Category: Read-a-thon

Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon Mid-Event Survey

Published on by Rachelle

Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza

I’m a little late with this because I fell asleep on the couch but here are my answers to the Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon Mid-Event Survey!

1. What are you reading right now? White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi and Read it and Weep by Jenn McKinlay
2. How many books have you read so far? 1, but I’m nearly finished with Read it and Weep and about halfway through White is for Witching.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Readathon?  I’m really looking forward to What the Woods Keep by Katya De Becerra.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I’ve only had one interruption, caused by The Boyfriend, but I don’t mind, because it was to tell me about a really cool part of Oakland that has bookstores, coffee shops, and all sorts of boutiques and other shops.
5. What surprises you most about the Readathon, so far?  How I wasn’t tired until after  2 pm and then suddenly I was asleep.

Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon – First Update

Published on by Rachelle

Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza
I’ve survived the first 8 hours of Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon and I haven’t fallen asleep on the couch even once!  I have my cat, Dresden to thank for that, since I sat down in front of my laptop and he jumped into my lap to take HIS nap!  Luckily, I had my paperback copy of ‘Salem’s Lot nearby!

  • Pages Read: 261
  • Books Read: ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
  • Mini-Challenges Completed: I’ve done the Vague Recollections challenge.
  • Yummy in my Tummy: I had a giant cup of “English Breakfast” tea and largish bowl of cereal.  I also ate a yogurt. I had pizza and Sprite for Lunch.

Until my 2nd update, at 9 pm, I’ll continue reading the remaining books on my Goodreads list.

Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading?

Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon – A Spooky Good Time!

Published on by Rachelle

Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza
Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon has officially started!  I stumbled out of the bedroom at 4:30 am so I would have time to make a giant bowl cup of tea.  I’ll be posting my updates every 8 hours, assuming my scary reads keep my eyes wide and my senses on high alert.

  • What fine part of the world are you reading from today? I’m in Emeryville, CA.
  • Which book in your stack are you looking forward to the most? White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi.
  • Which snack are you looking forward to the most? I’ve got a package of Newman O’s with my name on it!
  • Tell us a little something about yourself!  Here are 20 somethings about myself.  Also, I’m a Volunteer Coordinator for a literacy non-profit called Reading Partners.  It is the best job I have ever had.
  • If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?  I’ll be trying out the Bingo challenge in the Goodreads group.

I usually put my TBR here, but the link to my pile of spooky reads is up above and currently stands at 66 books tall.  I might also switch things up a bit with a couple of creepy graphic novels and some frightening audio books that didn’t make it on the list.
My first update will be at 1 pm.  I’ll be tracking how many pages I read and any books I finish.  I’ll also include snacks I’ve nommed, and any musical earworms that have gotten into my head.
Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading? 

#ReverseReadathon – Final Update

Published on by Rachelle



We’ve made it through the Dewey’s 24-Hour #ReverseReadathon!

  • Total Pages Read: 506
  1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Midnight (Hour 7) when I started to get really sleepy and had trouble keeping my eyes focused on the page.  It didn’t help that Dresden, my Feline Overlord, snuggled up in my lap and went to sleep.
  2. Tell us ALLLLL the books you read! The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry and The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.
  3. Which books would you recommend to other Read-a-thoners? The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry and The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.
  4. How did you feel about this first-ever Reverse Readathon? Should we do it again? I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what the rest of the World feels like when it comes to the 24-hour #readathon.  I definitely prefer it starting in the morning instead of the evening. I did really like the more laid back feel, though.
  5. How likely are you to participate in the Readathon again? I will definitely be participating again.

I miss readathoning in Texas, since 7 am Central Time is a much more reasonable hour.  I’m really looking forward to the next readathon in October, but 5 am PST will come way too early that day, that’s for sure!

#ReverseReadathon – Update 2

Published on by Rachelle



We’ve made it through 16 hours of Dewey’s 24-Hour #ReverseReadathon and I spent most of the last 8 of it sleeping.

  • Pages Read: 17
  • Books Read: The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale (DNF’ed after 7 pages) and The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.
  • Yummy in my Tummy: The Boyfriend made omelets for breakfast so I could keep reading!

Until my final update, at 5 pm PST, I’ll continue reading The Rest of Us Just Live Here and the remaining books on my list:

  • The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
  • Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
  • The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams
  • The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
  • The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
  • Shift by Hugh Howey
  • Press Start to Play ed. by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams
  • It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading?

#ReverseReadathon – Update 1

Published on by Rachelle



I’ve survived the first 8 hours of Dewey’s 24-Hour #ReverseReadathon and I haven’t fallen asleep in my chair yet!  This is a little surprising since I’m usually ready for bed by 10 pm, even on Friday nights, but then again, it IS a readathon!  Naturally, I’m feeling like a kid staying up past my bedtime by reading my book by the warm glow of a flashlight under the blanket. Shh! Don’t tattle!

