This ReadAThon is pretty simple. First, pick a goal. I will be aiming for 7 books, but you can choose as many or as little books as you wish. Next, grab a jar, or cup, or hat, it really doesn’t matter. Something you can put names into. For the next step, you can do this one a few ways. Option 1 is to put all the books on your TBR (physical, eBook, audiobook, whatever you wish) into a hat. Option 2, you can pick some of the books you are most looking forward to and put them in a hat. (Try and put at least double the amount that is your goal to make it interesting) Option 3, (this is what I will be doing), get a 2nd jar, in 1 jar put all the physical & eBooks books on your TBR into it and in the 2nd jar put all the audiobooks on your TBR. Lastly, pick a name out of the jar and read that book, then pick another name and read that book and continue until you either hit your goal or run out of time in the ReadAThon.
Extra Info
You can choose to pull the number of names you choose for your goal out of the jar prior to the ReadAThon or pull them out as you go.
Use the hashtag #TBRJarRAT so I can see what you’re up to (also if it is on Twitter or Instagram then you can tag the @TBRJarRAT page too.
So, some of you may have a few books from the same series still on your TBR. Join the club. So if this is the case, you can either choose to only put the 1st book (or the book you are up to) in the TBR jar OR you can put it in as the full series. So if you pick up that name, then you have to try and read all the books from that series that you have on your shelf. This ReadAThon is very customisable, so do whatever fits you.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
Okay, it’s been a long time but we are back with the ReadAThon Guides! Don’t forget you can follow The Ultimate ReadAThon Guide on Twitter & The Ultimate ReadAthon Guide on Instagram to get all the info! You can also check out the ReadAThon Calendar which is always getting updated!
Asian ReadAThon
Dates: 1st to 31st of May
All about reading books by Asian authors & featuring Asian main characters.
So this one has reading challenges, which you can find below, but also there is another overlying challenge. Each of the books chosen to fulfil the challenges below but feature a character of different Asian ethnicity. You can double up on challenges. Throughout the rest of the month you can read the same ethnicities, they just can’t could for the challenges.
Reading Challenges:
1. Read any book by an Asian author. 2. Read a graphic novel featuring an Asian character or written/drawn by an Asian author (manga, manhua, manwa, and comics count). 3. Read a book featuing an intersectional Asian character or written by an intersectional Asia identity (i.e. queer, mixed, disabled, neurodiverse, etc.) 4. Read a book by an Asian author that was originally written in their native language (translated books and graphic novels count). 5. Read the group book: A Thousands Beginnings and Endings by Ellen Oh, which will be covered in the live show on Saturday, May 25th at 6pm EST on readwithcindy’s channel.
1. Read a book with a title that starts with a ‘S’ 2. Read a book that has a number in the title 3. Read a book translated from another language 4. Read a book that was adapted to a movie or TV show 5. Read a book in a series 6. Read a book under 300 pages 7. Pick a book with a cover that has real life images or a model 8. Read a book by an author who uses a full name that contains three or more name parts (including initials) 9. Read a book with a main character who is not human 10. Read a book you’ve ignored
Own voices: A book featuring a character which lives with a mental illness that the author also lives with
Non fiction: A non-fiction book about mental health e.g. a self-help books or memoir
Anxiety rep: a book featuring a character who lives with anxiety (In any form)
Schizophrenia rep: a book featuring a character who lives with Schizophrenia
OCD rep: a character living with OCD
Intersectional rep: a book written by a LGBTQIA+, disabled or ethnic minority author who lives with a mental illness also OR a book featuring a character who lives with a mental illness and is an ethnic minority, LGBTQIA+ or disabled
Bipolar rep: a book featuring a character who lives with Bipolar disorder
Hosts pick: Pick a book to read, chosen by the hosts.
Nicole’s pick: Am I normal yet? By Holly Bourne Rachael’s pick: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Cait’s pick: Marbles by Ellen Forney
Personality disorder rep: a book featuring a character who lives with a personality disorder
Phobias rep: a book featuring a character who lives with a phobia
Eating disorder: a book featuring a character who lives with an eating disorder (of any kind) or struggles with self image, confidence etc.
PTSD rep: a book featuring a character who lives with PTSD
Other: a book featuring a character who lives with a mental illness or related disorder that is not listed here already e.g. hoarding, Trichotillomania, Dermatillomania, character in therapy, a character taking medication, Dissociative identity disorder, ADHD or anything else…
Depression rep: a book featuring a character who lives with depression
1. Read a Sophie Kinsella book 2. Read a book with a pair of heels on the cover (it could be on the spine or on the back of the book as well) 3. Read a chick-lit book with a historical setting 4. Read a book set in Los Angeles or Hollywood 5. Read a romance that has a meaningful (to you) plot (think womens fiction) 6. Read a domestic thriller
This one is all about thinning out your TBR pile! So it is aimed at reading books already on your TBR.
Reading challenges:
1. Read a book that you put on a previous ReadAThin TBR, but didn’t get to. 2. Read a thin book. 3. Read a book that was gifted to you or a book that you got from a subscription box. 4. Read a diverse book. 5. Read a book that is spring themed.
