Little Books of Stress and Crap

Today, I got to books in the mail. One is The Little Book of Stress by Kaz Cooke, and the other is The Little Book of Crap by Kaz Cooke and Simon Weaselpantz. I wasn't expecting the former, but someone had mentioned they had a copy of the latter in a discussion I had started where I asked whether or not "crap" was a cuss/swear word. (Speaking of crap, a funny thing happened today at the thrift store where I volunteer. I said something to the manager about the back room being "full of crap". She was surprised, but not offended, that I of all people used the word "crap", but she also thought it was kind of funny.)

Those books are on my "To Be Read" list as of today.

Read Another Chapter A Couple of Days Ago

I read another chapter of The Outlaw's Bride Monday morning. I may or may not read another chapter this morning before I head out.

Reading Has Resumed

I wasn't able to get a lot of reading done last month due to a writing project I was doing. Yesterday morning, I read chapter three in The Outlaw's Bride. I might read more while waiting for some stuff in Facebook's Cafe World to finish cooking, but first, I need to get my daily Bible reading in.

In Case You're Wondering, I Have Not Quit RAB-PIA

I know I have not done any updates for a good portion of the month. The thing is, my attention this month has been on a novel that I have been writing for National Novel Writing Month. Thus, I haven't had a lot of time to read.

If you don't hear from me again in December, I'll be sure to have more updates in January.

Released "The Winter Widow" Today

I released my copy of The Winter Widow today on the college campus. I left it on a bench on the bottom floor of the student center.

Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key, Part Eight (Finale)

ModMouse got up later than she had inteneded to. She read for an hour and three minutes but then realized that today she would have laundry to do. She read for another 18 minutes before it turned out that she had some urgent busniess in the other realm. She read for another eight minutes until time to take care of what was left of the laundry. After that, she finished up The Winter Widow in an hour and four minutes. After that, she had some lunch and read the first chapter of The Outlaw's Bride. This took 14 minutes. She looked up at the locks and at the clock. There were eleven locks whose timers had yet to be activated, and the twelfth one had 39 minutes left on the timer. Even if she were to have no interruptions of any kind and read completely straight through, she wasn't going to make it. Knowing that it'd be all over for her at the stroke of midnight, she had a choice to make. She could just quit altogether and just accept that it'd be a matter of time before she was done for, or she could keep reading, knowing that when she met her doom, it wouldn't be because she gave up.

ModMouse: Looks like I'm not going to pass my test. It's too bad though. Since this will be my last day, there is one thing I need to do.

She grabbed some paper and a pen and started writing to someone whom she had mentored in her bookcrossing ways, someone who had been a fan of ModMouse. Hopefully, this person could carry on ModMouse's legacy of salvaging used books from the confines of shelves, reading them, and then sending them out into the world in search of another reader. She wished this person the best of luck in continuing the cause and hoped they would remember what she had taught them. She stuck the letter into the envelope and addressed it.

ModMouse: At least I've gotten that taken care of. I wonder if I'll at least get a last request and can have this delivered. Maybe I could get in a few more hours of reading before I go.

She read another chapter of The Outlaw's Bride, which took her 14 minutes. The time, though, was bascially immaterial as ModMouse's downfall would be inevitable.

ModMouse: Well, since I'm going to be gone as of the stroke of midnight, I might as well take care of one last piece of unfinished buisness.

She spent much of the day cleaning out her inbox. She took a break from this in order to have her last supper. She finally finished with barely over an hour left to live. She figured she'd do what she could on a writing project she had been doing but leave instructions for someone else to finish on her behalf. There were four minutes left until the stroke of midnight, and then it would be game over for her. Perhaps though, that certain person she had been mentoring would be able to accomplish what she had not been despite various attempts. The TV turned on once again, showing the doll.

Molly: Hello, ModMouse, or should I say, farewell as you have failed your test and at the end of this message, the gas from the remaining locks will be released and it will be game over for you.

ModMouse: I know. It was pretty clear to me this afternoon that I wasn't going to pass, so what was the point of reading any further? Oh well, can't say I didn't try.

Molly: That is true. It is such a pity, though, as for the most part, you had been doing so well up until today. But as you have failed, you know what you have coming.

ModMouse: I know. But before you kill me off, is there any way I could get a final request?

Molly: I beg you pardon.

ModMouse: I've got a letter here that I need delievered to a certain friend of mine. I've got it addressed and everything. Whenever you or whoever's working for you, comes to get my body, could you see to it that the letter gets to my friend?

Molly: Well, that is a bit unusual, but I'm sure I can grant your request. But right now, I must leave you to meet your end. Goodbye forever, ModMouse. (TV turns off.)

ModMouse: What's that smell? (Looks behind her, sees the red gas.) Oh, that's right. It's the gas. (Coughs.) Goodbye world. I regret that I never fulfilled the 24 hours. Maybe that friend of mine will. (Coughs some more as the red gas surrounds her. She drops.)

Thus was the sad fate of our friend ModMouse. Hopefully, the mysterious friend of hers will carry on her bookcrossing legacy and even go above and beyond what ModMouse had done.

The End.

Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key Part Seven

ModMouse slept later than she had intended which meant she was unable to get any reading in whatsoever before attending to her business in the other realm.  After she returned, she was so caught up in some computer-related projects that she wasn't able to get any reading in until late into the night, which she only got in 32 minutes, which meant that 15 locks altogether still remained. She had until midnight the next night to get in the remaining reading time. Will she succeed and make it out alive, or will it be "game over"? Tune in tomorrow for the final part to find out.

Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key Part Six

ModMouse was up the next morning. Sometime after breakfast the TV turned on, with who else but Molly the Doll.

Molly: Good morning, ModMouse.

ModMouse: Okay, what's up this time?

Molly: Remember that talk we had on Friday about how if you want something done you should ask a busy person?

ModMouse: Don't tell me. I'm going to have some business calling me into the other realm today.

Molly: Good to see that we're on the same page. By the wall, you will find two bags. One will have some items that need to be recycled. Another consists of the two books that you have thus far finished since you had started on the read-a-thon. On the coffee table, you will find a list of things that need to be done before you will be able to resume your reading. I'd get the tasks over with if I were you. Good luck to you, and unless unforseen circumstances dictate otherwise, I will speak to you again closer to midnight Thursday night or whenever you have fulifilled the 24 hour reading goal, whichever comes first. (TV turns off.)

ModMouse: O-kay. Let's see what the list says. (Picks up list from coffee table.) The first thing it says to do is to put on the outfit that is folded on the table before proceeding with anything else. (Goes to bedroom to dress.) Okay, now it says I need to take the cans and bottles to a couple of recycling bins, put the two books somewhere out in a public place, check on an application that I turned in last month, and pick up another.

ModMouse ran these errands and was back from the other realm at 1:35 in the afternoon. After eating lunch and doing a few other things, she began with the next book available to her to read, The Winter Widow. She read the first chapter, which took her five minutes. She wasn't able to get any more reading until later in the evening. She read the 54 minutes needed to disable the next lock. Now, 15 locks remain, 14 of which the timers have yet to be activated. How far along will she get the next day? Tune in tomorrow for part seven to find out.

Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key Part 5

[This is another part where Miss Scissors does not make an appearance. Don't worry, though. She'll be back in part 6. As I did in part three, I decided to try to cut to the chase, so there's only one spoken line. Click here for parts one, two, three, and four.]

In the morning, ModMouse was able to read for 30 minutes until the wall to the other realm glowed, this time summoning her to her volunteer work at a local thrift store, which she usually did three times a week. She returned after six hours but had so much to do that she hadn't gotten any more reading done yet. She finally did twenty more minutes of reading while waiting for time to feed her cat on Facebook's Petville. This left her with nine minutes before she would be able to disable the sixth lock. After having fed her Petville cat and playing a bit of Frontierville, ModMouse looked at how far along she was on the book that she had been reading and saw that she had roughly 125 pages left to read.

ModMouse: I wonder how long it'll take for me to finish the book.

It took her 2 hours and 10 minutes to finish the book, after which it disappeared. This was enough time to disable the sixth and seventh locks. She would need to read for another 59 minutes in order to disable the next lock, but as it was getting late, she decided that she had done enough reading for the night, and she would get to the next lock the next day. Will ModMouse get past the eighth lock? Tune in tomorrow for Part Six to find out. 

Miss Scissors: Reading Is The Key Part 4

[Due to various obligations that I had today, I wasn't able to get this posted as soon as I would have liked. Click here for parts one, two, and three.]

Today would be the final day for ModMouse in her overnight stay within the realm. She got in 16 minutes of reading before it was time to return to that house she had been kept in since late Thursday night. When it was time to go, she managed to get in 31 more minutes of reading while she was in transit. When she was finally out of the realm, the TV turned back on with none other than Molly the Doll through whom Miss Scissors had been speaking.

Molly: Welcome back ModMouse. I see you have made a safe return.

ModMouse: Uh, thanks. So, what's up this time?

Molly: Though I was unable to communicate with you while you were in the other realm, I must say that I am quite impressed by the fact that you got in some reading time while you were away. If you will look at the door, you will see that two of the locks have been opened as a result of the time you have put in so far and that the timer on a third lock has been activated.

[ModMouse walks up to the door. Two of the locks are opened. The timer on the third lock has :52 on it, the amount of time that she would need to read before she could disable the lock and activate the timer on another.]

ModMouse: Sweet. Making some progress here.

Molly: Some people would be ungrateful for time they have on their hands when they are a passenger in transit or when they are or when they are staying with someone else overnight. But not you, ModMouse.

ModMouse: Well, thanks, I guess. But I have to tell you, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

Molly: It never is. But now, you are back in your temporary residence. I'd make good use of the time there if I were you, especially given that there will be more instances where the wall will glow again. And besides, you never know when you might receive a phone call that you will need to accept. Remember, you have until midnight Thursday night to fulfill the remaining 21 hours and 52 minutes left of reading if you wish to make it out alive. Good luck. [TV turns off.]

ModMouse: O-kay. That was a bit strange, but maybe after I finish unpacking and take care of a few more things, I can get some more reading done.

