The 48 Hour Book Challenge – Hour 48 Report

Posted on 2013/06/09 by Tonette dela Luna

THE BOO YAY EDITION

Two days of my life. Two days I shall never get back. However, these were two days I dove without a parachute into various worlds and interacted, nay, deliciously stalked some very intriguing and sometimes detestable people. Sure they were all made up and as a PSA, don’t ever go without a parachute (though I think you’re safe in the deep end of a pool), but it was an interesting experience.

First, the deets:

Hours Read (since 11pm): 2.00ish (running total: 28.50 hours)

Admittedly, I slept through an alarm I forgot to set.

Hours Blogged (since 11pm): 2.00 (running total: 5.00 hours)

When I’d all but given up on my vision, I decided to mock myself by trying to commiserate with fellow masochists on their reading quests and went blog/tweet hopping.

Pages Read Total: 2,200 or thereabouts

Stopped counting after a revelation this morning. More on that after the jump.

*NOTE: There is no jump, but I see that on websites all the time and felt like saying it here. Oooh, maybe the NOTE is the jump. JUMPCEPTION.

Hours Written (since 11pm): 1.50 (running total since challenge started: 10.00) I have workshop assignments that fit nicely with my current Fractured Fairytale Series. so I figured with all those birds in the air, and again, I have no ill-will towards any winged creature, who needs a stone when you can throw a boulder? Okay, a smallish rock, but whatever.

Total Hours Logged for #48HBC: 33.50 hours

Not gonna lie. I used my onboard calculator to add those two running totals up. It’s a good thing, too. My muddled brain insisted it was 32.50 hours. Go figure.

My take away from this event:

The physical, mental, and emotional drain: BOO.

I can read text again without having to squint and/or widen my eyeball flappers: YAY.

I saw a dip in my daily word counts for JuNoWriMo and Kiwi Writers SocNoC: BOO.

I anticipated that, got over it, and discovered so many great books. YAY.

I discovered so many great books… that are to be added to the endless TBR list at which I painstakingly chip away: BOO.

Endless TBR list? Challenge accepted: YAY.

I thought I’d have a mental reprieve before the next reading challenge 30 Books in 90 Days starts on June 23rd, but the writing challenge 25,000 Words in 7 Days starts tomorrow: BOO.

Seriously? I’m chuffed about my Fractured Fairytale Series and need to up those word counts anyway. Hello boulder: YAY.

I learned that I don’t qualify for prizes for #48HBC because I’m Canadian: BOO.

That came out wrong, but you know how self-deprecating us Northerners can be. Still, the prize of reading (sounds lame, really isn’t) and getting together with other like minds to share in the joy of storytelling? That’s a YAY and a double rainbow in my book.

So, I didn’t get to read much anymore today. I was actually part of “The Quest for the Missing Bowling Shoes.” While that could be a one-act play, it’s actually a pair of missing hoof covers that my brother needs for his birthday bowling party later today. The search continues, but lucky me, I got to rest my eyes by trekking through dusty storage. I think I’ve maimed my tear ducts enough this weekend. Especially with all the feels in emotional passages, I’ve had to put a stopper in my ocular saline drip on several occasions already.

In summary, June has been kind to me, thus far. So many writing and reading challenges available. But I might not have been as kind because I continue to join each one I come across. Meh, I relish in the masochism, laugh in the face of deadlines–and weep every now and then at progress as much as stumbling blocks. Rinse and repeat. Such is the writer’s life.

I hope everyone enjoyed–yes, in spite of this mishmash post, I quite enjoyed myself, thank you very much–reading up on great books for the last two days. I don’t want them back. I want more.

Here’s to books, the cheapest way to travel–time or destination–and the easiest way to meet the zaniest people in this world and beyond.

Happy reading, everyone!

The 48 Hour Book Challenge – Hour 36 Report

Posted on 2013/06/08 by Tonette dela Luna

Good grief.

Books are work. No truer words coming from a writer! 🙂

Thank goodness for the audiobook option. Multitasking never sounded so good as I spent over eight hours diving into the world of Harry Potter as told by the wonderful Stephen Fry. Awesometastic way to get through the tasks of the day.

I’m tired. Can’t process. Twelve hours to go. Must go on!!!

Hours Read (since 11am): 10.25 (running total: 26.50 hours)

Hours Blogged (since 11am: 1.00 (running total: 3.00 hours)

Pages Read Total: 2,040 (Hope I did that right. I looked numbers up on Goodreads or Amazon for all the digital stuff).

Hours Written (since 11am): 4.50 (running total since challenge started: 8.50) This doesn’t count towards any #48HBC goals but I needed to continue my existing writing challenges so it helped that Mr. Fry was there to ‘read’ to me while I got to work.

