The History Book Club discussion

This is the Readathon Guideline and FAQ thread.

We hope this helps you get started right this year with your reading and reading goals. We hope this also gets you motivated and able to start "attacking that growing to be read" pile that is right now gnawing at your psyche. You are probably asking yourself - why can't I read faster and more efficiently, why can't I read two books at the same time - I have two eyes and two hands (smile). Why do I procrastinate even more when I look at my towering book pile.

Is your book pile starting to resemble this photo? Or is it worse?



Then you need some help and Readathon Anonymous is here to help you (smile). We are going help you just get started.

When is the Readathon?

Response:

2017 - Readathon Eleven Date: April 8th, 2017 - upcoming

2017 - Readathon Twelve Date: - June 24th, 2017

2017 - Readathon Thirteen Date: - October 21st , 2017

Mark your calendars.

The 2017 dates are posted

When does the readathon start and when does it finish?

Response:

The eleventh readathon starts on April 8th, 2017 at 8AM and ends at 8AM the next day - in the case of the eleventh readathon - it would end on April 9th, 2017 at 8AM. You can read anywhere in the world for that twenty-four hour period or within that 24 hour period and it will count to the Readathon.

The 2017 dates are posted.

Do I have to live in the US or on the East Coast to participate?

Response:

Absolutely not.

You can live anywhere in the world and be in any time zone and participate. We do use an honor code here and want you to just be honest with your fellow participants.

However, you can start on your April 8th at your 8AM in the morning and finish on April 9th the following morning at your 8AM. We realize that the International date line may mean that you are a day ahead or if you are in Europe you are hours ahead. Just use the date and the start time.

The 2017 dates are posted.

Do I have to read for 24 hours straight? I have to eat and take some breaks and sleep sometime and I have some commitments.

Response:

No you do not have to read for 24 hours straight. If you want to - you can but you do not have to do that.

In fact, if you can only read for even one hour - you can still participate in each readathon. Just check in for that reading period and check out at the end. There is only a one hour minimum.

So you can read for one hour up to and including 24 hours - you only have to start sometime after 8AM on your April 8th and end at your April 9th at 8AM. You can check in on all of the Readathon timed check in threads or only the one you are reading within. And you can then check out on April 9th - anytime from 8AM to Noon on that date in your specific location. You have to stop reading on April 9th at 8AM however.

You can take breaks for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, errands, bathroom breaks, food preparation and clean up, sleeping, naps, any kind of break you need, walks and exercise, drinks of water or coffee or tea or whatever else you need, you can take time out to work or take care of your children or other responsibilities. Read to your children and get them enthralled in a new book and interacting with you - all of those books count too. Just check in on those threads where you have done some reading and make sure to check out.

We only ask that you agree to a minimum of one hour and a maximum of 24 hours to be counted in the readathon. And check in at least once and you must check out.

The 2017 dates are posted.

What is the check out thread?

Response

There is only one check out thread. When you post in the check out thread you are indicating that you followed the honor rules and did not read beyond the 24 hour period no matter where you are located in the world. You read from or during the time period of 8AM April 8th to or for a segment of the time period through 8AM April 9th. We are talking about your April 8th and your April 9th and your 8AM on your April 8th and your 8AM on your April 9th.

We also need to know the following:

1. The titles and authors of all books you completed during the readathon. It is allowed for you to start a book before the readathon and finish that book during the readathon but you cannot list books completed that you completed before or after the readathon time and date period to be counted as part of the readathon. You must add the citation to the best of your ability.

2. You must list the books that you are still working on and there may be more than one if you are a dabbler (title, author, full citation) and indicate the number of pages read.

3. Indicate the number of pages read in all books that you either completed or read during the readathon - just add them up.

4. Indicate the genres that you sampled and how they related to each book.

5. Once you have posted the above on the check out thread you are done until the next readathon date. Also make sure that you did not forget to check in. Also critically important - Check in once, check in periodically but make sure that always check out.

The check out thread:

TBA

Do I have to sign up for each Readathon in 2017 separately?

Response:

No, once you have signed up to the Readathon challenge area - you are automatically enrolled and a member in good standing for all 2017 Readathons.

This is very cool because you can see your progress in all of the Readathons by looking at your completed shelf and your postings.

Make sure you sign up properly before starting the Readathon and set up your shelf. Make sure when you complete each book that you add the completion date and make sure to add that completed book to your Readathon shelf and any other shelf that you would like to get credit for. Check to see that your completed books are indeed showing up on your Readathon shelf.

Do I have to stay up for 24 hours straight in order to participate?

Response:

No, No and No. - Absolutely not if you do not want to.

We know that a 24 hour "marathon" readathon is not for everyone - so we are making it so everybody can participate.

