48 Hour Book Challenge – check in

Well, it’s been 15 hours since I started the 48 Hour Book Challenge, and I’ve managed to spend most of the time sleeping.  Here’s what I’ve accomplished so far:

8-8:20 pm – finished reading Hester Among the Ruins, by Binnie Kirshenbaum, which I’d started reading a while ago.  I’m still trying to figure out what made the story so compelling, but I can’t put my finger on it.  Not a lot of plot, but fascinating (sometimes unlikeable) characters.

8:25-8:50 pm – started listening to the audio version of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, by Katherine Howe, so that I could multitask.  I’ve been listening to another audio book in the car – The Islands of the Blessed – but didn’t feel like going out to fetch it.  I have bad luck trying to remember to bring CDs back and forth from house to car.  While I listened, I did the prep work for two batches of sherbet – lemon and mocha.

9:20-9:35 and 9:45-10 pm – continued listening to Deliverance Dane, with social time and phone calls in the gaps.

10:15-11:15 pm – switched to reading Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George, then went to bed.

8:10-9:20 am – resumed listening to Deliverance Dane while eating breakfast and having my morning coffee.  I finished the second disc and am getting into the story – the historian character just started exploring her grandmother’s ancient, crumbly house and I’m curious to see where things go.  The story takes itself fairly seriously, but it’s nicely atmospheric so I can forgive it for that.  Chock-full of sensory details.

9:20-10:55 am – finished reading Princess – a nicely satisfying fairy tale retelling that combined my favorite parts of the Dancing Princesses story with a dark backstory that made the whole thing make sense.

10:55-11:20 – checking in here.  Not sure if I want to write full reviews as I go, or just plow along with the reading.  Time to choose my next book!  After a brief break for things like brushing my teeth and getting dressed.

Hours of reading/checking in: 5 hours, 25 minutes.

48 Hour Book Challenge

So, I’ve seen other bloggers participate in the 48 Hour Reading Challenge (hosted by Mother Reader) but for some reason I’ve never managed to join in.  I’d be working, or have school projects due, or just forget about it.  So this year I’m going to see how much reading I can get done, leaving time for sleep, food, a outing to the ballet, church, and perhaps a bbq or two in there.  In other words, I’m not going to devote every waking moment to it.  So why do I feel like I’m standing on the starting line and have to start cramming in books as soon as 8 pm (my chosen starting time) rolls around?

At any rate, I’ll do my 48 hours from 8 pm Friday to 8 pm Sunday (Pacific).  Time to go organize my to-read pile!

It’s not too late to join in – follow the link at the top of this post for the rules & instructions.  Or just, you know, squeeze in an extra book sometime.