BC Bookshelf Update: End of 1st Semester!

BC Bookshelf Updates features my latest bookish and BookCrossing (BC) activities including book trades, RABCKs, book rings/rays, challenges, and all things BookCrossing. Enjoy!

I completed my first semester of grad school!  Plus, we got our grades already and I did really well! YAY!  So it's time to celebrate.  I'm going to catch up on my leisure reading over the next month of freedom before the grind starts up again.  Here's the latest BC updates:

Manga/Graphic Novel Bookbox: I signed up for my first BC bookbox. This box is full of manga and graphic novels shipped to participants across the U.S. (sorry not an international one). Participants take as many as they want, but add the same number back to the box and then send it on it's way to the next person on the list.  Here's the forum link if anyone else is interested in joining.  I received the box in the mail yesterday and I can't believe how many volumes are in it!  It's gonna take a few days to go through and decide what to keep.

Audubon BookCrossers:  The ABXC group meets monthly at the Panera Bread in Audubon, PA and last Sunday was the largest gathering that I've attended there so far.  We had the usual BCers attend, plus Flut3girl home from college and nat4lee visiting.  It was so large, we attracted attention from a number of Panera-goers who asked about what we were doing.  We informed them about BookCrossing and several people even left with books.  What a wonderful thing!  For the first time, I brought books to the meeting and left without any.  That's a good accomplishment for me right now since my bookshelves are overflowing.  I need to release more and bring home less (or at least stuff that I will read and release).

Park House Coffee OBCZ:  Sad news from Ridley Park, PA.  The Park House Coffee (a.k.a. Park House Cafe), which is home to an Official BC Zone, has closed.  The cafe changed ownership multiple times in the last few years, but the OBCZ (run by my pal Bascula) persevered. Park House Coffee was a wonderful place to grab a hot drink and relax. I hope it reopens again.  I'll keep you updated.  A group of BCers met there in November hoping to start a new meetup group, but plans will be postponed until we find another location.

Reading Challenges:  Since I haven't reached my challenge goals yet, I'm going to hold my own little read-a-thon next week.  What else would a bookcrosser want to do on vacation!?!  I'll be away visiting family for the holidays, but will host my own 24 hour read-a-thon on Tuesday or Wednesday.  It'll come down to the wire, but I think I can pull off my "Pages Read Challenge" goal of 15,000 pages. I have about 1,700 pages to go.  I have four books to read for the "Read Ten 1001 Books Challenge."  Not sure if I'll reach that one, but I'd be satisfied with one more completed.  I'm still figuring out my challenge goals for 2011 so stay tuned.

I'll post again next week, until then...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

Read-a-thon Wrap Up

We've reached the end of 24 hours.  Let's recap.  After some life distractions, I was able to refocus and get some more reading in.  I didn't come close to my initial goals, but I had a blast anyway.  Thanks so much for all your comments!  They make me laugh and keep me inspired.  You guys rock!  You other readers out there are one of the many reasons I love to participate in this reading event.  Even though I didn't get as much time in as I had hoped, it was fun to read your posts (especially some of your mini-challenges answers) and cheer you on.  Get some sleep now...it's well deserved.

End of event details:

How many books have you read?  Half of two books...that means one when you put them together?!?

Finished Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Started How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Pages read: 198 pages (131 from Angel Star and 67 from HTTYD)

 

Hours spent reading: 5 hours (wow, I read really slow)

 

Hours spent on mini-challenges, cheering, and blogging: approx. 2.5 hours

 

Total participation: 7.5 hours

 

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope, it was lots of fun!

 

What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I would try to devote more time to it like I did in April.  So many distractions that I missed out on a bunch of fun challenges. I'll definitely participate next time.

Read-a-thon Hour 11

Reader fail!  I've been a terrible read-a-thon participant. Even though I wanted to spend the whole day reading, life got in the way.  Hubby and I had DirectTV drama this morning. They were supposed to install the dish this morning (something to busy Hubby while I read...thought that was a good idea), however, do to complications it didn't happened. Then my car wouldn't start this morning, so I had to get it towed.  Yep, no luck today. The fine guys at Firestone fixed my car, I've got it back, and now I'm getting back on track with my reading.  I'm sure you don't want to hear all the details...but alas I've spent only about two hours reading (about 80 pages worth).  I know, it's a travesty!

My new goals: maybe 10 hours total...so I've got at least 8 hours of reading ahead of me. Of course, I'll try to make it to the 24th hour. 

