October 2015 #Readathon: Master Post
October 17, 2015
I'll be storing all my updates, mini-challenges and readerly ramblings here. We'll see if it actually gets updated during the day. Also, check back here during Hour 5 for a most awesome mini-challenge.
Happy reading to all, and to all a fantastic 24 hours!
Hour 1 - Introductory Survey
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?Southeastern Connecticut, where it's finally starting to look like fall!
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
I honestly don't have one picked out (my stack is kind of huge), but I'd be thrilled to finish up Ancillary Mercy and What Strange Creatures today. I've only been working on them forever.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
I've got knock-off puffy Cheetohs and non-knock-off Talenti Alphonso Mango Sorbetto calling my name.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I hope to go to graduate school (hence the GRE) next year to learn how to make the world a better place. In the meantime, I like reading books that show me exactly what needs better-making.
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?
I always think I'm going to read a bunch, but Twitter, the official Readathon blog and other people's blogs end up distracting me so much! Today, I just want to go with the flow and have a good time, regardless of page count.
Hour 3 - First Book Down!
I've been working on What Strange Creatures by Emily Arsenault for what feels like forever, and the Readathon helped me finally knock it out! It feels good to already have a completed book on my log. This was a perfectly engaging read, but the way the mystery was resolved left me unsatisfied.
I've moved on to Ancillary Mercy, another I've been reading for far too long. Fingers crossed I can finish in the next couple of hours!
Hour 5 - Second Book Down!
Officially done with my outstanding current reads! On to something new. I decided to try out The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. Creepy and weird so far.
Oh, and my mini-challenge went up. Give me your best ugly cover pitch!
Hour 12 - Mid-Event Survey
1. What are you reading right now?The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. It's been somewhat slow-going at times, but I'm just hitting the halfway point now and feeling good about finishing!
2. How many books have you read so far?
2 (see above!), though each only had chunks left. I'll do all the math-y bits and infographic constructions tomorrow.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
I'd like to give A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle a go because I've never read it and I think it will be just comfort my brain needs after a long day of reading.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
I just took a phone call from a family friend about how maybe I should consider taking my GRE again (fsdlkfjsdfjdfgodirgsEofihsdf), and that's still throwing me for a bit of a loop. I hope to quash this from my memory with more reading.
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
I was very active on Twitter for the first quarter of the event, but my participation online has fallen off steeply since taking an unexpected nap earlier. This isn't necessarily bad, because I think I'm reading more, but I hope to get more socializing in before the Readathon is through!
Hour 17 - Third Book Down!
Lauren of Malcolm Avenue Review and I decided to buddy-read The Wasp Factory during the Readathon. I can't wait for her to finish up, because I really need to talk about this with someone.
Hour 18.5 - Zzzzz....
Yep. Around 1:30 am, I found myself falling asleep during The Little Prince and knew it was time to call it quits.
Before I did, though, I participated in Kerry's Recommendation Engine challenge! I'll definitely be checking in on this post again for new reading ideas.
Hour 23.5 - Awake Again/End of Event Survey
Good morning, #readathon-ers! Sprint to that finish line!
— Shaina (@shainareads) October 18, 2015
1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
I had my ups and downs throughout the Readathon, especially since I had a few more distractions than expected (hockey games, awkward phone calls, etc.), but, as always, it was the hour I finally had to head to bed (Hour 18).
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Nothing specific, but definitely keep it short! It's too easy to get bogged down in longer books, even if they're good.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
???
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
Twitter. Cheering. Lists. 'Nuff said.
5. How many books did you read?
Three, though only one full one. I also read bits of The Little Prince and A Clash of Kings.
6. What were the names of the books you read?
See above!
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
I really liked the few pages I got through of The Little Prince.
8. Which did you enjoy least?
What Strange Creatures, mostly because I wasn't crazy about the ending.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
Don't stress out about visiting enough people or saying the "right" thing. So long as you're being friendly and engaging, you're doing your job!
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
Of course! I really enjoyed hosting a mini-challenge, so I'll likely do that again. I really love cheering, but I'm curious about what things would be like if I had more time to read. We'll just have to see how I feel in April.
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