Post-event survey questions

Dewey's 24-hour read-a-thon ended at noon today, my time. I slept for the next six hours, and I'm sure it will take days to get my sleeping back on track. But for now, I'm feeling great and surprisingly rested. Thanks, Dewey, these answers are for you!

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Since I posted hourly reports, I looked back over those and noticed I got sleepy about halfway through ... and couldn't think clearly near the end of the 24 hours. By that I mean I couldn't figure out, for example, how many hours and minutes were in 445 minutes. "Let's see, 445 divided by 60 equals..." Not even paper and pencil could help me do it, and I actually love numbers!

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Yes! I discovered Abigail Thomas a week ago and have completed THREE of her books since then. Pick something short and very readable like these:

Thinking About Memoir ~ is for writers.
Safekeeping ~ is a memoir of her life.
A Three Dog Life ~ recounts her life after her husband was hit by a car. (It's the one I read for the Read-a-Thon.)

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

If you could tell us at the START of the event which hours would NOT have mini-challenges, if would save the time it takes to come read EVERYTHING you have posted in the last hour. That slowed me down.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

Dewey and her helpers! Thanks to everyone who pitched in with spreadsheets, cheerleading, and pulling it all together!

5. How many books did you read?

I completed THREE, though I admit one was a children's book with pictures on half of the 32 pages. I read a couple of others, but only long enough to discovered they were too DENSE for a day when I wouldn't be able to concentrate deeply.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

in full:

A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (237 pages)
Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)

in part:

Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Abigail Thomas's A Three Dog Life

8. Which did you enjoy least?

William Faulkner's Big Woods

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

I was a cheerleader last time, and I say, "Plan ahead!" Use Dewey's lists so you'll spread out your visits rather than visiting the same ones over and over and maybe missing some readers.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

VERY likely, and as a READER again. It was SO much easier than being a cheerleader! Sending many THANKS to all you devoted cheerleaders!

Bonnie's summary:
Next time, I'll probably skip most of the mini-challenges, which took up too much of my reading time. I DID enjoy some of them immensely, however:

The Hour 16 mini-challenge was to write a limerick or haiku about one of the books you’ve read during the read-a-thon. Mine related to Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward. (Be gentle, folks, and remember ... I wrote it around 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. after being in a marathon read for 15-16 hours ... with 8+ hours to go!)

children kill a son
his mother can't forgive it
other mother's grief

The Hour 15 mini-challenge was to research the setting of your novel. Forgive Me was set in Cape Town, South Africa, and I found wonderful photos:

Forgive Me is set in Cape Town, South Africa, during the time of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee meetings. Here are five interesting facts about South Africa:

(1) Cape Town is home to Table Mountain. The highest point on Table Mountain is 1,086 metres (3,563 feet) above sea level. This photo (click photo to enlarge it) fits in a post, but see my latest header of Bonnie's Books (above) to see the town from atop the mountain.

(2) Cape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa; it was the largest city in South Africa until the growth of Johannesburg.

(3) According to the South African National Census of 2001, the population of Cape Town is 2,893,251 people.

(4) Wikipedia had this photo of Bo-Kaap, an area of Cape Town where the characters happen to be as I've been reading the last few pages.

(5) Read what Absolute Vanilla, a South African, wrote this month about the violence and lack of logic in her country.

The Hour 20 mini-challenge is one you can do right now. Jessi's challenge was for us to name as many authors as you can from her YouTube video. Email me your answers, and I'll try to compile a complete list. I sent Jesse names of 17 of the 38 authors.

Twenty-fourth hour (11:00-12:00 noon EDT) ~ FULL REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (21 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 21 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (237 pages)
..... Total pages today = 478 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... After being awake more than 24 hours, simple addition of pages and minutes defeats me; I'll check my figures after I sleep.
..... It's been fun, but I am totally loopy now.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 25 minutes (510 minutes = 8 hours + 30 minutes)

Books completed in full: THREE
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (237 pages)

Books I decided were too heavy to read for this Read-a-Thon: TWO
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)

Twenty-third hour (10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT) ~ SHORT REPORT

STILL READING
30 more pages (457 total pages)
40 more minutes (485 minutes = 8 hours + 5 minutes)

Twenty-second hour (9:00-10:00 a.m. EDT) ~ SHORT REPORT

STILL READING20 more pages (427 total pages)
30 more minutes (445 minutes = 7 hours + 25 minutes)

Twenty-first hour (8:00-9:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (0 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 0 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (166 pages)
..... Total pages today = 407 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I worked on Jessi's YouTube video challenge (see below).
..... I should get back to reading now, if I hope to finish the book I'm currently reading (see top item above).

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 0 minutes (415 minutes = 6 hours + 55 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Emailed Jessi about her Identify the Authors Challenge.

