2025 Winter's Respite 24-Hour Readathon...tomorrow is the day!

Are you ready?! We will start at 10:00 am eastern time. Find out what time that is in your time zone by using the time zone converter in the sidebar menu (just click the link).

I'll be updating and checking in on our Discord (probably the Goodreads group as well). If you haven't joined, just visit this invite link: https://discord.gg/e6uAmXtGqA
If you would rather not join us on Discord, feel free to post updates on Instagram, and/or in our Facebook group or Goodreads group. We also now have a group (book club) on StoryGraph. If you're on there, send me a follow request and I'll invite you to the group. My user name is truebookaddict. Here's the link to the group: https://tinyurl.com/seasonsreadingSG

Any questions? Leave a comment or contact me via the link in the menu.

I hope you will join us!

2025 Winter's Respite Readathon - Mid-Event check-in

So, how is the winter reading going? Here in Michigan, we have had SO much snow, and it seems there are winter weather advisories every couple of days. I am a winter girl, but I can't help feeling that I will be ready for spring. That being said, this is perfect weather for cozy reading.

Let me know your progress, or leave a link, in the comments.

Quick reminder that our 24-Hour readathon is next Saturday, February 22 at 10:00 am Eastern time. I will do a post on Friday, readathon eve. 

Enjoy the rest of the readathon, and I hope you will join us for the 24-Hour event next Saturday.

2025 Winter's Respite Readathon - We started...I'm late!

Yes, the readathon started at midnight (eastern U.S. time) and yes I'm late. I'm old, what can I say. Half the time if I don't set a reminder...well, this happens. Anyway, let's move on and get some reading done!

If you have any questions about how things work, check out the guidelines in the sidebar menu or the sign up post, or you can always leave me a comment (or send me a message via the contact form). The linky below is the same one as the sign up linky. If you do a starting line/goal post, just add your link again, but be sure to put "goal post" beside your name, i.e. Michelle @ True Book Addict (goals or reading goals).

Our social media hashtag is #wintersrespite
Our social media:
Facebook group
Facebook page
Goodreads group
Instagram
StoryGraph
Discord - this is an invite link. If you're already a member, you should still be able to access the server
(There is a Winter's Respite channel in the Discord channel sidebar).

All links to our social media are also in the sidebar menu.

Reminders...

• There is a giveaway during every readathon. I offer two prizes. The first prize is a $15 social justice charity donation ( I was doing this at the beginning of the event, but I have now moved it back to the end of the event). The second prize is a $5 Amazon eGift card. Both giveaways are open internationally (for the Amazon gift, wherever Amazon is available). There will be a form on the wrap-up post where you can select which giveaway (one or both) you would like to enter. Details on how the giveaway works are on the Guidelines page.
  
  
• We have one 24-Hour readathon during each month-long event. The Winter's Respite 24-Hour event will be on Saturday, February 22nd 10:00 am Eastern time. I will be doing most of my updates and check-ins on Discord (invite link to our Discord). It's free to join and it would be cool to have some lively chats over there. There will be a post here when the 24-Hour event starts. Full details about the 24-Hour readathon events on the Guidelines page.
  
  
• I will post a mid-event check-in here on the blog.

Any questions at all? Leave me a comment, or send me a message via the contact me link in the sidebar menu.

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2025 Winter's Respite Readathon - Sign up!

Sign up is here! Time for a month of reading while the weather is frightful (if you live in a snowy climate) and to hide from the horrors of the world. Nothing better than some comfort reading.

We start at 12:00 am eastern time on February 1st and end at 11:59 pm eastern time on February 28th (There is a handy link to a time zone converter in the sidebar menu.) Guidelines for the readathon can be found HERE or you can access in the sidebar menu. Any information you need about the readathon can be found there. Please do be sure to check the guidelines to make sure you're following along correctly. There are specific rules regarding sign up and wrap up, especially in regards to the giveaway.

Our social media hashtag is #wintersrespite
Our social media:
Facebook group
Facebook page
Goodreads group
Instagram
StoryGraph
Discord - this is an invite link. If you're already a member, you should still be able to access the server

(There is a Winter's Respite channel in the Discord channel sidebar).

All links to our social media are also in the sidebar menu.

Some orders of business...

• There is a giveaway during every readathon. I offer two prizes. The first prize is a $15 social justice charity donation ( I was doing this at the beginning of the event, but I have now moved it back to the end of the event). The second prize is a $5 Amazon eGift card. Both giveaways are open internationally (for the Amazon gift, wherever Amazon is available). There will be a form on the wrap-up post where you can select which giveaway (one or both) you would like to enter. Details on how the giveaway works are on the Guidelines page.
  
  
• We have one 24-Hour readathon during each month-long event. The Winter's Respite 24-Hour event will be on Saturday, February 22nd 10:00 am Eastern time. I will be doing most of my updates and check-ins on Discord (invite link to our Discord). It's free to join and it would be cool to have some lively chats over there. There will be a post here when the 24-Hour event starts. Full details about the 24-Hour readathon events on the Guidelines page.
  
  
• I will post a mid-event check-in here on the blog.
  
  
• Grab the button and spread the word! There’s a grab code in the sidebar or download the image at the top of this post.

