Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - The Wrap-Up Post

This is the third read-a-thon I've entered, and the one that went better, I think. Having a whole week dedicated to reading really pays off.

The stats:

• I read 2088 pages (an average of 232 pages per day)
• I read for 28 hours and a half (an average of 3 hours and 10 minutes per day)
• I read 12 comic books (Ligue-me ao Céu - O Próximo!, Janry, Stuf; Billy the Cat - Vida de Bichano, Stephen Desberg, Peral; Maria Calafrio 1 - Chegou o Tempo das Papoilas, Eric Baptizat, Olivier Supiot; Um Invulgar Anjo da Guarda, Denis-Pierre Filippi, Sandrine Revel; O Boss Sou Eu, Philippe Bercovici, Zidrou; Os Túnicas Azuis - Réquiem por um Azul, Raoul Cauvin, Willy Lambil; Despertar - Pesadelos, Alfonso Azpiri; Viagem com Quino e Mafalda, Quino; Fol, Patrick Prugne; Fadas e Ternos Autómatos, Téhy, Béatrice Tillier; Âromm - Destino Nómada, Jorge Zentner, Ruben Pellejero; Nomad - Memória Viva, Jean-David Morvan, Sylvain Savoia, Philippe Buchet, Jean-Jacques Yves)
• I read 3 YA full books (Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein; Foretold, Jana Oliver; Havoc, Jeff Sampson)
• I read the last third of a pending book (Acácia - Presságios de Inverno, David Anthony Durham)

I've accomplished my goals:

• I read every day for at least an hour
• I entered all the challenges I could
• I updated my progress everyday
• I read 3 books (two from my Want To Pile and one from my Back Up Pile) and a lot of comic books

I think I read a lot more than I usually do, even though my blog posts fell a bit behind. I did lower my TBR a bit, which was great. I would have liked to socialize and explore everyone's blogs a bit more, but time is limited and I couldn't. I hope I can do better in the next one.

I'd like to thank the hosts and everyone who hosted a challenge - truly, it was so much fun to answer your challenges!

Here is a list of my blog posts for the read-a-thon:

Starting Post

Saturday, August 4th

Sunday, August 5th

Monday, August 6th

Tuesday, August 7th

Wednesday, August 8th

Thursday, August 9th

Friday, August 10th

Saturday, August 11th

Sunday, August 12th

Challenge: Where did you read this summer? hosted by Jude @ In Between

Show us some pictures of the places were you read this summer, whether it was in your cozy home, by the beach, the park, anywhere! We want to know where you spend this summer! You don't need to be in the picture, you can just show us or describe your reading space for the summer.

Er... I haven't been to anywhere special this summer, so my reading places were the same as the ones I read in throughout the whole year:

The couch - notice the artfully (not!) placed books (some of the books I read for this RAT), my CD player (I feel old just mentioning it, let alone using it), a newspaper, and that pile of pillows which I use to lean on.

My bed - usually in a state of disarray, and the place where I alternate reading with napping.

The bus - not this one, exactly, but I travel mainly by bus, so I usually read on it while going to work and getting back home.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Sunday, August 12th

Pages: 125

Hours: 2 hours and a half

Books: Acácia - Presságios de Inverno, David Anthony Durham
Since I wasn't keen on starting a book when this RAT is about to finish, I decided to go off pile and finish reading a pending book.

Challenge: Volleyball by the Beach hosted by Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews

You and your friends are really getting into your game of volleyball, when you go in for a spike and accidentally hit the ball way out of bounds.  Here's where this gets fun:  your stray ball bops a fictional character on the head!  Who did you hit?  How do they react?

Well, the ball is headed towards Ron Weasley and Hermione Watson. Ron tries to deflect the ball with the spell Wingardium Leviosa, but fails and gets hit on his head. Hermione laughs at him. Ron and Hermione then start an argument about the proper way of pronouncing Wingardium Leviosa.

Challenge: Quote Challenge hosted by Margie @ Bumbles and Fairy-Tales

All you have to do is match the quotes to their books and leave your answers in the rafflecopter below. :)

 

Great challenge. I did manage to match the quote to the books, and it was amusing to try to guess the matches.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Saturday, August 11th

Pages: 280

Hours: 4 hours

Books: Havoc, Jeff Sampson

Challenge: Title Story Challenge hosted by Patrick @ The Bookshelves

You pick around 10 books with titles you like and challenge everyone participating to make a phrase with them and leave it in the comments section.

US challenge.

Challenge: Paranormal Summer hosted by Stephanie @ A Dream Within a Dream

For one summer night, you have the opportunity to be any paranormal creature that you want. Leave me a comment with what creature you would be and what you would want to do - or leave me a link to your post answering this challenge. Be as creative/funny/original as you want!

