Over the last few years, as I’ve greatly decreased my overall reading pace (by choice!), I’ve participated a lot less in various kinds of Readathons. Actually, the last time I participated in any kind of Readathon was October 2012. With the great TBR pile looming over me like deadweight, however, I’m thinking it might be time to speed-read my way through some books – especially before the RIP season begins and I start gobbling up all the spooky books I’ve saved for it. Enter Stage Right: Bout of Books.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 17th and runs through Sunday, August 23rd in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 14 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

Seven days. The week before school begins, when my brain is going to be so fried that I won’t be able to study or focus on hard work anyway. Perfect. I’m declaring this week to be an end-of-summer vacation for myself. A time to read, to take long morning and evening walks while listening to audiobooks, to maybe write a little if the mood strikes me, to color my lovely coloring books, to listen to music, to watch NCIS reruns with the kids…isn’t this what a stay-cation is supposed to be about? (I’ve never taken a stay-cation. I like travel, and as a stay-at-home-mom, home does not feel at all vacation-like. Home is where the work is.)

I’ve ordered a great pile of books from the library for this event (pictures to come during the Bout itself!) and will be Instagramming my way through them. I’m totally going to be laid back on this, not tracking pages or stats or whatever, and only participating in challenges/giveaways that strike my fancy.

This will be my first Bout of Books, and I’m looking forward to it!!