I finished reading:

"The Spy who came for Christmas"  written by David Morrell.  228 pages.

A good, light read.

52nd book of the year.  17,029 pages at an average of 227 per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Death in the Afternoon" written by Ernest Hemingway.  263 pages.

This book is about bullfighting.  Normally I would come no where near to reading a book like this is cruelty to animal is something I abhor and am morally opposed to.  However, as one of my goals is too read all of Hemingway's books read it.  By the end I was glad when I got to the chapter on the matadors getting hurt after reading about the pain the horses and bulls went through!!

Fifty-first book of the year.  16,799 pages at an average of 329 per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"In Dubious Battle" written by John Steinbeck.  313 Pages.

I think this is my favourite Steinbeck book I have written.  Also, very appropriate given the nature of strife, especially with Occupy Wall Street as this book is about striking apple pickers in the California Valley during the 30's depression.

"The Torrent of Spring" written by Ernest Hemmingway.  108 Pages.

Weird!!!

The 49th and 50th books of the year.  16,536 pages at an average of 331 per book.


-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Secret Ways" written by Alistair MacLean.  256 pages.

Book #48, 16115 pages at an average of 336 per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Rainbow Six" written by Tom Clancy.  897 Pages.

The 47th book of 2011.  15859 pages at an average of 337 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Mission to Moscow" written by Joseph E. Davies.  475 pages.

46th book of the year.  14962 pages at an average of 325 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"A History of Russian Literature from its Beginnings to 1900" written by D.S. Mirsky.  383 pages.

45th book of 2011.  14,487 pages at an average of 322 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading"

"The Eye of the Tiger" written by Wilbur Smith.  390 Pages.

44th book of the year.  14,104 pages at an average of 321 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"A Short History of the English - Speaking Peoples:  The Age of Revolution" written by Winston S. Churchill.  314 pages.

43rd book of the year.  13714 pages at an average of 319 pages per book.

-Richard

I didn't get up so did no more reading so here is  my end of event meme.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  All of them as I was not feeling well.  
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?   When the World came to Gander.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?  No
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Everything.
5. How many books did you read?  Finished 2, 200 pages into another
6. What were the names of the books you read?  "The Other South", "When the World Came to Gander" and am in the middle of "The Age of Revolution".
7. Which book did you enjoy most? "When the World Came to Gander"
8. Which did you enjoy least? "The Age of Revolution"
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? n/a
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?  Definitely as a reader

-Richard

End of read-a-thon hour 16

Pages read this hour - 53
Total pages read - 635
Time read this hour - 46 minutes
Total time read - 8 hours 45 minutes
Books finished - 2


That's it.  This cold has beaten me.  Time to feed the cats and go to bed.  I am hoping to get hope at 6am to put in one more hour.  Good night y'all

-Richard

End of read-a-thon hours 13, 14 and 15

Pages read these hours - 72
Total pages read - 582
Time read these hours - 1 hour 13 minutes
Total time read - 7 hours 59 minutes.
Books finished - 2


-Richard

End of read-a-thon hour 12

Pages read this hour - 42
Total pages read - 510
Time read this hour - 47 minutes
Total time read - 6 hours 46 minutes
Books finished - 2

Off to dinner at Panera then to Starbucks to read...

-Richard

End of read-a-thon hour 11

Pages read this hour - 37
Total pages read - 468
Time read this hour - 39 minutes
Total time read - 5 hours 59 minutes
Books finished - 2


-Richard

End of read-a-thon hour 10

Took a nap!!

Pages read this hour - 7
Total pages read - 431
Time read this hour - 5 minutes
Total time read - 5 hours and 20 minutes.
Books finished - 2

-Richard

End of Read-a-Thon hour 9.

Pages read this hour - 17
Total pages read - 424
Time read this hour - 17 minutes
Total time read: 5 hours and 15 minutes
Books finished - 2


Back to my normal way of reading by starting the next book of my list in the order I get them:  "The Age of Revolution"  the third volume of Winston Churchill's "A History of the English - Speaking People".  It has 314 pages.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 In Gander, Newfoundland" written by Jim Defede.  344 pages.

A remarkable story showing that even in the darkest days goodness can prevail.

42nd book of 2011.  13,400 pages at an average of 319 pages per book.

