February 2016 reads

February might be a short month, but I still managed to get a lot of reading accomplished!  I finished 32 books - mostly teen and adult.  

I started listening to books for my committee in February, but haven't completed any yet. I can't share the titles I read for the committee, so those will not be reflected in my monthly total. 

As always, titles in bold have been rated five stars on my Goodreads account.

Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton

Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson

Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley      

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton      

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian

Nuts by Alice Clayton   

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Playing With Fire by Katie MacAlister

Bug in a Vacuum by Mélanie Watt

I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

Happy Birthday, Cupcake! by Terry Border

Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist by Jane Yolen  

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin

Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister          

I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín         

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle

The Old Brown Suitcase: A Teenager's Story of War and Peace by Lillian Boraks-Nemetz 

Oedipus the King by Sophocles

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

How Mirka Caught a Fish by Barry Deutsch        

X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure: A Summersby Tale by Sophie Barnes

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein        

My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

January 2016 reads

In January I managed to read 54 books (19 novels, 29 picture books, and 6 graphic novels).  Not too shabby, if I do say so.  

As usual, the titles in bold are ones I rated 5 stars on my Goodreads account.

Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon      

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

George by Alex Gino

Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles

The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis  

Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs         

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall

Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing by James Rumford

Librarian's Night Before Christmas by David Davis

Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio

Blow Me Down by Katie MacAlister

Goodnight Already! by Jory John

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli

Good Night Yoga: A Pose-By-Pose Bedtime Story by Mariam Gates

Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead

15 Things Not to Do with a Baby by Margaret McAllister

My Tata's Remedies / Los remedios de mi Tata by Roni Ashford

A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske

Little Big by Jonathan Bentley

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea

Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh

Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

Defending Hearts by Shannon Stacey

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU by Cory Silverberg

Under the Lights by Shannon Stacey

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford

Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy by Beatrice Alemagna

Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews

Supertruck by Stephen Savage

Don't Throw It to Mo! by David A. Adler

Without Me by Chelle Bliss

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

The Brands Who Came For Christmas by Maggie Shayne

The Littlest Cowboy by Maggie Shayne

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister

This Is Sadie by Sara O'Leary

The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers

The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks by Sam Maggs

How to Date a Werewolf by Rose Pressey

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North

Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L Holm

December 2015 Reads

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I wasn't able to read as much as I would have liked.  I did finish 17 books in December, for a final yearly toll of 373 books.
  Here's the list of the books I read in November.  As usual, the titles that are in bold are ones I have rated five stars on Goodreads.

Fire Me Up by Katie MacAlister

Bound by Grace by Amber Stockton

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina by Loree Lough     

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book by Diane Muldrow        

Dakota Born by Debbie Macomber  

Bluestone Homecoming by M. J. Fredrick    

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman      

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

Almost a Bride by Patricia McLinn    

Share the Moon by Sharon Struth

Naughty Mabel by Nathan Lane

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

Queen of Diamonds by Barbara Metzger

A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins

Uncover Me by Chelle Bliss

Her Heart's Desire by Ruth Ann Nordin

November 2015 reads

I had a few reading challenges I wanted to finish in November.  Mostly I succeeded, thanks to the 29 books I read that month.  One I finished on the final day! (Those will be in another post)

Here's the list of the books I read in November.  As usual, the titles that are in bold are ones I have rated five stars on Goodreads.

Resist Me by Chelle Bliss

Resisting by Chelle Bliss

Jack of Clubs by Barbara Metzger   

Throttled by Chelle Bliss

Hook Me by Chelle Bliss

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Her Dakota Man by Lisa Mondello

Throttle Me by Chelle Bliss

Wretched Chastity by Carré White

A Mail Order Bride For Charlie by Carré White

Ace of Hearts by Barbara Metzger

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Rudy's Windy Christmas by Helen Baugh

The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney

Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton

Bargaining With a Rake by Julie Johnstone

Fangs for the Memories by Molly Harper

The Single Undead Moms Club by Molly Harper

The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne

If... by Sarah Perry

Brain Camp by Susan Kim

After Alice by Gregory Maguire

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency  by Alexander McCall Smith

Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe

Monster on the Hill by Rob Harrell

A Birthday for Cow! by Jan Thomas

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli

Public Displays of Affection by Susan Donovan

October 2015 Reads

October was a busy month.  The hubby, pups, and I went on vacation to visit my family. I did get some reading accomplished, but not nearly as much as I would have liked.   Then I participated in the Dewey's fall 24-hour Read-a-thon.  That was awesome!  I can hardly wait for April and the next event!

Here's the list of the books I read in October.  As usual, the titles that are in bold are ones I have rated five stars on Goodreads.

