia DeSanctis is a former television news producer for Barbara Walters, NBC and CBS News.
She has written essays and articles for numerous publications including Vogue, Marie Claire, Town & Country, O the Oprah Magazine, Departures, and The New York Times Magazine.
Her essays have been widely anthologized and she is the recipient of three Lowell Thomas Awards for excellence in travel journalism, as well as a Solas Award for best travel writing.
She holds a degree from Princeton University in Slavic Languages and Literature and a Masters in Foreign Policy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Visit her website. Follow her on Facebook, and Twitter

Buy the book: Amazon, upcoming on Travelers’ Tales.

***

CLICK ON THE BANNER
TO READ OTHER REVIEWS, INTERVIEW, EXCERPT

Enter the giveaway here:

Entry-Form

1 US resident
will win a print copy of this book 

You will be invited to follow each participant on Twitter;
they are listed in the entry form, as options for additional entries. 

Visit each blogger on the tour:
tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour
will give you 5 extra entries each time!
[just follow the directions on the entry-form] 

*Note*: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any other compensation, and the views expressed in my review are my own opinions.

My Book-ish, Pre-Birthday Week

It all started on Wednesday. Suddenly, I started receiving birthday greetings on Facebook. You are probably saying, Uh-huh...everybody gets birthday greetings on Facebook. But here's the thing: My real birthday isn't until next week. November 1st. The day after Halloween. It's downright spooky. Then on Thursday night, a lovely retired librarian and I went to hear Stephen Harrigan, author of Remembering Ben Clayton, at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Our book club read (and loved) Harrigan's latest novel, Remembering Ben Clayton, as part of our regional Gulf Coast Reads program. Harrigan said it took about three years to research and then write this novel. He's written three other novels, including New York Times bestseller and notable book, The Gates of the Alamo. What makes him write about Texas? "I need to get under the hood of of the place where I live," Harrigan says. I left Friday for the Texas Book Festival for more book-ish, pre-birthday events. I'm afraid I will have to save that for another post.

What I Read This Week Last weekend was Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon and I read my heart out. For eighteen hours. At midnight, I fell asleep and turned back into a pumpkin. Woke up at four and read for the last couple of hours. Grand total: twenty hours of reading, which makes me quite happy. I finished a lot of books, too. A Lot. Robot Burp Head Smartypants! Woodward and McTwee Mr. Pants: It's Go Time! Tugboat Ten Eggs in a Nest Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive! Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift Moldylocks and the Three Beards Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey Fly Away Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets! The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake Number One Sam Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete Annika Riz, Math Whiz The School at the Chalet Love Letters to the Dead After the readathon, I read A Paris Apartment and I'm almost finished with 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go. I came home from the Texas Book Festival with a huge stack of books but that, too, will have to wait for another day.

To sum up: lots of early birthday greetings, an evening author event in Houston, the 24-hour-readathon, 22 books read, and the Texas Book Festival. Now that's a book-ish pre-birthday week! And just six more days until my book-ish birthday!

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 

 It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Journey loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. 

Two is Always Better Than One

For more wordless photos,

go to Wordless Wednesday.




Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

Singing My Way Through the October 2014 Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon

End of Event Meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? At midnight, I turned back into a pumpkin and fell asleep.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? All of my children's easy readers and early chapter books were perfect reads for the Read-a-thon. Unfortunately, I read them all just before midnight.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? It is perfect just as it is.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I was a crazy Rogue Cheerleader.
5. How many books did you read? 21
6. What were the names of the books you read? Robot Burp Head Smartypants!
   Woodward and McTwee
   Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!
   Tugboat
   Ten Eggs in a Nest
   Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!
   Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey
   Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift
   Moldylocks and the Three Beards
   Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey
   Fly Away
   Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!
   The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure
   Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door
   Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys
   Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake
   Number One Sam
   Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete
   Annika Riz, Math Whiz
   The School at the Chalet
   Love Letters to the Dead
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Every book was very, very good.
8. Which did you enjoy least? NA
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? Make sure you are officially signed up. And don't wait until the night before to check!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? 100%

HOUR 23 and 24

Currently reading: Love Letters to the Dead

Books finished: 20 books 

Running total of pages read: 1831 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 18 hours

Running total of time spent sleeping: 4 hours

Snacks: Lots of less-than-nutritious snacks

Running total of blogs visited: 200

Songs sung: 21

"Know that I've tried my very best....If I could reach higher...." 