-Richard

End of Read-a-Thon hours 7 and 8.

Pages read these hours - 133
Total pages read - 407
Time read these hours - 1 hour 5 minutes
Total time read - 4 hours 58 minutes
Books finished - 1


-Richard

End of read-a-thon Hour 6.

Pages read this hour - 79
Total pages read - 274
Time read this hour - 50 minutes
Total time read - 3 hours 53 minutes
Books finished - 1


Time for lunch, some Cici's Pizza where we can read.

-Richard

End of read-a-thon Hour 5.

Pages read this hour - 47
Total pages read - 195
Time read this hour - 32 minutes
Total time read - 3 hours 3 minutes
Books finished - 1


The new book is "The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland" written by Jim Defoe.  244 pages.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Other South - Southern Dissenters in the Nineteenth Century" written by Carl N. Degler.  371 Pages.

A powerful read.  It is so staggering that so much hate could actually have happened.  We talk about Nazi Germany or Stalin's Russia, but, to read things like this so close to home really makes one think.  Also, interestingly it highlights how the big political parties in the US have switched in as far as the voting demographics.   Having a "minority" President now seems incredible after reading this book, it's like coming coming out of a different world.   A definite sign of progress being good!!

 The 41st book of the year,  13,156 pages at an average of 321 pages per book.

-Richard

End of read-a-thon hour 4.

Pages read this hour - 56
Total pages read - 148
Time read last hour - 48 minutes
Total time read - 2 hours 31 minutes
Books finished - 0


-Richard

End of read-a-thon Hour 3

Pages read this hour - 37
Total pages read - 92
Time read last hour - 50 minutes
Total time read - 1 hour 43 minutes
Books finished - 0


-Richard

End of Read-a-Thon Hour 2

Pages read last hour - 15
Total pages read - 55
Time read last hour - 10 minutes
Total time read - 53 minutes
Books finished - 0

Struggling to get going today :(

-Richard

Read-a-thon Introduction:

1)Where are you reading from today?  Home in The Woodlands, Texas (Just north of Houston)
2)Three random facts about me… English, American and sports mad
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?  I do not have a pile...just read books in the order I get them
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?  About 1000 pages
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?  Don't stress about goals, just enjoy and relax


-Richard

End of Read-a-Thon Hour 1


Pages read last hour - 40
Total pages read - 40
Time read last hour - 43 minutes
Total time read - 43 minutes
Books finished - 0


-Richard

7am and start of the 8th read-a-thon.  As usual I will be reading the books in the order I bought them with one exception.  The next book I start will be one that Jenn has just finished that I want to read.  My goal for the day is about a thousand pages, which is a bit less than usual because I am still recovering from a bad head cold....

I am starting of with the book I am currently reading:  "The Other South - Southern Dissenters in the Nineteenth Century".  I am at page 200 out of 371.

Enjoy y'all!!

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Communist Manifesto" written by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels.  258 Pages.

Actually it was only 40 pages with the rest of it an introduction and preface.   Interesting in light of the end of the cold war, and essentially the communist world.  They definitely had some good ideas, but, in my very laymans opinion it fails because it lacks soul.  It lacks faith and creativity, two major parts of mans make up.

40th book of the year.  12,785 pages at an average of 320 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Fathers and Sons" written by Ivan Turgenev.  295 pages.

One of my all time favourite books written by one of my favourite authors.

39th book of the year, 12527 pages at an average of 321 pages per book.

-Richard

October 22nd is time for the next Read-a-Thon.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Satan Bug", 223 pages and "Fear is the Key", 256 pages, both written by Alistair MacLean.

The 37th and 38th book of 2011.   12,232 pages at an average of 322 pages per book.

-Richard

I have decided to create a separate blog where I pull away from my original one.  That has essentially turned into me listing, and occasionally writing about the books I read.

I want to try and blog more on how to live and what it is like to live a Christian Life in the US, especially in terms of the current socio-political environment.    I am sure I will go of on many different tangents, but, hey, that's what I do!!!  


The URL is: http://richlsjenn1.blogspot.com/

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Floodgate" written by Alistair MacLean.  310 pages.

36th book of the year.  11753 pages at an average of 326 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Potsdam Bluff" written by Jack D. Hunter.  358 Pages.

