Yup, it’s time to officially announce the Sixth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge — that weekend extravaganza that lets you say, “Back off, I’m reading.” Sign up in the comments today, and talk it up. It’s go time!- The weekend is June 3–5, 2011. Read and blog for any 48-hour period within the Friday-to-Monday-morning window. Start no sooner than 7:00 a.m. on Friday the third and end no later than 7:00 a.m. Monday the sixth. So, go from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday... or maybe 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 a.m. Monday works better for you. But once begun, the 48 hours do need to be in a row. That said, during that 48-hour period you may still have gaps of time in which you can’t read, and that’s fine. (In fact this weekend, I’ll have a huge gap as I take the Girl Scouts to a Medieval Times dinner on Saturday.)
- The books should be middle-grade, young adult, or adult books. If you are generally a picture book blogger, consider this a good time to get caught up on all those wonderful books you’ve been hearing about. Graphic novels can be included in the reading. One audiobook can also be included in your time and book total — helpful if you have somewhere to drive to or need to prepare dinner, etc.
- The top three winners will be based only on time commitment, not number of books. So if you are heading into the 30+ hours club or 40+ hours club, track your time carefully. International winners may be given gift cards instead of books due to mailing costs, unless a U.S. address is provided.
- It’s your call as to how much you want to put into it. If you want to skip sleep and showers to do this — and some people do — go for it. If you want to be a bit more laid back, fine. But you have to put something into it or it’s not a challenge. Twelve hours is the benchmark for winning prizes.
- The length of the reviews or notes written in your blog are not an issue. You can write a sentence, a paragraph, or a full-length review. Up to you. The time spent reviewing counts in your total time.
- You can include some amount of time reading other participant’s blogs, commenting on participating blogs and Facebook pages, and Twittering about your progress (remember the #48hbc tag!). For every five hours, you can add one hour of networking. This time counts in your total time.
- On your blog, state when you are starting the challenge with a specific entry on that day and leave the link to that post at the Starting Line post at MotherReader on June 3rd (via the trusty Mr. Linky). And please link to the contest on your post.
- When you finish, write a final summary that clearly indicates hours — including partial hours — you spent reading/reviewing/networking, the number of books read, and any other comments you want to make on the experience. It needs to be posted no later than noon EST on Monday, June 6th. Also, check in at the Finish Line post on MotherReader that will be posted Sunday and please link to that post from your final summary post.
I’m always looking for donations for winners’ prize packages and other “door prizes” to be awarded to participants selected at random. Past prizes have included original sketches from Mo Willems and Matthew Holm, signed and sketched books from Adam Rex, loads of signed books, t-shirts from Threadless, artistic blank journals, jewelry, gift cards, notecards, and more. Good stuff. If you’d like to contribute to the prizes this year, shoot me an email at MotherReader AT gmail DOT com.
Sign up now in the comments and block of the dates on your calendar. Questions can also go in the comments, and I will respond in the comments and add to FAQ if needed. Which means, you might check there first. Talk this up, people! I’m just one blogger, one lone voice, making an announcement on the biggest news week of the year. I could use some promotion help.
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115 comments:
Yaaaaaay 48 Hour Book Challenge!! Consider me signed up with bells on! :)
I am signing up for the best weekend of the year. Thanks again for hosting this awesome challenge!
Oh, yay!! Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! (Okay, I've been around 5 year olds too much...)
I didn't have a blog when you did this last year but watched others participate. I'm excited I can do it this year!
I'm in!
Good luck to all of you. Add Beautiful Creatures to your YA to read pile. Excellent read. You might also like The Princess and the Unicorn by Carol Hughes. I interviewed her this week. http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/interview-with-author-carol-hughes.html
Me!
Excellent timing for those of us coming back from BEA (I signed up today!).
I'm excited! This sounds like so much fun!
In!
Sign me up! I can donate a prize...
Hey, count me in. Sorry about that I thought I'd already signed up..check in later tonight. Ciao
I'm in! I've officially posted it up on my blog so no turning back now!
http://www.desirousofeverything.com/2011/05/48-hour-book-challenge.html
I've watched for several years and have now jumped on the blog bandwagon - I'm excited to finally participate!
I am in! For the past two years, I've watched my co-worker do this with jealousy. This year, I'm joining the fun.
I've already been stock piling books and alerting the family that no cleaning, laundry or cooking will take place this particular weekend. I'm trying to get some teachers and students to do this with me!
Fantastic! I love the 48 Hour Book Challenge!
I am most definitely in! My family and friends all know that this is "my" weekend. I'm already getting my book list together and I'll be laying in the supplies within the next week or so.
