“ The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
Books have always been my indispensable friend, loyal companions, warm comforters and a true saviour. I can never imagine a life without books. People say reading is a habit which you inculcate over time. However, people like us who wander the universe through the stories consider books as the elixir of their lives. Loving books and reading them voraciously are two different things and The Reading Rush Readathon taught me that which was held between 22nd to 28th July’19. I came to know about the event through a bookstagrammers page.
It was my first readathon ever and I was quite apprehensive as to how I will handle it. Then after giving a good amount of thought I realised I had nothing to lose. Finding it an exciting activity i registered my name.
The Reading Rush platform is a beautiful and useful platform for book readers who want to really increase their reading targets. Once I registered on the platform I could keep a count of the pages I read everyday. It also allowed me to take part in various discussions and interact with other readers across the globe. While it was difficult to manage this challenge with the professional commitments, I pushed my limits to achieve my targets and the results were indeed satisfying.
After undergoing this exercise I felt reading was not the only challenge of the readathon but it was a challenge to turn readers into ‘better readers’ and take up reading as one of the necessities of life.
Hence, I chose to write this post to give my 5 reasons as to why I feel such readathons are excellent challenges for book lovers:
1. It helps you set targets :
I consider myself a slow reader. But this challenge helped me to set my targets for the entire span of this reading event. I read 1120 pages and completed two books in 7 days. It was indeed a great feat for me.
2. The act of ‘reading’ as a necessity:
Reading is primarily considered as a hobby. But for some of us its a necessity. Readathons helps you create that space for this necessity in the busy schedule of your life where you start considering this act as important as some of the basic instincts like eating or sleeping.
3. Introduces you to other readers and makes you part of a community:
My journey in The Reading Rush readathon helped me to get acquainted with the concept of bookstagrammers, book tubers and also other fellow readers who were taking part of the challenge.
4. Acquaintance with new books and writers:
I feel a lifetime is less to read up all the books in the world. This challenge helped me to get acquainted with new books and writers and most importantly about the books which are trending. That is how I picked up The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell. Thanx to Bewitchingly_paranoid, thehellyblog, sumaiyya.books, theguywiththebook and many more wonderful bookstagrammers who keeps pouring information about good books and inspires you to chug along.
5. Sense of satisfaction :
Completing two books in seven days was a long shot for me. But at the end I did manage it and a huge sense of achievement dawned on me
6. Turns you to be a voracious reader :
Being a part of a community, it encourages you and motivates you to continously keep chasing your targets. The targets were not overwhelming and neither did i fret losing the challenge. However the excitement kept me going.
Readathons are challenges which makes you resolutant, goal oriented and turns you into a winner no matter what stage of your challenge you reach. Next time keep a watch and surely enter yourself for The Reading Rush Readathon and other readalongs which some of the talented bookstagrammers keep hosting.