A year ago I started Chronically Bookish as a virtual book club to feature authors with chronic conditions and disabilities. In the past year it has grown into the most supportive and kind place on the internet (if you ask me) ! To celebrate Chronically Bookish’s first birthday we are holding our very first read-a-thon! Kitty (Chronically Bookish member and read-a-thon extraordinaire) kindly offered to cohost this read-a-thon with me and has written a fantastic blog post that will help you to understand what our read-a-thon is, how to participate, includes suggested reading and ways to fulfill prompts, and so much more! I am so excited to start this read-a-thon with you and to celebrate the incredible community that we have grown into during our first year as a book club!
By: Kitty
Hi everyone!
I go by Kitty, and I’ve volunteered to write this blog post to help give Cienna the time she needs to rest and recuperate from her recent hospital admission. I Started following Cienna’s Chronically Persevering instagram account a few years ago, shortly after I started an instagram account specifically to post about my own adventures in art and advocacy as a queer, immigrant, disabled person. When she started Chronically Bookish, her chronic-illness-centered book club, I knew I had to join! An inclusive environment AND books? Yes. Please. I’m so thrilled to have this opportunity to collaborate with Cienna on an exciting project, which brings us to the reason I’m writing this blog post:
July marks the birthday of the Americans with Disabilities Act AND the very first birthday for Chronically Bookish! Book Club has turned into so much more than just a place to talk about books. We’ve made new friends, shared deeply, and learned so much. What better way to celebrate our first year of Book Club than with a Readathon?
If you haven’t ever done a Readathon before here’s the basic premise: Choose books that are based on the prompts provided. When you finish the book you can mark the prompt as complete however you like. Many people draw out a Readathon layout page in a notebook to keep track of their progress, but you can also print out the graphic provided below, or just check the prompts off on a list.
A pastel turquoise and gray graphic lists the dates and tags for the readathon. In the middle, the prompts are listed in a Bingo board style. We’ll go over those details below. Graphic created by @nissu_the_superdoodle.
Our Readathon will start July 22nd (this coming Wednesday!) and end August 19th. Every Readathon is different, but for our Readathon, we’re using a Bingo Board. Your goals for reading can be whatever makes you feel good; Choose just a few prompts you want to fulfill, aim to fulfill five in a row to make a Bingo, endeavor to fulfill all the prompts, or anything in between! Our goal is for this Readathon to be flexible and as inclusive as possible, so we’ve put our own spin on things as well. Some prompts are plot/book based, and other prompts are based on different ways to read or consume media. “Doubling up” on prompts is also totally okay! If you find one book that fulfills ten of the prompts all on it’s own, congratulations, when you finish that book, you’ve completed TEN prompts! We also know that every person has different needs, so please consume media however works best for you. If you prefer traditional books, of course that counts. Audiobooks, and ebooks also count! If none of those work well for you, you’re also welcome to count podcasts, videos, movies, shows, or whatever other kind of media toward the prompts!
A pastel pistachio and gray graphic lists the guidelines for the Chronically Bookish Readathon. Graphic created by @nissu_the_superdoodle.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the prompts! We’ve also listed some books/media that could fulfil those prompts under each description in case you need some suggestions to get you started.
Listen/Watch to a movie/show/video/Ted talk with disability/chronic conditions representation- The goal here is to watch or listen to some kind of media that has a person living with Chronic Illness in the forefront.
Claire Wineland Documentary on Youtube (free)
Unrest (by Jenifer Brea) on Netflix and other video streaming platforms to pay per view
Gaga: Five Foot Two on Netflix
The Fundamentals of Caring on Netflix
Brain On Fire on Netflix (also a book)
Five Feet Apart on Netflix, Hulu, Sling, Showtime, and other streaming platforms to pay per view. (also a book)
The Fault In Our Stars on multiple streaming platforms to pay per view (also a book)
The Good Doctor available for free on ABC or with a subscription to Hulu or Youtube TV
Atypical on Netflix
Crip Camp on Netflix
Jessica Kellgren-fozard (any of her videos) on YouTube (free)
Listen to a podcast related to chronic conditions/disability- This one’s pretty straightforward, but if you can’t listen to a podcast, any other media that works for you can count as well!
This is not what I ordered
Fight like a warrior
How is anyone still alive
Fashionably Tardy
Read a fantasy or fiction chronic condition/disability story- This can be any fictional book about a character with chronic illness, or even a fantasy book about a character that alludes to chronic illness.
