FRIENDS. We’re 15 hours into this thing! We’re hitting our stride! We’re assessing our snack piles, stretching our limbs, and checking in with each other.
For us old hats, this is inevitably the time when we assess all systems. Is this chair comfortable? Are we getting sleepy? Is there enough light? Are we really enjoying this book, or is it dragging? Do we need a caffeine boost?
While the answer to that last question is almost always yes, wherever you find yourself at this moment, the best laid plans almost always go awry. You plan on reading five books and only get through two. You’re gonna knock out 18 hours on the first day, but you fall asleep on the couch and now you’re behind.
This hour is also when we remind you to take a deep breath and switch things up. There’s no wrong way to do this readathon, AND there’s no right way. Make your own reading magic however you can. Check in online to get some support. Move to a different room. Switch up your format or genre, or take a break altogether.
Share your favorite way to maintain your readathon mojo in the comments below, and don’t forget to complete the Hour 12 Challenge!
This hour’s door prize winners:
Ashley Nicoletto
Christine Traner
Daena Diaz
Melissa Flim
Sabrina Unrein
Callie Pastor
Head over to the prize page to claim your goodies!
24in48 Readathon 
Eat cookies, drink coffee and switch to audio book.
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Coffee, donuts and popcorn! Reading buddies also helps keep up the mojo. Happy reading!
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Get a drink and some food and take a break
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Share your favorite way to maintain your readathon mojo:
Little breaks, snacks, walking, letting the dogs, out, small chores, return, repeat. Never convincing my mind I can’t do this, and also taking breaks to research aspects or topics of my book I did not know or know little about!
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I’ve got to move around a a lot and go to different places! So I’m currently leaving myself home and heading to the library, and tonight I’ll hit up a local coffee shop!
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Great idea!
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Coffee. More coffee. Third coffee. And banana bread. Delicious banana-y carbs.
I’m almost done with this stack of academic texts and I haven’t even hit academic speak burnout yet. So I might keep going with the nonfiction after this! Hooray for learning!!
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No one will leave me alooooooone and I’m so behind. Favorite is definitely a blanket and something caffeinated. And easy background noise!
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Taking a break, by switching to audio books, to make some food and possibly do some knitting. Then back to my book.
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Take a little break, have some human interaction, and then get back to it!
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Plenty of breaks, read in different places and remember that this is an enjoyable experience!
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Take a break, have some human interaction, and get back at it!
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I took a shower and grabbed some chocolate caramel kisses. Now I’m back at it.
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I’m finally making progress in 4:30 minutes in!!!
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Take small breaks and snack. Can’t read on an empty stomach!
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Read in different places, especially outside if weather permits or next to a window where natural light flows through.
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Audiobooks are the best way to change things up for me, because I can “read” and walk and stretch and not just sit on the couch. It’s good to have a break so I don’t end up getting too stiff.
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This bucket of coffee and cold leftover pizza are keeping me going.
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Little breaks. A bit of housework here and there. The goal is to read 2 of every 3 hours I’m awake or more.
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This is my first readathon ever and I am learning that keeping your moral and concentration up is very important! I created a page in my bullet journal to help with just that! I created some “side quests”, or activities/breaks to do to get me up and moving. You can find it here: https://twitter.com/FierceFabFemme/status/956732515774996482
I’ve also made sure to have plenty of coffee and tea. I LOVE my french press and use it to make cold brew, I also love instant coffee because it’s fast and you can make as much or as little as you want.
Keeping up with the goings-on on Twitter and Instagram has been very fun and motivating for me as well. I found a few great “ambient sound” videos on Youtube that have been SO AMAZING to have playing in the background. I posted a thread of them here: https://twitter.com/FierceFabFemme/status/957078069461770240
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Taking small breaks, Eating fuel substance foods, changing up the format and genre of book to not get bored, and minimizing the distractions around me.
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I took a short power nap and after I finish my current book, I plan to switch to an audiobook and cross stitch for a little bit.
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Just took a quick break, ate some lunch and watched 20 minutes of Stranger Things, now back to my books!
