Here I go again!
There are a lot of books on my tbr this month so I am helping myself out and reading a bunch in one day.
Will I survive this second go around? Let's find out!
BOOK #1: Grow Up, Luchy Zapata by Alexandra Alessandri
A funny, relatable middle school drama about two Colombian American girls who have always been BFFs—until sixth grade turns everything upside down.Luchy Zapata is starting middle school, and she’s muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same school. Luchy and Mateo will be in art class together, and she and Cami can try out for the same soccer team! As long as they’re all together, Luchy can handle anything.But Cami has been acting weird ever since she got back from visiting family in Colombia. She’s making new, “cool” friends who just seem mean. And suddenly, everything about Luchy and Mateo is too immature for her.Luchy is determined to help Cami remember how special their friendship is. They’ve been BFFs their whole lives, and that can’t just disappear in a poof of glitter! But…what if Cami doesn’t even want to be friends anymore?
Start Time: 6:00 a.m.
HOUR 1
Book: Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
Pages Read: 20% = 51
Total Progress: 51 pages read
I have woken up with a minor headache so what a great way to start a 24-hour readathon right? I was supposed to wake up earlier but my body says no. It's funny that I started only ten minutes earlier than the last time I did this. I need to get to my ARCs so I began my first hour with Grow Up, Luchy Zapata. It's a great book for kids going into middle school already. I see its potential. Cami is clearly struggling with changes in her family dynamic so I feel for her but I feel like I would be Luchy in this situation. Makeup and reinventing myself? No, thanks. A great start!
HOUR 2
Book: Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
Pages Read: 27
Total Progress: 30.7% = 78 pages read
I had to finally take medicine after reading for about half an hour. It's now subsided so my next reading hour should be better. As far as the book I worry that Luchy's very sweet plan will have her rejected by Cami.
HOUR 3
Book: Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
Pages Read: 34
Total Progress: 43.9% = 112 pages read
I decided to do a workout this hour so I did a Latin dance video but I mostly looked for my clothes. I feel like I am going so slow with my book but I know I am not reading the whole hour. I think once I work out, have a protein shake, and take a shower I'll settle in much better. Although I do want to clean today. If I read every hour it should work out. At this pace I should finish by hour 6. As far as the book goes there's a lot of relationship talk. I do wonder if Mateo is going to end up having a crush on Luchy. I'm also annoyed with Cami. Clearly, she is upset by something and I think she is avoiding Luchy so she doesn't have to deal with it but it still bothers me. They are going to drift apart if only Luchy is trying. Although she did play soccer with her and Matteo. Another element is Luchy's dad's obsession with soccer. I hope he realizes critiquing his daughter isn't the way to go. She wants to practice and didn't ask for his coaching.
HOUR 4
Book: Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
Pages Read: 16
Total Progress: 50% = 128 pages read
Ooh! We had the makeup debacle and the big fight after the scrapbook reveal. Is Cami going to move or is her family's financial status worsening? Or maybe she was bullied to be a different person in Colombia. Also, two people might like Luchy but I might be reading into that too much. I did my workout this hour and took a shower. I plan on having my protein shake and then powering through the next two hours to finish this book.
HOUR 5
Book: Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
Pages Read: 54
Total Progress: 71% = 182 pages read
Might not finish in the next hour but hopefully I get close. There's a clear misunderstanding and we are in an all-out war with these two. I think that Matteo's abuela's condition is going to bring them together. My question is... what happened to Luchy's cleats? I wouldn't put it past Melissa to take them without letting Cami know.
HOUR 6
Book: Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
Pages Read: 74
Total Progress: 100% = 256 pages read
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
This brought back bittersweet feelings of middle school and playing soccer. It's hard to look back at my childhood in general since a lot of it was clouded with painful memories. Saying that this is such a great book for girls going into middle school. Friends change, life changes, and you must decide who you want to be when facing those obstacles. I think you can learn a lot from both the perspectives of Cami and Luchy. Luchy was trying so hard to not lose her friend while Cami was trying to become someone else. I enjoyed how both their stories were approached. I also liked how good of a friend Cami was to Mateo no matter what her feud was with Cami. This was a wonderful coming-of-age story.