Although it is a lot of fun if you want to go the extra mile - that is OK too.

We just want you to have fun and enjoy yourself and challenge your limits and your drive - see what you can do this year with your to be read pile.

Just read as much as you can.

Help cheer folks on - keep motivation and drive high.

You can read for a minimum of one hour, you can read for any amount of hours between 1 to 24 during the prescribed dates and time, you can choose to stay up the entire time or go to bed as usual, you can take as many breaks as you want. In the future, we may have eligibility for prizes for those folks who choose to stay up and participate for the duration as well for the various check-ins, etc. But right now this is a personal challenge and you have every option open to you.

Decide what journey is right for you.

Can I participate even if I am a very busy person, have childcare responsibilities, have to visit a nursing home or take care of young children, work or have tons of errands to do?

Response:

Yes, of course you can. You decide how much time you want to devote. 24 hours is fun and a real challenge. But we invite folks to participate who only can spare one hour. If that is all you have, then that is all you have and you have made a big commitment to do that. We understand that and it is your personal journey.

If you work, can you read for an hour during lunch or during your breaks or do you take a train or bus to work and back - maybe you can bring your book along and read then.

To participate - you only have to have read for a minimum of one hour during the readathon time designations.

Just remember to check in once and check out once during the timeframes.

If you are taking a long trip - you can participate too. If you are a passenger in a car, bus, train, airplane, boat - take your book or your kindle or your iPod or iPhone or IPad with you and read while you are a passenger.

If you are the driver - then you can also listen to an audible book and note your check in time and make sure to check in and post ONCE FOR CHECK IN (minimum requirement for check-in) and then find out what chapter you ended up on and the associated page number and post the number of pages, and other pertinent information on your CHECK-OUT page. You have to check in once and check out once minimally.

If you are visiting a nursing home - bring their favorite book along and read to them - that can count too.

If you are taking care of or spending time with your children - why not include them in the readathon. Just read them their favorite books or take them to the library and spend some time reading books to them - help them develop the love of reading. You can have a play date and read some children's books to them that they might enjoy. Top it off with pizza, ice cream, fresh fruit and hot chocolate. Make the readathon a fun event for the whole family.

We often hear - "I have a ton of errands to do and will be in my car for hours" is a common excuse. Well, load an audio book and do a listen of your favorite book - just make sure to check in and check out and try to verify how many pages your listen amounted to. You too can take part and turn your errands into a happy time.

Remember - there are a million ways to participate. We will help you. No excuses - the hardest part is always getting started.

Sign up, set up your shelf, check in, check out and make sure your shelf shows your completed books. Easy does it.

What are we tracking:

Response:

a) In each check in time segment - how much time did you read per segment. You only have to check in to each segment where you want to get credit for the time spent.

b) You can check in six times or you can check in one time - depending upon how many hours you spent reading and during which spans of time. You will not get any credit for reading time in any particular time segment if you do not check in to that specific time segment.

c) You only have to check out once and even though the readathon stops by 8AM the following day - you have until Noontime to get your check out complete.

d) You need to post what books you have completed when you complete them during the readathon on the check in thread as well as the check out thread. To gain credit the book must be completed during the readathon. You cannot get completion credit for a book that is not done - you can only get page credit, genre credit, time credit, and book in progress credit.

e) For each check in period that you are reading - make sure to post and get credit for books completed, books being read, the different genres you are reading, number of pages, and time spent.

f) Total up all of the above for each readathon on the check out thread.

g) For the last readathon we will total up all of the stats for all of the readathons for each person and for the readathon group.

h) Just have fun.

Question about the shelf:

What books should go on the shelf, books worked on during the Readathon, books finished during the Readathon, books mostly read during the Readathon, books read entirely during the Readathon, or some or all of the above?

Goodreads set limitations on the shelves - only books completed.

The HBC of course only counts books read during the readathon for the readathons. And you can track your completed readathon books on the shelves. Since goodreads makes you add your completion date - it is for completed books.

We do have other challenges like the 50 books read threads and of course that is for any book.

That makes sense. Thanks!

Also, nice plug for the 50 books challenge. ;-) I am having fun with that.

Great that you are - we have a bunch of challenges going on including India and Japan.

Bentley wrote: "Goodreads set limitations on the shelves - only books completed.

The HBC of course only counts books read during the readathon for the readathons. And you can track your completed readathon boo..."

Does that mean I have to start a new book during the Readathon and finish it then too?

I'm interested in joining the next one in August, but I have a few questions. Can a book we started before the readathon be counted if we read during the readathon or does it need to be books that we started only on the readathon days? Also, if we start a book on one readathon day but are not able to finish it before the end of the day, do we need to wait until the next readathon day to finish it and have it counted or can we finish it after the readathon and have it counted?