Ooh I really want to join! I should be writing my school reports by then (it will be a motivation to get them done) so if I have can I join?
That should say 'I should be finished my reports by then...' sorry!
Please sign me up!
I'm in- Wouldn't miss it!
I'm in! I love this challenge, but it has yet to fall on a good weekend for me. This year I'll be taking an obscene amount of time out to attend a wedding. Maybe I'll sneak a book or two into the reception... :)
I don't know how much time I'll have, but if it can whittle down my pile, I'm going for it!
The first full weekend after school ends- I am in. Someone come and get my 2 kids?
Count me in!
Glad to see you are doing this again.
I couldn't do it last year because we were traveling, but happy to say that this year looks good. I even have some books in a pile ready to go.
That last comment from "rowhead" was from Roberta at Wrapped in Foil blog. Must have been signed into my YouTube account and didn't realize it. The wonders of modern technology :-).
Doing the "I'm in" happy dance!
Wouldn't miss it. :-)
I'm in! Sounds like a blast. Can we re-read books or does it have to be new books (to us)?
Another question - when you say 48 hours, but acknowlege that some will need to work, bathe, whatever, can someone who has done this before tell me what that means? For example, do I choose my 48 hours (Friday 8am to Sunday 8am) and then track how many of those hours I actually spend on the challege? Or do I start at 8am Friday and cobble together 48 hours sometime before Monday at 7am?
Thanks!
I know I'm late but count me in as well. Can't wait! Besides, it'll be atrue test of the Iron Guy's determination and endurance!
I'm in! I love this challenge. I hope to get my kids to read along (they don't win prizes, but I include their hours in my donation tally).
I can't wait to join in!!! There are so many YA books that I wanted to read this summer-now I have an excuse to read for a whole weekend!
Heard about this, sounds like fun! Count me in.
Liz,
Wandering and Wondering in Libraryland
I'm in even more this year than ever -- school will have been out for a whole week, so my time will be my own in a way it hasn't been in the other years!
Central Ohio Bloggers will be getting together on Saturday morning for breakfast and a trip to our local independent children's bookstore as part of our celebration of #48hbc!!
Thanks for organizing this amazing event!
I'm in. Can't wait!
I am so in.
I'm in. Natch.
Got my stack ready! My son starts a our public library's summer reading program that weekend too!
I'm in! First time I'll try one of these challenges, excited! Emma @ Words And Peace
Awesome! I'm in!
~Amanda~
I'm in!
I'll be joining in and I will be a Saturday morning starter- can't wait- I really enjoyed it last year!
I'm in! Just hoping nothing comes up where I can't do it. *fingers crossed*
I'm getting my pile ready! Love this challenge!
I'm in! What an awesome way to kick off the summer! Now to just choose which of the books on my pile to read first! Thanks for hosting this! It's too cool!
Woo Hoo! I've been looking forward to this all year! And I happen to have both Friday and Saturday off this year, because I need to take my son to the SAT. In fact, I think I may need to practice this weekend to get ready for it... :) Count me as a definite sign up!
Yay! I can't wait. This is my favorite readathon. I'm most definitely in! I managed 43 hours last time, I think I am going for the full 48 this time.
Had a great time last year; I'm totally in again!
It was great to meet you at BEA and Book Blogger con! I think my TBR pile is now taller than me.
I hadn't known about the 48 hour book challenge in time to block the weekend out properly. But, I will stop in to say hi on blogs and Twitter, and use what time I can to make a dent in the reading pile.
I'll be participating!
I'm definitely in. Can't wait!
Count me in!
I'm totally IN! Looking forward to it!
game on. i think this is the first year i can actually participate.
I'm going to try, Pam. Spouse is on call, meaning that I'm on baby duty pretty much all weekend, but I'm going to try to use my babysitter time on Friday to at least participate for a few hours. Ah, the sacrifices we make as parents.
Oh man, I can't believe it's that time of the year. Count me in -- I never read better than when it's the 48 hour book challenge...
Yay! I'm in, as usual!
I'm in! I've always wanted to do this, always find out a out it too late. :)
I am in! I can not say no to a challenge! :)
I'm in- this sounds like great fun!
Like I needed an excuse!
~ Holly
I think I'm going to go ahead and do this. It sounds like the perfect way to wrap up the school year. After all, during school I rarely have the energy I want to keep up with all the good books I want to read.
I'm in
I am in-
Count me in! This is my first time to do the 48 Hour Book Challenge. I'll be tweeting, can't wait!
I am looking forward to the 48hbc! My inlaws are visiting, I have to work Saturday and Sunday is college graduation but I will fit the reading in where I can...
