I’m really excited and, well, also quite nervous, to share today’s post. If you’ve known me for a while, you know that I’m not much of a readathon kind of person, for many reasons, the main reason being that, well… I’m a little bit stressed out (read, A LOT) and I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on a hobby that I love.
Yet, when there are incredibly fun readathons that allow me to participate without feeling pressured, well…. I feel like I have to join in, because I really really want to take part in all this fun, too. So, today, I’m really really excited to introduce you to my sign up post and my first readathon, THE PONDATHON!
Technically, the Pondathon isn’t my first readathon. I participated in the Year of the Asian Challenge last year and intend to low-key participate in it this year, too. Though, since the Pondathon is a readathon limited by dates, while the YARC is all year long, I consider this my very first readathon. EXCITMENT and nervousness, y’all.
✨What is the Pondathon?
The Pondathon is a co-operative and story-driven readathon hosted and run by the wonderfully creative CW from The Quiet Pond. The aim of the Pondathon is to read books and collect points to protect the friends over at The Quiet Pond from the encroaching malevolent forces that threaten our friends in the forest.
Exciting, isn’t it? If I ADORE the uniqueness and originality of it all, I also just love how the readathon is divided in 5 teams, with great ways for each of them to collect points and win, some of them being very no-pressure and fun-like and, you know, I’m here for it!
- You can discover all of the Pondathon Teams right here!
- More information about the Readathon can be found here.
- The #Pondathon takes place from January 24th, 2020 to March 7th, 2020.
- If you want to sign up, you can do so right here!
✨My Pond Character
I feel like one of the most exciting things in this readathon is how interactive it is. With CW’s incredible work, we each get to create our own little Pond character, give them weapons and dress them up nicely, give them a name and these will be our little companion all thorough the readathon.
I just love this so much. I’m really proud to introduce you to my pond character. She’s tiny, but fierce and fearless. Also she’s a koala, because I adore koalas okay.
Mara is, despite her small height, a koala not to be messed with. Determined and protective, she will do everything to protect her friends and what’s dear to her heart. Never seen without a book in her hand, she might be spotted turning a few pages in between fierce battles with her bow and arrows.
✨ My Pondathon Team
As I mentioned it before, you can pick between 5 different teams for this readathon. After thinking it over for a little bit, I have decided to be a proud member of the Xiaolong team!
For me, I feel like this was the best solution to participate in this event without pressuring myself too much with different goals. With Xiaolong, all I have to do is read to gain points and that’s just wonderful.
✨ My Pondathon TBR
Ahh, it’s time to talk about THE BOOKS. I have a couple of books on my TBR, ARCs and backlist titles, that I need to get through. Realistically, in six weeks, I can read 6 books for certain, a little more if you’re really lucky, I read short contemporaries and so on.
This is also not a definitive TBR, because I tend to read according to my mood anyway, so I might not get to these and read completely other books anyway….. but hey, the aim is to read so I guess I’m still good?
The Electric Heir, Victoria Lee
Why I want to read it ? I’m so pumped and honored and crying to actually have been lucky enough to get an early copy of this book. I’ve read and loved The Fever King so much and I just can’t WAIT to see what happens next even if, yes, I am terrified. If you haven’t read The Fever King, please do!!!
The Places I’ve Cried in Public, Holly Bourne
Why I want to read it ? I’m a big fan of Holly Bourne’s books and The Places I’ve Cried sounds like such an incredible read…. emotional and heartbreaking and, as every other Holly Bourne book I’ve read, just, REAL.
Only Mostly Devastated, Sophie Gonzales
Why I want to read it ? I feel like I got really lucky to get my wish for this book, one of my most anticipated read of the year as well. This releases in March and I’m hoping to get to it really soon, it sounds like such a great contemporary read and I’m excited!!
Almost Adults, Ali Pantony
Why I want to read it ? I kind of want to read more books with young adults in it, too, meaning like over 20, since… well, I am even though I don’t like to be. Adulting sucks, friends. ANYWAY not the point here. Almost Adults is a lovely read that was on my sister’s radar and came onto mine, too, it’s about these girls in their twenties trying to figure out adulting and being messy, basically and I’m excited!!