Any questions at all? Leave me a comment, or send me a message via the contact me link in the sidebar menu.

Winter's Respite sign-up linky...

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2024 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon - Wrap-up

Happy New Year! Sorry I'm late with this post. We had our family Christmas today and it completely slipped my mind.

I hope you enjoyed your holiday reading. Did you complete the BINGO card? The first person to send me a screenshot showing completion of the entire BINGO card will win a $5 Amazon eGift card. Email it to me at truebookaddict AT gmail DOT com, or if you post about it on social media (or your blog), leave the link in the comments of this post.

The winner of the charity donation giveaway was Marla, who was first to post a review in our linky over at Yuletide Spirit. Her chosen charity was The Trevor Project.

Stay tuned for the Winter's Respite Readathon coming up next month. I will post the sign-up within the next week or so. We will continue having one 24-readathon during each of our month long readathons in 2025. 

How did you do on the reading challenge/readathon? Share your wrap up link in the linky below. It's the same linky as the sign-up so just add "wrap-up" when you enter your name, like so "Michelle@truebookaddict-Wrap-up" (you don't have to put a blog name, you can just put your name).

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2024 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon - Let's escape into JOY!

We are officially underway! 

Remember...

Dates: November 25, 2024 through December 31, 2024

Three ways to participate:

Challenge - Pick a level
Readathon - read as much (or as little) as you want
Participate in both!

And our new (optional) BINGO challenge!

Everything else you need to know, including the BINGO card, can be found in the sign-up post here.

Hashtag across social media: #YuletideSpirit

THE PRIZES: 

The first person to post a review (must be from a book started on or after November 25) in the review linky at Yuletide Spirit will win a $15 charitable donation to human rights organization of their choice, such as the Ukraine Relief, ACLU, Boys and Girls Club, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Amnesty International, It Gets Better, Planned Parenthood, or another human rights organization of your choice (food banks, homeless shelters would also apply), perhaps your local chapter or a local organization. This giveaway is open internationally. 

Note: I will not donate to any organization that does not believe that all are equal, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation.

The first person to successfully complete the entire BINGO card will win a $5 Amazon eGift card. Just take a screenshot of your completed card and email it to me at truebookaddict AT gmail DOT com, or if you post about it on social media (or your blog), leave the link in the comments of this post, or the starting line post. This will be awarded after the end of the reading challenge/readathon.

HAVE FUN!!!

The linky below is the same one as the sign up linky. If you do a starting line/goal post, just add your link again, but be sure to put "goal post" beside your name, i.e. Michelle/True Book Addict (goal post). Note: If you're just signing up, you can do it here on this post. It's the same linky.

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2024 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon

Here we are at the holiday season again! Time to sign up for the Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon co-event!

Dates: Monday, November 25 through Tuesday, December 31

Three ways to participate:

1. Challenge - Pick a level
2. Readathon - read as much (or as little) as you want
3. Participate in both!

AND new this year....a fun (optional) BINGO challenge! Download the card below (click on image, right click, and then save image as OR if on mobile, you should be able to hold down on the image and an option list with save to phone should appear). Alternatively, download it on Google Drive here.

Regarding the reading of Christmas books, for the readathon, you do not have to read only Christmas books. I am always reading regular genres along with Christmas books during the season. Please do try to read at least one though. 🎄

For the reading challenge (and the BINGO challenge), these must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, children's books (we even have a level for them!), etc.

Reading Challenge Levels:
--Candy Cane: read 1 book
--Mistletoe: read 2-4 books
--Christmas Tree: read 5 or 6 books, or more (this is the fanatic level!)

Additional levels:

--Fa La La La Films: watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!
--Visions of Sugar Plums: read books with your children this season and share what you read

*the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

I will have a review linky posted as a page at the Yuletide Spirit site the day the challenge starts. You will find it in the menu at the top of the blog.

Sign up in the linky below. This linky will be the same one on this site and over at Yuletide Spirit. No need to sign up both places (though you can leave a comment here and over there if you are indeed participating in both). For this readathon in particular, we will do a wrap-up linky, in keeping with the regular process for the reading challenge.

THE PRIZES: 

The first person to post a review (must be from a book started on or after November 25) in the review linky will win a $15 charitable donation to human rights organization of their choice, such as a Ukraine relief charity, ACLU, Boys and Girls Club, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Amnesty International, It Gets Better, Planned Parenthood, or another human rights organization of your choice (food banks, homeless shelters would also apply), perhaps your local chapter or a local organization. Animal rights or rescue organizations are another option. This giveaway is open internationally. 

Note: I will not donate to any organization that does not believe that all are equal, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation.

The first person to successfully complete the entire BINGO card will win a $5 Amazon eGift card. Just take a screenshot of your completed card and email it to me at truebookaddict AT gmail DOT com, or if you post about it on social media (or your blog), leave the link in the comments of this post, or the starting line post. This will be awarded after the end of the reading challenge/readathon.

Final notes:
You can participate even if you don't have a blog. Just link up with your Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (and just post your updates from whichever venue you choose) AND don't forget our Facebook group, Facebook Page, our Goodreads group, our Instagram...and our Discord. Yuletide Spirit also has a Facebook page.

Event hashtag: #YuletideSpirit You can also use #readathon

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