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Had some lunch, took a shower, and now going back to book three
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Coffee and then some more coffee. Coffee coffee coffee !! in Lorelai Gilmore fashion.
If this doesn’t help( it almost certainly does), jig a little, shake things up, go for a little muscle flexing or running or do some creative like journalling or googling 😉( it is counted as creative, ain’t it ? )
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I am a first timer, but I have several books with small sections that I am reading whenever I feel like I need to quit. It revitalizes me and I can go a little longer.
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First timer here as well, and also a “Kristin”! It’s definitely good to change things up. Enjoy!
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I like to switch things up, an audiobook while doing housework, cooking or even having a bath, or audiopuzzling or audiocolouring, then I’ll switch to a print book (I also try to keep my shorter books for readathons so I can have some variety instead of being stuck in a chunkster) lots of water, herbal tea with the odd caffeinated beverage thrown in to really wake me up. And plenty of snacks, especially fruit. And enjoy it! Don’t stress about your times, just have fun. It’ll all work out, if you don’t do 24 this time, there’s always the next one. Happy ‘thoning everyone!🙋🏻♀️💕
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Switch up books, and make sure to have multiple formats.
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I had to grocery shop and run errands today so shake-up with audio is a natural. At home, I never sit/lie for long. Getting a drink and stretching help a lot.
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Switching to an audiobook helps me keep reading. My eyes tend to get tired relatively quickly. Plus, I have to do some chores around the house today. So audiobook it is!
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I just took a 20 minute walk with my doggos. It’s gloomy outside, but very brisk, so it deinitely woke me up. Now organizing some snacks and thinking about what I’m ordering for dinner for the fam.
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Switch between book formats –e.g. print to audiobook– and grab a new snack. Taking a walk is good, too, but it’s rainy here today so not as tempting.
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Went to library to get more books
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I’m all about drinks…. coffee, tea, or cold water. & snacks, duh.
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I like to switch to audio and do household chores or practice some self-care. I painted my nails today! I also took a long-ish break to play with my nephew and have some social family time.
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All about getting up to get a snack, or taking a few laps around the apartment.
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Move locations!
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For me, it helps to change locations and take frequent breaks. At least every 2 hours I get up, put my book down for about 5 mins and stretch a bit. Maybe get myself a cup of tea or something. When I do that I can usually dive back in afterwards with new concentration!
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Lots of coffee, short breaks every hour or so and a teeny tiny nap. I’ve completed exactly 12 hours and I’m still going strong!
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Make some food, read a smaller novel (graphic novel) to break up the larger ones and make me feel a little more accomplished. And caffeine!
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I take breaks, put on my Claire de Lune pandora station and drink tea! I’m on Litsy @BooksTeaRobin
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Such great motivation in the comments, you all! So inspired by you!! I’m about to head out to the library, crutches and all – that’s how I get my second wind during readathons! Libraries, bookstores, friends’ book stashes… I find getting up and out and getting a new pile to dive into (even if [HA!!! *IF*] I don’t need more books) always helps me feel like the reading day is new again!
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Wine and a cozy heating pad! Keep me comfy and I’ll be golden!
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I plan to take a drive and listen to an audiobook.
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I love snacks. Lots and lots of snacks
http://litsy.com/p/bWVyQ0o5V0Y5
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Changing things up is definitely important! I just took our foster dog for a walk because it’s beautiful outside and listened to an audiobook.
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Literally just woke up from a couch nap…and I’m not even sorry 😊
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I’m still on my first cup of coffee and my body is still shaking from the caffeine lol. Coffee is clearly not for me but I needed it to start my second hour.
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This is my first time doing a readathon. So far I am just trying to switch it up if I feel like I’m lagging. Working on a buddy read of Jane Eyre and make it about 5-10 chapters before I need to switch to another book for a break.
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I switch between audio, novels and graphic novels. I give myself a coffee boost when I’m flagging.
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Took a break by switching to a few comic books and slowly pacing around the room while reading. Now switching to audiobook while I do some laundry and then back to my current main book. Caffeine is helping but I think a ton of water is helping more.
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Mid-afternoon power naps seem to help me read more overall. 😃
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