2025 Reading Challenge discussion

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 HERE.
*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 was your favorite book read for the Readathon?
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon?
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?

I loved my first readathon experience, and am looking forward to the next! The length was great. Then again, I have nothing to compare it against. Thank you so much for putting this together, Bailey!

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
I have two favorites: the scavenger hunt aspect of finding appropriate books; and collaboration with teammates to fulfill missions.
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
My Mom returned home after an extended illness, freeing up some of my time, so I ended up surpassing my goal for the 10-day period.
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Angels & Demons for the "antonyms in title" prompt. It had been on my TBR for ages and this was a great time to enjoy it!
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon?
I didn't much care for Five Days in Paris, which I read for the "set in France" prompt. I had planned to read in June anyway for a monthly challenge, so no harm done.
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
A couple of spreadsheet changes: doubles and triples could have a row per prompt, so that if one person reads two or three, they don't all go into one cell. This makes the prompts per person row accurate, too. (Borrowed this idea from another team to adjust my own team's spreadsheet.) Also, having book cells set to "wrap text" would be nice.
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
We Are Family. Traditional, non-traditional, foster, adopted, divorced, blended. Family members in title/cover: sister, son, uncle, stepmother. Family events: wedding, birth, death, reunion, vacation. Families in different countries, of different religions, migrants, refugees. Family-like groups: support groups, clubs, co-workers, best friends, church, military units. Singles: seeking a mate, ace/arom, vows (priests, nuns, monks).
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
n/a

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
- Working with the team to find books to fit the various prompts

2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
-Surpassed by far. I only signed up for 3-4 books as that is what I normally read in a week and I didn't know if any of the prompts would fit the books I had lined up. It also pushed me to read books that I had on my TBR for a long time that I kept putting off.

3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon?
Cartier's Hope and Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial

4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon?
To the Lighthouse which I read for the book that you should have read in school prompt. I had this on my list for another challenge and am glad that I read it but it confirmed that I am not a big Virgina Woolfe fan.

5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
- I agree with some of the spreadsheet changes that Terryjane mentioned. Clarification on the team books. I would suggest calling them "Team Inspired Books - pick 2" and put them in one master list instead of separating them out by team. That way, it is clear that a team can read any 2 of the team books.

6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
- Not sure since this was my first readathon. I thought the prompts were good. Not too narrow that it was hard to find a book for except for the history teacher and set in a museum prompts but wide enough that if you couldn't find a book, your teammate could.

7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
n/a However, depending on when the next one would be, I would consider co-leading if my schedule allowed it.

Thanks for a fun event!

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon? It was my first team Readathon and I liked how we worked together to make sure we could complete as many prompts as we could. It was very collaborative in that we helped each other by finding suitable prompts for each book including some we hadn't thought of ourselves.
bailey did an excellent job of organising it too. Thank you 😀
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals? Yes. I signed up for 3-4 books and ended up reading 6.
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon? Well all of my books were 4 star reads but I particularly liked Good Girl, Bad Blood
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon? N/A
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? Some of the prompts were quite challenging so maybe fewer prompts with the opportunity of bonus prompts after the team has completed the original set. Also, on the last day I finished my books early but carried on reading - it was a shame I couldn't count those pages but the rules said completed books only. Finally, I agree with the other commenters so far about amending the spreadsheet.
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons? I don't really have a preference but think they should have a theme.
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again? N/A

This Readathon was a first for me and I really enjoyed it! A huge thanks to @Brittany, our team leader for reaching out to me!
I loved my first Readathon experience and I am looking forward to participating again. Thank you to everyone who put this together.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
That it encouraged me to read/listen to more books and also to look for different books!
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Yes, it most certainly did encourage me to read/listen more.
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon?
Atomic Habits.
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon?
Wild dogs.
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
Nothing at this stage!
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
I would love to participate in a Sci-Fi Readathon!

7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
Not applicable to me!

