Sunday Status: Self inflicted readathons when there’s really just not enough time

Posted on by Ashleigh

Self Inflicted readathon

Here you see a wonderfully new idea (which is probably neither wonderful or new) for a feature I’ve added to my blog.

Sunday Status

(I couldn’t think of a better, snappier name. I apologize)

This won’t be a weekly thing, just something to go up every so often. As you guys know, Sundays are the day my “random” posts go up – whether that be something creative, a top 10, recommendations…and now, possibly a Sunday Status.

So, this feature is a place where I can update you guys on anything book related – what I’m currently reading, what’s coming soon on my blog etc – and tell any stories that have made me reading life a little more interesting lately. Hence why it’s not a weekly thing, because my reading life (or just my life in general) is rarely interesting enough to have stories to tell.

So…what’s my Sunday Status?

Basically, this week  – in between going out some days and blogging – I’m throwing myself into a self inflicted readathon. 

I don’t mean booktubeathon. I believe that just ended. No, I really do mean “self inflicted” readathon.

story

Of course there is! When do I not have a ramble about something?

As pretty much everyone knows, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child comes out next Sunday (EEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!). And on that day, I plan to go and get my copy, spend some time in the bookstore because they’re bringing animals in, have dinner out…and then go on home and dive straight into Cursed Child. I want to read that book the second I get it.

Seriously, I’ll be going into hibernation. I’m collecting snacks and making a reading cave in my room and not leaving my house again until that book is read. You might see me pop up on social media – I’m sure everyone knows by now I never shut up on there – but I will not be leaving my reading cave.

Anyway.

I’m not a fan of reading more than one book at a time, so I started Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon a few days ago, giving myself a week and a half to read that HUGE chunk of a book (963 pages in total – whaaaaat?). I usually read about 100 pages a day – I’m a pretty slow reader, I’m too fidgety – so a week and a half would’ve been the perfect amount of time for me to read the book before the Cursed Child release.

And then book mail came.

Which, don’t get me wrong IT’S GREAT, but it was the cause of this self inflicted readathon.

Because this book mail happened to contain an ARC. An ARC for a book that’s released on August 1st – the day after Cursed Child. So now I also need to read and review that book preferably for next week’s review day (Friday).

Luckily the ARC isn’t a long one, just a bit over 200 pages, so I think…I THINK I’ll be able to do it.

My plan is to keep reading Dragonfly In Amber (at least 100 pages a day), and then when it gets to Tuesday, switch to the ARC and read it in a day or two, get the review for it up on Friday, while switching back to Dragonfly In Amber to hopefully finish it on Saturday. All in whatever spare time I have between going out and blogging.

I know this is a very long ramble of an explanation. And I know some of you will be sat there thinking “Ashleigh, you’re making this much more dramatic than it is. It’s easy to read both books by next week!” But trust me, Dragonfly In Amber is full of political history and is very detailed, so just that book alone will take me longer to trudge through – especially with it nearly 1000 pages long. I’m loving it though! 

reading progress

I’m currently 399/963 pages (about 40%) through Dragonfly In Amber. I sort of went on a reading spree yesterday and read 200 pages to try and get through it quicker. The book so far is SO GOOD – at first I was a bit hesitant about the story because the start really confused me, but now I’m just fully on board. Admittedly, there are times when the political history overwhelms me a bit and I have to reread paragraphs to wrap my head around it, but that’s just because I keep mixing up the names of the nobility involved.

things going to plan

Currently, yes.

I’m *hoping* the heat doesn’t trigger any more of my headaches because they literally turn me into a sack of stones. So if that happens, it’ll throw my progress off.

But I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to complete my self inflicted readathon, even if I do go into a frenzy doing so.

other than that

Other than that…I got two new books on Friday, as some of you might have seen on my Twitter or Instagram. So there’s going to be a decent sized book haul coming soon on my blog for this month – stay tuned!

And in celebration of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the next discussion post (on Wednesday) will be Harry Potter themed! I don’t quite know what I’ll be talking about yet – maybe what we hope will happen in Cursed Child. Maybe something about Hogwarts and the houses. Maybe something about the original series. Maybe an appreciation post. Maybe just a mix of everything.

If you have any requests of what you’d like to see in the Harry Potter discussion, let me know in the comments!

 

So there we have my Sunday Status!

What’s your Sunday Status?

Do you have any stories to tell about your reading experience lately?

What are you currently reading? How are you finding it?

Are you planning on getting Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? 

Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

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38 thoughts on “Sunday Status: Self inflicted readathons when there’s really just not enough time”

  1. Good luck! I’m planning on getting a lot of reading done today as well 🙂 my reading this month has been pretty rubbish! Hoping to get at least two of the five books I’m currently reading finished today! Great post 🙂

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      1. I’m about half way through A Room with a View and the same for White is for Witching! Still got quite a way to go with the Robin Hobb book I’m on (it’s over 900 pages too!) so not sure how much of that I’ll get through! I’ve been so unmotivated to read this month now the sun has finally come out 🙂

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        1. A Room With A View is on my TBR even though I don’t know much about it 😆 I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for that one in one of your videos!
          Books over 900 pages always feel like a mammoth task – you’ll get a decent way in and still not even be halfway through! There’s that sense of accomplishment when finally finishing them though 😀
          I’m the same now it’s sunny – I want to be out all the time just laying doing nothing. Not great reading motivation, but it’s rare so night as well enjoy it!
          Hope you enjoy the books you manage to finish 🙂

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  2. I really like the idea of having a ‘Sunday Status’! And wow! You’ve got a lot of reading to do, haha! Hope you manage to get it all finished in time.
    I’m currently reading ‘The One’ by Kiera Cass – the third book in the Selection series. 🙂

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    1. Thanks! And I know, so much reading haha! Good job I never get bored of it, right? 😆
      I’ve not read The Selection series but I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. Are you enjoying The One?

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      1. Haha, yeah it is! 🙂
        Yeah thanks, I am really enjoying ‘The One’. I didn’t think I’d enjoy ‘The Selection series’ but they’re actually really good in my opinion, if you want a nice easy read. The quality of writing isn’t the best but there is a lot of humour and the characters are really good! 🙂

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  3. That is a heck of a plan and since we have approximately the same reading pace I think it’s going to be tight but definitely doable ! You can do this Ashleigh 💪
    And yes for the Harry Potter themed post, I’m on board with anything HP. So I’m sure whatever you decide to do with it, I’m going to love it 😁

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  4. My dear! Take your time, read for pleasure and don’t think about new releases or book reviews to be written. We’ve got only one life and, personally at least, I believe we should enjoy reading without being book runners (my husband is a marathon runner… and just yesterday he told me it is time – after Berlin in September – to enjoy running and slow down). What I believe is, read and enjoy every sentence of a book. If it’s a great work of art the amount of pages is not an issue, it could be only 100 pages but you’ll need 10 days to read it!
    So. That told, I wish you well in your readathon, keeping in mind that the a.m. opinion is only mine and I am not the Truth. As long as we read, even readathons are bearable (for me). 😉

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    1. Oh I won’t be rushing anything! Not in the slightest 🙂 I’ll just be using more of the time I devote to…going on the internet or watching TV (for example) to reading! I find it impossible to read quickly haha!

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      1. Well said. And then… remember it’s summertime!
        Bye for now, I am heading to the seaside (with a good book to be read under the parasol) 🙂

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  5. I am one of those slow readers… Because lately it has been difficult for me to find time to do everything I want to do. I love TV, I love movies, I love going out, I love video games, I love writing, and blogging is so time consuming as well…but… most of all, I love books! Sometimes, I just wish I could have a few extra hours each day only for reading. Stuck inside an office 8 hours per day doesn’t help either. Enjoy your Summer 🙂

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  6. That sounds exactly like what happens to me…I am going along, reading the books by their review date or their due date (for the library), and suddenly the book I’ve been dying to read comes available. Or an awesome ARC needs my attention. I try to do the same thing you’re doing now. I think, ok, this one is due the 25th, so if I read it now, it will be done in time…then I fall behind because the one I was reading turned out to be extremely boring, so it takes forever for me to finish because I keep falling asleep as I read (I don’t DNF anything).
    Sounds like you have a busy weekend! Actually, a busy week! I wish you luck from one reader to another.

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  7. Good luck with your reading! I’m kinda in the middle of a self inflicted readathon too… Cursed Child comes out on Sunday and *whispers* I’ve never read Harry Potter. So last week, my friend lent me her copies of the books and I’m attempting to have read as much as I can by the launch party at the bookstore on Saturday night! I mean, its a pretty impossible to challenge… I have less than a week and I still have the last four books left and I’m generally quite a slow reader… but oh well, we’ll see what I can do! I’m quite determined because I’m rather ashamed at myself for being sixteen years old and never having read Harry Potter 😉 ❤

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    1. Thank you!
      And I have hope in you! *Throws all my motivation your way* YOU CAN DO IT! I really hope you’re enjoying them 😀 If you manage to read them all then that is a HUGE accomplishment – those last four books are quite long, to say the least!

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      1. Aw thank you!!! At the moment, I’m on the fourth book, about two thirds of the way through…
        I AM LOVING IT SO FAR. How come I waited so long to read this?! I must admit, this past week I have become very very obsessed with everything HP related… I JUST AHHHH ❤❤❤

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        1. YESS JOIN US POTTERHEADS! ❤ I've even got a Harry Potter discussion going up tomorrow, I just finished writing it haha 😆 Though if you want to read it, you'll have to come back when you finish the series because spoilers! Hope you love the rest of the books just as much 😀

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  12. Good luck with your goal.😸👍

    Last week I “unconsciously” binge read 6 NA novels, lol.😁 Hopefully, I can switch to other genre next week, preferably fantasy.🙋

    Let’s dent our TBR!🙌

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