Saturday 18 October 2008

Read-a-thon: Introduction Meme



I just noticed this Introduction Meme,which is a perfect way to start talking about this reading binge I'm doing :)

Where are you reading from today?
From my house in Dublin, Ireland. I mostly read on the couch and on my bed.

3 facts about me …
In general? totally unrelated? hmmm
1) I love sushi. I could eat it everyday. But I won't have any sushi today, unless some serious cravings hit me and I will call the sushi place for a speedy delivery.
2) I've recently started teaching Italian and I've enjoyed it very much. Hopefully I'll manage to get a qualification and do it more extensively in the future.
3) I have to organise a Halloween party in the bookshop for the kids. Any ideas for games?


How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
As many as I will need. I have some books that I plan to read but that can change anytime. So far I've chosen 7, plus the book I'm reading now which is The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, the winner of the 2008 Booker Prize. I'm almost finished. I'm not sure if I'm enjoying it, but it's definitely not boring, in a strange way.

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)?
No, just to have fun. I'm not going to count the pages, only the books I'll finish. I plan to enjoy my full day of reading that's it!

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?
I'm a newbie! Even though I've spent many days in my old happy days of long summer holidays, doing just this, but probably not 24 hours.

Ok back to the White Tiger!

51 comments:

Ana S. said...

How cool that you're teaching Italian! And that's great about the Halloween party. I don't have any ideas for games (no experience of Halloween), but I bet you'll come up with some great things.

I look forward to hearing more about The White Tiger. Enjoy the rest of your reading!

Anonymous said...

Have fun!

Will you be doing the mini-challenge to read in another language?

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

I picked up some sushi for lunch today! Can't wait to hear what you think of White Tiger!

Alessandra said...

Hi Valentina! It's so cool that you're teaching Italian!

Anonymous said...

Hey! How did you like Curious Incident...? I loved that book and recommended it to a few people but everyone else just found it weird.

Good luck with your reading!

Andi said...

I hope you have a fantastic time today! I'm drooling over your mention of sushi, and I'm green with envy that you have restaurant close enough to deliver. The nearest decent Japanese place is 20 minutes from me! Keep up the reading!

PiperML said...

Have a great time, Valentina! Hope you are enjoying yourself!

raych said...

You're from dublin? You speak italian? Things I never knew!

Icedream said...

Yum, sushi! I can't get sushi since I moved to the country. I can't wait to hear what you think of The White Tiger. Sounds like your are doing great. Have fun!

Wendy said...

Woo hoo, you're the reader of the hour!!! Having fun is a great goal!! :)

alisonwonderland said...

sushi sounds like a fabulous idea! :)

Tammy said...

Are you originally from Dublin or did you move there? My husband and I have been "planning" a trip to England and Ireland for about 5 years now, maybe one of these days we'll actually get there.

Hope you have a great time today!

shelburns said...

I take it that you are still reading since you haven't written an update post. How's it going?

Kanoko said...

I love sushi as well. I love Japanese food. Heck, I love food in general. Good thing you have sushi place that delivers sushi to your house. I don't know of any place in our are that does.

I've actually been looking for a copy of The White Tiger since it won the Booker Prize. Enjoy reading. :)

Ashley said...

Hmm..I'm trying to figure out some games for your Halloween party you're organizing. Maybe you could have a fortune telling booth set up somewhere where a madame will read fortunes out of a crystal ball? Pumpkin decorating contest? Cut pumpkins out of card stock, supply art supplies and let the kids decorate. Then have it judged and award a prize.

joanna said...

ooh, I wish I was in Dublin instead of here in Brussels! Such a cool city!

Anonymous said...

I'm a newbie at this too but having fun so far. Yay for being the reader of the hour. I hope you enjoy your picks today.

Amanda said...

i'm a newbie too!!! good luck with your reading! I'm excited to see how many books you finish!

Becky said...

Good luck and happy reading :)

Debi said...