Mini-challenges:
..... Did you see Jessi's YouTube video? We were to name as many authors as possible before 9:00 a.m. EDT. I emailed her with my list of 17 names for the 38 people. There were a few others I thought I should know, but couldn't name. How many did YOU know?

..... Dewey's Post-Event Survey is for Hours 24, but you have until Monday morning to get it to Dewey before the drawing of a winner's name.

Twentieth hour (7:00-8:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (0 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 0 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (166 pages)
..... Total pages today = 407 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... Time to think about the challenges, if I'm ever going to do them.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 0 minutes (415 minutes = 6 hours + 55 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
Jessi's challenge:

Mini-challenges (Eva's new one and playing catch-up):

..... Eva's Post a Photo Mini-Challenge: Photograph something related to your read-a-thon experience and put it in a post w/ a caption. If you don’t have a digital camera, or it’s not working, just find something on the internet that approximates it. Or draw a cartoon in paint! lol One lucky participant will be randomly drawn to win 5 bookmooch points from Dewey. I’m going to leave it open for this and the next hour (so the drawing will be at the beginning of Dewey’s hour twenty-three).

Still to do:

..... Jessi's challenge: Name as many authors as you can from her YouTube video. I'll work on this between now and 9:00 a.m. EDT.



..... Bybee is hosting How much do you know about Korea?

The person who can list the most facts (trivial or otherwise) about the interesting peninsula upon which I now live and work will win a copy of the novella pictured above.
ㅊ
An Appointment With My Brother is the story of a South Korean man whose father abandoned the family, defected to North Korea for ideological reasons, and started a new family there. Upon the father's death many years later, the South Korean man meets his North Korean half-brother for the first time.
ㅊ
Leave your answers in the Comments section; you have until the end of the Readathon. This contest is open to all Readathon participants. Good luck!

Since I have a friend currently working in South Korea, I'll take on this challenge! The list will come a bit later, however, because I want to keep reading.

Nineteenth hour (6:00-7:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (12 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 12 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (166 pages)
..... Total pages today = 407 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I think I lost this hour
..... I was busy, part of the time, trying to figure out where my numbers started going wrong.
..... Then they started piling up, one mistake building on another.
..... So I wasted time getting my numbers up to date and accurate.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 15 minutes (415 minutes = 6 hours + 55 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None

Mini-challenge for Hour 19:
Jessi's challenge: Name as many authors as you can from her YouTube video. I'll work on this later, if I have time before 9:00 a.m. EDT.

Eighteenth hour (5:00-6:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT and MINI-CHALLENGE

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (7 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 7 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (154 pages)
..... Total pages today = 395 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... Wait! I thought I read a long time, but it's only 7 pages? Obviously I didn't read more than 5-10 minutes of the book, at least.
..... So what did I do this past hour?
..... Some reading, some blog visiting, some ... what?
..... I don't know.
..... Maybe I'm running in slow motion.
..... Maybe I'm sleepwalking.
..... Maybe I'm slogging through sticky molasses.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 10 minutes (400 minutes = 6 hours + 40 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Icedream
..... Dewey

Mini-challenge for Hour 19:
Care's Word-Sentence Challenge: Write about (A) strangest new vocabulary word found during entire read-a-thon, and/or (B) most interesting / annoying / favorite RUN ON sentence encountered.

I can do this (I think). Both examples are from Faulkner's book that I was trying to read during the Fifth Hour, when I wrote this:

..... I'm putting aside the Faulkner book with its sentences half a page long that I have to read and re-read to make myself cognizant of what was said. I guess I'm not really much interested in a boy's "apprenticeship ... to manhood" (p. 15) by taking part in a hunt for a bear who'd been shot and trapped and mutilated multiple times since before the 16-year-old boy was born. I'm just not into that.

There were three words in (part of) a single long sentence that I just had to stop and comment on, but I guess I'd pick the first one as "THE" word for this challenge:

WORD = (p. 4) Faulkner describes a pioneer Anglo-Saxon as "uxorious and polygamous: a married invincible bachelor, dragging his gravid wife and most of the rest of his mother-in-law's family behind him."

uxorious (adj.) = doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one's wife.
polygamous (adj.) = having more than one mate at a time [ant: monogamous].
gravid (adj.) = in an advanced stage of pregnancy; "was big with child"; "was great with child" [syn: big].

Technically the sentence I've chosen to share is not a "run-on" sentence, but it DOES run on and on and on and on! It takes up one line more than half of page 13:

SENTENCE = "It was as if the boy had already divined what his senses and intellect had not encompassed yet: that doomed wilderness whose edges were being constantly and punily gnawed at by men with plows and axes who feared it because it was wilderness, men myriad and nameless even to one another in the land where the old bear had earned a name, and through which ran not even a mortal beast but an anachronism indomitable and invincible out of an old dead time, a phantom, epitome and apotheosis of the old wild life which the little puny humans swarmed and hacked at in a fury of abhorrence and fear like pygmies about the ankles of a drowsing elephant;--the older bear, solitary, indomitable, and alone; widowered childless and absolved of mortality--old Priam reft of his old wife and outlives all his sons."

