End of Event: Readathon

And now it's over... My participation this year has really dwindled from when I first started, several years ago. Back then I was a newly-wed still in my last semester of school. I could easily choose to spend a Saturday how I wanted to... which was curled up with a book, leaving my hubby to find dinner for himself. Now, not so much. I read about an hour and a half throughout yesterday and I got 45 minutes in this morning after waking up before it was all over. 

I finished Allegiant yesterday, which I highly enjoyed. I keep reading these YA dystopian novels because they're the big thing and I want to see what everyone is so excited about. They've been readable to me but I wouldn't call them great books, but out of the ones that I've read, I think the Divergent series is the best. I liked the characters a lot. I enjoyed seeing them push themselves and discover who they are. 

Last night I started The Stand by Stephen King. This will be my third Stephen King novel (I've also read The Green Mile and Under the Dome (which is nothing like the TV show!)). I can't do horror at all, it totally freaks me out, but some of his works, while still tough to read, can be very engrossing. Or should I say, engrossing. I also love long books, so at over 1000 pages, I'm hoping this book will appeal to me.

Anyways, here is the end of event meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? After my daughter's first nap time, I couldn't find anymore time to read, everyone in the house seemed to need stuff done and that was it. I found it very frustrating and hopefully I can control the situation a little better next year.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? If you're into the YA dystopia genre, I highly enjoyed the Divergent series, I finished up Allegiant as part of the readathon.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Could you have a post on how to actually use Twitter? I'm still trying to figure that out and would love to try connect more with other readers.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I enjoy the visits from the cheerleaders.
5. How many books did you read? Finished one that I had already started and just started another... so, 0.6 books?
6. What were the names of the books you read? Allegiant by Veronica Roth and The Stand by Stephen King
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Allegiant
8. Which did you enjoy least? I guess, The Stand, but I'm not far enough into it to know if I'll like it.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? n/a
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Definitely! I think I'd like to try to be a cheerleader. I've never done it but it would take some pressure off me if I'm not trying to read whenever I get a free moment. Plus I'd love to see how other people handle their schedules and what they do during the readathon!

Happy Reading everyone! See you in October!

24 Hour Readathon! Starts Now!

So it's a little after 8:30am here and I'm just getting started. I love this readathon and I hope to participate throughout the day but it's unlikely I'll be able to do much. My almost 8 month old just went down for her first nap and daddy is out today so as soon as she is up, I won't get much done.

Anyways, here's the opening meme questionnaire:

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

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Allegiant by Veronica Roth, I'm about halfway through and I would love to finish it today! After that, if I have time and energy, I'm up in the air about a couple books. I'd love to start the second book in the Way of Kings series by Brandon Sanderson but I have some library books that I should probably read instead, like The Stand by Stephen King or The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar. Fiction is probably easier for a day like today but I do love non-fiction as well. Any input on these books? 

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Hmmmmmm, apples and cheese! Yummy, filling, and won't make me want to take a post-food coma afterwards ;-)

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! My favorite book is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

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? Last October I was too tired to do much reading since baby girl was only 6 weeks old and I was barely sleeping. This time around, I know I'll be busy but I think I'll be a little more prepared to sneak in reading throughout the day, plus after she goes to bed :)

.... and now off for a little reading before naptime is over!

24 Hour Readathon!

It's Coming! The 24 hour readathon! Yay!!!

This Saturday!

8AM (EST) - 8AM

I've participated in a number of the 24 Hour Readathons, I started about 3 1/2 years ago, after hubby and I got married and I started my first blog, By the By Books. I've never quite made it the whole 24 hours, but I've done my best and enjoyed the experience every time.

The readathon happens twice a year, in October and April. Last October, I tried to participate but I think I managed to read all of a half hour. Little girl was only 6 weeks and I was still getting almost no sleep. 

This Saturday my hubby will be away volunteering but I'm hoping to take advantage of little girl's naps and read during that time, rather than trying to do housework or other projects I have going on. I'd also like to try to join the community a little more during this readathon, rather than just focusing on cramming as much reading in as I can. Maybe I'll finally figure out how Twitter works so I can join in the conversation and excitement on there.

If this at all intrigues you, I hope you'll consider joining the fun! It may sound overwhelming, but there is no pressure! The readathon is a day to celebrate reading and the enjoyment we can gain from books. Whether we are reading them, listening to them, or talking about  them with others. Please join us!