"No, just to have fun."...That's my goal, too! Hope we both achieve it!

Fyrefly said...

I have mixed luck with the Booker Prize winners and short-listed books - some are great, and some do absolutely nothing for me. Good to hear the new one is interesting, at least!

Lizzie said...

Ohhh I love sushi, too. Happy Reading!

Joanne ♦ The Book Zombie said...

Ohh how exciting a Halloween party!

The kids seem to really enjoy the game where you fill containers with various objects and them blindfold them, get them to touch it and then guess what it is. (Jello could be zombie brains - gummi worms as worms - stretched out cotton for cobwebs)

J.C. Montgomery said...

Oh dear. You just had to mention sushi. The next 20 hours are going to go by much too slowly now.

I wonder if I can convince the family to make raw fish run...hmmm...LOL

Good luck with the rest of the reading!

chrisa511 said...

How cool is it that we're both readers of the hour?? It's an honor to share that title with you ;)

Jodie said...

How about getting the kids to paint each others faces (with safety face paint crayons of course) and awrading a prize for the best effort?)

Happy read-a-thon!

Ruth said...

Hi Valentina! Congrats on being Reader of the Hour! I'm having so much fun visiting everyone's blogs I'm not getting much reading done at all.

Anonymous said...

I've been to Dublin...years ago. I had a pen pal from Ireland when I was a little girl and when I was in college we got to meet (because I spent a semester in England)! So cool!!

Good luck on the reading!! I'm a cheerleader so I'll be around to cheer you on!

penryn said...

Oo, Ireland. My best friend is studying in Cork this semester. :)

As for the Halloween party, why not tell a group scary story? A la one person starts with a couple of sentences and then the next person continues. That'll work best with not-huge groups, of course!

Anonymous said...

Halloween games!!! I don't know many games, but I know that creepy scary looking foods are fun. I'm sure there's tons of recipes on the net.
Also good luck with your reading!

Nise' said...

I am new to the read-a-thon too! Sushi is not a temptation for me! Happy Reading.

Iliana said...

Hope you are enjoying the Read-A-Thon! Have you read Halloween Party by Agatha Christie? I finished that recently and there are several games mentioned in it - mainly bobbing for apples of course :)

Anonymous said...

I keep telling myself I have to try sushi...someday.

Have fun today!

soleil said...

you have some good books on your list. if you liked weetzie bat then i think you'll like the other weetzie bat books too.

happy reading :)

Brittanie said...

I want to learn Italian ever since I took Latin way back in the 9 and 10th grades. I have wanted to go to Ireland since elementary school. So cool you know Italian and live in Ireland. :)

Sarah said...

Oh, I am also looking forward to hearing more about The White Tiger - Booker winners can go either way for me, but it sounds like you are enjoying this one. Happy reading! Maybe some sushi later?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you're off to a good start!

Anonymous said...

I bet it's beautiful there! Cute blog! Happy reading:)

Anonymous said...

I'm another newbie. Good luck to you!

Anonymous said...

Hope you're having fun!

This is so exciting.

Anonymous said...

I'm a newbie too!!! Teaching Italian?? How awesome is that??

Traci said...

I'm a first-timer, too. I hope you have a fun day reading!!

(wish I was reading from Dublin - I've always wanted to go there)

Anonymous said...

Well, you have fun reading. That is the whole point of it! I am enjoyed reading varied books!

Kathleen said...

Hope everything is going great. I gotta lots of Halloween games for you, but send me an email at callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca after the readathon and I'll type them up for you!

tanabata said...

I don't think I'll be having sushi today either but you're making me want some!
Hope your reading is going well.

Anonymous said...

I was surprised that I liked The White Tiger. I don't have much success with Booker winners.

Sarah said...

Hope your reading is going well. Congrats on Reader of the Hour!

Mari said...

I need to get myself back to Dublin soon.

Happy reading!

Ali said...

