Bout of Books 9.0 Final Update

So, it's the last day of Bout of Books 9.0 and I think in terms of anything but reading it's a complete and utter fail... Internet is flicking off and on, it came on again about ten minutes ago which is helpful as I'm leaving the house in twenty minutes!

Sunday

Number of pages read today - 436
Number of books read today - 1
Number of books read in total - 7
Books read -
Monster High
Constable & Toop
Last Kiss Goodnight
Isabel's Skin
Night School: Fracture
Sea of Ghosts
A Face Like Glass

Bout of Books Day 6 Update

Only one more day to go and I don't think there's any way I'm going to meet any of my goals that didn't involve reading :( The internet is still playing up, I started this post yesterday just in case I needed to finish it on my Kindle Fire where I still haven't learnt how to put pictures into a post! Almost complete lack of internet has allowed for plenty of quality reading time, I managed to finish another book today and start a seventh. I'm travelling tomorrow so will have a few hours to read and hopefully reach my goal of finishing seven books in seven days.

Saturday

Number of pages I've read today: 450
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 6
Monster High - Lisi Harrison
Constable & Toop - Gareth P Jones
Last Kiss Goodnight - Gena Showalter
Isabel's Skin - Peter Benson
Night School: Fracture - C J Daugherty
Sea of Ghosts - Alan Campbell

Bout of Books 9.0 - Day 5 Update

Five days down, two to go and my participation in Bout of Books is utter FAIL! I've kept up with my reading but thanks to a completely useless Internet connection which has been off longer than it's been on over the last three days I've been unable to do anything socially which makes me sad :( My provider have said there's no fault on the line but this has taken nearly four hours to write and post.

Friday

Number of pages I've read today: 400
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 5
Monster High - Lisi Harrison
Constable & Toop - Gareth P Jones
Last Kiss Goodnight - Gena Showalter
Isabel's Skin - Peter Benson
Night School: Fracture - C J Daugherty

Challenges

Create A Story hosted by Never Too Fond Of Books

1. Open your current book to the last page you read.
2. Using the last word of every line, create a poem or story. You must use every word (but they do not have to be in order), and you may add punctuation as necessary. If a word is split between the end of the line and the beginning of the next one, you may choose whether or not to use it.
3. Create a post (or tweet or video) that showcases your masterpiece. If you don’t have anywhere else to post it, you can add it as a comment here and use the comment link as your entry.

I just started Sea of Ghosts by Alan Campbell.

its, had, nagir, noise, nothing, me, of, addiction, behind, breath, burned, gloom, taste, said, dragon, it, open, the, mouth, pounced, blew, meat, to, boot, men, his, and, head.

Men said its addiction to meat blew breath and burned nothing behind me.
The head dragon pounced, gloom had his mouth open.
"Noise, it taste of nagir boot."

Bout of Books 9.0 - Day 3 & Day 4 Updates

Double update tonight as I was completely engrossed in a book last night and didn't realize what the time was until I looked at the clock and it was 4am!!! My Bout of Books goals are slowly but surely going down the drain, I think the only one I'll finish is the actual reading part! I've participated in no Twitter chat this time round and, thanks to really patchy Internet service today, no blog visiting either and no challenges. The loss of Internet over the last few hours has enabled me to read more than I might have managed so I suppose that's a bonus, I am hoping that it's on for more than ten minutes at a time tomorrow otherwise I won't be a happy bunny!

Wednesday

Number of pages I've read today: 436
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 3
Monster High - Lisi Harrison
Constable & Toop - Gareth P Jones
Last Kiss Goodnight - Gena Showalter

Thursday

Number of pages I've read today: 500
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 4
Monster High - Lisi Harrison
Constable & Toop - Gareth P Jones
Last Kiss Goodnight - Gena Showalter
Isabel's Skin - Peter Benson
Books started: 1
A Face Like Glass - Frances Hardinge

Bout of Books 9.0 Day 2 - Tuesday

Day two of Bout of Books and it's still not going well! The more free time I have the more I seem to be doing anything but reading/blogging/Twittering... I read a whole book today, the only reason I managed it though is because I was meeting my dad for dinner and I had some time to kill waiting for him in the restaurant. The owners know me and therefore are not in the least surprised when I sit there with my head in a book!

Today's book

Constable & Toop

Tuesday

Number of pages I've read today: 372
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 2
Monster High - Lisi Harrison
Constable & Toop - Gareth P Jones

Challenges

Reading Tactics - hosted by Sarah Says Read

How do you fit in as much reading as possible during Bout of Books? How do you squeeze in those extra pages?

How do I squeeze in extra time to read? I carry a book (sometimes two) with me everywhere and any time I'm not doing anything I read a few pages. I'm quite lucky in that I have a lot of free time to read anyway but during BoB I also stop watching the handful of tv shows I watch and stay up a bit later as well!

