The Book You Stayed Up All Night For

[McMurphy]

Have you ever had that reading experience in which you settle into bed under the assumption that you are going to only read the first few chapters of a new novel before you---as they say---"hit the hay" but, instead, you wind up reading through the night? The final chapter is recorded through bloodshot eyes and met by the rising of the morning sun.

What was that book for you? If it happened more than once, what was the first book to keep you up all night?

For me, (and some of you may laugh) the first book I stayed up all night to finish was Stephen King's Cujo. In fact, that novel---an old paperback version missing its cover---was my introduction to Stephen King. It didn't help matters that the book doesn't have any chapters, so it was quite easy for me to become hooked and read and read and read.....

 

[nixie]

The first book to keep me awake all night was Dennis Wheatly's The Forbidden Territory.Got me in to trouble at school next day as I kept falling asleep at my desk.There been numerous ones since.

 

[Culhwch]

I've not stayed up all night, nor read a book of any good length through start to finish, but there have been more than a few books where I've stayed up long into the night to finish, intending to read ten or so pages and ending up reading the last couple hundred. Cornwell's The Winter King for sure, and many of Martin's Ice and Fire, and recently, King's Cell, though that was only 'cause I wanted to finish it, it was taking me so bloody long....

 

[jackokent]

I stayed up all night for Zelanzy's Chrincles of Amber and also for the Janny Wurts war of light and shadows books. Also Tricia Sulivan's Someone to Watch Over Me.

In fact I quite often stay up all night reading. I always find it a wonderful experience when you can't put a book down and you just have to read it even know you've got work in the morning and you are going to feel like death all day.

 

[SpaceShip]

The first book to keep me awake all night was Dennis Wheatly's The Forbidden Territory.Got me in to trouble at school next day as I kept falling asleep at my desk.There been numerous ones since.

Another Wheatley fan: mine was, too - The Ka of Gifford Hillary - couldn't put it down.

 

[Somebloke]

Really, anything by GRR Martin, Murakami, Hobb, Erikson or Rushdie is an automatic obsession the moment I get my hands on it. Late at night, over breakfast, during lunch, after work....it's a little scary at times.

 

[Rane Longfox]

Anything newly released by Erikson

 

[Perpetual Man]

I did not actually stay up all night to read the Power That Preserves (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant) by Stephen Donaldson, but I did start reading it one Sunday afternoon and not put the book down until I had finished.

I can remember reading something well into the night, but cannot remember what it was - needles to say it was a long time ago!!!

 

[Cloud]

oh yeah, I do that with any new book by my favorite authors. Start to finish, no matter the time of day or night.

 

[littlemissattitude]

I couldn't even begin to count the times I've stayed up all night reading. I started the practice when I was very young, and although I don't do it so much anymore, it still happens occasionally.

 

[Aleksei]

oh yeah, I do that with any new book by my favorite authors. Start to finish, no matter the time of day or night.

Me too.

 

[jenna]

I used to stay up all night often when I was younger, the first I remember was Flowers In The Attic. I did it a lot when I was a teenager too, with pretty much anything, because I've always been an insomniac. But now I'm older and I'm better at falling asleep I don't do it much. Sometimes I stay awake a bit longer than I planned, but haven't pulled an all nighter in years. However I did go three stops past mine on the train not long ago because I was so engrossed in A Game Of Thrones!

 

[MadSpoon]

"Science & problem of death", great book with many inspirating comparation of spooky things.

 

[steve12553]

Years ago I used to work a lot of night turns where my job was primarily to take care of breakdowns. There were more than a few days where I would suddenly realize I had some work to do and very little time to do it in. I read a lot of Heinlein and Asimov that way. Now if it get much past 10 PM I'm nodding so bad I hurt my neck.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Ah, I do this alot...not all the way through the night, but I definitely stay up late, determined to finish the book that I had started that morning! I will do this with any new book from Stephen King (this'll happen in January when I finally get Lisey's Story.) I also did this with *cough* Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception *cough*. But when I get into a book that's quite easy to get through, I'm more likely to stay up and get it finished.

 

[dwndrgn]

I used to do it all the time. I think the first time was The Rebels by John Jakes. I think I finished that whole series the same way, it was very engrossing. As I got older and had more responsibilities - had to go to work - I graduated to "just one more chapter and then bed" and quite often I'd miss all kinds of things and not just my bedtime. These days since I rarely have the time to just sit and read, I usually just read a bit here and there. I kind of miss spending all day just enjoying a book.

 

[Cloud]

I'll probably do it again this coming week with Mistral's Kiss.

I wouldn't ever do it with a non-fiction book; it's the story that keeps me going.

I pull an "all-nighter" every year on New Years--staying up all night, and only crashing after meeting the dawn. It's a tradition with me.

It's fun sometimes to have "backwards" days--eating dinner in the morning, breakfast at night, staying up late, getting up late--staying in during the day, going out at night--that type of thing.

 

[Thadlerian]

I don't know if this counts...

I spent a night watch reading about the Night's Watch
More precisely, I read the second half of George R. R. Martin's A Storm of Swords while sitting night watch on the nursing home. It was dark and quiet all around, and I had this funny feeling you get when you stay up all night without sleep. I think it qualifies as one of my most memorable reads

 

[Sibeling]

I spent all night reading Stephen King's book Christine (and it was so scary to read the book in the dark and quiet), and I practically always stay up all night whenever I buy a new Terry Pratchett's book - I just can't put them aside, I must know what happens next.

 

[Steffi]

The first time I stayed up all night to read was Stephen Kings Misery...I couldn't put it down. I had the feeling that I couldn't leave Paul in that Hell Hole with Annie. I got a cup of tea in bed the next morning as I finished the book.

Also Harry Potter books that's happened too.