Bout of Books 24 SIGN UP!

Are you ready to SIGN UP?

THIS IS WHERE YOU SIGN UP.

Here's what you have to do:

1. Post on your site, Twitter, Tumblr, Goodreads, YouTube, Instagram or Facebook account and declare your intentions to join us. It's EASY. We ask you share info to help spread the word. Please link back to us so others can find us here.

If you're posting on your blog, grab the official blurb (below) and our button (in the sidebar) and create a post. (Need an example? Check out Kelly's (incredibly simple) Bout of Books 24 post!)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th 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 24 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Want to post on Twitter? We've written a tweet for you.

2. Add the direct link to your sign up post to the linky in this post. You have until Tuesday, January 8th at 11:59pm CST to sign up. (If the linky is closed, you're too late.)

3. On January 7th, READ!

Call for Bout of Books 24 Experts

We need YOU.

Bout of Books has attracted more participants every time we've held it. And as it grows, we're limited as to how many people we can reach and interact with.

That's where Bout of Books experts come in.

What makes a person a Bout of Books expert, you ask?

• You've participated in AT LEAST four Bout of Books prior to Bout of Books 24
• You love Bout of Books and want to make sure everyone knows how awesome it is
• You're willing to commit some of your free time to helping us
• You love connecting with fellow book lovers and cheering them on

If you're chosen as an expert, you get to visit #boutofbooks-ers' blogs and comment on their posts--tell them how awesome they are and how well they're doing. WHO DOESN'T LOVE SPREADING LOVE?!?!?

We will be closing this form on December 31st. If you're interested in helping us, make sure you get on our list before then!

Call for Bout of Books 24 Challenge Ideas

Bout of Books 24 is January 7th through January 13th

Like us on Facebook

and follow us on Twitter & Instagram 

to join the social media fun.

We need YOUR help. This post is ONLY for people who want to help plan a challenge.

Please note: if you are chosen, you will be required to provide all pertinent information for your challenge idea before the beginning of the read-a-thon.

Challenges information

• For Bout of Books 24, challenges will be hosted on the Bout of Books blog with credit/link to the site/person who provided the idea.
• Challenges run for 24 hours and run from midnight CST to midnight CST.
• There will be a limit of two challenges per day.
• Challenge sign up will close December 17th at 11:59pm CST.

Bout of Books 23 Grand Prize Winner!

Bout of Books 23 has ended but the fun doesn't stop until the Grand Prize Winner is announced!

And the Winner is...

Emma @ emmareadsthings

Emma's winning entry came from following Kelly Apple on Twitter.

Congratulations, EMMA!

Keep your eye on your inbox, you'll be receiving an email from Bout of Books soon!

We'd like to thank everybody who signed up and participated in the read-a-thon. We're always striving to make this event the best it can be and we couldn't do that without your enthusiastic participation.

For those that are interested in helping out for the next Bout of Books, we post a call for help roughly a month prior to the start of the read-a-thon - which will be around December 10th for Bout of Books 24. Keep an eye on this blog for that announcement. You can also follow the Bout of Books Instagram account where we countdown the weeks until the next Bout of Books or join the #boutofbooks-ers Facebook group to talk books between read-a-thons.

Once again, thank you to everyone who helped make Bout of Books 23 a success! We appreciate that you love books and how vocal you are about sharing it!

-Kelly and Amanda

Bout of Books 23 Wrap Up

Congratulations!
You have survived Bout of Books 23!

In this post, we invite you to link up to your overall progress for Bout of Books. You don't have to create a wrap-up post--it can be an update post with day 7's progress.

Whatever works for you, works for us.

Here are important informational nuggets you probably want to know:

Bout of Books 24 will be from January 7th to January 13th.

The Grand Prize winner will be announced TOMORROW.

Following this blog is the BEST way to stay up to date on EVERYTHING.

Since we can't reach out to everyone personally to remind them about upcoming events (though wouldn't that be awesome?), we do our best to keep this blog updated with the most current information. That means you're responsible for following us if you want to receive the latest news. You can also follow our the Bout of Books Instagram account where we countdown the weeks until the next Bout of Books or join the #boutofbooks-ers Facebook group to talk books between read-a-thons.

Bout of Books 23 Day 7

The end is in sight.
Keep reading!

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

10:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Challenges

Stretch Goal

It's the last day of the readathon, so today's challenge is to take a look at the goals you set for the week (if you have them) and decide a) how you can stretch yourself to complete them or b) how you can revise them so you can meet them. Because yes, you can revise your goals! If you didn't set goals for the week, set a small one for yourself today!

Instagram Photo a Day

For those of you who use Instagram, don't forget to post your daily Bout of Books photo. Find out more on our Bout of Books Instagram page!

Bout of Books 23 Day 6

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

9:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
10am CT (TZC) Twitter Chat with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Challenges

Discover Books

Bout of Books is known to add to your TBR instead of reduce it. Embrace it by sharing the books you've discovered through Bout of Books.

Thanks to Erica (@2020hines_sight) for today's challenge.

Instagram Photo a Day

For those of you who use Instagram, don't forget to post your daily Bout of Books photo. Find out more on our Bout of Books Instagram page!

