*shakes head vigorously*

Have you ever read a book that swept you up so thoroughly, so completely, into its world that you came out of it feeling… like you haven’t quite left it yet? Like its echoes are still present around you?

That’s how I feel now that I’ve finished The Golden Tower. I know I didn’t quite finish twelve hours… almost, but not quite. I have to call this it, though, because my brain feels like a sponge that’s been squeezed dry, and I don’t think I’m capable of either starting a different book just yet, or writing the review of this one.

I won’t be home tomorrow to take part in the post-’thon activities, but I fully intend to drop by Dewey’s blog on Monday and indulge. Better late than never, eh?

Look for my review of this one on Monday, and good luck to all the rest of you who are still going!

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 2
Pages read since last update: 63
Running total of pages read since you started: 342
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hr 10 min
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 7 hours 25 min
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 8 hrs 30 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 2
Cups of coffee drunk: 2

5:55 pm: Hey, I spent a whole uninterrupted hour reading! At this rate I doubt it will be more than two more hours until I’m done.

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 48 (on p. 262)
Running total of pages read since you started: 279
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 60 min
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 6 hours 15 min
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 7 hrs 20 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 2
Cups of coffee drunk: 2

4:45 pm: Yum. 3-cheese pizza, followed by vanilla & chocolate ice cream over crumbled graham cracker. Yes, I do usually eat more healthfully than this, but about once a week we have dinner from a box. At least it’s usually a good-quality pizza that isn’t greasy. Plenty of flavor. Anyway, back to my reading!

Oh, and I have decided that I have a goal for this readathon after all: when I finish this book, I’m going to call it for the night. This book is just too immersive and engrossing. I couldn’t immediately move on to another book right after it.

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 13 (on p. 214)
Running total of pages read since you started: 231
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 15 min
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 5 hours 15 min
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 6 hrs 20 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 2
Cups of coffee drunk: 2

3:05 pm: Mmmmm. Acai berry green tea, followed by much reading.

3:45 pm: Time for second break: gotta feed the cats, probably followed by an early dinner.

It’s absolutely fascinating to read this author’s take on the childhood and growth of a new god…

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 40 (on p. 201)
Running total of pages read since you started: 218
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 40 min
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 5 hours.
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 6 hrs 5 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 2
Cups of coffee drunk: 2

1:50 pm: Mmmmm. Flatbread/cracker with sea salt. I love Trader Joe’s. Gotta have the occasional snack to go with intense reading experiences.

2:00 pm: Just spent a few minutes over at the blog that’s hosting the mini-challenge for which the bookmark is being given away: My Bit of Earth. Before I mail out the bookmark this week I’ll have to take a good-quality picture of it with the light box for posterity

2:15 pm: Just spent 15 minutes playing Free Rice at the suggestion of the readathon blog—you play a multiple-choice vocabulary game and the better you do, the more rice you donate to countries that need it. The readathon folks are holding a mini-challenge to get people to play & donate.

Back to reading with me!

2:35 pm: Had to share another quote:

He shrugged. “It makes life that much spicier.” Lifting the pita to his mouth, he chewed reflectively for a moment. “It needs nutmeg,” he said with a sigh.

“What does, life?”

“No, breakfast.”

2:50 pm: Time to make more tea.

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 26 (on p. 161)
Running total of pages read since you started: 152
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 35 min
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 4 hr 20 min.
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 5 hrs 25 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 1
Cups of coffee drunk: 2

12:50 pm: Already addicted to Fiona Patton’s writing!

1:10 pm: Our little girl-cat, Selene, had a small asthma attack. Luckily it didn’t last long.

Also, I offered one of my newest hand-made beaded bookmarks to Dewey as a prize offering. See [this post] for details. It’s a nice one—gold-plated hook-style bookmark, painted porcelain bead, lepidolite beads, red spot stone barrel, small rust marble beads, and a red aventurine drop!

1:50 pm: Ooooh. The more I read, the more addicted I get.

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 37 (on p. 135)
Running total of pages read since you started: 152
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 1 hr.
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 3 hr 45 min.
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 4 hrs 50 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 1
Cups of coffee drunk: 2

12:30 pm: Mmmmm. Lunch: blueberry scone with raspberry amaretto jam.

I’m blown away by this book I’m reading. There’s some amazing stuff in it having to do with the metaphysics of gods, but it’s handled in a really nifty and plot-filled way, so it isn’t boring. I insisted on reading a two-page scene from the point of view of a god to my husband, and he responded by insisting I go order the first book in the series from Amazon. I wasn’t about to argue!

Then, a brief stop in World of Warcraft so I could cut some gems for some socketed items he got last night in a Shadow Labs run. That’ll probably make sense to, oh, one or two of the people involved in the Readathon—at most.

Back to reading with me. I have my second cup of coffee of the day next to me, and all is right with the world.

12:50 pm: And yes, this author does have a sense of humor as well:

The Hearth God was so agitated that the temple was filled with the smell of burned toast.

How much more perfect could that be?!

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 10 (on p. 98)
Running total of pages read since you started: 115
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 20 min.
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2 hr 45 min.
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 3 hrs 50 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 1
Cups of coffee drunk: 2

A reminder in case you’re just joining us: this is a part of Dewey’s Readathon.

11:00 am: I have my tea and it’s back to reading with me!

11:45 am: Took a break per Dewey’s suggestion to drop a note of thanks on the blogs of the various readathon organizers. They need love too!

noon: And now it’s time for lunch.

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 28 (on p. 88)
Running total of pages read since you started: 105
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 45 min.
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 2 hr 25 min.
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 3.5 hrs.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 1
Cups of coffee drunk: 1

9:55 am: Okay, Back to reading with me. I’m amazed that, while I clearly lack some back-story, I don’t feel lost in Fiona Patton’s The Golden Tower, even though I didn’t read the preceding book. There’s a bunch of terminology that it’s taking me time to come up to speed on, but that’s it.

10:25 am: This is going rather slower than my reading usually does. Not because the book is slow, but because it’s so rich with detail that it simply takes time to absorb it all.

10:55 am: Must make tea. Pineapple guava white tea will do nicely.

Title of book(s) read since last update: Fiona Patton, The Golden Tower
Number of books read since you started: 1
Pages read since last update: 36 (on p. 60)
Running total of pages read since you started: 77
Amount of time spent reading since last update: 60 min.
Amount of time spent reviewing since last update: 0 min.
Running total of time spent reading since you started: 1 hr 40 min.
Running total of time spend reading & reviewing since you started: 2 hour 45 min.
Reviews written: 3
Cups of tea drunk: 1
Cups of coffee drunk: 1