Fall 2019 Readathon Closing Survey

Last night after my last update I went back to reading Escaping Exodus, but I kept thinking about how miserable I would be today and Monday if I tried to stay up for the full readathon. Plus, I was pretty happy with what I had managed to read so far, so eventually I decided to close the book and go to bed. I think I ended up reading until 2:40 or so.

So, it’s time for the readathon closing survey!

How would you assess your reading overall? I am pretty happy with it. I would always like to have read more, and I was a little disappointed that I didn’t end up with any five-star reads, but I got a lot of good reading in.
Did you have a stategy, and if so, did you stick to it? I did, and yes. I have learned over the years that I like to start with one of the longer books in my pile, then switch over to some short novellas and fast graphic novels to feel “accomplished,” then switch back over to something longer when that starts to feel scattered.
What was your favorite snack? The snacking was good this year! I forgot how good freeze dried strawberries can be! (Also, how fast they lose their crunch when you take them out of the bag. Also, I had made some oatmeal and dried fruit cookies the day before that were very popular.
Wanna volunteer for our next event? I always say maybe or probably, then always feel too busy when the event rolls around. October and April are big school activity months! Maybe I should volunteer for the reverse readathon in the summer, if that happens again…

Final stats:

Jen: 5 books, 1118 pages
Jefferson: 2 books, 884 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 348 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $344/$300 raised so far!

Thanks for everyone who supported us in our readathon! We really appreciate it, and so will Little Free Libraries!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Eighteen

A readathon miracle has occurred. Shortly after midnight, Solomon looked at the clock and said, “I should probably go to bed. It’s after midnight.” And then, dear readers, he took himself to bed. There was no crying, no bargaining. No weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth that I promised him he could stay up past bedtime as long as he is reading.

It was beautiful.

I am still in Escaping Exodus. Doing well for now, but also thinking longingly about the end of the book and how maybe I should head to bed myself when I finish it. I mean, staying up for the full 24 hours is fun, but my sleep cycle is already pretty broken as it is… No need to decide yet, I guess.

Jen: 5 books, 1090 pages
Jefferson: 2 books, 884 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 348 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $324/$300 raised so far!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Sixteen

Oh, it is that hour of the night. The book I am reading, Escaping Exodus, has lots of world-building and my brain is swimming a bit and it’s taking longer to read than it probably should. I’ve made myself some tea and let’s see if I can get to my third wind.

Solomon is still reading Artemis Fowl, so neither of us has started a new book. He has definitely settled into his groove, but I’m hoping he starts to fade soon so that we don’t have to have a big bedtime fight. We’ve been down this road before.

But we made it to our fundraiser goal! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us! We will keep reading until we fade or until we (I) make it to 24 hours (hahahahahahahahahaha). So it’s definitely not too late to support us if you feel so moved.

Jen: 5 books, 975 pages
Jefferson: 2 books, 884 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 348 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $324/$300 raised so far!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Fourteen

Shockingly, Jefferson has gone to bed. Solomon, after spending most of the last two hours goofing off, has now gotten serious about reading now that he knows it is his only ticket to staying up past bedtime. We will see how long that lasts. I finished Carmilla, read all of the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, and started in on Escaping Exodus, which brings my page totals up past Jefferson’s, which feels sort of… unprecedented. At least at this hour of the night.

Solomon gave up on Harry Potter for now and started in on Artemis Fowl, which was his most recent purchase at the bookstore.

We’re now at 75% of our fundraising goal!

Jen: 5 books, 906 pages
Jefferson: 2 books, 884 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 247 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $224/$300 raised so far!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Twelve (Halfway!)

So, there was hot cocoa nonsense and Jefferson making teenager plans for tomorrow and Solomon doing I don’t even know what all, but anyway I got very involved in my next book, Carmilla, which I wasn’t sure I would. Before dinner I had read a few pages of the very meta introduction and it was making my brain exhausted and I wasn’t sure this book would be for me. But after dinner I started again and got on much better.

Jefferson decided he needed more of a story so he switched books again, this time to It.

This is certainly the most horror-filled readathon we’ve ever had.