This was a 4 star read. I am looking forward to more books by Alessandri in the future.
(Book 1 Complete! ╰(*°▽°*)╯)
BOOK #2: Midsummer's MayHem by Rajani LaRocca
Eleven-year-old Mimi Mackson dreams of winning a local baking contest to finally prove she’s not the least talented member of her large Indian-American family. Plus, it’ll start her on the path to becoming a celebrity chef like her culinary idol, Puffy Fay. But when Mimi’s dad returns from a business trip, he’s mysteriously lost his highly-honed sense of taste. Without his help, Mimi will never be able to bake something impressive enough to propel her to gastronomic fame.Drawn into the woods behind her house by a strangely familiar song, Mimi meets Vik, a boy who brings her to parts of the forest she’s never seen. Who knew there were banyan trees and wild boars in Massachusetts? Together they discover exotic ingredients and bake them into delectable and enchanting treats.But as her dad acts stranger every day, and her siblings’ romantic entanglements cause trouble in their town, Mimi begins to wonder whether the ingredients she and Vik found are somehow the cause of it all. She needs to use her skills, deductive and epicurean, to uncover what’s happened. In the process, she learns that in life, as in baking, not everything is sweet…Squabbling sisters, rhyming waitresses, and culinary saboteurs mix up a recipe for mayhem in this Indian-American mashup of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and competitive baking.
HOUR 7
Book: Midsummer's Mayhem
Percentage Listened: 14%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 14% audiobook
I started with 74% listened to before starting this 24 Hour Readathon. I listened to the last competition and what seemed like a betrayal from Mimi's new friend Vic. Mimi has finally discovered the truth behind some of what is going on with the While Away Cafe. I am curious who Vic really is and I am glad he protected his friend from his aunt. I'm anticipating the ending.
HOUR 8
Book: Midsummer's Mayhem
Percentage Listened: 12%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 26% audiobook listened to
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
Now this is a well-described foodie read! So many delicious descriptions. I only wish I baked more often to understand how wonderful the combination of ingredients were. I've never read A Midsummer's Night Dream but everything was connected with the original story at the end so it was a satisfying conclusion. I liked that all the family members were distinct and how they all came together at the end for Mimi. Mimi who feels overlooked but like her siblings has a passion they excel in because they love their passion all that much. I loved the magical and foodie elements. I was surprised at how Mimi tied into everything. Lastly, I was happy to see that all of the siblings were able to take something important away from the experience. They all became closer because of it.
(Book 2 Complete! ╰(*°▽°*)╯)
Detour Book: Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young
Winnifred "Win" McNulty has always been wildly independent. Not one to be coddled for her limb difference, Win has spent most of her life trying to prove that she can do it all on her own. And, with some minor adjustments, she's done just fine.That is until she has a one-night stand with the incredibly charming Bo, a perfect stranger. And that one night changes everything.While Bo is surprisingly elated to step up to the plate, Win finds herself unsure of whether she can handle this new challenge on her own or if she’ll need a helping hand.Together, Win and Bo decide to get to know one another as friends and nothing more. But, as they both should know by now, life rarely goes according to plan.
HOUR 9
Book: Out on a Limb
Percentage Listened: 7%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 1 audiobook listened to
So I don't read romance often for a reason. This had so many innuendos and according to the author's note abortion is going to be talked about. I don't really like any serious topics in my books but I guess I should figured it would be a topic since Win has a baby. It's okay, I was going to try this but I've decided to move on to a different audiobook for the next hour. When will I learn to stop giving romance a chance!?
BOOK #3: A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman
Padma Venkatraman’s inspiring story of a young girl’s struggle to regain her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancient bharatanatyam dance form. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human spirit.Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.