While waiting for something to be ready on Facebook's Cafe World, ModMouse managed to get in eight minutes of reading. At some point after having eaten dinner, she got in 46 more minutes of reading, which disabled the third lock and activated the timer on the fourth one.  Later, she did some more stuff on Facebook and saw that, in Cafe World, she had an hour and ten minutes left before some angel fruit cake was ready. So she took that time to read some more.  This disabled the fourth lock and activated the timer on the fifth one. She saw that there were 50 minutes left on the timer on that fifth lock. The 20 minutes of reading left her with 30 minutes before that fifth lock could be disabled. She was partway into a chapter and decided that she would finish the chapter and that would be all of the reading that she would do for the night. She read for 25 minutes until she started on a writing project that she had to wait until midnight to start. After she finished thr chapter she was on, which took her six minutes. Thus, the fifth lock was disabled, leaving her with 59 minutes before she could disable the sixth lock. But she decided that she had done enough reading for the night and went to sleep. Will she get the sixth lock disabled. Tune in tomorrow for part 5.

Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key Part 3

[I hadn't planned on this at first, but I decided that, as this part takes place stictly in the realm representing ModMouse's outside commitments and that there'd be no contact from Miss Scissors/Molly, it'd be easier to basically cut to the chase and have this part be strictly narrated. This will probably be the shortest part out of all of them. Click here for parts one and two.]

ModMouse was unable to get any reading done during the day as she was busy with her nephew...not that she didn't enjoy it. However, while he was playing a video game, she was able to sneak in some reading time. She read chapter 2 of The Passing Bells. That took 23 minutes, which means she had done enough reading time to disable one lock and would have 43 more minutes of reading left to do in order to undo the next one. Later, after watching an episode of Samurai Jack with him, she managed to get in four more minutes of reading. She had thought of putting in even more reading time, but she didn't get around to it. Will she get in any more reading in the morning before she leaves the realm? Will she do any more reading after having exited the realm? Tune in tomorrow for Part four.

Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key Part 2

[Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to get this finished and posted as soon as I would have liked to. Click here for part one.]

ModMouse: Well, if I'm going to be here for a while, I might as well get some read to pass the time.
(Opens up copy of The Promise.) Maybe I can just get the 24 hours over with. (Reads remainder of a chapter.) I'm so tired. Maybe I'll get the rest of the time in tomorrow.

(The next morning. ModMouse wakes up.)

ModMouse: Isn't that something? I had this dream last night where I'm held hostage in some empty house, but it's still has furniture and everything in it and that I had to do 24 hours worth of reading in a week if I wanted to make it out alive. (Looks around her.) Apparently it wasn't a dream. (Finds a shirt and pants to wear, dresses then heads downstairs. TV turns on and Molly appears.)

Molly: Good. I see you're awake and that you have fulfilled four minutes of reading.

ModMouse: How would you know?

Molly: I have cameras installed, and if you will recall, the locks on the door have timers and any minute of reading that you do is taken off the timer until you have fulfilled a whole hour.

ModMouse: (walks up to door and sees that the timer on one lock says :56) Oh, right.

Molly: Anyway, there's something I should tell you about.

ModMouse: Another rule I don't know about?

Molly: Not exactly. Surely you have heard the saying that if you want something done, you should ask a busy person.

ModMouse: Yeah, so?

Molly: If you thought you had every minute available to you until the end of Friday, it could be very tempting to blow off the reading until the last minute. Therefore, I'm going to make you appreciate the time you do have on your hands. Throughout this game, there will be times when a wall will glow, which will take you to a realm indicating some outside business that you have. Whatever book you are on will be sealed unless you enter the realm to fulifill said business. Only after you have accomplished said business will you be able to exit the realm and continue reading. Be careful, though. Even when you are in said realm, if you have not fulfilled the 24 hours, the red gas from remaining locks will still be released and come to you and only affect you.

ModMouse: Nice.

Molly: Your first piece of business in the realm will be this afternoon when your sister needs you to come get her child. You should expect it roughly around 1:30 or 2. Unlike most of the other instances during the week, you should be able to take the books with you and read a bit when and if you have the time. You will be able to exit the realm on Sunday, though that time will depend your sister. I'd take time to prepare accordingly prepare for the weekend away if I were you.

ModMouse: Okay, so I'll pack and then fill the rest of the time by reading.

Molly: There's one more thing ModMouse. While you were sleeping, I also had a chip installed in you so that if you should attempt to mention the read-a-thon to your sister or anyone else, it will send a mild shock.

ModMouse: Okay, so I won't mention this to anyone.

Molly: I wish you the best of luck. Oh yes, I will be checking in once in a while.

(TV shuts off.)

ModMouse: Okay, so I'll take care of some stuff here and then the wall will glow at 1:30.

(1:30 in the afternoon.)

ModMouse: It's not glowing.

(2:00 in the afternoon.)

ModMouse: Okay, I don't know what is taking so long, but then maybe that doll was bluffing.

(2:15. Wall glows. In comes sister.)

Sister: Are you ready to go?

(ModMouse and Sister enter realm.)

While on the way to Sister's house, ModMouse managed to get 37 minutes of reading done on her book The Promise when she had to pause in order to get something out of the glove compartment.  After that, she managed to get the remainder of the book read, which took another 12 minutes, after which time the book vanished. As she was busy with her nephew that night, she was unable to get in any more reading until far later in the night. When she was able to read some more, she began the first chapter of The Passing Bells, and according to the clock on her cell phone, she only got in one more minute of reading. This would leave her with six minutes of reading that she needed to still do before the first lock could be disabled. Will she get enough reading time in to get that first lock undone? Tune in for another part of Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key.

Miss Scissors: Reading Is The Key Part 1

[The following will be based upon my real-life participation in Bookcrossing' Oct.-Nov. read-a-thon. It is inspired somewhat by, but not affiliated with, the Saw movie series. There will be multiple parts to this, one for each day of the read-a-thon until November 5 or until I fulfill the 24-hour reading goal whichever comes first. In the comments, I will be sure to post the "real-life" version of the story.]


(It's a late Thursday night. ModMouse wakes up in an unfamiliar but well-furnished house.)

Modmouse: Where am I?  (Hears a laugh.) What was that? Who's there? (She looks around and sees nobody, then shrugs.) Well, I don't remember coming here, so I better get out. (Walks up to door only for it to turn out that she can't open it.) What the-? (Sees that the door is surrounded by 24 locks.)

(The TV in the living room turns on, showing Molly the Doll, voiced by Miss Scissors. Molly the doll is in a black dress and has black hair.)

Molly: Hello, ModMouse. I see that you're awake.

ModMouse: What are you? One of those talking dolls?

Voice:You don't know me, but I know you. I want to play a game.

ModMouse: Why does that phrase sound so familiar?

Molly: Earlier this year, you have started taking part in Bookcrossing's read-a-thons, but you never fulfilled the read-a-thon goal of 24 hours of reading in a week. Though some of this has been justified, much of the time that could have been spent on the read-a-thon has been spent on frivolous activities. By allowing this to happen, you have done an injustice not only to your conscience but to anybody who visits your reading blog as the only final report they receive from you regarding your read-a-thon participation is that of failure. If you are not careful, you could very well lose readership as a result. I am going to teach you the importance of meeting goals if not for your own sake then for the sake of those to whom you are accountable.

ModMouse: I know I keep messing that up, but it's not like my life depends on it.

Molly: In this case, it will. The object of the game is to disable all of the 24 locks on the door, but this can only be done with the stack of books available to you, which are on the dining room table.

ModMouse: Okay, so I have to hit the locks with the books. Sounds simple enough, not that I know what this has to do with read-a-thons. (Modmouse picks up a book and bangs one of the locks with it several times.) Okay, this doesn't seem to work.

Molly: I knew you would try to physically undo the locks with the books. However, that is not how you disable the locks.

ModMouse: But if I'm not supposed to hit the locks with the books, then how AM I supposed to use the books to get out of here?

Molly: Each lock on the door represents an hour of reading. When you begin to read, you activate the timer on a lock, which will indicate how many minutes you must read before the lock is disabled. After one lock has been disabled, it will open, and the timer on another lock will be activated. As you can see, all but one book has a lock on it. (ModMouse looks at the book in her hand that doesn't have a lock on it and looks up to see that the other books in the room have locks on them.) After you have completed said book, it will disappear and another book will be unlocked and so on and so forth. You may pause your reading at any time if necessary. However, pausing the reading will pause the timer as well, which will restart when you start reading again. Do you have the discipline to accumulate enough reading time to disable the locks before the clock strikes midnight on the next Thursday night? If you do not, any locks that remain active at that time will release a poisonous red gas, symbolizing your failure. If I were you, I wouldn't put it off at all. In fact, I'd do this as though my life depended on it. The game begins when the clock strikes midnight. Read or die. Make your choice. (TV turns off.)

ModMouse: O-kay. I'm getting a little freaked out here. (Attempts to open the door herself once again along with trying to destroy the locks with the books and other objects. She gives up and sits down.)

(Clock strikes midnight. The timer on one lock shows one hour.)



Will ModMouse fulfill the 24 hours of reading before it's too late, or will it be "game over"?

TO BE CONTINUED…

Reminder About Upcoming Miniseries

Tomorrow will be the premiere of my miniseries of posts Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key on this blog. I have the first part written and scheduled to appear around midnight. (If that ends up not happening for some reason, I'll publish it manually. I'm not used to pre-scheduling my posts.)  I plan to have one part posted per day from tomorrow until next Friday or until I have fulfilled Bookcrossing's read-a-thon goal of 24 hours within the week, whichever comes first. However, as I have an outside commitment from Friday night until sometime on Sunday, part 2 may not get posted until I return home on Sunday, but we'll see.

Progress On Current Read: The Promise

I did some reading this morning. I think I did some in the past day or so as well. Anyway, I'm partway into chapter 21.

Coming Next Week: RAB-PIA Meets Saw

Next week, I will be doing a miniseries of posts here on RAB-PIA called "RAB-PIA Meets Saw".  I got this idea after having seen clips of Saw and related parodies on Youtube. (Judging by the clips, I don't think I could handle the actual Saw movies as they are gorier than to my taste.) The posts will be in connection to the October-November read-a-thon which will start next Friday and end at midnight the following Thursday.

For those of you who have been following my blog may know, I've participated in Bookcrossing's read-a-thons since earlier this year. However, I never completed the 24 hours that was set as the goal. Part of it had to do with other things I needed to do, but mostly it was because I was overly distracted with something else.

