Category Archives: readathon

bout of books, readathon

Bout of Books Updates: Days 1-3

Leave a comment

Updates for the first few days of the Bout of Books readathon! I finished one short book and started several others; I’m actually really happy with the readathon TBR that’s been coming together along the way. I had Monday, the first day of the readathon, off of work, so I was able to kickstart things well, but I’ve been struggling a bit more now that I’m combining work and readathoning. We’ll have to see how I do with the second half of the readathon.

 

Grab button for Bout of Books

 

Here are my daily updates and reading tracking:

CounterfeitWomen & Power: A ManifestoBliss MontageHigh Times in the Low Parliament

Day 1

Books started: Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen; Women & Power by Mary Beard, Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

Books finished: Women & Power

Pages read: 115 pages of Women & Power; 23 pages of Bliss Montage; 107 pages of Counterfeit

Day 2

Books started: High Times in the Low Parliament by Kelly Robson

Books finished: None

Pages read: 63 pages of Counterfeit, 10 pages of Bliss Montage, 30 pages of High Times in the Low Parliament

Day 3

Books started: None

Books finished: None

Pages read: 29 pages of Counterfeit

 

bout of books, readathon

Bout of Books TBR!

Leave a comment

Grab button for Bout of Books

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 15th and runs through Sunday, August 21st in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 35 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

Tomorrow is the start of a new round of Bout of Books, a low-key, week-long readathon that occurs several times per year and always helps give my reading a boost. I’m planning on tracking my reading this week for extra motivation, and although I’m not making myself stick to a firm TBR, I have some books I’m considering for the week. I’m also participating in month-long reading challenges involving picking up ARCs and 2022 releases in general, so my Bout of Books reading will likely reflect that.

Possible physical TBR books:

Yerba BuenaHigh Times in the Low ParliamentIn the Shadow GardenBliss Montage

Possible audio TBR:

Lessons in ChemistryThe Romance RecipeMy Mechanical Romance

 

 

 

readathon

Bout of Books Updates: Days 4-7 and Wrap-Up

Leave a comment

Grab button for Bout of Books

I’m not going to lie, I forgot to post my Bout of Books updates from the second half of the readathon due to all of the crazy things going on in the world. Better late than never, I guess?

Never Have I EverI Kissed Shara WheelerChef's KissThe Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves, #2)

Day 4

Books started: none

Books finished: Never Have I Ever

Pages read: 81 pages of Never Have I Ever, 112 pages of I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Day 5

Books started: none

Books finished: I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Pages read: 32 pages of I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Day 6

Books started: Chef’s Kiss

Books finished: none

Pages read: 44 pages of Chef’s Kiss

Day 7

Books started: The Silvered Serpents

Books finished: none

Pages read: 89 pages of Chef’s Kiss, 79 pages of The Silvered Serpents

 

Overall readathon stats

Books finished:

Wicked Beauty by Katee RobertNever Have I Ever by Isabel YapI Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Books read from, but not finished:

The Wedding CrasherChef's KissThe Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves, #2)

Total pages read: 963 pages

readathon

Bout of Books Updates: Days 1-3

Leave a comment

Grab button for Bout of Books

Here with my first few days of updates for this round of Bout of Books! I normally start off readathons with novellas or shorter books so that I can finish things more quickly, but this readathon was more about making progress on my current reads. I read from 4 of those reads during these first few days of the readathon, and even managed to finish one (an eARC, which is extra helpful since it comes out next month).

Never Have I EverThe Wedding CrasherWicked Beauty (Dark Olympus, #3)I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Day 1

Books started: none

Books finished: none

Pages read: 58 pages of Never Have I Ever, 40 pages of The Wedding Crasher, 120 pages of Wicked Beauty

Day 2

Books started: none

Books finished: none

Pages read: 47 pages of Never Have I Ever, 102 pages of I Kissed Shara Wheeler

Day 3

Books started: none

Books finished: Wicked Beauty

Pages read: 56 pages of Wicked Beauty, 71 pages of Never Have I Ever, 32 pages of I Kissed Shara Wheeler

 

readathon

Bout of Books TBR

Leave a comment

Grab button for Bout of BooksThe Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 9th and runs through Sunday, May 15th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 34 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

It’s time for another round of Bout of Books! My stress levels are very high at the moment, so I’m really not sure how successful this round of the readathon will be, but I’d like to at least try. Here’s what I’m thinking in terms of a TBR, which is really just what books I’m currently reading:

Currently reading – audiobooks

The Wedding CrasherI Kissed Shara Wheeler

I’m currently reading/listening to and really enjoying The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa (contemporary romance with fake dating), and have also started listening to the new Casey McQuiston book I Kissed Shara Wheeler (YA contemporary), although I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.