Seventeenth hour (4:00-5:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (27 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 27 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (147 pages)
..... Total pages today = 388 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I got back into reading this hour, and I really didn't want to stop to post this report. So I'm right back into it, now!

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 30 minutes (390 minutes = 6 hours + 30 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... None

Mini-challenge for this hour:
A few are still open. Get details from Dewey's post for these three:

The book covers collage contest
Bybee’s facts about Korea chalenge
Visiting last hour’s Readers of the Hour

Sixteenth hour (3:00-4:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT and MINI-CHALLENGE

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (0 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 0 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (120 pages)
..... Total pages today = 351 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... The hours continue to rush past, but I have slowed down to a crawl.
..... This hour, instead of reading, I wrote a single haiku.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 0 minutes (360 minutes = 6 hours)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Tammy
..... Debi
..... Bonnie (Oh, that's ME! We three are Readers of the Hour)

Mini-challenge for this hour:
..... The Hour 16 mini-challenge: All you have to do is write a limerick or haiku about one of the books you’ve read during the read-a-thon.
..... Mine relates to Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward.

children kill a son
his mother can't forgive it
other mother's grief

Fifteenth hour (2:00-3:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

This report is totally unlike the previous ones because I spent most of this hour researching South Africa and, specifically, Cape Town. I first published my response to Dewey's 15th hour mini-challenge in the post below.

I have also added a gorgeous header to Bonnie’s Books showing a panorama of Cape Town as seen from Table Mountain, which towers 1,086 metres (3,563 feet) over the city. Look at the top of this page. See it up there?


Here were Dewey's instructions for the mini-challenge:
Where is your current book set? If it’s a real place, go to wikipedia and find five interesting facts about the place and post about it in your blog.

Forgive Me is set in Cape Town, South Africa, during the time of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee meetings. Here are five interesting facts about South Africa:
(1) Cape Town is home to Table Mountain. The highest point on Table Mountain is 1,086 metres (3,563 feet) above sea level. This photo (click photo to enlarge it) fits in a post, but see my latest header of Bonnie's Books (above) to see the town from atop the mountain.
(2) Cape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa; it was the largest city in South Africa until the growth of Johannesburg.
(3) According to the South African National Census of 2001, the population of Cape Town is 2,893,251 people.
(4) Wikipedia had this photo of Bo-Kaap, an area of Cape Town where the characters happen to be as I've been reading the last few pages.
(5) Read what Absolute Vanilla, a South African, wrote this month about the violence and lack of logic in her country.

Fourteenth hour (1:00-2:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (21 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 21 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (120 pages)
..... Total pages today = 351 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... Actually, the warm bath was very conducive to reading.
..... I'm a night owl and feel ready to go the distance now.
..... I've popped some popcorn for strength and endurance ... lol.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 20 minutes (360 minutes = 6 hours)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Dewey

Mini-challenge for the upcoming (15th) hour:
Where is your current book set? If it’s a real place, go to wikipedia and find five interesting facts about the place and post about it in your blog.

Forgive Me is set in Cape Town, South Africa, during the time of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee meetings. Here are five interesting facts about South Africa:
(1) Cape Town is home to Table Mountain. The highest point on Table Mountain is 1,086 metres (3,563 feet) above sea level. This photo (click photo to enlarge it) fits in a post, but see my latest header of Bonnie's Books (above) to see the town from atop the mountain.
(2) Cape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa; it was the largest city in South Africa until the growth of Johannesburg.
(3) According to the South African National Census of 2001, the population of Cape Town is 2,893,251 people.
(4) Wikipedia had this photo of Bo-Kaap, an area of Cape Town where the characters happen to be as I've been reading the last few pages.
(5) Read what Absolute Vanilla, a South African, wrote this month about the violence and lack of logic in her country.

Thirteenth hour (12:00-1:00 a.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (26 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 26 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (99 pages)
..... Total pages today = 340 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... The water's running for a warm bath to soak my weary bones and read awhile.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 30 minutes (310 minutes = 5 hours + 40 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Bybee, who is hosting the upcoming mini-challenge

Mini-challenge for the upcoming (14th) hour:
Bybee is hosting How much do you know about Korea?

The person who can list the most facts (trivial or otherwise) about the interesting peninsula upon which I now live and work will win a copy of the novella pictured above.
ㅊ
An Appointment With My Brother is the story of a South Korean man whose father abandoned the family, defected to North Korea for ideological reasons, and started a new family there. Upon the father's death many years later, the South Korean man meets his North Korean half-brother for the first time.
ㅊ
Leave your answers in the Comments section; you have until the end of the Readathon. This contest is open to all Readathon participants. Good luck!