To make things interesting this time, I'm going to pretend that I wake up locked into a book-filled room with 24 locks on the door.  For every hour of reading that I complete (at once or in an accumulation of minutes), a lock will become undone. If I fail to undo all said locks before the clock strikes midnight on the final night of the read-a-thon, a red gas, representing my failure, will be set off from the locks, knocking me out for good, and it'll be game over.

Live or die (not in real life mind you), I must make my choice. Will I make the right one? (And by the way, when I do the posts, I will be known as ModMouse as that is my bookcrossing name.) Tune in October 29-November 5 to find out.

Progress On Current Read: The Promise

There was one night within the past week when I couldn't sleep, so I read chapter 17 of The Promise. Last night, during some commercial breaks, I read chapters 18 and 19. That's how far I've gotten on the reading. Needless to say, I didn't meet my goal of finishing the book by today. Maybe I'll have it done by next week.

Read A Bit More This Morning

I read a little bit more of The Promise this morning. I'm up to chapter 17.

As of next week, I plan on having Tuesday be my designated "out and about" day. For that reason, I'm setting myself a goal to have The Promise finished by that morning so that I can release it.

More Morning Reading

I read more of The Promise this morning. I'm up to chapter 14.

Did A Little Reading This Morning

I had some time to spare this morning before taking off to go do my volunteer work at the Doggie Bag. So, I read a little bit of The Promise. I'm up to chapter 13.

Did A Little Reading In The Middle Of The Night

For some reason, I woke up in the middle of the night last night. By "middle of the night" I mean 3 something in the morning, which is part of those AM hours that are considered to still be theorectically night time.

I had a little trouble getting back to sleep, so I picked up my copy of The Promise and read it until I began to nod off. I started on chapter 11 and made it partway into chapter 12. I might read some more later.

Progress On Book And Read-A-Thon

I put in 35 minutes of reading today. That leaves me with 20 hours and 10 minutes (which I won't get through in time). I'm up to chapter 11 in The Promise.

Progress On Book And Read-A-Thon

Today, I started on The Promise by Danielle Steel, which I read for 35 minutes. That leaves me with 21 hours and 15 minutes to go on the read-a-thon. I'm partway into chapter 4.

Released "Sweet Hannah Rose" Today

I have released my copy of Sweet Hannah Rose at the college student center today. As is the case with any book I release, I may or may not hear back about what happens to it.

Read-A-Thon Progress After Finishing Sweet Hannah Rose

It took me 35 minutes to finish up what was left of Sweet Hannah Rose. That means I have 21 hours and 50 minutes left to go towards the 24 hours before the end of Thursday. I may be releasing Sweet Hannah Rose tomorrow, depending on what else I'm up to.

The next book I will be reading is The Promise by Danielle Steel.

Progress On Book And Sept-Oct Read-A-Thon

I've put in 20 minutes towards the read-a-thon while waiting for my dishes in Cafe World to be closer to ready. So I'm down to 22 hours and 25 minutes.

I'm partway into chapter 13 of Sweet Hannah Rose. I'd go ahead and finish, but I have my usual commitment to the Doggie Bag (where I volunteer Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) at 10 and will need to take off not much later than 9:30. I might finish the book up when I get home, though.

Progress On Book And Read-A-Thon

I've gotten in one hour and 15 minutes of reading towards the read-a-thon. (22 hours and 45 minutes to go.)

I'm partway through chapter 11 of Sweet Hannah Rose. I might finish that up sometime tonight.

Getting Off To A Late Start On The Read-A-Thon

I did no reading whatsoever in the last two days. (Got a bit distracted.) I am, however, going to do some until two, as I'm waiting on something from Cafe World to be ready. After that, I'm going to attempt to get some work done on a rewrite as I need to call my dad tonight (as he missed me yesterday as a result of my having my phone off by mistake), and it's one of those things I'm accountable to him for.

I'm going to start the work on my read-a-thon by reading more of Sweet Hannah Rose. I'll stop at two, do my Cafe World thing, read my daily Bible scripture (book of Nahum this time), work on my writing a bit, and then call my dad. After that, I might return to my read-a-thon stuff.

Tomorrow's The September-October Read-a-thon

Bookcrossing is having another one of it's monthly read-a-thons as of tomorrow and will last until the end of next Thursday.

I'm going to take part in it and try to get in the 24 hours. I'll use that time to finish up Sweet Hannah Rose and possibly go through other books on my reading list.

Released 'The Eyes of Darkness' On Thursday

I released my copy of The Eyes of Darkness on the local college campus on Thursday night at the student center before heading to another building for a reading.  This is the first book I have released since I returned home from babysitting my nephew. I hope I will be able to release more books before the end of the year.

Progress On Current Read: Sweet Hannah Rose

I don't think I've done a progress report on Sweet Hannah Rose. I don't remember exactly when it was I started reading it. However, some of my reading was done yesterday on the way to my sister's house (I wasn't the one driving) and at her house. I also did some today on the way home. I'm partway into chapter 5.

Finished The Eyes of Darkness

In an attempt to pass some time until I needed to take off for my volunteer work at the Doggie Bag, I finished up what was left of The Eyes of Darkness. Weather and schedule permitting, I will release it this week. If not, I will release it sometime next week.

The next book I plan on reading is called Sweet Hannah Rose by Lori Copeland.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

I did some more reading of The Eyes of Darkness last night and this morning. I'm up to chapter 32. I may read more tonight, but there are no promises as I'm expecting a phone call that I was told to expect either last night or tonight. (The former ended up not being the case.) As the aniticipated phone call in question is family-related, I will have to accept it when/if it comes and it could very well take over an hour.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

I read more of The Eyes of Darkness during commercial breaks of Vh1's Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch.  So far I'm partway into chapter 26. Maybe I'll get the rest of the book finished tonight or within the next day or two.

Got Some Reading Done This Morning

I had some time to spare before going to my volunteer work at Doggie Bag, so one of the things I did was read more of The Eyes of Darkness. I'm up to chapter 23.

I'm watching The 40-year-old Virgin right now. (I've seen it one other time per my sister's recommendation.) I might read during the commercial breaks.

Didn't Get Near As Much Reading Done As I Had Intended

I had somewhat taken part in the August-September read-a-thon for Bookcrossing, but I don't think I got in so much as a full hour. A good part of it was because I got sidetracked by *gulp* Facebook's Cafe World.

For those of you who don't know what Cafe World is, it's a game where you set up your own virtual cafe where you "cook" certain dishes (the time of which could be anywhere from three minutes to a couple of days). This game is set up for one to repeatedly go back to. By cooking dishes and visiting neighbors (other Facebook friends who play the same game), you earn points, and when you earn points, you reach another level.  On some levels, there are more dishes you can cook. On others you can have another stove or countertop (the latter being what you put the dish on after it's done).

Their latest feature is where you can cater for certain clients. One of said clients is Wholesale Dale to whom you sell 88704 servings of a dish. That's been my first one, which I'm not nearly done with despite having started it last Thursday night. (I thought that it had to be bacon cheeseburgers that were sold to him, so that's what I've been selling him. So far, I've sold 26,335 servings.) I've also had two other caterin orders where I had to serve certain dishes a certain number of times. However, you can get around the serving part if you have enough cafe cash. (I finished one of said orders this morning. I had to get some help from a "neighbor" on an dinner party order.)

Even though I got a bit distracted with Cafe World, I did get a little reading done. I'm currently up to chapter 22 in The Eyes of Darkness.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

I'm up to chapter 16. The reading I did last night and the night before was during the commerical breaks of Ochocinco:The Ultimate Catch on Sunday night and Money Hungry and Scream Queens last night.

By the way, after two months of not getting to participate in any of Bookcrossing's read-a-thons, I will be participating in the one that starts this Friday and ends the following Thursday night. I can't make any promises as to how much reading I will be getting done given the various activities I normally do during the week, but maybe I'll hit the 24-hour mark for once.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

Thursday, I did some reading the The Eyes of Darkness while waiting for some laundry to get done.  I didn't get any done yesterday, though.

Today, I finished up a chapter that I had left off on. The next chapter I have to read next is chapter12.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

I'm sorry that I haven't given a recent progress report on my reading. There was one day that I didn't read, but I made it up. The next chapter I have to read is chapter nine. I will likely do that tonight. If you don't hear from me tonight, I'll try to post tomorrow.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

I read chapter 3 in The Eyes of Darkness this morning.  I don't normally go into details about what I'm reading, but I kind of want to.

The main character is a dancer named Tina Evans whose son (from a marriage that didn't work out) Danny died over a year ago in a bus accident. She sees a boy in the beginning who looks very much like him.

She put off clearing out Danny's room for a while but finally decides she would get to it. At some point before that, there was some writing on his easel that said Not Dead. She's not sure what the deal is with that. Also, at the end of chapter three, she can't bring herself to go back into his room.

That's where I'm at. I may or may not read more later.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

I have finished chapter 2 on The Eye of Darkness. I may or may not read more later.

I Can Be Contacted Via Email...For Now

I am finally in a position to where I can send my copy of Push Comes To Shove to whoever would like it. The person who had sent it to me said that they had gotten it with strings attached, that it was part of some promotion via Concord press where they were expected to give away money to charity. The copy in question is also registered with Bookcrossing, and the person who had the book before me was concerned that anyone who got the book might be confused and think that participating in Bookcrossing would require giving money to charity.  I apologize if I confused anyone reading this.

I don't want to put pressure on whoever I send the book to to give away money. However, I'll probably donate a little somewhere.

Having said that, I have temporarily edited my profile so that anyone who wishes to contact me via email can do so. (It's the "email" link under "contact".) I will also be offering the book via a couple of other sites I'm involved in, so I don't know how long the book will be available. I'll let you all know when I have someone who can take the book off my hands.

Progress On Current Read: The Eyes of Darkness

I've finally done the first bit of RAB-PIA reading since my return home. I have read the first chapter of The Eyes of Darkness. I may or may not read more later.

New Reading List For RAB-PIA

Now that I am home, I am able to access the books that had been waiting for me all summer.  The first book I will be reading is The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz.  The rest of the list is as follows:

Sweet Hannah Rose by Lori Copeland
The Promise by Danielle Steel
The Passing Bells by Phillip Rock
The Winter Widow by Charlene Weir
The Outlaw's Bride by Liz Ireland
The Seance by Heather Graham.

