It’s Summer, which means a lot of readathons are on the horizon.
There they are, all waiting in the distance, ready to charge towards us readers like an oncoming army of challenges.
Well, we readers are ready to take them on.
Sort of.
Because do they actually work? Well, let’s talk about it!
Purpose 1: For us readers to tackle our overwhelming TBRs with all the strength we have.
Otherwise known as turning into squirrels for a few days, stocking up on food and going into hibernation waiting for the winter (or the length of the book) to pass. We lock ourselves away and yet visit countless other worlds at the same time, getting through as many books as possible. No Netflix breaks. Just reading nonstop.
Purpose 2: To feel like a badass along with all the other readers and taking the challenge ON.
Otherwise known as taking part of a readathon “for fun”. We see everyone else taking part, and want in on that. We want to be badasses that can take on these challenges, pushing through them like they’re nothing to us. Oh, read 5 books in a week? No problem! *tosses it aside*
Purpose 3: We do *actually* need to read those books and a readathon feels like a legally binding contract to do so.
You told yourself you’ll read that many books during the readathon. And especially THAT one, you know the one that’s been sat on your shelf for months now. So you said you will read it now. And you will.
Personally…I’ve never actually taken part in a readathon.
I’ve been tempted to join one this Summer, and I still might do. I just never know when I’ll be busy, so I don’t want to say I’ll join and then find myself having to go out and, you know, have a social life during that time. If I’m taking part in a readathon, I’m becoming a hermit for the duration. I’ll do the whole squirrel thing, collecting food in my room and then hibernating for a week or so.
But I do understand why people join in with them! They’re so appealing to me too, but like I said, I never know if I can actually join until a few days before. So maybe this year. Maybe not. I guess we’ll see.
THIS…This is where it gets a bit tricky.
Because it entirely depends on the person.
Person 1
This person loves readathons. This person loves the motivation, the feeling of pure determination coursing through the entire reading community to read those books. They will tackle their TBR. They will read every book they challenge themselves to. They will complete every challenge.
Person 2
This person likes readathons, and takes part in the ones that appeal to them. They’re not too ambitious, but still add more books to their TBR than they’d usually read. It is a challenge, after all. The motivation is there, and more often than not the readathons work. It’s a good feeling.
Person 3
This person likes the idea of readathons, but doesn’t know if they actually work. They’re happy to attempt them, but is usually too fidgety to sit down and dedicate to the hardcore reading. They need to take many breaks…but the readathons still might work for them.
Person 4
Readathons don’t work for them. There’s way too many distractions in the world! How can they read all day every day for a week when there’s TV shows and films to watch? Places to go? Food to eat? Tweets to tweet? HOW? They can’t just sit in complete focus for hours. Not a chance.
Person 5
The intention is there. But…they don’t stick to TBRs. So readathons DO work for them…but they never actually end up reading the original TBR they had planned. But still, it worked, right?
So now it’s your turn!
Do you take part in Readathons? Why?
If you do, which is the next readathon you’re taking part in?
Do readathons work for you? Do you manage to read more books from your TBR than usual?
Which of the 5 types of people (from the last section) are you? Or maybe you’re a different type altogether?
Join the discussion in the comments!
Until next time…
Come and visit me!
A frolic through fiction 
I’ve joined a summer readathon this year but I’m not sure if it was the right decision 😂 we have to read a book a week, which is not very difficult, but this week I’m reading The Casual vacancy and I’m not enjoying it very much … I’m on page 180 of 568 and I have three more days to finish it but I can’t find the motivation 😯 I think I’ll just stop and read another book, and then I’ll read a chapter from TCV every once in a while until I’m done with it (and we have a special week when we have to finish a book we already started, I can use that week to finish TCV 😕) … That’s my main problem with readathons: we can get a reading slump and that’s the worst thing that could happen 😂😂
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Your plan sounds great though – to move onto another book then use that week to finish TCV. You definitely don’t want a reading slump to happen!!