Bout of Books 9.0 - Day 1

It's Monday, therefore it must be day 1 of Bout of Books 9.0! The day is not off to a good start, already 11am here and I've yet to pick up a book... Although I have chosen my first book, which is -

Monster High - Lisi Harrison

Challenges are up so I'm off to start the first one! Hosted by Bookish Comforts you have won a (fictional) $100 dollar spree on Book Depository and get to share the contents of your shopping cart! As I have no idea how to take a screenshot (don't say a word, I know what you're thinking...) I'll share a list of what I would choose complete with links here a bit later.

Monday

Number of pages I've read today: 272
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 1

Challenges

Book Buying Spree

Dust Girl - Sarah Zettel $9.99
Cemetery Girl - Charlaine Harris $19.58
Never Fade - Alexandra Bracken $16.07
Bitter Spirits - Jenn Bennett $7.91
Dangerous Women - George R R Martin & Gardner Dozois $21.83
Codex Born - Jim C Hines $16.57

Grand Total - $91.95

Finally got to read uninterrupted around 9pm and finished Monster High just after 11.30pm, one book down and six to go!!!

Bout of Books 8.0 - The Finale

Well, that's another Bout of Books over - now the wait until January 6th for BoB 9.0!

BoB 8.0 was a success for me in terms of reading, especially after a couple of blips with books that couldn't hold my interest but as far as socializing goes it was a complete failure again. I just can't seem to get the Twitter/chat bit right which is definitely something I need to work on for next time, if I strike up random Twitter conversations with anyone it's because I'm getting the practice in now!

For the last day I decided to go out on a high and I managed to read nearly three books! I finished Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie although I probably should have left this for a few weeks as after struggling with it yesterday I can't honestly say I loved it. I also finished The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, loved it and would like the next book in the series now please! Last but not least I started something that was on my original BoB list, Tall Tales From Pitch End by Nigel McDowell, which I'm loving so far.

Sunday

Number of pages I've read today: 803
Number of books read today: 2
Total number of books I've read: 9

Books: Debutantes - Cora Harrison
           Jewel of Atlantis - Gena Showalter
           Someone Else's Fairy Tale - E M Tippett
           The Hex Factor - Harriet Goodwin
           Summer Kisses - Sarah Morgan
           The Nymph King - Gena Showalter
           The Bonehill Curse - Jon Mayhew
           Close My Eyes - Sophie McKenzie
           The Spook's Apprentice - Joseph Delaney

Bout of Books 8.0 - Saturday Update

So, Bout of Books is nearly over again and whilst I have done much better on the reading front I'm still failing miserably on the social front. Next time round I think I'll cut down my reading targets and concentrate on the blog/Twitter side instead :)

Saturday went a bit off the beaten path, I picked up Sophie McKenzie's Close My Eyes but I couldn't get into it at all. It would appear my brain is firmly engaged in fantasy/horror/YA mode just now so instead I picked The Spook's Apprentice (or Revenge of the Witch in the US) by Joseph Delaney, the first book in the Wardstone Chronicles series.

I just discovered it's been made into a film starring Ben Barnes, Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore and it's been renamed Seventh Son - thousands of people will be confusing it with the Orson Scott Card books about Alvin... Ben Barnes appears to be playing a far older version of the main character, Tom, as well. Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow in Game of Thrones, is also listed in the cast but I've no idea who he's playing. It's out in January in the US and February in the UK so I might be persuaded to go and see it!

Saturday

Number of pages I've read today: 52
Number of books read today: 0
Total number of books I've read: 7

Books: Debutantes - Cora Harrison
           Jewel of Atlantis - Gena Showalter
           Someone Else's Fairy Tale - E M Tippett
           The Hex Factor - Harriet Goodwin
           Summer Kisses - Sarah Morgan
           The Nymph King - Gena Showalter
           The Bonehill Curse - Jon Mayhew

Bout of Books 8.0 - Friday Update

Today I realized something very important. When it comes to doing read-a-thons I should in no way plan what I'm going to read beforehand. Having tossed my pre-planned list I found myself racing through two more books today - The Bonehill Curse by Jon Mayhew and The Nymph King by Gena Showalter - and have started a third - Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie. This proves to me that if I plan too much I fail miserably when it comes to reading and I'm much better at deciding last minute :) Even more importantly, I hit my target to read seven books during the read-a-thon so any other books now are a bonus!

Another failure on the challenge front again but I did finally post my (unrelated) A - Z Bookish Survey as created by Jamie at the Perpetual Page Turner (it only took me about ten days...) so feel free to check that out *shameless plug* so you can all get to know my bookish habits a bit better!

