Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon: #TBR and Updates | April 2021

Posted April 24, 2021 by Kaity in Readathon, TBR / 1 Comment

Happy Readathon Day!

It’s here it’s here it’s here!!!!! I don’t know about you, but I look forward to Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathons as much as (or more than) I look forward to other holidays now. This readathon is especially exciting because I’m going to be co-hosting on the @Readathon Blog and Twitter for Hours 7+8, then hosting a twitter party @kaitplusbooks for hour 12! But! Since you’re here for the updates and challenge entries, I’ll stop writing my intro now and let you see what you came here for!

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon: #TBR and Updates | April 2021

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson
Published on May 4, 2021 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Pages: 416
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Two girls. One night. Zero phones.
Kat and Stevie—best friends, theater kids, polar opposites—have snuck away from the suburbs to spend a night in New York City. They have it all planned out. They’ll see a play, eat at the city’s hottest restaurant, and have the best. Night. Ever. What could go wrong?
Well. Kind of a lot?
They’re barely off the train before they’re dealing with destroyed phones, family drama, and unexpected Pomeranians. Over the next few hours, they’ll have to grapple with old flames, terrible theater, and unhelpful cab drivers. But there are also cute boys to kiss, parties to crash, dry cleaning to deliver (don’t ask), and the world’s best museum to explore.
Over the course of a wild night in the city that never sleeps, both Kat and Stevie will get a wake-up call about their friendship, their choices…and finally discover what they really want for their future.
That is, assuming they can make it to Grand Central before the clock strikes midnight.

Don't Lose Your Head: Life Lessons from the Six Ex-Wives of Henry VIII by Harriet Marsden
Published on February 16, 2021 by Ulysses Press
Genres: History, Non-Fiction, YA
Pages: 192
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads

Survive alongside Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and the rest of King Henry VIII’s ill-fated wives with this witty book of essential life advice, history, and trivia—the perfect handbook for fans of the hit musical Six.
Get the inside scoop from some of the toughest women in English history, as ex-wives, mothers, and daughters of King Henry VIII dish out all their survival secrets in this humorous guide to life. With a bit of sarcasm and friendly charm, each of these legendary ladies explains how their 16th-century hard-earned lessons (from living with unstable men to stifling Tudor traditions) apply to 21st-century dating, marriage, and feminism.
Written from the perspectives of each of the different women around Henry VIII, you’ll get the facts from the Queen Mother and the less-remembered but no less important Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and more.
With must-know historical trivia alongside wise life advice, Don’t Lose Your Head is the perfect survival guide for fans obsessed with Broadway’s latest historical pop musical Six, as well as anyone fascinated by British royalty and culture.

Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy by Kelly Jensen, Alice Wong
Published on August 18, 2020 by Algonquin Young Readers
Genres: Anthology, Non-Fiction, YA
Pages: 256
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: NetGalley
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It’s time to bare it all about bodies! We all experience the world in a body, but we don’t usually take the time to explore what it really means to have and live within one. Just as every person has a unique personality, every person has a unique body, and every body tells its own story. In Body Talk, thirty-seven writers, models, actors, musicians, and artists share essays, lists, comics, and illustrations—about everything from size and shape to scoliosis, from eating disorders to cancer, from sexuality and gender identity to the use of makeup as armor. Together, they contribute a broad variety of perspectives on what it’s like to live in their particular bodies—and how their bodies have helped to inform who they are and how they move through the world. Come on in, turn the pages, and join the celebration of our diverse, miraculous, beautiful bodies!

[Don't] Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health by Kelly Jensen
Published on October 2, 2018 by Algonquin Young Readers
Genres: Anthology, Non-Fiction, YA
Pages: 228
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Who’s Crazy? What does it mean to be crazy? Is using the word crazy offensive? What happens when such a label gets attached to your everyday experiences? In order to understand mental health, we need to talk openly about it. Because there’s no single definition of crazy, there’s no single experience that embodies it, and the word itself means different things—wild? extreme? disturbed? passionate?—to different people. (Don’t) Call Me Crazy is a conversation starter and guide to better understanding how our mental health affects us every day. Thirty-three writers, athletes, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and do not talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person’s brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy. If you’ve ever struggled with your mental health, or know someone who has, come on in, turn the pages, and let’s get talking.

