Sunday, December 31, 2023

 Next week Jenn and I participating again in Bout of Books.  Always a great way to start the reading year!!   This will be our 28th time taking part!!

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 1st and runs through Sunday, January 7th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, daily Discord questions, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 39 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

-Richard

Saturday, December 23, 2023

I finished reading:

“Nina Balatka” written by Anthony Trollope.  195 pages.  Four stars.

The two hundred and fourth book of the year.  60,534 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard
I finished reading:

“Death Coming Up The Hill” written by Chris Crowe.  203 pages.  Five stars.

The two hundred and third book of the year. 60,339 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard 

Friday, December 22, 2023

I finished reading:

“Heyoka Blood” written by Hewitt Schlereth.  250 pages.  One star.

The two hundred and second book of the year.  60,136 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial” written by Viet Thanh Nguyen.   357 pages.  Four stars.

The two hundred and first book of the year.  59,886 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Monday, December 18, 2023

I finished reading:

“the woman in the dunes” written by Kobo Abe.  241 pages.  Five stars.

The two hundredth book of the year.  59,529 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, December 17, 2023

I finished reading:

“Solovyov and Lariomov” written by Eugene Vodolazkin.  402 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and ninety ninth book of the year.  59,288 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Saturday, December 16, 2023

I finished reading:

“Jesus’ Alternative Plan:  The Sermon on the Mount” written by Richard Rohr.  187 pages.  Five stars.

The one hundred and ninety eighth book of the year.   58,886 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Friday, December 15, 2023

I finished reading:

“The Golden Ocean” written by Patrick O’Brian.  285 pages.  Two stars.

The one hundred and ninety seventh book of the year.  58,699 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

I finished reading:

“Superheavy:  Making and Breaking the Periodic Table” written by Kit Chapman.  287 pages.

The one hundred and ninety sixth book of the year.  58,414 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, December 10, 2023

I finished reading:

“Kept in the Dark” written by Anthony Trollope.  495 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and ninety fifth book of the year.  58,127 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Saturday, December 09, 2023

I finished reading:

“Skeletons in the Closet” written by Jean-Patrick Manchette.  168 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and ninety fourth book of the year.  57,632 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Rogue Protocol” written by Martha Wells.   158 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and ninety third book of the year.  57,464 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Song of Lawino / song of ocol” written by Okoy p’Bitek.  151 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and ninety second book of the year.  57,306 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Thursday, December 07, 2023

I finished reading:

“Plague Ship” written by Clive Cussler.  581 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and ninety first book of the year.  57,155 pages at an average of 301 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Ivan and Phoebe” written by Oksana Lutsyshyna.  395 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and ninetieth book of the year.  56,574 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Saturday, December 02, 2023

I finished reading:

“The Sense of an Ending” written by Julian Barnes.  163 pages. Five stars.

The one hundred and eighty ninth book of the year.  56,179 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“The Most Dangerous Enemy:  A History of The Battle of Britain” written by Stephen Bungay.  430 pages.

The one hundred and eighty eighth book of the year.  56,016 pages at an average of 298 page pages per book.



-Richard 

Thursday, November 30, 2023

I finished reading:

“Blue Gold” written by Clive Cussler.  403 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred eighty seventh book of the year.  55,586 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard

Monday, November 27, 2023

I finished reading:

“Forty Signs of Rain” written by Kim Stanley Robinson.  393 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and eighty sixth book of the year.  55,183 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard 

Friday, November 24, 2023

I finished reading:

“Cuba” written by Stephen Coonts.  461 pages.  Three stars.  

The one hundred and eighty fifth book of the year.  54,790 pages at an average of 296 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, November 19, 2023

I finished reading:

“A Collection of Essays” written by George Orwell.  316 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and eighty fourth book of the year.  54,329 pages at an average of 295 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Dream Drawings:   Configurations of a Timeless Kind” written by N. Scott Momaday.  107 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and eighty third book of the year.  54,013 pages at an average of 295 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Crazy for the Storm:  A Memoir of Survival” written by Norman Ollestad.  272 pages.  Two stars.