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Great discussion! I too have never done a readathon… I just don’t think I’d have enough time?! Plus, on days where you really just don’t feel like reading for whatever reason, I think I’d feel too stressed out about not reading. Yeah, i just prefer to go with the flow when it comes to books, haha! I do think readathons look really fun though and I wish they did work for me 🙂
❤
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Thank you!
Glad to know it’s not just me that’s never done one, everyone seems to! I’m the same as you, if I felt any pressure to read I’d probably not want to, so it’d go the opposite way really.
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this was a really good post! I see readathons around the blogosphere a lot, but I’ve never taken part in one. I want to though, I think it would be a lot of fun, but it’s like you mentioned, I never know if I’ll become busy and not have the time for it. I think they look like great way to tackle your TBR though… I’m very conflicted haha
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Thank you!
I’m conflicted too 😆 It’s just…I like the idea of them, and the idea of tackling your TBR, but then I’m just way too fidgety to sit reading all day just because a readathon started, and if I went out I’d just be thinking “well I’ve lost all this time, there’s no chance now”. But then I can’t just stay inside for a week or so? Ughh! Haha!
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Yeah, and I also feel like once I plan out the books I want to tackle in the readathon I’ll feel overwhelmed, and then if I don’t complete them all I’ll just feel defeated. Ugh, the struggles of a reader. 😛
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Great discussion. I’m kind of a mix between Person 2 and Person 3. 😀
I do like to take parts in readathons – they are just a lot of fun and I do read more than I usually would (which is always wonderful). I CAN’T make myself a monthly TBR, as I won’t stick to it – but for a week long readathon it works for me. Why? I honestly have no clue! XD But I’m glad it does! The next readathon that I’m participating in is the #MakeMeRead Read-A-Thon that starts on the 9th July. 🙂
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Thanks!
I feel like I’d be the same as you, where monthly TBRs really don’t work but a weekly one would. Though I usually only read one book a week anyway so I don’t think I’d be able to get myself to read more anyway haha 😆 I’ll definitely check out the MakeMeRead Readathon though, I think I’ve heard of that one on booktube 🙂
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I love participating in readathons and I try to participate in as many as I possibly can, I love the whole community aspect of it, I feel like there is more interaction between people and its fun seeing what everyone else is reading and how they’re doing. I am a person 2 type, I usually always have a TBR and about 80% of the time I can usually stick with it.
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That’s great to hear, I’m glad they work for you! I love the whole community thing, even though I’m never part of it. I love looking at everyone’s TBRs!
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This is a really good question! I haven’t participated in a readathon either but I am not tempted to try them out. Personally, I feel readathons might not work for me because I’m a moody reader and I usually switch between reading books or manga so I may not stick to the schedule! Readathons are good, but they are not for me!
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I wasn’t tempted either until not long ago, but some of them look fun. I get what you mean though, I might be the same. If I’m not in the mood to read a certain book, I just won’t be able to finish it!
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I love taking part in readathons but if I’m totally honest, they don’t always get me to read more. It’s kind of hard because sometimes things come up and you have to prioritize other things and then don’t end up with as much reading time as you’d thought you’d get. Other times I just don’t feel like reading and I’m not going to force myself to do something if I don’t want to. I still like taking part in them though even if they don’t always get me to read a lot. 🙂
Great post!
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Thank you!
I think that’s a great outlook though. Even if they don’t get you reading more, you aren’t necessarily losing anything. It’s not the end of the world if more books aren’t read, because they will do one day 🙂
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Exactly! I still have fun, regardless of whether or not I actually end up reading more than usual and/or meeting the goals I set. 🙂
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I like the idea of readathons, but I am definitely person 4. I’m too easily distracted by other things going on. When I’m in the zone I can read a book in a day or two, but if I tried to commit to a huge tbr I can almost guarantee something would stop me finishing it.
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Sometimes it’s just too difficult to focus on a book/a few books for a long time! Like you said, if you’re in the zone books can easily be finished, but more often than not it’ll take a good few days at least.