Twitter Chat Information

TZC = Time Zone Conversion
There is a Twitter chat today at 10am CT (TZC)
The chat will be led by Kelly using @boutofbooks

The chat will last one hour. We will use the Q1/A1 system. The host asks the questions using Q1, Q2, and so on. You respond using A1, A2. EASY!

Bout of Books 23 Day 5

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

10:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Challenges

Bookish Playlist

What's a song that always reminds you of a certain book? Is it something the characters listen to? Do the lyrics remind you of the plot? Make a list of at least three songs and match them each with a book. Participants could explain their reasoning in greater depth in the form of a blog or twitter thread, show pictures of the books and caption with the song titles in an Instagram post, or even make a playlist on Spotify or YouTube and share it.

Thanks to Emma (@emmareadsthings) for today's challenge.

Instagram Photo a Day

For those of you who use Instagram, don't forget to post your daily Bout of Books photo. Find out more on our Bout of Books Instagram page!

Bout of Books 23 Day 4

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

10:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Challenges

Book Trip

Share books set in places you want to visit. Make a road trip of settings in the US or a dream vacation. Or you can think outside the box and choose fantasy, paranormal, historical, or sci-fi setting. Like Hogwarts!

Thanks to Stacie (@SincerelyStacie) for today's challenge.

Instagram Photo a Day

For those of you who use Instagram, don't forget to post your daily Bout of Books photo. Find out more on our Bout of Books Instagram page!

Bout of Books 23 Day 3

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

10:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Challenges

Literary Villain

Who are your favorite literary bad guys? Can be a villain, a not-so-good-guy, or anti-hero.

Thanks to Darcus (@darcusmurray) for today's challenge.

Instagram Photo a Day

For those of you who use Instagram, don't forget to post your daily Bout of Books photo. Find out more on our Bout of Books Instagram page!

Bout of Books 23 Day 2

Today is the LAST DAY to GET SIGNED UP.
Are YOU signed up PROPERLY?
Only properly signed up participants
ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PRIZES.
_________________________

Congratulations!

You survived the first day of the read-a-thon!

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

10:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Please note: the form for the sign up will stay open through TODAY.
It closes Wednesday at midnight (TZC)

Challenge

Book Plot Emoji

Tell the plot of a book (recent read, favorite, whatever) with emojis. If you need a little emoji help, try emojipedia.org

Thanks to Rebecca (@rebeccabook17) for today's challenge!

Instagram Photo a Day

For those of you who use Instagram, don't forget to post your daily Bout of Books photo. Find out more on our Bout of Books Instagram page!

Bout of Books 23 Day 1

Welcome to Bout of Books 23!

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

10:30am CST (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CST (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks
8pm CST (TZC) Twitter Chat with @boutofbooks

Please note: the form for the sign up will stay open through TODAY and TOMORROW.

It closes Wednesday at midnight (TZC)

Challenges

Introduce Yourself #insixwords

The challenge is simple: introduce yourself on Twitter, Instagram, or on this post using six words, no more, no less. Use the hashtags #boutofbooks and #insixwords so we can learn all about you.

Example: "Needed for survival: books, dogs, coffee."

Instagram Photo a Day

For those of you who use Instagram, don't forget to post your daily Bout of Books photo. Find out more on our Bout of Books Instagram page!

Twitter Chat Information

TZC = Time Zone Conversion
There is a Twitter chat today at 8pm CT (TZC)
The chat will be led by Amanda using @boutofbooks

The chat will last one hour. We will use the Q1/A1 system. The host asks the question using Q1, Q2, and so on. You respond using A1, A2. EASY

Bout of Books 23 Schedule

It's COMING!

Psst. Tell your friends:

For Bout of Books 23, all challenges will be hosted on the Bout of Books blog. Here. Right here. So keep your eyes on this site to see what's what for the day!

Challenges
**This is the overall list for the challenges offered during Bout of Books 23. Make sure you check the blog each day of the read-a-thon for instructions and details on how to complete the daily challenges**

Monday 8/20
Introduce yourself #insixwords

Tuesday 8/21
Book Plot Emoji

Wednesday 8/22
Literary Villain

Thursday 8/23
Book Trip

Friday 8/24
Bookish Playlist

Saturday 8/25
Discover Books

Sunday 8/26
Stretch Goal


Twitter Chats
(chats last approximately one hour)
TZC = Time Zone Conversion

Monday: 8pm CST (TZC)
Saturday: 10am CST (TZC)

Bout of Books 23 SIGN UP!

Are you ready to SIGN UP?

THIS IS WHERE YOU SIGN UP.

Here's what you have to do:

1. Post on your site, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, YouTube, Instagram or Facebook account and declare your intentions to join us. It's EASY. We ask you share info to help spread the word. Please link back to us so others can find us here.

If you're posting on your blog, grab the official blurb (below) and our button (in the sidebar) and create a post. (Need an example? Check out Kelly's (incredibly simple) Bout of Books 23 post!)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th 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 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Want to post on Twitter? We've written a tweet for you.