How everyone else hanging in there? Anyone have a distraction story to share?  Let me know.

Read-a-thon Hour 1

Ready, set, read!  It's the first hour of the Dewey 24 Hour Read-a-thon. I've got everything I need:  coffee, books, computer. I'm rocking my Monticello t-shirt with Thomas Jefferson's quote "I cannot live without books...".  Let's get reading!  Here's some of the books I have with me today.

Finish Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (this is a BookCrossing bookring)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (a 1001-book...I'm way behind in the "read ten 1001 books" challenge)
plus some manga (Tokyo Mew Mew 1-3 and Crescent Moon 1-3)

Goals:  I'd like to match or exceed my stats from the last Dewey read-a-thon in April. I'll shoot for 4 books (I could breeze through the manga), at least 500 pages, 6-8 mini-challenges, and at least 12 hours reading/16 hours participating.  

Hour 1 meme:
Where are you reading from today? My apartment in the western 'burbs of Philadelphia. 

3 facts about me … 
1 - My favorite colors are PINK (when I'm feeling girly) and BLUE (the royal kind). 
2 - I just moved...not far, just the next county over. 
3 - I love to read!  Hooray for reading!

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? I've got three books on the agenda, a bunch of manga in between, and dozens (err, hundreds) of other books to choose from if my mood changes.

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? Copy and paste from above: 4 books (plus manga), at least 500 pages, 6-8 mini-challenges, and at least 12 hours reading/16 hours participating.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?  This is my second time participating.  I learned in the spring read-a-thon that you should read genres you love. It's easier to get through books you like than ones that torture you. Another tip: write down your start and stop times of your readings...it'll help you keep better track of it all. Finally, have fun!  The read-a-thon is supposed to be fun, so don't get stressed out over how fast other participants read. Focus on your reading experience. Take breaks when you need to and support other readers. At hour 19, we're all struggling to stay awake together.  :)

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon

It's back!  Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon is this Saturday, October 9th.  I've craved out most of the day to relax and catch up on my leisure reading.  Grad school is kicking my butt, so I'm due for one day of vacation from it all.  I participated in the read-a-thon in April and absolutely loved it!

Here's some of my wrap-up stats from the Dewey's 24 hr Read-a-thon in April 2010:
Participated for over 16 hours, including:
   - over 11 hours of reading
   - 5 hours of blogging/mini-challenges/cheering for other readers
Books read: 3 1/2 including
   - The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
   - Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
   - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
   - Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (read about 1/2)
Pages read: 505
Mini-challenges completed:  9
Prizes won: none...maybe I'll have better luck this year.

I'll post a list of my potential reads before it officially begins. It's not too late to sign up for the read-a-thon on Saturday. Check out the website to learn more.

Update: Hiatus

Sorry I've been silent for a few weeks.  I'm taking a break from blogging for a little while.  There are two big changes happening in my life right now: grad school and moving. 

I just started an online graduate program for a master's in library science (MLS).  I'll (hopefully) graduate in Summer 2012, which seems so far away right now.  Since I'm still working full-time, grad school studying and paper writing is taking up all my free time. I haven't been able to enjoy leisure reading for two weeks...and that's killing me already. But I have to take the responsible road and focus on my schoolwork. Hopefully, I'll find a few weekends to hold my own personal read-a-thons to catch up on the books from my TBR pile. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm not going to reach my challenge goals this year.

Also, I'm moving this month so almost all my books are packed up. September free time will revolve around lugging my heavy boxes to my new apartment. Hopefully, I'll be a bit more settled come October.

On the BookCrossing side of things, I posted a note about my limited free time on my extended profile. BookCrossers can still feel free to send me a PM, but it might take a short time for me to respond back. I'm sending on a bookray I wasn't able to finish to the next person on the list.  I still want to attend the monthly Audubon BookCrossing meetings at the Panera Bread on Trooper Road in Audubon, PA. So if you're in the Philly area, come and join us.

I will occasionally post...I have some pictures and books from August I still want to share.  I'm also way behind in my Google Reader...1000+ posts to read...EEK!  That means I'm behind in reading the reviews and news from all my favorite bloggers. Miss them already. 

But I have to remember that this isn't a "goodbye"...it's more like a "see you later". So enjoy your readings, feel free to leave comments or recommendations on my posts, send me an occasional PM through BookCrossing, and...I'll see you later.