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Readathon Wrap-up

And just like that, the readathon is over! Congratulations to all of you for your stellar performances! We are interested in hearing about your experience with this so please answer the questions below and we will take your comments into consideration when planning the next readathon.

Notes
*TLs, make sure to update your team’s progress href="/topic/show/.... *Awards will be posted after each TL has had the chance to update their team progress.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to
do it again?
7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in?

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon? I think I've said this in previous Readathon wrap ups but it is nice to 'meet' different members of this group
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals? I wanted to read 4 books, completed 5 books
3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon? My favourite book was The Witchfinder's Sister because I like 17th century history. I don't have a least favourite book
4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? This is personal preference but I have realised I like Readathons with less prompts more than the singles/doubles/triples. Not quite as restrictive as the Reading Rainbow Readathon where you only read books with one colour in the title/cover but maybe a prompt like features a family member in the title which gives more options. I would like to know before I signed up a bit about the prompts we'll have
5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons? I Spy?
6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again? Didn't lead this time. May do so in future
7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in? The schedule was fine. Maybe one more short (individual) Readathon before the end of the year but I know the Mods are busy then preparing for the new year

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
I think my favorite aspect was working together as a team to try to get the most points possible, as well as pushing myself and seeing just how much I can read and help my team in this 10-day period. I've learned a lot about my own limits and bounds lol.

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Yes! As of now, I'm 1 book away from finishing, and this month will also most likely be my best reading month in YEARS thanks to this readathon :)

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
Just because it was a bit slower and a book I've read in years prior, To Kill a Mockingbird was my least favorite, and The Inheritance Games was definitely my fav one

4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
To be honest I am not sure haha, this was my first readathon so I'm really not sure

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
Maybe a color theme with about 1 color per team, or an alphabet theme with each team trying to read a book for each letter?

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to
do it again?
Didn't this time, but maybe after another readathon or 2 I'd be interested in trying it out :)

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in?
This was my first readathon ever! It was so much fun

1. my favorite aspect was tracking my pages, it made me feel excited to read knowing that at the end of the day i would have to tally up how much i read. i just like seeing my progress and knowing i’m reaching a goal lol.
2. it didn’t help me reach my goal because i’m waaaay behind but i still think it helped me get closer to my goal :)
3. my favorite book of the readathon was Sharp Objects which i placed as one the family conflict triples. my least favorite was Girls They Write Songs About which i read for the best friends prompt.
4. i don’t think i would have had anything done differently. the spreadsheet was confusing but i’m sure i’ll get the hang of it the more i participate in these challenges.
5. i think for september, a fall/cozy or dark academia vibe sort of theme would have been so nice. just an idea for next year. im hoping that the october challenge has spooky prompts :)
6. this was my first challenge but i can’t wait to participate in the next one! it was a lot of fun having a team and checking in with everyone! and also getting ideas for books to read based on everyone’s books.
7. n/a

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon? Reading as a team sport!
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals? I surpassed my goal. I am much too competitve. 😆
3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
5-star books: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, Silver, Here After, Under the Whispering Door
Least favorite: Murder on the Ballarat Train
4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? The spreadsheet can be confusing. I don't know if it's possible to simplify it and still get out of it what's needed.
5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?no specific suggestions just now
6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again? I had a great time as leader of Bookworms United and would definitely volunteer to lead again.
7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in? I like the more broad prompts this time around rather than the color-specific readathon this past June. Two a year sounds reasonable. Maybe April and October?

1. I enjoy getting to know new people and find out more about the books they are reading.
2. I ended up reading the right amount of books they just weren't the ones I intended.
3. I was not looking forward to reading The Sisters Brothers (I needed to read a western for another group challenge) but ended up loving it. I did not enjoy Less Is Lost. I found it disappointing compared to the original Less and didn't feel the need for a sequel.
4. It would be nice to know more about the prompts before everyone signs up and commits to being in a group.
5. I don't have specific themes in mind but I would prefer more variety and not have all the prompts with the same theme.
6. I was team leader for the first time and I'm honestly not sure if I would do it again. It was difficult keeping on top of everything and took some of the fun out of the readathon.
7. I took part in 2 readathons and would be happy to take part in more.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
Working with other readers to achieve the reading prompts.