Since I have a friend currently working in South Korea, I'll take on this challenge! The list will come a bit later, however, because I want to keep reading.

Twelfth hour (11:00-12:00 midnight EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (4 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 4 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (73 pages)
..... Total pages today = 314 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... The water's running for a warm bath to soak my weary bones and read awhile.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 5 minutes (280 minutes = 5 hours + 10 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
.....None

Mini-challenge this hour:
Vasilly's Poetry Challenge, coming up in Hour 13.

Your task: Find a poem and post it. The length of the poem does not matter.

Your prize: Dirt Music by Tim Winton and 3 fridge magnets and dishcloths.

This challenge is open to Readers and Cheerleaders and will last until 11pm Pacific time. Remember to leave a comment below with the link to the specific post, after you've completed this challenge.

Hmm, maybe I'll consider doing it by the deadline. For now I'm headed for hot water.

Eleventh hour (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT and MINI-CHALLENGE

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (15 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 15 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (69 pages)
..... Total pages today = 310 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I'm getting tired, so it's time to run hot water in the tub and relax with a good book. I do just happen to have several on hand, you know!

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 20 minutes (275 minutes = 5 hours + 5 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
.....None

Mini-challenge this hour:
..... Dewey's latest is a Mid-Event Survey. Answer these questions (though I've been answering some of these questions with every single update):

1. What are you reading right now?
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward

2. How many books have you read so far?
..... I've completed two and read parts of three other books.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
..... No, I'm single and retired, so it's my usual kind of day, more or less.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
..... My sister-in-law called to let me know how my brother is doing after liver transplant surgery, but that took only five minutes ... plus the time it took to call my daughter.
..... My roommate came home from work and got on the computer about the time I would have posted this report, so it's almost time for the next one. I waited. After all, I've been on the computer (off and on) for over eleven hours now.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
..... That the hours are so short! I barely get into reading when it's time for another hourly report.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
..... No, but I'll remember to choose less challenging books that day.

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
..... See #7.

9. Are you getting tired yet?
..... Yes.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
..... No, not really. I'm just plugging along, trying now to stay away as it's almost midnight here in the Eastern time zone.

Tenth hour (9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (10 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 10 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (54 pages)
..... Total pages today = 295 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I dozed, because I DID lie down after all.
..... And I'm still taking notes on the book, lowering the page count.
..... I've been thinking about soaking in the tub while I read, though I'm afraid I'd fall asleep for sure that way! Maybe I'll do it though, just for the sheer relaxation and enjoyment of a warm bath.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
15 minutes (255 minutes = 4 hours + 45 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Hannah, who is organizing all the prizes, winners and donors
Trish, who is Dewey's sidekick and spreadsheet master.

Mini-challenge this hour:
..... Hour 10 was BLANK, Dewey announced.
..... The Hour 11 Mini-Challenge is specialized, not something I can do.

Ninth hour (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT and MINI-CHALLENGE

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (17 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 17 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (44 pages)
..... Total pages today = 285 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I stayed awake, probably because I didn't lie down after all.
..... I continued to take written notes, which means I'm reading fewer pages than I would in the same amount of time otherwise.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
30 minutes (240 minutes = 4 hours + 30 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None

Mini-challenge this hour:
..... Dewey's Go-Outside-for-a-Walk Mini-Challenge
..... I had to swear to Dewey that I "stopped reading, went outside, and moved my body in some way." When the rain temporarily stopped, I took out the garbage and got the mail. The garbage bin and the mail boxes are at opposite ends of my apartment complex, so I came back huffing and puffing from my quick walk ... not wanting to get caught in the next downpour, doncha know! Yes, I exercised my body instead of my brain for about 10-12 minutes. It was quite long enough, and now I want to stretch out and read. The problem: Will I fall asleep? Will I be awake enough to know when it's time for my hourly report? Stay tuned."
..... Yep, I stayed awake.

Eighth hour (7:00-8:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 32 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (27 pages)
..... Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora (32 pages)
..... Total pages today = 268 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I have completed another book.
..... And that's only because I threw in this children's picture book I need to review. It was "light" reading compared to what I've been reading today.
..... Oh, yeah! I also made supper and ate it while working on this report.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
20 minutes (240 minutes = 4 hours)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None

Mini-challenge this hour:
..... None this hour.

Seventh hour (6:00-7:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (27 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 27 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward (27 pages)
..... Total pages today = 236 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I'm re-reading this book for my book club and to write a book review, so I'm taking notes as I go. Otherwise, I would be reading more quickly than this appears.
..... We have a thunderstorm in progress outside, like the one Dewey was expecting in her part of the world earlier. However, it's making me SLEEPY, not simply cozy! That doesn't bode well for my page numbers!

