Emergency Protocol: 24 Hour Read-a-Thon

OK, it is time to directly address my problem. I have never caught up from my start-a-book-a-day summer reading habit, and now I have over twenty books with active bookmarks. Even I admit this is unwieldy. In addition, my library pile has blossomed to a huge extent, with fifty books jostling for my attention. A few of those are for my kids, but honestly, only a few. Something needs to be done.

I could stop reading new books until I get caught up. But that's not going to happen. I mean, not only am I way behind on many challenges, but I also have the will power of a flea. Additionally, reading things is my security blanket, so if I have nothing new to distract me, the normal stresses of life will send me quivering under my bed, unable to reassure myself with the thought that Jane Eyre had it worse.

So instead, I have stumbled across the Dewey 24 Hour Readathon, a twice-yearly event held by some fabulous bloggers. I can devote all of Saturday to reading, and do it with a pack of other bibliophiles so it looks like a community-spirit, social event! And my kids are supportive and have promised to bring me nice things to eat during it.

I'm not going to go all insane -- the official start time is 5:00 AM PST on October 18th, but I think I'll sleep in until 6 and start in a good mood. And I've put an audio book on my phone so I can drive my kid to a few things, and I'll want to pull out of the pages to welcome home my niece from Japan. But I'm hoping to get a few books finished, especially almost everything on the bottom row of my to-read picture.