OWL's Magical Readathon 2019 TBR

This amazing readathon was created by Book Roast on Youtube. This year Gi has gone all out and not only created reading prompts for each subject but has also created wizarding careers to choose from so people can decide what OWLs to take. The readathon starts on April 1st and lasts the whole month until April 30th and during this time everyone will be taking their 'OWL Examinations'. To see her announcement video explaining the readathon in more detail you can click here. You can also find all the reading prompts and career paths in that video too.

I decided to be ambitious this year and chose the Alchemist career path which basically means I will be attempting to take all the subjects and complete all of the prompts. I usually read between 10-15 books a month so hopefully I can manage them! So, below are all the subjects and reading prompts as well as my TBR! This TBR is subject to some change if I find that the books don't fit the prompts as well as I hoped!

Ancient Runes - A Retelling

For this first one I've decided to go with To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo. I believe this is a retelling of A Little Mermaid but with a darker twist so I'm really looking forward to seeing how this has been done. I've pretty much only heard good things about this book so it's about time I got around to reading it.

Arithmancy - Work written by more than one author

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian is the first book in a contemporary trilogy that I've heard has similar vibes to Pretty Little Liars (which I loved). So I've decided to put the whole trilogy on my TBR since they fit a lot of the requirements and I feel like they're going to be quick reads. Obviously this book has been written by two authors so fills this prompt! 

Astronomy - "Star" in the title

This one is pretty obvious why it was chosen: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer. This is a collection of short stories set in the world of the Lunar Chronicles. I read the Lunar Chronicles about four/five years ago now but I only ever read three of the short stories because they weren't available as a collection at the time. I finally bought this a couple of years ago now and still haven't got around to it so this readathon will hopefully make me pick it up sooner! (Although it will probably make me want to re-read the series!).

Care of Magical Creatures - Land animal on the cover

The Tiger Thief by Michaela Clarke is a children's fantasy book following Sharat who loses his tiger during a performance, and the adventure that follows. My sister bought me this book a while ago and I haven't picked it up yet. This readathon will finally make me prioritise it as it has a tiger on the cover and I imagine it will be a quick read with being a children's book.

Charms - Age-line: read an adult work

I am currently reading Truthwitch by Susan Dennard and I'm hoping to finish both it and the sequel, Windwitch before the end of the month. If I can then Sightwitch will be the first book I pick up this readathon, shortly followed by Bloodwitch. This is an adult fantasy series following two Threadsisters: Safi, who must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, and Iseult, whose true powers are hidden even from herself. I'm really looked forward to continuing on with this series!

Defence Against the Dark Arts - Reducto: Title starts with an "R"

Similar to Burn for Burn, I've added another trilogy to this TBR: this one being The Dust Lands trilogy. This is a dystopian trilogy that I've been wanting to read for a few years and since all three book fit into the reading prompts I've decided to add them here. Rebel Heart by Moira Young is the second book in the trilogy.

Divination - Set in the future

Raging Star by Moira Young is the third and final book in The Dust Lands trilogy (as mentioned above). Since this is a dystopian series I believe it is set in the future. I sincerely hope I enjoy this book series as I've heard very mixed reviews on the second and third books in particular.

Herbology - Plant on the cover

As mentioned in my Charms prompt, I am currently reading Truthwitch so I'll soon be picking up Sightwitch, the novella between books 2 and 3. This has some moss on the cover which I am 100% counting towards this challenge!

History of Magic - Published at least 10 years ago

For this I decided to go back further than 10 years as I thought it would be a good excuse to pick up one of my classics. I decided to go with  Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson. I first read this book about 10-15 years ago and don't really remember it so I want to give it a re-read to refresh my memory.

Muggle Studies - Contemporary

As I talked about in my Arithmancy prompt, this is the third book in the Burn for Burn trilogy: Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. As noted above, this is a contemporary book with a dark undercurrent.

Potions - Next ingredient: A Sequel

And again, this is the second book (and, therefore, the sequel) in the Burn for Burn trilogy: Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. I actually picked up these books for 99p each and just haven't got around to them yet so I'm excited to get to them.

