Readathon Update 1

Pages read: 225 of The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier and The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherin Paterson
Books finished: 0
Time spent reading:  2 hours and 15 minutes
Time spent blogging/commenting/tweeting: 1 hour 15 minutes
Mini-challenges: 4 - Introductory Meme, Reading and Translation (see below), Book Puzzle (see below) and Turn to Page 32 (see below)
Food/drink since the last update: A slice of whole wheat toast with local honey - trying to see if this helps prevent allergy flare ups for me
Distractions since the last update: Just making my snack

Reading in Translation mini-challenge hosted by Reading Through Life:

1. If you could read any book that’s been translated into English in its ORIGINAL language, what would it be? War and Peace - The Russians are masters of the novel and I'd love to be able to read Russian.
2. Include the original book’s cover if possible; if you want, also post the English cover for comparison. It's not the cover, but here's the original title page in Russian.

3. Optional imaginary bonus points: post a sentence from the book in its original language.

Гостиная Анны Павловны начала понемногу наполняться. Приехала высшая знать Петербурга, люди самые разнородные по возрастам и характерам, но одинаковые по обществу, в каком все жили; приехала дочь князя Василия, красавица Элен, заехавшая за отцом, чтобы с ним вместе ехать на праздник посланника. Она была в шифре и бальном платье.

And the bad Google translation:

Living Anna Pavlovna started slowly filled. She came to know the highest Petersburg, people are most diverse in age and character, but at the same society in which they lived, came to Prince Vasili's daughter, the beautiful Helene, came for his father to go with him on the feast of the messenger. She was a cipher and a ball gown.

Librarian's Book Reviews is hosting a Book Puzzle challenge. You make a puzzle out of a book title. I just looked at one of the books in my TBR stack and game up with this:

Reflections of a Bookaholic is hosting a mini-challenge called Turn to Page 32. You fill in this phrase with something from page 32 of your current read. "I would rather read than ________ any day!"

"I would rather read than parachute jump any day!" From The Virgin Blue
I also liked these possibilities from The Bridge to Terabithia:"I would rather read than farm it and think about what's important any day!""I would rather read than go to Washington to work any day!"