I'm in and really looking forward to it!! Will start my time Friday mid-morning with short breaks for physical therapy and central Ohio bloggers' breakfast sat morning! So excited!!!!
Count me in!
I'm in the middle of a read-50-books-in-6-weeks challenge (aka studying to be an English teacher) so I may as well do this to keep myself motivated!
Well, since I don't have a job yet, I may as well spend as much time as possible reading this weekend. I do anyway :)
Oh boy Oh boy!! I am so in!! Already told the husband that I'll be unavailable all weekend. =)
sounds like fun count me in this will be my first time doing this challenge
better find some great books to read from the library.
plus I can blog about them and the challenge in my kids lit blog welcome to our wonderland
I am excited to be joining for the first time and will be joining the Central OH bloggers for the kickoff breakfast!
Count me in for the reading and the Central Ohio Blogger Breakfast. I'm seeing some granola in my future!
Celebrate the end of the school year with two days of reading? Yes, I'm in!
I'm in. Can't wait.
My 12-year-old daughter and I are both looking forward to doing this event again!
I'm in!
Trisha
After watching from the sidelines for two years, I'm in this time! One question: we're having our book club meeting on Sunday. (We read the YA novel MATCHED.) Can I count that discussion in my reading time, by any chance? :-)
Yep, I'm signing up! I don't blog, but I'll be tweeting my way through it(:
Can't wait.
I'm playing. I just told the world on my blog, so I'm committed now! I'll be reading for the Joplin Schools Tornado Relief Fund and increasing my donation for each comment I get.
48 Hour Book Challenge and #blogjune
Yay, I love reading weekends! I'm hoping to participate despite a wedding on Saturday - I'll be writing about it at www.melodyandwords.com!
Yes, I'm in! I found out just now, which is a pity, but I loved it last year so I'll definitely take part again.
I always enjoyed this challenge when I did it. Sign me up please, I'll be there, with bells on.
Just found out about it, count me in.
This is perfect, it will be the first weekend I have had free in god knows how long. Thank you for hosting this great event!
discovered this just in time! this weekend is gonna rck!
I'm in as well.
Going to challenge myself to get 12 hours in there along with sleep and work. I'm in!
I am so excited to be participating in this!! I have a huge pile of "to read books" to choose from.
I don't think I can resist! I'll start Friday morning and go until Sunday morning, aiming for a (measly) 12 full hours of reading. I think that's about all I can certainly commit to but I sure hope I'll get more in!
I'm in!!
I'd love to give this challenge a try, it sounds like fun. I am going to try for 12 hours.
Time to dust off my old blog and give this a try! :D
I stumbled on this the other day! It looks like so much fun. Planning my trip to the library as I type!
OK, you know what? Every year I want to do this and every year it's graduation weekend at my school. I'm just going to go for it this year. I probably won't rack up that many hours, but whatever -- it'll be fun! The kids won't mind if I sneak a book in to read during the boring parts, right? :)
Oh man, I am totally fantasizing about doing nothing but reading for two whole days. Because with six kids that is TOTALLY NOT UNREALISTIC, right? Right?
Last year I just signed up as a cheerleader because the baby was 18 months and I couldn't read more than two minutes in a row then. But I mean, this year he's 2 1/2 and has discovered Thomas the Tank Engine, so I'm good, right?
Right??
I'm totally confused about the Mr. Linky business. I click on the link and I get a green screen with no way to search for MotherReader. Am I even supposed to do that? What am I doing? Any help is appreciated. Thanks! :)
smacky - The sign-in post will go up tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. and when you officially start your 48 hours, you'll sign in there.
I'd like to join in the fun!
This will be my first time.
Count me in!
I've only ever done 24 hour readathons, but I think I'll give it a go this year. I could SO USE a readathon right now. I'll start tonight at 7, since I'm at work. Ugh. :)
I am ALL OVER THIS!!!! :)
My first time ever. I'm excited. :)
This is the first time I've caught the challenge beforehand. I don't know how well this will work out, but I'll give it a try!
Alright, I'm finally setting my challenge timer. Here we go!
Oops! A little late, but hey, I will give it a shot!
OMG I'm totally doing this! My start time is Friday 11:00 PM. Here's my starter blog entry
http://amandapearlsbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/48-hour-reading-challenge.html
I'd love to participate. Hope it's not too late. =)
Will be starting tonight at 6:30 PM. Looking forward to it!
This has always looked so fun! I started a blog and I'm looking forward to the journey!
Congrats on the 6th annual 48HBC, everyone! I was unable to participate this year, but for good reasons: I was filming all day yesterday and assisting with casting today!
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