24 Hour Readathon: Finish Line & Giveaway Reminder

Last night I ended up staying up until close to 2am.  By that point though, I can't say that it was that productive!  Here are my wrap-up stats.

Number of books read since you started:  2 (but they were manga) & a bunch of pages in a bunch of other books.
Running total of pages read since you started:  About 520? 
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 6
Mini-challenges completed:  Still just the 1 that didn't get posted during the insanity yesterday.
Other participants you’ve visited:  Not sure?  I bounced around a little.


After some sleep, I'm feeling better about all the interruptions to my Read-a-thon this time around.  Life happens!  :)  I actually think I'll be doing a bit of reading today, mixed with a giant stack of papers to grade as we head toward our end of term at the end of October.  Today, I'll be taking it easy though and enjoying my Sunday!

Just as a quick reminder though, don't forget to sign up to win one of two free copies of Sharon Lathan's newest novel, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, which came out at the beginning of the month!   The giveaway closes tonight at midnight so there is still time to join in the giveaway!

24 Hour Readathon: Post Freak Out Reading Update

Well, I am back to close down shop in a sense.  I probably will be too out of it later to stop back to post.  My reading stats aren't stellar, but I tried, given my circumstances today. 

Number of books read since you started:  2 (but they were manga) & a bunch of pages in a bunch of other books.
Running total of pages read since you started:  400+??? 
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 4 1/2--I'm not judging it though.
Mini-challenges completed:  1 that I couldn't post because it expired, thanks to supposed carbon monoxide that was going to kill me.  :)
Other participants you’ve visited:  10+???  I bounced around a little.


I won't lie.  I feel pretty deflated about  my participation this time around.  Yes, I struggled to get going earlier, but was really thrown off track by the whole fire department bit.  It's a funny story though.  My apologies to everyone and a big thank you to so many great people who have been cheering for me and everyone else!  Also, the organizers have been fantastic, as always.  Thanks for giving us this chance! 


Well, I'm off to read until my eyes shut for the night.  I think a little Harry Potter just might help ease my sadness at the fail that was my readathon this time around! 

24 Hour Readathon: Update #1 & a HUGE Interruption

Title of book(s) read since last update:  None...yet.  Can you believe that?
Pages read since last update:  100+ ??? 
Amount of time spent reading since last update:  2 1/2 hours
Mini-challenges completed: 1--"Love to Hate"
Other participants you’ve visited:  None...yet.  Sad, I know!
Prize you’ve won:  0

I know I sound pretty pathetic so far!  I actually had a really slow start, as I seemed to not be able to really settle in right at the beginning.  Since I got a late start, and was struggling to get into my reading, I packed up my library stack and headed off to the library where I had a couple of books waiting for me.  That took me FOREVER thanks to a slew of construction we have between my house and the library.  Literally every street between my house and the library is down to one lane, filled with orange barrels, lights were blinking, and heavy trucks were dodging in and out of the construction.  To be honest, I have whittled down my trips to the library to Saturdays only, since getting around is much worse during the work week.  Anyway, I did THANKFULLY get into my audio book, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine.  I grabbed a salad on my way home, and am back to really focus!

Since getting home, I popped in the audio book because I can't quite give it up.  I've cleaned my house from top to bottom as I've listened and am now ready to settle into a nice chair in my room and read for the next three hours!  At least my house is clean now and I've exhausted myself into the ability to settle down and read.  :)

UPDATE:  So, in the middle of this post, my fire/CO2 alarm started going off.  To make a long story short,  I had to call the fire department.  Big red truck with flashing lights pulled up.  No carbon monoxide, just change the battery.  Yes, I thought I was stupid.  Changed battery.  Still kept going off.  I looked it up online, tried everything known to mankind.  Nothing. Called builder.  He said call electrician, who said, "Pull it off the wall.  Sounds like you have a defective alarm."  Does it sound like I'm having a good Read-a-thon?  A stalled start, fire department visit, tears over a squealing alarm that was bothering me and my neighbors, and half a post that was written that I had to bag because the meme was over.  *sigh*  I'm calming down.

I think I'll keep going with the Read-a-thon casually, but I'm a bit flustered right now, as well as feeling pretty defeated.  All is well though.  I will try to come back and be supportive.  Sorry, but my parade was rained on today.  At least it didn't happen in the middle of the night! 

I couldn't help but think of that hilarious scene from Friends where Phoebe's fire alarm kept going off no matter what she did.  I tried to embed it here from YouTube but they are all disarmed.  Here is the link if you want a good laugh.  At least it's a universal frustration we can laugh about!