Currently reading – physical books/ebooks

Nettle & BoneNever Have I EverWicked Beauty (Dark Olympus, #3)

I’m at the very beginning of 3 other books that it would be great to finish or at least make progress on during the readathon: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (dark fairytale); Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap (short stories based on mythology); and Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert (Greek mythology-inspired PNR eARC).

Possible next reads if I finish any of my current ones:

The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves, #2)Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous, #1)Book LoversThe Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes (The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, #2)

I didn’t set a May TBR, so I’m not exactly sure what books I’d gravitate towards if I do finish any of my current reads (which I’m also not sure about, since I’m really at the beginning of all 5 of them), but these are some possibilities.

readathon

Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon Wrap-Up

2 Comments

That’s a wrap on another spring edition of Dewey’s 24-hour readathon! I had such a great time devoting my day to reading and introverting, and actually got a lot more reading done than I thought I would. I think that my strategy of having a bunch of different book formats (poetry, graphic novels, short stories, novellas, audiobooks) really helped, as did the genre variety. I did read a lot less as it got later in the day, and didn’t have enough energy to stay up very late as I have during past readathons, but since I started reading pretty much as soon as Dewey’s began, that worked out fine.

Total books started & finished during the readathon: 5

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. ValenteOnly a Monster by Vanessa LenHeartstopper by Alice OsemanI Hope This Finds You Well by Kate BaerOf This New World by Allegra Hyde

During the readathon, I finished The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente (science fiction novella, 160 pages); Only a Monster by Vanessa Len (YA fantasy, 416 pages); Heartstopper, Vol 1 by Alice Oseman (YA contemporary romance graphic novel, 263 pages); I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer (poetry, 80 pages); and Of This New World by Allegra Hyde (short stories, 124 pages). Of these, my favorite was The Past is Red; I love Valente’s writing style and the story was a lot more twisty and complex than I’d predicted it would be.

Books read from, but not both started & finished: 3

Boyfriend Material by Alexis HallNettle & BoneThe Donut Trap

I was also able to finish my re-read of Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (contemporary romance, 65 pages) and start 2 new books: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (dark fairy tale, 33 pages) and The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu (contemporary romance, 82 pages). I’m planning to add those last two to my May TBR, and am particularly excited about Nettle & Bone–it’s extremely well-written, and I’m very invested in the story already.

Total pages read: 1,223 (!)

Overall, it was a great readathon, and I can’t wait for the next round in October!

readathon

Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon Updates and Mid-Event Survey!

1 Comment

I’m halfway through the readathon, so here’s the Dewey’s 24-hour readathon mid-event survey!

  • What are you reading right now?

Of This New WorldBoyfriend Material (Boyfriend Material, #1)

I’m 2 stories into Of This New World by Allegra Hyde, a short story collection focused on different kinds of utopias. I’ve also been intermittently dipping into my re-read of Boyfriend Material via audiobook that I started prior to the readathon, which I’m almost finished with.

  • How many books have you read so far?

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. ValenteOnly a Monster by Vanessa LenHeartstopper by Alice Oseman

So far, I’ve finished 3 books: The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente (science fiction novella, 160 pages); Only a Monster by Vanessa Len (YA fantasy, 416 pages); and Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman (YA contemporary graphic novel, 263 pages).

  • What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the readathon?

Nettle & BoneI Hope This Finds You WellOf This New World

I’ve been debating what to pick up next, because all of the books on my TBR are very appealing, but I think I’m most drawn to trying Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher. It’s a dark fairy tale, and it’s a shorter novel, so I’m hoping that could mean that I could both start and finish it before I get too tired later tonight. And I’d still like to read the Kate Baer poetry collection, as well as finish the short story collection I started. The thing is, my productivity and energy levels tend to take a serious dip during the second half of the readathon, so it’s hard to predict what I’ll actually be able to accomplish.

  • Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Luckily, not much! I was really in need of some hardcore bookish hermit time, so I’ve been able to devote my Saturday to readathoning so far.

  • What surprises you most about the readathon, so far?

I’ve read more than I thought I would have at this point in the readathon! I think having shorter books and different genres/formats to choose from was really key.

readathon

Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon TBR and Plans

3 Comments

It’s time for another round of Dewey’s 24-hour readathon! I had a really stressful day at work today, so a day dedicated to reading is just what I need tomorrow. I have a fairly solid TBR, a loose game plan, and the Do Not Disturb setting ready to go on my phone, so let’s get started!

For my TBR, I’m looking to focus on short books, highly anticipated 2022 releases, and a mixture of book formats so that I have a lot of options if my energy/attention starts to flag.

Novellas

The Past Is RedSummerwater

I’ve had previous 5-star reads from both of these authors (Deathless, Radiance, and Space Opera from Catherynne M. Valente, and Ghost Wall from Sarah Moss) so I have high hopes for these novellas.

