Hour 22 – Powernap or coffee?

Hey there,

We are in the final stretch of our 24-hour readathon fun and some of you might consider taking a nap while others might be thinking about fueling up with some good ole caffeine.

Coffee is life!

Is it nap time, yet????

I personally have done both in the past and still haven’t quite decided which one is the better option for me. Generally speaking, I am a coffee junkie. It’s more of a comfort thing for me than an energy boost, so I don’t quite derive the caffeine-buzzing benefit from it. Yet, power napping is not my forté at all. I will end up sleeping for hours rather than minutes. So if I decide to actually sleep during the readathon, I have to set an alarm and must allot about an hour or two for these Zzzzzs.

What is your strategy? What are your favorite options to combat fatigue? Gimme all the suggestions in the comments below!

Happy staying awake and reading,

or

Happy napping,

@ichlese

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Hour 19 – Bookish Outfits

Ok, let’s talk about what we are wearing for this readathon. I definitely have some nerdy merchandise and clothing that I love to pull out for these kind of events. But, I am also someone who will forever favor COMFORT over style. And because of this, I am a huge fan of spending my 24 hours in pajamas. Currently, I am wearing PJ bottoms with a Harry Potter shirt giving me the right amount of lazy style.

Me IRL every weekend.

So how have you stayed comfy today? Are you wearing literary-inspired clothes? Did you maybe even dress up as your favorite bookish character? Do you switch outfits throughout the day? Do you maybe not even care about what you’re wearing and I am just the weird one over here? Gimme the deets in the comments.

Yay for more reading,

@ichlese

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Hour 24 – 60 Minutes to the Finish Line… Don’t Quit Now!

Welcome to Hour 24! This is Kate, semi-annual co-host that takes you to the finish line. Wow, I cannot believe that we are actually at the end 😦

How did you like the nature of this more casual readathon? For me, it came at the perfect time. Since the last readathon, I’ve gotten engaged (yay!) and this weekend I had/have three wedding related appointments. Which meant that I wasn’t able to do the full 24 hours and I’ve had to take some naps so I can be awake and alive for the appointments tomorrow 😦 Is anyone here who has made it for all 23 hours? Are you going to make it for the 24? You can do it!!!!

So… let me know how your day has gone. What was the best book you read? What helped you to keep going? What will you do differently next time?

I’ll be seeing you all at the next readathon, which is after the wedding, so finger crossed, I’ll be able to properly participate again and get my reading on! Now, as per tradition, I’ll leave you with this victory song. Because if you participated at all, you are a champion. You did great! And you deserve to celebrate!

Closing Survey!

1. What hour was most daunting?
2. Tell us ALLLLL the books you read!
3. What was your favorite snack?
4. What was your favorite facet of the day?
5. Wanna volunteer for our next event?

Link your post below or comment!

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Hour 16 – Get up and move!

Hello readathoners! It’s Kristen from The Book Monsters. You can find me tweeting @bookgoil and instagramming @bookgoil as well as litsy-ing @bookgoil.

I have been reading all day like you, so it’s time for a good stretch, audiobook walk, or playing with the dogs while I flip pages. Maybe find a cool jam to dance around to as well. I’ve been digging some pop and hip hop music lately and highly suggest this song below. It’s great to get you pumping.

What’s a song you like to jam and dance around to? What book are you reading currently and how much are you enjoying it?

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Hour 13 – Party Like It’s My Birthday from the Library

Welcome to Hour 13! I’m Dana and I hope you’re enjoying your reading so far!

Yesterday was my birthday and this readathon is my gift to myself. There is nothing better than a whole day spent reading. Well, maybe reading with brownies.

My two boys and I are spending much of the day at the library. They are alternating between playing on the computers and reading with me. It’s a win/win really….they get to play video games and I get more reading time!

Then, on the way home, we’ll stop at the park for a while if the rain stays away. We live in the “Sunshine State” but Florida has NOT lived up to it’s name the past couple of days. April showers bring May flowers though and it’s washing away our pollen so I guess that’s a good thing?

So tell me…where are you reading from today? Anyone else at the library like we are?

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
2. How many books have you read so far?
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

Link up below!

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Hour 10 – Tarot & Stories

Hello again, it is STILL reading diva extraordinaire, Julianne. As always, you can find my jokes, things I make, and places I go on Instagram as @_ulianne. I am excited to let you know that we are now TEN FULL HOURS into the readathon, which is nearly halfway through. Amazing job, everyone!!

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I’m here with a fun and extremely low key activity for you. As a whiny diva, I often need ways to spice up my reading and keep me interested in a book for an extended period of time. SO I decided to try incorporating tarot cards into the situation. NO TAROT KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED.

Tarot cards are interesting to me not as any sort of fortune telling, but as representations of different parts of stories and the human experience (I talk more about that in my very skeptical Instagram story highlight titled “Tarot for A**holes”). So, given that we are READING stories, maybe we can try to read them a little more intentionally, especially now that we’re halfway through and maybe getting a little autopilot-y.