Transfiguration - Sprayed edges or a red cover

And finally there's Blood Red Road by Moira Young. This is the first book in The Dust Lands trilogy which I've already talked about above. I've heard really good things about this first book so I'm hoping I'll enjoy it!

So, overall, I'll hopefully be reading:

1. Sightwitch by Susan Dennard

2. Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard 
3. Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

4. Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

5. Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

6. Blood Red Road by Moira Young

7. Rebel Heart by Moira Young

8. Raging Star by Moira Young

9. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

10. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer 

11. The Tiger Thief by Michaela Clarke

12. Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Wish me luck! Let me know if you're doing this readathon and what your TBR will be. Also, let me know if you've read any of the above and what you thought of them! Good luck to everyone participating!

2018 | End of Year Survey

Number of Books You Read: 140

Number of Re-Reads: 18

Genre You Read the Most From: Fantasy

1. Best Book You Read in 2018?

This is a really difficult one as I read a lot of amazing books last year, but I think I'll have to go with either The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid or The Magician's trilogy by Lev Grossman. I am writing a top ten books of 2018 blog post though that should be up very soon so you can see all my favourites then!

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn't?

Artemis by Andy Weir. I loved The Martian by the same author but this book was a major disappointment. The main character felt like a woman being written by a man, the plot wasn't as engaging, and the characters just didn't feel fleshed out at all.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton, and unfortunately in a bad way. I expected really good things from this book and I usually love long, epic fantasies, but this book felt unnecessarily long and very dense. It really surprised me that it felt like this and it took me about 2-3 weeks to read (a crazy amount of time for me!). I did love the characters and atmosphere but overall I really struggled with this book. I have a full review here with all my thoughts if anyone is interested.

4. Book you "pushed" the most people to read (and they did)?

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas.

5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

Best series started: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. A fantastic book with an assassin school and an amazing cast of characters.

Best sequel: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire. Easily my favourite book in this series so far and it follows two of the characters from the first book. I loved everything about it.

Best series ender: The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. I feel like this trilogy needs to be read back-to-back practically as one book to fully appreciate the overall narrative but this finale in itself was fantastic.

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2018?

I think N.K. Jemisin or Taylor Jenkins Reid.

7. Best book from a genre you don't typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare which was a romance novel recommended by April from Aprilius Maximus.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad or Big Little Lies by Liane Moriaty. Both of these books I read in a day because I just needed to know the ending so desperately. I think 172 Hours on the Moon was more fast-paced but they were equally 'unputdownable' and I highly recommend both of these for fans of thrillers.

9. Book you read in 2018 that you would be most likely to re-read next year?

Possibly Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi as the sequel comes out this year, but I don't tend to re-read books that soon after first reading them.

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2018?

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi. In fact, the covers from this entire series are really beautiful.

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

Evelyn Hugo from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. She just feels like a real movie star and has such a personality.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

This one was actually easy for me this year, it has to be The Diviners by Libba Bray. The first chapter of that book is easily the best first chapter of any book I've ever read. It was so beautifully written and unbelievably atmospheric. It felt like a film opening because I could see it all so clearly.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2018?

Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This book is a collection of true stories about women who have overcome dire circumstances in order to change the world. Through their stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to progress lies in unleashing women’s potential—and they make clear how each of us can help make that happen. This was incredibly difficult to read and I want to give trigger warnings for rape, sexual assault, and drug addiction.

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2018 to finally read?

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becki Albetalli. I'm not the biggest contemporary fan so I've been putting off this book for a while, but I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it this year. This story follows sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier who prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. This book was just such a light and easy read. I just felt myself smiling as I read it and I kept wanting to pick it up to see what would happen next.

15. Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2018?

Similar to question 12., I'm having to go with the whole first chapter of The Diviners by Libba Bray. Highly recommend!

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2018?