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Yes, because participating in challenges is one of my reading goals

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
Most of what I read for this readathon I rated at least 4 stars. But my favorite was "The Length of a String" and least favorite (3 stars) was How to Avoid Extinction

4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
I am torn about the various ways the prompts work. I would like to see at least one of the group readathons continue to have the more simple prompts that were in the Reading Rainbow one. I do like the fact that these prompts really made us work together as a team, but it's a lot more complicated to keep track of and plan out.

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
It was a good experience. I felt very supported by my team and by bailey. I would volunteer to do it again next year.

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in? I think this readathon schedule was a good amount and had good spacing.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
Contributing to my team's score!

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
It helped me finally read some books I've had on my tbr and re-read a book I was wanting to re-read. So it's been very helpful!

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
Favourite: Vicious. I didn't have a least favourite, I enjoyed everything I read.

4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
This is my first read-a-thon so I don't really have any notes, I think everything was pretty good.

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
Maybe one that's prompts are based on common tropes in stories or common tropes or scenarios that happen in certain genres so that you will be reading multiple genres to cover the prompts.

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to
do it again?
I didn't have a leader role as this is my first read-a-thon but would be interested in leading in a future read-a-thon.

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in?
I don't know about schedule as this is my first time.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
My favorite part is the teamwork, of course, but I also liked the broad range of prompts that could be filled with a wide variety of genres. I read fiction and nonfiction; adult, young adult, and middle grade; numerous award winners and nominees; different cultures on all continents. I cleared some sci fi, fantasy, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, romance, memoir, biography, science and history from my TBR.

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Absolutely! I read far more than I anticipated for the readathon, AND I reached my 2023 ŷ������ goal during the readathon. Woohoo! 🙌

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
I thoroughly enjoyed the 5-star The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and The Vanishing Type. The first made me ugly cry and the latter let me visit old friends in a small town by continuing a favorite cozy series. I didn't dislike any readathon books, but found And the Mountains Echoed disappointing because I had 5-star expectations based on other Hosseini novels.

4. What would you like to see done differently for future Readathons?
Nothing. It was fabulous, and I appreciate all the time and effort you put into bringing us these fun events. 👏

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
No new ideas at this time, but you know I'll tell you if I think of something. 😉

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
N/A. Grandson did not make his appearance, so I could have helped lead after all. 🤷🏻‍♀��

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in?
The schedule was great, but I wonder if we could squeeze in one extra in the future... maybe one per quarter in the middle of the quarter (Feb., May, Aug., Nov.?). The individual readathons based on holidays are great (Spooks, Valentines). If holidays are too US-centric, maybe you could use awareness. heritage, or cultural type themes.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
I said this for the Rainbow Readathon but it still absolutely applies this time around; My favorite part is meeting members of the group with whom I haven´t necessarily crossed paths with before. I think it works really well that teams are made up of a mix of more experienced readathoners and first-timers. And I also like the collaboration aspect with teammates to fulfill missions.

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Surpassed by far. I only signed up for 2-4 books, taking into account September would be a busy month with work events and whatnot.. Of course, I couldn't have anticipated, not only getting sick, but having my laptop die (RIP Sony Vaio), thereby freeing up some extra time. Somewhere along the way my competitive spirit took off, and I ended up reading 14 books to complete prompts.

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
My least favorite was most definitely We Need to Talk About Kevin (overwritten), followed closely by We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America (underwhelming). and Priest ( it was what it was).

4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
I'll be answering this question in a private message :)

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
I mentioned it last readathon, and I can see other people have also already said it in previous comments, but Scavenger Hunt/I Spy style would be lots of fun, I think.

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
This is my second time leading, and I would absolutely do it again in the future.