My kids love the game where you hang apples from a string and 2 kids work together to try to take a bite out the apple without using their hands. You have to have a good place to hang them from, though--might be tricky in a bookshop?

Happy reading!

Anonymous said...

Now you've got me craving sushi! I could live off of it, and it's been ages since I last had any. Hmm... I wonder if any of the sushi places in my city deliver?

Happy reading!

valentina said...

Nymeth, thanks, I hope you will enjoy some reading now that your shift is over!

softdrink,I think I will.I'm already reading in English which is a second language to me so I was thinking that reading in Italian should do!

Trish, lucky you you had sushi! I think i will go and have some tomorrow in my favourite place as a reward for doing the read-a-thon!

alessandra, yeah, it's actually really cool, I didn't think I'd enjoy it that much.

angelala, I enjoyed it but I wasn't crazy about it. Hopefully I will post a review soon.

Andi,don't be too envious. yes, there is a sushi place nearby but it's a bit pricey, I'd rather wait till tomorrow and treat myself to another restaurant which is delicious and not too expensive!

ccdpier, I certainly am!

raych, yes! I am Italian and live in Dublin:)

icedream, you should learn how to cook sushi yourself!that should be fun!

wendy, yeah! and I'm definitely reaching my goal so far:D

alisonwonderland, glad you agree!

Tammy, no I'm Italian but I'm living in Dublin for the moment. Don't know what the future will bring me!

shelburns, I've decided to do updates only when I finish a book. I have short books to read mostly so I think it's doable, and also less distracting! it's going great so far:)

Shari, I love food in general too! especially cooking it.
hope you find a copy of White Tiger. I'm curious to know what everyone thinks.

ashley, those are great ideas, I will have to write them down!thank u!

Joanna, I've never been to Brussels so I wouldn't mind to swap!

Rhinoa, it's great being a newbie isn't it? so exciting!

a, thank u! hope as many as possible!

becky, thankyou!

debi, that's the best goal! hope you achieve it too.

Firefly, I think you should try it...oh and congrats for winning!

Lizzie, eh eh I know I'm not alone!

bookzombie, thats a wonderful idea, I think I'll definitely have to do that!

jc, now I want sushi too! hope you'll manage to have some...

chris, it was an honour for me too. It was awesome:D

jodie, that's a cool idea too, but it could be a bit hard to coordinate. Will think ab it!

ruth, yeah, I should get down to serious reading after this! But i'd love to go around and cheer more!ok I'll do it after I finish my next book!

Sunny, that's so cool that you met! I never met any of my pen pals...

Penryn, that would be definitely storytelling involved, but the idea of letting the kids make it up is very cool,will keep it in mind.

thekea, yeah I might try and cook something creepy looking!

nise',you don't know what you're missing.But you're lucky so you're not craving it like me now!

Iliana, I haven't actually.Must look it up...

amanda, sushi at first might taste horrible. you need to get used to it. It was for me at first but i was tenacious and then fell in love with it.

jehara, I think i will read Lia Block right after i finish what i'm reading now...I loved wetzie bat!

brittanie, really? what a coincidence!

sarah g, sushi tomorrow! now crappy pot noodles and tuc crackers...:P

wordlily, yeah!I am:)

sprite, thanks!

Tracy, nahhh it was actually raining, but I'm enjoying the autumn season here, so much better that summer, all rainy and cloudy.

sam, it sure is!

Kristina,well I'm Italian so it's a a bit obvious but its being great fun!

traci, Dublin is a lovely city, hope you manage to visit it some day.

gautami,I hope you enjoy your next read too!

Callista that's great! i will email you after the read-a-thon, thanks so much for your help!!

Tanabata, reading is great but Im blogging a bit too much:P

3M, I'm looking forward to reading your review..

bookworm, thanks!!

mari, yeah, dublin is great craic:D

ali, sounds like fun, but I don't know if I can do it in the shop!

xicanti, did u find any sushi place? oh all this talk of sushi made me really crave for it :sigh*