It's a Wrap! Readathon April 2017

I have successfully survived another readathon. I slept a little more than I intended to this time around. I came off of two days of babysitting and two nights of abnormal sleep patterns so I was already tired when I started. I still managed to read 1381 pages which included 5 complete books and parts of three others. I was also able to finish up those three books Sunday afternoon when I went back to babysitting and the kids were napping so I will be covering all eight books today. 

We'll be covering the books from bottom to top because that is the order in which I read them.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
I started my morning with this and read it straight through. This book has been quite popular since it came out last year and normally I avoid new books. I like books that have proved themselves over time and are not just the flavor of the month. However, coming in at under 200 pages this seemed like a great choice for readathon. The plot of this one immediately grabbed me: teens who have been taken to another world as children (think Alice in Wonderland) and how they cope with life upon their return to the real world. Unfortunately, though the plot had so much potential, the story fell very flat for me. I think the author spent too much time fleshing out things that were irrelevant to the story and left the main plot lines fairly shallow and uninspired. 

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
A middle grade novel about a grumpy old writer, a little boy, and a ghost. Although creative in the way it told the story it was not a particularly intriguing tale. 

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
A very charming novella about what happens when the Queen of England discovers a mobile library parked outside the palace and how the more books she reads the more her life and her perspective changes. 

I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan 
Fun anecdotes about working in a library. Odd questions asked, rude patrons, and the wonderful moments that make it all worthwhile. A quick, fun read. 

The Farthest-Away Mountain by Lynne Reid Banks 
A middle grade fantasy/adventure story. It was entertaining but there was nothing that made it especially memorable.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
This may be my favorite book I read during readathon this time around. The true story of a man who stole tens of thousands dollars worth of rare books just because he wanted to have them. Very enjoyable.

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A reread. I had fun with this one. I read part of it and listened to part of it on audio. It was a great way to break up the day.

Akin to Anne by L.M. Montgomery
A book of short stories. Reading Montgomery is always refreshing and relaxing. My one thought on this is that these stories were all originally published separately and when they were collected into books they were grouped by theme and so many of the stories in this book have identical plots so maybe spread these out over a week or two and not read them all in one weekend.


What's coming up this week?
My goal this week is to read the rest of my readathon tbr stack plus finish the three books (pictured on the right) that I had started before readathon.