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in?
I second TerryJane's answer to this question! I really like having one halfway through the year, though, But yeah, if possible I think one extra one could be cool.

Thank you Bailey for all your work organizing these readathons :)

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
Meeting and interacting with new and old friends, the pleasant experience of reading as a team sport, and the large number of families of all walks of life that I came across in my readings �ʵ

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Certainly, I far exceeded it.
I multiplied my initial goal by four and ended up reading 29 books, one of them a trilogy 😅
I'm afraid I'm kind of an overachiever, and sometimes I find it hard to restrain myself from overdoing it.

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
Overall, I enjoyed all the books I read, with the exception of 2 or 3.
Favorites (5🌟):

Least favorites (1-2🌟 ):


4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
I think you've done a magnificient work and everything was ok, but if I'd have to say something maybe it could be to let know the prompts a little more in advance to better plan the books with other challenges in course.

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
I'm an all-rounder, anything goes 😉

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to
do it again?
I'm used to lead monthly challenges but this was my first experience coleading a readathon and I had a great time with the assistance and collaboration of my teammates the "Pointer Sixters" 🫸🫷

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in?
I agree with TarryJane too, but I prefer "team" over "individual" readathons.


Bailey, thanks so much for everything. See you at the next one! 😘

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon? Readathons help me to diversify my reading. I also liked that this one encouraged teams working together to accomplish prompt completion.

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals? Yes, I exceeded my "long story" challenge, caught up on my yearly goal, read more nonfiction and also exceeded my projected # of books to read for the challenge!

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon? I think my favorite was Sweet Caroline and least favorite was Apple Never Falls

4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? The Spreadsheet is very cumbersome and repetitive. I wonder if there would be a simpler way? Maybe Google Forms that could be autoloaded into a spreadsheet?

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons? At first I felt this challenge was overwhelming with the number of prompts but it really forced our team to work together to complete the tasks. I thank our team leader, Beth, for periodically going through the spreadsheet to help us identify tasks to complete!

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to
do it again? NA but Beth did a fabulous job! We accomplished more with her guidance!

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in? This was my second and I really do buckle down and immerse myself for ten days so I think my husband appreciates the time span between the readathons. I think quarterly would be ideal for my personal commitment.

Thank you to all of the moderators and team leaders that make these events possible!
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1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon? As a lot of people already said, I love the getting to know more people aspect of the team readathons!

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals? I had already surpassed my yearly goal, but I did surpass the goal I set myself for the Readathon. The fact that it kind of didnt match the books I was originally planning on reading for the monthly/quarterly challenges hindered me a bit for those, though. If possible, I would also prefer knowing the prompts a bit earlier in the future, to account for them in my planning :)

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon? Kim Jiyoung and a re-read of Harry Potter #1 were my favorites, least favorite was Fake - by Tate James.

4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? The prompts being available a bit earlier, if possible :) Spreadsheet worked for me - but it did take some work to stay ahead updating/organizing it.

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons? No new suggestions at this time :)

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again? I did, and my team was fun (and did very well updating the spreadsheet, which was very helpful!). It did take up quite some time though, so I got to read a bit less compared to the last readathon (but that was also work-related). I would volunteer again, if leaders are needed :)

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in? I agree with some of the others above, I think one more readathon would be fun, to have them be roughly quarterly. But I bet its a ton of work - so whatever works best for you :)

Thanks so much for organizing these readathons Bailey - I really enjoy participating.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
Working as part of a team

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
I didn't really have any

3. What were your favorite and least favorite books read for the Readathon?
Favourite - The Crying Room

4. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
It was great. Maybe just knowing a bit more about the prompts when you pledge your number of books so you can guess how many will actually fit.

5. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
Family was a good idea, I have no suggestions!

6. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
I wasn't this time, but I'd consider it another time if I didn't have too much going on

7. If you participated in multiple readathons in 2023 how did you feel about the overall schedule? Would you prefer more or less readathons per year? What months would you be most likely to participate in?
This was my first. I'd like to do 2-3 per year I think.