Shortest book: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander at 42 pages

Longest book: The Stand by Stephen King at 1325 pages

17. Book that shocked you the most?

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (and it shocked me in a good way!). I knew I would probably enjoy this book when I picked it up, but because it's over 1000 pages I thought it might be longer than necessary; I'm so glad I was wrong. This book was fantastic. The characters were so intriguing and three-dimensional. It was also far funnier than I thought it would be. I loved everything about this story and I would definitely say to not be daunted by the size of the book because it's so easy to read. 

18. OTP of the year? (you will go down with this ship!)

A relationship in The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, but I won't say which one because of spoilers!

19. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year?

All of the friendships in The Novice trilogy by Taran Matharu. They felt somewhat reminiscent of the Harry Potter friendships and I just love that nostalgia.

20. Favourite book you read in 2018 from an author you've read previously?

The Stand by Stephen King. This is an apocalyptic book where a computer error in a Defence Department laboratory and a million casual contacts form the links in a chain letter of death. In this bleak new world of the day after, a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people, a handful of panicky survivors choose sides or are chosen. The characters and the story of this book were both incredibly written. Stephen King is easily one of my favourite authors and this book is a great representation of why.

21. Best book you read in 2018 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure, etc.?

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. A fantastic grim dark fantasy based on modern Chinese history and set in a military school. It is probably one of the most unique fantasy books I've read in a long time. (A warning for younger readers though, as this deals with extremely dark topics as it bases part of the narrative on the Nanjing Massacre and the Second Sino-Japanese War, so there are trigger warnings for drug abuse, substance addiction, brutal rape, animal cruelty, genocide, and experimentation on people).

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

I didn't read any good ones this year that stood out!

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, although I didn't read very many debut authors last year. I did enjoy this book, but it didn't make it onto my favourites list of this year; I think the hype surrounding the book had built it into something that no book could actually live up to.

24. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year?

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire. I think this is easily my favourite book in this series so far. I love the way it follows the twin sisters (Jack and Jill) and their upbringing before they ever went to their 'fantasy' world or Eleanor West's home. It was fascinating to see the backstory of these two characters from the first book, but the Gothic setting of their 'fantasy' world was just so vividly written that I adored it. It was very reminiscent of the settings from Dracula and Frankenstein but with it's own unique twist.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. I really like Anna Kendrick and this was a fun, anecdotal book about her life before and after becoming famous. The way this book is written is so playful and humorous that I couldn't help having a smile on my face throughout reading it. 

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2018?

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I know, I know, it's literally in the title but that didn't make it any easier to read though!

27. Hidden gem of the year?

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. This book got me out of the biggest reading slump this year and I feel like I never hear anyone talk about this trilogy. It's a fun fantasy trilogy that's super easy to read and I highly recommend to people who need a lighter fantasy book.

28. Book that crushed your soul?

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys. This is a historical fiction book based on the worst maritime disaster in history (MV Wilhem Gustloff) where over 9000 people lost their lives. Naturally this book crushed my soul.

29. Most unique book you read in 2018?

Sadie by Courtney Summers. Mostly because of the book's unique layout. This book is half a 'true crime podcast' that follows the disappearance of a teenage girl called Sadie, while the other half of the book follows Sadie's perspective before and after her disappearance. I highly recommend the audiobook of this as it has a full cast and has been recorded to genuinely sound like a podcast (e.g. sound effects, interviews, etc.). This is a beautifully written book that deals with very heavy topics, so as I've said with other books on this list there are definitely trigger warnings (I recommend checking the Goodreads page for more details).

30. Book that made you the most mad? (doesn't necessarily mean you didn't like it)

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (and I didn't like it). I knew this book had been published in the aftermath of Twilight but I thought I'd give it a chance anyway. Unfortunately, I really didn't like it. The book romanticised an abusive relationship and the main characters were just so one dimensional and flat. I was so close to DNF'ing the book but persevered because it was so short. I just don't understand the hype around this book at all.

1. New favourite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018
Definitely Book Roast. She makes fantastic book videos and has really interesting vlogs. (She also has two beautiful cats if you need more encouragement to check her channel out!).