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
25 minutes (220 minutes = 3 hours + 40 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None

Mini-challenge this hour:
..... None this hour, though at least one ... Lori's book cover collage challenge ... is still open.
..... Also, C. B. James has a book giveaway.

Sixth hour (5:00-6:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = 12 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung (12 pages)
..... Total pages today = 209 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... Nymeth said, "Yes, books that demand too much concentration are probably not the best for the Read-a-thon. I hope you make some good progress in your next book!"
..... I have to remind myself that I would normally spend LONG stretches reading Jung's book and making notes (which I've been doing in this hour). I don't usually stop abruptly every 45-55 minutes to go do something else, like post a report!
..... So is the question to see how many pages I can romp through? Or is my goal to keep reading through the books I want to finish?

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
30 minutes (195 minutes = 3 hours + 15 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None

Mini-challenge this hour:
Nah, I'm not taking the time.

Fifth hour (4:00-5:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (5 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = only 5 pages!

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (15 pages)
..... Total pages today = 197 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I'm putting aside the Faulkner book with its sentences half a page long that I have to read and re-read to make myself cognizant of what was said. I guess I'm not really much interested in a boy's "apprenticeship ... to manhood" (p. 15) by taking part in a hunt for a bear who'd been shot and trapped and mutilated multiple times since before the 16-year-old boy was born. I'm just not into that.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
10 minutes (165 minutes = 2 hour + 45 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None

Mini-challenge this hour:
Katherine's scavenger hunt is MIA. Was it a misunderstanding about time zones? Dewey doesn't know.

Fourth hour (3:00-4:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT and MINI-CHALLENGE

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (12 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (10 pages)
..... Total pages this hour = only 22 pages

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (182 pages)
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner (10 pages)
..... Total pages today = 192 pages

Comments about this hour:
..... I finished my first book.
..... I couldn't help myself; I had to type out some reading notes about Faulkner's humor:

(p. 4) Part of Faulkner's description of the pioneer Anglo-Saxon: ... uxorious and polygamous: a married invincible bachelor, dragging his gravid wife and most of the rest of his mother-in-law's family behind him ...

uxorious (adj.) = doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one's wife.
polygamous (adj.) = having more than one mate at a time [ant: monogamous].
gravid (adj.) = in an advanced stage of pregnancy; "was big with child"; "was great with child" [syn: big].

..... I'm having too much fun with Faulkner's words! Back to reading (must keep reading, must stay focused).
..... Posting updates every hour is eating into my reading time. I may have to change my mind about this.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
20 minutes (155 minutes = 2 hour + 35 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Andreea
..... Samantha
..... These are the Readers of Hour 3

Mini-challenge this hour (Hour 4):
Vasily's Challenge: Grab one of your favorite books and post one of your favorite quotes from it.

Oops! I posted this, but forgot to actually DO the mini-challenge, which tells me I'm trying to cover too many things each hour. Because I finished Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life by Abigail Thomas a few days ago, it was close enough to "grab" so I picked this humorous section as one of my favorites:

Her affair
"The funny thing is now she can't remember anything about that afternoon except the Great Dane part. And they weren't even there" (p. 71).

This remembering of something that did NOT happen made me laugh out loud.

Third hour (2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (69 pages)

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total collective # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (170 pages)

Comments about this hour:
..... Getting near the end of the book! I really settled in to read and covered a lot of ground.
..... I skipped cookies and snacked on raw cauliflower and tangy bacon tomato dip.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
50 minutes (135 minutes = 2 hour + 15 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None

Mini-challenge this hour:
There's not one this hour.

Second hour (1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (46 pages)

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total collective # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (101 pages)

Comments about this hour:
..... My sister-in-law Carol called from Birmingham and gave me a 5-minute update on my brother. He's in a lot of pain (as anyone would be, his doctor says, who has just had liver transplant surgery), but doing well enough to go to a room soon ... and probably go home in 2-3 weeks instead of 6 weeks.
..... I took time to make a sandwich for lunch. Next hour I'll probably snack on a cookie or two.

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
40 minutes (85 minutes = 1 hour + 25 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
None, but thanks to all who have stopped by here.

Mini-challenge this hour:
I'll pass ... I'm not into comics, graphic novels, or bookmooch ... and I need to keep reading!

First hour (12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT) ~ REPORT and MINI-CHALLENGE

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (55 pages)

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total collective # of pages):
..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas (55 pages)

Comments about this hour:
..... A Three Dog Life is a memoir about life after her husband was hit by a car and suffered a massive brain injury.
..... I haven't taken the time to update my online notes, but I'm writing down page numbers I want to quote when I get around to my online notes. (Click on the book's title to see where I keep my notes.)

Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
..... 45 minutes (45 minutes)

Other participants I've visited this hour:
..... Joy Renee, to cheer her on.
..... Darcie, for the mini-challenge.

Mini-challenge this hour:

INTRODUCTION MEME
Where are you reading from today?
I'm home alone, and the neighboring children who are usually noisy and rowdy are on vacation this week. So it's quiet and very conducive to reading.

3 facts about me
(1) I'm the sister of a man with a new liver about half a day ago.
(2) I'm (sometimes) very organized.
(3) I've always loved to read. Wait, this isn't news! Anybody in this Read-a-Thon is a lover of books. Okay, I've been a reader since the mid-1940s. Let's see you top that!

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Six, but I have children's books to review that I could read if I get tired of the six "heavier" books.

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
To finish one huge book (Jung's) that I've been reading, plus three smaller books (Thomas, Ward, Freud) and one short story (Faulkner's "The Bear").

Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
Too late for this, but have books to read that really interest you. Mine may look overwhelming to some people, but they are all books I had already bought or checked out of my library.

Now I can "read easy"

It was nearly 1:00 a.m. when my sister-in-law Carol called to tell me that my baby brother Jim, age 59, came through liver transplant surgery with flying colors. The surgery lasted seven or eight hours, I think, but he's in recovery and doing well. When Carol and Jim got the call Thursday evening, they had to drive from Chattanooga to Birmingham for the surgery. They'll be there for several weeks. Tonight their two sons are staying at the hotel with Carol, but they'll have to return to jobs and families after a few days.

No, I'm sure my brother's surgeon wasn't a temp, but it's nice to be able to laugh. I am aware that the donor's family won't do much laughing today.

Readathon ~ PROMPTS for hourly reports

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour (hourly # of pages):

..... A Three Dog Life ~ by Abigail Thomas
..... Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward
..... Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung
..... Moses and Monotheism ~ by Sigmund Freud
..... Big Woods ("The Bear") ~ by William Faulkner
..... The Devil in the White City ~ by Erik Larson

Books I've read (or dipped into) since I started (total collective # of pages):
Comments about this hour:
Time spent reading since my last post (and collectively):
Other participants I've visited this hour:
Mini-challenge this hour:


First hour (12:00-1:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Second hour (1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Third hour (2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Fourth hour (3:00-4:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE

Fifth hour (4:00-5:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Sixth hour (5:00-6:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Seventh hour (6:00-7:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Eighth hour (7:00-8:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE

Ninth hour (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Tenth hour (9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Eleventh hour (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Twelfth hour (11:00-12:00 midnight EDT) ~ DONE

Thirteenth hour (12:00-1:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Fourteenth hour (1:00-2:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Fifteenth hour (2:00-3:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Sixteenth hour (3:00-4:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE

Seventeenth hour (4:00-5:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Eighteenth hour (5:00-6:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Nineteenth hour (6:00-7:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Twentieth hour (7:00-8:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE

Twenty-first hour (8:00-9:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Twenty-second hour (9:00-10:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Twenty-third hour (10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT) ~ DONE
Twenty-fourth hour (11:00-12:00 noon EDT) ~ DONE

Okay, say it. You think this is quite obsessive, I can tell!

And all along I thought I was a blooming idiot

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

What does that mean? "You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."

What kind of flower are you?

24-hour Read-a-Thon

If you haven't heard about Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon, let me explain. It’s a challenge where everyone reads at the same time. For 24 hours, people read books, blog about what's been read (and how many pages), and visit the blogs of other participants. Last time, I signed on as a cheerleader (read my posts about the October 2007 Read-a-Thon), but this time I'd rather be one of the readers. So I'm about to dash over to Dewey's blog to sign up.

Here's a short template I may use when I post updates about my reading:

Title of book(s) I've been reading this hour:
Number of books I've read (or dipped into) since I started:
Pages read, collectively, since I started:
Time spent reading since my last post:
Total amount of time spent reading so far:
Mini-challenge this hour:
Other participants I've visited:
Comments about this hour:

I am giving myself permission to put a book aside and not finish it if it’s not holding my attention. This isn't a problem, since I normally have several books going at any time (see my sidebar for confirmation).

Renay made this handy list of readers who are taking part in this 24-hour challenge. Now I wonder: Will she add my name when I go sign up in a few minutes? We shall see. (Check it out for yourself, and see if she has added my name yet.)

Invitation to "Tell us a story"

Do you like to tell stories?
Did you ever sit around a campfire listening to stories?
I've started a new blog, one where we will share our stories.
Check it out:
Tell us a story.

Five things ~ a meme

Amy of Mediterranean Views has tagged me for a meme. Read to the bottom of this post to see if I tagged YOU. Now you may sing along with me:

Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.

Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say.

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day .. by ... day.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

I didn't retire until 2002, so I was working while trying to take care of my mother full time. She had Alzheimer's disease, which had gotten to the point that I couldn't get her to do what I asked. In the summer of 1998, Mother was among the dozen A.D. patients who took part in the first Alzheimer's camp in the nation, provided so caregivers could have a break. Realizing it's been ten years, this past weekend I watched the video provided to me by the Alzheimer's Association; it shows the campers swimming, singing, doing crafts, and generally having fun. Only two of the twelve were verbal, my mother and an elderly man, so they're the only talking campers on the video. The first thing Mother says on the tape is, "I like the people, and I haven't met anybody I don't like. Isn't that great?" A few minutes later she's singing, "Getting to know you, getting to feel free and easy." (What synchronicity! I had chosen the song above before watching this video again so I could tell you what Mother says on the tape.) The tape ends with Mother saying, "Go and try your best and learn. That's the only way it works. You can't do it for me and I can't do it for you, but I can learn to do it, whatever I'm trying to do. Might take me forever! But I have learned that ... just join in and try. You have to try." Mother died in 2004.

2. Name five things on your to-do list for today.

Post another book review (or two?)

Read more about Carl Jung

Kick-off a new blog called Tell us a story

Attend our book club discussion

De-clutter the stuff piled around the computer (click to enlarge cartoon)

3. What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Provide money for everyone in my family to go to college ... or finish college ... or take additional courses that interest them.
Improve educational opportunities in as many places as possible.
Provide education (or continuing education) for those who love to learn.
Set up classes so I can teach diversity, coexistence, and understanding.
Provide childcare so single parents would be able to study.

4. Name three of your bad habits.

Clutter (see above)
Procrastination (putting off writing book reviews)
Trying to do too many things (see my lists of books below)

5. What snacks do you enjoy?

Veggies like celery and cauliflower with dip
Popcorn, natural, without butter
Black cherry ice cream

6. What were the last five books you read?

Five? How about seven? in each category? during in the past couple of months?

FICTION

Property ~ by Valerie Martin, 2003
Staircase of a Thousand Steps ~ by Masha Hamilton, 2001
Windfalls ~ by Jean Hegland, 2004
Forgive Me ~ by Amanda Eyre Ward, 2007
The Distance Between Us ~ by Masha Hamilton, 2004
Change of Heart ~ by Jodi Picoult, 2008
The Camel Bookmobile ~ by Masha Hamilton, 2007

NONFICTION

Why Women Should Rule the World ~ by Dee Dee Myers, 2008
Great Possessions: An Amish Farmer's Journal ~ by David Kline, 1990
On Writing ~ by Stephen King, 2000
God and Empire ~ by John Dominic Crossan, 2007
The Soul Genome ~ by Paul Von Ward, 2008
The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears ~ by Theda Perdue and Michael D. Green, 2007
Cherokee Women ~ by Theda Perdue, 1998

CHILDREN'S

Winston of Churchill ~ by Jean Davies Okimoto, 2007
Rules Are Rules ~ by Julie Scandora, 2008
Read All About It! ~ by Laura Bush and Jenna Bush, 2008
Kersplatypus ~ by Susan K. Mitchell, 2008
And Tango Makes Three ~ by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, 2005
Life as We Knew It ~ by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 2006
Other Goose ~ by Barbara Klunder, 2007

CURRENTLY READING

Memories, Dreams, Reflections ~ by Carl Jung, 1961
The Portable Jung ~ edited by Joseph Campbell, 1971
Maggie Again ~ by John D. Husband, 2008
Fever 1793 ~ by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2000
Einstein's Dreams ~ by Alan Lightman, 1993
1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and the War They Failed to See ~ by Bruce Chadwick, 2008
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America ~ Erik Larson, 2003

7. What are five jobs you have had?

Babysitter
Management trainer
Ordained minister
Bookstore owner
College instructor

8. What are five places where you have lived?

Chattanooga, Tennessee
Signal Mountain, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Atlanta, Georgia
Morristown, Tennessee

9. What five people do you want to tag?

You, you, you, you, and you (yes, YOU).

10. Extra credit reading

If you want to see how I answered a very similar meme back in the olden days (almost three months ago) when I was asked for only FOUR things, click here.

Property ~ by Valerie Martin, 2003

Unfortunately, I posted this book as "What I'm reading now" a day after I started reading it. It's unfortunate because, at 198 pages, this was a quick read ... and I'm already finished with it on the day I get around to telling you I'm reading the book. This will be short and sweet because I'm still reading the heavy-heavier-heaviest books also listed in the sidebar: (1) Carl Jung's autobiography Memories, Dreams, Reflections; (2) The Portable Jung; and (3) Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City. I think I'll leave this book in the sidebar a few days, anyhow. Yes, it was that good.

