High Summer Readathon, July 17-30

Me, getting ready to join another readathon:
via GIPHY
The High Summer Readathon runs from July 17-30, with a bonus "Christmas in July" event during the last weekend. The readathon starts at 12 AM on Monday, July 17 and ends at 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 30. Read whatever you like! Get full info and sign up here.

My TBR pile is still a mystery, as I'm just finishing up my Alphabetically Yours challenge. I will post a shelfie once I have a better idea about what I'd like to read.

The readathon overlaps with a family visit, but I'm hoping to tempt my visitors with some lazy time in the hammock instead of non-stop sightseeing.

Updates to follow. Add your goals/books in the comments or use #HSreadathon on Twitter.

***Update: July 16, 2017
TBR Pile to start the challenge. Still deciding whether or not to read Christmas stories. Since we've got family visiting, my reading has been very slow this week and I'm still trying to finish a previous challenge. I hope to finish these quickly and add a few Christmas titles.

***Update: July 17, 2017
Books started: 2 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Gang Leader for a Day)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 500

***Update: July 18, 2017
Books started: 1 (Wherever Nina Lies)
Books finished: 2 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Gang Leader for a Day)
Pages read: 549

***Update: July 19, 2017
Books started: 0
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 210 (Wherever Nina Lies)

***Update: July 20, 2017
Books started: 1 (Out of Orange)
Books finished: 1 (Wherever Nina Lies)
Pages read: 106

***Update: July 21, 2017
Books started: 1 (Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood)
Books finished: 1 (Out of Orange)
Pages read: 305

***Update: July 22, 2017
Books started: 1 (Eyes on You)
Books finished: 1 (Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood)
Pages read: 484

***Update: July 23, 2017
Books started: 2 (Time Temptress; Hush)
Books finished: 2 (Eyes on You; Time Temptress)
Pages read: 372

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MIDPOINT PROGRESS (JULY 17-23):

Books started: 8

Books finished: 7

Pages read: 2526

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***Update: July 24, 2017

Books started: 2 (The Art of Horsemanship; Hush, Hush)
Books finished: 1 (Hush)
Pages read: 541

***Update: July 25, 2017

Books started: 1 (George Eliot)
Books finished: 2 (Hush, Hush; The Art of Horsemanship)
Pages read: 430

***Update: July 26, 2017

Books started: 1 (Tunnels)
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 148

***Update: July 27, 2017

Books started: 0
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 96

***Update: July 28, 2017

Books started: 1 (Deeper)
Books finished: 1 (Tunnels)
Pages read: 373 pages

***Update: July 29, 2017

Books started: 0
Books finished: 0
Pages read: 417 pages

***Update: July 30, 2017

Books started: 1 (Touch Magic)
Books finished: 1 (Deeper)
Pages read: 330

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Final Stack

Books started: 14

Books finished: 12

Pages read: 4861
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My goal was to read every day and stay focused on cleaning out books that have been languishing on my bookshelves. The downside of this goal was that most of these reads were ho-hum books that I wasn't all that interested in, but I am simply unable to get rid of a book if I haven't read it. Harry Potter and Touch Magic will keep their honored places on my shelves, but everything else can go to make room for books that make my heart sing.

I enjoyed chatting with other readers in the Facebook group and especially appreciated that this readathon is focused on actually reading and not so much on the social media and cutesy challenges that I've encountered in other readathons. Don't get me wrong--I do the challenges, but what I need most is LESS distraction and MORE concentrated reading time. Many thanks to Michelle at Seasons of Reading for bringing us together to celebrate reading.