The Travel the World in Books Readathon Wrap-Up

The Travel the World in Books Readathon is finally coming to a close (in about 45 minutes). I've had a lot of fun and done things I've never done before: made a book map, had Facebook and Twitter chats with fellow bloggers/readers, and participated in my very first readathon.

My Goals:
1. Read 5 (or more) books from either my Selected Physical Pile Qualifiers (see above), or my the-invisible-pile shelf that pertain to the challenge.

2. Do two critiques from the books that I read, before the challenge ends.

My Results:

I'll be honest: I cheated a bit. One physical book I ended up reading was not pictured in my Selected Physical Pile Qualifiers- because I keep classics (both read and unread) separate from my main pile, and hadn't thought to check my classics shelf when compiling my Physical Pile Qualifiers (doh!).

I also wrote a grand total of 4 critiques on the books I read for the readathon. Yay, me!

This is the errant book:

I finished it late, late, late last night: it's set in Hungary in a castle in the forest, in the 1940s. It was translated into English recently (as in "about ten years ago") to much acclaim.

I also completed two challenges:

Guiltless Reader's Map Mini Challenge

and I commented my recs on GirlXOXO's Global Reading Exposure Challenge

The Books I Read:

4 Physical Books, 1 Ebook

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Critiqued)
A novel about nüshu script and its part in the friendship of two girls growing up in 19th century China.
Setting: China
Rated: 3.5 Stars
Page Count: 258

The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama (Critiqued)
A novel about a young Chinese man who goes to his grandfather's beach house in Japan just as the Second Sino-Japanese War is starting.
Setting: Japan
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Page Count: 211

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung (Critiqued)
(Ebook) A memoir about a young Cambodian girl who flees Phnom Penh at the start of the Cambodian Genocide.
Setting: Cambodia
Rated: 4 Stars
Page Count: 238

Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong (Critiqued)
A novel about a young Vietnamese exchange worker in Russia who reminisces about her childhood and growing up at the beginning of Communist rule in Vietnam.
Setting: Russia, but it's mostly about Vietnam
Rated: 4 Stars
Page Count: 258

Embers by Sandor Marai (Broke My Brain)
A classic novel about old friends meeting after 41 years.
Full Disclosure: It kind of broke my brain.
Setting: Hungary
Rated: 3ish Stars (i.e. my head is a bit burnt out after this one- the rating is subject to change).
Page Count: 213

I also started (11 pages) The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley, but realized I'd need to take more time than I'd allotted to read it.

Total Pages of Applicable Books Read during the Readathon:
1179!

Thanks for hosting this readathon Mom's Small Victories, I'm Lost in Books, and Savvy Working Gal! I had a great time reading, participating, and meeting new bloggers!

                  Until next time,