Around the World discussion

On a whim, I decided we should have a Readathon, and of course you are all invited! For 24 hours this Saturday, midnight to midnight, the goal is to intentionally read something related to this challenge.

Some of you may choose to read all day, like a marathon. Some of you may just decide this is the day to start a book you've been putting off, or to finish a selection you just aren't that into. During that day we will be super chatty in this thread because a Readathon isn't as much fun if you don't put down the book and tell us about your experiences a bit.

Now, you're going to need a few things. I'm going to start a list and give you my examples; please add your own!

1. Reading space
I recently moved an overstuffed chair into the sun room, so rain or shine I'll be sitting with all the blinds open

2. Libations
For me, this will probably be iced coffee.

3. Comfy clothes
Can anyone say monkey pjs?

4. Selection
Pick something you want to read! I may prepare a stack as my reading muse is unpredictable.

5. Snacks
Hmm, haven't pondered this one yet!

6. Contact
I'm going to tweet my Readathon (twitter.com/readingenvy)... If you tweet and want to try, please post your username here! I'll also post here.

By the way, our around the world readers are all around the world. Go by midnight to midnight in your time zone.

I love the idea of a Readathon to catch up with my targets, but I'm due to be spending the day in college for an assessment. (On a Saturday. I know!) But I could possibly catch-up by joining someone else's timezone once I get home in the afternoon. Count me in, at some time or other during the day!

I'll join Saturday. Don't know if it will be an around the clock reading session, but I'll do what I can.
1. Reading space - my own Stressless chair or if the weather is good my lounge chair in the garden.
2. Libations - coffee, tea, appel juice, mineral water.
3. Comfy clothes - just comfort clothes.
4. Selection - The Snow Leopard
5. Snacks - cheese, cucumber and chocolate cookies
6. Contact - twitter ( twitter.com/benjijmediawijs ) Question: are we going to use a hash-tag

If I read from midnight till midnight might be difficult, but I try to read as much hours as I can.
Maybe I'll use a stopwatch or a chess clock.

i'll read something, but will just be getting back from a trip and will have work to do.

I need to get my menu planned in advance. Could be a pajama day...

The ergonomic chair under a skylight. Water. Regular clothes without shoes. Dazai, Kyōka, or Aslan. Optional, bird tweets.

Great idea, Jenny! I will be participating during the day and perhaps the evening. Looking forward to chatting and eating!

I like the hash tag idea! And I'm excited that you all are excited!

I'm thinking of spending some time in South America.

This is hilarious in the best way. I'll post my stuff and twitter contact info in a bit.

This readathon sounds positively decadent. What I would give to be able to spend even one hour reading on Saturday. Unfortunately I will have family staying with us from out of town, with several little kids. So the only reading I will get done that day will be when I lock myself in the bathroom for a few minutes :)

Barbara--hand everyone a book and tell them to READ hahaha.

Jenny, I'm a little confused though. Are we reading midnight Friday to midnight Saturday or midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday?

Okay my prep list!

1. I have a great spot on my couch with pillows. In a sunroom. I'll probably have a dog next to me. And at some point I'll probably be out on the patio but I don't have any exceptionally comfy furniture out there right now.

2. Libations: I will start my day with a big mug of strong black coffee. Then water water water. Then iced coffee, possibly a mocha. Then more water. Then to finish the day, red wine. :)

3. Comfy clothes: YES

4. Selection: I think I'll go with Death in Venice for my Germany selection. All the other books I have lined up right now are countries I have already checked off the list. Oh wait...I have something for Lebanon on my kindle. I might start that too.

5. Snacks: YES. But I don't know what yet. Something to possibly tweet about. Also I might plan my dinner around Germany, Italy, or Lebanon. I'm actually not sure if Death in Venice will be my Germany or my Italy selection.

6. My twitter account @toodletoast is private but I will add anyone who says they are from this group. I'm a very passive twitter user but this might inspire me to be more active. At least for a day. :)

Marieke wrote: "Jenny, I'm a little confused though. Are we reading midnight Friday to midnight Saturday or midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday?"

I meant it to be from midnight Friday through midnight Saturday - I let the RSVP extend beyond that in case people forgot to sign up.