HOUR 10
Book: A Time to Dance
Percentage Listened: 12%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 1 audiobook listened to
I love the slow steady rhythm of the narrator for this book who happens to be the author! We first discover Veda's love of dance despite her mother wanting her to become an engineer. She even won an award for her dancing and when she is at her happiest there is a car crash. I'm crying already. I want her to dance again already.
HOUR 11
Book: A Time to Dance
Percentage Listened: 5%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 1 audiobook listened to - 17% into another audiobook
I dozed off a little after realizing for my last 24-hour readathon I actually kept track of how long it took me to read each book which would have been smart. I'm obviously not reading the whole time. I'm taking little breaks to do other things and this time apparently it was to sleep. I'm not doing anything else while listening to this book so I might play a game to keep my attention going but first hot chocolate! As far as the book goes, we are still in the hospital with the main character. Not much change except Veda discovering her leg has been amputated which is devasting to her.
HOUR 12
Book: A Time to Dance
Percentage Listened: 14%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 1 audiobook listened to - 31% into another audiobook
I am concerned about this Jim crush. He's obviously an adult and I know she liked him because of his kindness to her and his want to help her dance again. I hope nothing bad happens there and he just ends up being someone she is grateful to have in her own corner. Honestly, if I heard that teen girl making fun of Veda like she did I would slap her across the face. There are a lot of rude people in an unfortunately busybody culture. I should know with my own culture being the same way. I want her to show them all up!
HOUR 13
Book: A Time to Dance
Percentage Listened: 17%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 1 audiobook listened to - 48% into another audiobook
I am hoping this new male dance teacher will be the one she falls for. I know this doesn't have to have a romance but wouldn't it be sweet if it does? That moment after she had her accident in the bathroom and she was angry with her mom... You know I could feel the mom's pain? Oh, how I am sure she is so damn grateful for her to be alive. How she must love her and want only her happiness now. She couldn't care less what career she would have. I am excited that she is in a new dance company. She is starting with kids and it will be nice to see her grow. I also enjoyed seeing how her rival was so kind to her. I think she might have thought ill of her before her accident and she feels guilty. I hope for them to be friends in the future.
HOUR 14
Book: A Time to Dance
Percentage Listened: 27%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 1 audiobook listened to - 75% into another audiobook
I love that Veda clapped back at those girls, "Some stupid people are smart enough to hide their stupidity." She got them good. Her relationship with the dance teacher, Govinda, is so wonderful. You can feel their love for each other grow with that last dance they had. Govinda saying he is inspired by Veda's bravery and being a source of admiration... What a guy! I hope that he does stand up to his parents and doesn't; disappoint Veda. I can't wait to hear how she finally dances. It sucks what happened in the last chapter. I was hoping that everyone would be able to see her dance again.
HOUR 15
Book: A Time to Dance
Percentage Listened: 25%
Total Progress: 256 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
Absolutely beautiful and profound. Veda's strength is something to be admired. Instead of giving up and listening to naysayers she found a way to dance again. And not only dance but fall back in love with the original reason she wanted to dance. I liked the romance as well although it worried me she liked two guys. Jim being an older guy in his 30s was a big no no but then she met Gorinda. Gorinda who like her mother had to find a strength within himself to fight for something he loved. The relationship between her grandmother and her was so sweet. I've had some good luck with supportive family members in the books I've read recently. Although her mom originally wanted her to be an engineer she knew as soon as she saw her child almost died that she just wanted her happiness. I cried a lot with this one. It's ultimately Veda finding a sense of peace within herself. Well worth the read. I will think about this book for years to come.
Read for a total of 3 hrs. 45 min.
