I will be putting my TBR wheel on hold for April to join the magical readathon! I have never participated in a month-long readathon before, but I will be participating in 2 seeing as we will all be isolating:
The Magical Readathon (month of April) #OWLsReadathon2020 Basically Readathon (24 hours April 5th) #BasicallyReadathon
I am going for the career of Healer for the Magical Readathon:
To complete the O.W.L.'s, I need to read 8 books. Here are the subjects and prompts required for Healer:
Herbology: Read a book beginning with M
Charms: Read a book with a white cover
Defence Against the Dark Arts: Read a book set at the sea or the coast
Potions: Read a book under 150 pages
Transfiguration: Read a book that involves shapeshifting
3 additional subjects of my choosing:
Arithmancy: Read a book outside of your favourite genre
History of Magic: Read a book that involves witches or wizards
Astronomy: Read the majority of this book when it's dark outside
Seeing as the O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s for a career as a Healer perfectly aligns with herbology requirements for a Merpeople Linguistics course, I will also be completing this course as it requires no further reading. Also, I just think of the black lake scenes in The Goblet of Fire so this course looks to be the most fun...you know. If Harry Potter was real. One can dream.
Book 1
Prompt: Herbology - read a book beginning with M.
I've decided to go for My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. From the moment I saw this on New York Times' 'Books to look out for in March', I knew I had to read this. I'm not one to ever jump on a brand new release *cries over how much money I spend on books* but this was just too enticing.
Overview: 15 year old Vanessa has a sexual relationship with her English teacher. But now 17 years on, this man is accused of sexual assault and Vanessa battles with confronting whether or not her own relationship with this man was a loving relationship or an abusive one.
Prediction: 5 stars
Book 2
Prompt: Charms - read a book with a white cover.
I had a few options, but She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey is something that should be read now, not later. I don't want to do what I usually do and wait until I can get a super cheap copy. Harvey Weinstein has thankfully just been sentenced, so I would like to complete this book during the height of it's relevancy. Overview: A collection of information including experiences that Harvey Weinstein's victims went through and the struggle for them to come to light.
Prediction: 4.5 stars
Book 3
Prompt: Defence Against the Dark Arts - read a book set at sea or the coast.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel was the Booker Prize winner in 2002. I distinctly remember my mum's book club gathering in our living room when I was younger and them drinking wine and eating crisps and not talking about this book at all. Slightly fantastical and the majority of the book is set at sea so it works perfectly for this prompt!
Overview: A teenage boy named Pi - the son of a zookeeper - intends to flee India with his family. They are shipwrecked and Pi finds himself stranded in the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat with an enormous bengal tiger for company.
Prediction: 4 stars
Book 4
Prompt: Potions - read a book under 150 pages.
Wild Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys was admittedly the only unread book on my shelves that was small enough to work for this prompt! I have started to very slowly collect the Penguin Clothbound Classics, and would definitely like to make my way through them.
Overview: Set in Jamaica, a young heiress meets an Englishman but their marriage soon turns sour and the heiress is driven to madness.
Prediction: 3.5 stars
Book 5
Prompt: Transfiguration - read a book that involves shapeshifting.
I couldn't think of anything for a while. But then I remembered Bunny by Mona Awad that Kayla from booksandlala mentioned. I don't want to ruin anything but...the title says a lot...
Overview: A group of girls that are part of a clique at school start picking on a newcomer/outsider. Very strange, spellbinding and shows the power of imagination.
Prediction: 4 stars
Book 6
Prompt: Arithmancy - read a book outside of your favourite genre.
I don't know what my favourite genre is. I generally like everything but find I tend to read a lot of thrillers and non-fiction. But YA dystopian is certainly not my usual choice, so I've picked out Vox by Christina Dalcher. I have a hunch this Handmaid's Tale-esque book is going to be a big hit for me.
Overview: A new government is in power, and now all women have been silenced, all of their rights - even the most basic - have been taken away.
Prediction: 4.5 stars
Book 7
Prompt: History of Magic - read a book that involves witches or wizards.
I was somewhat trying to avoid this prompt, and then I remembered this book: The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams which looks like a fun, less serious read which is going to essential right now.
Overview: Apparently, being a babysitter means being a witch and having a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.
Prediction: 4 stars
Book 8
Prompt: Astronomy - read the majority of this book when it's dark outside.
I saw this was nominated as one of the best thrillers on Goodreads in 2018 and have wanted to read it since then. Ever since seeing the trailer for the new film coming out in May 2020, I need to get this one in!
Overview: Anna Fox spends all her time alone in her house in New York City, occasionally spying on the neighbours. She sees something in the window and battles with whether it was imagined or reality.
Prediction: 4.5 stars
Next I'm going to talk about the book I've decided to read for the 24 hour #BasicallyReadathon.
Book 9 Prompt: Read a book that has been on your TBR for a long time. Admittedly, I saw Jennifer Anniston in the trailer, I never watched the movie because I know a lot of people love the book, and I always like to read the book first! Overview: Willowdean sets out to get back to feeling comfortable in her own skin by doing the most terrifying thing she can think of: entering a beauty pageant.
Prediction: 3.5 stars
So there we have it! Please do get in touch on twitter (@evasbookcorner) to let me know your own TBRs for April whether or not you'll be taking part in the readathons or not. I'll be using the hashtags at the top of this post to keep in touch with everyone. Generally, I'm massively looking forward to all of this months books - although just a little nervous as all of them have been predicted high ratings, and I am very picky!
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