Readathon Bingo

If you’ve participated on the Goodreads Group before during the readathon, then you will know that every Readathon, Gabby creates a Bingo Board for us to use while participating in the readathon. The goal, obviously, is to get a bingo. But for those who really love a challenge, the ultimate goal is to get a blackout. This is all for fun and bragging rights, as there are no prizes. This year, we are so excited to bring Dewey Bingo to the whole Readathon community. You can use the above photo or find the PDF on Google Drive.

There are just a couple of rules:

1. For a book to count for a square, you must have read a minimum of 50 pages. You are NOT required to finish a book before marking a bingo square complete.
2. You may fit your book into as many squares as you can. So say you read 250 pages of the Illustrated Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, you could fit that into (1) Read a book with a supernatural element, (2) Read a book with a person on the cover, (3) Read a book with illustrations, (4) Read 200 pages, (5) Read a book published in the last 13 years since this edition is new, and (6) Read a book with a page total of a 1 or 3 since this book has 451 pages. You could also fit several others in there, if you did a couple reading sprints and posted on social media or dressed as a character from the book, etc. So it isn’t too difficult to get a black out, if you do a little bit of pre-planning.

The Bingo board has been posted to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads and you can participate in any or all of the platforms. You can also let us know about completed Bingos or Blackouts here. Good luck to all and “May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor!’

Vampire Challenge from Mommy in Color

A few weeks ago, my daughter, my mom and I watched The Wolfman starring Benicio Del Toro. It was one of my daughter’s favorite movies to watch with her other grandmother. My mother was a horror movie connoisseur. Nothing was too gross for her and there had to be LOTS of blood. But she loved werewolves.  Anyway, my family and I got into the age old discussion of which would you rather be: a vampire or a werewolf. Don’t get me wrong,I like werewolves. I loved Anne Rice’s Wolf Gift series. But vampires have always been my ultimate favorite supernatural creature. I enjoy the MANY ways there are for vampires to look from elegant and pretty like the ones in  Anne Rice novels or super gross looking like Nosferatu. My favorite vampire novels aside from Rice are The Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton and the Vampire Huntress Legend series by L.A. Banks.  Your challenge, if you choose to accept it,is to describe yourself with three vampires. I’ll make it a little easier and let you decide whether you want to use books or tv/movies. I’ll start us off: 

(from left) Akasha, Queen of the Damned; unknown vampire, John Carpenter’s Vampires; Gloria, Blacula  Good luck to all of you!!! Have fun!

Pre-Readathon Readathon #2

I hope that you have been enjoying our Pre-Readathon Readathons. This weeks will be a fairly easy challenge… we are challenging you to clear off your currently reading shelf.

The majority of us have those books hanging over our head that are half read… well that’s no way to head into a readathon. We need clean plates to start off the most important day of the second half of the year!

Now, if you are one of those people who doesn’t move on to another book until the one you’re reading is done… then your challenge is simply to begin and finish as many books as you can in this week.

You are absolutely allowed (and encouraged) to apply these books to the Pre-Readathon Reading Challenge. So far it looks like only two people have finished the challenge.

Let us know what your goal is for this week and then come back just before the readathon begins and let us know how close you came to meeting your goal!

Happy Reading 🙂

Fall Into Reading

Fall Into Reading . . .     

I was so excited to get the chance to sign up for a “warm-up” post for the Readathon!   I especially love the Autumn Readathon as it lends itself to a cozy blanket and hot cup of coffee or tea on a cool day.    I have always been a reader who likes to choose books that match the season we are in . . . in the summer time all of the books with beautiful, warm beach scenes draw me in and who can resist a Christmas story in December?!  So I interviewed some faithful book readers to see what they would recommend to us for “Fall reading” and maybe you still have time to get ahold of their recommendations for the Readathon on the 24^th!

Our first recommendation is a “cozy mystery”.    Cozy Corgi Mysteries by Mildred Abbott.  The setting is in a bookstore – what could be better – and the owner always has her sweet Corgi alongside her.  I’m sure he plays a big role in solving the mystery of the day.  Upstairs in the bookstore is a bakery!  Now that’s pretty sweet!  And with these cute book covers who could resist them?

Our next recommendation is Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen – This story begins in the Fall season but the coming weather and winter season plays a big role in the tale.  I have found that anything by this author is a great choice!!  

For me personally – Autumn makes me think of pumpkin patches, country sides with Fall harvest in high gear, apple orchards, and I’m always pulled in by the pictures on the front cover . . . here are a few Fall choices from my own Kindle library.

The Hope Jar  by Wanda E. Brunstetter

And Then She Was Gone by Rosalind Noonan

Country Heaven by Ava Miles

The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard

Peas, Beans and Corn by Jennifer Wixson

Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler

I hope you have a great Readathon on the 24^th and a great Fall season!!