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon? Getting to know my team and working with them
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals? I definitely surpassed my goal! I kept pushing myself to read more!
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon? Firefly: Still Flying: A Celebration of Joss Whedon's Acclaimed TV Series
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon? Live by Night
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? I think the multiples (doubles and triples) should be worth more than the singles because they are harder to achieve. But every book was worth 50 points, regardless of which prompts they filled. Maybe have singles worth 50, doubles 150, triples 300?
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons? Nothing I can think of
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again? I had a great group and everyone pitched in to help! Would do it again!

Thank you Bailey! You have done an incredible job organizing this and getting it going!

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
I like the challenge of finding books to fit the prompts. I reconsidered which books, multiple times. (Some even before the readathon started.)
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Yes.
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon?
Bone Deep
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon?
How to Order the Universe
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? Mainly the spreadsheet, as others have mentioned.
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
Nothing in particular comes to mind right now.
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
Probably. I was a little nervous, at times.

Hola! 🙋‍♀️

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
The team spirit, the flexibility to adapt to the needs of the group, and the opportunity to get to know and socialize with new people.
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Definitively. I started with a goal of 8-10 books and ended up reading 22 books!
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon?
I gave 5 stars to 4 books:
Castillos de cartón
Wind, Sand and Stars
Respiración artificial
La dama de las camelias
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon?
I liked all my books
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
Maybe more points for the double/triple prompts
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
Any old thing will do, I have no particular predilection.
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
N/A.
I really appreciate their job! And yours too, bailey!

THANKS! 🤗

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
- It was fun finding books to fit the various prompts (and books that fit several prompts in case the original prompt was already filled). I hadn't realized that so many books I read take place in and around museums and/or cemeteries (not that either category was used, since the particular titles fit other categories better)!
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
I'm glad that I said at least three (usually I'd offer more and not achieve my goal!) and I'm glad that I actually five! (thus almost achieving my "up to six" goal). It also gave me a chance to actually read a title that I've been longing to read for about 3 years (and somehow not-quite getting around to it) and which became my favorite book read for the Readathon.
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon? Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence: I borrowed it from the library, and I am now purchasing a copy for me and for at least two besties! It's a yummy read!! Plus ... by a librarian and I'm ... a librarian?!?
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon? I liked everything that I finished, but although I love Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels, and I've wanted to read one of her nonfiction titles under her actual name of Barbara Mertz, when push came to shove, I didn't end up reading Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt. I ended up more heavily scheduled than anticipated and didn't think I could read through so dense a book quickly. Maybe next time.
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons? I agree with everything that TerryJane, KSMary, and Carri Carey said.
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons? Not to be repetitive, but I endorse both TerryJane's and Donné's suggestions.
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again? I did neither, but I would volunteer to assist next time.

This was fun! Thanks!

Hi 👋 I am just seeing this thread now. Thanks for putting on this readathon! Here are my answers.

1. What was your favorite aspect of the Readathon?
It was awesome to get so much reading done in a few days and I loved working with my team to finish prompts!
2. Did this Readathon help you achieve or surpass your personal reading goals?
Yes! I signed up for 6-7 books, and ended up finishing 11.
3. What was your favorite book read for the Readathon?
There were so many good ones, but I will have to go with Dracula.
4. What was your least favorite book read for the Readathon?
I honesty liked all the books I read for this readathon, but I will say the audiobook for Hostage was not my favorite. There were many character POVs, but only one person reading with the same voice. It made it a little confusing. I still enjoyed the story, but I would recommend the book over the audiobook.
5. What would you like to see done differently in future Readathons?
I like the idea of having the double or triple prompts count for more. I would also like to have some examples for the prompts, especially for the more specific ones.
6. What themes and/or activities would you like to see for future Readathons?
I really liked the themes and the prompts.
7. If you had a leader or assistant role, how was your experience and would you volunteer to do it again?
I was only a leader for a few hours 😅 I enjoyed my limited experience in that role, and I would volunteer for it again. It was also nice just being a teammate.

Thanks again!