That is my premiere list for RAB-PIA season 2. As usual, I will be making various updates regarding the progress of whatever book I am on plus any other books added to the list.

Last Season On RAB-PIA...

I kicked off RAB-PIA with a reading list of consisting of my then copy of A Death in the Family by James Agee that I was reading at the time plus six other books that were waiting to be read. I would post periodic progress reports on whatever book I was on until I finished it. If I was involved in a read-a-thon, I'd mention that too.

Because of the weather at the time, I wasn't able to do any releases until the thirteenth, at which time release three. I usually released at either a park near my house or the local Memorial Auditorium.

My reading list would change whenever I released books or got new ones. Most of the books I had on my list were ones I bought from a thrift store. though there were a couple of exceptions There was one book though, called The Accidental Vampire that I got from redeeming some points in a survey site I was registered with. I got another one, Push Comes To Shove, in the mail all the way from Scotland.

In May, I went out of town for family reasons and took my then TBR pile with me. After I finished a book, I would release it at my earliest available opportunity.

The last book I had read in season one was Barefoot. The season ended when I ran out of books to read and release and was in no position to access any more...

RAB-PIA Season 2 To Premiere This Saturday Or This Sunday Barring Unforseen Circumtances

As it turns out I will be going home tomorrow, which means I will once again have access to books I can register with Bookcrossing, list on this blog, read, and release.

If I'm unable to make any updates tomorrow for some reason, I will try to do it on Sunday or on the earliest day possible beginning with a recap of last season and a new list of books to be read.

For anyone who has been here at any time during my haitus, thank you for your patience. I'll see you all soon.

RAB-PIA Season 2 To Begin Next Week (Maybe)

I just now found out that I will likely be returning to my own home this coming weekend. If I do, I will once again have more books to register, read, and release as of next week.  I will let you know if that ends up changing.

Last Bit Of RAB-PIA Business For Now

This morning, I did my last release for RAB-PIA until I return home. I released True Love in the bathroom at McDonald's and Blasphemy and Bookends on the bench outside the housing authority building in my sister's hometown. The two books left in the "To Pass Along" section, Push Comes To Shove and Barefoot, are currently on reserve as I'm hoping to do a controlled release on those two upon my return home. (If no interest is shown on the latter book, I may just wild release it.)  As far as I know, I will not be in any position to access any more books until I return home in August. Needless to say, as of today, RAB-PIA will be going on haitus during the remainder of my time at my sister's house unless any of my releases get caught. Comments can still be made (if you wish to make any), and I may stop by here once in a while to answer any comments left here, but this can't be guaranteed.

Having said that, feel free to peruse earlier posts, as well as my Bookcrossing Articles listed in the sidebar. And just because I won't be blogging here for a while doesn't mean I won't be blogging at all. Depending on what else I'm up to this summer, I will likely be updating my more general blog On The Road To The Rest Of My Life and/or my other one The Way Of The Accommodite.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, and barring unforseen circumstances, I look forward to returning here in August with an updated reading list and more.

Having Nothing To Read Feels Funny To Me

I'm so used to having a book in the "Currently Reading" section as well as some in the "To Be Read Section" that if feels strange for these sections to be empty. Unfortunately, I can't afford any books right now nor am I able to access the sack of books waiting for me back home. I won't be able to access it until I go home in August.

I have books to release, yes, but two of them I'm putting on reserve with the intent of doing a "controlled" release,and the remaining three on the "To Pass Along" list, will have to wait to be released until sometime next week. I know I've said this multiple times, but after I've made said releases, I won't be here for a while.

I guess after I'm unable to make any more updates here, whatever time I have on my hands will have to be spent revising stuff I've written as well as catching up on email.

Was Only Able To Release Two Of My Books Today

I managed to release Georgia Meets Her Groom and The Bride Says No today. I tried to release the others, but between having the dogs with me, trying to find places to release, and needing to get back to the house before anyone else did, I wasn't able to release the others today. I'm going to have my nephew with me all day tomorrow. (His day camp doesn't meet on Fridays.) And there's no telling what will be going on over the weekend, so the other releases will have to wait until next week at a time when I will be by myself.

Releasing outside of my own hometown has not been an easy thing to do. Part of what I try to avoid is places where my sister and her boyfriend are likely to frequent. (Otherwise, I run to much of a risk of getting in trouble with them.) Also, the content in the books I currently have isn't exactly G-rated, so schools and churches are out.  I hope I am able to release the books that I plan on releasing so that I don't have to lug them back home in August.

From Mt. TBR To Mt. TPA

This morning, I finished Barefoot. Like I've mentioned before, This is the last book on my current RAB-PIA reading list. I mentioned a part of it to a blog that I frequent, and the person behind the blog thanked me for sharing it and said  that it sounded like some of the visitors might be interested in reading it. While I'm not currently in a position to do what Bookcrossing calls a "controlled release" (sending/giving a book to a specific person rather than simply leaving it in a random public place), I think I might hold onto this book until I'm back in my hometown and am able to see if there's anyone interested or not. (I have one other book, Push Comes To Shove on my list that I also plan on doing a controlled release. When I'm home and have the means to go about that, I will temporarily have my email visible in my profile, but that won't be until August.)

One of the slang terms that we readers have is "Mt. TBR", with TBR standing for "To Be Read."  Since I got here, the "Mt. TBR" that I had brought with me to my sister's has turned into "Mt. TPA" with TPA standing for "To Pass Along." Though there are two books I plan on holding onto for now, I will see about releasing the rest of the ones from "Mt. TPA." After I've made my releases, I will likely take a haitus from RAB-PIA until I return home and can register/list more books. I'll let you know when that happens though.

Progress On Current Read And A Possible Release Today

I managed to make it to Part 3 of Barefoot this morning. I'm going to try to see if I can finish the book today, but I'm not sure if I will.

I've got a good chunk of the day to myself since my nephew's on a trip with his day camp. I may decide to release some of my books in the "To Pass Along" section, but I'm not totally sure yet.

Got A Few More Pages Read

I read a bit more of Barefoot during some commercial breaks of Chicken Little. I'm up to page 251. I'm going to see about getting some more reading done tonight before I go to bed. I doubt I'll finish the book tonight. I might read some more tomorrow depending on whatever else I'm up to then.

Where I'm At On My Current Read

I'm up to page 239 in Barefoot. I read some of it before dinner. I'm watching the movie Chicken Little on Disney channel. I may sneak in some reading during the commercial breaks. If I'm lucky enough, I might get the book finished before the end of the weekend.

Finished Part One In 'Barefoot'

I read more of Barefoot  off and on this morning and afternoon. I finished Part One. As I write this, I'm watching a rerun of Wife Swap on Lifetime. I might read some more during the commercial breaks.

Where I Got On My Current Read Last Night

Last night, there were some things that my sister had wanted to get done. However, it was stormy, so we went over to a neighbor's house (which is bigger than my sister's). My sister a sack of snacks and Jack Daniels with her. My nephew took some toys and video games with him. I took my copy of Barefoot with me. (Hey, there was no telling how long we'd be there, so why not catch up on some reading, right?) The kitchen was crowded when we got there, but I was invited to go into the living room. So, I sat down in there and read off and on until it was time to go. I made it up to page 142.

I had meant to get some reading done today, but I got distracted. As I write this, I'm also playing "Cafe World" on Facebook. I have ten stoves of chicken gyros and fries cooking. Maybe I'll slip in some reading while I wait for that to be done.

Progress On Current Read And My Latest Personal Challenge

I'm on page 37 in Barefoot. Not counting Acknowledgements or the pages giving a sneak peek of another novel, there are 504 pages overall.

I don't know how long it'll take me to finish this book, and there is no read-a-thon going on right now. However, I've decided that, as of tomorrow, I will read for at least one hour straight every day until the book is finished. I may or may not do the same for future RAB-PIA books. 

Of course, once I'm finished with it, I will be looking for a place to release it.

Started on 'Barefoot'

I started on the book Barefoot last night, which I would read during commercial breaks of Toy Story 2. There aren't a lot of chapter breaks, just long "parts." I'm on Part One page 14.

What I might start today is reading for an hour a day of whatever is my current read. Of course, this is the last book on my current reading list, and I won't be reading for a while after I finish it and release it. This may \mean a haitus from this blog, but I may be giving more attention to my other blogs: On The Road To The Rest Of My Life and The Way Of The Accommodite.

That's all for now. I may be giving updates on my reading progress later today, but there's no promises.

Finished With 'Bookends'

I finished up Bookends today. Hopefully, I will release that book, along with many others, that are on my "To Pass Along" list.

The next book I will be reading is called Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand. This is the last book on my current reading list. If I am still here in my sister's hometown after I have finished it and released it, barring any updates about books being caught, I won't likely be putting up any more new posts until I return home and am able to access some books that are waiting to be registered with Bookcrossing and added to my reading list.

Progress on Current Read

I'm up to chapter 12 of 32 in Bookends. I think I'm simply going to go back to the reading at least one chapter per day for now. I have other things I need to do this weekend, such as write to my dad and catch up on email. I may also try reading during commercial breaks as well. I'm not sure.

Not Going To Make The 24 Hours

I had about 3 hours and 30 minutes left when I last stopped reading. (I'm on the book Bookends by the way.) I couldn't get in the hours I wanted to due to a dinner party here at the house (which I didn't know about until today) and the preparations that needed to be made for it. I have barely over an hour left before midnight, and any reading that happens after midnight tonight doesn't count. Needless to say, I'm dropping out of the read-a-thon. I think my goal though, will be to get the book I'm currently reading and the one left in the "to be read' section read before the end of the weekend as I have other things I need to do this summer.

Today's Reading Update

I finished Blasphemy today. I wasn't able to update my time last night due to being unable to get into Blogger. I read it this morning but had to stop a couple of times because of some things that I needed to help with. Soon after that, my nephew was awake, so I needed to pay attention to him. I did manage to finish the book while he was playing a video game. I'm now down to 5 hours and 31 minutes of reading time left to fill before the end of tomorrow night.

The next book I will be reading is called Bookends by Jane Green.

Reading Update

I read more of Blasphemy for two hours and 47 minutes before I stopped for a while. I am now down to nine hours of reading time left, provided that I still have nine hours worth of material to read in order to fulfill the 24 hours. I'm going to take a reading break and watch a little TV before I return to my reading.