Teri Henningsen

It’s All About the Snacks! – Michelle

Hi All! It’s Michelle from Fitkittymama Reads, here with your next warm up post. Are you getting excited for the Readathon??

Second only to the books you choose to read, snacks are one of the most important parts of any Readathon experience. And it takes some preparation to make sure that you have the right snacks on hand to help you power through the event.

My first couple of times participating in the event, I focused on fun snacks and junk food and lots of caffeine, but soon learned that was not the best way to go. Here are the things that I have found to be helpful when planning for the food portion of my Readathon.

Hydrate

While the instinct may be to power up on caffeine, you actually want to make sure that you are getting plenty of water to keep you hydrated through the long hours. That’s not to say you won’t be needing some caffeine through the wee hours, but mix it up. I try to go for a mix of caffeine {I don’t drink coffee so go for sodas and green tea}, juices, and water throughout the event, alternating each caffeinated drink with a glass of water to ensure I stay hydrated.

Eat real meals

You should definitely have a real dinner, if not all of your normal meals throughout the Readathon. If you focus just on snacking, you won’t necessarily fuel yourself enough to get through the dark hours of the Readathon {not that you have to read all 24 hours}. I usually plan something quick and easy, like a salad with diced chicken or pizza. Other ideas are to prep something in the slow-cooker so that it’s ready when you are. Or if there are other people at home with you, ask them to do the cooking so you can focus on reading. If none of those options work, there’s always delivery!

Have a mix of healthy and fun treats

For my first Readathon, I focused a lot on the junk food treats and didn’t really think about how my body would feel throughout the day. I’ve learned in future events that a mix of healthy and not-so-healthy treats work best for me. This plan gives me fun, but also doesn’t leave me with a sugar crash or an upset stomach.  I’ve included a list of my favorite treats below for you to check out.

Plan a few extra treats

My philosophy has always been that it’s better to have too much of something than too little, extras can always be shared or saved for later. This goes for treats as well. When I shop for my Readathon snacks, I always buy more than I’m going to eat during the event. This gives me choices, if I want more salty than I originally planned for, or am really craving a piece of fruit, then I have an extra option on hand. It also helps me keep the Readathon spirit alive through the next week, as I enjoy or share any of the extra snacks.

Pick a treat that’s part of your Readathon tradition

Pick out a treat (or a few) that you always have as part of your Readathon tradition. I find that this helps to keep the excitement of Readathon high as you are planning, and keeps continuity through the various events. I have a couple of snacks that I traditionally have during my readathons, they are tater tots, something fresh baked (usually made the day before), and MnMs (Almond, Peanut, or Pretzel).

Snack Ideas from My Past Snack Lists

• Nuts (I like to do almonds, but any nuts will do)
• Crackers with meat and cheese (I love the single serve trays they sell at the grocery store)
• Popcorn
• Chips
• Cookies
• Brownies or cupcakes
• MnMs, Peanut Butter Cups, or other chocolate candy
• Licorice or orange slices
• Apples, Bananas or Melon
• Dried fruit
• Applesauce
• Yogurt
• Salads (green salads, pasta salads, potato salads- I’ve done them all)
• Pizza Rolls (or Bagel Bites, or something similar)
• Tater Tots
• Ice Cream
• Fruit snacks or fruit roll ups
• Granola bars
• Donuts
• Pretzels
• Goldfish crackers
• Beef jerky

What are some of your favorite snacks to enjoy during the Readathon? Share them below in the comments.

Pre-Readathon Readathon #1

How are you all doing on your challenge that we posted last week? Anyone a third of the way through (5 prompts finished)? I have to admit that I haven’t started yet. I really need to get in gear! Will need to finish over a book a day if I am to have a hope of finishing on time.

Well this week, we are bringing to you one of our more classic Pre-Readathon Readathon Challenges. This week, we are challenging you to read a total of 24 hour in the course of the next 7 days. Let us know in the comment section below when you have completed this challenge!

Anything read for this Challenge is allowed to be counted for the main reading challenge we are currently running 🙂

Additionally, we still need a few mini-challenge hosts if we are to reach our goal of having a mini-challenge every hour. If you’ve got an idea, we would love for you to host a challenge. Please email me at deweyreadathon@gmail.com!

Kate

TRICKS AND TREATS!!

Tricks and Treats – By: S.B. Richards

If you’re here you’re probably looking for some readathon tips, or in this case tricks.  Well good news! I have a few for ya (and some treats tips, too)!