If it's for one night, an angel! I could use the wings to fly and be free, to soar above the city lights and the darkened fields, and to just have a different perspective of the world.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Friday, August 10th

Pages: 239

Hours: 4 hours

Books: Foretold, Jana Oliver (finished it)

Challenge: Laughing Out Loud Challenge hosted by Montana @ The Book Belles

For this challenge, just leave the funniest book quotes you know in the comment section. 

I just spent ages at Goodreads to search for favourite book quotes.

 

Sigh, I just love Zuzanna and her remarks when she meets Akiva.

“Oh, Hell. Must. Mate. Immediately.”
― Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone

 Suzanne Collins has a funny, sarcastic streak. These, for example, make me chuckle.

“I guess this is a bad time to mention I hung a dummy and painted Seneca Crane's name on it...”
― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

“So Haymitch, what do you think of the games have one hundred percent more competitors than usual?” asks Caesar.
Haymitch shrugs. “I don’t see that it makes that much difference. They’ll still be one hundred percent as stupid as usual, so I figure my odds will be roughly the same.”
― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

Tris is funny when doped, I'll say.

“I pout my lower lip for a second, but then I grin as the pieces come together.
"That's why you like me!" I exclaim. "Because you're not very nice either! It makes so much more sense now.”
― Veronica Roth, Insurgent

Love how Rachel Vincent writes some stuff. Especially Tod. Sabine is funny too, when she is in the right mood.

“I'm dead, not impotent. Nasty rumors like that must be squashed before they gain momentum. Feel free to emphasize how very functional I am.”
― Rachel Vincent, If I Die

“If you want to call yourself my friend, you should know that position comes with boundaries."
Sabine frowned. "I'm no good with boundaries."
"Yes, and the ocean is damp. Can we be done with
the understatements now?”
― Rachel Vincent, Before I Wake

I love Julia Quinn's humour. It's what made me a fan.

“In three days," he continued, "I will be your husband. I will take a solemn vow to protect you until death do us part. Do you understand what that means?"
"You'll save me from marauding minotaurs?”
― Julia Quinn, Romancing Mister Bridgerton

“And what renders him so unmarriageable?” Eloise asked.
Francesca leveled a serious stare at her older sister. Eloise was mad if she thought she should set her cap for Michael.
“Well?” Eloise prodded.
“He could never remain faithful to one woman,” Fran-cesca said, “and I doubt you‟d be willing to put up with infidelities.”
“No,” Eloise murmured, “not unless he‟d be willing to put up with severe bodily injury.”
― Julia Quinn, When He Was Wicked

 

Well, this sums up pretty well The Lies of Locke Lamora. Locke gets into so much trouble it's a wonder he survives any of it.

“Some day, Locke Lamora,” he said, “some day, you’re going to fuck up so magnificently, so ambitiously, so overwhelmingly that the sky will light up and the moons will spin and the gods themselves will shit comets with glee. And I just hope that I’m still around to see it.”
“Oh please,” said Locke, “it’ll never happen”.”
― Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora

Challenge: Book Cover Challenge hosted by Shreya @ Chocolate Coated Reviews

All you have to do is be able to identify 5/10 cover snippets posted below for a chance to win this thang! They're all YA contemp. or summer reads. I made it pretty easy to tell which covers, so it shouldn't be too hard, I hope.

Another US/Can one. It was fun to try to figure out the covers, though.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Thursday, August 9th

Pages: 264 (63 + 201)

Hours: 4 hours and a half

Books:
Havoc, Jeff Sampson
Foretold, Jana Oliver

I am weak. I had started Havoc early morning today, but then the postman brought me some ordered books and Foretold was among them! I got so excited I had to start it right away, even though I'm not one to abandon a book like this. Forgive me, Emily and Spencer, but Riley and Beck will always be first in my heart and my attention.

Challenge: The Flower Challenge hosted by Rachel @ Unforgettable Books

I have always liked flowers. They many amazing flower names and uses for flowers; from remembering love ones to gifts. For my challenge you can use any flower name and use it as the stem for an acrostic poem. I think this challenge is a great way to create a fun poem. You can complete this challenge as a blog post or in comments till the end of the read-a-thon, which is midnight, in whatever time zone you are in, on August 12th. The poem will be you describing why you like reading, blogging or any hobby you are passionate about. You can use a flower name as short as rose or as long as carnation!

I'm not sure whether to try this one. I suck at poetry, and the last try really exhausted me.

Challenge: Dystopian Challenge hosted by Christina @ A Reader of Fictions

Today's challenge is inspired by one of those suggestions, Diana Peterfreund's For Darkness Shows the Stars. FDStS is a dystopian retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I want you to leave a comment, telling me what classic novel you would like to see turned into a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel. If you have some serious thought on why and how, I'll give you an extra point for entertaining me!

