In case you forgot, Bout of Books 8.0 starts tomorrow…and if you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time for you to join over 450 bloggers in this week-long read-a-thon! I have three main goals for the upcoming week: (1) read every day, (2) participate in at least 3 mini-challenges, and (3) finish at least 2 books. I’m going to “cheat” a bit and count the one I’m currently reading, The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees. My second book will most likely be Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman, but I reserve the right to change my mind!
So anyway, if you want to know how I’m doing with my goals, check this post for my daily progress throughout the week. Good luck to my fellow participants, and happy reading!
**********
Monday 8/19
Pages read today: 37
Books finished today: none
Mini-challenges:
1. Sarah Says Read wanted to know our bookish bucket lists. One book-related thing I’d love to do before I die is visit all of England’s Jane Austen landmarks, most notably Chawton House and the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. I’ve also been inspired to do a cross-country road trip, hopefully a couple summers from now, thanks to Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.
2. BookPairing asked about what we’re eating and drinking with our books during this read-a-thon. Sadly, I happen to have basically no alcohol at the moment, so I couldn’t post a cute wine-‘n’-books pic. But I did enjoy a tall glass of water and some pasta with butter and cheese while I read The Collaborator of Bethlehem!
**********
Tuesday 8/20
Pages read today: 168
Books finished today: Matt Beynon Rees, The Collaborator of Bethlehem. Next up is Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman.
Mini-challenges:
3. Music Plus Books suggested that we re-title the book we’re currently reading. Here’s my not-very-clever attempt…at least the cover was easy to edit!
(before) (after)
**********
Wednesday 8/21
Pages read today: 78
Books finished today: none
Mini-challenges:
4. Musings of a Bookshop Girl wanted to know about our TBR lists. It’s a two-parter, so see below:
Five books at the very top of my pile are: (1) Behold, Here’s Poison by Georgette Heyer, because I’m slowly making my way through her mysteries; (2) The Club of Angels by Luis Fernando Verissimo, because it sounds like a cool, dark mystery set in Brazil; (3) The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart, because I swore I’d read her Arthurian trilogy this year; (4) Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade, because mysteries set in 1920s England are my kryptonite; and (5) The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne, because I love that he wrote something besides Winnie-the-Pooh!
As for the five books I’d buy immediately…I’m going to include books I can pre-order, because most of the ones I’m itching to read will be published within the next month or two! I’d pick: (1) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, because it’s Rainbow Rowell and she’s awesome; (2) Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire, because I can’t wait to see what Toby and Tybalt are up to; (3) Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, because Code Name Verity was so f***ing good; (4) Shadows by Robin McKinley, because I’ve loved her books forever; and (5) The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins, because her contemporary romances are so light and fun!
5. Such a Novel Idea challenged us to create book spine poetry! Here’s my entry:
The text of the poem is: “War for the oaks / the high crusade / retribution falls / the reckoning / green darkness / blackout.” It turned out a bit darker — and perhaps more environmentalist? — than I expected!
**********
Thursday 8/22
Pages read today: 105
Books finished today: none
Mini-challenges:
6. In Wonderland encouraged us to go on a bookish road trip by listing some places we’d like to travel along with books set in those locations. Here’s my road trip list, with complementary books:
1.) Ireland — Haunted Ground by Erin Hart
2.) Tuscany (a.k.a. anywhere in Italy!) — The Daughter of Siena by Marina Fiorato
3.) Scotland — The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
4.) Maine — Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins
5.) Nashville, Tennessee — Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols
7. Paperback Daydreamer created an I Spy game and listed items that we had to find on the covers of books that we own. Sadly, I was not able to find snowflakes, a Christmas tree, sunglasses, or handcuffs! But here’s what I did find:
Flames — Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson
City skyline — Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
Moon — The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Sword — The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Wedding dress — Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
High heels — Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
Fog — The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2 (Barnes & Noble edition)
Lightning — Spirit’s End by Rachel Aaron
Tattoo — Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Combat boots — Adorkable by Sarra Manning
Road — The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell
I’d post pictures too, but that seems like overkill!
**********
Friday 8/23
Pages read today: 3 (ouch!)
Books finished today: none, obviously 🙂
Mini-challenges:
8. The Space Between created a bookish mad lib! My answer is below, but I don’t want to spoil the fun, so be sure to fill out your own answers before reading anyone else’s!
