My eyes are begging me for a nap, but if I don’t do this post now, I will be in trouble because I want to tell you about this readathon, and if I don’t make some kind of TBR, I might not be able to read that book, and I will explain why soon. Next month, I’m taking part in Read-a-thin. I have actually been taking part in Read-a-thin since it started in 2017, and I try not to miss a round. Read-a-thin is a month-long readathon, and the aim is to read as many books on your TBR as possible. To say that I’m excited about the reading sprints is underrated. The hosts are Donna (Donna.MarieReads) and Manda (MandaTheBiblio). There are rounds in February, May, August and November, I believe.
The aim:
The aim is to read as many books on your TBR as possible in one month. The books I consider my TBR are on Goodreads, the Kindle app, and blog lists; I will try to focus on my blog lists the most.
The Prompts:
READ A BOOK WITH A BRIGHT COVER: This can be bright colours on the cover or a really “sunny” cover.
Goodreads Blurb:
Two guarded hearts. One chance to heal.
Bette Cooper’s life went from upper-class comfort to rock bottom overnight. After twenty years of marriage, her wife left her for someone half her age, pushed her out of the business they built together, and, to add insult to injury, she had to move back in with her mother. Forced to rebuild her life, Bette takes the first steps toward starting over by accepting a job that she once would have thought was beneath her, causing her pride to take a hit. It doesn’t help that her new coworker is a woman made completely out of ice and unwelcoming.
Addiction counselor Kerrie Matthews is no stranger to burying her emotions. Maintaining her long-term sobriety and control is how she copes—keeping everything tightly managed so nothing spirals out of reach. When her twin brother with special needs faces a health setback, it frightens her into tightening her hold on things she can control around her. She channels all her energy into caring for him and immersing herself in her work, convinced that relying on others is a risk she can’t afford. So when her boss assigns a new assistant to help, Kerrie meets the offer with guarded skepticism rather than gratitude, unwilling to trust someone else with the things she believes only she can handle, even at risk to her own health.
As these two women face new beginnings, one question can the unexpected connection between them help them heal, or will their past struggles and fears make it too difficult to trust again?
| SUMMER HOPEFUL | Read a book from your Summer hopefuls list. If you finished everything, then read a genre you associate with Summer or a book that gives you those Summer vibes. |
Goodreads Blurb:
In the heart of South Florida, five lifelong friends are turning dreams into a reality with The Sand Drift Beach Bar, where the cocktails are ice-cold, the vibes are warm, and love is always served with a twist.
Noah is a successful pediatric dentist with a laid-back charm and ocean-blue eyes—but when it comes to relationships, he’s always been a beat too late, a step out of sync… until Taylor.
Taylor, the stunning, sharp-witted guardian of one of his favorite young patients, has lived rent-free in his mind since the day they met. Their conversations have been brief, polite, and frustratingly professional—until fate throws them together.
When Taylor signs on as the architect for The Sand Drift, Noah finally gets his chance. Sparks fly, banter heats up, and beneath it all, something deeper starts to grow. For the first time in a long time, Noah believes this could actually be something real.
But Taylor has a secret—one that could send everything crumbling like a sandcastle at high tide.
| ANTICIPATED RELEASE/ARC | This doesn’t have to be an anticipated August release, but maybe a book you preordered or put on an anticipated releases list. |
Expected 13 Aug 26
| AUTHOR OF COLOR | Read a book by a non-white author. |
Goodreads Blurb:
How far would you go to protect your land? To protect your family?
Told in multiple points of view, Together We See follows Ulá Dominguez, a Bribri-American teenager, searching for the truth behind her land-activist father’s mysterious death on their Native territory in Costa Rica. Ulá and her brother, Kabék, uncover secrets and corruption as they face off against illegal loggers, kidnappers, settlers, and the local government in the hunt for clues. Their only allies are a few family friends and relatives still living in Bribri, as well as a young journalist, who may be in danger himself. But as details of their father’s death emerge, long-held trust is broken. And in this sinister web of deception, no one is safe.
Inspired by real-world missing, dead, and attacked Indigenous activists, award-winning author Ari Tison writes her first novel in prose and pushes the envelope yet again by pulling together a propulsive story full of grief, environmental justice, and the fight for retribution.
| TITLE WITH GROUPS OR CLUBS | This is the Buzzword Title prompt for the month. So whatever book you’re reading for that. If you’re not doing Buzzword, then read a book with a title that has group, society, etc in the title. |
Goodreads Blurb:
First Rule of Spite Club: Don’t fall for your fake boyfriend.
Here’s what happened:
My boyfriend cheated on me with Nick Mason’s girlfriend.
We’re both angry. What better way to get revenge than to pretend to get together out of spite?
Nick is rude and rebellious and completely freaking gorgeous. He’s not my type, and I’m not his. There’s no way we would work outside of our little game of dirty sex and well kept secrets.
The problem is, he’s an addiction. Or maybe a plague.
The more time I spend with him, the more I risk my good-girl image and my carefully built life.
I might want what’s bad for me. I might want Nick. And I might have to convince him – if I can survive him.
| WEATHER ON COVER | Any form of weather counts here, but if you’re choosing sunny, just make sure there is a sun visible on the cover. |
Goodreads Blurb:
Gene Caldwell has given up on love. After two messy divorces and countless failed relationships, he’s sixty-one, he’s single, and he’s done trying.
Terry Hanson still believes in love, but after burying two partners in thirty years, he’s prepared to spend the rest of his life alone. Even if the nights get cold, he refuses to go through that heartbreak a third time.
