I don’t know about you guys, but its cold, snowy, windy, and generally miserable outside. Which, for me, makes perfect reading weather. I’ve got my fuzzy slippers, cozy blanket, and fluffy reading partners plus a whole stack of books to keep me company. What’s the weather like where you are? Are you enjoying the sun or is the winter keeping you inside too?

Know what makes gross winter weather slightly better? Prizes! Three more winners to announce:

Erin Hernandez

Amy C (@amyecolman on Twitter)

SmartyPants

We’re closing in the halfway point. You can do it!

We’re close to halfway on the official clock and I’ve been absolutely heart eyes emoji about the community online today. While many of you are marching (I wish I could be with you), lots of you are reading and talking and cheering each other on and I am here for it. Keep going, guys, you’re doing great!

I’ve seen lots of great readathon TBR stacks in my feeds, and now I want to see another kind of photo. We’ve already done shelfies, but this time I want to see your best spine poetry. Construct your best poem from book titles on your shelves, take a photo, and post a link to that photo and the resulting poem in a comment below. (Add punctuation as you see fit.) Here’s mine:

Hold still
Pretty is another day in the death of America
Half wild monstress, I see you.

Give me your best stanza and I’ll pick a prize winner for this challenge at Hour 24 at midnight ET tonight.

We’ve got another prize winner to announce, from Hour Twelve’s feminist challenge.

Nephele

And four more door prize winners too!

Kayci G (@theruralreader on Twitter)

Maggie Stewart

Shana (@sfox414 on Litsy)

Christine @Buckling Bookshelves

Congrats, winners, and don’t forget to head to the Prizes page to pick your winnings!

What’s your reading strategy for this weekend? Are you reading comics? Novellas? Short books? A series? Or one long doorstopper? I’m personally taking bites out of a few different books I’m in a middle of, plus an audiobook or two.  Are you reading on a theme? From a set TBR? Or just whatever strikes your fancy? Need some inspiration? Check out this post I put up earlier this week.

Let’s give some books away, okay? Our next three door prize winners are:

Audra (Unabridged Chick)

Shawntaye

Ashley Rae

Have you checked in on social media with the hashtag #24in48? Don’t forget to cheer on your fellow readathoners this weekend.

And don’t forget to check the previous check-in posts from Hours Three, Six, Nine, and Twelve to see if you won a prize.

Thousands and thousand of women are marching in Washington, DC and across the country in local marches to protest our new administration. Women from all over are banding together to promote intersectional feminist ideals and demonstrate that together, we are stronger, and we’ve got no time for their ish. I wish I could be out there marching with all the badass ladies, but instead, I’ll be celebrating my favorite activists and feminists with some patriarchy-smashing reads. Your Hour Twelve challenge is this: in the comments, tell me either who you’d like to be marching with today or what feminist books you’re reading in solidarity? 

I personally would love to stand arm-in-arm with Gloria Steinem, Angela Davis, Michelle Obama, and Beyonce (anyone that stands in front of a giant “Feminist” sign is an activist in my book). And I’ve got We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Here We Are by Kelly Jensen (you can win this one!), the Mockingbird: Vol. 1 comic by Chelsea Cain, and Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay on my feminist TBR stack.

I’ll pick a winner at Hour 18. And don’t forget you can still enter the Hour Zero: Intro Survey challenge until midnight ET tonight!

For now, how about a winner for our Shelfie challenge from Hour Six?

Emily DeCato

Excellent shelfie work, everyone. Not a bad looking reader among you.

And of course, we’re drawing four more door prize winners:

Rebekah (on Litsy @BekahB)

Carmen (on Litsy @Books.Bottles.and.Babies)

Jessi Newell

Gaby Oliva

See you back here in three hours! Happy reading (and marching)!

It’s 9am ET on the official clock and it’s the perfect time for a little java or tea or cocoa, whatever makes your perfect reading companion. (I’m sipping a cup of pumpkin spice coffee with hazelnut creamer — don’t judge me, it takes like a pumpkin pie).

It’s also the perfect to time to announce three more door prize winners:

Caitlin Mobley

Angie M (@TheAccountant63 on Twitter)

Alyssa (@literatigeek on Twitter)

What’s waking you up this morning?

Good morning, readers! It’s 6am by the official clock and many of you are just shaking off the cobwebs and picking up your first book of the day. I’m snuggled deep in my bed, piled high with pillows and quilts, with my laptop and phone, and a stack of books waiting for me. (Readathon HQ is very tech heavy).

As we start to really stretch into the first day of #24in48, I’ve got your first challenge of the ‘thon and it’s an easy one.

Show me your shelfie! More specifically, stop what you’re doing, and snap a selfie with one or more of the books you’re reading today. Post your photo on the social media outlet of your choice and post a link to the pic in the comments below. (Tagging it with #24in48 or the official handle won’t be enough to have it counted; you must comment to be eligible).