2. Add the direct link to your sign up post to the linky in this post. You have until Tuesday, August 21st at 11:59pm CST to sign up. (If the linky is closed, you're too late.)

3. On August 20th, READ!

Official Sign Up

Remember: you must post a DIRECT LINK to your sign up post. 

If you're only participating on Twitter/YouTube, link up your "I'm participating in Bout of Books!" tweet/video, NOT your Twitter/YouTube profile.

No direct link = no Grand Prize

Call for Bout of Books 23 Experts

We need YOU.

Bout of Books has attracted more participants every time we've held it. And as it grows, we're limited as to how many people we can reach and interact with.

That's where Bout of Books experts come in.

What makes a person a Bout of Books expert, you ask?

• You've participated in AT LEAST four Bout of Books prior to Bout of Books 23
• You love Bout of Books and want to make sure everyone knows how awesome it is
• You're willing to commit some of your free time to helping us
• You love connecting with fellow book lovers and cheering them on

If you're chosen as an expert, you get to visit #boutofbooks-ers' blogs and comment on their posts--tell them how awesome they are and how well they're doing. WHO DOESN'T LOVE SPREADING LOVE?!?!?

We will be closing this form on August 13th. If you're interested in helping us, make sure you get on our list before then!

Want to help spread the Bout of Books love?

Call for Bout of Books 23 Challenge Ideas

Bout of Books 23 is August 20th through August 26h

Like us on Facebook

and follow us on Twitter & Instagram 

to join the social media fun.

We need YOUR help. This post is ONLY for people who want to help plan a challenge.

Please note: if you are chosen, you will be required to provide all pertinent information for your challenge idea before the beginning of the read-a-thon.

Challenges information

• For Bout of Books 23, challenges will be hosted on the Bout of Books blog with credit/link to the site/person who provided the idea.
• Challenges run for 24 hours and run from midnight CST to midnight CST.
• There will be a limit of two challenges per day.
• Challenge sign up will close July 30th at 11:59pm CST.

Things to keep in mind:

Preference will be given to challenges that are NOT genre specific. You will be turned down or asked to change your challenge so it's not genre specific. We want to include EVERYONE. For an idea on what we look at, visit Kelly's post on this topic: The Challenge of Challenges

For those applying, PLEASE keep a copy of both your challenge ideas. We won't retrieve your challenge if you're chosen as a host.

Bout of Books 22 Grand Prize

Bout of Books 22 has ended but the fun doesn't stop until the Grand Prize Winner is announced!

And the Winner is...

Rachel @ Rachel is Writing

Rachel's winning entry came from tweeting a message.

Congratulations, RACHEL!

Keep your eye on your inbox, you'll be receiving an email from Bout of Books soon!

We'd like to thank everybody who signed up and participated in the read-a-thon. We're always striving to make this event the best it can be and we couldn't do that without your enthusiastic participation.

For those that are interested in helping out for the next Bout of Books, we post a call for help roughly a month prior to the start of the read-a-thon - which will be around July 23rd for Bout of Books 23. Keep an eye on this blog for that announcement. You can also follow the Bout of Books Instagram account where we countdown the weeks until the next Bout of Books or join the #boutofbooks-ers Facebook group to talk books between read-a-thons.

Once again, thank you to everyone who helped make Bout of Books 22 a success! We appreciate that you love books and how vocal you are about sharing it!

-Kelly and Amanda

Bout of Books 22 Wrap Up

Congratulations!
You have survived Bout of Books 22!

In this post, we invite you to link up to your overall progress for Bout of Books. You don't have to create a wrap-up post--it can be an update post with day 7's progress.

Whatever works for you, works for us.

Here are important informational nuggets you probably want to know:

Bout of Books 23 will be from August 20th to August 26th.

The Grand Prize winner will be announced TOMORROW.

Following this blog is the BEST way to stay up to date on EVERYTHING.

Since we can't reach out to everyone personally to remind them about upcoming events (though wouldn't that be awesome?), we do our best to keep this blog updated with the most current information. That means you're responsible for following us if you want to receive the latest news.

Thank you for making this event fabulous!

Bout of Books 22 Day 7

The end is in sight.
Keep reading!

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

10:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Challenges

Stretch Goal

It's the last day of the readathon, so today's challenge is to take a look at the goals you set for the week (if you have them) and decide a) how you can stretch yourself to complete them or b) how you can revise them so you can meet them. Because yes, you can revise your goals! If you didn't set goals for the week, set a small one for yourself today!

Bout of Books 22 Day 6

Here is the schedule of events for today:

TZC = Time Zone Conversion

9:30am CT (TZC) Morning Announcements with @boutofbooks
10am CT (TZC) Twitter Chat with @boutofbooks
7:30pm CT (TZC) Evening Announcements with @boutofbooks

Challenges

Share Your Favorite Bout of Books Moment

With the read-a-thon starting to wind down, we want to see some of your favorite moments. These could be from past Bout of Books or the present one. Did you connect with someone who would later become your BFF and partner in crime? Did a favorite author retweet you? Were you recommended a book that changed your life? TELL US ABOUT IT!