How do you guys keep up?

So, due to the 48hbc and all I've discovered a corner of the internet I hadn't known about before, namely a large group of blogs interested in YA fiction and reading in general. But, there's so many great blogs to keep track of, how do you guys manage it?

48HBC Finished.

So.... I'm finished. I'm horribly tired again. As if what's been building up has suddenly slapped me with a sledgehammer. I'm at a loss for really what to say and my brain throbs as I try to compile the totals.

I made 12 blog entries prior to the competition ending. Each entry starting with a blurb announcing the book and being edited when I finished the book to include a small portion of my thoughts about the book.

I also made infrequent updates to twitter, not sure whether to consider those networking or blogging, however, they were made only a few times in the middle of a book, mostly when I finished a book I posted that I'd finished it and that I was moving on.

All in all, I logged 61 minutes blog/networking. They were merely hiccups in my reading meant to assure people I was still alive and still reading. I'm kinda upset that it added up to that much time, even though it counts for the contest, it -does- mean if I want to be truly honest with myself about reading for 48 hours straight, after this post I have to go back to a book for another hour.

I have to say thanks again to the people commenting, the people congratulating, and so on. Also have to give thanks to my wife once again for putting up with all this silliness and making it possible for me to devote every waking minute to it and tolerating it well.

So. Totals!

Blogging/Networking: 1 hour 1 minute
Reading: 46 hours 59 minutes
Breaks: 0
Snacks: 12 granola bars, 2 apples.
Drinks: 14 bottles of water were sacrificed.
Pages Read: 3374 :: 1.52 pages per minute.

Final thoughts.

I went into this because I felt like I had the time to spend and I generally don't do a whole lot better with my time. I didn't imagine that it would actually exhaust me to the point it did. I've been up for many a 48+ hour stretch due to back pain and insomnia, so I didn't think reading would add too much to the normal fatigue. I was dead wrong. If I ever participate again, I don't think I'll aim for a 48 hour solid stretch.

Book 12 - Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember

Going to read Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember for my 12th book of the 48HBC. I don't suspect that I'll finish it in an hour. But will get as far as I can.

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Buzzer on contest sounded directly at 7:00pm. 93 pages into the book. I will finish it, but, later. After this, I'm going to want a few days away from books I think.

The portion I've read was very enjoyable. It's shaping up to be a great read, and I stopped right before what I'm sure is a very important part ;-;. It might drag me back in. Poppy had just chewed on something she shouldn't have! :(.

But, I digress, I try not to mention events in the books too often in my reviews cause I -hate- spoilers. I've enjoyed what I've read so far, and it's an interesting world that the characters live in. It does a decent (but not perfect job) at being believable. Will finish it up later.

Books 9, 10, and 11 - L.J. Smith's Night World No. 1

Tackling something a bit different this time. An multiple book tome. L.J. Smith's Night World No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder.

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Finished 'Secret Vampire' at 38 hrs 22 minutes.

Finished 'Daughters of Darkness' at 42 hrs 31 minutes.

Finished 'Spellbinder' at 46 hrs 43 minutes.

All 3 of the books contained in this tome are great stories. The way they're laid out reminded me of some of the old TV serials like Outer Limits or Tales from the Darkside. The recurring theme are the rules governing Night World, they're the rules that keep the creatures of the night seperate and 'safe' from human interference. In each of the three tales the characters skirt the rules and consequences around them.

I've got approximately and hour and 1/2 left of reading. My wife is absolutely wonderful for putting up with me. I've been reading for 46 hours straight. During this time she's been providing me with snacks, drinks, and moral support. Putting up with the fact that I have a book in my face while eating dinner and basically sacrificing my presence for as long as this competition has gone on.

I'm sorry that in my semi-sleep deprived state, I've only just now noticed the people that have left comments for me to read. -Thank you!- I appreciate the support, contact, and communication. I apologize as well that I'll answer them, but, only after finishing my 48 hours and getting some rest. I've not socialized yet, and don't intend to detract from the challenge I gave myself to read for 48 hours straight any more then I've had to with the twitter posts and blog updates.

I will say, that at this point, my body has given up on obtaining sleep, and I seem to be a bit more lucid (god only knows if I really am) then I have been in the past 12 hours. Almost feel a bit hyper since the ending is coming up.

Going to be finishing the contest reading Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember.

Book 8 - Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure

Book 8 will be P.B. Kerr's Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure. Would have loved to be reading Fablehaven #4 just to get the series finished, but, I don't have it. :(

So, off we go into a different series!

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Finished 33 hours 27 minutes in.

A very, very, hard to read book at this point in time. Perhaps if I was more lucid it wouldn't bother me so much, but the font and typesetting in this book were horrid. Along with several large capital words when discussing 'focus words' that allow the djinn to focus their power. Phillipa's word is just down right astonishingly -bad- to see on paper. This alone made me rather distasteful of this book. The story itself isn't -that- bad, but, it's easy to get distracted from the story itself with the awful type and some of the large capital lettered words littering the page. I do think I will give this book a second chance when I've not been reading for 33 hours straight.

