Reverse Readathons, have you heard of them before? They’re are a little bit different than your average readathon. Generally, readathons begin in the early morning hours and end the same. Reverse readathons are more relaxed, have less pressure, and start in the evening. If you’ve never participated in a readathon before, a reverse one is a great way to start.
Tonight marks the start of the 2020 Dewey’s 24 Hour Reverse Readathon. We will read from 8:00 PM EST tonight (Aug 7) and end 8:00 PM tomorrow night (Aug 8). That’s 24 hours of reading bliss without any pressure. You can start any time end any time you want. Yes, you can simply read for an hour. No, you don’t have to read in a specific genre. Kick back, pick up a book, and start reading. When you come to a pause, you can join others on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram or visit participant’s blogs to read what they have to say — or not. Your call.
For those who’ve participated in readathons before, you know there are a lot of activities, posts, and chatter. While you still have the chatter, there are fewer activities and less pressure to push through massive amounts of pages. To officially participate, sign up here: https://deweysreadathon.wordpress.com/
My Reverse Readathon TBR List
I use readathon times to play catch-up, move forward on book I am savoring at a slower pace, and bring forward a book that has been waiting patiently for my attention. It’s not uncommon for me to have several books going at any one time. I’m also a generalist. I read across genres.
I Love Big Books, Big in Topic and Size
I’ve been reading How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts an Answer. It’s an interesting take on a biography, as you get a bit of both Montaigne’s essays and his life at the same time. The book also serves as a great introduction to the writer and the work that created an entire form or genre.
Another BIG book I’m reading is the 1,195-page biography written by Peter Ackroyd called Charles Dickens. I’ve only touched the surface but it’s a already a fascinating read by someone who has clearly read, studied, and read some more when it comes to Charles Dickens, his life, his work, and his time.
I Enjoy Well-Written Books About History
When it comes to nonfiction, especially books with a large scope like the big books I mentioned, I don’t expect to finish them. These are usually books that I read over a longer span of time. A much smaller book and one I expect to finish is Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel. Now, this book has been on my shelf for a long time. Published in 1995, I probably picked up around 2000 when I worked for Borders Books and Music. It’s probably time to break down and give it a read, don’t you think?
I Adore Short Fiction, Short Books, and Ray Bradbury
With readathons, I always think it’s important to add a short book or two. (Gives you a sense of completion.) Ray Bradbury’s Dogs Think That Every Day is Christmas is this year’s choice. My second choice is Bradbury’s With Cat for Comfort. A lovely thing about both of these short, illustrated books is that Bradbury includes a note that explains how he came to write the story.
I Confess I’m a Huge Fan of Middle Grade Fiction
Finally, it’s always fun to read middle grade fiction. Today I’ve chosen Will Wilder: The Relic of Perilous Falls by Raymond Arroyo. It promises to be a rolicking good read.
Those are my choices for reverse readathon starting later tonight. I like the variety of books waiting for me. Granted, I don’t plan to finish the Montaigne or Dickens books this weekend but I am looking forward to reading and learning more about these two wonderful and important writers.
I guess the question now is, what’s on your TBR stack? I’d love to hear about the books you are eager to read.
