(My) Readathons of 2024

Readathons, or read-a-thon-s, connecting reading and a marathon, are something I found out about around two years ago. I was elated - someone was offering to help me read more, as per my personal goals! In a fun, often gamified way! Great! There was no way I could somehow make myself miserable with this... right? (Foreshadowing?)

Ok, I am being dramatic again. But honestly, I did have my moment of "was this too many readathons? Did I just accidentally burn myself out on reading?" But who didn't? (If you never went through this phase, let me know, I want your secrets!)

So, I did the logical thing and dropped a readathon or two. And then picked up a few more. Ignored some of them, but honestly enjoyed some, too.

Now I am not here to provide a comprehensive list of all readathons ever, by any means. If that is what you are interested in, I recommend this lovely discord server - so many peolple are sure to catch and share most of them, or at least the good ones.

I do, however, intend to use this space to let you, dear reader, know about my personal and subjective experience with the few readathons I tried to join in 2024. Not in any particular order, but how I happen to remember them. All links will be on the bottom of the post, so you can go check them out for yourself.

1) Orilium or Magical Readathon by BookRoast

I’ll be honest, I absolutely adore this one. It’s not an exageration to say it got me back into reading two years ago and I’ve been going strong ever since. The slight role play flavor and tons of worldbuilding make it special and interesting, the video content around it never fails to interest me and it makes me read books I’d otherwise never think to pick up.

10/10, I’ll be back next year with my adept Faewild Cartographer, now potentially betrothed to a creepy fae she met once in her life (did I mention the year long choose-your-own-adventure style thing that goes with this one and ads even more love and flavour? No? I should, probably).

2) Spookoplathon by Becca and the Books

Now this one is intended to be used in October, but I was slumping hard that month, yet wanted to participate. So I extended it. I’m still going, but I am enjoying myself so why not? Who doesn’t want a spooky game of monopoly that stretches months and chooses their next book? I sure do! Maybe I’ll stop after one month, but maybe not, who knows?

The prompts are original and appropriately spooky-themed, even if thinking of my own prompts and books for chance and community shelf was a real pain (and gave me some more respect for all the creators out there who make tbr games of their own).

3) HRCYED by Qwordy

This one is technically a challenge, not a readathon, but really, what’s the difference? (I honestly don’t know, please help.) it doesn’t seem that challenging right now, but I’m sure once the end approaches and I realise I miss like 20 books for the A-Z challenge, or queer rainbow challenge, or the monthly releases read in that month for 3-4 months (I’ve been surprisingly consistent for now!) I’ll change my tune. It is a lot of prompts, a very different kind than both previous readathons, but once again it inspures me to read out of my comfort zone. Sure, some of the books are total flops (I still don’t know of I hate Blake Crouch or the book got masacred in translation), but most are at least interesting! For example, I’d never read Memories of a Gejsha just because, but it is in top 10 books of the year I was born, so here I am, slowly making my way through it.

4) Read your bookshelf by Chantel Reads All Day

This one kind of fell off the tracks for me. It is interesting, yes, and I really should read books I already own, ideally more than one a month. But the prompts, even with the ability to puck from two, are specific enough that I do not actually own books to fill them. And what is the point of “Read your shelf) challenge if you are reading the library (or a bookstore) instead? Plus, unlike the year long adventure in Orilium, it just doesn’t hold my attention enough, so I’d often try to fill my prompts retroactively or just few months late.

I’m sure a lot of people will love this one, it’s just not really for me. This is the only readathon I will be dropping in 2025.

So, that’s it for my 2024 readathons (and challenges?)! I’d be more than happy to hear about your experience with any of these in the comments below, or even to hear about some great new ones I missed and might love!

Thank you for reading and as always,

Stay kind

Cyan

PS: Linking time!

1) Orilium: https://youtu.be/CtBWB6ATEdQ?si=g-TvumdOcHq4HIQB

2) Spookoplathon: https://youtu.be/8dvxzcekYOA?si=5_qfwv_UOb40pIOW

3) HRCYED: https://youtu.be/MbHShyqXbYU?si=DnRe23IcrwKezH0x

4) Read your bookshelf: https://youtu.be/NnWpF38-Mt4?si=lD28wPUBbMvCZigd

The Vanishing Bookstore (ARC)

#NetGalley #ARC #TheVanishingBookstore

The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Pfifer was my first ARC (advanced reader copy) ever, and I will always be grateful for that. This does not mean I will not be critical in my review, however. After all, why bother reviewing a book if you're not going to be honest? So don't worry, dear reader. Everything in this post is my honest opinion. It was also my first book from Helen Phifer, but hopefully not the last, as I am rather interested in some other works by her.

I must confess, I wasn't really sure about the book in the beginning. The story opens in 1692 and right there, in Salem, America, the family of definitely-not-witches has a pet raven named... Hades? That name just threw me off. It's edgy, and I am really not sure if the Greek gods were known in 17th century America, so even though it is possible (I really, really don't know this one, though my better learned friends support me in my disbelief, please let me know if you know better), it felt like a pointless anachronism to me. As you might be beginning to gather, I can really get stuck on tiny details like this and it hurts my final review, usually. Btw, pro tip, if you don't want to be persecuted for being a witch, maybe don't keep pet ravens? And don't name them after gods of underworld? That should be common sense, right? And don't go "Oh he told them that was his name," because if they _spoke_ with him, they have no right to claim they were not witches then and it beats the entire point. The fact this never gets adressed was kind of meh to me.

Which is a pity, because for the next several hours I was listening to the audiobook I was very much buying what the author was selling. A curse through time, fated love that doesn't jumpscare you in the first chapter, a very reasonably explainable mystery of a "vanishing", or rather vanished, bookstore... A very pleasing listen to be sure. Creepy witch hunters always a plus, apparently! And even though Gucci was namedropped so many times they better be sponsoring this book, it felt plausible (unlike a certain ravens name, sorry...)

The intimacy was tasteful, but placed in a really, really distasteful place. I mean, sure, given the info the heroine had she didn't have a sense of urgency, but still, wouldn't it be better to wait after the looming evil was dealt with? How was she in the mood, knowing there was a lunatic after her and her aunt(s)? And how did he get it up, when he oh so loves her and she was still in constant danger?

All that being said, the atmosphere was on point, the tiny looks at the sad history of Salem interesting but not patronizing or shallow. The magic wasn't too indepth, but I felt like that was not the point of the book - family, love and bonds crossing time, but also the need to let go and let things end was. And those themes were lovely in the way the author decided to present them in.

All in all, I very much enjoyed the book, even though it wasn't my all time favourite. A solid 4/5 stars, and a great first read of this year.

Hope you pick this book up and enjoy it as I did.

Stay kind

Cyan