It’s time: Dewey’s 24-hour read-a-thon starts now! I already know I won’t be reading for all 24 hours…I have a prior commitment for a few hours this evening, plus I’m on allergy meds that are knocking me out, so I’ll definitely be needing some sleep tonight! But I still plan to read as much as I can, and I’ll be updating my progress in this post throughout the day. Looking forward to checking out other people’s progress as well!

So, without further ado, the intro meme!

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Arlington, VA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? I don’t really have a stack this year…but I’m hoping to make some more headway in Sharon Kay Penman’s The Sunne in Splendour, which I started a while ago but had to set aside because it was taking so long to read! Don’t get me wrong, I like it a lot — it’s just giant and time-consuming.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Again, I don’t really have specific snacks, although there are some cut-up veggies in the fridge. I am really underprepared for this read-a-thon!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I have a baby grand piano in my one-bedroom apartment.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? The main difference this year is that I’m not able to set aside the whole day! So I think I’m going to approach this read-a-thon in a much less structured way than usual. I won’t be counting the pages I read or logging my reading time down to the minute…I’m just going to try to read a lot and have fun!

10:47 a.m. — So I’ve been reading for about an hour and a half, and I finished my first book of the read-a-thon! It was Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins, a very quick read (although I did start it yesterday) with a great feel-good romance. I also did this mini-challenge in which you get to put jigsaw puzzles together! And now I think it’s time for a break…I need to shower, put on clothes that aren’t pajamas, eat something, and perhaps take a quick walk. Hope everyone is still going strong!

12:52 p.m. — Time for one of my favorite challenges of the read-a-thon, Book Puzzles! Try to guess what book I’m thinking of, based on the following pictures (short words like articles and prepositions have been left out). Winner gets bragging rights!

2:46 p.m. — More challenges, anyone? Here are some of the best books of my reading year:

• Best sci-fi: Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding. If you still mourn the loss of “Firefly,” you should definitely track down this book! I haven’t gotten to the sequels (YET), but I hear they’re just as good!
• Best romance: Unsticky by Sarra Manning. This may be British chick lit, but it’s no Bridget Jones’s Diary. This book is about a romance, but it’s not afraid to explore the darker, grittier side of relationships.
• Best children’s book: The Giver by Lois Lowry. HOW did I miss this book as a child?! If you like dystopian literature, you have to check it out!
• Best debut author: B.J. Novak. I just finished his first book, One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories, which came out in February. The stories are mostly hilarious, but a lot of them have a sharp bite to them as well. I had high expectations because of his experience with “The Office,” but I was still very impressed.

And here is my six-word celebration of Dewey’s read-a-thon: No distractions, no guilt, just reading!

3:04 p.m. — OK, I had to do one more challenge because it was just too much fun to resist! The bookish brew I have created is: The Pitcher of Dorian Earl Gray. It’s very easy to make — simply brew the tea, let it cool to room temperature, then pour it over ice and serve. Mix the room-temperature beverage with a syrup composed of sugar and water, if you’re craving something a little more sinfully decadent. But above all, make sure you take a photo of the pitcher before serving the tea. The picture will look less and less appealing with time, but you’ll ensure that your beverage will taste fresh and delicious forever!

9:01 p.m. — I haven’t been able to update in a while (stupid prior commitments!), but rest assured, I haven’t given up just yet! I’m still plugging away at The Sunne in Splendour, which continues to be fascinating but time-consuming. And what edition of The Sunne in Splendour am I actually reading? Apparently it is the 15th printing (as indicated by the lowest number in the series of numbers at the bottom of the page). Who knew?

And here’s my name in book titles:

• C – Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (a must-read if you like Regency romances!)
• H – Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (love all her books)
• R – Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (such a lovely, bittersweet novel)
• I – Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.”
• S – Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (oh, Austen, how I love thee)
• T – Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (still one of my favorites, although I love Much Ado the most)
• I – Impossible Things by Connie Willis (recommended for sci-fi fans, although some of the stories are better than others)
• N – Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (deliciously creepy and creative)
• A – Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (my favorite in the Anne of Green Gables series)

11:05 p.m. — Still reading The Sunne in Splendour. I was hoping that I’d be able to finish it during this read-a-thon, but that is definitely not going to happen, since I plan to be asleep in an hour or two at most! But it looks like the plot has finally moved into its endgame, so it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

12:06 a.m. — All right, I’m too tired to stay awake, so I’m officially calling it. Good night, and good luck to all of you who are still reading!