Hey guys! With the start of the readathon a little more than an hour away I wanted to drop in and say hi and wish everyone who is starting tonight a happy night/day of reading! I’m on EST time meaning it starts around the time I start getting ready for bed. I won’t be active tonight, but if I’m not too tired I’ll be starting Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg on audio while I get ready for bed. I just finished up her Paper Magician series yesterday and am ready to dive into more of her books.
Happy reading! What’s the first thing up on your readathon TBR? Let me know in the comments!
I can’t believe it’s already August and that means Dewey’s annual 24 Hour Reverse Readathon is less than a week away! I’m so late this year with getting my TBR together.
Usually, I explain what the readathon is but I think most people know what Dewey’s is by now. So, onward to the TBR list.
Okay, everyone, I’m obsessed with this author currently. I’ve read almost everything he’s written and outside of a non-fiction book Anxious People is my last full length novel of his to read until something new comes out! What better day to read it than Dewey’s? I grabbed it as part of one of my BOTM boxes earlier in the year and am excited to finally get to sit down and read it!
This one has been on my TBR list (otherwise known as the list that never ends) since it came out last year. I’ve been trying to find more fiction by non-binary authors that features non-binary characters. As most of you who follow the blog know I’m non-binary and always looking for good fiction.
Starting last year I read a few Agatha Christies and couldn’t believe I waited so long to dabble in her works. Like most folks my first book by her was And Then There Were None and I adored it. This one came as a gift from a friend over on r/bookclub on Reddit. If you’re looking for a nice mostly read at your pace book club, check it out. Anyway, back on track I’m excited toss a whodunit onto my TBR list for the day.
This book novella has been on and off my radar for years now. Mostly recently it was nominated for a Gutenberg read over on r/bookclub and didn’t win. So, I’m adding it to my readathon TBR to finally read it.
You may have noticed my TBR list this time is a bit shorter than previous years (except the ones where I decided to read one very long book). Now that I’ve participated for a few years I know about how much I’ll actually get through. If by some miracle I make it through all of these books I’ll pick up either the next book in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series or one of my books from my partially read stack.
I’m feeling a bit of afternoon slump, but I am working on my 4th book of the day. I think I prefer what I’ve done the past few years of finding a nice door stopper of a book and reading it as far as I can and then finishing it up in the week that follows. I wanted to do it that way this year, but just didn’t have a long book I was in the mood for.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed most of what I’ve read today, but I didn’t feel as brain laggy when I stuck to a single long book. Anyway, I’m at 5 hours and 18 minutes of reading time for the readathon so far and I’ve read about 830 pages in total.
Since I last checked in I finished Anna North’s Outlawed and it wasn’t exactly what I expected. It had a slow start which slowed me down a bit – I like a book I can sink into. Save the slow burn for later in the book. lol
I’ll probably get about another 3ish hours in before I check in at 8 and get read for bed. If things go the way I think they will and I read tomorrow morning before 8AM too I’ll probably hit around my normal 10 hours of reading. I normally do well in the mornings and lag in the afternoon, and then get a good chunk of reading done in the evening.
I should be working on the cover or even the blurb for Sky’s Homecoming. I’m a little brain dead today. It’s been stormy this week and everything in the news just has me feeling blah. I’m ready for a do-over of this year.
Anyway, onto the reading and readathon. I really enjoyed this readathon and it’s easy pace. I completed all 4 of the weekly prompts and managed 11 other books this month too. (So far. Still have the rest of today and all of tomorrow left.)
This week’s prompt was to read a book about what you miss the most. There are plenty of things I miss, but I really wanted to read one of Jennifer Worth’s Call the Midwife books and I do really miss new episodes of all my favorite shows.
I read Shadows of the Work House this week. I enjoy Jennifer’s writing voice greatly as well as the historical attributes of her memoirs. This one was just heartbreaking. So many people lost so much or everything to work houses and unfair systems. Today, we don’t have work houses, but we still have so many unfair systems and so many problems.
As a lifelong reader, I’ve long used books to understand the world as much as to escape it. This week I’m just a little down, because it seems the same problems only play on repeat. I’m ready for a vacation that I can’t take and more coffee than I should drink in a day.
