2019 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

It's time to sign up for 2019 reading challenges! So I'll start with the challenge I've probably attempted more times than any other, the Mount TBR Reading Challenge. I always start with the smallest level, Pike's Peak (read 12 books off your TBR pile); sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't. Of course, at that speed, I will almost certainly die before finishing even the TBR pile I have now, never mind all the books I'm still gonna buy over the decades!

So, because 12 books a year off my pile is clearly not enough, and also because the rules have changed this year to allow rereads in certain circumstances (and I have some serious reread plans coming up, including the Harry Potter books!), I'm gonna be wildly ambitious and start at not the first, not the second, but the third peak! Mt. Vancouver! 36 books off my TBR pile! Wish me luck, and the strength to resist taking out every library book that catches my eye.

I'll list the books I read for this challenge below.

Read-a-Thon hours 23 and 24: 5:00 - 7:00

Currently reading: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

Pages read these hours: 64

Total pages so far: 855

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson; The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #2) by Adrienne Kress

Snacks: None.

Current state of things: In hour 23 I did awesomely, finishing The Door in the Alley with plenty of time to spare! Then I spent hour 24 desperately trying to hold my eyelids open to read Squirrel Girl, and only getting through 16 pages of it. Boy am I ever ready for bed!

But before I do, here's my closing survey:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? There were a few toughies in there, but I think hour 24 was my worst this time!
2. Tell us ALLLLL the books you read! The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson; The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #2) by Adrienne Kress; and the beginning of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
3. Which books would you recommend to other Read-a-thoners? The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress!! It is so good! Also I need book 2, like, now.
4. What’s a really rad thing we could do during the next Read-a-thon that would make you happy? Start saying "we're halfway done!" at the END of hour 12 instead of the beginning! You sit on a throne of lies! (I get cranky after staying up all night; I'm sorry.)
5. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? Would you be interested in volunteering to help organize and prep? I will continue to read in every read-a-thon forever!

Read-a-Thon hours 21 and 22: 3:00 - 5:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 72

Total pages so far: 791

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: Still sipping my Monster, plus some candy to try to get a sugar boost.

Current state of things: Soooo tired. Only 2 hours to go! No time for videos! Only reading!

Read-a-Thon hours 19 and 20: 1:00 - 3:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 65

Total pages so far: 719

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: Just sipping my energy drink.

Current state of things: Around 1:00 I was pretty sleepy, but in the last two hours I've started to feel a bit more alert again. Possibly the caffeine gradually kicking in. I keep checking my phone and then getting distracted by Facebook, which is affecting my page counts, but at least I'm having fun! And at the rate I'm going, I should at least finish this book before it's time to go to sleep. (I hope I finish early enough to read my graphic novel after that, or I'm really gonna regret saving it for later.)

Oh, look what came up in YouTube's suggestions for me to watch next!

Read-a-Thon hours 17 and 18: 23:00 - 1:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 66

Total pages so far: 654

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: Banana bread, and I started my Monster.

Current state of things: Well, the late-hours-of-the-read-a-thon tiredness has hit! It'll be ups and downs from here. I've started my energy drink and I'm reading a really good book, but right now it's still a struggle.

This update's video is some singing and dancing from Grease to get us pumped up and ready to keep reading for 6 more hours!!

Read-a-Thon hours 15 and 16: 21:00 - 23:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 53

Total pages so far: 588

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: A couple of freezies.

Current state of things: Apparently all I needed to wake up was the right book!! While I haven't disliked any of the books I've read today, this book is REALLY grabbing me! Sometimes you know a book's gonna be good just from the first line, and this is a good example of that: "This story begins, like most stories do, with a pig wearing a teeny hat." I mean, COME ON. You can't doze off after that! So the only reason I only read 53 pages in the last two hours is because I was a bit late to start after my last update, and then I got slightly sucked into Facebook once. But I'm definitely reading the perfect late, difficult hours of the read-a-thon book.

I think it's time for some Spice Girls!!

Read-a-Thon hours 13 and 14: 19:00 - 21:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress (just starting)

Pages read these hours: 59

Total pages so far: 535

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: Girl Guide cookies and Cheetos Bag of Bones.

Current state of things: I'm already getting tired! Theoretically these are the hours when I thrive. However, I'm sort of permanently exhausted these days, so that kinda ruins my good hours. I'm very tempted to have my energy drink, but also don't want to drink it too early and run out of steam before the end!

(I'm already late posting this update and did not find a video so tune in 2 hours from now for another video!)