Title, author, copyright date, and genre?
Property ~ by Valerie Martin, 2003, winner of the 2003 Orange Prize for Fiction

Summarize the book without giving away the ending
Jill summarizes the book quite nicely as "a fantastic look at antebellum slave-holding and marriage and its effect on the people living in this immoral system."

What did you think of the main character?
Although I don't think I'd enjoy her company, the author made me understand her in a way that made me sympathetic about her thinking; she was caught in a situation she hated.

From whose point of view is the story told?
Manon, the woman who's a slaveholder, even as she is trapped herself in a loveless marriage to a man she despises.

Share something from the book.

"Your uncle cautions you that Sarah may be very different when she returns," my aunt said. "She has passed as a free woman, and that experience is generally deleterious to a negro's character."

"She has done more than that," I observed. "She has tasted a freedom you and I will never know."

My aunt looked perplexed. "What is that?" she said.

"She has traveled about the country as a free white man."

Did you like the way the book ended?
I would have liked for the characters to have grown a bit more, but to satisfy me would have required that they jump from the mid-nineteenth-century into the twenty-first-century thinking. Obviously, that can't happen.

What do you think will be your lasting impression of this book?
Two women trapped in a world not of their making, each trying desperately to survive and thrive.

How would you rate this book?
Rated: 10/10, couldn't put it down

Possessing the Secret of Joy ~ by Alice Walker

(p. vi) Bollingen, the Stone

While reading Jung's Memories, Dreams, Reflections as part of my course of study, I was surprised by a photo of this stone. I thought, Hey! This stone is used on the cover of Alice Walker's book Possessing the Secret of Joy. Strange as it may sound, I bought the book because of the cover and have never read it. Maybe I should, now that I know its origin.

(click to enlarge the book's cover)

Carl Jung was a stone carver (I didn't know that, either) and carved this stone himself. He built his tower-house at Bollingen himself, and this stone was delivered by mistake. He liked the stone and kept it, carving this "mandala" on it.

If you've read the book, tell me what you thought about it, please. Should I read it?

Synchronicity of the First Order

Dear Ginnie, my friend,

You've gone and done it again, aiming me in a direction that will take another big chunk of time ... and I'm excited about it! I've decided to take a class in Jungian psychology. Here's the outline for the course, though I'll be reading (at this time) only two of the three "required" texts by Carl Jung. Dr. James J. Dillon, who taught this class in the fall of 2003 won't be my teacher, of course, as I've never even heard of him and I've missed the semester by almost five years. But he very kindly left his description of the course online, along with his list of texts (I'm skipping the first one for now) and course objectives (I'll pick and choose among these also, as I don't plan to have a "professional practice"). In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'll be doing this course of study on my own, with Carl Jung himself as my teacher. Since the course number is so high (psych 6785), I assume it's a doctoral (or at least master's) level course, so you may call me Dr. Bonnie when I finish. Consider this my first class report:

Synchronicity of the First Order

Yesterday I bought and started reading The Portable Jung, edited by Joseph Campbell. Going about this in my own inimitable way, I started with Chapter 13. (Hey, this was before I found Dr. Dillon's course outline while googling, so give me a break.) Anyway, I read the chapter about "The Difference Between Eastern and Western Thinking." That will have time to marinate in my noggin before I get to it about two-thirds of the way along in the course schedule.

Since I couldn't find a copy yesterday of Memories, Dreams, Reflections -- Jung's autobiography -- I got a copy today from the big library downtown and started reading. After all, it's the one you said I should read first of these two books. Page one is the beginning of the introduction by Aniela Jaffe, who recorded what Jung said and edited the book for publication. The very last line on the very first page has this sentence: "We began in the spring of 1957." And stamped below that was the date my library acquired this "cop.1" (first copy): JUN 1963.

Oh, what fun! In the spring of 1957, I was finishing my junior year in high school and would graduate in the class of 1958, exactly 50 years ago! Yes, I'm older than dirt, but we elderly grads have planned a sock hop for this fall. The synchronicity is not simply that "June 1963" is 45 years ago, though there's that, but that seeing the date took me back to the birth of my son in June 1963. I'm gonna guess that going through this self-imposed course of study of Jungian analytical psychology will be like birthing something new for me. I have read a bit by and about Carl Jung, but I've never really set out to integrate the big picture into my thinking. So wish me luck, Ginnie (and all of you who run across this posted on my book blog). I'm off and running. Gotta go now and read page TWO of the book.

Love,
~~~ Bonnie

Carl Gustav Jung was born on July 26, 1875 in Kesswil, Switzerland. He died on June 6, 1961 at the age of 85 in Zürich, Switzerland.

Link provided by Ginnie to the Jung Society of Atlanta.