Twins: A Graphic Novel by Varian Johnson, Shannon Wright
Published on October 6, 2020 by Graphix
Genres: Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade
Pages: 256
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Coretta Scott King Honor author Varian Johnson teams up with rising cartoonist Shannon Wright for a delightful middle-grade graphic novel!Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran -- a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister!
Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there's nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good?

The Time Museum by Matthew Loux
Series: Time Museum #1
Published on February 21, 2017 by First Second
Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Time Travel
Pages: 250
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The internship program at the Time Museum is a little unusual. For one thing, kids as young as twelve get to apply for these prestigious summer jobs. And as for the applicant pool . . . well, these kids come from all over history.
When Delia finds herself working at the Time Museum, the last thing she expects is to be sent on time-traveling adventures with an unlikely gang of kids from across the eons. From a cave-boy to a girl from the distant future, Delia's team represents nearly all of human history! They're going to need all their skills for the challenge they've got in store . . . defending the Time Museum itself!

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks
Series: The Nameless City #1
Published on April 5, 2016 by First Second
Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade
Pages: 232
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The City has many names... and no name.
Built on an ancient mountain pass, the City is forever being invaded by one nation or another, and every new master gives it a new name. But for the natives, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders.
Dreamy, sheltered Kaidu is one such outsider. He's a Dao born and bred — a son of the latest nation to occupy the Nameless City. Cynical, street-smart Rat is a native, and at first she hates Kai for everything he stands for. But Kai's love of his new home may be the one thing that can unite these two unlikely friends. And they will need to stand together at all costs...
...because the fate of the Nameless City rests in their hands.

All Summer Long by Hope Larson
Series: Eagle Rock #1
Published on May 1, 2018 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Genres: Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade
Pages: 176
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Author Links: Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram

A coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel about summer and friendships, written and illustrated by the Eisner Award–winning and New York Times–bestselling Hope Larson. Thirteen-year-old Bina has a long summer ahead of her. She and her best friend, Austin, usually do everything together, but he's off to soccer camp for a month, and he's been acting kind of weird lately anyway. So it's up to Bina to see how much fun she can have on her own. At first it's a lot of guitar playing, boredom, and bad TV, but things look up when she finds an unlikely companion in Austin's older sister, who enjoys music just as much as Bina. But then Austin comes home from camp, and he's acting even weirder than when he left. How Bina and Austin rise above their growing pains and reestablish their friendship and respect for their differences makes for a touching and funny coming-of-age story.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
Published on May 11, 2021 by Wednesday Books
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, YA, Queer
Pages: 272
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: NetGalley
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, TikTok

Lara's had eyes for exactly one person throughout her three years of high school: Chase Harding. He's tall, strong, sweet, a football star, and frankly, stupid hot. Oh, and he's talking to her now. On purpose and everything. Maybe...flirting, even? No, wait, he's definitely flirting, which is pretty much the sum of everything Lara's wanted out of life.
Except she’s haunted by a memory. A memory of a confusing, romantic, strangely perfect summer spent with a girl named Jasmine. A memory that becomes a confusing, disorienting present when Jasmine herself walks through the front doors of the school to see Lara and Chase chatting it up in front of the lockers.
Lara has everything she ever wanted: a tight-knit group of friends, a job that borders on cool, and Chase, the boy of her literal dreams. But if she's finally got the guy, why can't she stop thinking about the girl?
Cool for the Summer is a story of self-discovery and new love. It’s about the things we want and the things we need. And it’s about the people who will let us be who we are.

