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

Bout of Books 25!

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, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th 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 25 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. –From the Bout of Books team

Bout of Books was the first readathon I ever did, so many years ago. I did it on a whim! It’s continued to be my favorite low-stress readathon. And, um, shouldn’t all readathons be low-stress? My goal is to make some progress on the library books I have out. Am I going to finish all these books? Of course not! Will I end up reading something else entirely? Quite possibly. But this is Bout of Books: read one page == “win.”

TBR

Scheduled Reading

Plus short stories!

Library Books

Finished!

DNF for now.

Progress

Challenges

Thursday: If you like that, try this!

Thursday Challenge:
If you liked All the Crooked Saints
by Maggie Stiefvater, try The Hermit
by Monica Friedman. 🌵https://t.co/HfvVkLgznF#boutofbooks

— Katherine Nabity (@Katen) May 16, 2019

Wednesday: Book plot emoji

Book Plot Emoji Challenge:
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

🌳🌳🦄🌳🌳🦋🏞🏞🧙‍♀️☠️🏞🌳🧙👧🏞🔴🐂🔥🧙🦄➡️👸🏰👑🤴💀🕰🔴🐂🔥🧙👸➡️🦄🌊🌊🦄🌊🦄🦄🦄#boutofbooks

— Katherine Nabity (@Katen) May 15, 2019

Tuesday: Bookish favorites

Bookish Favorites:
🦄The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
💌84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
👻The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson#boutofbooks pic.twitter.com/tVcvLKK7zg

— Katherine Nabity (@Katen) May 15, 2019

Monday: Introduce Yourself #insixwords

✍️Writer
📖Reader
🥏Ultimate Frisbee
🎩Magic History#boutofbooks #insixwords

— Katherine Nabity (@Katen) May 13, 2019

📚 #BoutOfBooks 23 📚

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 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I know that here in Tempe summer doesn’t really end until, well, at least the equinox, but September is sort of a watershed. School has started, candy corn is on the shelves, and fall reading has begun. BUT THAT’S STILL TWO WEEKS AWAY!!! Hopefully, Bout of Books will distract me for one of those weeks.

TBR

• The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger – Starting at about 50%
• …Memoirs and Confessions of a Stage Magician by Donald Brandon & Joyce Brandon
• The White Castle by Orhan Pamuk, Victoria Rowe Holbrook (Translator)

These are the three books I’d like to finish by the end of August. I’m shooting to finish the in-progress and get a few chapters into the others. I also have a couple short stories on the slate: “Initial Profit” by Bruce Davis and “The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge” by Arthur Conan Doyle.