THE CHALLENGE

(there is no prize, I’m just trying to have a little fun here)

Hold or think about the book you’re about to start. Draw a random tarot card (you can do so virtually here). Look at the design then Google the card meaning. As you read your book, look out for representations of the theme of that card. Use the card to frame your reading experience in a fresh new way!

See if the card creates connections for you that you may not have found without. See if it draws out themes or images that may have otherwise sat in the background. Is there a character who embodies the card you drew? Are there any symbols from the card design that make subtle appearances in the book? Prepare for potential SPOOKY coincidences – and have fun mixing up your typical reading routine if it starts to feel a little stale!

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Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Hour 7 – The Importance Of The Readathon Friend Who Never Shuts Up

HAPPY HOUR SEVEN, EVERYONE! It’s early on in the game and our reading energy isn’t waning just yet. I’m Julianne – I share jokes, things that I make, and places that I go on Instagram as @_ulianne.

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I think we need to take a moment to really appreciate the unsung hero of group Readathon parties. There’s always that special someone who loves to focus on, uh, the morale of the group. And…expressing themselves? Or something? Really, they will do nearly anything but read. It’s time for me to make a confession: I am that Readathon friend who never shuts up. And I will not let any of you shame me or my people. We are a vital part of the Readathon ecosystem. Here’s why you should consider incorporating an annoying slacker into your roster of reading friends ASAP.

Every group needs a diva. If I don’t complain constantly about any and everything, then who will???

Some jokes are so good they can’t NOT be shared. Your joy is my top priority. You giving me attention is my next top priority.

Somebody needs to make sure everyone has enough snacks. Every ten minutes. Your hydration is nearly as important to me as your joy – and both are certainly far more important than picking up my book.

If you’re feeling bad about not spending enough time reading, at least you’re not as bad as THAT person. Please don’t look at my phone timer to see how little I’ve actually read. That’s my own private business. The rest of my business is public during these 24 hours, however – what would you like to talk about now??

They remind you it’s good to take breaks and not take anything too seriously. Readathon is meant to be fun. It’s an opportunity to dedicate some time to frenzied reading in a life that certainly doesn’t hand out such opportunities readily. Us slackers are here to remind you that Readathon is just as much about the community as it is the books – and it has next to nothing to do with the numbers.

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Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Hour 4 – Readathon = Relaxed

So we’re doing the “Relaxed Readathon” today. No pressures, no cares, just you, some books, and some bookish people you can interact with at your own comfort levels. How would that not be relaxing?

Well, okay, books aren’t always the most relaxing things in the world. I’m sure many, if not all readers, have read books that infuriate us. They made us cry. They made us worry. And then they ended on a cliffhanger! Who the frick thought that was a good idea?! I swear, if you KILL OF THAT CHARCTER I’LL…

Whoops. Sorry about that.
*Ahem*

So, yeah. Readathon and Relaxation totally work together. Especially when the “rules” are really more like “guidelines”. You never have to participate in the full 24 hours. You never have to finish a book. We just hope you have a good time.

That being said, if you find yourself struggling for any reason, you let us know. We’ve been there! Readathon is a community event and we’re here for you.

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Hour 1 – WELCOME!

Well good morning, good evening, or good night to allllll my lovely readathoners! Do you have a lovely pile of books, comics, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, WORDS ready to consume? How about snacks? And water, coffee, tea, or whatever your favorite bev is? I hope so, BECAUSE IT IS GO TIME!!!

Be sure to follow us on all our social medias. We have lovely people helping us out across the social universe. We’re on Instagram, Twitter, and Litsy. I will be hanging on Twitter at our official account, while also ducking into Instagram Stories. Come by and say hi! I’m Heather, the co-hostess with the semi-mostest. Andi’s the one with ALL the mostest.

Getting to Know You Survey

1)What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
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?

Link up below or answer in the comments!

Take a few minutes to check out our Mini-Challenges!

Share the books you’ve read in our Books Database!

Make yourself at home in our Goodreads or Facebook groups!

Join the hourly photo challenge on Instagram!

Pre-Readathon Pep!

Helloooo, friends! We’re less than 24 hours away from the beginning of this April readathon! As usual, we’re handling some last minute items over here…linking up mini-challenges, spiffing up post templates, and other little details.

This season has been another doozy for Heather and myself…lots of work complications horning in on our time. There are never enough hours it seems, and in the spirit of being kind to ourselves and our cohosts and droves of helpers, we decided to keep this Readathon CHILL. Kind of in the same vein as our surprise summer Readathon from last year.

What’s different and special about this low-key Readathon?

• Posts here every 3 hours rather than EVERY hour
• A number of mini challenges you can dip in and out of all day

What’s the same?

• A COMMUNITY OF READERS! Check out #readathon on Twitter, Litsy, Instagram, and all your other platforms.
• A great hourly challenge on Instagram!
• Good times in the Facebook and Goodreads communities!
• We start at 8am Eastern time. Take a gander at the Start Times page!

Take a spin around the site, check things out, and let us know what you think! Most of all, READ with us, won’t you?

–Andi