The Fairytale Cake by Mark Sperring 
Monster Needs a Party by Paul Czajak 
The Cake That Mack Ate by Rose Robart 
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Joffe Numeroff 
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard 
A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black 
Your Alien by Tammi Sauer 
Little Bird's Bad Word by Jacob In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van 
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 
Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia 
Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King  Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore 
Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan 
Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine 
You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister 
Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook by Anne Vittur Kennedy 
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson 
All-Star Superman, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson 
Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe 
Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill 
Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis by Kelly Sue DeConnick 
Keesha's House by Frost, Helen 
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman  
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 
Paperboy by Vince Vawter 
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh 
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon 
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes 
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard 
A Midsummer Night's Romp by Katie MacAlister 
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

Read-a-thon surveys

There were a couple of surveys during the read-a-thon that I couldn't make into a pretty Instagram post. I posted them on the Ama Reads Facebook page.

From one of the read-a-thin mini-challenges (hour 6):

My top ten readathon notes:

10. Plan ahead. Put books on hold a week or so before the day. Pile then in your reading area. Download books onto your device(s) of choice.

9. Go with the flow. Just because you plan ahead to read certain books doesn't mean you have to read them all. Some you might not be in the mood for that day. Another might come available just in time to read it.

8. Don't be ashamed to claim the day for yourself and your love of reading! They readathon isn't something that appeals to everyone and many won't get it. That's ok. It's about YOU not them.

7. They say variety is the spice of life. Having a variety of reads for the event will add some spice to the day. I have several different genres, formats, and reading levels from which to choose. Keeps me from getting bored!

6. Take a break! Check out other participants' progress, do a challenge or two, rest your eyes, and relax.

5. Be comfy. If you're staying home all day, get into your most comfortable pjs and curl up in your favorite spot. I'm currently sitting in bed with two snuggle pups keeping me company while I read.

4. Keep up your energy with healthy snacks and meals. Yes, I've had cookies and candy today, but I also had a protein rich breakfast to get me started, and I'm looking forward to some apples and peanut butter this afternoon.

3. There's no wrong way to participate in the readathon. Any format is real reading - print books, graphic novels, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines... And reading/interest levels can be whatever you want. I read a picture book this morning and have a couple children's chapter books for this afternoon. It's all good.

2. Take notes and make lists. I love looking back at my list of books read and notes on the challenges I've done. And if you're checking out other readathon participants, you might need to write down other books to read later.

1. Most importantly of all...HAVE FUN!

The challenge was posted here.

Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon Closing Survey

Which hour was most daunting for you?
Hour six or seven was when I wanted to nap. 

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Two from my reads for this event: Rat Queens volume 1 and Furiously Happy. 

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope!

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
Everything. 

How many books did you read?
10

What were the names of the books you read?

• CarryOn
• Furiously Happy
• Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
• Son of No One
• Everything's Eventual
• All-star Superman volume one
• Keesha's House
• Captain Marvel volume three
• Your Own Sylvia
• Rat Queens volume one 

Which book did you enjoy most? 

Furiously Happy 
Which did you enjoy least?
Son of No One. I might abandon it (and return the Audible purchase for credit)

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
VERY likely. Reader if possible. Cheerleader is I work that day.

Fall 2015 Dewey's Read-a-thon

I did it! I did it!  I stayed awake for over 24 hours and read, listened, and discussed books for the majority of that time!  As you can imagine, I spent a good bit of Sunday sleeping.

Some of my stats:

Books read (part or all): 10

Books read start to finish during the read-a-thon: 6

Books finished during the read-a-thon: 7

Books partially read during the read-a-thon: 4

Total pages read (either visually or audibly): Over 1500

The books I read:

• Everything’s Eventual by Stephen King (audiobook, adult horror.  Still listening to this one)
• Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon.  (audiobook, adult fantasy.  Didn’t finish that day and ultimately abandoned)
• All-Star Superman, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison (print graphic novel)
• Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson (ebook adult non-fiction)
• Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe (print graphic novel. Finished about 30 minutes after the read-a-thon ended)
• Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill (print teen non-fiction)
• Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis by Kelly Sue DeConnick (print graphic novel)
• Keesha's House by Frost, Helen (print teen book)
• Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman (print children’s picture book)
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (audiobook.  Started prior, but finished during the read-a-thon)

As you may recall, I had quite the list of books to choose from for the event.  Two of those arrived at my desk on Friday…after I had left my office for another location.  Good thing I had LOTS of other choices!

The date for the next read-a-thon has been announced (April 23, 2016).  I plan to participate, and am considering doing it as a fundraiser for a literacy type non-profit.  There were over 2000 people who participated as readers this time. I can just imagine how many there will be in the spring!

I will post my photo updates from the fall 2015 read-a-thon later this week.  Keep an eye out for them!