The 48 Hour Book Challenge 2012.

I am super excited about this years challenge.  Mainly because for the first time I am not in school for another week (ya summer classes....not) so I do not have to worry about studying or homework.  Thinking that last weekend was the first weekend in June I was planning on devoting a good chunk of my reading to organic chemistry to study for finals, I took my last final yesterday.  You can now see why I did a happy dance when I found out that the reading challenge is this weekend.  

If I had known about the challenge in May I would have asked off this weekend at my summer job and tried for the whole 48 hours.  

Yet the job is not the only thing that is taking up my time.  I have so many things to do in the coming week, to get ready for the summer classes (which I am referring to as Hell.  You would too if you were taking 3 engineering classes over a 7 week period.).  So along with working, I will be also devoting a significant amount of time to cleaning/organizing the basement and all of my laundry.  While cleaning I will be listening to an audio book, I chose one which is nearly 12 hours long.  

My official start time is going to be noon eastern time.  My goal for this year is 24+ hours.

Happy  reading everyone!

Final Update for the challenge

Today did not go very well.  I did not go to sleep until 5 am this morning though part of that time was finishing one book and starting a new book.  Then when I did get up I was easily distracted, watched a movie with my brother, watched some TV, basically I was avoiding studying.

In the end I read an additional 4 hours and 30 minutes, worked on the blog/social for 30 minutes and listened to a total of 1 hour and 44 minutes of my audio book while I studied.

So my grand total time is: 17 hours and 20 minutes.  Much less then last year but I slept a lot more this year.  Hopefully next year I can get at least 24 hours in but I might be in the same situation with it being the weekend before finals.  Yet, I might be also on co-op only working Monday-Friday and can devote the weekend to reading.....

48 Hour book challenge update 2 (at the 24 hour mark!)

So I really started at 11PM last night.  I just finished reading my chemistry textbook!!!  Now I just have to do a bunch of sample problems, homework due by Monday, and revisiting concepts I didn't quite get the first go around (acids/bases and buffer solutions are my nemsis).

So here is what I have been up to since my last update:

Currently reading Tempterous by Lesley Livingstone
Reading Time: 2:48-3:52 (1:04)
                       5:05-5:15 (:10)
                       7-8:45     (1:45)

                                    Total time: 2:59

Reading Chemistry: 12:57-2:09 (1:18)
                              5:36-6:40   (1:04)
                              9:00-10:19  (1:19)
                               10:23-10:44 (:21)

Total Time: 4:02

Looking at other blogs/Twitter: 2:09-2:33 (:24)
                                               (:15) 

                        Total Time: 0:39

Time Listening to Pirates: 30 mins

Total Time: :30

Total Time from last update: 3:55

Current Grand Total: 12:05

I feel like such a nerd sometimes...So I think I am going to try and finish reading Tempterous tonight and then do my mandatory 5-6 hours of sleep.  Tomorrow plan is to listen to Pirates while solving a variety of problem and possible going to a review session for Calculus.  Oh and read a fiction book when my head wants to explode.

I am a little sad that I only got 12 hours total so far but I know I want to be well rested for my exams, I was hoping to get a solid 36 hours in this year alas it will not happen.

Challenge Update 1

So I sleept a bit longer then I had intended to but here are my stats thus far:

books: Darklight by Lesley Livingstone
Time Log Reading: 11:00-1:30 (2:30)
                              9:35-10:50 (1:15)
Time Reading Chemistry/Mechanics: 0
Time Listening to Pirates: 0
Time Social/blogging: 10 mins (:10)
Total Time:  3 hours 55 minutes

Now I need to go study for a little bit.
 

48 Hour Book Challenge

Its the weekend before finals and I am doing an insane thing and participating in the 48 hour reading challenge.  My books are all picked, will be heading to the store for some snacks.  My start time will be 10 PM tonight and end time will be 10PM Sunday. 

The rules straight forward read as much as you can and you get one audio book (official rules on the link).  However, because it is the weekend before finals and I have to study I have set up a few rules for myself.  I have to get at least 10-12 hours of sleep in this 48 hour period.  Except for tonight for every hour I put into reading I have to do one hour of studying.  During this hour I will be listening to an audio book unless I am actually reading a textbook and I plan on counting that time.

So I am off to the store and then off to reading.....

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Hardcover

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Published: April 9th 2009 by Dutton Juvenile

Paperback

Synopsis from Good Reads: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

Why I picked it up: This book was always on my radar to eventually pick up and read.  What finally got me to read it was I received the ARC for the sequel Where She Went (due out in April of 2011) in the mail.   So of course I had to read If I Stay.

My Thoughts on the Book:
I loved this book!!  My only complaint about the book was it had me crying like a little baby.  In fact just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.

Mia has a huge decision to make as she lays in a coma, to live or to die.  The whole story is told through Mia as she is having an out of body experience.  This allows her to see how extended family,her boyfriend Adam, and her best friend Kim are handling the aftermath of the accident. These moments in the present were the ones that had me bawling and also laughing.  I found great amusement of ways Adam tried to get into the ICU to see Mia. 

As Mia is making her decision she also recalls memories of her family, of her best friend, and how she started dating Adam.  These memories give a strong foundation of the development of the novel and gives glimpses of how Mia might make her ultimate decision. The characters are more fully developed in these glimpses of the past.  


This book is so great a must read!!!  Just be prepared to cry and then want the sequel desperately. 


Link to a great review from NPR

Leviathan vs. Airborn

I just recently finished listening to Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.  While I did end up enjoying the book at the end, I kept thinking about awesomeness which is Airborn by Kenneth Opel.


Brief summery of both books (source Clermont County Library Summary)

Leviathan:  " In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts."

Airborn:  "Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface." And really this summary doesn't do it justice because there is mayhem and pirates also. 


Publish date/length of audiobook:

Leviathan: 2009/ 8 hrs and 20 mins
Airborn: 2004/ 10 hr. 30 min  

Why I listened to them:

Leviathan: I will fully admit that I had no intention to read this book.  I have only read one other book by Scott Westerfeld which was the Uglies and though I enjoyed that book I did not feel the need to continue with the series.  Yet, when I found out that Alan Cumming was doing the narration, my interest was peaked, and I was soon looking into how I was going to get the audio book.   

Airborn: So I listened to this in 2007 and I think I randomly picked up the audio book at the library.  Which ended up being a wonderful accident.


Who does the narration and what I thought:

Leviathan:   As mentioned above Alan Cumming.  I loved Cumming's narration!  I knew he was a great actor and does an excellent job with accents, I was overly impressed with his variety of voices for each character. 
Airborn: Was narrated by David Kelly and accompanied by a full cast.  I generally enjoy full cast audio books and Airborn was no exception.


What I thought of the books and will I pick up the next book(s):

Leviathan: My main complaint about the book was the switching of the narration between the Prince and Deryn.  It drove me nuts!!  I listened to this book while driving and occasionally would tune out and once tuned in again the narrator had switched.  This lead to some mild confusion at points to say the least.  There were many times where I wished the book was told strictly in Deryn's perspective.  I was far more interested in Deryn's story then the Prince's. 
I am still debating if I want to listen to the next book.  I probably will just because of the amazing job that Alan Cumming did. 

Airborn: Loved this story!!  I loved every stinky part of it.  In fact when the next books in the series were released I bought the hardcover and highly enjoyed the sequels.