(Book 3 Complete! ╰(*°▽°*)╯)
BOOK #4: It Happened to Anna by Tehlor Kay Mejia
This spine-tingling ghost story follows a tween girl who’s being literally haunted by loneliness until a new friendship upends her life. From the bestselling author of the Paola Santiago series!Sadie Rivera has been haunted all her life by a vengeful ghost—a ghost that doesn’t want her to make any friends. The moment she tries? Cue exploding lightbulbs, chilling gusts of wind, and slamming doors.Last year, Sadie got fed up. Last year, she made a best friend, Anna. So when the ghost caused an accident that killed her best friend, Sadie knew it was all her fault.Which is why she’s not going to make any friends this year at her new school. At least until mysterious cool girl Mal shows up, and the ghost doesn’t bother her for once. But Mal wants Sadie all to herself—and she’ll do anything to make sure it stays that way.
HOUR 16
Book: It Happened to Anna
Pages Read: 14% - 31 pages
Total Progress: 287 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
There's an author's note in the beginning about writing this book about a friendship gone wrong. I am trying to connect the story to the ghost that is haunting Sadie but I think I need to forget about that and see the reveal at the end. So far I can tell I'll like this story. I will be happy once Sadie is able to move on and become friends with Charlotte and the others. I feel for her. She's so guarded because any sign of emotion will bring on the ghost. I guess this might allude to a possessive friendship? Maybe
HOUR 17
Book: It Happened to Anna
Pages Read: 9% - 20 pages
Total Progress: 307 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
100% Mal has to be the ghost. Pale skin and light blond hair that almost looks white? It's obvious. Plus she doesn't see her in the hallways and only hangs out where she can't be seen. And she wants to talk at the cemetery... Honestly, not mad at this twist if I am right because it's a fun angle. I just feel bad for Sadie.
HOUR 18
Book: It Happened to Anna
Pages Read: 19% - 43 pages
Total Progress: 350 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
I'm trying to think how Sadie doesn't realize what's happening. Her ghost has allowed her to make a friend. She doesn't find that suspicious? Or maybe since Mal isn't happy go lucky the ghost doesn't feel threatened? This first prank didn't end too bad but I can only imagine the next one. Pretty manipulative of Mal to go away for a while after Sadie mentioned wanting to hang out with another person. I'm curious to read how she ups the anty. I'm assuming she can see her now because she's back in her home town so Sadie might find Mal's grave somewhere in the cemetery one day. But she needs others to help fight her. She's not going to be able to do it on her own.
HOUR 19
Book: It Happened to Anna
Pages Read: 26% - 58 pages
Total Progress: 408 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
Poor Sadie! She's gotten on Mal's bad side. How does she not realize who she is? She took some time away to avoid her and she was having nightmares. A cat has been killed and she got retraumatized. I think she is going to figure it out in the next couple of chapters. But what will she do afterward? This has been so much fun and intense.
HOUR 20
Book: It Happened to Anna
Pages Read: 32% - 72 pages
Total Progress: 480 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
An intense ending! This was lots of fun and pretty spooky. It was obvious what was going on with Sadie's new friend Mal but I think there was a reason it was written that way. You could see the pranks getting worse and worse. And Mal becoming more and more jealous. She was slowly revealing her true nature so by the end she looked monstrous. Sadie was put through the wringer! She was truly traumatized. Those vivid dreams and Mal messing with her with the bike incident. Truly diabolical. I loved how her dad was always there for her. He deserves an award. I don't know how you would deal with a kid whose friend just died but he was always there for her. This story focuses on friendship. Choosing the right kind of friends who aren't controlling and are there for you. I think young horror lovers will enjoy this one.
I'm not sure where to go from here. I still have four hours left and don't want to put the light on to read my copy of Bookshops & Bonedust so I think I'm going to read another ARC. I'm really going through these middle grade ARCs! I might not finish. I'm not sure how I don't feel any significant effects from being awake for twenty hours but I'll see how the next four hours go.
Read in 2 hrs. 36 min.