In Case I Don't Get Any More Reading Done Today...

I started on Blasphemy, reading for 20 minutes. I am now down to 11 hours and 47 minutes of reading time before the end of Thursday night. However, if I end up getting through my entire reading list before I reach the 24 hours, then I'll likely just drop out of the read-a-thon, and if I finish and release the books before August, I will likely take a haitus from RAB-PIA for the remainder of the time I'm in my sister's hometown.

Update Number 3 On Memorial Day

 I've just now finished Georgia Meets Her Groom.  That took me two hours and 44 minutes. That means I have 12 hours and 7 minutes of reading time to go before the end of Thursday.

The next book I will be reading is called Blasphemy  by Douglas Preston. I probably won't get to it tonight. I might read some of it when I get up in the morning, if I'm lucky enough to have any time then.

Update Number 2 On Memorial Day

I finished True Love by Robert Fulghum. It took me an hour and 20 minutes. I now have 14 hours and 51 minutes to go before the end of Thursday.

The next book I will be reading is called Georgia Meets Her Groom by Elizabeth Bevarly. (I don't know how much of it I will get read today, though, as my nephew is home now and may want some of my attention during the evening.)

My Reading Updates For Memorial Day

Today happens to be Memorial Day here in the US. However, there's nothing special going on that by any means involves me.  I did get some reading done, though.

I just now finished The Bride Says No.  It took me 2 hours and 6 minutes. I have 16 hours and 11 minutes to go before the end of Thursday.

The next book I will be reading is called True Love by Robert Fulghum.

Triple Release Outside My Hometown

As I may have mentioned before, I'm in my sister's hometown for the summer. As her household is out visiting her boyfriend's family, I am housesitting. I managed to release Hoodwinked at the McDonald's in her hometown and Lost Horizon and The Accidental Vampire on a bench somewhere else. I held onto Push Comes To Shove, though, as the particular circumstances under which the previous reader had gotten it made them reluctant to release it into the wild. Once I'm back home and can afford mailing apparatus, I'll arrange for it to be released somewhere else, at which time I will temporarily have my email in my profile in case nobody from Bookcrossing shows any interest.

More Reading Updates

I read all of Hoodwinked this afternoon. I began reading it for 25 minutes before I ate some lunch. Afterwards, it took me 1 hour and 48 minutes to finish it. That means it took a total of 2 hours and 13 minutes to read. I now have 18 hours and 17 minutes to go in order to meet the 24 hours.

The next book I will be reading is called The Bride Says No by Cait London.

(P.S. Would you believe that this is my 100th post for RAB-PIA?  I wonder if I'll ever reach 1000 here.)

Read-A-Thon Progress And Another Book Finished

I'm taking part in yet another read-a-thon. I didn't get any reading done on Friday (at least none that I had kept track of), so no hours from that. I read for a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes yesterday.

I finished up Push Comes to Shove today. That took my total so far today to 2 hours, bringing my overall total to 3 hours and 30 minutes. That means I have 20 hours and 30 minutes to go.

The next book I will be reading is Hoodwinked by Diana Palmer.

Progress on Current Read

In Push Comes To Shove, I read the first section, which was from th perspective of someone named Muriel. The next one will be from the perspective of someone named Raymond.

Finished 'The Accidental Vampire'

Well, I finished The Accidental Vampire today. The date and place of release have yet to be determined.

I was going to release Lost Horizon on Friday, but the place where I was going to release it was inaccessible, and I didn't have time to find an alternative spot. So, I may have to see about releasing it in my sister's hometown (where I am for the summer).

The next book I will be reading will be Push Comes to Shove by Wesley Brown.

I'm So Sorry For Falling Behind On This

I realize that I haven't made any recent progress reports on my reading. I'd rather not go into why.

I will say this though. I've made it up to chapter 18 in The Accidental Vampire. I don't think I'll finish it in time to release it before I go out of town, and I don't know when I'll be a position to release it when I am out of town.

I have decided that I would release my copy of Lost Horizon tomorrow morning while I'm out running other errands.

Progress on Current Read

Between the reading I did yesterday and the reading I did tonight, I've made it up to chapter 11 in The Accidental Vampire.

Giving Up On The Read-A-Thon

I had started on the April-May read-a-thon with Bookcrossing, but between full days at Doggie Bag and not to mention a lot of "cyber stuff" I've been doing lately, there has just been no way for me to make it to the full 24 hours.

Maybe I'll have better luck next month.

April-May Read-A-Thon: Days 2-4

I didn't get any reading done on Saturday for some reason. Last night, I only got in 41 minutes of reading. Tonight I read for one hour and twenty-five minutes. I now have a cumulative total of 2 hours and 14 minutes towards the read-a-thon. That means I have 21 hours and 46 minutes to go.

I'm also done with Lost Horizon. I am now on The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands. I've read the first chapter so far.

Bought More Books Today

At the thrift store I volunteer at, the shelves have gotten a bit crowded lately. In order to help free up some of the space, I bought some books. They are as follows:

Hoodwinked by Diana Palmer
The Bride Says No by Cait London
True Love by Robert Fulghum
Georgia Meets Her Groom by Elizabeth Bevarly
Blasphemy by Douglas Preston
Bookends by Jane Green
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

I've registered them all with Bookcrossing, and after I read them all, I will be releasing them.

April-May Read-A-Thon: Day 1

I just now read chapter 3 of Lost Horizon. That took me eight minutes, leaving me with 23 hours and 52 minutes to go. I have some writing to do, so I won't likely get any more reading done today. However, if it thunders where I am, and I have to turn my computer off, I'll do more reading.

Progress on Current Read And Upcoming Read-A-Thon

I read chapter two of The Lost Horizon tonight. I didn't do any reading whatsoever last night. I got distracted with other things.

Tomorrow is Bookcrossing's April-May Read-a-thon. I'll do my daily chapter read tomorrow and count it towards my time, but because of various things I have to do tomorrow, I won't be doing a lot of reading until I'm off-duty on Saturday. Not counting the book I'm on now, I'm down to two books. I may have to buy some books to ensure that I have 24 hour's worth of material to last me to next Thursday night.

Progress on Current Read

This afternoon, I read chapter one of The Lost Horizon.  As much as I had placed myself under the rule that I would read at least one chapter per day, I don't always do that. (Hmm. Maybe I need to set up a chart or something as a reminder.)

Released 'A Bride By Christmas"

I released A Bride by Christmas yesterday. I released it in the ladie's room of the local Memorial Auditorium. I don't know if I'll hear back about where it's gone since the release or not.

Started On 'The Lost Horizon'

The book I'm currently on is The Lost Horizon by James Hilton. This is the book that last belonged to my late step-great-granmother on my mom's side of the family. So far, I've read the prologue After I finish the book, I will likely release it.

Finshed with 'A Bride by Christmas'

Today, I finished  A Bride by Christmas. I did most of the reading when I was in the car.  Now, I have to figure out when/where I will be releasing.

The next book I will be reading is called Lost Horizon by James Hilton.

Progress on Current Read

I've just finished reading chapter two of Tumbleweed Christmas. I may be reading more of it later, or I may not.

Progress on Current Read

I've started on Tumbleweed Christmas by Candace Camp. There's only seven chapters in it, so if I were to read a chapter every single day, I'd have it done by Monday.

Finished The Wise Virgin

This morning, when I still had some time left before going to church, I finished The Wise Virgin in A Bride by Christmas.  I am now down to the final novel in the collection: Tumbleweed Christmas by Candace Camp.

Where I Got To On My Current Read Last Night

I did some reading of The Wise Virgin during commercial breaks of TBS's run of Shrek the Third. I am up to chapter eight.

Progress on Current Read

I had started to read chapter three of The Wise Virgin during the commercial breaks of Sober House, but then I got distracted with something, so I finished the chapter today when I got home from taking some recycling to the college campus.

After that, I read chapter four. I don't know if I will be reading more later today or not.

New Blog

I have a new blog called The Way Of The Accommodite which was inspired by my relatively submissive personality. Feel free to take a peek!

Progress on Current Read

I realize it's been a while since I have given any updates here. My apologies to anyone who has been here lately, trying to see if I had any recent updates or not. I realize I haven't been faithful to the "at least one chapter a day" rule I try to live by. I am going to try harder on that.

This morning, I read chapter two of The Wise Virgins. I may read more later.

Read Another Chapter

I started on Chapter One of The Wise Virgins in A Bride by Christmas. I had started the chapter before dinner. However, after dinner, I finished the chapter in keeping with my personal policy not to leave a chapter unfinished.

Progress on Current Read

As I've mentioned before, I'm reading the three-in-one book collection called A Bride by Christmas. The particular book I'm on is Jo Beverley's The Wise Virgin. So far, I've gone through the prologue. I may read more tonight.

Progress on Current Read

The book I'm currently reading, A Bride by Christmas, is actually a collection of three books. I've just finished the first of the three, Home for Christmas by Heather Graham. The second book in the collection, The Wise Virgin by Jo Beverley, will be the next one to be read.

Failed Yet Another Read-A-Thon

You know, after day four, things for me as far as the read-a-thon was concerned went downhill. Day five, I got in only fifteen minutes; day six, maybe forty; day seven, no reading at all.

Maybe next time, I'll get in as much reading as possible on the weekends. I get so distracted on the weekdays.

March-April Read-a-thon Progress As Of Day Four

On Sunday night, I managed to slip in an extra 18 minutes of reading time. I read Glory, Glory. I finished it last night (and released today at a nearby park) and got in only an hour and twelve minutes total. That means my total right now is fourteen hours and nine minutes. That leaves me with nine hours and fifty-one minutes to go.

My target reading time for tonight will be four hours.

Triple Release

This morning I released my copies of Rich Man's Fake Fiancee, I've Got You Babe, and Cardinal Rules. I released them at the same park near my house that I normally do.

That is probably the most books I have released at one time in at least a while.

March-April Read-a-thon: Day Three

For the read-a-thon today, I read Cardinal Rules by Barbara Delinsky, which I finished and got up to chapter six of Glory, Glory by Linda Lael Miller. The former will be one of three books that I will be releasing tomorrow.

 I read for a total of four hours and nine minutes, giving me a grand total of twelve hours and forty-nine minutes. That means I have eleven hours and eleven minutes left.  My target reading time for tomorrow will be four hours even though it'll mainly have to be in the evening as I will be at Doggie Bag during the day .