2. Favourite post you wrote in 2018?

Probably my review of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin!

3. Favourite bookish related photo you took in 2018?

I actually don't think I have any book related photos this year (shock horror I know).

4. Best bookish event that you participated in?

I didn't go to any signings or events last year but I'm hoping to get to some this year!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

Getting to be involved in all the Book Tours with Love Books Group this year!

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Making time for blogging while a lot of life/work stuff was going on. Reading-wise I think I did well this year though.

7. Most popular post this year on your blog?

My book review of The Cold Cold Sea by Linda Huber.

8. Post you wished got a little more love?

My 'Let's Talk' of Underrated Books

9. Best bookish discovery? (book related sites, shops etc.)

Nothing new really except for the new Waterstones card which collects the stamps for you automatically.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I did! My challenge was to read 100 books last year and I managed to read 140 so I'm very happy with that. I also completed 49/52 of the Around the World book challenge last year.

1. One book you didn't get to in 2018 but will be your number one priority in 2019?
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I've heard a lot of good things about this book and I know it was a bestseller in 2017, so I'm really looking forward to it.

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2019 (non-debut)?

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas or The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. So excited for both of these books!!

3. 2019 debut you are most anticipating?

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan.

4. Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2019?

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff. I know this book has been delayed twice already so I'm really hoping it will still come out in 2019. The first two books were amazing and I need to know what happens in this finale!

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2019?

I want to read over 100 books again this year, and I would like to make time to blog more.

6. A 2019 release you've already read and recommend to everyone (if applicable):

None right now! I'm trying to get through my backlog of books so I've not been requesting any arcs recently!

Top Five Wednesday | Books I Want to Read Before 2019

This week's Top Five Wednesday is the top five 'books you want to read in 2019'. Our Goodreads goals are quickly closing in. What are you prioritising for the end of the year? This is a slightly belated post but I love discussing the books I want to get around to reading. Here are my top five!

1. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

I really enjoyed The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue which I read last month so I've been excited to get to the sequel/companion novel. This book follows Monty's sister, Felicity Montague, who has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science. I'm actually currently reading this and I'm about halfway through. I really love Felicity's voice and I can't wait to finish this book.

2. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

I really want to get to at least a couple of classics by the end of this year so I think adding this children's classic to the list will motivate me a bit more. I do really love classics but some of the 1000+ page ones are a bit more time consuming so I'll stick to a couple of shorter ones instead. I read this book when I was very young so this will be a re-read, but I've forgotten pretty much everything that wasn't in the Disney film at this point! I imagine everyone knows what this book is about, but just in case you don't: This follows the story of a boy named Mowgli who is raised by wolves in the jungle until the tiger, Shere Khan, discovers and tries to kill him.

3. Under the Dome by Stephen King

I like to read at least one Stephen King book a year and this year I've actually read two already, but this one just appeals to me so much that I can't wait to get around to reading it. It is the story of the small town of Chester's Mill, Maine which is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. No one can get in and no one can get out.  The normal rules of society are suddenly changed and when food, electricity and water run short, the community begins to crumble. This concept is obviously similar to other books/films but I love Stephen King's writing so I'm really excited to see how he has written this story. 

4. The 7(1/2) Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

(Not to be mistaken for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo which is a fantastic book, but has nothing to do with this one! Also why they've since added the 1/2 to the title so the two books aren't muddled up). I've been hearing about this book everywhere so I finally picked up a copy a few weeks ago. I've been told this book is like if Doctor Who met Agatha Christie (which, yes that did happen, but this more combines the genres rather than the characters). It follows Aiden Bishop who is trying to identify the killer of Evelyn Hardcastle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others... This book sounds like such an interesting concept and I love this sort of mystery.

5. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

Again, this is another classic I've been meaning to pick up for years. I read H.G. Wells's The Invisible Man about ten years ago and absolutely loved it, so it's about time I picked up his more famous work. This was one of the first works of science fiction ever to be written. Even long before man had learned to fly, H.G. Wells wrote this story of the Martian attack on England. This story was popularised when it was broadcast over the radio in 1938 and many believed it was real. I'm really excited to finally read this book this year.

