I’ve been participating in the readathon twice a year for more than a decade now. In the early years, I’d do them solo, sharing my progress on social media and cheering others on. Over time, though, it’s transformed into a much more social experience for me.
First, I convinced my roommate to join in. Now, she celebrates Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon almost as religiously as I do. Then we brought another friend on board, who even sleeps over so she can start reading with us at 5 a.m. This time around, my roommate’s girlfriend joined us for the full day, and another friend stopped by for about five hours. It was a fantastic day filled with snacks, books, and great company.
Plus, it was pouring rain—the perfect reading weather!
While I love how social the readathon has become for me over the years, it did mean I got a bit less reading done than in previous years. I also went to bed a little earlier this time, which affected my page count. I woke up at 5 a.m. and went to sleep around 2 a.m. But enough about the vibes—let’s talk about the books!
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**Of Monsters and Mainframes** by Barbara Truelove
I finished this one, which I had been reading already. I always recommend starting the readathon partway through a book because I don’t want to have to acclimate to a new story at 5 a.m. It was a fun read! The narrative feels almost episodic and is mostly told from the perspective of the ship and the medical AI onboard. There’s also a sapphic point-of-view character and several nonbinary characters. If you enjoy pulpy sci-fi and classic monster movies, give this one a try.
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**House of Beth** by Kerry Cullen
Next, I picked up this bisexual modern gothic novel, which I really enjoyed for reasons that are hard to discuss without spoilers. As a content warning, the main character has harm OCD, meaning she experiences frequent intrusive thoughts about injuring or murdering people (including children). If that’s not a dealbreaker for you, I highly recommend this quick and compelling read.
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**Toxic Summer** by Derek Charm
For a fast graphic novel, I turned to this one. It’s about two gay teens who get lifeguard jobs over the summer to scope out the local beach hunks. However, upon arrival, they discover the beach has been contaminated by toxic waste! This story has a Scooby Doo-style adventure vibe, which was exactly what I expected, but honestly, I found it pretty forgettable.
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**I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call** by Jamison Shea
This was a title I’d been eagerly anticipating—the sequel to *I Feed Her to the Beast* and *The Beast Is Me*, a sapphic YA horror series about feral eldritch ballerinas. I loved the first book last year, but unfortunately, the sequel dragged for me. I’m not sure if reading them back-to-back might have helped, but I personally found the second installment lacking. I still recommend starting with book one, though—it may work better as a standalone.
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**A Game in Yellow** by Hailey Piper
I ended the readathon by starting this surreal sapphic erotic horror novel, which I’m still reading. It’s a shame I didn’t pick it up earlier in the event because it’s the perfect mind-melting book for those early morning hours.
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Overall, this readathon was a wonderful blend of good company, cozy vibes, and diverse books. I’m already looking forward to the next one!
https://bookriot.com/all-the-queer-horror-books-i-read-during-a-24-hour-readathon/