Wuthering Heights! The dark undertones of this novel fit perfectly with a dystopian/post-apocalyptic scenario. Imagine a dystopian society, where rank and social standing dictate everything you do - working, falling in love, even getting the most basic necessities! Two crazy kids fall madly and obsessively in love, but the social tensions break them apart, leading to a bitter ending.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Wednesday, August 8th

Pages: 207

Hours: 3 hours and a half

Books: Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein (finished it)

Challenge: Book Couples hosted by Daphne @ Winged Reviews

Comment on this post and tell us about two characters from two separate books (not in the same series) who would make a great love match! Then be creative and let us know where they would go on a summer date!

I've been playing over in my head a list of memorable books and characters, because I am reluctant to choose someone who's already paired up in their own series - and I came up with Pam from the Southern Vampire series and Stefan from the Mercy Thompson series. She has a deadpan attitude to humanity, while he clings to his. She has a strange humor, he has a more honest approach to life. It would be so much fun to watch them together. I'm thinking... since they can't be out during the day, let's take them to night showing of a vampire movie. I'd love to watch their reactions to that!

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Tuesday, August 7th

Pages: 114

Hours: 2 hours

Books: Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein

Challenge: Book Puzzle hosted by Amanda @ Pearl the Book Girl

For this challenge I'm excited to be doing one of my favorite posts, a book puzzle.  All you have to do is create a series of photos and images that visually represent a book title, kind of like a Rebus puzzle.

This is US/Canada only, so I won't be able to enter. I do this kind of puzzle every week here in my blog, every Wednesday, so I'm saving myself for tomorrow.

Challenge: Mystery Title hosted by Allison @ Abibliophobic

Here at Abibliophobic, I'm hosting the Mystery Title Challenge. Below you'll find a form with 10 different YA titles that are scrambled! Let's see if someone can get them all! This challenge will run until the end of the Read-a-Thon! Here's a hint: 3 of the 10 books I've reviewed here at Abibliophobic and the rest can be found on my goodreads account on one of my shelves.

Another US/Canada one - I'll sit this one out as well, and dedicate myself to reading.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Monday, August 6th

Pages: 102

Hours: 2 hours

Books: Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein

Challenge: Cover Love Challenge hosted by Emily @ Falling for YA

The challenge is simple just show me the covers of one or more books released during the summer that you love!

Actually, when I looked for books released this summer, I found so many favorite covers I did a top 5 of sorts - and I'm not one to usually make these!

#5 - Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

So simple, yet so cute; I love the windy effect and the color combination and simplicity of the dress and the background.

#4 - Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Love the feathers, their color. Again, simplicity.

#3 - The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

That effect on the water!

#2 - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I love this girl, and how fierce she looks. And the city behind looks... awesomely ghost-like.

#1 - Touched by Cyn Balog

That smokey thingie! And the carnival-like background! And the colors! And the font! It's books like this one that make me want to buy them just because of their cover.

Challenge: Summer Vacations hosted by Shae @ Understanding Shae’s Story

Just tell me your ideal vacation inside of a certain book!

This is US/Canada only, so I won't be able to enter, but I'll leave here my answer anyways:

I know this is a crazy ideia, but I'd like to visit some dystopian/post-apocalyptic settings - like Atlanta in Jana Oliver's Forsaken (and the following books), or Veronica Roth's Divergent, or even Marie Lu's Legend. I'm a sucker for worldbuilding, so dystopian scenarios have a certain appeal to me - I love to figure out how things turned out to be that way in those places.

That is why I'm a sucker for fantasy as well - and how nice wouldn't it be to visit Hogwarts, or best of all, Middle Earth! I kind of dreamed of being a character in the Lord of the Rings books when I read them, because how awesome would it be to explore that vast, beautiful, diverse world?

Challenge: Summer Party Challenge hosted by Mackenzie @ Oh For the Love of Books!

Alright y'all. I've got a problem. I've got to throw a summer party and well...I'm not exactly the most creative person out there. But it's the end of summer and I want to plan a rocking party!

And that's where y'all come in:
In the comments below I want y'all to leave your most rockin', fun and creative idea for a summer party. Money's not an issue. Just let those creative juices flow!

Since money's no issue, I'd buy a whole Caribbean tropical island for my guests, with all the commodities. I'd have food and drinks for everyone, and I'd provide entertainment for them - all the kinds of water sports (or other sports as well), and instructors for everyone who wishes to learn them; and boat rides everywhere (to sightsee... my island would have lots of places worthy of sightseeing). I'd like to provide some musical entertainment as well, and every whim my guests had would be catered to by a small army of assistants. We would dance till the dawn, and then go to the beach the next day, just to sunbathe!