This challenge will be open for six hours until noon ET today, and I’ll announce the winner in the Hour Twelve post. So get to snapping!

But you want prizes now? Oh well okay!

Here are four more door prize winners:

Daisya Spencer

Sophie Wilkinson

Kristy H (@LazyOwl on Litsy)

Brandy (@Handmade_Redhead on Litsy)

See you guys back here in three hours for more prizes!

How’s everyone doing? We’re a cool three hours in, and some of you are probably sleeping, some are reading, and some are half-reading, half-sleeping, head nodding.

This is a quick check in to announce four door prize winners:

Meredith (@mtroiano on Litsy)

Heike (@inwhichHeikereadsharder on Litsy)

Susan (from readingsusan.com)

If you won, head over to the Prizes page, choose your top three prizes, and fill out the form.

Back to it (reading or sleeping, whichever!)

It’s here! It’s time!

Welcome to the January 2017 edition of #24in48! Right now, it’s midnight ET on the official readathon clock, but we’re kicking things off with a bang. If you’re just now discovering the ‘thon or have been unsure of your weekend plans, you can still sign up and do so throughout the weekend.

A few notes as we get started:

1. If you’re planning on reading a full 24 hours (or even just trying to get close), make sure you track your time. You can do this a number of ways but the preferred method is with a stopwatch on your phone or computer or the new Bookout app for iOS devices (per a helpful readathoner). If you finish 24 hours of reading, you’ll be eligible to win one of three prize packs, including one just for non-US participants.
2. There is ZERO pressure to read for a full 24 hours. Seriously, guys. This is the fifth year I’ve been doing this thing, and I say every time, this is supposed to be fun and low pressure. The goal is to set aside some serious time to read with other like-minded readers.
3. Take a break, get some sleep, eat well. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
4. Make sure that your sign-up entry is correct (including email and social media/blog URL). If you’re not active on that social platform during the ‘thon, you won’t be able to win any of the amazing prizes we’re giving away. By URL I mean, don’t just type “Twitter” or “Facebook.” I need to be able to find you, so list your username or the URL of your feed (i.e. http://twitter.com/24in48readathon). If you need to update your entry, you can do so by going through the link you received in your confirmation email. If you didn’t get an email and need to update your entry, email me ASAP at 24in48readathonofficial@gmail.com.
5. If your name is announced as either a door prize winner or a challenge winner, go over to the Prize page and fill out the form. If you don’t check in there, you’ll miss your shot to win.
6. Follow the conversation (which honestly is my favorite part of the ‘thon) on social media. I’ll be posting from @24in48readathon on Twitter, on the official Facebook page, and @24in48 on Instagram and Litsy. You can – and should – use the official hashtag #24in48 everywhere as well.

I’ll be posting here every three hours with challenges and door prize giveaways, so check in early and often.

Let’s start off with an intro survey so we can all get to know each other. Post your answers (or a link to your answers) in a comment below:

1. Where in the world are you reading from this weekend?
2. Have you done the 24in48 readathon before?
3. Where did you hear about the readathon, if it is your first?
4. What book are you most excited about reading this weekend?
5. Tell us something about yourself.
6. Remind us where to find you online this weekend.

Three people who complete the survey will win their choice of prize. You have until the midway point, Hour 24 at midnight ET tonight, to enter.

Happy reading, ‘thoners!

We’re less than 12 hours away from the official start of #24in48 and you guys are just killing it already. More than 1,000 readers have signed up, we’ve got a whole butt load of prizes to give away, and demonstrating that books and reading are powerful. Today is….not a good day in the US, but I’m using today and this weekend as a reminder that we can support and encourage each other in all things and only by banding together do we get things done.

Whether you’re using the readathon to ignore the badness in the world or as an excuse to catch up on your social justice reading, the community is here for you. Find and follow your fellow readathon-ers on Instagram, Litsy (@24in48), Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, and Goodreads with the hashtag #24in48. You’ll find me (I linked to the official handles) as active as I possibly can be (with breaks for sleeping, of course), but I encourage you to find each other all weekend (especially those of you in other countries when most Americans are sleeping and you need the encouragement most).

Some of you are squeezing your reading around Saturday’s marches in Washington and across the country and I applaud you all. I also wanted to highlight a few other ways you can make a difference. Check out some readathon books from your local library (these institutions will need our support more than ever), donate to arts and literacy organizations in your area, and think about participating in #diverseathon, which overlaps with 24in48 and starts on Sunday. I’ll personally be dedicating my Sunday (if not my whole ‘thon) with #ownvoices books and books by marginalized people.

So that’s it, until midnight tonight. Don’t forget to check in here during the readathon. I’ll be posting updates every three hours, which will include prize announcements, challenges, and really fantastic gifs. Gather ye snacks and TBR stacks and let’s get ready to read.