The 35th book of the year.  11443 pages at an average of 327 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Cross and the Switchblade" written by David Wilkerson.  174 Pages

It's been a long time since I read this book and I found it as inspiring now as I did over twenty years ago.  It has certainly made me think and reflect.  Do I have the same faith and passion that I had then?  Do I have the faith that allowed me to come to the US the first time in 1989, or, quit everything and move here in 1998?  I don't know the answer to that question.  Certainly something to think about and meditate on.

The 34th book of 2011.  11085 pages at an average of 326 pages.

-Richard

"The Mayor of Casterbridge" written by Thomas Hardy.  256 pages.
This is the first book by Hardy that I ever read.  I surprisingly really enjoyed it and will now be reading more.

The 33rd book of the year.  10911 pages at an average of 331 pages.

-Richard

"The Idiot" written by Fyodor Dostoevsky.  632 pages.

32nd book of 2011.  10655 pages at an average of  333 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Green Hills of Africa" written by Ernest Hemingway. 221 Pages.

31st book of the year. 10023 pages at an average of 329 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Messiah" written by Boris Starling. 457 pages.

The 30th book of 2011. 10002 pages at an average of 333 pages per book.

-Richard

Here is something I have thinking a lot about recently. As you know our life changed dramatically with the move from NC to TX and it's been very unsettled, we have yet to find a Church we feel comfortable linking up with and life is just plain busy and at times out of control. I think it's time like this we need to move away from the distraction that come in our way, move away from unnecessary complications and look to the simple Truth of our Faith and linking into the analogy that I am going to use drink from the "Well of His Love". Water. A simple thing we need to survive as Humans right? Ok, so it can by steam and Ice different, but, yet the same co-existing separately and also at the same time (obviously a great example to describe the Trinity, but, in this case). So,we have made the water more complicated. So, what is water? Everyone knows - H2O. Simple? Wrong. In each state it is held together differently and is more technically H3+ O-. OK, but it can also be Deuteriated or tritiated (D2O or T2O). Is that where it ends? No. Each atom has different excited discrete energy states ionically or covalently bonded, with that there are different electron orbitals, each atom combining mesons, quarks buzzing around etc.. etc.. etc... Each having it's perfect purpose, but, in life we are thirsty, we are in a drought (like here in TX) we are dying because of needing something to drink does it matter? No, what matters is that water is necessary for life and without it we would die. What I am trying to say is in the battle of life does it matter if Schrodinger equations are correct or we can get a drink of water. I can understand the chemistry, but, if I am stuck in a desert with nothing to drink would that matter? Likewise, Spiritually does it matter what nuances of theology or doctrine say or to "Live in the Presence of God" and accept His Salvation and get His Water of life? Don't get me wrong I love delving in to deep matters as much as anyone and it is important to understand, but, what I am trying to say is we cannot get so distracted we forget what our childlike faith should be.

It doesn't quite come out right on paper, so I hope it kinda makes sense!!

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Absolute Friends" written by John le Carre. 453 pages.

29th book of 2011. 9545 pages at an average of 329 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The King of Torts" written by John Grisham. 470 Pages.

28th book of 2011. 9092 pages at an average of 325 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The House of the Seven Gables" written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. 365 pages.

27th book of 2011. 8622 pages at an average of 319 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Franklin and Winston - An intimate portrait of an epic friendship" written by Jon Meacham. 370 Pages.

The 26th book of the year. 8257 at an average 318 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Arrowsmith" written by Sinclair Lewis. 430 Pages.

25th book of 2011. 7887 pages at an average of 315 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, The Finca Vigia Edition" written by Ernest Hemingway. 650 Pages.

Although I am not a short story person, this, for me is better than most because I really enjoy reading Hemingway and like his style.

The 24th book of 2011, 7457 pages at an average of 311 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Death Sentence" written by Jerry Bledsoe. 418 Pages.

This is the first true crime book that I have read. I am not a fan of the genre, but, read this specifically because it is about murders and an execution that took place in North Carolina. Reading the book certainly has not changed my opinion that the death sentence is wrong, in fact, in many ways it has convinced me more. I still do not see how any one has the right to decide someones death, even despite horrific things they may have done. How does that make you any better?