HOUR 20, 21, 22, AND 23

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

HOUR 19

Currently reading: Love Letters to the Dead

Books finished: 20 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys

Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake

Number One Sam

Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete

Annika Riz, Math Whiz

The School at the Chalet

Running total of pages read: 1831 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 18 hours

Snacks: 7 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

2 cups of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar, 

3 slices of jalapeño and pineapple pizza

Running total of blogs visited: 200

Songs sung: 20

Wouldn't be much of a readathon without this song!

HOUR 18

Currently reading: Love Letters to the Dead

Books finished: 20 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys

Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake

Number One Sam

Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete

Annika Riz, Math Whiz

The School at the Chalet

Running total of pages read: 1831 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 17 hours

Snacks: 7 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

2 cups of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar, 

3 slices of jalapeño and pineapple pizza

Running total of blogs visited: 185

Songs sung: 19

Don't stop believing!

HOUR 17

Currently reading: The School at the Chalet

Books finished: 19 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys

Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake

Number One Sam

Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete

Annika Riz, Math Whiz

Running total of pages read: 1626 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 16 hours

Snacks: 7 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

2 cups of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar, 

3 slices of jalapeño and pineapple pizza

Running total of blogs visited: 180

Songs sung: 18

"I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down."

HOUR 16

Currently reading: The School at the Chalet

Books finished: 19 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys

Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake

Number One Sam

Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete

Annika Riz, Math Whiz

Running total of pages read: 1626 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 15 hours

Snacks: 7 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

2 cups of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar, 

3 slices of jalapeño and pineapple pizza

Running total of blogs visited: 175

Songs sung: 17

Let's get up and stand up...and don't give up the fight.

HOUR 15

Currently reading: Number One Sam

Books finished: 16 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys

Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake

Running total of pages read: 1436 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 14 hours

Snacks: 4 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar, 

3 slices of jalapeño and pineapple pizza

Running total of blogs visited: 170

Songs sung: 16

"It's getting harder to stay awake, and my strength is fading fast...." but stayAwake and Alive...You can do it!

HOUR 14

Currently reading: Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake

Books finished: 15 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys

Running total of pages read: 1253 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 13 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar, 

3 slices of jalapeño and pineapple pizza

Running total of blogs visited: 155

Songs sung: 15

"There's hope in front of me...." Keep going!

HOUR 13

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys
2. How many books have you read so far? 14
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Annika Riz, Math Whiz
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Nada. Happily.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much I love focusing on reading and visiting blogs.

Currently reading: Princess Posey and the First Grade Boys

Books finished: 14 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Running total of pages read: 1168 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 12 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar, 

3 slices of jalapeño and pineapple pizza

Running total of blogs visited: 135

Songs sung: 14

We will survive....keep on reading...

HOUR 12

Currently reading: Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Books finished: 13 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Running total of pages read: 1077 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 11 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar

Running total of blogs visited: 130

Songs sung: 13

We are doing alright for the shape we are in. Close to the halfway mark!

HOUR 11

Currently reading: Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door

Books finished: 13 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Running total of pages read: 1077 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 10 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar

Running total of blogs visited: 115

Songs sung: 12

"Try to hold on...."

HOUR 10

Currently reading: The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure

Books finished: 12 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

Running total of pages read: 985 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 9 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar

Running total of blogs visited: 105

Songs sung: 11

Yes, keep going and we shall overcome.

HOUR 9

Currently reading: Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!

Books finished: 11 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Fly Away

Running total of pages read: 815 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 8 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water, a chocolate bar

Running total of blogs visited: 100

Songs sung: 10

"I keep on rising up...I keep on rising up...every day I'm rising up...." Hang in there.

