Bout of Books 35

It’s mid-August and I’ve come down with a Bout of Books! What’s Bout of Books? Glad you asked:

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 15th and runs through Sunday, August 21st in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 35 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I’d like to read about 500 pages this week and I plan on making it to one of the chats. I’ve been in a little bit of a reading slump, but I’ve at least managed to cobble together a reading list for BoB and the rest of August.

I had started reading The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr late last week when Alex Jennings’ The Ballad of Perilous Graves came off hold. I’m also a short story behind on Deal Me In, so it doubtful I’ll get to it this week, but I’d like to reread Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie after I finish those two.

Bout of Books 34

I didn’t get to fully participate in Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon (I was off winning a spring league championship), but never fear, Bout of Books is here! My goal is to read 600 pages this week and make it to one of the chats.

My TBR

• Finish Bloodlines by Janet Campbell Hale – This has been my morning reading. I have less than 100 pages left.
• Dracula by Bram Stoker – I’m following along via Dracula Daily, but reading from this phone book-sized annotated version.
• Sundial by Catriona Ward – Ladies of Horror’s May selection, which just happen to come odd library hold last night.
• The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles G. Finney – Maybe.

Progress

Bout of Books 33

Bout of Books

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 3rd and runs through Sunday, January 9th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 33 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

It’s Bout of Books! What a great way to start the year! My goal is read about 600 pages and get to one of the Twitter chats.

I plan on finishing In Our Own Worlds, which is an anthology of four novellas. I started the third, A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson, last night. Then on to Beowulf or Moby Dick, neither of which will help my backlog, but I’ve been itching to reread both. My morning “craft” reading is On the Art of Writing by Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, so a chapter of that every morning and a short story a day from Masterpieces of Terror and the Unknown.

I seem to be doing updates on Twitter ⇾ @katen

Bout of Books 31

I’ve gotten my COVID vaccination so the only thing I’m coming down with is a Bout of Books!*

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 10th and runs through Sunday, May 16th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 31 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

Goals

I haven’t set goals for Bout of Books in a while, but I want to this time. I’d like to:

• Make it to at least one of the Twitter chats. Monday’s is a prime target.
  ✅ Took part in Monday’s Tweet-chat! We’ll see is I make it up in time for Saturday’s.
• Take part in some of the reading in place/sprints. Especially around Thursday/Friday when my enthusiasm flags.
  😬 Alas, I ended up being pretty hermit-y this week.
• Read 700 pages. That’s a pretty ambitious goal for me, a terribly slow reader.
  ⭕ Monday: weekly total was at 88 pages, so I’m a smidge behind. But remember, there is no failing Bout of Books!
  ⭕ Wednesday: At 279 pages read, I’m still a bit behind. Just kinda flailing along this week.
  👍‍‍ End of Event: 648 pages, which isn’t bad!

TBR

• A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark – Already in progress and I intend to finish by Thursday to review it. So far, I’m in love like I knew I would be.
• Mosses from an Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne – My Classics Club book for May. A few of the stories will be rereads, but I’m actually looking forward to that.
• Books of Blood by Clive Barker – Yes, still chipping away at Barker.
• Plus my “regular” reading: a daily chapter of God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert, some pages of Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg, and Deal Me In short stories (of which I am currently behind).

Progress

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*Seriously, if you’re eligible and haven’t yet, get vaccinated. It’s safe; you protect you and you protect your community!

Reading Notes, 1/4/21 : BoB sign-up!

Bout of Books 30

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 30 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

It’s Bout of Books time! I’m excited to get in on some low-stress readathons for the beginning of the year.

TBR for the Week

• Edgar Huntly, or Memoirs of a sleep-walker by Charles Brockden Brown: I’m over halfway through this very odd Gothic(?) novel that I’m reading for Classics Club. It’s a boring book, but I’m continuing through sheer morbid curiosity.
• Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman: Over halfway through this too. Been listening to it while doing “chores” on Minecraft. Gaiman reading it is the way to go.
• Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese: A recommendation by the Phoenix Public Library.
• Also, a couple of short stories!

Bout of Books 28

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are daily challenges, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For Bout of Books 28 information and updates, visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

It’s time for Bout of Books! And I’ve gotten my reading mojo back (maybe). Yay! I’m setting a page goal this time around. I read ~550 pages this past week, which is a pretty good for me, so I’m going to shoot for 700 pages during BoB.

TBR

Lots of stuff in progress:

Plus, short stories! And maybe some audio book or a graphic novel or something.

Check-Ins!

Friday & Saturday

Pages Read: Over the two days… 109. I’m not back in my reading slump, but this week hasn’t yet been as bang-up as I hoped it might be. But still a good work thus far!

Thursday

Pages Read: 41. Was suffering from an idea hangover after yesterday’s nonsense.

Wednesday

Pages Read: 140! I went down a weird Lovecraft hole yesterday, which also led me to rewatching Hellboy (2004). I read:

• “Weird or What?” by David Punter
• “M.R. James and the Quantum Vampire” by China Miéville
• “The Sea Raiders” by H. G. Wells
• “From Lovecraft to Hellboy” by Valentino Paccosi
• Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom by by Bruce Brown,
  Renzo Podestá – graphic novel

Challenge:

 

Books I want to see as TV/Movie:
They keep trying to make a D&D movie, but overlook Paul Kidd's Greyhawk books.

Grumpy ranger? ✅
Sentient hell hound pelt? ✅
Fabulous fairy sorcerer? ✅
Best adventure ever? ✅ https://t.co/j27RzK9mqq#boutofbooks

— Katherine Nabity 🌻 (@Katen) May 14, 2020

Bout of Books 26

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 26 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I need to finish up some formatting work, but then I’m calling in “sick.”

TBR

I need to catch up on The Count of Monte Cristo and Moby-Dick readalongs. Then finish Guilt is a Ghost by Tim Prasil. By the end of the week, I hope have started The Zombie Ball by John Gaspard. Plus short stories:

• “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allan Poe – Finished!
• “A Defender of Faith” by John D. Barry – Finished!
• “Tim’s Vacation” by L. E. Shattuck – Finished!
• “Wet Horses” by Alice MacGowan – Finished!
• A story for Deal Me In

Updates & Challenges

Sunday:

• The Count of Monte Cristo, ch. 109
• The Zombie Ball by John Gaspard, ch. 4-5

To catch-up with a couple #boutOfBooks challenges: If you like ghosts and female detective duos set in the early 1900s, try Guilt is a Ghost by Tim Prasil. (And I have a review of it too!) https://t.co/W6xQugLKcz pic.twitter.com/BBIR8o8eJf

— Katherine Nabity 🌻 (@Katen) August 25, 2019