#24in48: On Your Mark, Get Set...

We're coming up to the next round of the 24in48 Readathon, y'all! The goal: read for 24 hours over a 48-hour period (midnight on Friday to midnight on Sunday). 

Yours truly is excited to be back to co-host with Kristen and Rachel this time around, and while that means I'll be spending more time writing/social media-ing/monitoring than reading, I'm still so, so excited to tackle some of the books in my TBR and get a bit of non-assigned reading in.

#24in48: Plans, Plans, Plans

IT'S 24IN48 WEEKEND, YA'LL. 

potential tbr for 24in48

I love books and I love bookish people, so a weekend of bookish people coming together across the world to read books is basically my favorite thing of all time. I'm excited to be joining Kristen in supporting Rachel with 24in48 activities again this go-'round, and I really really hope you all will come read along with us. (If a weekend of books with other bookish people isn't enough to sell you, will this amazing list of prizes tip your decision?)

My weekend is unfortunately slightly packed with non-reading activities (I'll be running most of the day Saturday, then attending a running club event Saturday evening), but I've got a stack of book set aside for Sunday nonetheless. As I mentioned on Instagram, the stack is born of indecision, not ambition; if I finish even one of these bad boys, I'll be a happy camper. Right now, Hearts Invisible Furies is at the top of my list, because SO many people have told me to read it now that I can't keep ignoring them all. But who knows; maybe something else will strike my fancy in the moment.

Are you participating? If so, let me know where you'll be updating and I'll do my best to stop on by as I am able. [It's not too late to sign up, either. Just head to 24in48.com to join in.] 

And I'd love to know which book from my stack you think I should start with!

Readathon Mini-Challenge: Pay it Forward

I'm super bummed I can't be participating in the readathon as actively today as I may have liked... but I'm so, so glad to be able to join in as a mini-challenge host! In keeping with the spirit of giving that Dewey was known for, and that this round of Readathon is embracing, I'm changing things up a little bit. Instead of competing for a prize for yourself, let's spread the love of books and literacy with reading-related charities around the world...

A Readathon Recommendation Engine: Mini-Challenge

One of my favorite parts of the 24-Hour Readathon (or, ok, any reading event, really) is seeing so many new-to-me titles floating around the blogosphere. With that in mind, I'm bringing back this mini-challenge to not only see what others are reading (and loving), but provide recommendations to them. It's pretty simple:

Readathon and I'm Ready for Action

It's one of the greatest reading weekends of the years, fellow bookworms: Readathon is nearly upon us! I'm so looking forward to taking a day away from reality to immerse myself in books, books, books. I've got a varied and ambitious stack: my main goals are to finish The Mothers, and catch up on a large chunk of The Count of Monte Cristo. But I've collected some other books that have been eying me (and a few shorties to help fill small gaps in the day) and I'm ready for action on Saturday:

#24in48: A Weekend of (Vacation and) Reading

This weekend marks one of my favorite of the year: the 24 in 48 readathon! The goal, as always, is to read for 24 hours of a 48-hour period; as per usual, I won't even come close this weekend, but I love the idea of focused reading time across a community of readers around the world.

The Reading Stack

I've got a fairly limited reading stack this time around as I'm on vacation--a fact that will likely mean even less hours of reading than might be typical for me during a readathon event. Here's what I'm looking at:

(Not pictured: Blue Lily, Lily Blue on audio.)

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Day One: Introduction

Where in the world are you reading from this weekend?

The British Virgin Islands! Which makes for one hell of a backdrop for reading. Oddly enough, though, I've been here for a few days and have yet to crack a book (after finishing Roses and Rot on the plane flying down). It's strange to feel like I'm "not in the mood" to read anything at all, but I've been going with the flow... so we'll see how things shape up.

Have you done the 24in48 readathon before?Aw hells to the yes I have.

What book are you most excited about reading this weekend?

I'm really enjoying the little bit of Between the World and Me I've managed to read so far, so look forward to continuing with that one.

Tell us something about yourself.Because it's top of mind here: I'm terrified of snorkeling. I thought I was over this particular fear until the other day when I jumped off a boat and put on a mask and immediately started hyperventilating. I prefer my fish viewed from a boat, apparently.

Remind us where to find you online this weekend.

Here, Twitter, Instagram, or Litsy (username: kerry).

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Day One: Wrap Up

Ok, so it's barely 6:00 here... but with dinner coming up, and the sun going down, I know I won't check in here again before tomorrow. As anticipated, I haven't read for anywhere close to 12 hours; not as anticipated, I've barely managed to sneak in a solid hour of reading. Instead, I've been for a (very steep, hilly) run; gone one several boat rides (including one in the middle of a rapid rainstorm that left us soaked to the bone and witness to some very stunning rainbows); had a few painkillers; taken a nap; and generally sat around looking at the water and taking in the breezes.