HOUR 8

Currently reading: Fly Away by Patricia MacLachlan

Books finished: 10 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Running total of pages read: 707 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 7 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water

Running total of blogs visited: 90

Songs sung: 9

A little reminder to Move Along for our Song of Perseverance this hour:

HOUR 7

Currently reading: Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey

Books finished: 9 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Running total of pages read: 629 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 6 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee, a bottled water

Running total of blogs visited: 70

Songs sung: 8

Time to Roll With It, Baby:

HOUR 6

Currently reading: Moldylocks and the Three Beards

Books finished: 8 books

Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Running total of pages read: 557 pages

Running total of time spent reading: 5 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream,

a cup of coffee

Running total of blogs visited: 60

Songs sung: 7

Let's see if Demi Lovato can keep us in the game with Can't Back Down:

HOUR 5

Currently reading: Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Books finished: Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Running total of pages read: 434

Running total of time spent reading: 4 hours

Snacks: 3 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Running total of blogs visited: 50

Songs sung: 6

Starting to falter a bit? "We lose our way...we get back up again...It's never too late to get back up again...." Here's Get Back Up Again by Toby Mac:

HOUR 4

Currently reading: Enchanted Sisters: Autumn's Secret Gift

Books finished: Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey

Running total of pages read: 434

Running total of time spent reading: 3 hours

Snacks: 2 fun size bags of M&Ms, 

1/4 of a carton of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Running total of blogs visited: 50

Songs sung: 5

And just 'cause I'm from Texas, the Song of Perseverance of the hour....

HOUR 3

Currently reading: Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!

Books finished: Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Tugboat

Ten Eggs in a Nest

Running total of pages read: 254

Running total of time spent reading: 2 hours

Snacks: 2 fun size bags of M&Ms

Running total of blogs visited: 30

Songs sung: 4

More song inspiration, this time from Frank Sinatra.

"So any time you're gettin' low, 'stead of lettin' go, just remember that ant....Oops! There goes another rubber tree plant!"

HOUR 2

Currently reading: Ten Eggs in a Nest

Books finished: Robot Burp Head Smartypants!

Woodward and McTwee

Mr. Pants: It's Go Time!

Running total of pages read: 192

Running total of time spent reading: 1 hour

Snacks: 1 fun size bag of M&Ms

Running total of blogs visited: 20

Songs sung: 3

I play this song every morning to get me going and I think it works well for the Readathon:

HOUR 1

Opening Meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? I'm here in Alvin, Texas in the US of A.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? All of the Cybils Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book nominees.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? My amazing husband bought me two cartons of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and a 50 pack of M&Ms for the readathon. Wow!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I'm a primary school librarian, a reader, and a blogger. I love to read happiness books, travel stories, literary fiction and nonfiction, poetry, and children's books.

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? The last two times I hosted the readathon for a few hours (very fun!) This time I'm hoping to stop in all the blogs on the list and say hello (700+) and read. I'm going to sing along with a Song About Perseverance each hour in the hopes I will make it all 24 hours.

Here is Hour 1 Song of Perseverance to inspire us:

PRE-GAME 

Denise from Flamingo House Happenings says, "Dewey's is better than (insert your favorite holiday here)." And I agree.

I organize my life around the twice-yearly Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon. It is the first blogging event I participated in as a blogger (in June of 2008!) and it is still my favorite. I've joined in fourteen times and every time it's been a ride. I've tried reading children's Christmas books and nonfiction Cybils nominees and books in French and 1001 Children's Books You Must Read. Twice I've had to break away to attend a bridal shower and one time I had to go to a library conference during the 'Thon. Once a severe cold snap knocked out our Internet connection and I had to seek out Starbucks in order to post. I've hosted twice (very fun), ran a mini-challenge once, and offered prizes many times, and this time I plan to read and cheer others on.

In all these times, I've only managed to make it through all twenty-four hours one time. Maybe this year will be my second time. To inspire me to read all twenty-four hours this year, I'm planning to listen each hour to a Song of Perseverance.

I'm hoping to sing my way through the Readathon, if you will.

GOALS?
(1) Read the 19 Cybils I've managed to accumulate so far.
(2) Visit all participating blogs (725? Eek!)
(3) Make an infographic for my final blog post.

Let's get this show on the road! Let's get to what we are here for...Reading!

Here's my Song of Perseverance to kick off Readathon:



Handy links:

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon

List of Participants in Readathon

Readathon Twitter Feed

Readathon Facebook

Readathon Instagram

Reading Log Tracker

Readathon Hourly Update