I am really sorry, guys, but I am going to have to step out of the event. I’m feeling tired and queasy, so I’m going to focus on getting better. It’s not unlikely that I will do some reading in the process, but it’s no read-a-thon for me this time around. Hopefully I’ll feel better and be better prepared for the next one!

To all those of you who are participating: good luck and have fun!

For the June Read-a-thon, I signed up weeks in advance and spent a lot of time planning what to read, what to eat, how to get home in time for the start of it &c.

This time around, I signed up just a few days before the event, and I didn’t actually discover the date of it until extremely late. This is, of course, because I have been completely out of the book blog loop since the summer. The only reason I discovered it in time is because I found my friend Sam’s book blog and he’s signed up to take part as well. (It’s definitely worth checking out his blog—he reads a lot and he writes great reviews of what he reads.)

I have done some prep work, though. I’ve set up my internet so that I can surf from my bedroom (which is convenient as that’s where I tend to do most of my reading), I’ve bought snacks (and coffee!) to get me through the night and right now I’m about to go make a big batch of fruit salad, so I have something healthy as well, not just the usual crap. ;) I also need to clear some stuff out of my bedroom and go dig up my camera so that I can show you my books and anything else I might feel like.

I have assembled a huge pile of books to choose from. Most of it consists of the old murder mysteries from my grandfather’s house, but there is also some Douglas Coupland, a book by Alan Cumming (yes, the actor) and my Collected Poems of AE Housman, to get me through those patches when I don’t feel like reading much. I also have a couple of volumes of manga, in case I get really tired. They tend to be easier to get through.

I am missing my copy of A Strong and Sudden Thaw a little, though. I lent it to my friend Banquo when she was here this summer and I don’t at all regret that, it’s just that right now I have an incredibly powerful urge to re-read it. I miss David and Callan!

Kick-off in just over an hour. I better go get those last things sorted!

I just signed up for the Read-a-thon which is being held again this weekend. You can read all about it over on Dewey’s blog, and the sign-up page is here (and if you click on the image, you will get to the Read-a-thon FAQ, just in case you don’t know what it’s all about).

I really enjoyed this last time, so I’m looking forward to it a lot, especially since I haven’t really been reading a lot lately. Maybe this will get me back in the saddle, so to speak. Because I haven’t read much lately, I am going to set my goals a lot lower this time around.

Last weekend I visited my grandfather’s house with the rest of my family and ended up coming back home with a bunch of old murder mysteries, mainly British ones. You see, my greatgrandmother was a great reader in general, and of murder mysteries in particular, so there were a bunch of those old books in my grandfather’s bookshelf. He’s moving from a big house to a small apartment, so he really wanted to get rid of stuff. Me? I was only too happy to oblige. ;D

Those murder mysteries are going to be my chief Read-a-thon fare, I feel relatively sure about.

I am kind of late with this. I blame internetlessness. I might not have time to post my list today (I’m blogging from work and I have limited time. Very limited). I will attempt to come in early tomorrow before work and post the rest then.

1. Did you discover a new author?
Libba Bray

2. Where was the most unusual place you found yourself reading?
I read where I usually read — in bed, on the balcony or the sofa.

3. Did you read more than usual?
Yes and no. More than the average month, but about the same as the last few months.

4. Did you give up anything in order to read more?
I spent a little less time on the internet.

5. If you won the Amazon voucher what would you spend it on?
Probably the sequel to A Great and Terrible Beauty.

6. Would you like to see a 2009 Book Blowout?
Definitely!

My goal was to read 20 books during July and I ended up reading 31.

• Doctor Who: The Nightmare of Black Island – Mike Tucker
• Doctor Who: The Art of Destruction – Stephen Cole
• Doctor Who: The Price of Paradise – Colin Brake
• The Underdog – Markus Zusak
• Tro, hopp och burnout – Johan Unenge
• Torchwood: Something in the Water – Trevor Baxendale
• VadÃ¥ feminist – Lisa GÃ¥lmark
• Torchwood: Trace Memory – David Llewellyn
• Homofamiljer – Sara Stenholm och Cecilia Strömberg
• Making Money – Terry Pratchett
• Castle Rackrent – Maria Edgeworth
• Moab is My Washpot – Stephen Fry
• Torchwood: The Twilight Streets – Gary Russell
• Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World – Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
• Betong, fjäril, betong – Ingrid Olsson
• Torchwood: Border Princes – Dan Abnett
• Torchwood: Another Life – Peter Anghelides
• Torchwood: Slow Decay – Andy Lane
• Vegan Freak – Bob Torres & Jenna Torres
• Skinny Bitch – Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin
• Vegan Virgin Valentine – Carolyn Mackler
• Emily of New Moon – LM Montgomery
• Emily Climbs – LM Montgomery
• Emily’s Quest – LM Montgomery
• The Blue Castle – LM Montgomery
• A Great and Terrible Beauty – Libba Bray
• From the Inside Out – Morty Diamond (ed.)
• The History Boys – Alan Bennett
• Life on the Refrigerator Door – Alice Kuipers
• The Commitments – Roddy Doyle
• Historier om ett brott – Lena Lennerhed

My internet has broken down and I haven’t had a chance to get it fixed yet, thus the lack of updates.

I just thought you might want to know.

Since I can’t really do much else right now (I’m logging in, very briefly, from work to type this. Internetlessness has freed up lots of time for reading, though. Twenty-two books this month so far and still going at it!), I had an idea that I would ask the same question that I asked back in November:

Who reads this blog?

Even if you never, ever comment and plan on never, ever commenting again, won’t you make an exception just this once, so I get a little picture of who reads this. I’m curious sometimes, y’know.