Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon: And It’s Over, The Final Update!
Ah, it is over. My only question is this: do we have a date for the next 24 Hour Read-a-thon?! I really, really thought I’d totally stay awake! But I totally passed out for at least an hour and half sometime after midnight and then fell asleep again sometime after 4am. Being my first read-a-thon I had no idea how fast I could read but obviously I overestimated myself. Apparently, I read a lot slower than I thought!
I wanted to give a big shout out to our read-a-thon organizers Trish, Hannah, and Nymeth! They did a FANTASTIC job! And I have to give another shout out to Beth, she was the biggest cheerleader on Twitter, so much so that she got herself banned for an hour. Too funny. I really enjoyed the Twitter aspect of the read-a-thon and loved how many people noticed that “something” was going on.
Also, a mention of Dewey, the read-a-thon’s founder who passed away this past fall. We all missed her and I’m thrilled that her memory lives on in this tradition. I’m sure that many of us, including myself, paused for a moment to remember why we are all crazy enough to be doing this in the first place. It’s all Dewey’s fault!
Vlog: The Read-a-thon Edition
24 hours packed into a three minute behind the scenes recap:
Final Stats
Books Read:
- Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
- Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
- Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott,
- Pictures of Hollis Wood by Patricia Reily Giff
- Tales of the Beedle Bard by J.K. Rowling
Snacks Consumed: A smoothie, tomato-mozzarella pesto sandwich, Haggan Dazz Lemon Sorbet, Sweet roll with spinach dip (yum!), a chicken bean tortilla soup, sunflower seeds and juice. This morning I remembered I had a candy bar and ice cream that I never even broke out. Hmm . . . that sounds like a great idea right now!
Blog Posts: Smoothie recipe by author Sara Zarr, tomato-mozzarella pesto sandwich by author Susan McBride, update #4, update #3 with photos, update #2, update #1 – it begins.
Time Spent Reading: Seriously, I can’t complicate my life by trying to time this. But I probably read about 18 hours total.
Reading For Charity: $25 will be donated to Save Darfur in honor of April being Genocide Prevention Month (new to the Maw Books Blog? Check out these posts.)
Challenges: None entered. 
Maybe next year when I’m a pro at this then I can figure out how to do read, blog, twitter, comment, have kids in the house, go to a baby shower and enter challenges.
Twitter Updates: Check out my profile for the play-by-play.
End of event meme:
- Which hour was most daunting for you? I started at 6am. The hardest was right after midnight mainly because I snuggled up to my sleeping husband’s warm body on the couch. Bad idea. I had to be out for at least an hour or longer. And then sometime after four with two hours to go, I fell asleep.
- Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Hmm . . . I say read whatever keeps you engaged personally.
- Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Oh man. Maybe a post to go up the day before as a reminder, but really, I’m working hard to come up with an answer. Everything was FANTASTIC!
- What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? LOVED that there was a dedicated blog and you girls did an AMAZING job with this event. We totally owe you. I loved the Twitter aspect of it and it seemed to get a lot of attention, people asking what was going on, etc. Maybe next year get the word out via Twitter earlier could recruit some attention and even more participation.
- How many books did you read? I read five. And about 50 pages of First Daughter.
- What were the names of the books you read? See above.
- Which book did you enjoy most? Desert Flower by Waris Dirie
- Which did you enjoy least? Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese
- If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders. n/a
- How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? 100% yes. I would be a reader.
Thanks for all of your comments and support! Now how far away is October . . . . ?
Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!
Category: The Community
Tags: challenges, Darfur, readathon, videos, vlog
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That video is awesome! And your family is beautiful. Congratulations!
on April 19th, 2009 at 9:18 pmNatasha your vlog was great! If I can become technologically savvy enough by October I will do one for the next Readathon. Your family is so cute! Great job reading!
on April 19th, 2009 at 9:25 pmNatasha you kids are SO cute!! Of course, I don’t know how you can read as much as you do!!
Congrats on completing the Read-a-thon!!
on April 19th, 2009 at 9:29 pmFun video! Great idea! Congrats on a very successful readathon.
on April 19th, 2009 at 10:26 pmHow fun
) Your children are adorable! You’re such a great mom for not shooshing them 
)
on April 19th, 2009 at 10:59 pmGood job Natasha. I would have fallen asleep too, and I would have been none to happy if my boy was being that rambunctious after I had gone to sleep. LOL.