I was thinking a good hashtag for us tweeters could be #atw2012 - short enough to let you say other things!

\o/

#atw2012 might be already taken. If so, #atw52 or #read52 might be unique.

Friday midnight through saturday midnight makes perfect sense...i am just totally obtuse at times.

now i feel the pressure to finally make myself an avatar for twitter...

or another hashtag possibility: #52athon

How do you know if something is taken? I didn't find any tweets when I searched for #atw2012

My guess is that it hasn't been used yet and we can go ahead with it. :)

For #atw2012, the twitter page directed to a conversation between Weegie WubbleU and InaGuddle about travel in Paris, England, Scotland.

Marieke wrote: "or another hashtag possibility: #52athon"

Cute.

Asmah wrote: "For #atw2012, the twitter page directed to a conversation between Weegie WubbleU and InaGuddle about travel in Paris, England, Scotland."

This is making me laugh. Stop it! 8)

1. Reading space
Comfy, comfy bed :).

2. Libations
I just learned a new word. Yay! ;). It's ginger-lemon-tea. Just because I like it.

3. Comfy clothes
Yeah. I'm reading on a bed. What do you think? ;)

4. Selection
My stack for this particular group:
- Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, Film Tie-In (Yemen)
- The Lovers (Turkey)
- A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover's Dream (Italy)
- Die Frau meines Lebens (France) 0830, June 16
- Mutant Message Down Under (Australia)
- The Meeting Point (Bahrain)

5. Snacks
No. Sadly, I'm on a diet.

6. Contact
twitter.com/LilithLycidas ... (don't laugh - that is my favourite pairing ever in my favourite book ever, and it was available ;) )

Funny, #atw2012 gives results when using a laptop or desktop. Using twitter mobile from my tablet and typing the same hashtag I'm getting no results.

Sylvia wrote: "Funny, #atw2012 gives results when using a laptop or desktop. Using twitter mobile from my tablet and typing the same hashtag I'm getting no results."

I used #52athon. I think that it's sweet :).

SilverRaindrops wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "Funny, #atw2012 gives results when using a laptop or desktop. Using twitter mobile from my tablet and typing the same hashtag I'm getting no results."

I used #52athon. I think that ..."

Checks out on my desktop. And works perfect via the mobile version of twitter on a cell phone or tablet.

SilverRaindrops wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "Funny, #atw2012 gives results when using a laptop or desktop. Using twitter mobile from my tablet and typing the same hashtag I'm getting no results."

I used #52athon. I think that ..."

Your idea by 'RheaSilva' at #52athon about reading the same book for twenty-four hours sounds productive!

1. Reading space
In bed, in the car with headphones while hubby drives (going to niece's dance recital and hanging with my mom who is in from Maine, so I'm going to have to squeeze the reading time in at odd moments)

2. Libations
For me, Lime Diet Pepsi, and then wine at the end.

3. Comfy clothes
Old t-shirt and running shorts

4. Selection
On audio working on The Golden Notebook: Perennial Classics edition, on Kindle will be doing The Compassionate Life and on paper it will probably be Fugitive Pieces.

5. Snacks
Will be trying NOT to snack, but if I do, watermelon, dates, popcorn.

6. Contact
twitter.com/betharonson

Ok, got go get reading! It's 12:03!

I saw some tweets in the Netherlands, and I'm definitely awake, iced coffee in hand. I'm torn between two Australian books but I think I'll finish the one I already started first - The Light Between Oceans.

I'm currently reading Roberto Bolano's, The Return... many framed stories and some with stories inside of those.

Oooh, have you read 2666? What a writer.

No, this is my first time reading him though I do own Last Evenings on Earth

At midnight, I made iced coffee and settled in to read a book set on a lighthouse island. Then I got cold and grabbed a sweater, and fell asleep reading. But now I have a second wind so I'll just keep going!

Fell asleep at midnight. Started 0700. WIll finish 0700 on sunday too, which is just in time to finish with the American West Coast ;).

My first one was Die Frau meines Lebens by Nicolas Barreau for France. Gave 5 stars, but will do the review tomorrow or something. Now on to the Salmon Fishing.

Jenny wrote: "I saw some tweets in the Netherlands, and I'm definitely awake, iced coffee in hand. I'm torn between two Australian books but I think I'll finish the one I already started first - The Light Betwee..."