24 Hour Readathon: The Start

Yay!  Today I get started on Dewey's bi-annual Read-a-thon!  Yes, I'm off to a late start, but after a LONG work week I knew there was no way I'd be able to pull my eyes open and succeed in keeping them open if I didn't get some sleep first.  I'm here though and ready to start.  Just a few stats and thoughts before I head off to read.

1.  I rechecked the sign up sheet, and I was #40 on the original list.
2.  Last year I read for 11 hours, which doesn't sound stellar even to me, so I'm going to at least try to reach 12!
3.  Last year I read 3 books.  This year I'd like to read 4. 

See, nothing big, but I am going to push myself a little.  Now for the starting meme hosted by Dewey's Read-a-thon:

Where are you reading from today?  I'll be reading from home.  I know I'll be switching locations though, and at one point I have to run to the library, so I'll be listening to a book in the car!  :)
3 facts about me …  1)  Yesterday was my b-day and I, admittedly, planned my participation as a "day after" present to myself!  2)  I teach high school English in Utah, but my mom lives in Hawaii, where I spend my time off.  AND   3)  I'm a HUGE Kansas Jayhawk basketball fan.  In fact, I worry about annoying people during March Madness.
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?  Over 30.  Yep, I tried to narrow it down, but gave up.  I decided to just draw from my shelves for today, which is a combination of library books, Advanced Review Copies, books I've won, and books I've purchased and been waiting to read.
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?  I try to keep my goals modest, as I'm sure sleep will rule out at some point, so I'm just going to try to best my last Read-a-thon goals and read 4 books and 800+ pages today!  I'm kind of excited!  :)
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?  Don't get overwhelmed with how much others are reading.  Enough said.  I stay up as long as I can, but I don't kill myself off trying to stay up the entire 24 hours.  Since I want this to be a fun experience, I just put into it what I can and enjoy all the company I know I have out there who are reading with me! 

 All right.  I'm off to go grab my book and start reading.  I'm also going to simultaneously be fixing my breakfast!

Just a quick note.  I won't be posting every hour, but planned on posting every three so that I could keep on a roll with my reading.  I might be back in from time to time though for a challenge!  If you're reading today as well, then happy reading.

Review: Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson

I'm not quite sure where this week has gone, but here it is nearing the end.  I've had little to no time nor interest in reading since Monday, which is crazy, but I think will prepare me well for the 24 Hour Read-a-Thon coming up on Saturday.  If you haven't yet signed up to join in, you can follow the link above to find out additional information. 

This summer I was approached about reading a Jane Austen mashup for her famous novel Emma.  Although I haven't yet read a paranormal version of her novels, I will admit to being somewhat curious, so I agreed to read and review Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson.  Honestly, it has me chuckling from time to time and can say that it wasn't as painful as I'd expected!  It was a funny diversion.

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "In this hilarious retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, screenwriter Wayne Josephson casts Mr. Knightley as one of the most handsome and noble of the gentlemen village vampires. Blithely unaware of their presence, Emma, who imagines she has a special gift for matchmaking, attempts to arrange the affairs of her social circle with delightfully disastrous results. But when her dear friend Harriet Smith declares her love for Mr. Knightley, Emma realizes she's the one who wants to stay up all night with him. Fortunately, Mr. Knightley has been hiding a secret deep within his unbeating heart-his (literal) undying love for her."

Review:  Although some readers have found any retelling of Austen's novels blasphemous, I have to say that I found Emma and the Vampires to be pretty funny.  Much of the story is almost an exact copy of Austen's original, with the addition of vampires that stumble from the bushes to attack unaware humans at the end of a social occasion.  It quickly becomes obvious though that Emma can handle herself and easily uses the wooden stake tied to her leg at all times to eliminate her undead attackers.  

Many of our well-known characters from the novel are also undead, but have somehow learned to rely on animals and other food sources than humans (unless it is their own spouse).  Mr. Knightley, for one, is part of the undead, yet remains civilized and ready to stand up for the highest comportment of his society.  In some ways, these vampire battles and undead characters take little away from the original tale, but rather, add a bit of humor.  I found myself giggling at scenes where the undead were inserted in a casual conversation.  It just seemed a little funny.  In the end though, I didn't think that anything was taken away from the story, even though the majority of the plot was created and driven by Jane Austen's own imagination, only fueled by a little of the undead.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a copy of the novel provided by the publisher.  No monies were exchanged or received in relation to this post.

What mashups have you read and did you enjoy the humor that the paranormal element added to the story?

The W's of Reading: What's the Best Reading Weather?

Today the rain rolled in and the leaves were sticking to the wet pavement.  Who knew that they would bring such a smile to my face, but all of a sudden I felt the weight of work and bills lift for a moment to really see what was in front of me.  The other thing I find that I always want to do is to grab a nice, snugly blanket and read a few good books. 