So, those are my top five book that I want to read before the end of 2018! Let me know what your Top Five are below, or if you have a blog post then link it! Just in case anyone is new to this, Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey (Gingerreadslainey on YouTube) and is now run my Sam (ThoughtsonTomes on Youtube), so that people can share more of their favourite (or sometimes least favourite) books in an interesting way. Sam creates weekly topics for each month so Bloggers and YouTubers alike to discuss books. The group which lists the monthly topics can be found here! And if you want to see more of my previous Top Five Wednesday Blog posts, you can click here!

The Last Ten Books Tag

I saw this tag on Hardback Hoarder's channel over on Youtube (which can be found here) and I thought it looked like a fun tag to do. The original creator was Marc Nash for anyone who wants to check them out. Without further ado here are the questions!

1. The last book you didn't finish?

I rarely, if ever, DNF books so this one is a tough one. It's definitely one of the books from when I was at university and didn't have time to finish it before the next book was due to be read. It was probably The Echo Maker by Richard Powers which I still really want to finish it so I'll have to try and pick it up soon! It's an Adult Fiction book about a man who wakes up after an accident and believes his sister is actually an imposter who has taken her place.

2. The last book you re-read?

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas. I'm doing a full re-read of the series right now in anticipation for Kingdom of Ash next month! Yes, I know this series is problematic but I do still really enjoy the story. Currently re-reading Empire of Storms and then I'll finally read Tower of Dawn (although I'm looking forward to that one the least as I really hate Chaol in Queen of Shadows).

3. The last book you bought?

I actually bought 3 books the other day because there was a clearance sale at a local shop!:

1. Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff - The second book in the Nevernight trilogy. I'm reading this one right now as I adored Nevernight!

2. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - I was waiting for the paperback of this book to come out and I'm really looking forward to reading this. I know it's about anxiety and thought spirals, both of which I've suffered from in the past so it'll be good to see some representation of that!

3. 172 hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad - I've been wanting this book for years but just hadn't seen it anywhere, so when I saw it for £3 I had to buy it!

4. The last book you said you read but didn't?

Again, this is probably something from university where I didn't get time to read something before the lecture or seminar. I think it was probably Caleb Williams by William Godwin which I definitely started but I can't remember if I finished it!

5. The last book you wrote in the margins of?

The only time I've written in books is for university when I was making notes for essays/discussions and I wrote in pencil. Any book I've kept from university still has all the pencil markings in which is interesting to look back on. I think the last one was probably We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (one of my favourite books of all times). I'm actually kind of glad my notes are still in there to look at as I re-read it!

6. The last book you had signed?

I think this was All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I've since given the book away though because the way it portrayed mental health really didn't appeal to me, although I know it's helped a lot of other people.

7. The last book you lost?

I am so careful with where all my books are that I don't think I've personally lost one! I have a spreadsheet with all my read and unread books on it so it's easy to keep track of them all (yes, I am an absolute nerd when it comes to my books). I've probably lent a book to someone that never got returned, but I honestly couldn't tell you what it was because it was so long ago.

8. The last book you had to replace?

The last one I had to replace was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because my hardback edition was so well-loved and well read that it completely fell apart after 15 years of going strong. I ended up buying a paperback edition that's hopefully less likely to fall apart after multiple reads.

9. The last book you had an argument over?

Not a clue. I don't think I've ever really had an argument over a book. I don't know anyone in real life who is quite as passionate about books as I am (and the people that are usually have similar taste to me!).

10. The last book you couldn't get hold of?

There are so many books that I see people in other countries have but I'm yet to find, even online. I think the most recent was the paperback edition of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. I absolutely adore that book and I need a physical copy of my own! Grim dark fantasy has become a new favourite of mine.

And that's the Last Ten Books Tag! Let me know what you think of my answers and if you've done this tag then feel free to link it below!