Most bookworms complain at some point or another that there’s just not enough time to read. Lives are busy, work and home and friends and family all clamor for your attention, and many days it’s hard to find a half hour of personal time to devote to the book on your nightstand. Certainly it’s the rare Sunday afternoon when you can sprawl on the couch with a pile of books and a hot drink and while away the hours.

Of course, reading is like writing, in that if it’s a priority for you, you make the time. The hour before bed, the time spent commuting, a book stashed in your desk for your lunch break — these things become sacred and automatic. But what about scheduling a chunk of time for an all-out reading binge? If writers can devote November to writing a novel, can’t readers devote some quality hours to making a dent in their to-read pile?

Reading marathons seem to be popping up around the internet. I’ve spotted a few where readers pledge to read for 24 hours straight, but in my mind that seems too harsh a goal. After all, if you’re looking forward to reading the books, you want to be awake and alert for all of them, not just those you choose for the first hours of reading. But recently I ran across the 24 in 48 Readathon, and that sounds much more appealing — and reasonable — for someone looking to devote a chunk of time to reading.

The premise is pretty straightforward. You choose a 48-hour time period and pledge to read for 24 of those hours. The official 24 in 48 site is currently gearing up for a group readathon the weekend of November 15th and 16th, with the clock running from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday morning through 11:59 p.m. Sunday night (essentially midnight to midnight), and some participants are Tweeting or blogging about their reading as they go. However, you could just as easily pick a couple of days of your own based on your schedule and do a personal readathon.

Once you’ve carved out your 48 hours, curate a stack of books to read, allowing for changes in mood and energy, lay in a supply of snacks and drinks, and be sure you have all the extras that you might need over the course of your reading adventure. Extra light bulb for your favorite reading lamp? Box of tissues for the tear-jerker in the TBR? Fuzzy socks and the blanket your grandmother knitted for you to keep warm when the temperature drops? Then have at it.

Work has forced me to slow down my personal reading again the past few weeks, but of course new books keep showing up in my apartment, so the idea of a catch-up reading weekend really appeals. I’m hoping to clear the decks sufficiently so I can join the readathon on the 15th, and if I do, I’ll Tweet my experiences @NepheleTempest. I hope a few of you can join in, as well. Do check out the 24 in 48 site, especially their FAQ page, for all the details and added inspiration. And whether you have two days or twenty minutes to devote to your TBR, happy reading!