March-April Read-a-thon: Day Two

My goal for the day was four hours of reading. During that time I finished Rich Man's Fake Fiancee and then moved onto Karen Kendall's I've Got You, Babe. It took me four minutes to finish reading a chapter in the latter of the two books. After I finished said chapter, I was far enough along in the book (which has thrity-four chapters and an epilogue) that I decided I'd finish up the book tonight.

After I took a break from the reading and ate some dinner, I finished what few chapters of I've Got You, Babe, which took me twenty-two minutes.

So, overall, I read for a total of four hours and thirty-three minutes. Adding that to yesterday's time gives me a cumulative total of eight hours and forty minutes, so I have fifteen hours and twenty minutes to go.

My target reading time for tomorrow will be four hours,and the next book I will be reading will be Cardinal Rules by Barbara Delinsky.

Released 'An Ocean Apart'

I was able to release my copy of An Ocean Apart at the last minute. I released it at the park near my house. Since the forecast is calling for rain tomorrow, I took the precaution of putting it in a plastic Ziploc bag.

March-April Read-A-Thon: Day One

For the read-a-thon, I had set a goal of four hours per day. I read a total of four hours and seven minutes.  I finished An Ocean Apart by Robin Pilcher (which I will be prepping for release in a moment here shortly) and am now on chapter seven of Rich Man's Fake Fiancee by Catherine Mann.

My Progress As Of Last Night And My Reading Goal For Today

I'm up to chapter nineteen in An Ocean Apart. I read some of it during my lunch break yesterday and some of it during commerical breaks last night.

I'm going to be involved with Bookcrossing's newest read-a-thon. The goal is to accumulate 24 hours of reading time between now and the end of next Thursday. So, my goal for today will be to read for four hours.

Reading Progress So Far

I did quite a bit of commercial break reading last night so far along with my personal rule of at least one chapter per day.  I'm at chapter eight of An Ocean Apart.

Where I Got On My Current Read Last Night

I made it through the first two chapters of Robin Pichler's An Ocean Apart last night. I read it during some commercial breaks.

Released Mystery Bride

I released my copy of Mystery Bride at Lincoln Park this morning. The next book I will be reading is An Ocean Apart by Robin Pichler.

Finished Mystery Bride

I read some of Mystery Bride during the commercial breaks of Sober House with Dr. Drew, Spongebob Squarepants, Frank the Entertainer in...A Basement Affair, and Tool Academy. I was far enough along that I decided to go ahead and finish the book after my shower. I'll likely release it on my way to Doggie Bag tomorrow.

Progress on Current Read

I just now finished chapter 5 in Mystery Bride.

Got A Book From Scotland

Awhile back, there was someone on Bookcrossing who was trying to give away their copy of Wesley Brown's Push Comes To Shove. As far as I know, I was the only person to take them up on their offer. They mailed the book earlier in March, and it has just made it to me today. My mom was the one who checked the mail and was initially confused as to how I got a book from Scotland, but I explained to her that I was involved in an online book club and someone there was trying to give the book away.

It'll be awhile before the book gets read as there are other books I have yet to get read. But as usual, after I read it, I will pass it along.

Progress on Current Read

I managed to get chapter four read in Mystery Bride. I don't know if I will read more later or not.

Progress on Current Read

It's that time again to let you know where I'm at on the book I'm on. I just now finished chapter 2 of Mystery Bride.

Today's Release And Where I Am On My Current Read

I released Rogue's Reward this morning at a park near my house. Right now, I'm on Mystery Bride by B.J. Daniels and have just finished the prologue and the first chapter.

Finished Rogue's Reward

For some reason, I decided to go ahead and finish up Rogue's Reward tonight. I will probably release it tomorrow morning on my way to Doggie Bag.

The next book I will be reading is Mystery Bride by B.J. Daniels.

Progress on Current Read

I was rather late doing this, but I managed to get chapter eight of Rogue's Reward read today. Maybe I'll get more read later tonight.

Progress on Current Read

I just now read chapter seven of Rogue's Reward. When I got home from my shift at Doggie Bag was the earliest I was able to do it. I'm still trying to read at least one full chapter, if not more, of whatever book I'm on every single day.

Progress on Current Read

I did manage to get in yet another chapter of Rogue's Reward. I got through chapter 6. I had kind of hoped that I'd get in more reading, but that didn' happen. Maybe I'll get more of it read tomorrow.

Progress on Current Read

I haven't read Rogue's Reward in over a week. I got in chapter five today. Hopefully, I'll get in another chapter tomorrow.

Got In One Chapter Of 'Rogue's Reward'

I meant to devote an entire afternoon to reading Rogue's Reward, but after one chapter, I fell asleep. At least that's better than nothing. I think I'm going to return to getting in at least one full chapter per day if possible.

Failed The Read-A-Thon...Again And Other News

I didn't really get any reading done past Sunday. I must've gotten distracted. I'm up to chapter 3 in Rogue's Reward.  I'm thinking of devoting the afternoon to reading it. But then, I've got some Bible reading to make up, so maybe I'll read the novel when I'm done with the Bible reading.

I'm happy to report that, as of today, I've been able to find RAB-PIA in the Yahoo! search results. Maybe it was just a matter of time before that happened.

Another Caught Release

One of the books that I released a couple of days ago, Tender Savage, was caught a day ago. Here's the link to the journal entry:

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7715701.

It's the fifth book of mine that has been caught as far as I'm aware.

Released Some Books

I released my copies of Tender Savage and The Love Killers today. They were left in the ladie's room on the main level of my local Memorial Auditorium. I don't know if I'll hear back about them or not.

Finished With The Love Killers So Soon After Starting It

I started on The Love Killers last night reading only the first chapter. That took five minutes, which put my reading time total from yesterday to five hours and 18 minutes. The rest of it, which I read this afternoon, took me 2 hours and 23 minutes. That means I read a total of 8 hours and one minute. That means I have 15 hours and 59 minutes to go before hitting the 24 hours.

The next book I will be reading is Rogue's Reward by Jean R. Ewing, which is one of eight books I had bought from Doggie Bag.

Most Productive Day Of Reading In A While

I'm involved with Bookcrossing's latest read-a-thon. I didn't get any reading done yesterday. However, I set myself a goal to read four hours a day for the rest of the time as the basic goal is to accumulate twenty-four hours of reading. For my four hours, I read more of Tender Savage. After  four hours came and went, I decided to finish what was left of the book. I managed to finish the book and get in five hours and thirteen minutes which means I have 18 hours and 47 minutes to go.

Since I am done with Tender Savage, I will need to prepare it for release. I will likely release it on Monday.  The place has yet to be determined.

The next book I will be reading will be The Love Killers by Jackie Collins.

First Sentence On The Last Chapter I Read

Okay, so once in a while, Bookcrossing will have a thread in their "Book Talk"  forum asking for the first sentence of the first book one is reading at the time. One such example can be found here.

I've noticed that, as of late, I haven't had much to say beyond how far along I am on a book, so I'm going to shake things up a bit and give the first sentence of whatever chapter or chapters I've read that day.

For instance, today I read chapter three in Tender Savage. Here's the first sentence:

"Gunter had dropped his sack of wood scraps and bolted before she could reach him and Erica can do no more than pray he had been so mortified by what he had seen he would not rush straight home to tell his mother."

Erica, by the way is the main female in the book.

Progress on Current Read

I made it through chapter two in Tender Savage this afternoon. I don't know if I will be reading more of it tonight or not. I will likely read more of it this weekend.

Progress on Current Read

Today, I started on the book, Tender Savage by Phoebe Conn. I got through the prologue and chapter one.

Released 'The Persian Boy'

I've released my copy of The Persian Boy on a picnic table at Lincoln Park.  It was kind of a nice day today.  Maybe in the warmer months, I'll do more of my releases outdoors.

Sometime today, I'll be getting in at least the first chapter of Tender Savage.

Finished The Persian Boy

Well, I finally finished The Persian Boy today. I read it a little before and after dinner. (Right now, I'm watching Billy Madison.) So, it's officially in the "To Pass Along" category until I release it (which hopefully will be tomorrow).  The next book up for reading is Tender Savage  by Phoebe Conn.

There are days when I haven't done any RAB-PIA. I think I will try to read at least one full chapter per day on whatever book I'm reading until I finish it.

Got In Another Chapter In 'The Persian Boy'

I've gotten a bit behind on my reading for some reason. I'm up to chapter 21 in The  Persian Boy. Maybe what I need to do is get in at least one chapter every single day. That way, I'm always closer to getting through a book.

Started Yet Another Blog

This doesn't really pertain to RAB-PIA, but I just wanted to let you all know that I just started a new blog called On The Road To The Rest Of My Life.  It's basically intended to chronicle my life as a college graduate regarding things like, family, career (or lack thereof), religious life, altruistic efforts, etc. I only have one post so far about what has happened with me so far, but there will be more to come.

After A Few Days Of Not Reading For RAB-PIA...

I finally got further along on The Persian Boy. I'm up to chapter 20 on it. I'm going to make sure I keep on top of the reading so that I can get to the other books on my reading list. As you can probably tell from the sidebar, I've got several waiting to be read.

By the way, do you remember when I mentioned that I had bought some books from a thrift store called Doggie Bag? Well, on Wednesday, I put in an application to volunteer there. I was able to talk to the person in charge of that stuff. On Monday, barring anything unforseen, I'll be going in for an orientation. My schedule from there has yet to be determined.

Failed The Read-A-Thon

I had noted a read-a-thon that I was involved in over the past week. I didn't get anywhere near the 24 hours that it called for, especially given some of the stuff I had to do over the past week, such as attend a funeral on Tuesday and seek out a job application on Wednesday.

Oh, well, there's always next time, right?

Got A New Book In The Mail

I've been involved with an online survey panel known as Zoom Panel for quite a few years. In said panel, one takes surveys for a certain amount of points. Over time, said points accumulate and can be "cashed in" for a prize of one's choice (and different prizes cost different numbers of points). About a week or so ago, I cashed in some of my points for a book called The Accidental Vampire: An Argeneau Novel.  I got it a few minutes ago when I was out checking the mail. This is the first time I have gotten a free book online.  There's been one other site I had gone to called Crown Publishing where one can request certain books for free. I requested all three that were being offered. The supply of these is limited, and as the distribution is based on random selection, some requests end up being denied. That has been the case with one of my selections so far, but better luck next time, right?