(Book 4 Complete! ╰(*°▽°*)╯)
BOOK #4: The Secret Dead Club by Karen Strong
Wednesday Thomas sees ghosts. But that doesn’t mean she has to talk to them.After a terrifying experience in an Arizona state park with a wicked ghost, Wednesday and her mother Olivia sell their RV and move back south to the family home in Alton, Georgia. Wednesday’s determined not to use her gift anymore—until she meets a group of girls who also know about the spirit realm.There’s free-spirited Miki Okada and Southern belle Danni-Lynn Porter who seem to know about the ghosts who roam the school’s hallways, popular girl Alexa Scott who tells Wednesday to stay away from Miki and Danni-Lynn and not draw attention to herself, and mysterious neighbor Violet Delgado who died last year but still haunts the house across the street. Wednesday feels these girls have some kind of shared history, but it isn’t until Miki gives her an official invitation to the Dead Club that she starts to understand there’s a lot more going on with the ghosts in Alton and the girls who can see them.And when another malevolent ghost threatens to harm Wednesday, it will take the help of new friends both living and dead to save her and banish the evil being to the spirit realm where it belongs.
HOUR 21
Book: The Secret Dead Club
Pages Read: 11% - 26 pages
Total Progress: 506 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
I have no idea how far I am going to get into this book since I am going back and forth between reading this and watching a show as a break. I could technically read it all 3 hours if I wanted to but I am not going to do that. The story starts off with Wednesday moving to a haunted house. She is known to have the ability to commune with ghosts so nothing should be a surprise to her. I wonder how the ghost is going to approach her.
HOUR 22
Book: The Secret Dead Club
Pages Read: 6% - 16 pages
Total Progress: 521 pages read - 2 audiobooks listened to
I am feeling the effects of not sleeping. I think I am going to call it. I might change my mind and find an audiobook to listen to since I can't stay awake with an ebook. I don't know. I don't think it's worth reading anymore since I won't finish another book.
STATISTICS:
I only calculated how long it took me to read two of the books I finished reading so some of the stats below will be approximate.
- Grow Up, Luchy Zapata took me from hours 1 - 6 to complete. Based on how long it usually takes me to read middle grade it took me around 3 hours to complete. It is 256 pages.
- Midsummer's Mayhem was an audiobook that I only had 76% left to read. I had about 2 hours left and with my reading speed, I read this in around 1 hour 15 minutes. The portion I read was 96 pages.
- A Time to Dance took me 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete. It is a book in verse with 320 pages.
- It Happened to Anna took me 2 hours and 36 minutes to complete. It is 224 pages.
- I DNF'd Out on a Limb at 7% which is 27 pages. I just have to do better research with my romances.
- I read 17% of The Secret Dead Club which is 41 pages. It took me 27 minutes to read. I estimate it will take me another 2 hrs. and 30 min. to complete.
Total Time Reading: Approximately 11 hours 3 minutes which is 9 minutes more than last time.
Total Pages Read/Listened: 964 pages which is only 6 pages more than the last time I did this challenge.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE CHALLENGE
I really should have read what I did in my first attempt at this challenge. It's interesting that I stopped two hours before the end but still was able to read around the same amount as last time. I thought reading at home and not going anywhere would help but I wasted a lot of time watching Netflix so I wouldn't be drained from reading. It did help me but by hour 22 I was too tired to continue especially since I knew I wasn't going to finish another book. I guess I could have continued but I didn't see the point.
It's interesting that in my original challenge, I said it would be unlikely that I would do this challenge again. I think because I enjoyed all my books (except my DNF) I am more positive about doing this challenge again. I might do a 24-hour reading challenge within 48 hours since I can't seem to get past 10 to 11 hours read in 24 hours. However, I think it might drain me since I would have to force myself to actually sit down and read continuously. It's still a maybe. I'm happy with the overall result and all the great reads. I am thrilled that I will be able to review 2 ARCs very soon and to have read a 5-star read!
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