Books read: Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Books completed: 0

Pages read: 47

Hours read: 1

Here's to better progress tomorrow. In the meantime, some pretty pictures of our adventures around these parts:

looking out from Saba Rock

unidentified islands, as seen from the tiny plane we took to get here

Scrub Island, seen on my morning run

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Day 2: Wrap Up

As expected, today didn't include nearly as much reading time as I might have liked. I did manage to finish one book, though, and make a small dent in a second--so overall, I wouldn't call the readathon a total bust. I'm still figuring out what this not-reading-so-much-on-vacation thing feels like, and I'm not sure if it feels like something I like or something I don't. I expect to be processing that for some time. In the meantime, the final (measly) numbers for the weekend:

Books read: Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates; Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel

Books completed: 1

Pages read: 168

Hours read: roughly 4.5

Week in Reading (and a #24in48 Wrap!)

It's Tuesday, not Monday (when I usually post my week in reading plans...), but this was a three-day weekend and I luxuriated in spending as little time at my computer as possible. This included a slightly new tack for the #24in48 readathon: I posted my plans for the weekend, and updated on Twitter as I read, but I didn't compile my total pages read or my total hours reading or any other information here on this ol' blog. I actually didn't keep track of any of it at all, and it was rather glorious.

#24in48: Preparations and The Stack

It's back! #24in48 is here here here here here! Well, it's here tomorrow, anyway, which means it's not too late to sign up to join us for a whole weekend of snacks, reading, and talking about reading.

I'm facing a rare weekend of all pleasure reading: I've met all of my review deadlines for February books, and haven't yet received my batch of March reading from my editors. Which means this weekend is all about Clean Your Reader and Read My Own Damn Books. Here's what I'm eying:

#Readathon Mini-Challenge: A Recommendation Engine

One of my favorite parts of the 24-Hour Readathon (or, ok, any reading event, really) is seeing so many new-to-me titles floating around the blogosphere. With that in mind, I thought we could use this mini-challenge to not only see what others are reading (and loving), but provide recommendations to them. It's pretty simple:

#Readathon:The Master Post

It's here! #Readathon is upon us. I'll be using this post as my "home" for the day, with updates on my reading stack, schedule, snacks, etc. 

I'll be tying a donation to my count of pages read & books completed to this awesome Bookstagram Team raising funds for Pencils of Promise. More info below.

Hour 16 (11pm):

I didn't get so much reading in in the last 4 hours, but I had an absolute blast stepping in to co-host the Readathon for two hours (most of which I spent on Twitter!) and then sat down to dinner and dessert with The Beard. I'd have taken a picture of the apple tart he made for dessert but I didn't think to do that until after I'd eaten half of it (and it wasn't nearly as pretty then). 

• Books Read: 
• Fates and Furies (complete)
• Citizen (completed)
• Pages Read: 551
• Hours Read: 6hrs, 45min
• Dollars Raised: $32.55

#Readathon: The Reading Stack

The October 2015 Edition of Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon is nearly upon us! As with every reading event ever, I've got my eye on far more books than one person can possible hope to read in one day. Here's what I'm eying:

Week in Reading: July 13th (and #24in48 Wrap-up)

A few too many hours reading this weekend (the best) and a few too many glasses of wine last night (the worst) have me rubbing my aching head this morning and waiting for this coffee to kick in. The grey, rainy weather is the perfect match for my just-let-me-snuggle-in-my-sweatpants mood.

#24in48: Updates

Lalalalalala, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (yep, sung to the tune of Jason Mraz) BECAUSE IT'S 24IN48 WEEKEND. I debated binging on backlist or working on the teetering stack of review commitments I have waiting for me, and decided that my brainspace would be best served by going with the latter. Here's what I'll be reading (the book with no spine language is Zeroes, by Chuck Wendig):

#24in48 Stack.

(Not pictured: Audiobook, TBD)

I'll be updating here throughout the weekend with hours read, books read, etc. I'll also be on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #24in48.

#24in48: A Reading Stack

I love readathons (what's better than an entire weekend of nothing but books, books, and people who like books talking about books, books, and people who like books?), and the #24in48 is one of my favorites. It's a bit more flexible than the Dewey readathon (the goal: 24 hours of reading in a 48-hour timeframe), and I'm always thrilled when the dates work in my schedule.