Where was I? Oh yeah, my new book that I got. I will be adding it to my reading list to read and eventually release.

Released 'The Pursuit of Marriage'

I released my copy of The Pursuit of Marriage at Fresinus Medical Center near the local Cato, Big Lots, etc. It is on a table in the waiting room. I don't normally release stuff there, but I figure I'd step out of my comfort zone a bit this time.

Read-a-thon Progress Days 4-5, Progress On Current Read And A New Addition To The Reading List

Last night, I got in 16 minutes of reading time. Today, while on the way over to Osawatamie for my step-great-grandmother's funeral (may she rest in peace) and on the way back, I got in a total of 1 hour and 51 minutes. So, I've got 4 hours and 53 minutes accumulated for the read-a-thon. (I don't know if I will make it to 24 though, what with the things I have to go around and do in the next couple of days.) I was hoping to get The Pursuit of Marriage released today, but I had no such luck. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Right now, I am on chapter 16 of The Persian Boy.  I may or may not get that chapter finished tonight.

Sometime after the funeral and lunch, the family all went over to SGGM's house and looked through her stuff. I started looking around for her book collection at some point. However, shortly after having found it, it was time to go home. I did however, manage to get one book from the collection. It's called Lost Horizon by James Hilton. It has been added to my reading list as of today.

Read-a-thon Progress for Day 3

I only got in 19 minutes of The Persian Boy last night.  I'll probably get in some reading today. (The weather makes it almost impossible to safely go out and do anything.)

Tomorrow, I have a funeral to attend out of town. Since I'm not going to be the one driving, I'll likely take The Persian Boy with me to read if not on the way over (since I'll have to leave especially early) then at least on the way back.  I think I'll also take my copy of The Pursuit of Marriage with me in case I get a chance to slip away and release it somewhere. (Or maybe there will be a relative there who might be interested.)

Read-a-thon Progress For Day 2

I started on The Persian Boy tonight. I accumulated 46 minutes on it. My total reading time for today was 1 hour and 24 minutes. So far, that leaves me with a grand total of 2 hours and 27 minutes.  That leaves me with 21 hours and 13 minutes to go.

Finished The Pursuit of Marriage

I finished The Pursuit of Marriage this afternoon. It took me 58 minutes.  I don't know where I'll be releasing it yet, but it'll probably be released sometime within the next week, time and weather permitting.

The next book I plan on reading is The Persian Boy by Mary Renault.

Reading Time Total For Day 1 Of Read-a-thon

Yesterday was Day 1 of the read-a-thon that I'm involved in. I managed to accumulate 1 hour and 3 minutes of reading. The basic goal of the challenge is 24 hours, so I basically have 22 hours and 57 minutes to go.

I have less than 100 pages of The Pursuit of Marriage to go, so I'll probably just finish that today. It may be the only reading I end up doing today as I have yet another project to catch up on.

Watch for more updates on my progress for the read-a-thon.

Today's The Day

Starting today, I will be involved in a read-a-thon where I try to devote a total of 24 hours in seven days to reading.  I will be recording my progress on this blog for each day on that night or the next morning.

The book I will start with for the read-a-thon will be whatever's left of The Pursuit of Marriage. If I end up finishing it before the week is up, I will move on to the next book, etc.

J.D. Salinger RIP

I just found out that J.D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye (which I read in college) and Nine Stories (which I had on my reading list for a while) is now dead. The article regarding his death can be found here.  It does mention Nine Stories. (And to think I read that and mentioned it on my blog not too long ago.)

Progress on Current Read, and Other Things

I'm up to chapter 9 in The Pursuit of Marriage.  As it turns out, Lord Berkely wants Cassandra, and Cassandra wants him, although she would not admit to it.

I've recently joined something called "Book Blogs." I'll post the link to it at another time.

I also noticed that I have yet another follower. (Yay!)

Did A Little Shopping

Less than an hour ago, I went to a thrift store called Doggie Bag, which is affiliated with the regional branch of the Humane Society.  I bought eight books there for a quarter each.  They are as follows:

Rogue's Reward by Jean R. Ewing
Mystery Bride by B.J. Daniels
An Ocean Apart by Robin Pilcher
Rich Man's Fake Fiancee by Catherine Man
Cardinal Rules by Barbara Delinsky
I've Got You Babe by Karen Kendall
Glory, Glory by Linda Lael Miller
A Bride by Christmas by Heather Graham, et. al.

I will be adding these to my reading list and registering them with Bookcrossing shortly.

Reading On A Sunday Afternoon

I got in some more reading today. I'm up to chapter 6 in The Pursuit of Marriage.  Cassie and Reggie, the two main characters have made a pact to find mates for each other. I remember when my mom had met my now stepdad, she was trying to find someone for him, but he fell for her.  Funny how that kind of stuff works out.

Finally Got Some Reading In

After a couple of days of not reading, I finally got some in today.  I'm partway into chapter two of The Pursuit of Marriage.  I've had other things going on. Tuesday through Thursday, I was in and out picking up, dropping off, and checking on job applications. (Still no interviews as of yet.) Yesterday, I took some newspapers that I had accumulated in my bedroom over to a recycling bin at the local college campus. I did the same thing with some plastic bottles near the kitchen trash can at home and some cans an bottles that I found on the ground on the way to campus.

This morning, while waiting for a guest to show up. (It was someone coming to help my stepdad with something.) Maybe I'll get some more done tonight.

Missed A Day Of Reading

I did not read at all yesterday, at least not for RAB-PIA.  I was in and out yesterday to turn in a couple of job applications and for some reason got caught up in other things in the evening. I went in this morning to check on my application to the local Walgreens (which I live within walking distance of). However, the person who was in charge of that stuff wasn't available. That's okay. Barring anything unforseen, I can always go in next week.  When/if I do get a job, I don't know what it'll do to my "reading time," but I will be sure to keep it on the schedule for when I'm off duty.

The read-a-thon that I mentioned in a previous post is a week from tomorrow.

Progress on Current Read

As you can tell from the sidebar, my current read is The Pursuit of Marriage by Victoria Alexander. I got through the prologue and part of chapter one last night. It takes place in the 1820s when getting married was considered a big thing. There's talk of how the main character, Cassie Effington is so caught up in her interior design business that it's getting in the way of her finding a husband.  She also has allegedly high standards.

That's all I have to say for now.

Back From A Release

I released my copy of Meadowlark today. I was going to release it at the local Memorial Auditorium, but it was locked when I got there. So, I settled for a park near my house.  At least the weather isn't as bad as it was on my last release. There are still traces of snow, but it's nowhere near what it was like last week.

An interesting question came up on the Bookcrossing Forums today: "Monday January 18th - what are you reading- and where are you in the book + real life?" The thread can be read here.


My current answer is that as of tonight, I'll be reading The Pursuit of Marriage by Victoria Alexander. I have yet to read the actual book, but in there, I have a feeling I will be in England in the nineteenth century. In real life, I'm currently at home, waiting on some laundry. I may or may not go back out later today to buy another used book to add to my list.

Done With Meadowlark

Well, I finally finished Meadowlark. Garrick was ultimately found not guilty. Cameron proposed to Becky, but she turned him down. So, basically, Becky's back with Garrick for good.

I think I'm going to miss this book when I release it for someone else to enjoy.  I haven't decided exactly where I will release it.

The next book that I plan on reading in The Pursuit of Marriage by Victoria Alexander.

Sometime in the next week or so, I may have to find more books to buy if I wish to have something to read for the upcoming read-a-thon.

Only A Few Chapters Left

I'm up to chapter 33 in Meadowlark. Cameron, the father of Becky's child, is back in the picture. He can't get the child's name right for some reason.  Garrick is accused of assualting Cameron and is arrested. Becky goes into the jail a couple of times to see Garrick. The last time she does, Garrick says that he doesn't want her in anymore. Also, Becky has a bad reputation with people in the town.

I'm hoping that Garrick is found not guilty. I don't know what will happen between Becky and Cameron. I'll probably be done with the book either today or tomorrow.

Progress on Current Read

I made it up to chapter 22 in Meadowlark last night.  Becky has revealed that she was seventeen. She also eventually had her baby (named Alaina after Garrick's mother) shortly after the horse, Sophie had her colt.  There are a couple of times when Becky has worn pants (which was especially awkward the first time as back in the 1870s the idea of a female wearing pants for any reason was far from the norm).  Becky eventually gets to a point where she actually was to consummate her marriage with Garrick, but her attempts to seduce him into it fail. (They do eventually consummate it, though.) Where I've last left off, Alaina, Becky, and Garrick all get sick. Garrick is sick enough that he has ended up at a "pest house" (apparently the original term for hospital) .  Here's hoping that he gets better.

Announcements: Book Progress And Upcoming Readathon

Last night, I made up to chapter eight in Meadowlark. Normally I don't go into details about a book that I'm reading since the nature of my project involves basically reading a book like I would a newspaper and then dispensing with it and moving on. However, I think I'll make an exception this time, but it'll just be a few noteworthy things.

The main female character, Becky is expecting a child out of wedlock.  There's no chance of the father of the child returning anytime soon. When she almost drowns, someone by the name of Garrick, whom she eventually marries, rescues her. The nature of the marriage is one of convenience, but that's okay because the story takes place in 1870, when that sort of thing was more understandable. And of course, they do have a few bumps in the road (but what couple doesn't). For instance the only thing that Becky knows how to cook is cornmeal and beans. Garrick is sick of this, so Becky turns to someone to teach her to cook other things; in return she offers to do repair work on clothing. (It kind of reminds me of myself. My own "cooking skills" are kind of limited. Most of what I do know how to cook is convenience-type stuff, soup, scrambled eggs, and spaghetti.) Garrick isn't that great with communicating with her, but he'll probably try to work on that.

By the way, barring unforseen circumstances, two weeks from today, I will be participating in a read-a-thon where the goal is to devote a cumulative 24 hours of reading in one week.  The details can be seen here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/6648521/16

During that time, I will update reading time as well as how far along I am on the particular book(s) I am on at the time.