How did you like Beedle the Bard? My favorite story was the hopping pot. Actually, I rather liked Dumbledore’s comments.
on April 20th, 2009 at 12:08 amYour vlog put the biggest smile on my face
Your boys are adorable and you look like you have such a great family! I had so much fun following along with you Natasha! I wasn’t going to say anything when you said you wanted to get 12 middle grade books read :p Not gonna happen! lol!! Can’t wait til the next one!
on April 20th, 2009 at 12:37 amHello Natasha,
I am just making the rounds to say congrats to everyone for taking part in the Read-A- Thon and for being the best bunch of readers on the net that i could have ever meet…
Same time
Same Place
Next Year
Can’t Wait…
Thank you
on April 20th, 2009 at 2:03 amE.H>
P.S. I gave you the Let’s Be Friends award. I know Britt gave it too you already, but I guess I second it. http://haikuamy.blogspot.com/2009/04/lets-be-friends.html
on April 20th, 2009 at 2:16 amHa! Ha! Love the fact that I wasn’t the only one trying to read with crazy (but incredibly cute) toddlers all around. I’m just hanging in there ’til they’re old enough to join in!
on April 20th, 2009 at 2:39 amHow cute are your kids? Wow! Seriously, I’m not surprised that it was hard to read with that going on. I loved how your video was like a summary of the entire thing. Great idea!!
on April 20th, 2009 at 5:23 amGreat summary post (thanks for the shout out!) and super-duper video. That was such a great idea. Your boys are so funny and so typically boys!
I had so much fun, I can’t wait for the next one.
on April 20th, 2009 at 5:46 amYour boys are too cute, Natasha! And congrats on finish five books. You may have wanted to finish more books, but five is still one of the highest numbers I’ve seen.
on April 20th, 2009 at 6:12 amNatasha, I have yet to watch your vlog, but from the rest of the post, I see you accomplished a lot!
By the way, I have an award for you. It’s way below the read-a-thon posts, I’m afraid.
on April 20th, 2009 at 6:41 amGreat job! Looks like you had a lot of fun.
on April 20th, 2009 at 7:07 amYour boys are so cute. Isn’t fun trying to read with toddlers around?
The vlog is awesome! Great idea – you are always so professional, too – even hiring the adorable kids to dance and wrestle! no – really, I am very impressed. Congrats on a successful R-A-T. and yours is the first to describe the twittering; I was wondering what I missed.
on April 20th, 2009 at 7:35 amGreat re-cap. I know I would never be able to stay awake for a whole read-a-thon. I love the vlog – thanks for including your precious family. I chuckled at the end when you were in bed and your little one started saying “hi!”
on April 20th, 2009 at 8:14 amBook Club Girl – Thanks Jennifer! It was a lot of fun to make.
Rebecca – Windows Movie Maker is super easy to work with. Didn’t take to long to put together.
Stephanie, Suey, I Heart Monster – Thank you!
amy BTW M – Ah thanks Amy! You’re so sweet!
Claire – I mentioned to my husband how much fun it would be if the kids were old enough to make this a family tradition. Not yet!
Meghan – The longer I was up the more I forgot to record. There were some funny things that I could have done to make it even more interesting.
Beth F. – Oh yes. They are boys through and through.
Christina – Five seems to be about the average. I don’t know how people read 17 could do it. They are amazing.
Kathrin – Thank you. I’ll go check it out right now.
Jeanette – I really thought my husband would take them out to the park or something but they were home most of the day.
Care – The best part is that they only require hugs and kisses as payment! Twittering was a great play by play. I hope more join in next time via twitter.
Kathy – Isn’t he the cutest. He LOVES to crawl into bed with me.
on April 20th, 2009 at 8:34 amHaha! Your kids are so funny!
on April 20th, 2009 at 9:01 amDidn’t get to participate this time, but want to in October.
Also, I left you an award on my page: http://www.texasredbooks.com/2009/04/new-awards-and-moving-news.html
on April 20th, 2009 at 9:41 amI admire you and the other read-a-thon-er’s I don’t think I could do it. I think you did amazing to read so many books in 24 hours!
