The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.
This is my first time participating in a read-a-thon ever, so I’m basically just hoping it turns out well. It took me forever to decide on participating and I’m signing up extremely late, so this post is going to be my sign up and goal post. And I’m going to be updating this one post as the week progresses.
My Goals
Since this is my first time participating in Bout of Books and I have no idea how I’ll do with it, I’m not going to make any concrete goals. If things change, they change. I would like to finish a couple books I’ve already started and read 4 to 8 books in addition to that. I would also like to catch up on reviews if I can.
Read 4-8 books- Write at least 4 reviews (only got 2 done. better than nothing!)
Participate in at least 1 Twitter chat
Books to Choose From:
In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters — currently on page 91
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger — currently on page 108
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Invisibility by Andrea R. Cremer and David Levithan
The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf
Between You & Me by Marisa Calin
Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer
Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender
Tilt by Ellen Hopkins
52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody
OCD, the Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Progress:
Monday the 13th
Pages read today: 185
Books finished today: 0
Total pages read: 185
Total books finished: 0
Notes: I didn’t read nearly as much as I would have liked today. I did complete the Book Spine Poem Challenge and wrote a review, though. I’m hoping tomorrow I’ll finish at least one of the books I’ve started and start (maybe finish) another one. I’m working on In the Shadow of Blackbirds right now, but I don’t want to zoom through it too fast, because it deserves full attention. (I like it a lot so far!)
Currently Reading: In the Shadow of Blackbirds and Between You & Me
Tuesday the 14th
Pages read today: 139
Books finished today: 0
Total pages read: 324
Total books finished: 0
Notes: Good heavens. The goal for today was to read more than yesterday… and I read 30 pages less. Sigh. Oh well. Tomorrow is going to be an all-reading day… kind of. Tomorrow is my babysitting day, so there’s a couple hours out for that… plus TeaTime and I might participate in the Twitter chat as well. So… we’ll see.
Currently Reading: In the Shadow of Blackbirds and Between You & Me (still!)
Wednesday the 15th
Pages read today: 278
Books finished today: 2
Total pages read: 602
Total books finished: 2
Notes: I feel like I’m way behind on other blog things like writing reviews and general upkeep, so I think tomorrow I want to put emphasis on that sort of stuff. Thus far I’ve only written one of the four reviews I wanted to complete this week, so perhaps I’ll write reviews for In the Shadow of Blackbirds and Between You & Me while they’re still fresh in my head. Also, the other day I participated in the Soundtrack Challenge for BoB. You should check out my entry. I’m pretty much in love with all the songs.
Currently Reading: OCD, the Dude and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn
Thursday the 16th
Pages read today: 123
Books finished today: 0
Total pages read: 725
Total books finished: 2
Notes: I don’t really have much to say about today. This may be due to the fact that I’m nearly falling asleep right now. (Hah.) Something was mentioned in my book tonight and I’m not sure if we’ve already been through it and I forgot or it’s doing that thing where they talk like we know even though we don’t. Oy, am I making sense? Nevermind. Also, I did another challenge today. It’s on page two.
Currently Reading: OCD, the Dude, and Me
Friday the 17th
Pages read today: 183
Books finished today: 1
Total pages read: 908
Total books finished: 3
Notes: To be completely honest, I didn’t really feel like reading today. Add that to the persistent headache I had and babysitting I did and you might be able to see why I’m surprised I read more than, like, 30 pages. I’m not complaining, though. I started 52 Reasons to Hate My Father (I keep accidentally saying “50 Reasons…”) and I like it, so that’s cool. I kind of can’t believe Bout of Books is almost over. I know a week isn’t very long, but honestly… I don’t feel like it’s been more than a day or two.
Currently Reading: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody
Saturday the 18th
Pages read today: 158
Books finished today: 0
Total pages read: 1066
Total books finished: 3
Notes: Massive reading slump tonight.
Currently Reading: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and Tilt by Ellen Hopkins (not really digging it)
Sunday the 19th
Pages read today: 171
Books finished today: 1
Total pages read: 1237
Total books finished: 4
Notes: I was slumping again today. I really didn’t feel like reading, but I was enjoying 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, so I finished that up. I tried starting a couple other books, but nothing was grabbing my attention, so that is that. Whatever. This has been fun, but I’m sort of glad it was the last day.
Currently Reading: Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender
Final Thoughts:
So… to be completely honest, I don’t know if read-a-thons are for me. I had a lot of fun talking to people and participating in challenges and Twitter chats, but when it came to reading I feel like things were a bit bumpy. It was almost like I felt like I was SUPPOSED to be reading, so I didn’t want to anymore. Obviously that defeats the purpose. For that reason I can’t be sure if I’ll participate in Bout of Books again. I might, though, because I really did like doing everything else and talking to people and everything. I don’t know… I’m torn.
I had a blast chatting with everyone, so thank you for that! (:
Lisa Likes Books 
42 responses to “Bout of Books 7.0”
Good Luck on your goals! Hope you have fun participating 🙂 See you at the Twitter chat 😉
Thank you (:
Your goals seem good and doable. Good luck with them!
