Fairy Tale Readathon Updates

DAY ONE (October 17)

Beginning the readathon: Tonight (night of Oct 16-17), I am starting Sisters Red. I don't really want to stay up late tonight to finish it, since I have to be awake for the rest of the week, but I am going to try to make a dent. I expect my best reading days will be Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

4pm: I just finished Sisters Red, which was a great read and a perfect start to this readathon. I am very excited to read Sweetly, but next I am going to start on an old favorite - Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. I loved Sun and Moon last time I read it (links to my review from way back in 2010), and I am looking forward to diving back into this beautiful retelling.

Later: I just finished Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow in the wee hours of the night tonight (and I am falling asleep as write this). It was lovely and beautiful, just as I had remembered. Tomorrow I won't have much time for reading, but I am going to begin A Tale Dark and Grimm and see how far I get. Dark and Grimm is one of the shorter books I'm reading this week, so I might be able to finish it in one night, but if not, I will at least have begun it. I know very little about Dark and Grimm, other than it's a retelling and in a narrative style I think I will love.

DAY TWO (October 18)

Today was a great day, but I got literally zero reading done. I was at school from 8am until 9:30pm, and when I got home, I had enough energy to eat dinner, do my homework, write this update, and fall into bed. Tomorrow I will have more time to read.

Well, maybe I can read just one chapter... or three.

DAY THREE (October 19)

I finished A Tale Dark and Grimm, which was great, but it was also a surprisingly packed evening, with very little time for reading. Tomorrow I will try to save more time for this readathon. However, despite the fact that the last two nights I haven't had much time to read, I am really enjoying this readathon. I can't wait for the next three days.

DAY FOUR (October 20)

I spent today not reading much - yet again. I finished the first half of Sweetly, but put it aside to hang out with my brother. What can I say? Family trumps even readathoning.

DAY FIVE (October 21)

Today I finally got back into the reading mood and not only finished Sweetly (which was excellent) but also started In A Glass Grimmly, which wasn't on my original readathon TBR, but when I finished A Tale Dark and Grimm, I had to run out and immediately buy the next volume.

Tomorrow is the last day of the readathon! Good luck, everyone!

DAY SIX (October 22)

I finished In A Glass Grimmly late last night, and I really liked it. I enjoyed the narrator's comments even more in the second book, although I preferred the story of A Tale Dark and Grimm. Today I would like to begin the Sisters Grimm books I have set aside. I don't know if I will have time to finish even the first book, since I won't be able to stay up all night (or at least, I shouldn't stay up all night). Nevertheless, I am excited to race to the finish line.

Fairy Tale Readathon

For the next week, I will be participating in the Fairy Tale Readathon hosted by Debz Bookshelf. I am really excited and I have a whole bunch of books I want to read. My list is a little bit ambitious, but that is the fun of readathons. My TBR for this readathon is:

1. Sisters Red, by Jackson Pearce
2. Sweetly, by Jackson Pearce
3. Sisters Grimm (series), by Michael Buckley
4. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, by Jessica Day George
5. The Near Witch, by Victoria Schwab
6. A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz

Also, I have been slowly making my way through my copy of Tales from Grimm and Andersen for a little more than a year. I want to make a lot of progress in that book as well during this readathon. I can't wait to begin!

Interview Swap: Debz Bookshelf

Today I have a special treat for you: Debz from Debz Bookshelf and I are doing an interview swap. Here are Debz' answers to my questions, and when you're done, head over to Debz Bookshelf for my answers to her questions.

Welcome, Debz!

When did you start blogging, and why? 
I started book blogging in April of 2011 after my personal blog started overflowing with bookish thoughts and I needed somewhere to catch them all. And thus Darlin’ Deb’s Bookshelf was born (and then quickly renamed Debz Bookshelf, ‘cause I wanted to sound all cool.)

What is your proudest achievement as a blogger?
Surviving it all? I’m honestly kind of shocked that I’ve made it so far. And I guess the biggest things I’ve successfully done as a blogger are host my Fairy Tales Retold Challenge and upcoming/recent (Oct. 17th) Fairytale-a-Thon-- you can tell I like fairy tales.

What advice would you like to give bloggers who are just starting out?
Learn about everything and be patient! I knew nothing about book blogging when I started out, and that really effected my first year of blogging. And then once I knew what I was doing, I began being really impatient with everything. I started wanting a bunch of ARC’s and followers and it took me awhile to realize that those come with time. Now I’m just as gracious and patient as I can be, and things have never been better!

What advice would you like to ask from more experienced bloggers?
How do you balance your time? A lot of times it’s hard for me to find a good balance between reading, blogging, and the real world, But all those big bloggers seem to be pros!

What are some of your favorite reviews that you’ve written? Feel free to link them up here.
My most memorable reviews are those of Wither, Enchanted, Before I Fall, and Palace of Stone but I don’t think I could pick a favorite!

What is something surprising about yourself from your non-blogging life?
I think I have mentioned this on my blog once or twice; I have 2 brothers and 4 sisters. They keep me very occupied all the time. It’s a miracle that I can get any reading done sometimes!

What do you do for fun (other than reading)?
Bake cookies and sing showtunes (usually at the same time!)

Describe your ultimate author visit.
Let’s say that we’re at a fairy tale convention, and many popular fairy tale retellers are there. And then I find out that I’ve won some kind of huge sweepstakes involving me getting a free lunch with all of my favorite authors (including Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George, Alethea Kontis (well, I’ve already met her, but she was so awesome I’ll have to meet her again), Janette Rallison, Marissa Meyer, Alex Flinn, Zoe Marriott; the list could go on and on...), as well as a complete collection of their books. And the Brother Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen stop in by way of fairy godmother of course!

What is the most important aspect of a book for you? What makes you immediately want to pick up a book?
“Is it something I haven’t seen before?” is a question I find myself asking. In a world where paranormal and dystopia are clouding the shelves and everything looks the same, I like finding something that sticks out.

What superpower would you want, and why?
Preferably none, but if I got tossed into a vat of toxic waste, I think I’d hope to develop the ability to become invisible!

Thanks for having me, Pica!
Thank you, Debz!

Leave a comment for Debz, and be sure to check out my half of the interview swap over at Debz Bookshelf!