Mid-event might be end for me
The following questions were posted at the 24hourreadathon.com site at the half way point. I’m closing in on hour 14 and probably won’t make it much further. Will answer these questions now and then tomorrow post some reflections on what I learned about my own reading habits.
Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta
2. How many books have you read so far?
parts of six books; unfortunately, I didn’t actually “finish” any of them, so my “Currently Reading” list hasn’t changed at all 🙁
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
don’t think I’ll make it much further
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Not really. Just made sure I didn’t commit to anything else today
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
A couple of emails that I just ignored and some people at the door who I tried to get rid of (see description in earlier post)
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
How much more slowly I read than I used to. Most likely due to my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the “brain fog” it produces.
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
I actually found all the mini-challenges and trying to check on other people’s blogs to be distracting. I just wanted to read. This was my first read-a-thon so I wasn’t really prepared for all the potential online distractions. So maybe providing some explanation of how that will work (or some examples in the FAQ) would help the newbies.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
sign up sooner and get some friends to sign up to so we can all encourage each other
9. Are you getting tired yet?
I’m exhausted, but then I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so I’m amazed at how well I’m doing (even with all the naps).
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
I did appreciate the few comments I received. Wish I had gotten more, but I signed up late. For me reading for 90 minutes, then taking 15-30 minutes for break, snack, and blogging worked pretty well. Of course I also included many naps.
That’s all for me folks. I’m going to read a bit more of Scarpetta and then call it a night. Sorry to be such a party pooper . . . that’s nothing new.
Dear Lucinda,
I think it’s great that you tried this. It’s a neat idea, though I agree that just letting someone read, without interruptions, seems best. No one stops someone during a marathon; it would break the person’s flow. I’ve fallen behind on Fb posts regarding my reading habits, etc. I’m currently reading The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes, and dipping into Video Night in Kathmandu. Rest well, Kate
You did wonderfully! Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m off to bed soon myself…. with a book, of course. (rereading Lilian Jackson Braun’s “Cat Who” series… utter fluff, but cozy fluff.)
Lucinda, you are such a reader . . .
That is what I’ve always wanted to be, but everything takes time. You are proving that right now. I have had the cold of the century for three days now, a gift from my tax preparer, I think. So, in staying home instead of going to church, I read a lot more of the NYTimes than I’ve done in a long time. Also, read the much of the 21st Woman in White chapter before I fell asleep last night.
You are my reading inspiration!