Got Through Chapter One In Meadowlark Last Night

Last night, I finished chapter one in Carolyn Lampan's Meadowlark. I have found lately that, when I read, I try to get through whole chapters, or in the case of Nine Stories, whole stories.

I don't know how far I will get tonight, but as usual, I'll be sure to keep you all posted as soon as possible.

Just Got Back From Releasing Books

I just got back from releasing three books on the bottom level of the local Memorial Auditorium. I put A Death in the Family and Nine Stories on different tables and The Grand Finale on the counter in the ladies' room.

There's still snow and slush on the ground though it's not as much as last week. My sneakers and socks got wet so I took those off after I got inside and took off my coat and then changed into some dry socks and my Mary Janes.

I almost never find out about what happens to my books after I release them. I may or may not find out what happens to the ones I released today. But hopefully, they'll find their way to another reader and not the Lost and Found or a trash can.

Finished With The Grand Finale

I finally finished The Grand Finale today. This afternoon, barring anything unforseen, I'll be releasing it, along with the other books on my "To Pass Along" list. (I meant to give updates last night, but I eventually wore out.)  The most likely place will be at the local Memorial Auditorium.

The next book I'll be reading is Meadowlark by Carolyn Lampman.

Progress On The Grand Finale...And What I Found

I managed to get through the first three chapters of The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich.

Earlier this afternoon, while reading the book I found the original receipt for it, which dates back to June 10 of this past year at 2:25 PM. The book was bought at the Phoenix International Airport in the Phoenix by the same name. More specifically, it was bought from a store called "The Paradies Shops."  The original price for the book was 7.99, but there $4.00 was knocked off of that price (omething about a "read & return disc). The total cost of the book after tax was $4.32, which was paid by a Mastercard.

I never thought I would ever find out so much about a book that I bought at a flea market on a road trip for (I think) a dollar or two.

What interesting things have you found in a used book?

Finally Done With Nine Stories

I'm finally done with J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories. It is now being moved to the "To Pass Along" list. (When I will be letting it go depends on when the weather warms/clears up for me to do that.)  The next book I will be reading is The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich.

Progress on Current Read

I'm still on Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger. I'm on the second to last story, "De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period." I hope to be finished with the book sometime tomorrow.

Finally Started On Nine Stories and Finally Have A Follower

Today, I started on J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories.  I saw most of the movie Groundhog Day on TV today. As usually I read during most of the commericals. I had managed to read the first story, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" (and unfortunately, in my hometown, today is far too cold for bananafish) and part of the second story, "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut." I finished the latter after the movie was over.

I hadn't planned on doing this, but at this time, I'd like to give a shout-out to my first "follower" and fellow Bookcrosser, Mozette. Mozette, if you're reading this, I hope you enjoy the blog, and I'd love to hear what you think about it.

Second Anniversary of My First BookCrossing Publication

The first time I had anything published with Bookcrossing was two years ago. It was especially lucky for me as it was the first thing I had ever written for them. Here's the link to the article:

http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/2844/My-First-Caught-Release

Generally, when Bookcrossing approves and publishes an article, they'll let the author know via email. I didn't find out about the publication until maybe a week later, partly because I was behind on my email as it was and partly because I was too stressed out over my mom's then Himalayan cat Mo who, due to what turned out to be complications to his liver, was in the hospital at the time to even mess with email or Bookcrossing.

(It'll be two years ago tomorrow that, due to what little chance he would have had of a proper recovery, Mom ended up making the difficult decision to have him put to sleep. He would've been six the following summer. May he rest in peace.)

Bookcrossing Article Published

I found out today that an article I wrote for bookcrossing has been published today. I had actually written it prior to starting this blog. It also mentions a copy of The Crucible that I had bought from the same bookstore that I had bought A Death in the Family (which I can't wait to release once the weather clears enough for me to do that), read, and eventually released. Here's the link:

http://www.bookcrossing.com/articles/3281

List Is Now On Sidebar

I had originally planned on always putting updates to my list in posts, but I decided it would be easier to simply put it on the sidebar and just edit it when necessary rather than having to write out the list every single time.

Finally Finished A Death in the Family

This afternoon, VH1 was playing both Grease movies, the second one followed by the first. Of course, I read during the commercial breaks and finished A Death in the Family. It is now offically in the "To Pass Along" category. However, when I "pass it along" will depend on the weather. The next book I plan on reading is Nine Stories by JD Salinger.

More Commercial Break Reading

Tonight, I managed to catch part of the movie Grease. One of the times that it went to a commercial was right after the part where a couple of guys mooned the camera. (Does anyone remember that part?) Of course, I got some reading done during the commercial breaks.

I also got some reading in during the commercial breaks of South Park on Comedy Central, King of the Hill on Cartoon Network, and back on Comedy Central, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report.

I've finished Part II today and am now at the final "part" which is Part III. I'm up to chapter 16.

Changed My Name

Don't ask me why, but tonight as I was surfing the net, there turned out to be ANOTHER "Tiger Mouse". So now, I'm changing my name to "Moderate Mouse."

Got Three Chapters in Today

Earlier this afternoon I got chapter nine in A Death in the Family read.

Tonight, I caught the newest episode of Teen Mom on MTV. Once again, during the commercial breaks, I got some reading in. I managed to get through all of chapter ten and part of chapter eleven, so I finished chapter eleven after Teen Mom was over. I'm now up to chapter twelve. Yep, I have more than half of the chapters read.

Reading During Commercial Breaks

So, tonight, I watched the finale I Want to Work for Diddy 2 on VH1. (In case there's anyone here who normally watches the show but was unable to catch tonight's episode, Ebony was the winner.) During the commercial breaks, I'd pick up my current read, A Death in the Family, and read it until the show came back on. I had started at the beginning of chapter eight tonight.

After all of the commercial breaks were over, I had about a page and a half left. I finished that after the show was over. I'm now at chapter nine.

Normally, people use commercial breaks to get a drink, grab something from another room, etc., but how many can say that they read during said breaks until a show comes back on? (Dare I mention that this is not the first time I have ever done that?)

Progress on Current Read

The book I'm currently reading is A Death in the Family by James Agee. At this time I'm at Part two of three and chapter eight of twenty.

As the weather in my hometown is such that it's best not to go out unless there's a particularly pressing need, I may very well get some reading in today. If I do, I'll let you know.

Current RAB-PIA Reading List

My debut reading list for RAB-PIA is as follows:



Currently Reading:


A Death in the family by James Agee


To Be Read:


Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger


The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich


Meadowlark by Carolyn Lampman


The Pursuit of Marriage by Victoria Alexander


The Persian Boy by Mary Renault


Tender Savage by Phoebe Conn


The Love Killers by Jackie Collins




Please note that as I have no books waiting to be released, donated, etc., I have not listed the third category, "To Pass Along." This will change when I have finished my current read.

Introduction to RAB-PIA

Hello, and welcome to my blog. I am a college graduate in the process of developing a career in writing, part of which involves reading. This blog is devoted to my latest reading project, Read a Book, Pass it Along, or for short, RAB-PIA.

In the past, books have made their way to my shelf in various ways: at Christmas or on my birthday or from bookstores, garage sales, etc. Sometimes, if someone was looking to thin out their book collection, I'd take some books off of their hands. I didn't always get around to reading a book right away though. There were books that I'd choose to keep for as long as possible after having read them, but then there were some that I'd read once but at some point wished to part with them. I'd maybe donate books in the latter category to somewhere like the Salvation Army at some point, but otherwise, I didn't know what else to do with them. That is, until after I had discovered an online book club called Bookcrossing (where I go by Modmouse), where people would register books that they had read or intended to read (or not) and when they were ready, either send the books to someone else or leave them in a random public place (known as "the wild") for someone else to find and enjoy but I'll go into more detail about that in another post.
After having been affiliated with Bookcrossing for a while, not only did it help make my own bookshelves less crowded, it also motivated me to read books that I had but had yet to get around to reading so that after I had read them, they could be sent off for someone else to enjoy. Eventually, this lead to what I now call RAB-PIA (Read a Book, Pass it along).

RAB-PIA is basically where I read a book from my own bookshelf and then send it somewhere else for someone else to enjoy. In college, I did this with books I had obtained one way or another a long time ago but had yet to get around to reading. I also did not have a formal list of said books at the time. At best, I'd maybe have a handwritten list of books I intended to read and then release at my earliest available opportunity. Now, whenever I can, I buy used books from used bookstores, flea markets, thrift stores, etc., with the intent of keeping them just long enough to read them once and then send them along their way. (The reason I prefer to go with used books for this project is that they are theoretically less expensive than new books, and for some reason, with a new book, I'd feel compelled to justify having gotten it new by keeping it for at least a couple more years.)
For the RAB-PIA project, not only do I have a formal reading list (which I will be updating periodically), I have divided it as follows:
To Be Read: Books I have bought or otherwise obtained and intend to keep only long enough to read them, after which time I will either send to someone else or leave in a random public place (a.k.a. "the wild").
Currently Reading: This will be the book that I will be updating my progress on every day or as often as possible until it is finished. After that time, said book will be moved to the "To Pass Along" category, and whatever is on the top of the "To Be Read" list will be moved here.

To Pass Along (will only be listed when applicable): Basically, I will have finished the book and intend to either send it to someone else or release it "into the wild" at my earliest available opportunity. Ideally, if this category is noted, there will only be one book on it. However, if weather or other unforseeable circumstances prevent me from dispensing with one book before I finish another, there may be multiple books here. Obviously, once I have release, donated, or otherwise dispensed with said books, they will no longer appear on the list at all. I will be sure to note when I have released, donated, etc. any books that are under this category.
Please note that any book that I am borrowing from a library or another person will NOT be on this list as said book would need to return to a specific place upon being finished and/or by a certain date. I also will NOT be listing books that I will be keeping indefinitely for reasons such as (but not necessarily) later reference, sentimental value, or as previously noted, a new book for which I feel obligated to keep for a substantial amount of time to justify having bought it new.
As the inspiration of RAB-PIA has resulted, at least in part, from my time with Bookcrossing, I will likely be posting links to journal entries (another Bookcrossing feature) from anyone who "catches" anything I have released as well as links to any articles I have published on the Bookcrossing website.
Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope you enjoy it. Soon to follow are my current reading list as well as the current progress on my most current read, A Death in the Family by James Agee, which I had bought at a local used bookstore.