At a mutual friend’s wedding reception, the two men bond over their loneliness and cynicism. They spend the evening commiserating… and the rest of the night pretending they’ll be able to walk away from each other in the morning.
Neither can help coming back for more. They can’t get enough of each other’s touch, the affection they’ve both been starving for, and the companionship they both crave and fear.
If they lower their decades-old defenses, they’ll risk more heartbreak. If they don’t lower those defenses, though, they’ll miss out on love that was worth waiting half a century to find.
| GIVE A BOOK/SERIES/AUTHOR A LAST CHANCE | Maybe try to finish that book you’ve tried reading before, but couldn’t get through. Or maybe an author or series that you’re unsure if you want to continue reading. Give it a last chance. |
Goodreads Blurb:
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each other, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.
The author’s writing style and I don’t vibe well.
| WEEKATHON OR OTHER CHALLENGE | Read a book that goes toward Weekathon (Ellorna’s readathon that’s hosted in the Next Chapter Discord) or, if you don’t have Discord, just any challenge. |
I will read a book with a blog list, not sure which one yet.
| BOOK IN A SERIES | Read a book that’s a part of a series. Preferably later in the series and even better if it’s the final book. |
Trying to read all the books in the series I have, wish me luck.
| SUMMER OBJECT ON THE COVER | Think sunglassed, flip flops/sandals, beach umbrellas, RV vans or a car on a road trip, shorts, the sun, etc. |
Goodreads Blurb:
he book is always better than the movie. But occasionally, life is better than the book.
Ten years ago I made a mortifying, life-altering mistake. Now, this once seemingly insignificant choice is threatening to wreck my entire existence. And possibly throw Tristan Palmer—my next-door-neighbor and the guy I’ve had a secret crush on for the entirety of my life—into the fray unaware.
The mistake?
I am Sunny Palmer. As in the anonymous, best-selling author of over a dozen beloved romances and renowned thief of Tristan’s last name. Okay, not renowned yet, thank the high heavens! But that news will spread like wildfire if people discover that this introverted book nerd is the woman behind the pen name. And the fact that my first book, Secret Crush, is Tristan’s and my fictionalized love story leaves zero room for calling it anything but what it is—a travesty of greatest proportions.
That’s why NO ONE can know! Ever!
So it’s wretched luck that when I finally visit Sunset Harbor, the small-town island where I grew up, I run into the still heart-stopping, book-boyfriend-worthy man himself. And shockingly, Tristan seems intent on reminding me what the island has to offer. Because that’s what friends do.
Logic demands I resist his charm and guard my secret at all costs, which is why it’s vastly unfortunate that Tristan Palmer was and always will be … my greatest weakness.
| QUICK & FUN READ | This is just any book that you can read quickly and find to be fun. This is very personal, so I can’t really tell you WHAT to read. |
Goodreads Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Cooper is back after twelve months at Guiding Hearts Home for Troubled Girls, and nothing is the way it was. Her mom has remarried and now there’s a big new house, a shiny new family, and a fancy new school. Jas feels completely out of place, and things only get more complicated when her mom insists that her “fresh start” include hiding the truth of where she’s been and cutting off people from her past.
As Jas settles into her new life bonding with her seemingly perfect stepsister, making a close-knit group of besties, and maybe even falling for the cute girl in class, it starts to feel like her second chance might actually be real.
But when a friend from the detention center reaches out to reconnect, Jas worries that everything she’s built could fall apart. How long can she keep her past a secret? And how many times can she spin the truth before she forgets who she really is?
The Self-Care Prompts:
| Prompt | Explanation |
|---|---|
| RANDOM GENERATE TO PICK SELF CARE | Use any sort of random generator (wheel, dice, etc.) to choose a self care task. Feel free to do this multiple times throughout Readathin. |
| DO SOMETHING YOU’VE BEEN PUTTING OFF | We’ve all been putting off things, now’s the time to do it. Clean that area of your house that you’ve been putting off, go through the photos on your phone, finish that project you haven’t picked up in a while, schedule that doctor’s appointment. |
| WATCH SOMETHING | Watch a tv show, movie, some YouTube. Whatever you feel like watching. |
| ENJOY SOME FRESH AIR/AMBIENCE | Try to get some fresh air, but if the weather doesn’t allow for that, then feel free to use an ambience video. |
| PICNIC WITH YOUR CURRENT READ | Again, if the weather doesn’t permit or you’re unable to do an “actual” picnic, feel free to do it indoors or make it accessible for you. |
| SPEND AN AFTERNOON CREATING | Work on your hobby, bake or cook, content creation, or whatever else you can think of! |
| READ IN BED FOR AN HOUR | Feel free to break this up over time or repeat it however many times you want! |
| “GOOF OFF” HAVE FUN | Instead of doing something you’re supposed to be doing, just goof off and have some fun. Though, maybe don’t do it at work or school. |
| AUTUMN HOPEFULS LIST | That’s right! We have this again! Just make a list of some books you want to read during the Autumn season. |
| COOL DOWN | Get some ice cream, some lemonade or iced coffee, or shove your head in your freezer. Whatever you need to do to cool down! |
| TRY SOMETHING NEW | Try a new food, hobby, book, etc. Just something new to you. |
| SELF CARE DAY/WEEKEND | Spend some time focusing on you, resting and relaxing. Or whatever YOU count as self care. |
Happy Reading,
Alex
Good luck on your readathon! It’s always nice to get that TBR down!!!
Good luck on your reading 🙂