Read-a-Thon hours 3 and 4: 9:00 - 11:00

Currently reading: Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics (Courtney Crumrin #2) by Ted Naifeh

Pages read these hours: 95

Total pages so far: 201

Books finished: The Conspiracy (Animorphs #31) by K.A. Applegate

Snacks: Some trail mix.

Current state of things: Had a bit of a sleepy period while finishing up The Conspiracy, but I've gotten up and about a little bit and have been staying pretty alert for Courtney Crumrin. It's getting a little closer to a time when my brain naturally wants to be awake, so it should get easier from here, at least for a while!

Read-a-Thon hours 1 and 2: 7:00 - 9:00

Currently reading: The Conspiracy (Animorphs #31) by K.A. Applegate

Pages read these hours: 106

Total pages so far: 106

Books finished: None yet, but close!

Snacks: Just breakfast. Honey Nut Cheerios.

Current state of things: Off to a strong start! Feeling the morning sleepiness but no apparent risk of falling asleep.

3...2...1... Read-a-Thon!

The time has come, the walrus said, to read so many things! Because it's read-a-thon time!! Here in Winnipeg it is 7:00 in the morning. My books are stacked, my blanket fort assembled, and my snacks stocked up. Bring it on!

This time I had such a hard time picking out my books, for some reason. I didn't end up finishing my TBR pile until last night, after picking up a hold at the library (and grabbing a couple more books there while I was at it). I ended up with the following 9 books:

• Saga, vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (152 pages)
• The Road to Ever After by Moira Young (225 pages)
• Missing (Fear Street #4) by R.L. Stine (168 pages)
• The Conspiracy (Animorphs #31) by K.A. Applegate (139 pages)
• Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, vol. 1 by Naoko Takeuchi (240 pages)
• Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics (Courtney Crumrin #2) by Ted Naifeh (136 pages)
• Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club #1) by Ann M. Martin (153 pages)
• Twin Spica, vol. 9 by Kou Yaginuma (285 pages)
• Thornhill by Pam Smy (529 pages)

The total page count is 2027, quite a bit more than my average read-a-thon result of ~1100. So this should be plenty. Of the books, 4 are typical novels (middle grade or YA), 4 are graphic novels/manga, and 1 (Thornhill) is a novel with a very significant number of pictures. And yes I'm gonna count the picture pages. :)

Finally, here are my answers to the opening meme:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? Winnipeg, Manitoba

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Well I know Saga never disappoints! I've also been looking forward to reading Thornhill for quite some time.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? I made hard boiled eggs last night, which is possibly the most forethought I've ever put into a read-a-thon snack. Yay me!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! I recently got a job as the school librarian in an elementary school (K-8). I am beyond thrilled about this!! Dream job: achieved!

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to? This is my 14th read-a-thon! Last time my goal was to drink more water and I'm gonna keep working on that one!

Deadlight Jack by Mark Onspaugh

Title: Deadlight Jack
Author: Mark Onspaugh
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Length: 288 pages (ebook)

Deadlight Jack is a follow-up to The Faceless One, but can also stand on its own.

After the events of The Faceless One, Jimmy and George have settled into a normal routine, sharing a house in Seattle. When George gets a call that his grandson has disappeared in Louisiana, the two unlikely heroes hop on a plane to join in the search. But George's past soon begins to haunt him, both in the form of an estranged family and of a long-forgotten encounter with the dark magic of Deadlight Jack.

I was super excited for this sequel, as I adored The Faceless One. Jimmy and George make great heroes; I could read a whole series about them! Deadlight Jack, however, didn't quite live up to the first one for me. It felt a bit slower in pace. Also, I felt like their slightly-offensive-banter routine got a bit tired (which Jimmy actually acknowledges within the story).

That being said, it's still good horror, and Deadlight Jack himself was terrifying. I also particularly liked the insight into George's past, since we already knew about Jimmy's childhood from The Faceless One. There's also a great sense of place. Between George's comfort in the muggy heat of the bayou and Jimmy's extreme discomfort with it (he's originally from Alaska), I could practically feel the humidity.

So, even though I liked The Faceless One more, I still recommend this sequel. And I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for future books by Mark Onspaugh, especially if they star Jimmy and George! 3 stars.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman
Length: 286 pages
Publication Date: 2008

Nobody Owens is a living boy who grows up in a graveyard. His family is murdered when he's just a toddler, and when he wanders into the graveyard he is protected and adopted by the ghosts therein. Bod has a happy childhood, playing with ghost children and being taught by ghost teachers, but the man who killed his family is still at large and looking to finish the job.

This is a wonderful reimagining of The Jungle Book. Bod spends his childhood caught between two worlds, not dead but quite out-of-touch with the living. Luckily for him, he is an intelligent and resourceful boy, getting him out of plenty of dangerous situations in both worlds.

I think the cast of characters are what really stood out for me in this book. From the mysterious Silas, Bod's guardian who can come and go from the graveyard as he pleases (I still wanna know more about him), to Scarlett, the human girl who makes a connection with Bod, to Mr. Frost, the kindly historian who studies the graveyard, every character has a personality, a voice, and adds a layer to the story.

This was an engrossing, magical read. 5 stars.

March 2018 Wrap-Up

Here's a summary of my book-related activity for March. Over spring break, I did a pre-read-a-thon activity where the goal was to read for 24 hours in a week, which I did not complete, but I did get through several of the MYRCA nominees!

Books I read (linked to the reviews)

Nnewts, vol. 1: Escape from the Lizzarks by Doug TenNapel
Small Saul by Ashley Spires
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
The Errand by Leo La Fleur
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
Viola Desmond Won't Be Budged by Jody Nyasha Warner
Erik the Viking Sheep by Elizabeth Creith
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia C. McKissack
A Dream of Ice (The Earthend Saga #2) by Gillian Anderson and Jeff Rovin
Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts by Esta Spalding
Slide by Norah McClintock
OCDaniel by Wesley King

Books I bought

None! Look at me go!

Progress on challenges

I read 0 books for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

I read 4 books for the Alphabet Soup Challenge: L, O, V, W

I read 9 books written by women.

Progress on my TBR pile: I added 0 books to my to read list and removed 0, so my pile stayed the same this month.

February 2018 Wrap-Up

Here's a summary of my book-related activity for February. My blogging has gotten a little behind because I started a new job in February!! So, it's for a very good reason, I promise! I am now, finally, an elementary school librarian. My dream job. So, if you're into children's books at all, just a heads up that I have another book blog, Blanket Fort Reviews, that is exclusively for children's books, and as soon as I get back into a routine that blog is gonna get a lot more active! I have been reading a LOT of picture books lately.

Books I read (linked to the reviews)

Triangle by Mac Barnett
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
Spork by Kyo Maclear
Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things (Courtney Crumrin #1) by Ted Naifeh
To This Day: For the Bullied and Beautiful by Shane L. Koyczan
Mary's Atlas: Mary Meets Manitoba by Gwen Smid
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman
Sunshells by J.A. Self
Shadows by Robin McKinley
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Books I bought

None! Look at me go!

Progress on challenges

I read 0 books for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

I read 6 books for the Alphabet Soup Challenge: A, C, M, P, S, T

I read 7 books written by women.

Progress on my TBR pile: I added 0 books to my to read list and removed 0, so my pile stayed the same this month.