Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon Master Post (April 2017)

Closing Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
   • Hour 8 – I had a short nap, which I thought would be good, but when I tried to go outside, I decided to go back to bed and slept for another hour and a half…
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a reader engaged for next year?
   • I did really well at choosing books suitable for a read-a-thon this year. I recommend Amina’s Voice or From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (both short yet enjoyable middle grade fiction).
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next season?
   • I wasn’t active much online this time around, so can’t comment on this.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
   • See above.
5. How many books did you read?
   • I finished one book, read four others in their entirety, and started two more. I finally did a read-a-thon like people have been saying to! (Choosing multiple short reads instead of a few long ones ^^;)
6. What were the names of the books you read?
   • A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab – finished reading
   • Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan – entire book
   • The Luck of the Karluk by L.D. Cross – entire book
   • Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George – entire book
   • From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – entire book
   • Icemen by Mick Conefrey and Tim Jordan – started
   • If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo – started
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
   • I’m happy to report I enjoyed all the books I read. I don’t know if I can pick one the most! I had a lot of fun reading Wednesday in the Tower, because it had been so long since I read the first book and I enjoy the characters and setting.
8. Which did you enjoy least?
   • Technically, I enjoyed The Luck of the Karluk the ‘least’, but I still found it to be a good read and introduction to the Karluk.
9. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? 
   • I won’t be able to participate in the next read-a-thon (October 21) as I will be in Seattle for a Depeche Mode concert~

I read 924 pages in 8.25 hours. Although I didn’t meet my hours read goal, I definitely surpassed my time in the previous read-a-thon. For the first time ever, I read all the books I had picked specifically for the read-a-thon, and a little bit more! I allowed myself a lot of flexibility with regards to meals – I cooked up a Thai soup for my family for lunch and went out with my family for dinner. I had a lovely day, even if it wasn’t 100% read-a-thon focused. How was your Read-a-thon?

Somewhere in Hour 3

In a pleasant twist of expectations, I woke up well-rested shortly after 7:00AM. I finished A Conjuring of Light in bed. Then I got up to do my usual morning chores and eat breakfast. After breakfast, I read Amina’s Voice in one sitting, in my cozy reading spot. It has occurred to me this will be my last read-a-thon in that spot :O Now I’m taking a little break to complete the introductory survey and check out some mini-challenges.

1. What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
   • Winnipeg, Canada. Primarily snuggled up in my bedroom.
2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
   • I have a lot of good choices in my stack today, but I was most looking forward to Amina’s Voice which turned out to be just as good as I’ve heard.
3. Which snack are you most looking forward to?
   • Rootbeer – it’s been ages since I’ve drank some.
4. Tell us a little something about yourself!
   • Hm, what random fact can I throw out this time…I am in love with my diffuser from Saje. I don’t know if I buy into aromatherapy, but I can appreciate a pleasant scent while I’m reading 😛
5. If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? 
   • Last October I had already had a bunch of plans on read-a-thon day, so I didn’t get to read as much as I wanted to. Today I hope to read twice as much as last time.

Preparation

Good morning! Today is Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon. I can’t believe this is my seventh time participating. I will update this post a few times throughout the day, but I will be most active on Twitter. I have had a hectic week and I am looking forward to indulging in reading today. For the first time ever, I have curated a TBR that I think I could actually get through today). I focused on middle grade and short non-fiction.

• Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan (197 pages, middle grade fiction) – My hold finally came in from the library a few days ago (just in time for read-a-thon!)
• The Luck of the Karluk by L.D. Cross (137 pages, non-fiction) – I’ve read three books about the Karluk (two non-fiction, one fiction) and am hoping for a more objective perspective from this book published in 2015.
• Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George (225 pages, middle grade fantasy) – I read Tuesdays at the Castle, the first book in this series, exactly two years ago during a previous read-a-thon. I think these books are a good choice for today.
• From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (162 pages, middle grade fiction) – A classic middle-grade that I’ve been meaning to read.
• Icemen: A History of the Arctic and its Explorers by Mick Conefrey and Tim Jordan (180 pages, non-fiction) – I found this book while waiting for somebody at the library. I’m hoping it’ll brush up my overall knowledge of Arctic exploration (I only really know about the Franklin expedition and the last voyage of the Karluk). Not sure I’ll be in the mood for two Arctic books, though.

I still have a number of books from my TBR stack that I could also read. Perhaps I will finally finish A Conjuring of Light…My goal for today is 10 hours of reading. I think I’ve got enough to keep me interested!

On the snack front, I made an apple scone today and my mom also baked, so there are many treats to sustain me throughout Saturday! I have also done some prep to make a Thai soup for lunch. There’s a two litre of rootbeer open in the fridge, so that will be my ‘indulgence’ of the day.

I am sleeping in today, so who knows when I’ll start reading ^^; Are you participating in the Read-a-thon? Hope everyone has a great day!