#Readathon: Blame it On the Bloggers Mini-Challenge

Readathon-ers! Who's still awake? Who's still reading? What time is it where you are? It's hour 22, which makes it 5:00am in my time zone, and I'm pre-writing this post because let's be honest, I'll likely have fallen asleep by the time it goes up. BUT who said I can't give prizes in my sleep?

No one, that's who. And so:

I love a lot of things about Readathon, but I particularly love discovering so many new books AND new bloggers. So this Mini-Challenge is in that spirit: what book(s) have you discovered and added to your TBR pile because you saw it mentioned/read/discussed during Readathon... and what blogger(s) do you blame credit for making your TBR list just *that* much longer?

To enter:

1) Post up on your social media network or blog of choice (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, blog post, YouTube, Instagram) the title of the book you've added to your TBR list, and be sure to tag/link to the blogger who put it there!

2) Comment below with a link to your post (make sure it's a link to your actual post and not your whole blog/channel) and I'll draw a winner at noon EST (what would be Hour 29 in Readathon Time).

3) Make sure you leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you win!

I'll draw a winner at noon EST (what would be Hour 29 in Readathon Time).

Winner will receive one book of their choosing (maybe your new TBR addition?), valued up to $15, from The Book Depository. Open internationally to wherever The Book Depository ships. 

Happy readathon-ing!

#Readathon: Master Post

It's here! It's here! It's finally finally Readathon time! I'm in for the full day this time around, folks, and will be updating throughout the day here, with memes and (if I can make it work) a Storify of other social media activity, as well as on Instagram and on Twitter. I'll also be cheering as part of #teamfrodo on Twitter all day!

#Readathon: The Stack and the Cause

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon is coming up this weekend and I. Cannot. Wait. I love this event: it brings together bloggers around the world to celebrate reading. And it's always a perfect kick out of a slump, though luckily some incredible reads lately have been helping me with that problem (that and the sunshine, I think).

I always have far too many books on hand for this event; it's classic eyes-are-bigger-than-my-stomach syndrome, and I willfully refuse to learn from past readathons that I don't need twelve books lined up.

So, willfully ignoring my past learning experiences, here are the 12 14 books I've got lined up for this weekend:

A Readathon Wrap-up

Yesterday was the Dewey 24-Hour Readathon, and while it wasn't my best showing in terms of hours or pages read, it was an incredibly fun day. This was my first year cheering, and I had a blast connecting with so many other readers, seeing new-to-me blogs, and getting to know a bit about the rocking #TeamShakespeare.


Which hour was most daunting for you?
Hour 14. I took a 10-hour break for a trip to the Maryland Renaissance Festival (which was a blast), and then a family birthday dinner. I was a mite exhausted after that, despite my hopes that it would be energizing, so it was tough to get back into the books. I did sneak some reading on my phone in during dinner, so rather than going back to my readathon stack when I came back, I decided to continue on with the book I'd been sneak-reading: A Rogue by Any Other Name, by Sarah Maclean. Excellent choice, that. I don't think my brain could have handled a new storyline at that point.

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
I only read three books yesterday (not completed, but read pages of), so not sure how helpful I'll be on this. I do find that relatively easy-to-read, plot-driven novels and narrative non-fiction keep me hooked for longer periods of time, but that's just personal preference.

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

No, honestly, things seemed amazing from my end of things this year! 

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

Cheerleader energy, reader engagement on Twitter and other social media platforms. Love connecting with other readers on blogs and elsewhere.

How many books did you read?

1 in its entirety, half of another, 30 pages of a third.

What were the names of the books you read?

Horrorstor, by Grady Hendrix

God'll Cut You Down, by John Safran

A Rogue By Any Other Name, by Sarah Maclean

Which book did you enjoy most?

Toss up between Horrorstor and A Rogue. They're so different, it's hard to compare. God'll Cut You Down will be great, I think, I just wasn't in the mood for it yesterday.

Which did you enjoy least?

I don't continue reading books I don't enjoy, with very few exceptions, so no answer!

If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

Start early, and use cheering as a way to break up your reading if you can. It also helps to chat with your team to get a sense of where extra support may be needed--for example, we had one blog on our team whose first-ever post was about the readathon, so she had no existing following, and we made a note to visit her a bit more if time allowed.

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
Is this a trick question? Because duh.

I loved being a cheerleader and plan to offer to help out more next year, if I can!

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Pages read: 430
Books read: Horrorstor, by Grady Hendrix; God'll Cut You Down, by John Safran; A Rogue By Any Other Name, by Sarah Maclean
Books completed: 1 (Horrorstor)
Total hours read: 5

It's Here! The Readathon Begineth

I don't exactly know why I started my olde English titles for my blogathon-related posts, but it's probably fitting, since I'll be working with Team Shakespeare to cheer readathon-ers on over the course of the day. Go #TeamShakespeare!