The one hundred and eighty second book of the year.  53,906 pages at an average of 296 pages per book.



-Richard 

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

I finished reading:

“Alchemy: Brian Clough and Peter Taylor at Hartlepools United” written by Christopher Hull.  229 pages. Five stars.

The one hundred and eighty first book of the year.  53,634 pages at an average of 296 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, November 12, 2023

I finished reading:

“Impressions of Lenin” written by Angelica Balabanof.  152 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and eightieth book of the year.  53,405 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Saving Grace” written by Kirsten Powers.  178 pages.  Three stars. 

The one hundred and seventy ninth book of the year.  53,253 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Saturday, November 11, 2023

I finished reading:

“Year of the Cat:  How The Carolina Panthers Clawed Their Way to the Brink of the Super Bowl” written by Scott Fowler and Charles Chandler.  290 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and seventy eighth book of the year.  53,075 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Friday, November 10, 2023

I finished reading:

“1917: Lenin, Wilson, and the Birth of the New World Disorder” written by Arthur Herman.  430 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and seventy seventh book of the year.   52,785 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Monday, November 06, 2023

I finished reading:

“Selected Poems” written by Marina Tsvetaeva.  125 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and seventy sixth book of the year.  52,355 pages at an average of 297 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, November 05, 2023

I finished reading:

“Dickie Bird:  My Autobiography” written by Dickie Bird.  354 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and seventy fifth book of the year.  52,230 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard 

Friday, November 03, 2023

I finished reading:

“Sharpe’s Tiger” written by Bernard Cornwell.  385 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and seventy fourth book of the year.  51,976 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard 

Thursday, November 02, 2023

I finished reading:

“The Parable of the Talents” written by Octavia E. Butler.  406 pages.  Five stars.

The one hundred and seventy third book of the year.   51,591 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, October 29, 2023

I finished reading:

“The Cockroach” written by Ian McEwan.  100 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and seventy second book of the year.  51,185 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“My Death” written by Lisa Tuttle.  105 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and seventy first book of the year.  51,085 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard 

Saturday, October 28, 2023

I finished reading:

“Jackson, 1964 And Other Dispatches from Fifty Years of Reporting on Race in America” written by Calvin Trillin.  275 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and seventieth book of the year.  50,980 pages at an average of 300 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“The Poet of the Ukraine “ written by Taras Shevchenko.  296 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and sixty ninth book of the year.  50,705 pages at an average of 300 pages per book.



-Richard 

Monday, October 23, 2023

I finished reading:

“The Cause is Mankind:  A Liberal Program for Modern America” written by Hubert H. Humphrey.  127 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and sixty eighth book of the year.  50,409 pages at an average of 300 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, October 22, 2023

I finished reading:

“Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg” written by Kate Evans.  179 pages.  Five stars.

The one hundred and sixty seventh book of the year.  50,282 pages at an average of 301 pages per book.



 -Richard 

 End of read-a-thon final post and survey:


Total Pages Read:  1218

Total Time Read:  13 hours 19 mins

Total Books Finished: 3


  1. How many books did you read during this readathon? Did you have any favorites?  Read parts of six.  
  2. How many books did you finish?  Finished three
  3. Did you accomplish your goals for this readathon? Yes
  4. How did your snacks and meals work out? Are there things you would change about the food and beverages side of your readathon for next time?   No
  5. Did you enjoy this readathon? What was the most successful part of your readathon? What would you change for next time?  Reading the"hardest" book first
  6. Will you be continuing your readathon reading past the end of our official readathon?  Always reading:
-Richard
I finished reading:

“Plum Spooky” written by Janet Evanovich.  309 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred sixty sixth book of the year.   50,103 pages at an average of 302 pages per book.