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I’ve only taken part in one read-a-thon and that was back in 2014… I did really well in it! I just have no desire to join them, and I’d say I’m a mix of Person 4 and Person 5. I have a short attention span and when I focus on one thing for an entire day I feel like I’ve wasted the day and missed out on things, so I don’t sign myself up for things. And whenever I set myself lists and goals I always end up deviating, because I’m very much dictated by my mood and not rules when it comes to leisure – and that’s what reading will always be for me. Can’t be doing anything that turns it into a chore!
Charlotte @ Bookmarks and Blogging
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I think I’m a lot like you! I’d feel too much pressure if I gave myself more books than usual to read within a time limit. It’s like how I upload book reviews every Friday, sometimes I feel under pressure to finish books before then so the review can go up on time, even though it won’t make a difference if I switch the blog post days. It’s odd. Readathons are always tempting, but I honestly don’t think I’ll read any faster!
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I like the idea of a readathon and some of them are pretty creative too which tempts me into doing one. I tried to do one and…I failed horribly! I think I enjoy watching the readathons take part more than actually doing them! Great discussion post!
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Thank you!
I feel like I’d be the same as you if I ever tried haha! Much better at just watching and encouraging everyone else than actually attempting to join myself 😆
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Yep! Even though people say readathons are essentially no pressure zones, I know that I will put so much stress on myself doing them hahaha.
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Great post Ashleigh! 🙂 I’ve never taken part in a Read-A-Thon, honestly I wouldn’t say I was even aware of them until I started my blog last year, but I’d like to attempt one one day. I see a lot of bloggers taking part and it does look like a lot of fun.
However, when it comes to managing my to-read list I am definitely a mood reader. I will pick up a book day-to-day based on what I feel like reading, so part of my is very unsure as to whether a Read-A-Thon will actually work for me and my reading style! 🙂
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Thank you!
I’m a mood reader too, so I completely understand what you mean! Even though I usually pick up one book and read that until it’s done, I don’t think I’d be able to read in bulk, it’d just not work!
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I change my to-read list a lot as well, I’ll start with one book by a new author and if I decide I love it I will then read everything else I can get my hands on, probably wouldn’t work well for read-a-thons 🙂
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I’ve never participated in a read-a-thon because I don’t think it would work for me. But I know a lot of people love them!
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It’s very different for each reader. Some people thrive from the motivation, some people just don’t like it 🙂
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I like the NOTION of read-a-thons, but I’d never be dedicated enough to actually carry one through, so I’ve never really participated in one. Usually, I just wait until panic overcomes me and then I just eat away through all those books that publishers sent to me months ago 0_O Loving the graphics! 😀
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Thank you!!
Seems like the best way to do it – wait until the mood comes and then take them alllllll on haha 😆
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I think I’m a mixture of person 2 and 3. Doing my first long read a thon this week and I’m enjoying it better than the weekend one I did earlier in the year. But I only want to finish one book and after that its a bonus. The notion of a read a thon works as long as I don’t put too much pressure on myself as well.
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That’s great! It’s never good to just build up pressure, but rather use the readathons as motivation 😀
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I used to love Readathons after a while I realized that it didn’t give me time to really enjoy and savour books as much as I wanted. I was in hurry to finish one book to start another and couple of weeks later, I couldn’t remember in depth the plot and the characters. It took away the pleasure of reading a book.
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That’s a shame! I suppose when it becomes more of a race than actual enjoyment, that’s when readathons become a problem
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I’m somewhere between person 3 & 4. Idk if they work, but I try, but I’m usually too fidgety & easily distracted to really succeed. But I love them in theory & hope, one day, to be able to really participate in one.
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I’m sure you’ll manage it one day!
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I’ve only done one readathon, in order to finish the overly large “pile” of review copies I had requested when I first became a blogger. I did succeed in reading all the books, but am still working on reviewing them all.
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At least you’re one step close now!
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