The number of readers just keeps on growing, and I am continuously impressed by how many of you are joining in and excited about this weekend. We are so freakin’ close! Just 12 hours until this thing kicks off, and since there are so many of you (333 at the time of this writing), I wanted to mention that several readers take this opportunity to dedicate their readathon time to charity.

What does that mean exactly? Well, it can mean anything you’d like, if you’re up for participating. Some readers donate a penny or a nickel per page they read or $10 a book. Or some readers donate one book from their personal library for every book they read. Or if you don’t have money or books to donate, you can always donate time. For every book, donate an hour of your time.

Who are you donating to? Again, that’s up to you. Last year, I found a great local adult literacy organization and donated to them. If you want to donate time, finding an organization that helps children or adults learn to read is great or reading to residents at senior centers.

Okay so it’s not quite so dramatic as that, but volunteering or donating money during your readathon is a fantastic way to give back and not feel quite so guilty for spending an entire weekend reading.

Are you reading for charity this weekend? Tell me about it!

First of all, let me just say how pumped I am for this weekend. It’s only Tuesday, but I’ve officially reached the point in the week where I don’t want to actually do any real work and I’m just planning for the readathon. As of this writing, there are 242 (!!!!) readers signed up to participate and over 500 followers on Twitter. I’m overwhelmed by all this readathon love, and how many new readers are jumping on board this train.

A few housekeeping things:

• Due to popular demand, I’ll be announcing the dates of the next readathon as soon as this readathon ends. So you future planners will be able to mark your calendars nice and early!
• With that being said, I’m officially switching up the timing of this readathon to a bi-annual winter/summer schedule, instead of the fall/spring schedule that it had been on. This gives people who also take part in Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon some breathing room.

Okay, so onto the really important things. Part of my IS IT TIME YET excitement of readathon prep is all the other stuff that goes into the weekend. As I’ve said over and over again, this is supposed to be FUN, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint. So you have to be prepared.

First, food. You have to eat. It’s a whole weekend, and unless you have a houseboy (or a well-trained child or dog), you’re going to have to feed yourself. There are some super easy ways to do this without taking away too much time from reading. I am a proponent of anything in a slow cooker. I’m making this Boeuf Bourguignon recipe on Saturday, but I’m doing all the prep work on Friday night so it’ll be ready to just turn on Saturday morning.

Or make up a pot of chili or chicken noodle soup that can be sitting on the oven warming all day for people to eat as they please. (A loaf of crusty bread is crucial for all of these options).

Keep some healthy options for snacks along with the junk food you only eat during a readathon (Oreos are my ‘thon-only food). Hummus and veggies, obviously, but edamame is also great to snack on (buy it in easy-to-steam frozen packages). My snack options are going to include these, as well as chips and guac, cheese sticks, and fruit, and I’ll probably make something sweet as well.

It’s crucial to stock up so you can feed yourself well, but not spend too much extra time doing it. Unless you’ve got a really compelling audiobook and you need an excuse to stand over a stove for hours in order to listen to it. In which case, go nuts. (Audiobooks while grocery shopping are also a great way to replenish the snacks while still putting a book in your brain – and helpful to get you moving after sitting a while).

Second, where to sit. Just one tip: change it up. Do you have the perfect reading armchair? Even that’s gonna start hurting after a full day of sitting, so move to a couch or a bed (no napping! Actually, napping is fine) or the floor or outside (if you live in a warm climate right now). Or read standing up for a while.

The point is to keep your body from getting stiff and knotted up from being in one position for two days. Stretching, a little downward dog or toe touches are good for this too.

Third, what to do. Read! (Obviously). But read in different places. I like jumping in the car (audiobooks!) and going to a local coffee shop for a few hours. Or taking a walk (audiobooks!) in the afternoons. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a friend who’s also readathon-ing, join them (or vice versa) for some quality reading time.

And don’t forget to take breaks to cheer on your fellow readers! Follow this blog for updates throughout the weekend (every six hours starting at 12:01am on Saturday morning). In the first update, I’ll repost the Google doc with everyone who’s participating so you can find them directly online. Check the hashtag #24in48 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. too.

I’ve been doing readathons for a loooong time now. Between Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon in the spring and fall every year and hosting this shindig for the past few years, I’ve learned – sometimes the hard way – how to build my book stack for a ‘thon.

But why should I set aside specific books, you might be asking? Can’t I just stand in front of my shelf and decide in the moment?

You certainly can, and some people do, but I’m a proponent of being more intentional about my readathon books. Not every book is going to be right for you or for a readathon. And it’s so easy to get overwhelmed by ALL the books on your shelves, rather than a small dedicated list of titles. Are you doing the #Hamalong and reading Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton? It can be part of your stack, but it’s probably a good idea to read it in bits and chucks, interspersed with lighter reads. I’m in the middle of A Little Life but I probably won’t read more than a chapter or two during the ‘thon because it’s both long and heavy (in terms of subject matter).

My suggestion is to set aside a mix of books: short books, long books, comics (if you read them), funny books, genre books, and a few serious books. This combination will give you plenty of variety during the weekend, without overwhelming you by too many choices.

(I discussed this and 8 more tips back in July if you’re looking for more help in planning your ‘thon.)

Tell me, readathon-ers – what’s on your stack?