Thank you! (:
Wow I can never read 100+ pages in one day. Awesome job. I read 90 pgs. 🙂 I’m currently reading Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Here’s my BOB updates: http://littlebookstar.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/bout-of-books-7-0/
Leigh
Little Book Star
Yeah, sometimes I just can’t get into the reading groove and it takes me way too long to read very much. Luckily, though, the books I’m reading are right now are really good and make me want to keep going. (:
I really want to read In the Shadow of Blackbirds; I hope you like it. You have a lot of great books to read!
In the Shadow of Blackbirds is really good so far. I’m so glad I decided to read it.
Wow, good job on the poem! I love it!! I tried doing this challenge once but I wasn’t very good at it haha. It’s harder than it seems! But yours is really good 🙂
Thank you! It was my first time making a poem with book spines. I’m surprised it turned out to be more than just jumbled phrases, to be honest. Though it still sort of is. Hahaha.
You have so many good books to choose from! I adored Smart Girls, 52 Reasons To Hate My Father and I’d Tell You I Love You. They’re really quick, fun reads. I’m so excited for Invisibility. Hope you get to that one. Enjoy all your books and good luck!
I’m hoping to get to all of those, though I don’t know if I actually will. Invisibility is waiting for me at the library right now. I need to go get it before they put it back on the shelves. Haha.
Yey, I’m so glad you’re doing your first read-a-thon, they are such good excuses to get extra reading in 😀
My BoB goals
They certainly are! I waited until the day before it started to really make a decision about participating, but I’m glad I chose to. It’s fun so far.
I love the books you’ve chosen to select from! Lot’s of luck with your reading goals 😀
Thank you! (:
Lots of good books I see! And nothing wrong with only reading 139 pages; that’s pretty impressive! Good luck reading today; hopefully you’ll get some good reading done while babysitting! 🙂
Thank you!
Very cool! I’m so glad you joined in on the challenge!
Thanks (:
Good luck with your goals. I read Etiquette & Espionage just before Bout of Books started, I liked it but I can’t say that I loved it. Still an interesting read.
Yeah, I’m having a bit of trouble getting through E&E. It’s not bad… but I’m not as interested as I thought I was going to be.
I hadn’t seen this one before. Is Chopsticks like the piano song? I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for participating.
Yes, ma’am. That’s correct. The MC is a piano prodigy who frequently remixes Chopsticks. There are other reasons Chopsticks is the title, but I don’t want to spoil it. Haha. I definitely recommend the book though. It’s a graphic novel, so it doesn’t take very long to read. I looove it.
I really like your poem.. mine had a whole bunch of E’s so I started to run out of things to say that started with an E!!
Angie
Here is my poem
I like yours! It’s super fun. Mine isn’t so much a poem as a bunch of descriptive phrases. Hahaha.
You’re doing really well. I always feel like I’m falling behind with everything during a readathon but it’s important just to focus on the one thing you want to do most 🙂
Thank you. And I agree.
I’m very shocked I actually got some reading done yesterday, because I REALLY didn’t feel like it. *shrugs* Whatever. Haha.
Hi Lisa. I hope your last day of the bout of books let’s you finish one more book. I’m hoping I can finish The Girl with a Pearl Earring today as my goal was to read 4 books as well. I’d like to read Eleanor & Park and Under the Never Sky from your list. Although some of the others sound great too! Good luck and nice to meet ya. new twitter follower and facebook fan.
Thank you! I hope you can finish Girl with a Pearl Earring. I want to read that sometime. I have the book on my shelf, but just haven’t gotten to it.
In the shadow of blackbirds looks great. I hope you can read one book today, so you reach your goal of at least 4 books! 😀 Happy reading and good luck!
Bout of Books – Mel@thedailyprophecy.
I LOVED In the Shadow of Blackbirds. I was trying to write a review about it and was mostly like: “I LOVED THIS BOOK. dsjvbkfbdsvfd OHMYGOD GAH!b nhgbfdvbgfd”. Hahaha.
I have not read any of the books on your list! I do not know how that happened. Out of the ones you read, which was your favorite so that I can go and look for it?
I loveloveloved In the Shadow of Blackbirds. It was so good and one of two that I just COULD NOT put down. The other being 52 Reasons to Hate My Father. All four books I read were good, though.
I had a few books that did not go smoothly, either. I am too stubborn to move on when a book is not what I need. But you did read, and you participated in all of the awesome other activities, so I would still say it was a success.
I totally get the “supposed to” limiting the “want to,” though because I felt it a little too.
Thank you! And I’m glad I’m not alone.
I hope you will still join next time. I agree, I also felt a little of what you felt… but then again, finishing the books are just awesome!
That’s true. But then again, finishing books is always nice. Lol. Anyhow, I’m glad other people felt the same way. I mean, I don’t like that people feel that way, obviously, but it’s nice to not be alone. You know? I’ll stop rambling now. Haha.
Lisa I get that feeling too LOL that I feel like I MUST be reading. However, once you get past that you’ll have lots of fun!
My BoB
Absolutely. I had fun with everything else. (:
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