10:06 AM Update

I didn’t make it you guys. I tried. I really did. I opened Lena Dunham’s book at 2:30. And I like the book! But a night owl I am not. And so I found myself caving to the darkness and the kitty snuggles and the snoring husband at 3 AM. 

BUT. I read 3 full books, 2 short stories, and 4 hours of audio books. While I only made it 19 hours instead of 24, I’m still pretty proud of what I did. I think if I didn’t have to work today (Sunday) I might have been able to convince myself to have another cup of coffee. But responsibility won (lame, I know). 

Thank you to everyone who visited me here, on Twitter and on Instagram. It was so. Much. Fun. And you can bet I’ll be doing it again next time. (But I’ll know to take Sunday off in advance.) congrats to everyone for your diligence and your awesomeness! Rah rah readathon!!!!

   
 10:03 Update

Finally home and snuggled on the couch. Hour 15 has begun. Starting to really lose steam. But read I must and read I shall. 

  
8:27 Update (Midevent survey)

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? 

Like No Other by Una LaMarche

2. How many books have you read so far?

I have finished 3 (one short story, one graphic novel, one print book) and I’ve listed to parts of two audiobooks. 

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

I don’t know! Maybe The Secret History or the Handmaids Tale

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

Interruptions have mostly been of my own making because I’ve been on public spaces for much of the day. But that often helps me focus more than reading home alone in the quiet. 

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

How tired I am!

7:55 Update

Guys. The struggle is real. It’s been 12 hours and this is still fun but also hard. I’ve been listening to my audio book and am now out to dinner with my husband. I brought a book. I’m struggling to find one that hooks me. Help! Any recommendations? 

  
5:05 Update

Finished my third story! In Real Life was an awesome and eye-opening graphic novel. Now. To stare at my stack and decide what’s next. I think I need a snack break first!!!

  
4:29 Update

I finished the read-a-long, The Yellow Wallpaper. It was as delightfully creepy as I remembered. I had chills of delight reading it. Just wonderful. Onto “In Real Life”, a graphic novel by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang! 

  
2:57 Update

Book 1 is officially in the books! I loved The Wrong Side of Right. Absolutely loved it, way more than I expected. I laughed out loud, I cried in public, it was wonderful. And now, as I sit curled up on a couch at husband’s winery, I delve into The Yellow Wallpaper before my next full book! (Haven’t decided what it will be yet, but I’m excited!!)

Currently reading: The Yellow Wallpaper, read-a-long

Currently drinking: Delicious Barnstormer Rosé

   
 1:07 Update

Phew! 5 hours of reading under our belts! Hurray for my fellow readthoners! I’ve got about a quarter of The Wrong Side of Right left to go (and I am loving this book–Scandal meets YA) and I’ve got The Yellow Wallpaper on deck. The library has been cooperatingly quiet today, which is fabulous. At 2 pm, I’ll switch back to The Interrupted Tale on audio, and then head to the winery my husband manages for a glass of wine and some more reading! 

Hope everyone’s having as much fun as me! You all ROCK. 

Pictured below: snack break 1  
11:07 Update

I’m just having the MOST fun. Seriously, the camaraderie of readers out there is fantastic. I’m loving the challenges and the cheerleading and, obviously, the reading. So far, no ones interrupted me at the library (it’s a quiet Saturday, thank goodness!).

Here we go into hour 4!

Still reading: The Wrong Side of Right

Challenges: 4 covers for 4 seasons via Bart’s Bookshelf!

9:57 Update

We’re getting ready to enter hour 3! This morning I mostly listened to my audio book (Book 4 of The Incorrigible Childrenof Ashton Place) while I waked the dog, cooked and ate a delicious omelette, washed the dishes, and drove to work. I’m at my library desk now for the next 4 hours. Barring any major interruptions, it should be some steady reading time!

Current reading: The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne. YA

Currently drinking: A delicious dirty chai from my favorite café.

 

7:30 AM
It’s here! It’s here! I’m up at 7:15 on a Saturday so I can get ready to read at 8!!

Meme number 1:

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

Upstate NY, The Finger Lakes. Beautiful wine country. I have to work at my library from 10-2, but will be reading at my desk (around interruptions), and I have dinner plans this evening (and an audio book for the car). 