I don’t think I could keep up with you all! I read fast, but I also think I would fall asleep for most of the day.
on April 20th, 2009 at 9:46 amYou did awesome! You got a lot of reading in with everything else you had going on! I’m already excited about the next one too! Twitter seems to be such a big deal right now that I’m curious to see what it’s all about.
on April 20th, 2009 at 11:41 amYou did a fantastic job!! I love how you documented it!
on April 20th, 2009 at 12:59 pmI’m so glad you had fun. I wish you had participated in the other readathons too. Looks like you had some of the same “distractions” I had, loved the video LOL. You did a great job. I read, blogged, tweeted and did challenges and I out of 16 hours I participated I read only 8. So yeah you either do those things and read less or don’t and read more.
See ya in October!
on April 20th, 2009 at 2:17 pmNatasha that was the cutest Vlog. The boys are too cute. Congrats on your first read a thon. I am hoping to take part in the Oct one. It sounds like it was alot of fun.
on April 20th, 2009 at 3:00 pmNatasha, your kids are too cute! But did you get any reading done while they were with you? I would have been sooo distracted! LOL
on April 20th, 2009 at 3:18 pmAs for the award: My pleasure
I’m glad to see you’re looking forward to the next one as much as I am. This was a first for me and it was a lot of fun.
on April 20th, 2009 at 3:54 pmGod, your kids are so cute! I was laughing so hard when the dark haired one kept cutting-up for the camera. Your hubby looks a little like Apolo Ohno (but he’s taller, I’m sure).
Adorableness! And congrats on a job well done.
on April 20th, 2009 at 4:46 pmWow. I am continually impressed by those who can read so much! You really did great!
on April 20th, 2009 at 6:04 pmHey, that number of books is pretty darn impressive! I wouldn’t say you read slowly at all. yeah, I couldn’t figure out how to do everything either
on April 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pmGreat job on your first read-a-thon! I’m already jonesing for October too! Well, maybe a weekend off first.
on April 20th, 2009 at 7:56 pmlol i have no idea how i did that last hour. i think what happened was i was bound and determined to get the last 3 books finished by 8am and i was speed reading like a champ. it’s amazing what the human body can do when they are pressed for time.
on April 20th, 2009 at 8:49 pmWow! 18.5 hours is really impressive–you did a great job! (I think I read a total of 12.5 hours). I feel like I missed out on a lot by not twittering–it was fun to quickly browse through the commentary, but I’m not sure I could have kept up with that and everything else! We did miss you on the blogosphere, though. I’m wondering if next time the read-a-thon will be more twitter based?
on April 21st, 2009 at 5:23 amWow, that’s a lot of reading _ especially with two kids running around. They are too cute, by the way. Good going!!!
on April 21st, 2009 at 7:06 amYour video made me smile and then chuckle for three minutes. Your children are so adorable. I loved your expression sitting on the couch while they were in front of the camera.
This was my first Read-a-Thon too and I feel the same way about 100% do it again.
on April 21st, 2009 at 10:45 amHilarious video. My kids love the camera too. I would hear, “Mama, mama, mommy, mommy, mooooooooooooooooooom!” until I gave them attention.
My youngest has actually told me, “put that book down and pay attention to ME.”
on April 21st, 2009 at 11:50 amYour kids are so cute!
on April 21st, 2009 at 3:19 pmI kept thinking about making a video, but chickened out.
Your boys are too cute.
on April 21st, 2009 at 8:24 pmThanks everybody! I am very slowly making my way through the wrap up’s of everybody’s read-a-thon posts!
on April 22nd, 2009 at 12:56 amHeyy, you got a lil something over at my blog.
on April 22nd, 2009 at 1:37 pmYou know….i might try next time. Is it cheating if i choose shorter novels so i dont get bored?
on April 23rd, 2009 at 9:24 amPsst….I gave you anaward here: http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/2009/04/2009-friendly-blogger-award.html
on April 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 amThat video was fabulous. I loved when your youngest just stood staring at it. Too funny.
I think you did a great job. Hopefully you’ve caught up on your sleep!
on April 23rd, 2009 at 3:47 pmCongratulations on all you accomplished during the readathon
Your wrap-up vlog is fantastic! That little guy with his “this way! that way!” is too cute! Glad to see the whole family got into the readathon spirit.
on April 24th, 2009 at 6:18 amYour updates were really fun – I really liked the video and the photos and the recipes! Well done to you.
on April 26th, 2009 at 2:09 pm