For the past three years, I've participated in a July reading challenge and it was one of my favorite weeks of the entire summer. I always said that it felt like going to Summer camp with a bunch of other bookish weirdos, and it was the most fun, nerdy thing I regularly participated in.
Without any sort of announcement, it seems as though my beloved reading challenge has ended.
They had some issues at the end of last year's challenge. Well, honestly, through the entire thing. I think it scared off the hosts, and while I think they needed to reflect and adjust it's really kind of a bummer. (Especially that they haven't said a word in a year and have continued to ignore questions about the challenge's fate?) I still had every intention of spending a week of my Summer reading for most hours of the day and talking books with anyone who would listen. And I for sure will miss the crap out of everyone's reading vlogs.
But, in that challenge's absence, I've birthed a new one!
Welcome to Camp Readaway!
I presented the idea of hosting a readathon to a friend of mine who is also a bookish nerdy weirdo like yours truly, and she was in. So we've been chatting and planning and really building this thing bit by bit through the chaos of our busy lives (and the 6 kids between us).
It's not the same, and it's a tiny baby infant compared to its predecessor, but we're doing it!
We named our readathon after the "summer camp" feel of a silly, organized, summertime event and well... I've been running with it. Prepare yourself for all the camp comparisons!
Okay so first - the readathon runs from Monday, July 19th through Sunday, July 25th, and here are our reading challenges:
1. Read a book that reminds you of your childhood
2. Read a book with flowers, a tree, or leaves on the cover
3. Read a book you've owned for more than 2 years
4. Read a book only when you're wearing pajamas
5. Read a book by an author that shares your name or initials
6. Read a book in the great outdoors or with a campy prop
7. Guess how many books you'll read this week & try to beat it
I talked about/explained the challenges on my IG stories this week if you're looking for any sort of guidance or interpretation. Head HERE and tap on the Camp Readaway highlight bubble to see that!
While we work through these challenges and read our faces off all week, Alisha and I (my co-counselor...I told you, all the camp lingo) will be hosting reading sprints on our IG stories. It won't be the same as the interactive nature of sprinting on Twitter...but again, we're winging it here, and promise to do our best! Here's our sprint schedules:
Unfamiliar with sprints? Just hop on IG with your current book (and a drink and snack if you like) and watch our stories to be guided through the hour with reading motivation, little games and quizzes, and hopefully (hopefully!) some community. Sprints were always my favorite part of the previous reading challenge.
I'll also be collecting page and book counts from our campers so we can update daily with how much we've all worked through. You can find the form for that HERE, though it's also listed on my IG profile so you can find it easily each day if you join us to read.
And - there will be a daily photo challenge themed around both reading and camping that will hopefully allow us to find each other across Instagram and fill the #campreadaway2021 hashtag with nerdy, campy, booky images to enjoy.
SO - wanna join us? We'd love to have you!
Watch my Instagram this week for my reading TBR, camp "registration" and all the fun stuff leading up to Day 1. Hope you can make it!!
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