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

The new Lisa Lutz book! (And kind of the Yellow Wallpaper. I haven’t read it since college and I love it. Looking forward to the reread/read along)

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

My chocolate covered espresso vena from Oak Hill!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I’m a youth services librarian in a tiny one-stoplight town. I am married to a tasting room manager, so my life is books and wine. We have a bulldog we rescued 2 years ago, and three cats who are all named after Egyptian royalty. I think books are the best bonding agent amongst new friends. 

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?

This is my first! And the camaraderie, I think. I’ve already made new Instagram friends and we’re going to cheer each other on today. How cool is that?

That clever little app called Timehop informed me this morning that as of today, I’ve been a real-live official librarian for three whole years. Three. Whole. Years.

Here I sit, three years later, still at the same desk, looking out at the same room full of books. And even though the chair is the same and the room is fairly identical, I have to take a moment to think about just how far I’ve come as a librarian and as a person in these three long short years. I have to warn you that the rest of this post is a shameless, not-so-humble-brag, but I promise you that it’s not something I’ll do often. I believe, though, that for anyone who is lucky enough to have a passion that is also their job, or for anyone who has done something of which they are proud, the occasional not-so-humble-brag is important. I think it’s important to celebrate yourself and your accomplishments every now and then, and that looking back on what you’ve done helps you move forward and continue to do more.

So there, you’ve been warned–unabashed pride and life as a librarian is straight ahead. If you’re not interested, stay tuned for Dewey Readathon Posts tomorrow! In the meantime, check out these bookish lists from BookRiot!

Without further ado: I am so proud of my profession. I practically shout it at people when they ask what I do. I am a librarian, I say, always hearkening back to my librarian idol Evelyn (I still know an embarrassing/awesome number of lines from that movie).

           

And the community of people! Every single time I meet someone who is ALSO a librarian, you’d think we were already lifelong friends. “I’m a librarian” “OHMYGOSHMETOO” “YOU ARE?! TELL ME EVERYTHING”. And it’s because we’re so excited about what we get to do, glad that there is a whole community of people out there who are doing the same thing. We are thrilled and honored to  work with our communities and our youths. We are proud of ourselves and each other.

I’m proud of what I do every day and what I’ve accomplished over the years. The library has iPads! iPads that I wrote a grant for and won! There are EIGHT Little Free Libraries around our community because of another grant (and a lot of dedicated work from my Father In Law and Husband). I created and maintain an annual Fairy Tale Festival that’s attended by over 300 people every year. I have a successful summer reading program that has attendance of at least 20 kids per program. I have a story time that children love. I can make children laugh when I tell stories, I can sing and dance and play with the best of them. I have created innumerable crafts for kids and have become a pretty expert Pinterest user. Kids love the library I work at. There are toys and Legos and puzzles and games. There are BOOKS. So many books.  Books that kids jump up and down with excitement for. Books that they hug to their chest while grinning from ear to ear.

I can find a book for a patron even if they only know that the cover was blue and there might have been a bear. I can set up an electronic device with library access in under 5 minutes. I can find a book on our shelves without even looking it up first because I am that familiar with our collection (though yes, I still get occasionally stumped, because there are so. many. books). I have started a very well attended book club for grown-ups. I have gotten kids and teens hooked on books that are my favorites, too.

I have gushed with people young and old over characters and plot lines. I have watched children learn to read, watched them laugh and smile at the words on the page. I have high-fived them for sounding out extra long words. I have picked them up and spun them around when they arrive and before they go. I have listened to their too-fast feet coming running down the stairs in their excitement to be here. I have watched parents smile while their kids sing along to songs and dance along, too.

I have made life-long friends. I have read hundreds of books. I have attended workshops and conferences and Book Expo America. I have had good days and bad days and many in-between days. And three years later, I still get to go to work every day at a place filled with books. It is my job to read to, play with, laugh with kids. It is my job to create programming that encourages a love of literacy. It is my job to make books exciting and to make the library a happy and welcoming place.

There are days that I forget to count my lucky stars. There are days I forget how hard I’ve worked to get where I am. Today is not that day. Today, I am a librarian.