  • Pages Read: 153
  • Books Read: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
  • Yummy in my Tummy: The Boyfriend and I had hot dogs for dinner and then guava popsicles for dessert.

Until my 2nd update, at 9 am PST, I’ll continue reading the books on my list:

  • The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
  • The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
  • Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
  • The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
  • The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams
  • The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
  • The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
  • Shift by Hugh Howey
  • Press Start to Play ed. by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams
  • It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading?

Dewey's 24-Hour #ReverseReadathon

Published on by Rachelle


Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon has officially started!  Wait? What?!  Yep, that’s right.  It’s a bit different this time around.  Not only is it in the middle of the Summer instead of April or October, but it’s starting at 8 PM EST instead of the usual 8 AM EST.  Since I’m in California, it’s 5 PM, and I’ve been up since 7 AM so I already know I won’t be staying awake the entire 24 hours.
I don’t know if the wonderful hosts of this Reverse Readathon will be doing the opening survey, since I’m writing this in advance, but here are my answers anyway:

  • What fine part of the world are you reading from today? I’m in Emeryville, CA.
  • Which book in your stack are you looking forward to the most?  The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale.
  • Which snack are you looking forward to the most? I made popsicles out of guava juice and they are the perfect Summer treat.  I’ve also got fresh mango for making smoothies.  I can’t decide which I’m looking forward to more.
  • Tell us a little something about yourself!  Here are 20 somethings about myself.  Also, I’m the leader of a questing party on Habitica called The Acorns.
  • If you participated in the last readathon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today?  Since this is a more laid back readathon, I’m not going to try to stay awake for the entire 24 hours.  Instead, I’ll read until at least my 1st update and then head to bed for some shut eye.  That way I can read all day without getting stabby.

Here’s my TBR:

  • The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale
  • The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
  • Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
  • The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
  • The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams
  • The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
  • The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
  • Shift by Hugh Howey
  • Press Start to Play ed. by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams
  • It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

I’m also going to finish The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry before it’s due back at the library.
My first update will be at 1 AM PST.  I’ll be tracking how many pages I read and any books I finish.  I’ll also include snacks I’ve nommed, and any musical earworms that have gotten into my head.
Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading? 

Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon – Final Update

Published on by Rachelle

Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza
I’ve survived another Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon!

  • Total Pages Read: 706
  1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Midnight (Hour 20) when the combination of sugar and tiredness made my dermatillomania kick in with a vengeance and the Boyfriend had to put band-aids on all of my fingers to help me stop doing anymore damage.
  2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.
  3. Do you have any suggestions on how to improve the Readathon next year?  Nope, I only have ideas for improving it for myself.  Next time, I will avoid the sugar.
  4. What do you think worked well in this year’s Readathon? Having all of the mini-challenges open for the full 24 hours.
  5. How many books did you read? 2, but I also read a good chunk of The Lightning Thief.
  6. What were the names of the books you read? Bohemian Gospel and Day 21 by Kass Morgan.
  7. Which book did you enjoy most? Bohemian Gospel
  8. Which did you enjoy least? Day 21
  9. How likely are you to participate in the Readathon again? I will definitely be participating again.

Due to my fingers being in band-aids, I went to bed not longer after Midnight.  I’m determined to read for a large chunk of Sunday, though, to make up for bailing out with less than 5 hours to go.  I know I shouldn’t feel bad about that, but I do.  I was having a lot of fun.

Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon – Second Update

Published on by Rachelle

Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza
I’ve survived 16 hours of Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon and I still haven’t fallen asleep!

  • Pages Read: 264
  • Books Read: Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter
  • Mini-Challenges Completed: I didn’t do any of the mini-challenges since my first update thanks to Bohemian Gospel reeling me in and not spitting me back out until I was a speechless heap of emotions.
  • Yummy in my Tummy: I went to Peet’s for a late lunch and had a veggie sandwich and a chai latte.

Until my final update, at 5 am, I’ll continue reading the remaining books on my list:

  • Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
  • The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
  • Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (or another book with magical creatures for the Care of Magical Creatures OWL)
  • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Whether you’re participating in the readathon or not, what book(s) are you currently reading?

Dewey's 24-Hour #Readathon – Mid-Event Survey

Published on by Rachelle

Dewey's Readathon_Pocketwatch_Bellezza

It’s time for Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon Mid-Event Survey!

1. What are you reading right now? Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter
2. How many books have you read so far? 1, but I’m over halfway through Bohemian Gospel.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Readathon?  I’m still really looking forward to The Alchemyst by Michael Scott.
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I’ve only had one interruption, caused by The Boyfriend, but I don’t mind, because it was to look at a cute cat pic on Facebook.
5. What surprises you most about the Readathon, so far?  How I’ve managed to stay awake without even nodding off despite not drinking the bottle of Coke I have in the fridge yet.