My first read-a-thon was Dewey's 24-Hour RAT in October of this year. My boyfriend happened to be out of the country on business at the time, and I was on the lookout for something to do that weekend. Browsing one of my bookish subreddits, I saw someone posted about the event and a link for anyone interested in taking part. I signed up, and the rest, as they (I wonder who was the first...) say, is history—I was completely hooked.

Not content to have Dewey's be my only RAT of the year, I asked some of my fellow RATers what other challenges they took part in. Someone mentioned Bout of Books, and I marked on my calendar to check back for the BoB 12 sign-up post. (This, of course, came before the advent of my own blog and my handy Feedly.) And guess what, guys? IT'S FINALLY HERE!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 11th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 12 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I haven't quite figured out my goals for the event yet, as I'll just be coming off a long vacation during which, I hope, I'll have read a whole bunch. Here are some preliminary ones:

1. Read three books during the week. I failed to do this during Karsyn's Beat Your Best RAT last month, and I refuse to admit defeat!

2. Read at least one book from my 2015 TBR Pile Challenge list.

And that's it for now! We'll have to see what happens when the new year comes. Regardless of the goals I meet (or don't), I can't wait to take part. :)

Anyone else taking part in BoB 12? What are your goals for the event? Any tips for a RAT newbie on getting the most out of the event?