Welcome to FolioFiles, home of the most erratic, sporadic, idiosyncratic book blogger pretty much ever. I’m really glad to be participating in the readathon this weekend, having missed the last two.

Some rules I set for myself, after reviewing my experiences the times I’ve participated in the past:

1. Set a Twitter Timer. Unless I want to convert #readathon tweets to pages read, I will not actually get any reading done. But I *do* want to spend some time each hour on Twitter, since that’s one of my favorite things about readathon – making new bookish friends!

2. Move. Whether it’s a walk with an audiobook (not likely given the forecast), doing some stretches on my yoga ball with my Nook, or pacing the apartment, book in hand, I know I need to break up the cozy times or else I get sleepy much faster than I would on a regular day of reading interspersed with other activities.

3. Start with a guaranteed quick and easy read. Or three. The sense of accomplishment from being able to say I’ve finished a book in my first hour is good motivation; beginning with a tome makes hour three feel really, really late into the day.

4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Caffeine is great for keeping the alertness factor, but I keep a water bottle full and don’t reach for another coffee, soda, or energy drink until I’ve downed two bottles of water to one caffeinated bevvy.

5. Make a quick and easy blog template. This year, I’m just going to do “what I’ve read in the last hour,” and a snapshot of a page where I found a passage, quote, or illustration that really resonated with me.

6. Visit people’s blogs. You get what you give, and if you want blog love from anyone other than the cheerleader assigned to your number/letter/etc, put some comment love out there!

7. Create a special folder or whatever format your feed reader offers for blogs you choose to follow during Readathon. Follow all, follow a few, but designate a way to know what’s what so you have a memory trigger and can cull later if need be. Hate to say it, but I’ve added literally hundreds of book bloggers to my reader only to find that the majority of their blog is either of no interest or is even actively offensive to me.

8. Switch it up. If you have the option to read in various formats, do. Book, ebook, audio, have someone read out loud to you – it’s good for your eyes and your brain.

9. Don’t get frustrated. About anything. Interruptions, internet outages, hating a book you’re reading and feeling like you have to stick it out for your numbers’ sake – this is supposed to be fun, y’all, and if at any point it isn’t, you’re doin’ it wrong.

10. Ignore any and all rules above if it strikes your fancy to do so. Read ALL THE TWEETS and three pages of your book in an hour. Hop up on caffeine and sugar early and lovingly embrace the crash. Promise yourself that, in this 24 hours, you WILL read that 1,972 page novel if it kills you. This is all about you and your reading nerdy awesomeness. Love it up.

My book list so far:

Girl Parts, John M Cusick

Graceling, Kristin Cashore

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President, Josh Lieb

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson (I just typed “Jenny Lawsome,” and I kind of think she should change her name to that.)

The Sorceress, Michael Scott

Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher

Crank, Ellen Hopkins

The Egypt Game, Zilpha Keatley Snyder

A Summer to Die, Lois Lowry

Many of my selections are ebooks that were available in YA fiction in the San Francisco Public Library. Most of them I’d at least heard of, if they weren’t already on my wish list. I’ve not read any of the titles above, and while I’m in the middle of The Last Olympian, I do like to start new books during Readathon, so I’ll see how far I get in that one tonight and set it aside for tomorrow.

I’m off to change the sheets and fluff the pillows and make a lil nest for the times when I am not observing “rule” number two, and to cut fruit and prep food to pop in the oven and other such things that will save me from unnecessary readingless moments. I look forward to meeting other readathon-ers, and happy reading to all!