Book 7 - Fablehaven #3: Grip of the Shadow Plague

The 3rd installment in the Fablehaven series and my 7th book of the 48hbc. I'm starting to question my ability to go on, and I haven't even reached the halfway point. I'm lucky to have the support of my wife in this endeavor. My brain is starting to falter from lack of sleep. Will try to keep the posts making some semblence of sense and on topic, but, forgive me if they go steadily south from here.

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Finished at 29 hours 25 minutes.

Follows a familiar formula for the fablehaven series, although the kids both seem more capable and more familiar with their surroundings in Fablehaven and less clumsy overall. It's more of the same.

Book 6 - Fablehaven #2: Rise of the Evening Star

The 6th book for the 48hbc will be Brandon Mull's Fablehaven #2: Rise of the Evening Star. I'm starting to feel a little bit of the wear and tear of the challenge, but, will ask for coffee to be made and have my pile of snacks replenished. Maybe get some of those 5 hour energy drinks as well.

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Finished at 21 hours 26 minutes. This is starting to hurt. I'm not sure I can do 26 1/2 more hours of this. I'm very determined to try my hardest though. I'm very much feeling the lack of sleep right now, but, wanting to wait as long as possible before downing energy drinks and other methods of keeping myself awake.

The book was fun, a little better than the first in my opinion, but, still carried the same theme of kids screwing up/being irresponsible and then things turning out alright. It does have some themes about the nature of people and how people use other people for their own ends and how they earn trust only to turn it around. It feels more thought out than the first book in some respects, but, again the whole 'dues ex machina' thing where just the right item is provided early on to placate one of the largest threats presented in this book. I'm finding it harder to write these reviews the further I get into this. I'd not say it's a bad book, cause I enjoyed reading it. But, it lacks the feeling that there's ever any real danger cause anytime something bad happens, you know they've been given a solution to the problem far earlier in the book.

Moving on to Fablehaven Book 3: Grip of the Shadow Plague.

Book 5 - Fablehaven

Announcing next book in my running of the 48hbc, Brandon Mull's Fablehaven.

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My mind is starting to lag after 17 1/2 hours of straight reading, and I have trouble thinking of what to say about this book. I enjoyed reading it, but, parts of it felt guilty for enjoying it. The ending was very much a case of 'deus ex machina'. A lot of it reminded me of Harry Potter in that kids do something wrong and then by nigh accident manage to set it all right again before the end and are rewarded for the misbehavior.

Book 4 - Redwall

Book #4 in my bid for 48hbc glory. Brian Jacques' Redwall. Going to try and take my time on this, as stated in my previous post, I just feel wrong consuming these books that fast. Especially with Alanna, I just want it to keep going and don't want to finish the story cause then there'll be no more left!

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Finished at 13 hours 28 minutes into the challenge.

I begrudgingly bid adieu to the world of Redwall and it's inhabitants. I can't believe that I've let this book go unread for so long. I'm saddened that I don't have more of the books in this setting.

Next up, Brandon Mull's Fablehaven.

Starting my third book in the 48hbc, Tamora Pierce's In the Hand of the Goddess.

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Finished 9 hours 26 minutes into the 48hbc

In this book, Alanna blossoms into a strong capable woman and brings a bit of closure to some things from the first book. I'm eager to tackle the next book in the series after this, but, almost feel guilty that I'll probably read all four books in less than 24 hours. Some of this constant reading feels like it detracts from the value books provide. An author spends months writing a book, and I've consumed three in less than 10 hours. Anyways, enough babble, more reading. So, even though I'm eager to read more of Alanna's adventures. I'm going to take a detour into the land of Redwall for my next book.

Second Book - Tamora Pierce's Alanna

Chose and started Tamora Pierce's Alanna, first book in the Song Of The Lioness series, one of her many novels set in the Tortall lands. Decided I better write this post before I forget entirely. :)

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1:30am on Saturday, that makes it 6 and 1/2 hours into the 48hbc, I've finished Alanna. An amazing read. The cross-dressing/gender-bending might be an issue to some, however, it does a wonderful job of conveying the strength and conviction of a young girl in achieving her goals. I'm going to start the second book in the series 'In The Hand of The Goddess' next.

Starting 48HBC!

Writing this post a little early so not to cut into my time, but officially starting the 48hbc. I will be starting with Bruce Coville's Into The Land Of The Unicorns.

Official start time for me is 7:00pm on June 5th.

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Finished after 2 1/2 hours. I feel like my reading engine is slow, maybe it's just warming up. So 2 1/2 ours into the challenge and 159 pages. I'm delighted to report that Into The Land Of The Unicorns was a fun fantasy romp. I think it was mainly me that made this a slow read, kinda trying to pace myself in the challenge and not breeze through my entire stack of books.

On a 5-star scale rating, it gets 4 stars. The biggest let down being that it's over all too soon.

Entering the 48HBC

Starting this blog specifically for the 48 hour book challenge. It officially starts tomorrow at 7:00 a.m.. Not sure exactly when I'll start my 48 hour period of reading, but it ends no later than 7:00 a.m. Monday. So, there's a tiny bit of leeway. Wish me luck~.