A. Place name/type: Aberystwyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Pryce
B. Favorite villain: Acheron Hades from The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
C. Adjective: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
D. Number: The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
E. Noun: The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol
F. Hero you wouldn’t mind spending a lot of time with: Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
G. Dessert: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Help! I’m being held captive in Aberystwyth by Acheron Hades!
It is very disreputable here!
He is demanding 13 1/2 suitcases to set me free!
I have just discovered that Mr. Darcy was captured too!
On second thought, please send lemon cake, and don’t worry if you don’t hear from us for a while!
**********
Saturday 8/24
Pages read today: 31
Books finished today: none, and it looks like I won’t finish a second book this week after all…
Mini-challenges: none
**********
Sunday 8/25
Pages read today: 0
Books finished today: none
Mini-challenges: none
You Book Me All Night Long 
I’m counting a book that I’m currently reading as well, but I’m not very far into it. I started it for a readalong last month, but fell behind. The readathon gives me an incentive to finish the book rather than keep procrastinating.
That’s the great thing about read-a-thons…they can often get you over a slump! Hope you are able to finish and enjoy the book!
Your making me hungry talking about pasta and wine. And I haven’t read that book yet, but a road trip sounds amazing.
Happy Tuesday
You should definitely read Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour! It’s worth it for the playlists alone. 🙂
Wooo Jane Austen landmarks!! Yes! That a awesome!! Great pairing too! I love pasta!! 😀
Haha, pasta is my comfort food. And I’m a sucker for anything Austen-related, so that challenge was a no-brainer!
Great job yesterday. Keep it up 😉
Thanks! I’m a bit disappointed that I only read 37 pages…but I guess that’s better than 0, right?
My goal was a 100 pages & I came up way short. BUT any & all reading is good…better than a day with no time.
Remember this is a no stress read-a-thon
Good point — I’ll have to relax! 🙂
Pasta with butter and cheese actually sounds REALLY good. I used to have that all the time when I was a kid b/c I hated red sauce… I may have to make that this week!
Happy readathoning 🙂
I’m totally with you on the red sauce. Well, I like my mom’s, but I refuse to try it elsewhere because it’s never as good!
Way to go on doing both challenges!
I really love the mini-challenges…they’re my favorite part of the read-a-thon (when the books themselves aren’t inspiring me, that is)!
*gigglesnort* I love your blog name! It makes me smile. 🙂
Hey, a roadtrip inspired by Amy & Roger was on my bookish bucket list, too! And oh, I’d love to visit Jane Austen landmarks. ♥
Thanks — I admit, it tickles me too. 🙂 And doesn’t Amy & Roger’s trip sound amazing?! I’ve lived all my life on the East Coast, so there are still so many places in the USA I’ve never been!
Lovely poem!
Thanks for participating in the challenge and good luck!
-Jess @ Such A Novel Idea
Thanks! Book spine poetry is always a fun challenge to do.
I love your poem!! Very eerie!!! Yet quite intriguing!! 🙂 Nicely done!
Thank you! It did turn out a bit creepy…that wasn’t my intention going in, but it’s fun to see where inspiration takes you! 🙂
I usually count currently reading books too 🙂 You’re doing awesome! Happy reading
Aww, thanks! As it turns out, I’ll be lucky to finish my second book, which I’m reading right now, so I’m glad I will at least have ONE completed book at the end of this thing!
Oh I love Erin Hart’s books!
Great job on the I Spy challenge too!
Hope you’re having a good week. This is my first Bout of Books and it’s been fun to meet new to me bloggers.
Thanks! 🙂 I should probably have posted pictures for I Spy also, but it just seemed like a lot of effort, and also like it would take up wayyy too much space, since I’m doing all my mini-challenges in the same post.
Awww, I’m bummed I missed the I Spy challenge. It sounds like fun! (And yay for Bet Me!)
Bet Me is so cute, right?!
And I don’t think you missed the I Spy challenge…there’s no giveaway, so I’m pretty sure you can participate anytime!
I heart Bet Me so much 🙂 It was the first romance novel I ever read and remains my fave.
Ooooo well if it’s still going on I’ll totally do it! I thought maybe it ended after 24 hrs like the others.