ReadathonWhew! The Readathon is over, and after a few hours’ sleep, I’m awake. I made it to hour 22 before I fell asleep in my reading chair; when I woke up, I threw in the towel and climbed into bed. I could’ve kept going, but I was reading at a snail’s pace and wouldn’t have remembered a thing I read anyway, so really…what would the point have been? I had a great time during my 21 hours of participation, though, and already can’t wait for the next Readathon!

One more big thank you to all the cheerleaders out there, both official and unofficial. You guys rock! I appreciate your energy, enthusiasm, and endurance so much. And thank you to those who had a hand in planning the Readathon! It’s a wonderful event, and it would never happen without all your hard work.

Event Summary

  • I finished 3 books (listed below in question #2) totaling 797 pages
  • I read for 14 hours and 10 minutes
  • I didn’t listen to any audiobooks!
  • I cheered for 1 hour and 25 minutes
  • I completed 12 minichallenges and 3 memes (counting the one below)
  • I won two fabulous prizes!

I’d hoped to get one more book read, but alas, no such luck. The three I did finish were all reading commitments, and it feels good to have them read! I really enjoyed reading all three, and they were different enough that I didn’t feel bored.

Next time, I think I’ll do a couple of things differently. First, last time I went for a walk with an audiobook in the evening, and I think that helped wake me up and keep me going. I’d like to do that again. Second, I’m thinking next time I’ll try taking an hour nap or so around the hour 16 mark. I have a feeling surrendering an hour to sleep would make my final reading hours much more productive!

Sleepy LOLCatEnd-of-Event Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour 22, when I discovered I’d inadvertently taken a nap in my reading chair. It was the beginning of the end!
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? I loved all three books I read this time around: Nazareth, North Dakota by Tommy Zurhellen, Made for You and Me by Caitlin Shetterly, and Hush by Eishes Chayil. Last time, Something Missing by Matthew Dicks and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster were great for the Readathon.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Not at this moment!
4. What do you think worked really well in this yearโ€™s Read-a-thon? I liked how Facebook was utilized; I think the Readathon reached more people that way. I also liked the Google form where participants could submit the books they’d read; I can’t wait to see the list!
5. How many books did you read? Three
6. What were the names of the books you read? See question #2!
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Honestly, all three.
8. Which did you enjoy least? Hush went the slowest for me, just because I was so tired, but I still really enjoyed it.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next yearโ€™s Cheerleaders? Schedule blocks of time for cheering. I find it’s easier to take an hour break from reading and check in with people than to pick a few blogs here and there. Also, take a moment to at least skim update posts. I know there are a lot of them, but if you can personalize your comments just a little, it’s even more exciting to get them!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Very, schedule permitting. I’ll definitely read and cheer; I might also look into hosting a minichallenge or something.

Your Turn!

Did you participate in the Readathon? How’d it go for you?

Join the Conversation

17 Comments

  1. I agree with you about taking a little time to personalize comments. It’s takes longer, but I like that.

    I actually liked doing short bits of cheering in between reading. I did a couple long shifts, but liked the shorter ones too. I think it just depended on how much of a break I needed.

    Anyway, glad you had a good Read-a-thon!

    1. My problem is that short cheering breaks always turn into long cheering breaks, and suddenly an hour is gone! I tend to do snacks and tea for my short breaks and cheering for the longer ones. I think the trick is to find out what works best for you!

  2. I always personalize my comments too. While I love the songs and cheers, it’s nice to know the commenter knows which blog he/she is putting it on. ๐Ÿ™‚ Usually I can power through the full 24 hours without a nap – a walk, however, is essential.

    No luck this time as I had to be up and at a baptism by 8am (the readathon ends at 7am for me).

    1. Oh, the songs and cheers are fun, certainly! But a little personal note, no matter how small, is so nice, too. My reading just gets so slow when I’m exhausted. I get more done if I refresh my brain!

  3. I’m glad you had such a good time. I wish I’d been around to cheer more but I was really disconnected this readathon. I didn’t think about how not really having good computer connection in the hotel would affect me! Eek! :/

  4. What a great day for you Erin!! And I agree about the walk. If it hadn’t been so dang hot here I would have loved to have gone for one as well. Amazing how refreshing they can be!

    And also agree with the personalized comments–even though I also use the copy and paste cheer method as well. It’s hard to get around to so many people in a short amount of time (unless you’re just cheering) but just a little personalized comment goes a long way!

    Hoping the fall is just as fun!

    1. It was raining here, which I suppose I could have dealt with. I didn’t realize what a difference a walk can make!

      Copy and paste cheers and songs are also fun, of course; it’s fun to see what people come up with! It’s more the “good job, keep it up” type cheers that feel a little generic.

      I’m looking forward to fall, too ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Sounds like you had a great read-a-thon and congrats on winning the Quirk prize pack! It should be quite a haul…I have sent your information on to them so the process of getting it to you should start soon! Enjoy and way to go on a great read-a-thon!

    1. Thanks again for hosting the minichallenge! I’m really excited for the Quirk books. I’ve been meaning to read them, and this will give me a perfect excuse!

  6. Great job! You got quite a lot of reading done. I think that a walk and an audio book is a great idea. A good way to get out of the house and move around without missing any reading time.

  7. Wow, congratulations on getting through the read-a-thon! I haven’t participated in some time, but I’m glad it was enjoyable for you. And 4 books in 14 hours is VERY impressive!

  8. Congrats on lasting so long! I called it a day at hour 19. I’m amazed at how many mini challenges you did! I always get so caught up with reading, commenting, and twitter that I completely forget about mini challenges. I think I did… one? this time.

    1. I try to keep up with the minichallenges because their hourly schedule keeps me checking in with reality. Otherwise, I might never leave my reading chair! Hour 19 is a really long time reading!

  9. Great job! You read so much and for so long! I had a hard time balancing RAT responsibilities (cheering and hosting) and reading but it was still a fun day!

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply to Erin Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *