Welcome to the 24 Hour Readathon!

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon is underway!

Well as I mentioned before I went to bed, my snooze button and I have a wonderful relationship (though it seems to be a bit one-sided.) I didn't get up to finish my reading this morning, kids waking up in the middle of the night had me pretty tired when my alarm went off. So my total for my first readathon is:

3.5 books
748 pages
12 full hours spent reading.

Can't wait to try and better those totals at the next readathon!

End of event meme

Which hour was most daunting for you? I'd say the last hour I was awake, it was getting to be a struggle to admit I needed to put the book down and go to sleep
Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia was a great one for me.
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope
What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I can't think of one thng but I thought it was fairly well organized
How many books did you read? 3.5
What were the names of the books you read? One Crazy Summer, Tales From the Yoga Studio, My Life and Lesser Catastrophes, The House of Hope (that's the half.)
Which book did you enjoy most? One Crazy Summer
Which did you enjoy least? My Life and Lesser Catastrophes (but it was still a good book)
If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? I wasn't a cheerleader but I look forward to being one next time around.
How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Provided the date works for me I'm really looking forward to the next readathon, and I hope to be both a reader and a cheerleader!

Update #7
It's nearing 11pm and sleep is calling my name. My bed looks so good right now. I'm about halfway through my 4th book right now, 748 pages in. I think I'm going to call it a night. My alarm is set so I can wake up tomorrow morning and still get in a few hours of reading before the end (hopefully...I'm not really a morning person and my snooze button and I are well-acquainted.) Good luck to everyone still reading...see you in the morning, this has been a wonderful day!

Mid-Event Survey:

1. What are you reading right now? About to start The House of Hope by Elizabeth Gifford
2. How many books have you read so far? 3
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? I'm hoping that I'll be able to pick up The Free World by David Bezmozgis and finish the last 40 pages.
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Not too many. At one point we considered going to a play place with the kids but then they both fell asleep.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Quite a few, I just did what needed to be done and got right back to reading
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How much reading I have actually done!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nothing I can think of yet.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I think I'll sign up to be a cheerleader as well next year.
9. Are you getting tired yet? Yeah, but I have two small kids so it's nothing new to me. It is a few hours away from bedtime.
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? No tips, but I have really enjoyed taking small Twitter breaks. They give me a break from reading but keep me motivated to get back to it!

Update #6
Okay, now that the kids are off to bed, I'm back to serious reading! I just finished a book which brings me to a total of 3 books and 648 pages read. Wow! I'm impressed at how awesome this readathon is. I never thought I'd get the chance to do this much reading done in one day!

My second book was Tales From the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell. It's a fictional tale of four women who work or practice at the same studio and the differences yoga was making in their life. The third book was My Life and Lesser Catastrophes by Christina Schofield. Christina and her husband were in a motorcycle accident which left her husband paralyzed from the shoulders down. In the book she writes about living a new life and how her faith was tested.

Alright, quick break and then back to the reading. It's just after 9pm here, and I'm hoping to get a few more hours of solid reading in before I start to think about my bed.

Update #5
Well, we are entering hour 12 and I just took a fairly long, seriously unscheduled break and now I really need to get back to reading! I think once the kids are in bed I'll get my focus back, it can be pretty tough reading in an apartment with two little kids!

Update #4
We're well into hour 9 and I'm still going! I just finished a book so my total is 2 books and 494 pages read. I've taken a nice break, made another cup of tea (white chai) and I'm about to start my third book. I'm also tweeting on my breaks, so come check me out @goodbooksandtea.

Update #3
It's nearing 1pm so I'm off to get myself some lunch, do a few yoga poses (which fits well because I'm currently reading a book about yoga) and then find a new place in the apartment to read. Trying to switch it up so I don't get bored! So far I have read 1.5 books and 322 pages.

Update #2
Just under three hours in and I have completed 1 book and 215 pages. The book I finished is One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. It's a novel aimed at tweens, about three young girls from New York who spend a summer in Oakland with the mother they never really knew. Their mother sends them to a summer camp put on by the Black Panthers and they soon find themselves caught up in the revolution and discovering the truth about their mother. Excellent read!


Update #1: A Few Things About Myself:

1. Where are you reading from today? Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2. Three random facts about me: 1) My favourite colour is red 2) I used to be a competitive figure skater 3) I love British comedies
3. How many books do you have on your TBR read pile for the next 24 hours? 4
4. Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon? Just to read as much as I can
5. If you are a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for the people doing this for the first time? This is my first time so I'll be taking all the advice I can get!

Comments

  1. HarveeOctober 22, 2011 at 9:10 AM

    Toronto is one of my favorite cities. This is also my first read-a-thon. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. christinaOctober 22, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    I am always so impressed with figure skaters. Just watching them make my ankles hurt! Have fun w/ the first thon. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    Do you feel guilty about sitting around and doing nothing buy reading after being so physically competitive, or is it out of your system now?

    ReplyDelete
  4. StaciOctober 22, 2011 at 10:28 AM

    Figure skater!! that is so very cool!! I want to visit Toronto one of these days!!

    Have fun reading!

    Team Golden Grahams Cheerleader-Staci

    ReplyDelete
  5. ShanOctober 22, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    Thanks for stopping by!

    therubycanary - it's been a long time since I last competed so there is no guilt here. Plus after spending a lot of your life training and competing, you love days like these!

    ReplyDelete
  6. CareOctober 22, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    I LOVE to ice skate! I have the coolest blue skates with fur trim.
    HAPPY READATHON!
    - Tweet me @BkClubCare if you're bored or need a cheer!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Book Snob WannabeOctober 22, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    My favorite color is read as well!!! That book sounds real good. Another book added to the TBR list! Thanks!

    Happy Reading!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Book DragonOctober 22, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    Figure skating? How cool is that! Welcome to RaT

    ReplyDelete
  9. LouiseOctober 22, 2011 at 12:06 PM

    Being a figure skater is so cool. I never got further than bunny hops and curtsies but I always dreamed of being a great skater.

    Have a great readathon.
    Louise (CheerTrix)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Alexa S.October 22, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    Happy readathon! I'm a first-timer as well, but it's been great so far :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. ErinOctober 22, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    R! E! A! D!
    Any book that you can see!

    Yoga...what an awesome idea! I'm going to have to squeeze some in. Have a great time with your first readathon!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    Fun, we're reading at the same pace! After hour 9 I've finished just under 500 pages too.

    Keep reading!

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousOctober 22, 2011 at 8:12 PM

    White Chai tea sounds delicious. Keep up the great reading!

    ReplyDelete
  14. HarveeOctober 22, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    Congrats on finishing 3 books!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Buried In PrintOctober 22, 2011 at 11:38 PM

    More than 700 pages: you've done a stellar job for your first read-a-thon, even if you don't squeeze in anymore pages in the morning. (I've had One Crazy Summer on my TBR list for awhile now: glad to hear that you enjoyed it.) Happy read-a-thon-ing to you!

    Cheering for you from Team Trix (in Toronto too!)

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousOctober 23, 2011 at 2:03 AM

    Good morning! Hope you get a few more hours done before the end of the readathon!

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousOctober 23, 2011 at 1:43 PM

    You did a great job! 3.5 books is great for 12 hours!

    ReplyDelete

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