-Richard 
End of read-a-thon hours 16-18:

Time read these hours:  2 hours 2 minutes
Pages read these hours: 283
Books finished these hours: 0

Total pages read:  1086
Total time read:  12 hours 20 mins 
Total books finished: 2

-Richard 

Saturday, October 21, 2023

I finished reading:

“A Place Of Execution” written by Val McDermid.  550 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and sixty fifth book of the year.  49,794 pages at an average of 302 pages per book.



-Richard
End of read-a-thon hours 13-15:

Pages read these hours:  148 
Time read these hours:  2 hours 18 mins
Books finished these hours: 0

Total pages read:  803
Total time read:  10 hours 18 mins
Total books finished: 1

-Richard 
End of read-a-thon hours 10-12:

Pages read these hours: 258
Time read these hours:  2 hours 47 mins
Books finished these hours: 1

Total pages read:  655
Total time read:  8 hours 
Total books finished: 1

-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Nikolay Mayakovsky:  A Composer and His Times” written by Patrick Zuk.   464 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and sixty fourth book of the year.  49,244 pages at an average of 300 pages per book.



-Richard 
End of read-a-thon hour 7-9:

Pages read these hours:  132
Time read these hours:  2 hours 8 mins
Books finished these hours: 0

Total pages read:  397
Total time read:  5 hours 13 mins
Total books finished:  0

-Richard 


End of read-a-thon hours 4-6:

Pages read these hours:  178 pages
Time read these hours:  2 hours 21 mins 
Books finished these hours: 0

Total pages read:  249
Total time read:  3 hours 10 mins 
Total books finished: 0

-Richard 
End of readathon hours 1-3:

Pages read these hours:  71
Time read these hours:  49 minutes 
Books finished these hours:  0

-Richard 

 Read-a-thon opening survey:


1) What part of the world are you reading from today? -  Just North of Houston, Texas, USA
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? - Myaskovsky
3) Which snacks are you most looking forward to? - Beans on Toast
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! - Ex-Pat English "Lost in Texas"
5) What are your goals for this readathon?  1000 pages.

-Richard

Friday, October 20, 2023

I finished reading:

“Moscow 1941:  A City and Its People at War” written by Roderic Braithwaite.  323 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and sixty third book of the year.  48,780 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard

Thursday, October 19, 2023

 This weekend we will be again participating in Dewey's 24 hour readathon.   Its been a rough few months so we are definitely looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend.   Perhaps a little rugby and MLS decision day thrown in for good measure :)

-Richard

Sunday, October 15, 2023

I finished reading:

“The Girl from the Metropol Hotel:  Growing Up in Communist Russia” written by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya.  149 pages.

The one hundred and sixty second book of the year.  48,457 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard

Saturday, October 14, 2023

I finished reading:

“The Essential Works of Marxism” edited by Arthur P. Mandel.  562 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and sixty first book of the year.  48,308 pages at an average of 300 pages per book.



-Richard 

Sunday, October 08, 2023

I finished reading:

“When The English Fall” written by David Williams.  242 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and sixtieth book of the year.  47,746 pages at an average of 298 pages per book.



Richard 
I finished reading:

“Selected Poems” written by W. H. Auden.  304 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and fifty ninth book of the year.  47,504 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard 

Friday, October 06, 2023

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I finished reading:

“The World Is Not Enough” written by Raymond  Benson.  Two stars.

The one hundred and fifty eighth book of the year.  47,200 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard 
I finished reading:

“Our Philosopher” written by Gert Hoffmann.  140 pages.  Four stars.

The one hundred and fifty seventh book of the year.  46,953 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard 

Wednesday, October 04, 2023

I finished reading:

“Zuleikha” written by Guzel Yakina.  482 pages.  Five stars.

The one hundred and fifty sixth book of the year.  46,813 pages at an average of 300 pages per book.




-Richard

Sunday, October 01, 2023

I finished reading:

“Lennon: The Definitive Biography” written by Ray Coleman.  692 pages.  Three stars.

The one hundred and fifty fifth book of the year.  46,331 pages at an average of 299 pages per book.



-Richard