A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmer
A Heart So Fierce and Broken (the newly released sequel to the book above) by Brigid Kemmer
The Ables Jeremy Scott
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Five Feet Apart By Rachael Lippincott
Dani Brown Series by Talia Hibbert
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
The Woman in The Window by A.J. Finn
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
We Rule The Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett
*We understand that everyone’s taste and experience is different, but had a few book club members mention that the following books were personally upsetting to them in how they represented disability:
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon (Trigger warning, some readers may find the end of this book upsetting. Trite themes of extremely unhealthy Mother-daughter dependance)
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (Trigger warning, trite themes of dependency, “inspiration porn” and suicidal plans)
Read a book about or written by someone with chronic conditions/disabled BIPOC - A book written by or with representation of a person of color who also has disability or chronic illness
The Author Keah Brown
Dani Brown Series by Talia Hibbert
Sick by Porochista Khakpour
The Author Roxane Gay
Disability Visibility by Alice Wong
The Author Samantha Irby
Read a book with a neurodiverse main character or author - There are many different definitions of “neurodiverse”, but for the purposes of this readathon, we’ll say any book written by or about a person (fiction or non-fiction) who has a mental diagnosis that seriously affects the way they interact with others, learn and move through the world. Autism is a classic example of neurodiverse, but some people also include Depression and Dyslexia within the neurodiverse category. Since our goal is to be inclusive, we’ll say anything that could be considered under this umbrella counts!
The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Author Samantha Irby
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Johnathon Safran Foer
The Author Temple Grandin
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
Historical book about chronic conditions or disability- For the purposes of this Readathon, we’ll let you define what time period is “historical” to you (well, lets say anything after the 1980’s is probably not historical). This prompt could be fulfilled by a book written about the history of a chronic illness, a historical fiction about a character that has a disability, or anything in between!
The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan
Helen Keller (books about or by)
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
The Miracle Worker by Helen Keller
Light in My Darkness by Helen Keller
The World I live in by Helen Keller
Books about Mozart’s Sister, Maria Anna Mozart
The Secret Wish of Nannerl Mozart by Barbera Kathleen Nickel
The Other Mozart by Sharon Chmielarz
Mozart's Sister by Alison Bauld
Mozart’s Sister by Nancy Moser
Ten Days in a Mad House by Nellie Bly
Any books about disability during WWII
The Fight To Survive by Caroline Cox
Jessica kellgren-fozard has many Youtube videos about historical figures with disabilities
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Read a book with a LGBTQI+ person with a disability/chronic condition as a main character or author
The Author Roxane Gay
The Author Samantha Irby
Jessica kellgren-fozard on Youtube
Me by Elton John
Read a diagnosis story- Any book that centers around the diagnosis of a chronic condition or disability, fiction or non-fiction.
Sick by Porochista Khakpour
Wide Awake & Dreaming by Julie Flygare
Brain On Fire by Susannah Cahalan
This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl
It’s Not What It Looks by Molly Burke (audiobook only)
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippencott
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Read in a cozy spot- Find a spot that feels cozy to you and curl up with a book. You get to define what is “cozy” for you!
In bed
On the couch
In a hammock
Outside in the grass
In the bathtub
Read while doing something good for your health- Again, you get to define what “good for your health” means to you. It can be some kind of exercise, or an activity that’s good for your mental health, or even a medical treatment. (Many of these ideas are much safer to do while listening to an audiobook. Please prioritize your safety while planning for this prompt!)
Read on a stationary bike
Treat yourself!
Read on a walk/treadmill
In the pool
With a facemask
Before bed
Audiobooks and yoga
Take your book on a date- Have something you’d usually like to do with a romantic partner or a close friend? Take yourself and your book on a date instead or in addition to your other person. This can be as simple or as complicated as you like!
Read on a picnic
Read over dinner
Read in a hammock
Read on a boat
Read outside
Take your book on a hike
Wine night/pop with your book
Blind date with a book
Take a nap!- Literally. Just find somewhere comfortable and take a nap. Sleep health is important! Make sure you do this in a way that’s healthy for you.
Invite someone to a Chronically Bookish meeting- Have a friend you think would enjoy book club? Invite them! Haven’t ever been to a Book Club meeting? Invite yourself! Invite yourself and a friend! We’re open to everyone, including people that don’t have chronic illnesses, but would like to learn and be part of a supportive environment. Our meeting are held every Wednesday at 8:30 PM EST on Google Meet with Closed Captioning available. Join our Facebook group to receive meeting links and to always be up to date on the latest book club happenings!
Discuss a book with a friend- Talk to a friend who read the same book, recommend a book to a friend you think might like it, or just start a conversation with the nurse at your next doctor appointment! As long as it’s one of the books you read for this Readathon, it counts! You could also plan to do a “buddy read” for this prompt. Talk to a friend or someone else doing the readathon and plan to read the same book at the same time. You can plan carefully and read the same chapters at the very same time, or you can plan to read the same book over the same month.
Read a book that benefits your mental health- This could be a book that would bring you great enjoyment to read, a self help book, a book that will help you learn or any book that you think would benefit your mental health in any way. Ultimately you get to decide what that means to you.