Meet Me At Midnight, Jessica Pennington
Why I want to read it ? Epic pranks and hate to love romance? This sounds like the perfect kind of contemporary for me, if you ask me and I’m really really excited to read it!
The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang
Why I want to read it ? This book has been on my TBR for a little while now and I’m eager to get to it…. when I feel in the mood for an adult read. I’ve heard great things overall about this romance and I can’t wait to read it!
Are you participating in the #pondathon? What’s your character like? What team are you on?
Do you like to participate in readathons? Did you read any of the books on my TBR? Let me know in comments!
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I’m going to be participating, too! Same team, and everything! I don’t have my sign-up post up or my character made yet, but I’ll probably end up using the black cat body. It’s not my first readathon, but it’s my first hosted over WordPress. I’m really looking forward to it!
Ahhh yay that’s so exciting! I hope you’ll have tons of fun and I can’t wait to meet your character 😀
This readathon sounds like fun, and your pond character is very cute. Good luck!
It sounds like a lot of fun, yes! Thank you so much!! 🙂
Ooooo! Saving this post because I want to join!!!
Ahhhhh yay I hope you will 😀
*cheers* This readathon sounds AMAZING, and your character is just so adorable ? I’m probably going to sign up because the whole premise of the Pondathon is so cute. Have fun with your TBR!!! ?
Aww thank you!! I hope you will, it sounds like such a fun readathon 🙂 thank you! <3
My sign up post isnt up yet, but im team xialong too!
ahhhh yay! I look forward to meeting your character!! 🙂
Ooh this looks like fun… I might have to consider joining myself!
Ahhh I hope you will Keira! 😀
This sounds so cute and I’m definitely intrigued to take part too! Also I love your TBR picks, I need to push the Fever King up on my TBR.
I hope you will, it sounds like such a fun event 🙂 and thank you! I can’t wait for you to read The Fever King, it’s such a good read 🙂
This readathon sounds amazing! I’ve never participated in one before, but I am definitely tempted by this one!
Ahh I hope you will! I’m not a readathon kind of person, usually, but this one is so much fun and it doesn’t feel like too much pressure with the team I picked… all I have is to read and it doesn’t even matter if I don’t read a lot! 🙂
Mara the koala is so cute! Good luck with achieving you reading goals; this looks like so much fun! 🙂
ahhh thank you so, so much!! <3 <3
?❤️
This looks really fun! I’ve never heard of the Pondatgon but after reading your post I kinda want to lol ? also your koala is ADORABLE! I still need to read The Fever King I’ve been hearing such great things about it! Great post as always Marie!
Ahh thank you Jamie! I hope you’ll give this a chance, it sounds like such a fun readathon 🙂 and The Fever King is amazing ahh I hope you’ll read it 😀
Same! I never participate in readathons! They stress me out a lot, and somehow, knowing that I have to read books that fit a certain prompt makes me not want to read ? Though the Pondathon is such a cool readathon that I had to join! Plus, the books you have to read aren’t really policed! I love that there’s a team where all you have to do is read books! I joined Team Gen, because god knows that I need to catch up on my backlist TBR.
Ahhh, Mara is so freakin cute ?? I love her already! And, ahhh, I’m so excited to read The Electric Heir! though, like you, I’m a little scared for my feelings ?
I hope you enjoy all of these books! Good luck with the Pondathon—I’m sure you’re gonna kill it!
Glad I’m not the only one, I feel like everyone’s all about readathons and….. I’m not? AND YES! I’m so happy you’re joining as well. I find it wonderful that it’s a readathon that doesn’t have a lot of pressure that comes with it and we can just read books and be happy and I’m all here for it 🙂
Thank you so, so much, good luck to you too!! 😀
Mara is so cute! I’m excited to do my own character reveal this week 🙂 I hope you enjoy the books on your TBR.
Ahh thank you so much! I can’t wait to discover your character 😀
I hope your first readathon goes well for you, and that you will be able to read all of these books! It looks like a fun one. I will also be very curious to see what you make of the Kiss Quotient as that is pretty high up on my to read list. 🙂
Olivia-S @ Olivia’s Catastrophe
Thank you so much!! I can’t wait to read it, I’ve heard amazing things about it 🙂
I’ve never actually done a readathon – even though I read a lot, I don’t think I could commit to the time constraints! This sounds very cute, though – good luck!