I’m already reading Farewell to the Eastend, the last book I have left in Jennifer Worth’s boxset. Her voice shines through immensely in this one as well.
Today I’m blah. Reading is blah. Writing is blah. Today is blah. I wrote few really emotionally challenging chapters today for Sky’s book. It’s only 11 AM and I have what I can only call an emotional hangover. I’ve written plenty of emotional scenes, but this is the first time I’ve actually had an emotional hangover from writing. Like pure numb verging on sad emotional hangover. I always knew Sky’s book would be difficult to write, but here it is. It’s moving along.
So, let’s talk about what I read this week for the readathon. This week the prompt was to read a book with an at risk character. This book had 2 of them. One was a chronic pain sufferer, Rachel, seeking a way to live with her pain and break her dependence on abusing narcotics to survive. The other was a terminally ill older gentleman with a neuro degenerative disease named Harry.
The search for a ‘cure’ led Rachel to a fictional island with a greatly written backstory and lore. This book had me with all of its twists and turns.
Also, as someone with chronic pain I related so freaking hard to Rachel. It was good chronic pain rep (if you ignore her extra pills.) But the way the author wrote her with both desperation and determination was incredible.
It wasn’t all depressing and pain, though. There was adventure, mystery, and witty lines like this: The waitress looked like she wanted to be in the middle of an argument with a handicapped person about as much as she wanted to antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea.
It was full of laugh out loud lines like that at times.
Next week’s prompt is to read about an essential employee. I’m reading a autobio/memoir of a medical examiner. Tune in next week to find out if I made it through. This was the recommendation of a friend – HI MEG! Well, hi if you’re reading this. lol I’m excited about it, but also I know anything cardio-vascular makes me squirmy.
I’ve talked to friends, family, and readers who are all looking for a way to fill in time they’re spending at home. Of course, reading is our number one go-to, but everyone could use a bit of spice in their life.
So without any further ado… Let’s get onto it. readathons first. Of course, I’m biased and my favorite readathon is
O.W.L.’s Magical Readathon.
It’s fun and a two parter with the first happening in April. Yep, I’m a big HP nerd (Proud Slytherin for life!!) and though the readathon doesn’t have to include the HP books it is based on the exams given at Hogwarts. I participated and passed my O.W.L.’s last April. My N.E.W.T.s in August were interrupted by some crap. So, I didn’t finish the challenge. This year, I’m trying again. Except I’m not going for writing. I’m going for healer. I might blog my readathon experience, but I’m not 100% positive I will.
Book Roast from Youtube (the host and creator of the readathon) can explain it much better than me. I’ll link her video below. FAQs, Career paths, and prompts can all be found in the description below her video on Youtube. The first part of this readathon runs the length of April.
Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon
This happens on April 25th this year according to the director’s Twitter. I participated in this one once or twice last year. It was great fun. Basically, you read as much as you can in 24 Hours. If my writing schedule allows it I will be doing this one this year. You can find more information here.
The PopSugar Reading Challenge
This is a year long challenge and you’re not behind if you didn’t already start. You can check out the prompts here.
Off the Grid Readathon April 17-19
This readathon encourages readers to put down their phones and read. This readathon encourages you to take as much time as you can away from all the daily distractions and really focus on reading. You can find more information here.
Queer Lit Readathon March 28 & 29 (weekend edition.)
This readathon’s title explains it all. It’s all about LGBTQ+ reading and books. Hope my schedule let’s me participate in this one before O.W.L.’s start.
There are many many more readathons and reading groups spread across the internet. One I’m personally active is r/52Book over on Reddit. It’s a subreddit for those trying to read 52 books in a year, but anyone with a yearly reading goal (bigger or smaller) is welcome over there. It’s a friendly place to chat with other bookworms and to get reading recommendations.
![Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by [Charlie N. Holmberg]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51odUtgGCTL._SY346_.jpg)
![Outlawed by [Anna North]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51gHEM68bZL.jpg)
Maggie Hemlock Books 