This Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, is National Readathon Day between the hours of noon and 4 p.m. in your respective time zones. Sponsored by Penguin Random House, GoodReads, Mashable, and the National Book Foundation.
Pick up a book — something you’ve wanted to read, something you have already started, something you’ve read before…it doesn’t matter which — sit in a comfy place in your house, a bookstore, a cafe, school, or the library — anywhere really — and read for four straight hours. Breaks for snacks, bathroom business, or drinks are welcomed and encouraged, but return to your book!
As an aside, book bloggers have been hosting a 24-hour readathon for years — since 2007 when it was begun by blogger, Dewey, who sadly passed away in 2008. The community has since continued the tradition, and information about it the readathon, renamed in Dewey’s honor, can be found here. The next is scheduled for April 25, 2015.
In Maryland, it appears that A Likely Story Bookstore, Sykesville, MD, is participating with an event, and in Virginia, these bookstores/libraries are participating: Chinn Park Regional Library, Woodbridge, VA; Rockbridge Regional Library, Lexington, VA; Chesapeake Public Library, Chesapeake, VA; BBGB Books, Richmond, VA. In Washington, D.C., Kramerbooks & Afterwords, Washington, DC, and Politics & Prose, Washington, DC, are participating — two of my favorite venues. I hope you have a venue near you that’s participating or that you are participating at home and with loved ones. It also would be fantastic if you donated money to the cause of literacy.
On a side note, I’ve often loved reading in bed, but our mattress is sadly in need of replacement as I often wake up with aches in my lower back or my hips no matter what “number” the bed is set on. I’ve found the Casper bed online, which looks promising and seems to be getting great reviews. When we have the funds, perhaps this will be the one we set our sights on, and if you have any thoughts on this mattress (especially if you own one), let me know. I digress, what’s great is this mattress company also is supporting National Readathon Day!
While I’m not sure what we’ll be doing as my husband toils another Saturday away at work, I do have plans to read and read with my daughter.
Also be sure to check out the Casper Mattress Twitter page!
What books are on your list?
I read along for it since I never manage to be able to do the Dewey Readathon (and this year won’t work for me either since it’s my oldest son’s 18th birthday and I probably shouldn’t spend the milestone ignoring him ::grin::) and had a good time. I didn’t read as much as I might have hoped but I guess I know where some of the ADHD around here comes from now!
I read for the four hours after cleaning the house! We read together, my daughter and I.
Have fun! Can’t wait to see what you end up reading! I hope to participate for at least part of the time; just have a few things to do first.
I didn’t read as much as I wanted, but the shelves are getting cleared out!