One-Sitting Books

A little while ago, Book Riot published an article on "one-sitting books." The post was part of their Read Harder challenge and included suggestions for books you might be able to inhale in a day, should you be so inclined. Though making a habit of it would likely wreak havoc on my health, I love it when a one-sitting book reveals itself to me out of the blue, when I find myself swallowed up in a novel and it dawns on me that I'm going to be finishing it in one gulp. That, in fact, I don't really have much of a say in the matter—the characters, the writing, the sheer magic of it all have me in that much of a glorious stranglehold.

So I thought I'd share a list of titles I actually did read in one 24-hour period the very first time I cracked them open. These memories are all choice ones for me, as evidenced by the fact that the sights and sounds of where I was when I read them are imprinted in my memory. I can still feel the slats of my son's crib pressing into my back, the cold tile of my in-laws' bathroom floor underneath me, the precise texture of the duvet cover tucked around me in a small Moroccan riad. There are more than these, of course. But when I started sifting through my mind, these were the ones that immediately stood out (with links to my reviews, should you be in the market for an all-nighter this weekend).

The Road Home
How I Live Now
A Certain Slant of Light
I am the Messenger
My Heartbeat
Song of the Sparrow
Such a Pretty Girl
I've Got Your Number
Eleanor & Park
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
When You Reach Me
Speak Easy, Speak Love

Do you ever give yourself up to a book and finish it in one go? I'd love to hear.

Comments

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, Review + Giveaway!

It seems a long time ago now that I first read Shiver -- the first book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. But looking back I started it on the plane ride to BEA and finished it there in the conference center, fingers gripping the cover tightly, while sitting on the floor in one of the many autograph lines. And now it's May again and BEA is right around the corner and I emerge from my recent and nasty reading slump stupor to find a copy of Linger sitting in my mailbox like a glove thrown down in the dirt. "I will be the one to pull you out," it whispers to me slyly. "Just open me up and take a sip. I promise--one sip is all it will take." And I look at it with fear and longing written all over my face. "You promise?" I ask intently. "Because it's been a long walk in the cold and I'm not sure I can take another disappointment." "Just open me up," it says, confidence written all over its cover. And so I do. And everythin...

Interview with Sarah Rees Brennan + Giveaway!

You are all quite familiar by now with my obsession with The Demon's Lexicon trilogy (you can read my reviews of the first two books here and here ). I discovered book one at the end of last year and went absolutely wild with delight over the darkly twisting combination of work-their-way-under-your-skin characters and the sinister magical underbelly of the world they live in. It instantly went on my best of the year list and I eagerly awaited the sequel. Today is release day for book two-- The Demon's Covenant --and I can tell you right now it is an incredibly awesome read. To celebrate its release, Sarah Rees Brennan agreed to drop in and answer a few of my questions. I think you'll enjoy the results... First things first: Hot brothers. We love them. We love you for creating such good ones. Do you have any brothers? Where did the basis for Alan and Nick’s incredibly complex relationship come from? I too love hot brothers, Angie. Not mine. I mean...

Terms of Endearment

Have you ever been reading a book, moving along quite nicely, and then-- bam --a character whips out a particular term of endearment that just yanks you right out of the story? It happened to me recently, and I'm sad to say I couldn't recover. I did try. But she just kept using that term and I . . . I had to get the hell out of Dodge. Buh-bye, story. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. I'm not saying this is the norm (thank goodness). I can put up with a certain amount of treacly back and forth when it comes to the exchange of terms of endearment, especially if they fit the characters, their background, culture, the tenor of their relationship, etc. And the history of these terms at home and from around the world is often fascinating (at times hilarious). But there comes a point where I can't see past the cheese and/or weird anymore and I do not want to be with these people any longer . Shallow? Perhaps. But it's a very individual thing, isn't it?...

Angieville

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