Readathon Wrap Up!

Hi friends!  Here to report my success/failure with my first 24-Hour Dewey’s Readathon:

I made it to about 2:00 am before giving out.  I could have pushed myself a bit further into the night, I’m sure, but my eye was twitching something awful (still is…combo of strain/allergies?) and the rest of the house was asleep, and I just gave in.  Here are the books I read at least some of yesterday for a total of somewhere around 500 pages:

Which hour was most daunting for you?
18…I didn’t make it past that!

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
It’s hard to say since everyone has such different taste.  I suggest reading a genre you like, but especially something with a lot of action and a fast pace, and on the lighter side.  A readathon is no time to slog through some heavy epic like Proust.

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Again, hard to say, this was my first time and I had fun.  I didn’t really participate in mini-challenges, and I’d like to try harder to do so next time.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
I loved being able to see people’s updates through Twitter, it was a great way to encourage each other and interact with other participants.  The gifs also made me happy, though I’ll admit I was singing ‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You’ from Mulan all day as a result.

How many books did you read?
I read at least part of 3 books, only finished on in its entirety, but considering it was a real adult book (I don’t read those often), I’m happy!

What were the names of the books you read?
Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr (read several short stories)
I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Neversink by Barry Wolverton

Which book did you enjoy most?
I am loving Neversink, I’ll probably finish it off today!

Which did you enjoy least?
I’ve Got Your Number, but that’s not saying I didn’t enjoy it, I did!  Chick-lit is pretty new for me, and this one wasn’t a complete hit for me, whereas I love dark fantasy and middle grade, so the other two were more my ‘thing’.

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
Very!  I’d love to participate again in the fall.  I’d still like to just roll as a participant, but will hopefully participate a bit more in the hourly events.

April Readathon: Getting Started and Introductory Questionnaire

Morning readers!  So obvs I’m just getting started, because I do get so sleepy (but I will persevere through much of the night as a result).  Here’s my intro, and the book I’ll be warming up with:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

I wish I could say somewhere far from the ocean and much closer to mountains, but alas, I must own up to Long Island, New York.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

Neverink for fun MG, or Daughter of the Forest for some fantasy retelling wonder….but I doubt I’ll get to either because I’ve got library due date priorities.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Chocolate Oreos and Cheetos!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I grew up owning donkeys, rabbits, steers, horses, dogs, cats, and fish…I love animals.
I play the horn, piano, and sing, but not near enough of any these days.
I dance off-beat.
I’ve pig wrestled for money.
I’m a big fan of The Great Outdoors, the actual thing, and the John Candy movie.

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

This is my first readathon, which means everything is very exciting to me.  I think I’m most looking forward to the attempt to stay up all night and read…I haven’t done this sort of thing since I did a Rock-a-Thon in like middle school for my church youth group wherein I discovered tons of amazing 80s movies.  I hope I make some equally wonderful discoveries today!

Oh it’s On! Dewey’s Readathon

So…I was debating about whether or not I officially wanted to participate in my first Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon today or not.  I was thinking, I’ll hit in in October.  Then I woke up this morning at about 9:30 (because I am not one to get up for an 8:00 am start time when I don’t really have to) and looked outside.  It’s grey, thinking of raining, and I really have nowhere to go, so sign up I did!

Here’s the scary stack of potential candidates:

But most likely I will be:

1. Reading some short stories from Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr.
2. Reading Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood.
3. Reading I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella.

I don’t read super fast, so it’s unlikely that I’ll get through more than one entire book today.  I am in the middle of Code Name Verity, but decided it’s important to me to take my time with that one and appreciate it properly, so I will be putting off finishing it until after the readathon. 

Good luck to the other participants, I’m excited to see how everyone’s day goes!