Bout of Books: January Read-a-Thon!

It's been a while since I participated in a read-a-thon.  The next edition of Bout of Books is coming in January and I'm going to join. I'm hoping to use it to jump start my reading in the New Year. Haven't heard of Bout of Books? Looking for a read-a-thon to get your reading year off to a good start?  Looking for a way to gear up for all those Challenges you've been collecting for 2014? Check out the info from the Bout of Books gals...

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

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High Summer Read-a-Thon--to help work on those challenges!

 

It's time to sign up for the High Summer Read-a-Thon sponsored by Michelle@Seasons of Reading! The Read-a-Thon will start on Monday, 7/22 at 12:00am CST and finish on Sunday, 7/28 at 11:59pm CST (adjust times according to your time zone).  And we can read what we like during the week. Michelle has decided it's not about quantity, but quality (although those who rock the quantity...we salute you!). 

If you're anything like me, you've signed up for way too many challenges and need some incentive to knock out some more books. Goodreads has me at seven books behind my goal...so I'll take all the incentive I can get.  Hope you'll join Michelle...and me as we get ready to read in July. (click on link above)

Mid-Year Check-up

Mmmm.  Yes, I know it's been awfully quiet here at the Reading Challenge Addict page.  I'm sorry about that....between university life and a health emergency for my Dad, it's been kind of hectic.

BUT....the Challenge Addict Doctor is here today to poke and prod you and see how those challenges are coming along this year.  Now, now, this won't hurt a bit.  Have you stuck to your reading regimen as prescribed?  How's that word intake?  A little on the lean side or maybe you been gorging yourself a bit?  Come now, tell the good doctor all about it.  And if you'll just place your books here on the scale, we'll do a little weigh-in....

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As for your challenge host...I've signed up for 28 reading challenges this year (including the Reading Addict).  So far, I've completed 11 of those and I'm more than 50% done with nearly all the rest.  I look a bit sickly on the Around the World in 80 Books challenge, but the good doctor reminds me that I have until 2017 to complete this one.  So maybe I'm in better shape than I thought.  I'm also feeling a little weak on the Outdo/GoodReads Challenges (same goal for each)--but with a good dose of Reading Vitamins and some heavy book-lifting, I'm hoping to get back on track.  My full Challenge Update may be found at the link.

Monthly Check-In

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Howdy Fellow Addicts.  It's just me peeking into the interwebs to see how you all are doing with those Challenges.  Have you noticed that two of our number have already got one challenge notch on their book shelf?  Susan at Avid Series Reader and Neer at A Hot Cup of Pleasure have both burst out of the starting gates and finished January with one down and....how many to go?  I've mentioned it in the comments....but I think they really need to pick up another one to replace what they've finished.  After all, we don't want them to run out of challenges before the year's out do we?

So...how are we all doing as the new year gets going?  Life in a university English Department is pretty crazy right now.  I'm in the midst of shepherding the faculty through graduate admissions (coordinating hundreds of files and reviews and fellowship recommendations).  I'll be peeking in as often as I can and in the meantime, I'm working on some activities and requests for guest posts that will keep us all motivated.  If you'd like to be a Reading Challenge Addict Cheerleader and volunteer to write up a guest post or two through-out the year, then pop an email into my box (phryne1969 AT gmail DOT com).  Once I've got a roster of cheerleaders, we'll set up a schedule.  


On the Challenge front--I haven't finished any challenges yet.  But I'm half-way done with one and one-third of the way to a couple more.  Better polish up my reading glasses and get busy.

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A Brief Announcement

Hello new addicts and old addict friends!  Gearing up for another year of challenge madness.  As soon as the dust of another new semester settles at work, I'll get back to giving more attention to the blogging world.  We'll see what kinds of challenge temptations I can throw your way and how exciting we can make things this year!  From my brief forays, I see that several of you are off and running and already have books finished for challenges.  I've got to get my act together or y'all are gonna leave me in the dust. 

Good luck with all those challenges!!