Hi everyone! It’s morning, and I’m psyched to be participating in my first #readathon. I’m getting cozy in my book nook with some orange juice, my books, and a fuzzy blanket.
Book #1 on the agenda is “The Doll House” edited by Ellen Datlow. It’s a super creepy collection of short stories of horror and the macabre, all of which are centered around dolls. But unlike most doll-related horror, the dolls themselves aren’t evil, but rather the humans around them. I expect to finish this one pretty quickly, because I’ve already started the book and will be starting close to the end.
9:00 am update – Finished “The Doll Collection.” Next up, “The Empire of Imagination,” a biography of Gary Gygax, who invented the iconic roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve been playing DND for a couple years now, so it’s neat to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the origins of the game.
A photo posted by Grace Troxel (@gtroxel) on
3pm (ish) update – As much as I conceptually love the idea of 24 solid hours dedicated to reading, I knew from the start that real life would probably get in the way. After reading 30ish pages of “The Empire of Imagination,” I went to visit a friend in the hospital. The since I was already out, I swung by Whole Foods, picked up some pork belly, and made some kickass ramen as a late lunch. If you didn’t already know, ramen is the food of the gods. Now I’m back in my reading nook, ready to dig back into my book.
4:30 pm update – Just finished “The Empire of Imagination.” Ended up sobbing over Gary Gygax’s death, even though I knew from the beginning of the book what would happen. Hoping my next book is a little more cheerful. I’m planning on finishing up “Sabella” by Tanith Lee. It’s a sci-fi vampire novel, and I’m loving what I’ve read so far.
Next #readatgon goal: finish “Sabella” by Tanith Lee.
A photo posted by Grace Troxel (@gtroxel) on
8:30 pm update – I finished “Sabella” and was super super impressed. Then, as I was deciding which book to read next, I got super cozy and fell asleep. Ooops. Now I’m making dinner, and then will begin my next book.
9:00 update – Time to start reading “The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russell, on loan from one of my coworkers.
Final update: I ended up going to bed a little before 2 am, after getting about halfway through “The Sparrow.” Even though I didn’t spend the entire 24 hours reading, I’m glad I participated, as the time I did spend allowed me to tackle several of the books I was was in the middle of (I tend to read lots of books at the same time), and to give myself some much-needed me time. I hope to join again next time!
Good luck with the readathon! The Doll Collection sounds creepy, enjoy:-)
It was super creepy! Some of the stories were pretty intense.