Poetry, graphic novels, short stories

I Hope This Finds You WellHeartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)Of This New World

I watched the new Netflix show Heartstopper last weekend and decided to order the graphic novel, even though I’ve had mixed feelings about the format in the past; I figured it could help mix things up during the readathon. I also keep meaning to pick up Kate Baer’s poetry collection that my friend sent me a few months ago, and it’s very short so this is the perfect chance. And I always like to include a short story collection on my TBR; I think this is the shortest one on my shelf.

Full-length 2022 releases

The Wedding CrasherOnly a Monster (Monsters, #1)Nettle & Bone

I feel like I probably am only capable of actually finishing one of these since they’re a bit longer, but it’s possible I could start a second one as well. I have one adult contemporary romance, a YA fantasy, and a dark fairy tale.

My current reads, in case I’m in the mood to read those rather than start something new:

The Mask of Mirrors (Rook & Rose, #1)Boyfriend Material (Boyfriend Material, #1)

I’m still working on my main read for Tome Topple (which technically ended yesterday, but I’ll likely finish sometime in May), The Mask of Mirrors, and I’ve also been doing an audio re-read of Boyfriend Material in anticipation of the sequel, Husband Material, which is coming out this summer.

 

readathon

Winter TBR Smash-Up Readathon Recap!

Leave a comment

This past week, I really enjoyed participating in the Winter TBR Smash-Up, a low-pressure, friendly readathon hosted by @instalovewithbooks and @reluctantreader on Instagram. I decided to track my reading for motivation purposes, since I was trying to finish a certain few books before the month ended.

Here are my weekly tracking stats and overall readathon summary:

Sing Anyway by Anita KellySkye FallingGet It Right (Love at Knockdown, #1)How High We Go in the Dark

Day 1

Pages read: 96 pages of Sing Anyway, 41 pages of Get it Right

Audiobook time: 2.5 hours of Skye Falling

Books started: Get it Right

Books finished: Sing Anyway

Day 2

Pages read: 42 pages of How High We Go in the Dark, 10 pages of Get it Right

Audiobook time: 1 hour of Skye Falling

Books started: None

Books finished: None

Day 3

Pages read: 16 pages of Assembly

Audiobook time: 1.5h Skye Falling

Books started: Assembly

Books finished: None

AssemblyHouse of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)

Day 4

Pages read: 70 pages of Get it Right

Audiobook time: None

Books started: None

Books finished: Get it Right

Day 5

Pages read: 58 pages of How High We Go in the Dark

Audiobook time: 1/2 hour of Skye Falling

Books started: None

Books finished: None

Day 6

Pages read: 86 pages of How High We Go in the Dark, 32 pages of House of Sky & Breath

Audiobook time: 2.5 hours of Skye Falling

Books started: None

Books finished: How High We Go in the Dark

Day 7

Pages read: 161 pages of House of Sky & Breath

Audiobook time: 2 hours of Skye Falling

Books started: None

Books finished: Skye Falling

 

Overall stats:

Total books finished: 4

Sing Anyway by Anita KellyGet It Right by Skye KilaenHow High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia NagamatsuSkye Falling by Mia McKenzie

Total pages read: 612

Audiobook time: 10 hours

Books started, but not finished: 2

AssemblyHouse of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)

readathon

Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon Wrap-Up

2 Comments

That’s a wrap on another round of Dewey’s! I had a great day reading, and I think it really helped me to de-stress a bit.

Dewey’s Closing Survey:

  1. How would you assess your reading overall?

I’m really happy with the amount of reading I got done during the readathon, and I’m even happier about the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed everything that I read.

I finished 3 books (technically 2 novellas and one novel) during the readathon, all of which I really liked and rated 4 stars:

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. HarrowOnce There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghyThis Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar

I also read from but didn’t finish 2 other books (one audiobook and one physical book):

The Anthropocene ReviewedThe Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient, #3)

Overall, I read a total of 623 pages and listened to 2.5 hours of audio.

2. Did you have a strategy, and if so, did you stick to it?

I did! I had this idea of starting and ending the readathon with novellas, and that definitely worked well for me.

3. What was your favorite snack?

I’d made tabbouleh the day before and enjoyed snacking on that during the readathon.

4. Did you add any new books to your TBR/wishlist after seeing what everyone else is reading?

I saw that another reader had We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry in their stack, a book on my October TBR that I didn’t pick up during the readathon, which reminded me that I really need to get started on that one!

5. What was your favorite book or experience from this readathon?

Although I gave all 3 of my finished reads from Dewey’s 4 stars, I’d have to say that my favorite was Once There Were Wolves. I thought that the writing was excellent, I really liked the environmentalism themes, and it kept me thoroughly intrigued the entire time reading. Also, even though I only read the first 50 pages of The Heart Principle, I am absolutely LOVING IT so far. I love Anna as a new protagonist and I just find her chapters feel so realistic and immersive in her experience.