We’re now halfway through the readathon, but it’s likely none of us will stay up for the full 24 hours. I think I have done so once?

Jen: 3 books, 732 pages
Jefferson: 2 books, 856 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 213 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $204/$300 raised so far!

2019 Fall Readathon — Hour Ten

It is raining here in Lansing, which makes it all the more lovely to sit in front of the fire and read, but also makes finding dry wood for the fire more challenging. We took a brief break for dinner, but still got a decent amount of reading done since the last update. At least, Solomon and I did. *cough cough* Mr. Jefferson spent the last two hours asleep on the couch. Solomon, of course, is still reading Harry Potter, but I read all of Radioactive, a graphic non-fiction story of the Curies and of radioactivity itself.

I am currently ahead in book totals, but will probably never be ahead in page totals at this point. Maybe if Jefferson goes to bed now and I pick up the manga he recommended to me.

Jen: 3 books, 608 pages
Jefferson: 2 books, 831 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 201 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $204/$300 raised so far!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Eight

Eight solid hours of reading is a lot. Jefferson is kind of sort of napping on the couch. Solomon spent a good chunk of time continuing with his paper armor construction, but then made himself a little nest in front of the fire and picked up his Harry Potter again. Poor Andrew has been rained out of the work he was going to do, but on the upside seems to be making us some dinner?

I finished Anansi Boys and took a little Instagram break before returning to pick up and read the entirety of The Inner Room, a creepy little book that I am still trying to decide just how I feel about.

Jefferson finished How to and picked up yet another book he was already partway through, Hand Drawn Jokes for Smart Attractive People, which is a book of cartoons, lent to us by Cousin Amy.

Jen: 2 books, 400 pages
Jefferson: 2 books, 831 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 100 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $204/$300 raised so far!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Six

I am so, so close to the end of Anansi Boys! It was tempting to wait and do the update when I finished it, but then our reading log sheets should be off and everything falls apart into chaos. So here I am.

Solomon has not joined us these last two hours. He has… constructed a Minecraft diamond sword out of paper. And run around outside, etc. That’s fine. He will be back later.

Jefferson need a break from Nature is the Worst so switched to another book that he was already in the middle of, How to. They are both kind of “filled with interesting anecdotes” books rather than narrative books, so I can see how neither would be the sort of thing you sit down and read cover to cover. I suspect he’ll be switching to another new book soon.

I suspect I will be ready for a longer social media break, to catch up on bookstagram and all that when I finish Anansi Boys.

Hey, we are halfway to our fundraising goal! Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed!

Jen: 0 books, 303 pages
Jefferson: 1 books, 653 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 78 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $154/$300 raised so far!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Four

So it’s noonish and everyone has spent some time reading and some time running around outside and it’s a very nice day so far. I am still on Anansi Boys, not as much progress this period because of snacking and of tending to the fire. Jefferson finished Orange, and is now reading a regular book so is no longer churning through multiple hundreds of pages an hour. Specifically, he’s picked up his library book, Nature is the Worst.

Solomon has joined us for a bit, and has been reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which he was already more than halfway through.

I am, predictably, already getting antsy that it’s noon and I haven’t finished a book yet, so I will definitely be going with something short and tiny when I finish Anansi Boys, but that is likely to still be a while.

Totals so far:

Jen: 0 books, 207 pages
Jefferson: 1 books, 553 pages
Solomon: 0 books, 78 pages

Support our fundraiser for Little Free Library! $119/$300 raised so far!

Fall 2019 Readathon — Hour Two

Good morning! We’re two hours into the readathon, both kids are up now (though Solomon has been having his morning computer time and hasn’t joined us reading just yet), I’ve had my first coffee, shattered a massive casserole dish, and Andrew is about to build a fire for us. Whee!

I’ve started with Anansi Boys, which has been on my shelves for a ridiculous number of years, and I’m happy to finally be getting to. I’m really enjoying it so far.

Jefferson has flown through Orange, Volume One, which is a highly rated sci-fi manga which he is trying to talk me into reading next. Maybe after the readathon? My stack is already too large.