When I started my book blogger career, the thought of a read-a-thon had me quaking in my metaphorical boots (I do all my reading in fuzzy socks, let’s keep it real here). I pictured a timer ticking in the not-so-distant background while I furiously tried to keep up with books and also write coherent reviews.
me = feeling the pure panic
As I’ve become more accustomed to the Read and Blog balance, read-a-thons are more and more tempting. My favourites? Bingo boards!
EXAMPLES: #WHMReadingChallenge | #VAlitINES
Read-a-thons challenge me to dig through my TBR and diversify my monthly reading list. I can see what other readers pick for similar prompts and find new favourites.
At the same time, I can feel the pressure to read, read, read even when I’m overwhelmed. I might see a cool read-a-thon but know in my heart I don’t have time to participate.
So, now I ask. . .
DO YOU LIKE READ-A-THONS? (YAY)
or do they PUT ON TOO MUCH PRESSURE? (NAY)
(and for all the YAY voters, this awesome Twitter account compiles all the read-a-thons that run during the month! @ReadAThon_Guide )
Cast your vote in the comments!
Book Princess Reviews 
YAY. Although only a few times a year as I do agree that it puts on pressure.
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I agree here! Too many readathons makes reading a huge stressor.
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I’ve not done one yet but I like the idea of them. I would be worried I couldn’t quite fit it in around the rest of my busy life thou…
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There are many different types of readathons. You can pick and choose which prompts to follow over a month, or do a 24 hour readathon where you try to read as much as you can in a day, etc. Try to find one that works for your schedule, and test it out. They can be really fun!
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I want to say YAY, but I haven’t yet done one..
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Check out the link in the post and try to find one that suits your schedule. They are really fun!
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Thank you!
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Readathons are great but I can usually never participate because they are always when I have so much to do at work haha but I have managed to be in 1 so far, so yey me! 😛
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Yay! It can be hard to find the right time to join in, but they certainly are fun. Glad you found the time to jump in.
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YAY for readathons! Although, despite having hosted one myself, I actually haven’t participated in very many. The ones I’ve done, though, have been fun! I also love having that bingo board and goals to check off 😄 And I’m definitely going to be using that readathon guide Twitter as a resource to find more!!
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I think it’s good to stagger the amount of readathons we join. Too many and it can become more of a chore than fun activity to prompt extra reading. Bingo boards are one of my favourite readathon styles!
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I always seem to miss the readathons. But when I’m at home or on break at work I do have to set a timer if I’m reading on break or reading in between things at home. It’s silent thankfully. And my Kindle does have a clock at the very top but it’s tiny enough that it doesn’t get in the way.
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Seems you need more of a schedule to help you keep track of when a readathon is coming up! It can be hard to find a good one, but they are fun to take part in.
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Yesss, I always seem to miss them every time.
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I never do them Sha as I already know that I will be stressed!!!!! LOL
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Haha, it’s good to know whether something will add or detract from your reading experience. If readathons don’t do anything for you, it’s smart to avoid.
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I do not participate in read-a-thons. It’s too much commitment for me.
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Considering the only one I’ve participated in is my own (and I’m currently failing at it), I’m really not sure. I like the idea of them, but life sort of gets in the way.
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That can be very true. I usually go strong at the start, and then falter towards the end. I like to use readathons as guidelines but not strict “you must do all of this” type of things.
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I also love bingo boards! And large concept, adventure types as well. I’ve found that I tend to prefer the month-long read-a-thons. I’m more likely to participate and I’m more likely to win.
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Yes! The month-longs are the best, I agree. I can take time to enjoy the prompts, see what I would pick for each.
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YAY… I’ve come to love readathons! My favorite is the Dewey 24 hour readathon that happens in April and October.
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I’ve not heard of the Dewey 24 hour readathon, but I’ve seen a few 24hr readathons before. I prefer longer readathons, the shortest I’ve done is a weeklong. It was fun!
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YAY I love readathons! They make me read some books that I would otherwise not pick up so soon!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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Oh yess, I forgot about that aspect of readathons. Finding new books is a great aspect too!
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Yay!! I love a good readathon! Just not all the time.
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Agreed! Readathons are great, just not all the time.
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I think i’d like them if I ever gave a readathon my full attention. But usually the timing doesn’t work out too well, and so I half-try to create a TBR and then give up on the readathon halfway through when I get too busy. Plus I’m a mood reader, so the more specific the challenges are, the harder it is for me to find a book that meets both the challenge, and my mood.
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I gave up creating TBRs for my readathons a looong time ago, haha. I’m too terrible with them. I usually see which prompt interests me the most at the moment and find a book for it on the spot. The specific prompts do stump me often though… that’s where I have to get creative. I hope you find a good readathon that works for you!
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Kind of depends on the readathon. I’m not so keen on the read as many books as you can in a weekend type readathon (I want to take the time and enjoy my reads) but I don’t mind a longer one that’s more like a challenge.
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Same here! I like the longer readathons where I can enjoy the books and take my time with the challenges. I have done one shorter readathon, which I did enjoy, but I felt pretty stressed towards the end.
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Tbh, I’ve never been a fan of readathons. I think it focuses a tad too much on quantity than quality, so I’ve generally steered of it myself, although like you say, it does diversify your selections.
Oh and in terms of pressure, I do think they’re perfectly fine if you feel completely relaxed with your time! But in times of work and stress, they tend to be detrimental imo. 😛
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I will somewhat agree with you about readathons. It depends on how a person approaches them. I like to use the prompts to diversify what I read, and I never aim to read more because I’m doing a readathon. (I don’t think I’ve ever actually “won” one.) But I know for many people if you’re doing a readathon, you need to read ALLL the books/finish the prompts.
And yes, pressure can be a major factor depending on how much time people have.
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You’re absolutely right, it does depend on the person! I’ve seen people be like, “whatevs, I’ll read what I want” and not care about finishing the prompts, though on the other hand, I have seen others be pressured into finishing those prompts. It depends on what mindset you have going into that readathon (i.e., like you, I would go in to diversify my choices) 😉
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I can’t even stick to a small TBR so committing myself to a read-a-thon will be like promising to climb mount Everest for me. I’m gonna have to pass lol but I’ll gladly help fill in any buddy read requirements hehehe
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As long as you are there to fill in the buddy read requirements, we are set!! That is clearly the most important part of a readathon! I would be nowhere without that buddy read… !
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