Book number 23 of 2011. 6807 pages at an average of 296 pages per book.

-Richard

-Richard

An interesting though stuck me during a sermon at Church this morning. The subject was "Why does God Allow Suffering?". That is a very difficult to answer and this is not the purpose of this post. Something that was mentioned in passing got me thinking.

The comment was made that suffering gets people angry. It should, although, I understand, at least to the best of my limited ability the reasons why I get very angry at suffering, unfairness, greed etc... As a Christian surely we should be angry at all these things and I get mad when I hear people say "life isn't fair". On the flip side Atheist who generally believe in evolution or some variation on theme should not be bothered by say starvation or lack of health care etc. Why? because they follow the doctrine of survival of fittest and natural selection for example.

Extrapolating this to the current Political situation in the US and I am speaking very generally here The Evangelical, Conservative wing tend to be right wing Republicans against any form of social help. On the other side the liberal wing and atheist are Democrats espousing social reform and assistance. Surely this is completely backwards? The evolutionists for social help and the Christians against it? I know one of the arguments is for small Government and Government shouldn't be involved. My question is why not? If I believe in My God and Saviour who I know wants us to show compassion why cannot be demonstrated in the political world. If we all banded together and showed this love through everything including our politics how much more good could we do?

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Across the River and into the Trees" written by Ernest Hemingway. 308 pages.

21st book of 2011 (forgot to post it when I finished) it. 6389 pages at an average of 290 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Beowulf" translated by David Wright. 101 Pages

22nd book of 2011. 6081 pages at an average of 276 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Crazy Weather" written by Charles L. McNichols. 195 Pages.

20th book of 2011. 5980 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Generals Die in Bed - A Story from the Trenches" written by Charles Yale Harrison. 175 Pages.

I think anyone in favour of war should read this book. Pretty powerful stuff!!

19th book of the year. 5785 pages at an average of 304 pages per book.

-Richard

Coffee House I

Suppin' Tea
Or flavoured coffees
A far cry
From the greasy diner
Or local chippy
Perspective's changed?
Life changed?
Values changed?
Have I become too yuppie?
I promised I never would,
Or, is it growing up
(finally!)?

-Richard

Ringo's Having a Baby!

Ringo's having a baby,
Red "Pepper" suit
In a VW bug
Liverpool accent calling
Psychedelic flowers passing by.

Ringo's having a baby,
Thirty-five years young,
Penny Lane in California
Sitar wailing through speakers
Coloured flutterbies sweeping by.

Ringo's having a baby,
Two thousand and eleven,
Nineteen Sixty Seven,
Time passes by
Peace symbols waving high.

Ringo's having a baby,
What does it mean?
All in a dream?
The music's gone
And there is no peace....

Did Ringo have a baby?

-Richard

I Finished Reading:

"Absolute Power" written by David Baldacci. 505 Pages.

"To Have and Have Not" written by Ernest Hemingway. 262 Pages.

Books 17th and 18th of the year. 5610 Pages at an average of 312 pages.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Mockingjay" written by Suzanne Collins. 390 Pages.

The third and final part of the Hunger Games series. A great series, but, although it's a young adult series it is certainly not for younger readers.

16th book of the year. 4843 pages at an average of 303 pages.

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End - Final Stats.

(I did add another 10 minutes before falling asleep!!)

Total Pages Read - 1171
Total Time Read - 12 hours 53 minutes
Books Finished - 3

I am up to page 266 of"Mockingjay"

See y'all in October!!!

-Richard

End of Read-a-Thon Survey


1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 23. I was planning on getting up after a few hours nap, but, hit snooze on the alarm and went back asleep!!
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Anything by David Baldacci
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No, seventh time and I still love it.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Everything
5. How many books did you read? Finished 3
6. What were the names of the books you read? The Simple Truth, Coach:A Season with Lombardi and God's Smuggler.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? God's Smuggler
8. Which did you enjoy least? Coach: A Season with Lombardi
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? n/a
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Very likely as a reader.

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 18.

Pages Read Last Hour - 111
Total Pages Read - 1152
Time Read Last Hours - 53 minutes
Total Time Read - 12 hours 43 minutes
Books Finished - 3

I am up to page 247 of"Mockingjay"

Time for a few hours nap. I hope to be up for at least the last hour, hopefully two. Goodnight!!