I get that so much, I feel the same way about them. I’m so glad this one and the team I picked allows me to, well, just read and still participate, no pressure 🙂
Thank you!! <3
Omg The Places I’ve Cried in Public absolutely destroyed me. It’s a really hard-hitting book but all the better for it I think.
Aahhhh I’m happy to hear this! Wow that sounds weird, sorry, I’m not happy this book destroyed you hahaha but I’m here for books giving me all the feels and it seems like this one did, so yay for that 😀 I can’t wait to read it 🙂
Since it’s January, I was just thinking about looking into readathons to motivate me to read more, and then I saw this. I’ve looked it over and it just looks so amazing, so I’m just gonna go work on my sign-up stuff now that I finally have time…
I’ve also noticed that I usually haven’t heard of the books you have on your TBR list and recommendations. But I think maybe I just stay behind on “current” books. Lol. I love the cover for The Places I’ve Cried in Public though, and Almost Adults sounds like something I’d like to read. I’ll have to look into those two!
I wish you the best of luck with Pondathon!
Ahhh I’m so happy you found out about this readathon and hope you’ll have tons of fun with it! And yay! I’m really glad I could make you discover new books and hope these will interest you 🙂
happy reading! 🙂
I have read Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales and it is such a wonderful read!
ahhhh so happy to hear it, I can’t wait to read it 🙂
Mara looks so cute ? The originality and creativity of the Pondathon totally convinced me to participate! I just published my sign-up post. I have joined team Varian and my character is a cat.
ahh thank you so much!! I’m so happy to hear this, I hope you”ll have tons of fun 🙂
Yes, welcome to the readathon!
I’m in Team Varian! Everyone I see is joining team Xiaolong but I’m not constant in my reads, so it would backfire terribily if I joined there ?
Thank you so much Camilla! Ahah I get that, I hope you’ll have tons of fun in team Varian 😀
This readathon sounds so fun! I love your character, so cute. Good luck, Marie! 🙂
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Your character is so cute, Marie. Good luck with the readathon. I am not participating this time as I am not able to read much these days. And I have got the Electric Heir arc too! I hope we both love it. And yes, I can’t wait to know your thoughts on The Kiss Quotient. It is one of my fav books ever. I am nervous 😀
Aaah thank you so much! I hope you’ll LOVE the Electric Heir, can’t wait to hear what you think of it 😀
Did you read it already? You loved it?
I finished reading it a couple days ago and YES it was fantastic!! <3
I’m so happy to see that you’re participating in your first Readathon ? I’m participating in the Pondathon as well because I love the story behind it and how relaxing it is, as it takes place over such a large amount of time! I’m also a proud member of #TeamXiaolong and your koala is adorable, I love Mara ? The Electric Heir is on my Readathon TBR as well, so I hope we both enjoy it ?
Ahh thank you so much, Caro! I hope you’ll have tons of fun participating too!! <3 and I can't wait to hear what you think of the Electric Heir, I started it and I'm so nervous haha.
Thank you! ? Definitely let me know what you think about the Electric Heir! I’m already nervous about it as well ?
Will do!! I’m already really enjoy it but also very nervous ??
aaaah yay The Electric Heir!!! I hope you love it ?
I’m so damn stressed for Noam and Dara all the time ahhh, but I’m really loving it so far! Thank you!! <3
Even though I’m not participating because I don’t think readathons work well while I’m in school, this sounds so cute and I love seeing everyone’s characters and TBRs! Mara, the fearless koala is adorable! And I’m so excited to see The Kiss Quotient on your TBR because it’s one of my favorite books! I really hope you enjoy it!
And best of luck on the readathon! I hope it’s stress free and you enjoy yourself!
It is such an adorable readathon! I can’t wait to read the Kiss Quotient, I’m a little nervous because of the hype, but hopefully I’ll like it 😀
Thank you so much Malka <3
Oh my gosh, the cute characters & teams is so creative & fun! Best of luck to you, Marie. Hope you earn all the points. ♡
Right? They’re too adorable <3 Thank you so much! <3
I was going to participate in this one, but I unfortunately got caught up in my work life! I hope you have a wonderful time in this readathon though! <3
Oh no that’s too bad! I hope that work is going okay, Kelly, sending you lots of love <3