@benjijmediawijs (RheaSilva) that's me. Happy reading

Asmah wrote: "SilverRaindrops wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "Funny, #atw2012 gives results when using a laptop or desktop. Using twitter mobile from my tablet and typing the same hashtag I'm getting no results."

I used..."

Saw your tweet. Are you reading

The Snow Leopard too

I would like to share the atmosphere of my book The Snow Leopard. It's hidden, but you should read it if you want to imagine the beauty of the country side, where the author is wandering.
(view spoiler)[ Now the air is struck by the shrill of a single cicada, brilliant, eerie, a sound as fierce as a sword blade shrieking on a lathe, yet subtle, bell-like, with a ring that causes the spider webs to shimmer in the sunlight (hide spoiler)]

I'm not really going on at a fast pace. I think I took up the steady slow pace of Peter Matthiessen. I imagine the landscape while he's walking on.

Sylvia wrote: "Saw your tweet. Are you reading

The Snow Leopard too.."

Not presently. The Himalayas have intrigued my imagination for beauty since reading Lost Horizon.

I'm up, my dogs just ate, my coffee brewed, and I think I'm going to settle down with Death in Venice in the original. I'm not sure I have a good English translation. Then I have on my kindle for Lebanon, r Jasmine and Fire: A Bittersweet Year in Beirut. I also have a book for morocco, but I hope to read something else for that country.

Please excuse that extra r.

Here goes!

Sylvia wrote: "I would like to share the atmosphere of my book The Snow Leopard. It's hidden, but you should read it if you want to imagine the beauty of the country side, where the author is wandering.
[spoiler..."

Lovely passage from "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen, Sylvia.

Asmah wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "Saw your tweet. Are you reading

The Snow Leopard too.."

Not presently. The Himalayas have intrigued my imagination for beauty since reading Lost Horizon."

You recommend Lost Horizon?

Peter Matthiessen's diary of October 5th describes his search in the past on the Meaning of Life. Beautifully written. I enjoy reading this book. Excellent choice for this Readathon.

Sylvia wrote: "You recommend Lost Horizon?..."

At the time in my life when I read it, I enjoyed it.

Sylvia wrote: "Peter Matthiessen's diary of October 5th describes his search in the past on the Meaning of Life. Beautifully written. I enjoy reading this book. Excellent choice for this Readathon."

I placed "The Snow Leopard" in my Books.

I just got a copy of The Cloud Forest, also by Matthiessen.

I went to bed at 3:30 and it is only before 8 but I'm thinking of getting up. I can always nap...

Another quote from the author's diary:

He is citing C.G.Jung, when he remembers his search of LIfe's Meaning.

(view spoiler)[ The only meaningful life is a life that strives foor the individual realization - absolute and unconditional - of its own particular law ... To the extent that a man is untrue to the law of his being ... he has failed to realize his life's meaning.
The undiscoverd vein within us a living part of the psyche, classical Chinese philosophy names this interior way "Tao", and likens it to a flow of water that moves irresistibly toward its goal. To rest in Tao mean fulfillment, wholeness, one's destination reached, one's mission done; the beginning, end, and perfect realization of the meaning of existence innate in all things. (hide spoiler)]

Peter Matthiessen is a field biologist. He names a lot of bird and plant names in The Snow Leopard.

After many days of monsoon rains a ray of sun strikes the harlequin feathers of the hoopoe which is a good omen.

All those bird names I have to look up on the internet and then there is the exclamation: Oh, is it this one.

Here's the hoopoe, or the "hop" in Dutch.

Jenny wrote: "I just got a copy of The Cloud Forest, also by Matthiessen.

I went to bed at 3:30 and it is only before 8 but I'm thinking of getting up. I can always nap..."

I like his way of writing very much.

Oh, dear you slept less than 4 hours.

Jenny wrote: "Oooh, have you read 2666? What a writer."
on my shelf for once I'm a little ahead...

Sylvia wrote: "Peter Matthiessen is a field biologist. He names a lot of bird and plant names in The Snow Leopard.

After many days of monsoon rains a ray of sun strikes the harlequin feathers of the hoopoe whic..."

gorgeous birds!