Mary Anne Saves the Day by Raina Telgemeier, Ann M. Martin
Series: The Baby-Sitter's Club #3
Published on October 27, 2015 by Graphix
Genres: Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade
Pages: 160
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Who would have guessed that when the BSC girls get in a huge fight, it's shy and quiet Mary Anne who manages to save their friendship?When a terrible fight breaks out among the four Baby-Sitters Club friends, Mary Anne is left to her own devices. She has to sit by herself at lunch, make new friends, and deal with her overprotective father without advice from the BSC gang. But the worst part is when she faces a terrible baby-sitting predicament, and she can't find any help.Luckily, Mary Anne rises to the occasion. Not only does she handle all her problems with aplomb, she also manages to get the BSC back together again.

Update One:

9:42 am: Okay, first update! I woke up on time this morning, got ready and went to the store for some refreshments, decided that since today is a bookish holiday I deserved Starbucks, drove to Starbucks (half an hour drive, fifteen minutes in the drive thru line), and then drove back home! And while I was in the car, I listened to my audiobook and finished it! So it’s not quite ten o’clock here (less than two hours since readathon started), and I’ve already completed my first book! yay! Lots of exclamation points in this update. Okay. Going to enjoy my frappacino and read a few graphic novels, then I’ll be back for more updates! See you soon!

update two:

1:47 pm: Second update! I’ve finished two books so far and I’m about halfway through book three! I’ll write a longer update in a little bit, because right now it’s time for me to go over and co-host for hours 7+8! See you on the readathon blog and twitter!

update three:

3:54 pm: I just finished my co-hosting hours! I had lots of fun on the twitter account, and I can’t wait to host my twitter party in a few more hours. I’m starting to get really hungry, probably because I haven’t eaten anything yet today. Oops. Time for an audiobook and nachos!

update four:

6:48 pm: mini challenge time! I’m going to be hosting a twitter party at 7, so that will be lots of fun! I haven’t gotten back to my graphic novels or non-fiction yet, but I have listened to 32% of Kate in Waiting on audio and it is DELIGHTFUL. I also fed myself and my puppers supper, which is a success. I suppose now I should try and complete all the other mini challenges, since I love to do that, then maybe after twitter I’ll get back to my books. See you soon!

update five:

10:29 pm: uh oh. I’m feeling very tired. very sleepy. very… it’s time to go to bed now. 🙁 I think this might be it for me tonight.

Today you can find my mini challenge, Bookish Would You Rather, right here!

I’ll update this with other mini-challenges as the day goes on!

Opening Survey

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Maine, USA!

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

I’m really excited to finally read the Kelly Jensen anthologies! I’ve had them on my tbr for a while but I wanted to save them for something like today where I could read them all at once.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Weirdly, I’m never as excited about the snacks as I am about my drinks. Today I have two special things to drink- a starbucks frappacino (yum!) and the new Mountain Dew Major Melon.

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I got new glasses yesterday! And you probably already guessed this, but I love exclamation points! 🙂

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

Well, this is my second time co-hosting, and this time I made sure that I have all morning to just read, since that’s when I’m most productive!

bingo

Mid-Event Survey

1) What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Don’t Lose Your Head by Harriet Marsden and I’m listening to the audiobook of Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli!

2) How many books have you read so far?

I’ve finished 2- Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler and Mary Anne Saves the Day by Raina Telgemeier, and I’m about 30% ish done with both of the books I’m currently reading!

3) Which book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the readathon?

I’m cautiously optimistic about Take Me Home Tonight. Officially, I started reading it… 11 days ago? But I’m still less than 100 pages in because I just cannot get into the story. So I’m looking forward to either really liking it or just giving up on it!

4) Have you had many interruptions? If so, how have you dealt with those?

ha. haha. hahaha. um… I started off so well! and then I had to finish a blog post and my brother came over to visit and then it was time to get on the @readathon twitter and then and then and then… basically my entire afternoon/evening has been one big distraction. right now I may or may not be watching avengers: endgame with my dad instead of reading…..

5) What has surprised you most about the readathon so far?

how difficult it is to stay focused!