Bookish Banter: Readathons and Reading Pressure
Readthons.
We've all heard of them; and, if you've survived middle school in any capacity, you've probably participated in one. That said, as a working and functioning adult, I can't understand how anyone can complete one.
Allow me to clarify.
I love reading and have recently gotten back into it after falling off the bandwagon a few years ago. I think readathons are a brilliant and effective way to get people to read. But, for people like me, they are also rather intimidating and can really pack on the pressure.
I mean, take the Harry Potter inspired O.W.L.S Magical Readathon for example:
I discovered this readathon earlier this year and absolutely loved the idea. Essentially, you create a TBR list to be completed within the month of April based on the prompts determined by whichever magical career you chose for the challenge. Spoiler: there are 22 careers to choose from. Twenty-two! There's pressure number one.
For this specific readathon, there are 12 prompts overall and - based on my brief skimming - each magical career has a four to five book reading list for the month. Not bad, right?
I don't consider myself to be a slow reader, but by no means would I be able to successfully start AND COMPLETE four or five separate books in four weeks. Not even when I was at my best. I am the type that likes to read one book at a time; unless I'm reading a book for enjoyment in tandem with a textbook.
I follow many booktubers on YouTube and find that these individuals, on average, complete anywhere from 7 to 10+ books a month. I must applaud these readers. That is a miraculous feat for sure. Even if I pushed myself, I don't think I'd be able to complete more than two books a month - and that includes competing with my full-time work schedule.
I know it's not right to compare, but I can't help but feel inadequate in my reading abilities when I hear that someone has ticked off 20 books from their TBR list over the course of three weeks.
So...I have decided to take the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon and twist it in away that works for me and my schedule. I am going to complete all twelve prompts in however long it takes me. That way, I am continuing to push myself to read, but am not making it a chore. There was nothing I hated more than being forced to read a book within a certain time frame, school was notorious for this - so why would I purposefully do it to myself now?
I want to avoid hitting an indefinite reading slump like I have in the past; and think that this is just the way to keep myself going.
On that note, thank you for visiting, happy reading and Go Slytherin!
We've all heard of them; and, if you've survived middle school in any capacity, you've probably participated in one. That said, as a working and functioning adult, I can't understand how anyone can complete one.
Allow me to clarify.
I love reading and have recently gotten back into it after falling off the bandwagon a few years ago. I think readathons are a brilliant and effective way to get people to read. But, for people like me, they are also rather intimidating and can really pack on the pressure.
I mean, take the Harry Potter inspired O.W.L.S Magical Readathon for example:
I discovered this readathon earlier this year and absolutely loved the idea. Essentially, you create a TBR list to be completed within the month of April based on the prompts determined by whichever magical career you chose for the challenge. Spoiler: there are 22 careers to choose from. Twenty-two! There's pressure number one.
For this specific readathon, there are 12 prompts overall and - based on my brief skimming - each magical career has a four to five book reading list for the month. Not bad, right?
I don't consider myself to be a slow reader, but by no means would I be able to successfully start AND COMPLETE four or five separate books in four weeks. Not even when I was at my best. I am the type that likes to read one book at a time; unless I'm reading a book for enjoyment in tandem with a textbook.
I follow many booktubers on YouTube and find that these individuals, on average, complete anywhere from 7 to 10+ books a month. I must applaud these readers. That is a miraculous feat for sure. Even if I pushed myself, I don't think I'd be able to complete more than two books a month - and that includes competing with my full-time work schedule.
I know it's not right to compare, but I can't help but feel inadequate in my reading abilities when I hear that someone has ticked off 20 books from their TBR list over the course of three weeks.
So...I have decided to take the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon and twist it in away that works for me and my schedule. I am going to complete all twelve prompts in however long it takes me. That way, I am continuing to push myself to read, but am not making it a chore. There was nothing I hated more than being forced to read a book within a certain time frame, school was notorious for this - so why would I purposefully do it to myself now?
I want to avoid hitting an indefinite reading slump like I have in the past; and think that this is just the way to keep myself going.
On that note, thank you for visiting, happy reading and Go Slytherin!
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