A ReadAThon to celebrate and support Muslim Authors.
Reading Challenges:
Each of the columns are ‘Pillars’ and each row is a ‘level’. So pick a pillar or two & starting at the bottom, make your way through the levels to the top.
1. Myths Retold: Read a retelling 2. Battling Beasts: Read a book over 500 pages. 3. Collection of myths: Read an anthology or short story collection 4. Creation myths: Read a historical book or an older backlist title (5 years or older) 5. Gifts of the Gods: Read a book where magic is a feature
You can also go up levels based on the number of books you read
The Levels:
Hero: Read 1 – 4 books Demi-God: Read 5 – 8 books Member of the Pantheon: Read 9 – 20 books Ruler of the Gods: Read 21+ books
So as far as I can tell you choose a team (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto). As you read you can log your pages read on the website (linked below) and whichever team has the most points ‘wins’. There is an overall group book as well as a group book for each team. Then there are 11 Reading Challenges for everyone to strive for.
Overall Group Book: Beds are for Flowers by R.K. Gold
Team Group Reads:
– Moon (Love, Light & the power of the Moon): A Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi – Mercury (Water): Warcross by Marie Lu – Venus (Star Power): The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon – Mars (Element Fire): The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – Jupiter (Element earth): The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – Saturn (Death, Destruction & Rebirth): The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco – Uranus (Super Strength): A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney – Neptune (Astral Projection/Water): The Belles by Danielle Clayton – Pluto (Time & Space) Opposite Side of Always by Justin Reynolds
Reading Challenges:
– Moon: Re-read one of your favourite books – Mercury: Read a book that challenges you – Venus: Read a book with a character that has special abilities – Mars: Read a book that includes the element of fire in any way – Jupiter: Read a book 400 pages or more – Saturn: Read a standalone – Uranus: Read a book with a gorgeous cover – Neptune: Read a contemporary novel – Pluto: Read a dystopian novel – Tuxedo Mask: Read a romance novel – Chibi-USA: Read a novella
What you need to do for Bookémon! Join A Team! Log Your Daily Pages Read! Earn Your Badges! (Check Your Bookédex) Battle Other Teams With Book Battles!
There are badges to be earned for the books you read. Here are how to earn those badges!
The Creative Badge: Read a book that is in the Art / Music Genre! The Memory Badge: Read a book that is in the Biography / Memoir Genre! The Exemplary Badge: Read a book that is in the Classics Genre! The Pictorial Badge: Read a book that is in the Comic / Graphic Novel / Manga Genre! The Amour Badge: Read a book that is in the Romance / Contemporary Genre! The Chiller Badge: Read a book that is in the Crime / Thriller / Mystery / Suspense Genre! The Fantastical Badge: Read a book that is in the Fantasy Genre! The Scientific Badge: Read a book that is in the Science Fiction Genre! The Rainbow Badge: Read a book that is in the LGBTQIA+ Rep Genre! The Archival Badge: Read a book that is in the Historical Fiction Genre! The Panic! Badge: Read a book that is in the Horror Genre! The Jester Badge: Read a book that is in the Humour / Comedy Genre! The Know It All Badge: Read a book that is in the Non-Fiction Genre! The Prose Badge: Read a book that is in the Poetry / Play Genre! The Diversity Badge: Read a book that the Main Character or Author is a person of colour!
All we have for this one is the dates at the moment. Follow their Twitter to be notified when the details are announced! I really hope this one does happen as it’s one of my faves!
Pirate themed ReadAThon! This round is space pirate themed.
How to navigate the map:Start by choosing a starting point (# 1-5)
From your starting point, following the line of the color of the circle OUT to find your next challenge. Most stops have two options leading out. Challenges are listed beside the number.
A-C are detours, because we all get a little lost sometimes. They are part of your journey.
9 & 10 lead to X marks the spot! Your reward is completing the readathon (sorry mate, wish I had gold to hand out!)
Each pirate has 4 challenges to complete in the week. However, feel free to complete more!
Monthly ReadAThon and each month has a different theme
May (6-12) Finish/Catch-Up
June (3-9) LGBTQIA
July (1-7) Read 5 Different Types of Books (ebook, audiobook, paperback, hardcover, graphic novel, picture book, library book, self-bought book, book gotten as a present, borrowed book Etc. Etc. Etc.)
August (5-11) Read the 5th book on your TBR or the 5th book on your Goodreads Recommendation List.
September (2-8) New Beginnings (The first book in a New series or a New to You Author)
Well I think that is all the ReadAThons for now! If I’m wrong and you know of one that is happening in May that I haven’t included please let me know and I will add it! What ReadAThons are you planning on participating in, in May?
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Aussie? Want quick shipping? Awesome prices? Want to be able to utilise AfterPay? Then try BOOKTOPIA or even ANGUS & ROBERTSON!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet …
Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn’s grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise.
But, deep underground, someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island’s next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.