Total Hours Logged for #48HBC so far: 29.50 hours

My brain hurts. My eyes hurt. My limbs hurt. Not sure if this post makes a lick of sense, I’m so tired. But I’ve been having the most amazing dreams. Works best when you read well into the night and fall asleep with the ereader or actual book on your face. True story.

Tomorrow, I think I’m going to cave and read a graphic novel. I miss pictures. Pretty, pretty–or sometimes gory, horrifying why the frak am I see these–pictures. A graphic novel might be just the thing to help me in the home stretch. I think tonight I’ll dream of words. Just words on a page swimming and attacking each other. Hmm. I think I can turn that into a story… be back later.

The 48 Hour Book Challenge – Hour 24 Report

Posted on 2013/06/08 by Tonette dela Luna

Tell me I’m not the only one that’s seeing words swim across the page and/or ereader. I’m not? Good.

Twenty four have gone by, half of them devoted to TKT, a thirdish to all words written and read by me, and that last bit, caught in the ether. I’ve lost track, to be honest. I barely remembered to check in now! I suppose that’s the joy of diving into a good book. You lose track of time. The world around you falls away and the only one that exists are on the pages before you. That is such a lovely thing to aspire to you as a writer, don’t you think?

Alrighty. DOUBLE VISION by F.T. Bradley. I could totally be friends with Linc. Also, I feel bad for Mrs. Valdez because I have a soft spot for teachers. I love the connection/concern she has with her students, even the ones that don’t believe they have potential themselves, like Linc. I have a thing for secondary characters. And I like how they get to shine.

My line up wasn’t in any particular order. I decided that due to previous emotional reactions from books, (UGH, all the feels and tears and outrage), I might want to keep the reading less emotionally draining, that way I can get through the weekend without shedding a tear (I hope) and chug along. So since the wee hours without the wee ones, I dove into GEORGETOWN ACADEMY, SEASON ONE by Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz and CINDER by Marissa Meyer.

Hours Read: 9.50 (running total: 16.25 hours)

Hours Blogged: 1.00 (running total: 2.00 hours)

Hours Written: 0.00, so far. Blerg. Must get on that.

Total Hours Logged for #48HBC so far: 18.25 hours

I hope everyone is enjoying the worlds they’ve traveled to thus far!

The 48 Hour Book Challenge – Hour 12 Report

Posted on 2013/06/07 by Tonette dela Luna

Progress report as we near the eleventh hour (on the clock, but twelve hours since I began):

Hours Read: 7.75 hours

Blogged: 1.00 hour

Written: 4.00 hours (early start for JuNoWriMo and Kiwi Writers SocNoC in anticipation of today’s events)

DOUBLE VISION by F.T. Bradley is a quick read. And I’m reading as quick as I can with one eye on the 19 month-old, the other on the 3 1/2 year-old… wait. I only have the two. Eyes, that is. The kids are so speedy, they blur past me sometimes. Yeah, so I appreciated the fast pace and short chapters. I barely got through one when I’d have to put the book down to help one of them with something. I have no problem shunning my own daily sustenance (and I’ve done that before when I did back-to-back writing sprints). I suppose it would be a faux pas in my Godmother/Aunt duties if I neglected to feed and care for The Keysmashing Tots (TKT) throughout the day.

Two things I’ve learned so far:

1) I really like this book.

2) I really need to take a speedreading course. When I see #48HBC updates, I’m in awe. People are nearing double digits on their books today alone. Others are reading in excess of 100 pages in under an hour or like our fearless leader–TWENTY books today? Please teach me the Ninjaness of it all.

Tomorrow I am sans TKT. I shall forge ahead and actually try and make a dent in my TBR list. Come on, Tonette, you barely gave it a ding!

That said, I did finish other books, as well, that were not a part of my line-up. All progress is good, yes? 🙂

I shall continue through the night and into the wee hours. I can cram a boatload before having to return to my beloved TKT Sunday.

The 48 Hour Book Challenge – Hour 01 Is Nigh

Posted on 2013/06/07 by Tonette dela Luna

Starting this shindig off at 1100 unless there’s an aPOOcalypse. First book DOUBLE VISION by F.T. Bradley. I’ll post more later today, including a line-up of hopefuls on my TBR.

Check back later. 🙂

EDITED: 1159

My morning session was halted by a literal stink bomb. I have recovered and have a tentative line up for this challenge as well as my overall reading list for the next little while. I’ll do the usual simultaneous read, especially if the emotions get the better of me and I need a change of literary scenery.