Trick: TBR 

Simplest things first, right? If you’re participating in a readathon (or have before), you probably have an idea about what you want in your to-be-read pile. Before you go pulling  books off of shelves, here’s a few thoughts: 
❖ Comics, graphic novels, kids books, audiobooks – they all count! 
❖ Choose a quick, easy read to start so you feel good about finishing a book early on. ❖ Have a variety of books ready. Short, long, sci-fi, romance, fantasy, nonfiction. It really  helps to change things up. 

Treat: Coffee/Tea

The Great Debate! Whether you’re a coffee drinker or a tea drinker (or both, like  me) you probably have a favorite brew you’ll want to stock up on ahead of time. Nothing is  worse than being in the middle of a good book and reaching for that nice warm cup only to  find it empty. Except for maybe finding your beautiful reading mug in the dirty dishes…what  are you waiting for? Go wash it! 

➢ Side note, make sure to have a glass of water with a cup of caffeine. We don’t  want anyone getting dehydrating from pounding the coffee. 

Trick: Get Comfy With It!

Grab that raggedy old quilt you love to snuggle up with. Change into some pajamas.  Put on some music. Head over to YouTube and check some ambient channels. (Ambient  Worlds has some fantastic Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings ones, among others.) Just get  comfortable and enjoy. It’s a day to be lazy with a good book.  

Treat: Snacks

Make sure to pick up some snacks for the day (and not eat them beforehand, oops).  Cashews, grapes, trail mix, any brain food really. I know we like our junk food, but the good  stuff will help keep us going.

Trick: Take Breaks!!!!!

Your body to rest from time to time. Especially if you’re one of the readers aiming for  the whole 24hrs. Take a break and drink some water. 
❖ Move your reading to a new spot. 
❖ Go for a walk. 
❖ Hit up social media and cheer other readers on. 
❖ Update the rest of us on what your reading and the progress you’ve made.

Treat: Meal Prep

Calling all hobbits! It’s time to prepare for breakfast. And second breakfast. And  luncheon. And…well you get the idea. The best thing I’ve ever done to prepare for a  readathon wasn’t my TBR but making an amazing sandwich the night before. Lunch time  came and I was able top just stroll over to the fridge and find this wrapped deliciousness  ready to go! 
❖ Make sandwiches 
❖ Order food the day before (you can schedule it for lunch or dinner!)
❖ Make plans to take a break and grab a bite (safely) with family or friends. 

Trick: DNF

Did Not Finish. Set aside. Put away. It’s okay, you can say it. DNF.  

Don’t be afraid to DNF a book you don’t like, or are not feeling right now. It’s okay.  A readathon is not the time to trudge throw a book you’re not enjoying. The most important  thing is to have fun!

*Bonus: Fall/Halloween Atmosphere

❖ Set up decorations 
❖ Read some monster books. Or witches. Or horrors!
❖ Have candles surrounding your reading spots.
❖ And grab some Halloween candy (with your brain food).

Readathon – A Family Tradition

Hi all! Maria here, of http://abookgeek.blogspot.com. I’ve been participating in readathons for more than a decade now, and was thrilled to get the chance to write an introduction post!
I first started participating in readathons in October 2009. For the first few years I was figuring out what worked for me, getting into the groove of things. Through trial and error I figured out my own dos and don’ts of the readathon, and chronicled everything on my blog. I come from a family of bookworms, and without fail, every single readathon at least one family member would comment, “That sounds AMAZING!!! Wish I could join in too!” My answer was always the same: “You should! Come join me!” – but between them having small kids and busy schedules and me living in a tiny apartment with pretty much only <i>one</i> comfortable reading chair, it just never happened. “Next year!” Always “Next year!”
In the end, it took 5 years, and me moving into a larger house with my very own library(!!!) but in October 2014 I hosted my very first family readathon. It almost got postponed once again as the readathon fell on my Mum’s birthday that year, so I figured she’d rather do something else to celebrate – but once she got thinking about it, she actually couldn’t think of a better way to spend her birthday, than to have an excuse to sit around and read all day…  From there a tradition was born.

Here in Denmark, the readathon runs from 2pm Saturday – 2pm Sunday, so we meet up at 1pm’ish with all our snacks and books (usually at my place, as my library is perfect for it), and spend the first hour setting up, talking books and sharing recommendations, trying to figure out which book to read first — some of us changing our minds several times over until the very last minute! — and completing the “Getting to Know You” survey, but once the clock strikes 2, we immediately stop talking (prompting an “This is so silly!” from one of my sisters the first time she participated, as she was in the middle of a story… no worries – we got to hear the end of it over dinner 😉 ) and settle down with our books and snacks, only interrupted by a “pass me the chocolate, please?”, a “Maria, what should I read next?” or a quiet chuckle as somebody reaches a particularly funny part of their book. I keep track of the time and check the hourly posts here, and whenever there’s a suitable mini-challenge we always put aside our books and answer them together (our favourites so far have been “What fantasy land would you most like to visit” and “Guess these 10 books from the very bad reviews”).