I'll be updating on my own reading on Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr over the course of the day, with links and totals updated here as a central location. Though between cheering and a few social obligations that have come up (family birthday dinners, the like), I'm expecting less and less reading time by the minute. Still, I've got a beautiful stack of books waiting for me and lots of Whole30 snacks lined up for the day (fuel and sustenance are key!).

         

Currently reading: A Rogue By Any Other Name, by Sarah Maclean

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Updates & mini-challenges:

Kicking off: 8AM (Opening meme)
Hour 2: Only an hour of reading, but lots of cheering so far!
Hour 4: Finished Horrorstor, on to some nonfiction
Hour 12: Mid-event survey
Hour 14: I'm back! (After a 10-hour hiatus with an hour of stolen reading time squeezed in)

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Daily totals:

Pages read: 293
Books read: Horrorstor, by Grady Hendrix; God'll Cut You Down, by John Safran; A Rogue By Any Other Name, by Sarah Maclean
Books completed: 1 (Horrorstor)
Total hours read: 2.85
Total cheers: I lost track almost as soon as I started, but cheering has been a lot of fun so far. And Team Shakespeare is kicking some cheer butt, if I do say so myself. #TeamShakespeare #forthewin

#BoutofBooks 2014: Updates

I'll be updating this post over the course of the week with daily updates, mini-challenges, etc. 

Day 1 Update: Not as much reading as I'd hoped for

Work went off the rails yesterday, and a belated Mother's Day dinner/Game of Thrones viewing event with my family meant limited time to read. I did make significant headway in the first volume of Brian K. Vaughn's The Last Man, however, and am planning to finish this and Volume 2 tonight.

• Books completed: 0
• Books read: Y: The Last Man, Vol 1
• Pages read: 80

Day 2 Mini-Challenge: Books I'm Looking Forward To

Day 2 Update: Two Graphic Novels Complete
Work is still crazy, but I managed to finish the first two volumes of Brian Vaughn’s Y: The Last Man series, and have made a 100-page dent in Thorn Jack. So, not too shabby overall. Hoping to finish Thorn Jack today, with any luck!

• Books completed: 2
• Books read: Y: The Last Man, Vol 1; Y: The Last Man, Vol 2; Thorn Jack
• Pages read: 356

Day 3 Mini-Challenge: This Made Me Think of That

Day 3 Update: Still Slow...
A very belated update post for Day 3 of #boutofbooks! I still haven’t finished Thorn Jack, which I’d hope to complete last night, but I did add some Mindy to the mix. And now that it’s 11PM on Day 4, maybe I’ll actually crack open a book?

• Books completed: 2
• Books read: Y: The Last Man, Vol 1; Y: The Last Man, Vol 2; Thorn Jack; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
• Pages read: 449

Day 4 Update: Not Much of an Update
It's almost not worth updating today, since I only read a few pages yesterday. But in the interest of being a good participant, my new stats as of the end of yesterday (Day 4). I'm hopping on an airplane this afternoon to head to a work function tomorrow, so at least I *know* I'll get some reading done today...

• Books completed: Still 2
• Books read: Y: The Last Man, Vol 1; Y: The Last Man, Vol 2; Thorn Jack; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
• Pages read: 508

Day 5 Update: Travel = Reading

I spent most of yesterday in an airport or on an airplane (~8 hours), which means I finally managed to catch up on some reading. Travel like that is exhausting, but also sometimes just what my reading brain needs to recharge. 

• Books completed: 4
• Books read: Y: The Last Man, Vol 1; Y: The Last Man, Vol 2; Thorn Jack; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?; Someone Else's Skin
• Pages read: 1078

Day 6 Update: Starting Book #6

The downside of all the travel yesterday was that it was travel for work, not play, so today was mostly spent reading. I did squeak in the first 70 pages of The Visitors, and am enjoying the trip into the tombs of ancient Egypt so far...

• Books completed: 4
• Books read: Y: The Last Man, Vol 1; Y: The Last Man, Vol 2; Thorn Jack; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?; Someone Else's Skin; The Visitors
• Pages read: 1148

Day 7 Update: The End!

Another day of travel meant a lot more progress on The Visitors. It's a long book, so I still didn't manage to up my total number of books completed, but overall, not too shabby!

• Books completed: 4
• Books read: Y: The Last Man, Vol 1; Y: The Last Man, Vol 2; Thorn Jack; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?; Someone Else's Skin; The Visitors
• Pages read: 1524