Friday

Number of pages I've read today: 732
Number of books read today: 2
Total number of books I've read: 7

Books: Debutantes - Cora Harrison
           Jewel of Atlantis - Gena Showalter
           Someone Else's Fairy Tale - E M Tippett
           The Hex Factor - Harriet Goodwin
           Summer Kisses - Sarah Morgan
           The Nymph King - Gena Showalter
           The Bonehill Curse - Jon Mayhew

Bout of Books 8.0 - Thursday Update

Mid-week slump well and truly hit today, I couldn't be bothered to pick up a book at all and when Dad asked if I wanted to go out for dinner I jumped at the chance. I met a friend for a drink first, then went to our favorite Italian restaurant and had some delicious hazelnut gnocchi! After a lovely couple of hours I came home and picked up something that might get rid of the slump, fluff-fic - as my mother used to call it - usually gets me reading again!

I bought Summer Kisses a few weeks ago in a UK chain bookshop intending to read it at some point  and that ended up being today. I've just turned the last page and feel much better, in fact I'm off to start another book even though it's 12.13am here and I should be vaguely sleepy!

Thursday

Number of pages I've read today: 379
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 5

Books: Debutantes - Cora Harrison
           Jewel of Atlantis - Gena Showalter
           Someone Else's Fairy Tale - E M Tippett
           The Hex Factor - Harriet Goodwin
           Summer Kisses - Sarah Morgan

Bout of Books 8.0 - Wednesday Update

Wednesday, what a day! Started off well with not one but two books begging to be read - Death & Co by D J McCune and Insignia by S J Kincaid. Started both and then I hit what can only be described as a wall... After reading roughly twenty pages from both I put them down and didn't read a thing all afternoon! Personally, I blame this -

A scone with black cherry jam & clotted cream for lunch, bought by my father as a thank you for cleaning the downstairs hall carpet - why I was in agony on Tuesday! - but it put me into some sort of sugar coma. About 5pm I decided to try again and picked up The Hex Factor by Harriet Goodwin, all 192 pages of it, and finished it. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it and it definitely didn't encourage me to pick up another book last night so I went to bed very early ie. before midnight. Those who know me know that never happens unless I'm sick or at my sister's house. I'm also completely failing with the challenges! I promise to try better for the rest of the week :)

Wednesday

Number of pages I've read today: 232
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 4

Books: Debutantes - Cora Harrison
           Jewel of Atlantis - Gena Showalter
           Someone Else's Fairy Tale - E M Tippett
           The Hex Factor - Harriet Goodwin

Bout of Books 8.0 - Tuesday Update

Tuesday's update, better late than never! I wasn't feeling great yesterday so only had the computer on for about 20 minutes in the morning and then spent the rest of the day curled up on my bed reading and watching movies, including this luscious version of Anna Karenina which I'd already seen at the cinema but fell in love with! I'm surprised I like this version because I'm not a huge fan of either Keira Knightley or Jude Law, I think it was the fabulous costumes and the amazing settings!

Anyway, back to the books! I finished 2 books - Jewel of Atlantis by Gena Showalter and Someone Else's Fairy Tale by E M Tippetts, Someone Else's Fairytale has been sat on my kindle for months but I read a review on someone's blog yesterday which made me want to read it there and then! I just need to resist the temptation to download the sequel now even though I'm desperate to know what happens!

Tuesday


Number of pages I've read today: 641
Number of books read today: 2
Total number of books I've read: 3

Books: Debutantes - Cora Harrison
           Jewel of Atlantis - Gena Showalter
           Someone Else's Fairy Tale - E M Tippetts

Bout of Books 8.0 - Monday Update!

So, Bout of Books 8.0 is under way and the first thing I did... was leave the house! It was grocery shopping day and no avoiding it but I did come home with a book, with a very gorgeous exclusive to Tesco cover, Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor. Completely against the rules of Operation TBR, especially as I own the hardback version already but hey, it's pretty!

I did get stuck into a book when I got home, though not one on my list! I've started and finished Debutantes by Cora Harrison - Downton Abbey-like YA, good but not amazing - and started Jewel of Atlantis by Gena Showalter (also not on my list, somehow I get the feeling I'll be reading nothing from that!)

Monday


Number of pages I've read today: 400
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 1

Books: Debutantes - Cora Harrison


Challenges

Bookish Bucket List @ Sarah Says Read

Visit Shakespeare & Co in Paris

Visit Hay-on-Wye whilst the book festival is on, not just before it or just after it!

Open my own bookshop!

Visit the New York Public Library

Build my own home library!

Pairathon @ Book Pairing

Lavender lemonade, Galaxy Counters & Jewel of Atlantis - perfect combination!