We take a proper break for dinner (usually prepared ahead of time – long live the slow-cooker!), as we’re generally all eager to talk and share stories at this point, but afterwards return to our books… people slowly dropping off one by one, as it gets late and they want to head off home. Usually the last person leaves between 11-12pm, and I’m left by myself in a suddenly very quiet house, with the last remnants of the snacks, trying to finish just one more book, before I have to call it quits and head off to bed too.  

That first year I was joined by my mum and my two youngest sisters. In subsequent years my oldest niece joined in as well… followed by my third sister…. my Dad… my oldest nephew… a second niece. Not everybody is able to join every single time, but it’s something all of us prioritize very highly… to the point that we’ve been known to “cheat” and hold the readathon a weekend early or late, in order to allow as many of us as possible to join in. We’ve held a readathon after a week away together, where we only just had time to get home and unpack, before we all joined up at my place again (most of us took names sometime during the afternoon that time!) We’ve held a readathon where my sister was SO heavily pregnant that her water actually broke within the first hour! That was certainly the most action-packed readathon yet! (my nephew wasn’t born until the following day though, so the rest of us got a tad more reading in). We’ve held a readathon with some members participating over Facetime as we were on different sides of the world. And we’ve held a socially distant readathon this spring, when Corona tried to steal the tradition away from us.
This October Readathon will be our 13th time reading together. I think it’s safe to say that it’s a tradition that’s here to stay.

Pre-Readathon Mini-Challenge

Before becoming hosts of the Dewey’s 24-hour Read-a-Thon, Gabby and I were the moderators on the Goodreads Group. Several years ago, we started doing “pre-readathon readathons”. These were usually 2-3 different “challenges” that people could participate in to get amped up for the readathon. When we took over as hosts, this was something that we wanted to bring to the event as a whole. These are completely optional to participate in and are just meant to be fun.

For the first of our challenges, we thought it would be fun to put together a list of 15 reading challenges for you to complete before the start of the readathon. These are intended to challenge you, but not be impossible. You can track your reading challenge here on the blog or in the space for the challenge on the Goodreads or Facebook groups as well as our new Reddit Community (each of those link back to where you can post your challenge). Please just make a new post or comment and then update it as you complete a challenge. Each book read, may only qualify for one challenge, so no double dipping for this (unlike in the Bingo event).

So without further ado, here are your Reading Challenges:

1. Read a “long” book (over 500 pages) – For readers under 13, page count over 250 pages. Can be multiple books
2. Read a “short” book (under 250 pages) – For readers under 13, page count under 100 pages. Can be multiple books
3. Pick 5 of your favorite genres and enter them in a randomizer. Read a book in that genre
4. Read a “spooky” book (your own definition of spooky is fine)
5. Read a book that is 75% one color on the cover.
6. Read a book that was published in the last 18 months
7. Read a book that was published more than 100 years ago – For readers under 13 years old, a book published more than 10 years ago.
8. Read a book set in the Fall or with a cover that looks like it is Fall (leaves changing, etc)
9. Read a book set in the Spring or with a cover that looks like it is Spring (trees blooming, etc)
10. Read at least 75% of a book when it’s dark outside – For readers under 13, it must be read 75% after dinner, but doesn’t have to be when it’s dark outside.
11. Read at least 75% of a book outside (please social distance… a park or back patio will do fine)
12. Read a book with an animal (real or made up) on the cover
13. Read a book with a main character or author whose first name starts with the same letter as your first name.
14. Take five books you really want to read and put them in a randomizer and read whichever one is chosen.
15. Read a book that is set in a location you wish you could visit or live in. This location can be real or imaginary.

We are allowing one Alternate task where if there is a task you don’t like or can’t complete, you may read book of your choosing in it’s place. This may only be done once. The only other requirement is that qualifying books need to be over 125 pages (except for the short book task and for readers under 13).

***I have tried to add adjustments for our younger readers, but parents, if you feel any challenge prompt needs further adaption, please feel free to do this. No need to check if a prompt is okay. You know your child and what will challenge them.

Once you have fully completed the reading challenge, you may come back here and enter your information and books on included Google Form. Everyone who completes the challenge will be given a shout out in the Welcome post on the day of the readathon! And one lucky person will be awarded a gift card from Steph Coelho. Thank you so much for offering a prize donation!

October 2020 Reader Sign Up!

It’s that time of the year again… time for the final Dewey’s Readathon of the year! Readers… it’s your turn to sign up!

Do you have to read the whole 24 hours? NOOOO! Do what ya can. We’d love to have you! Even if it’s five minutes!