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 17.

Pages Read Last Hour - 85
Total Pages Read - 1041
Time Read Last Hours - 51 minutes
Total Time Read - 11 hours 50 minutes
Books Finished - 3

I am up to page 146 of"Mockingjay"

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 16.

Pages Read Last Hour - 61
Total Pages Read - 956
Time Read Last Hours - 51 minutes
Total Time Read - 10 hours 59 minutes
Books Finished - 3

I am up to page 61 of"Mockingjay"

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hours 15.

Pages Read Last Hour - 23
Total Pages Read - 895
Time Read Last Hour - 13 minutes
Total Time Read - 10 hours 8 minutes
Books Finished - 3

I am about to start "Mockingjay" written by Suzanne Collins (390 pages).

-Richard

I finished reading:

"God's Smuggler" written by Brother Andrew with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. 224 Pages.

I read this book a long time ago and was inspired. Re-reading it again had the same affect. I still support Brother Andrew work in Open Doors.

15th book of the year. 4453 Pages at an average of 297 pages per book.

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hours 13 and 14.

Pages Read Last 2 Hours - 101
Total Pages Read - 872
Time Read Last 2 Hours - 1 hour 9 minutes
Total Time Read - 9 hours 55 minutes
Books Finished - 2

I am up to page 201 of "God's Smuggler".

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 12. Half way through!!

Pages Read Last Hour - 65
Total Pages Read - 771
Time Read Last Hours - 54 minutes
Total Time Read - 8 hours 46 minutes
Books Finished - 2

I am up to page 100 of "God's Smuggler".

Off out to dinner, but, will be taking the book with me to read whilst eat!!

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 11.

Pages Read Last Hour - 57
Total Pages Read - 707
Time Read Last Hours - 31 minutes
Total Time Read - 7 hours 52minutes
Books Finished - 2

My new book is "God's Smuggler" written by Brother Andrew. It is 224 pages. I am up to page 35.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Coach: A Season with Lombardi" written by Tom Dowling 317 pages.

The story of Lombardi's last Season as a coach with the Washington Redskins in the 1969 Season. He died before he could complete his rebuilding job.

Book #14 of 2011. 4229 pages at an average of 302 pages per book.

This is also the 1000th post since I've started this blog!!

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hours 9 and 10.

Pages Read Last 2 Hours - 113
Total Pages Read - 650
Time Read Last 2 Hours - 1 hour 19 minutes
Total Time Read - 7 hours 21 minutes
Books Finished - 1

I am up to page 295 in "Coach: A Season with Lombardi"

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 8.

Pages Read Last Hour 55
Total Pages Read - 537
Time Read Last Hour 55 minutes
Total Time Read - 6 hours 2 minutes
Books Finished - 1

I am up to page 182 in "Coach: A Season with Lombardi"

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 7.

Pages Read Last Hour 46
Total Pages Read - 482
Time Read Last Hour 42 minutes
Total Time Read - 5 hours 7 minutes
Books Finished - 1

I am up to page 127 in "Coach: A Season with Lombardi"

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 6.

Pages Read Last Hour 56
Total Pages Read - 436
Time Read Last Hour 49 minutes
Total Time Read - 4 hours 25 minutes
Books Finished - 1

I am up to page 81 in "Coach: A Season with Lombardi"

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 5.

Pages Read Last Hour 37
Total Pages Read - 380
Time Read Last Hour 28 minutes
Total Time Read - 3 hours 36 minutes
Books Finished - 1

My new book is "Coach: A Season with Lombardi" written by Tom Dowling. It has 317 pages and I am up to page 25.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Simple Truth" written by David Baldacci. 511 Pages.

The first book by Baldacci I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

13th Book of 2011. 3912 pages at an average of 302 pages per book.

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 4.

Pages Read Last Hour 93
Total Pages Read - 343
Time Read Last Hour 46 minutes
Total Time Read - 3 hours 8 minutes
Books Finished - 0

Up to page 499 of "The Simple Truth"

-Richard

Read-a-Thon End of Hour 3.

