This is just my plain stand in post.  I'll update with what I've read, my mini-challenges and other such notes as the 24hrs progress!

Book Currently Reading: --
Books Read:
- An Accidental Goddess by Linnea Sinclair

+ Thoughts: I always forget how much Mack makes me fall in love with him in barely a chapter.  Him and Gillie, if I had to choose two fictional people to hang with, are definitely in my top 3.  This never ever gets old to re-read. Also I tend to enjoy different parts on each re-read.  This time I found myself loving Simon to pieces and getting a bit more irritated with Tobias' devotedness.

- Marmalade Boy vols 1-8 by Wataru Yoshimizu

+ Thoughts: I haven't read this series since it originally came out from Tokyo Pop over a decade and more ago.  My tastes since then, in shoujo and manga in general, has veered towards the more thought-provoking and darker (often times more action oriented) series such as Arata (Yuu Watase) or Until Death Do Us Part (Hiroshi Takashige).  This is a pretty basic shoujo set-up that evolves the further you read in, which you notice more on a re-read then initially I think.

- The Superfox by Ava Lovelace

+ Thoughts: Hothlanta.  I think it should be the new tourist spot for hopeful geeks wanting to find their partner in love (though having been to Atlanta...well.)  I read this in Beta and read it again today because I enjoy everything Lovelace (aka Delilah S. Dawson aka She Who Gave the World Criminy Stain) writes and it was a good recharge in between finishing the novel I'm working on.

- Lockstep by Karl Schroeder

+ Thoughts: I surprisingly enjoyed this quite a bit.  At least 3.5 stars worth.  I hadn't read Schroeder before and this was more "hard" scifi then I trend towards, but I'm a sucker for books about siblings having difficult relationships complicated by galactic politics...

- Don't Blackmail the Vampire by Tiffany Allee

+ Thoughts: I gotta admit that at first I didn't wan to view Kristen as anything other than the chick who hurt Alice (from Don't Bite the Bridesmaid) and honestly I've always been the "you get what you deserve" sort of person.  Rachel though, her earnest need to save her sister from a life of misery was palatable  And while Charles is definitely a more easygoing vampire than Noah, I enjoyed his bantering with Rachel throughout.

- My Life at the MBRC by K.M. Shea

+ Thoughts: Quirky, funny and filled with a cast of fun characters this was a definite surprising hit with me.  Honestly this was very much what I expected A Shambling Guide to New York City to be like.  I'm pretty sure anyone who read or watched the series "Earl & Fairy" would really enjoy this book.  Which needs a sequel.  Please.

-

Challenges:


1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
-- South Central NJ, USA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
-- I'm doing this by the seat of my pants so I'm not sure!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
-- Wait we're supposed to eat?!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
-- I take very few things seriously in life. I take my books, I take my video games, and I take my hostessing abilities seriously. Everything else is just fluff.
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?
-- Its been a while because the read-a-thons tend to ALWAYS be during overtime at work weekends. NOT THIS TIME.  Though to be fair since my shoulder is injured and in a lot of pain I wouldn't be doing much working today anyhow.

Mid-Event Survey
1. What are you reading right now?
-- Don't Blackmail the Vampire by Tiffany Allee 'cause I love her works and this one is due out Tuesday!
2. How many books have you read so far?
-- novels: 2 novellas: 1 graphic novels: 8
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
-- Still flying by the seat of my pants!
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
-- Not really.  I was going to leave for a while and come back, but my messed up shoulder is making it hard to breathe never mind move...
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
-- Not really!  One to make lunch, one for a shower, one to make dinner.  In total maybe 90 minutes, so not so bad!
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
-- That I'm not getting more read.  However I kind of understand since it takes me like a minute to turn a page...
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
-- Pfft nope!  
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
-- Maybe have a set plan of attack for reading.  Maybe.  Probably nothing though.
9. Are you getting tired yet?
-- Talking to the chick that needs like 3 hours a night to sleep, I'm dandy.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
-- Spend the rest of the year as an insomniac, trust me it helps.  Also Harney and Sons "Scottish Afternoon" tea works really really well.  Best damn black tea I've had.


1) Which hour was most daunting for you?
-- Hour 24, I apparently fell asleep face first into my tablet (a neat trick since I was laying down with it perched against my raised knees XD)
2) Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
-- Honestly for me I think having a good mix of authors/books you know you enjoy vs. authors/books you haven't read is what kept me engaged.
3) Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
-- nope!
4) What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
-- I like that the cheerleaders had "team" names, it made keeping track of who was rooting for me much easier!
5) How many books did you read?
-- novels - 4, novellas - 1, graphic novels - 8
6) What were the names of the books you read?
-- You can see them above XD
7) Which book did you enjoy most?
-- My Life at the MBRC, it was quite a surprisingly entertaining book!
8) Which did you enjoy least?
-- None! I enjoyed all my books.
9) If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
-- I wasn't one, but I want to thank and appreciate everyone who tweeted and left messages for me!
10) How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
-- Hopefully I can, as I said earlier they tend to fall on weekends when OT is mandatory at work. I got lucky this time.