#24in28 Wrap-Up

This past weekend was the 24 in 48 Readathon where participants tried to read 24 hours of the 48 hours from 12:01am Saturday through midnight on Sunday. This was my first time participating in this particular readathon and I already have my calendar marked for the next one because it was a LOT of fun!

Here's what I ended up reading:

Plus about 2 hours of the adiobook Born with Teeth by Kate Mulgrew and about 1.5 hours of the audiobook The Fireman by Joe Hill (read by Kate Mulgrew). 

California Dreamin': Cass Elliot Before the Mamas and the Papas by Penelope Bagieu (First Second, coming March 2017)

We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement that Defied Adolf Hitler by Russell Freedman (Clarion, May 2016). 

Loving Vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell (Chronicle, coming January 2017). 

Ten Days a Madwoman: The Daring Life and Turbulent Times of the Original "Girl" Reporter, Nellie Bly by Deborah Noyes (Viking, February 2016). 

Some Writer: The Story of EB White by Melissa Sweet (HMH Books for Young Readers, coming October 2016). 

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee (Putnam, May 2016). 

Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick (Scholastic, coming September 2016). 

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo (Flatiron Books, May 2016). 

Total, I read for 24 hours and I read 1881 pages (plus 3.5 hours of audiobook time). 

I had a blast checking in on Litsy throughout the readathon, which ended up being the easiest way for me to post quick updates. I wanted to use as much time for reading this weekend as I could, so quick updates were way easier than blog posts. I did have to take some time out on Sunday to deal with a work issue and to help deal with our AC going out (ack!). Having some good audiobooks to turn to allowed me to get some exercise this weekend and do some chores around the house (plus give my eyes a little break!). 

For future readathons, I will probably set my reading goal a little lower because I do enjoy taking some time to check in on social media and I would have liked to be blogging throughout the readathon. I think I did a good job at having a variety of genres and formats at my disposal, which makes it easier for me to switch things up and keep going. 

This was a really great way to delve into some books I'd been meaning to get to and books that I am really excited about sharing. I really want to thank everyone who made the 24in48 Readathon happen, especially our hosts Rachel and the folks at Litsy. 

My calendar is already marked for the next readathon weekend: January 21-22, 2017! Mark yours, too, and join in the fun!

24 in 48 Readathon!

The 24 in 48 Readathon is this coming weekend and I am getting excited! Since MotherReader's 48 Hour Book Challenge retired, there has been a readathon-shaped hole in my heart, so I'm super excited to join the community of readers who will be dedicating this weekend to reading!

I have LITERALLY hundreds of books on my TBR bookshelf, so I will not be at a loss for choices, but I have pulled out a few that I have been super looking forward to, which I hope to get to this weekend. There's no way I will finish all of these, but I've got some great titles to choose from!

My husband will be joining me in the readathon this weekend and he's picking out a stack of graphic novels to devour. I'm not sure if I'll make it to 24 hours, but I'm going to shoot for at least 20 hours with a stretch goal of 24 hours. We'll see!

I'll be posting updates here and also probably on Litsy (@abbylibrarian) and maybe Instagram, so feel free to follow!

Want to join in the fun? Head over to 24in48.com to sign up and follow hashtag #24in48 to see how everyone's doing!

On Feeling Overwhelmed: Part II

Here is Howie, looking as overwhelmed as I feel

In December, I wrote about feeling overwhelmed on the ALSC Blog. I want to write about how overwhelmed I have been feeling this summer. But when I start, everything gets bogged down in details that I don't feel entirely at liberty to share.

Suffice to say:

• It has been summer. 
• I am short-staffed. 
• I have had to face a reality check about the amount of programming we can offer at our new staffing levels. 
• Even with reduced programs, everyone (including me) will be working extra evenings and weekends to help cover. Maybe not indefinitely? But maybe indefinitely. 
• I have a lot of emotions about this. 
• I am feeling extremely burnt out. 

And that is why I haven't been blogging very much over the past couple of months. I have been feeling uninspired. When I am at work, I don't generally have time to blog because there is So Much Else Right Now. And when I am at home, I just desperately want to unplug from the library world. 

And I would love to say that this post is my entry back into the world of regular blogging, but the truth is that the light at the end of the tunnel is still basically a pinprick. Blogging will continue to be sporadic.  

Bear with me, friends. And also go tune into Bryce's awesome series of Summer Reading Hype Videos instead of reading my whining.