I don't want to discount the fun times to be had reading on a beach, from a back porch swing, or even while out for a walk, but fall and winter just seem to be so much more conducive to long stretches of reading.  Who feels pressure to go outside when the weather is bad?  I know I don't. 

Here is to a beautiful fall ahead and a warm holiday season to boot!  I'm looking forward to:

--Snuggling down in the rain to joining in on Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon this Saturday.  I have a huge stack of books, so I look forward to diving into them.
--Decorating a little for the upcoming holidays, because isn't that the joy of owning your own home?!?
--Finding a book or two that takes place over the holidays.  It's fun reading about the holidays in a story and it can add so much to the season.
--Re-watching some of my favorite shows.  I love films like When Harry Met Sally, While You Were Sleeping, and even holiday episodes from Friends. 

I know this is a short list, but I'm leaving myself open to fun, relaxing times this season. Who would think I would say it, but I say bring on the rain and snow!

What do you most like about the fall and do you find yourself reading more?

Review & Giveaway: In the Arms of Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan

I want to thank Sharon Lathan again for stopping by to guest post on my blog.  Sometimes I think of myself as pretty skeptical about real love, even though I'm ever hopeful.  For some length of time, I have determined that, like Lizzy, "Only the truest, deepest love would ever tempt [me] into marriage" (Pride and Prejudice).  Ideally that sounds wonderful, but put to test in the real world can seem impossible!  To put it simply, true love and affection seem pretty far off, but may be not quite so in Lathan's beautifully crafted novels of one of our most beloved couples, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Synopsis:  In this fourth installment, Darcy and Elizabeth are as besotted with one another as ever, and happily enjoying the gift that is their first child.  Their "felicity in marriage" is obvious to all that associate with them, as we see in the opening scenes at Christmastime at Pemberley with family and friends gathered round.  Although the Darcys have been married for about year, and there is much for the young couple to be involved, various other characters come to play a role in the story.  Georgiana Darcy is of age to step out into society, as is Elizabeth's younger sister Kitty.  Under the guidance and watchful eye of Uncle George Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, both young women learn about courtship, hoping to establish a relationship that is anything the likes of Elizabeth and Darcy.  All is not lost though to our most famous couple, as much happens for them to keep them busy and happily in love with their lives together.

Review:  Having read many different takeoffs and mash ups of Austen's novels, I continue to hold Lathan's at the top of the list.  There is something so fanciful and romantic about Sharon Lathan's depiction of Darcy and Elizabeth that I can't quite get enough!  I was happy to see that in this installment the couple have really settled into their roles as man and wife, and are letting go of previous insecurities they might have had previously.  While they have settled into their lives together, their passion and love for one another have only deepened. Yes, we are privy to their passionate relationship as it continues to unfold, but it is done in a beautifully mature sort of way.  Let's be honest here, who wouldn't want to continue to have a passionate relationship with the love of one's life?  If one is willing to suspend a certain belief that this iconic couple have been cemented into the pages of Austen's novel, then these books will allow the couple to live and breathe on into a beautiful, complicated and lovely future.

Although the story mainly centers on Darcy and Elizabeth, we learn much more about the people in their lives, such as their single sisters and friends.  Caroline Bingley makes an appearance in this installment and strikes out to find a match for herself.  Honestly, I wanted to hear more about her search for love, not enough to fill chapters at a time, but was genuinely interested in her struggles enough so that a few more mentions of her would have been well received.  I also was surprised at how much I wanted to read on about Darcy's sister Georgiana and Elizabeth's sister Kitty.  Usually I'm annoyed when a writer takes away from our main characters, but I didn't feel this at all in this novel, partly because our time with them is so judiciously spent.  I will say though that considering the turmoil that poor Georgiana experiences at the end of this installment, I have a feeling that more is to come for this sweet character. 

As with each of Lathan's previous novels, the language and style of her writing has a melodic charm to it that carries you through each line and chapter.  The sweetness of the writing adds depth to the story and leaves you wanting to escape into it more.  There are still the characteristic meanderings, journeys, and felicitous lounging to please any lover of Regency style and romance.  This happy, romantic couple is at no loss of love or happiness in the novel to keep any reader sighing along with them.

Thanks to Sourcebooks, who provided me with this copy of the novel.  In celebration of the release of In the Arms of Mr. Darcy on the 1st, they have offered two copies for giveaway here on One Literature Nut!  If you would like to win a copy of Lathan's newest release, just fill in the form below.  (US & Canada Only) The drawing will close on Sunday, October 10th at midnight!  Good luck!