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Sunday, August 5th

Pages: 533 (504 + 29)

Hours: 4 hours

Books:

Os Túnicas Azuis - Réquiem por um Azul, Raoul Cauvin, Willy Lambil

Despertar - Pesadelos, Alfonso Azpiri

Viagem com Quino e Mafalda, Quino

Fol, Patrick Prugne

Fadas e Ternos Autómatos, Téhy, Béatrice Tillier

Âromm - Destino Nómada, Jorge Zentner, Ruben Pellejero

 Nomad - Memória Viva, Jean-David Morvan, Sylvain Savoia, Philippe Buchet, Jean-Jacques Yves

Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein

Challenge: Hotter Than Summer hosted by Trini @ A Book Lovers' Review

I need for you to create a small but fun post with a
1. List of characters (as many as you want) that you think are HOTTER than Summer
2. Add the book title or book cover
3. Put your rating
4. Link up your review (Amazon, blog, Goodreads, etc.)
5. Explain why you picked him or her.

This is US/Canada only, so I won't be able to enter, but I might answer this one for fun later.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Saturday, August 4th

Pages: 224

Hours: 2 hours

Books:

Ligue-me ao Céu - O Próximo!, Janry, Stuf
Billy the Cat - Vida de Bichano, Stephen Desberg, Peral

Maria Calafrio 1 - Chegou o Tempo das Papoilas, Eric Baptizat, Olivier Supiot

Um Invulgar Anjo da Guarda, Denis-Pierre Filippi, Sandrine Revel

O Boss Sou Eu, Philippe Bercovici, Zidrou

Challenge: Wicked Summer Cover Challenge hosted by Jessica @ Wickedly Bookish

Are you ready to get cozy in your favorite reading spot, surrounded by books while you sip your favorite beverage? I know I am! While you are spending those hours in literary bliss, why not double the fun with a little cover scavenger hunt? There is a list of items to keep an eye out for below. You may use one cover for multiple items.

This challenge runs for the duration of the RAT so you will have a chance to not only find the items on the books you read, but also on the books other Summer Wrap-Up RAT participants are reading. Make a post showing us the covers with the items you have found (you don't need to find them all) and link it in the comments section of this post! This can be done anytime during the RAT.

Sun
A teeny bikini
Beach umbrella
Sandcastle
Oceanscape or a beach scene
Sunflower
An American flag (4th of July)
Lemonade/Iced Tea
Sunset
Sailboat
Camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, etc.)
Sunglasses
Swimming Pool
Sun bather
Picnic

So, here's my answer... or the beginning of it. I plan to further research covers to fit the other challenge words, so I may be updating this post a little bit more.

The sunset, sun and sunflower covers.

The bikini, sunglasses and oceanscape/beach scene covers.

Challenge: Rewrite the Synopsis hosted by Misa @ Skyway Avenue

Choose any book from the books you plan on reading for the Summer Read-A-Thon, and re-write it's synopsis.

I chose Stray, by Rachel Vincent.

Faythe Sanders may look like your average college student. She's not. With each foot in two different worlds, she is also a shapeshifter - a werecat. Female werecats are rare among her species, so they are highly protected by each Pride, but Faythe escaped a controlled life for a normal one. Now a Stray werecat is on the hunt. And Faythe is on his path.

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon - Starting Post

The Summer Wrap-Up Read-a-Thon is hosted by Jennifer @ Some Like It Paranormal and Jude @ In Between and it is meant to give everyone a little motivation to finish their summer reading. I didn't, and won't, have summer vacations (maybe later in the year), but I certainly welcome a little motivation to get to lower my TBR pile, so here I am, creating my starting post, with my goals and expectations.

As for my goals, I'd like to:

• Read every day, and at least for an hour (longer on the weekends);
• Enter some of the challenges (maybe all of them, if possible);
• Update my progress everyday;
• Read 3 books and a few comic books/graphic novels.

As for the books I'd like to read, I like to keep my options open and have room for a little leeway, so I created three piles:

My Want To Pile: books I really want to read.

• Stray, Rachel Vincent
• Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein

I am expecting a few books from the Book Depository, so if any of them arrives this week, they'll likely get priority:

• Foretold, Jana Oliver
• Losing Lila, Sarah Alderson
• The Forsaken, Lisa Stasse
• Throne of Glass, Sarah J. Maas
• Easy, Tammara Webber

My Back Up Pile: books I'd like to read soon anyways, and can be read if any of my ordered books doesn't arrive.

• Fated, Sarah Alderson
• The Pledge, Kimberly Derting
• Vixen, Jillian Larkin
• Havoc, Jeff Sampson

My Comic Book Pile: comic books I'd like to read, probably will be so on the weekends.