Marietta - you can continue reading a book you have already started during the readathon - but keep track of the page you are starting on.

It does not mean that you have to finish the book but keep track during each session - the amount of pages you have read and where you are in the book.

Hello Christopher - you can start the book during the readathon or before the readathon - it does not matter but only the pages you have read during the readathon count as pages read - however if you finish the book during the readathon - you can count that as a book completed during the readathon.

Only books completed during the readathon can be counted as completed books during the readathon - but all pages read count and are counted during each checkpoint. You can finish the book whenever you like.

Bentley wrote: "Hello Christopher - you can start the book during the readathon or before the readathon - it does not matter but only the pages you have read during the readathon count as pages read - however if y..."

Thanks Bentley. One final question before the big day arrives. Regarding the check-in procedures, do I check-in at the beginning of the time slot with the book(s) I plan to read during that four hour period or do I check-in towards the end of that four hour period with the book(s) I have read during that time?

I do both - I immediately go to the checkin - checkpoint and put in the base template with as much information as I have.

Then about a half hour before the end of the four hour timeslot - I update and finalize the check in template for that check point and then when the timeslot for the next check in checkpoint begins - I do the same thing again.

I've been rereading the rules here and I think I incorrectly counted one book which I started during #4 but didn't finish until later. Shall I remove that one from my Readathon bookshelf?

Right now it is OK but do you have any questions about the above for this time.

No, planning to finish the book I started this morning during the 24-hour period.

OK Vicki - way to go.

Here is a questions from Samanta:

Bentley, if we decide to continue reading the books we started during readathon do we remove them from the shelf so that they don't count or what? Thank you in advance

Here is the response:

No they are fine on the shelf. This thread contains all of the books you read. The other thread contains the books that you completed. I will be trying to get this up and completed as I have time. I am in the midst of getting the stats in order. You are fine for now.

I have a question about next week's readathon. On the same day of the readathon, I have a beach trip with friends and it would be very difficult for me to bring my computer along for the ride. Would it be possible for me to take part in the readathon while at the beach, but back date my check-ins? My idea is that I would write down my readings and times in a notebook and then I would check in to all of the appropriate check-ins once I return home. Would that be acceptable?

Hello - August 27th is the next readathon. I understand how a beach trip would make things difficult. What I always say is that you can participate during any block of time that you can sign in and sign out during the 4 block period. You also do not have to take part in all of the check ins (each four block period) - you are mandated to take part in at least one check in and always check out. So you could have had your beach date and still taken part. The check ins are live so it is difficult to get around that. But in a 24 hour period - there would be a bunch of check ins when you would not be at the beach.

2017 Readathon Dates are posted.

Get ready for the eleventh HBC Readathon starting in your part of the world at 8AM on April 8th and ending in your part of the world at 8AM on April 9th.

This is the place for questions if you have any.

Bentley, I'm not sure where the counter gets the number of books I completed and the number I signed up for. I just did one this time, but my counter shows that I read 3. It must be keeping books from previous Readathons. Is there some way to fix that for next time? My Readathon bookshelf is just labeled "readathon". Should I have one labeled "readathon2017"?

Yes it is because you did not change your shelf on the Readathon - you have to go in where you set everything up and change your shelf if you do not want your previous completed books showing from other years.

Yes that would partly take care of the problem.

However if you just did that - the shelf would not be linked to your readathon or challenge. You have go in the same way when you originally signed up and click on the title of the Readathon and then it will take you to a screen where you see folks who are signed up - scroll to the bottom where you will see your avatar and where you can view your books - if you click on update my entry - you will then be able to add a new shelf name for the readathon, a new number of books or save the old number and you have to make sure to SAVE the changes by clicking on the bar marked save underneath where it says - Only books on this shelf will count toward this challenge. Then when you complete that next book during the readathon go in and save it to that shelf connected to the readathon shelf for 2017 which you saved in the readathon software location and you should be good to go and see only your new books.

You can do this every year if you want.

OK, just did that and it seems to have worked. Is the best thing to have a bookshelf for each different Readathon or just one for each year?

Also, down at the bottom of the Readathon entry you have this text -

"Make sure your Readathon Shelf reflects your completed books.
Start Date: January 01, 2016
End Date: December 31, 2017"

Did you mean to change 2016 to 2017?

Looking forward to the next one.

I would have one for each year if you want that - I just keep them all showing but that is my preference - either is allowed. I change the dates every year to keep the challenge going so that folks do not have to sign up anew there. But you can update your shelf and I know I gave instructions somewhere.

What I do is I do not change the Readathon shelf at all - just increase the number of completed books. But a yearly change is OK too but you will not see your books completed in Readathons during the previous years - only the current one.