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink by Scarlett Curtis
Insecure Girls Handbook by Olivia Purvis
The Author Brene Brown
The Author Pema Chodron
Spoonie selfie- If you’re not familiar with the term Spoonie, check out this Blog post that covers where the term originally came from: The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino . Time to get creative! If your spoons were actual spoons, what would they look like? This could be a spoon from your utensil drawer, a two dimensional spoon you drew yourself, or our “Spoonie” mascot printed from Readathon graphics (thank you Holly for your amazing art )! Take a “selfie” of (or with) your spoon doing one of the Readathon prompts. Share them in our Facebook group or on Social Media tagging Chronically Persevering!
Practice self advocacy- It’s important that everyone learns to speak up for your needs, but it’s particularly important when you have a disability or chronic illness. You get to decide what this means for you, and how you can best advocate for yourself.
Create appt agenda (a list of things you’d like to discuss with or ask your doctor)
Make a med list
Have open communication with your medical team
Educate others about your conditions/your unique experience and perspective
Support a spoonie- There are so many direct and indirect ways to support other Spoonies! Unlike the other prompts, this prompt is defined by making someone ELSE feel supported. Make sure whatever you choose is actually something that will help them, and not just something that feels good to you. Some spoonies like it when people ask them about their condition directly, others prefer their friends to find their own reliable sources for learning about their condition. Some spoonies like phone calls or video chats to talk about how they feel, other spoonies have anxiety around social interaction and would rather receive a care package full of thoughtful items. No one is perfect and we can’t read each other’s minds. When in doubt, ask “Is there a way I can make you feel loved, appreciated and supported?” or “Would this specific thing make you feel supported?”.
Reach out to a Spoonie friend
Support a business run by a Spoonie
Send a Spoonie friend a care package
Reach out to someone else doing the Readathon to see if they’d like a new friend to chat with
Find reliable sources, like the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic, and learn about a friend’s condition.
Revist book club picks- Read or watch one of the things we talked about during book club during our first year! Here’s a full list, for reference:
Wide awake and Dreaming by Julie Flygare (book/audiobook)
Sick by Porochista Khakpour (Book/audiobook)
On My Own Two Feet by Amy Purdy (Book/audiobook)
It’s Not What It Looks by Molly Burke (audiobook only)
Claire | The Documentary - Claire Wineland Channel (Youtube)
The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan (Book/audiobook)
Crip Camp - (Netflix)
Hydratitude- This is the act of practicing gratitude while hydrating (regardless of how you hydrate!). We love the idea of nourishing our minds and our bodies at the same time, and we’d love for you to try this out with us! Practice Hydratitude once, commit to practicing hydratitude every time you drink for the next month, or anything in between!
Did my best- Feel accomplished for putting clothes on today? Did you say no to a thing that you really wanted to do, but would have depleted you too much? Did you try something, but weren’t quite able to reach the conclusion you hoped for? Did you accomplish a goal you set for yourself? Did you do something really challenging and fulfilling? Did you stay in your pajamas and take a rest day? Congratulations! You did your best. These ALL count. Pretty much just go ahead and mark this one off.
Happy Birthday ADA- The American’s with Disabilities Act was passed 30 years ago this year! Help us celebrate in any way you see fit. Take a picture and use the tag #ThanksToTheADA if you can!
Bake a “birthday dessert” for the ADA
Host a virtual “ADA Birthday Party”
Host a virtual discussion group with ADA focused topics
Attend a virtual ADA focused event
Watch Netflix’s Crip Camp
Share your story- This can mean sharing your diagnosis story, or any part of your experience living with chronic illness. If you’re participating in the Readathon and you don’t have a chronic illness, check out a Spoonie’s story and elevate it however you’re able. Share the story with a friend or on social media!
Wear a Mask- In these times of COVID 19 it’s important to wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose if/when you leave your house to protect others, particularly those of us who are vulnerable. Lets help normalize this as much as we can! Wear a mask and post a selfie with one of our tags.
A pastel turquoise and gray graphic lists the Readathon just discussed.
You can participate by joining our official Facebook Book Club, Chronically Bookish, or you can use the tags #ChronicallyBookishReadathon , #SpoonieReadathon , and #SavorYourSpoons on instagram. Please feel free to share the bingo board on your Instagram Story, in our group, or wherever you would like as you complete prompts! Al graphics are available for sharing. Tag Chronically Persevering to possibly be featured!
You might have noticed one of the prompts is to Revisit a BookClub pick. For easy reference, here’s all the books we’ve read and other media we’ve consumed over the past year.
A pastel pistachio and gray graphic lists Book Club Picks: Wide awake and Dreaming by Julie Flygare (Book & Audiobook), Sick by Porochista Khakpour (Book & Audiobook), On My Own Two Feet by Amy Purdy (Book & Audiobook), It’s Not What it Looks Like by Molly Burke (Audiobook), Claire | The Documentary (Claire Wineland Channel on Youtube), The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan (Book & Audiobook), Crip Camp - A Netflix Original. Graphic created by @nissu_the_superdoodle.