Booking Through Thursday: Night Owl

Before we begin this question, a shout out to the Night Owls, Vassar’s oldest a cappella group, clad in black and singing beautiful harmonies. (With particular cheering for Allison, Xine, Nicole, and the other ladies who made my years there sound so much nicer.)

Booking Through Thursday asks: 

What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up reading a book? Is staying up late reading a usual thing for you?

Staying up late reading is a regular thing for me… in much the same way it is regular for the sun to rise in the east. And a few times, those two things have coincided. More than a few times.

Going to bed with a really good book, “to read for a little while before bed” usually turns into “staying up past midnight to finish the book.” I even have a category for those on my blog: The Cinderella Awards. These are the books that keep me awake reading late into the night- so that by the next morning I feel like I’ve turned into a pumpkin. Then I stagger through my day, fueled by strong, very strong coffee and the Rolling Stones. Totally worth it.

It’s gotten so that I’m much more cautious about books I read in bed. And often I rely on audiobooks, on the theory I’ll fall asleep at some point, if the lights are out.

And then of course, there are nights I can’t sleep for whatever reason. Usually, that means I read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, or Tam Lin by Pamela Dean. Comforting re-reads.

Some books/authors guaranteed to keep me up past midnight:

• Anything in the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. Except Children of the Mind, which I never need to read again.
• Comfort Food– Kate Jacobs
• Liquor– Poppy Z. Brite (and sequels)
• Anything by Lauren Willig.
• Anything by Marissa Doyle. Write more, Marissa Doyle!
• Miscellaneous very good YA or foodie lit. So much so that I won’t start reading either at night.

Despite my good intentions, books take me by surprise sometimes. And, even though I’m a sleepy zombie the next day… it’s totally worth it.

And yet, the one time I tried to stay up all night reading on purpose I couldn’t quite hack it. There’s always October.