Pages Read Last Hour 110
Total Pages Read - 250
Time Read Last Hour 51 minutes
Total Time Read - 2 hours 22 minutes
Books Finished - 0

Up to page 406 of "The Simple Truth"

-Richard

End of Read-a-Thon Hour 2.

Pages Read Last Hour 52
Total Pages Read - 140
Time Read Last Hour 36 minutes
Total Time Read - 1 hour 31 minutes
Books Finished - 0

I am on page 296 of "The Simple Truth".

-Richard

Read-a-Thon Introduction Meme

1)Where are you reading from today? At home, in The Woodlands, TX (nr Houston)

2)Three random facts about me…

• Not good at answering random fact questions.
• Just bought my first Cowboy hat
• Still not good at answering random fact questions.
  

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? None. I read the books in the order I bought them

4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? No goals, except to enjoy and make the most of the opportunity to have down time and relax doing my favourite hobby.

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? Enjoy!!! Don't put too much pressure by trying to reach goals. It's supposed to be fun!!

-Richard

End of Read-a-Thon Hour 1.

Pages Read Last Hour - 88
Total Pages Read - 88
Time Read Last Hour - 55 Mins
Total Time Read - 55 Mins
Books Finished - 0

-Richard

So, here we go. 7am and time to start reading. I will do an update every-hour.

I am starting with the book I am currently reading: "The Simple Truth" written by David Baldacci. At the moment I am on page 136 (out of 511).

-Richard

Tomorrow will mark the seventh time we have participated in Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon.


As usual I will be reading my books in my systematic way in the order I bought them. However, they may be an exception. If Jenn finishes reading the last book of "The Hunger Games" trilogy I will start that immediately.

A couple of other changes this time are this is the first one we will have done since we moved to Texas. Therefore, for us it will start an hour earlier (7am) rather than 8am. Also, we have our friend Nancy staying with us and joining in for the first time.

As anyone who knows me knows I like stats so here are my combines stats for the last 6 events combined:

Total Time Read: 70 hours 56 minutes
Books Finished: 23
Pages Read: 6169

I am looking forward to nice relaxing day of reading after all the craziness over the last few months with the job change and relocation to Texas.

See all y'all in the morning!!

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Catching Fire" written by Suzanne Collins. 391 Pages

The second book of the three part "Hunger Games" series.

12th book of the year. 3410 pages at an average of 284 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Henderson and the Rain King" written by Saul Bellow. 341 Pages...

The 11th book of 2011. 3019 pages at an average of 274 per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Hunger Games" written by Suzanne Collins. 374 Pages.

A great read!!

The 10th book of 2011. 2678 pages at an average of 268 per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Svetlana - The Incredible Story of Stalin's Daughter" written by Martin Ebon. 179 Pages.

The 9th book 0f 2011. 2304 pages at an average of 256 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Divine Conspiracy - Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God" written by Dallas Williard. 400 pages.

"1932-1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal" written by William E. Leuchtenburg. 348 pages.

The seventh and eighth book read in 2011. 2125 pages at an average of 266 pages a book.

-Richard

How many Churches?

Ok, so here in Texas we have started looking for a new Church. Ok, it's going to be tough following on from Connections, that friendship, sharing, BOB and the woman's Bible Study for Jenn. So far after two weeks we have struck out.

What has been staggering is not the number of Churches, but, how many big Churches there are. One claims to have 17,000 attendees. One we tried had about 3,000 at the service we went to and that was the second service of two etc.. etc.. etc.. So, if this holds true this whole area should be full of Bible believing Christians living a Christ like life. I guess it's going to be interesting finding out!!!

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Growing up Native American - Stories of oppression and survival of heritage denied and reclaimed". A collection of short writings by 22 American writers recalling their childhood in their native land. 333 Pages.

The last book started in North Carolina and first finished in Texas.

The sixth book of 2011. 1377 pages at an average of 229 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"North Carolina and the Coming of The Civil War" written by William Harris. 58 Pages.

Ironically this ended up being the last book I read in North Carolina. Appropriate in many, many ways.

The fifth book of the year. 1044 pages at an average of 209 pages per book.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Red Grange and the Rise of Modern Football" written by John M. Carroll. 217 Pages.

The fourth book of the year. 986 pages at an average of 247 pages per book.

-Richard