Writing
May as well get the negative out of the road straight away. While this book was entertaining it wasn’t overly engaging or gripping. I kept put it down and not really wanting to pick it back up. It was a tad childish & tropey for me and I found the characters very one dimensional and also kinda annoying at times.
I did enjoy the references to real world fandoms spread throughout the book. They were a nice little touch!
Whenever he watched The Lord of the Rings, he imagined himself as a lone rider galloping away from a battle while all the other characters were marching into it. When everyone else was in Helm’s Deep, he’d be back in the Shire, making a sandwich.
I did find the world & magic system quite interesting. I would love to learn more about the Storm Keeper’s magic but it was very vague and unexplained in this book.
Plot
I found the plot relatively predictable majority of the time. I also found the plot clunky and all over the place at times. It just didn’t flow nicely and was a bit confusing. Which I think added to my previously mentioned putting it down and not wanting to pick it up. I was guessing most of the major things and didn’t understand the other half, so that took the fun out of the reading experience.
Characters
As I said previously the characters were very one dimensional. So I honestly don’t have many feelings about any of them as I don’t really feel like I know any of their traits well enough.
Overall
So overall this was fairly disappointing. The world & magic system sounds really interesting but paired with the lack of good well developed characters, predictable plot & poor writing this book fell short for me.
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below. *Alternate Cover is below!*
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault/Threats, Abelism & Suicide.
Writing
This was an interesting twist to a classic. I love that this was turned to portal fantasy, which added another layer to the story. The world was well developed and very creative. I really enjoyed being in this world and discovering more about it through the book. I can’t wait to learn more in book 2, A Heart So Fierce and Broken!
This book is multi POV following Rhen & Harper and was done really well. It was very easy to distinguish between the 2 POVs. I’m also glad this book was multi POV rather than just following Harper or Rhen. This book was the best seeing both sides, both characters struggles and the truth from both sides.
“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”
– Freya (A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer)
Plot
This book is very suspenseful & adventure filled. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the book which kept the book very interesting. It was hard to put down and was a very easy and quick read.
“My father once said we are all dealt a hand at birth. A good hand can ultimately lose–just as a poor hand can win–but we must all play the cards fate deals. The choices we face may not be the choices we want, but they are choices nonetheless.”
-Rhen (A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Birgid Kemmerer)
As many of you know, I am not a huge romance fan, but as this is a retelling. I knew from the start that there would be a romance & who it would be between so when it came to pass I didn’t mind it. It was well done compared to most YA romances.
Characters
Our 3 main characters are Rhen, Harper & Grey. My favourite out of the 3 is actually Grey, who while plays a major part is a side character. All the characters are fierce, loyal & determined to do what is right. Grey especially is extremely loyal to those that he trusts. He is also quick witted & brave to a fault.
Also I really enjoyed the disability rep (Cerebral Palsy) in this book! There are very few books I have read that have MCs with disabilities in the physical realm. So it was interesting to see this in the book. It never stopped Harper from braving what needed to be done and she shut anyone down that doubted her ability because of it.
“Failure isn’t absolute. Just because you couldn’t save everyone doesn’t mean you didn’t save anyone.”
Harper (A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
The Prince and the Pauper gets a modern makeover in this adorable, witty, and heartwarming young adult novel set in the Geekerella universe by national bestselling author Ashley Poston.
Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year’s ExcelsiCon isn’t her last, she’ll consider her career derailed.
When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That’s easier said than done when the girls step into each other’s shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these “princesses” race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.
Anther review not in my normal format! Oh well haha!
While this book is a typical ‘everything will turn out right in the end’ type book it is still super fun & addictive. Hands down the best way to describe it is addictive! The Fandom/Con atmosphere of this book makes my book loving heart happy! I love the hints to real fandoms, Harry Potter especially of course!
“Nice to meet you, Gryffindor.”
There are also other fandoms/movies/TV shows/Games/etc. mentioned like Edward Scissor Hands, Mortal Kombat, etc. But Harry Potter the most which I LOVED!
This book is very fast paced and gripping, I read it so damn quickly and loved every second of it. There is a mystery element to this book which I really enjoyed trying to guess. You’ll be glad to know I did not guess correctly at all! So definitely unpredictable, that or I’m just blind haha.
Of course I loved the first book, Geekerella, so I adored seeing characters from Geekerella make an appearance in this book. While I love Darien & Elle from Geekerella, it was really refreshing that this book was a companion and followed new characters instead of the same ones as Geekerella. It was awesome getting to know characters mentioned in Geekerella in this one as well. There is also a book 3 and I can’t wait to see how it is tied into the first 2 books!
This book is in multi POV following Jess & Imogen. My only negative for this book was the POV. I enjoyed our two main characters, they were 2 very different people. However the POVs read very similar, so at times it was a little hard to follow as you would kinda forget who you were reading from as they felt very similar at the beginning. After a while we kinda got into the swing of it and they felt different. But in the beginning they didn’t have a lot of substance, I guess, to make them feel like different people. That’s my only negative for the book.
Thank you to NetGalley & Quirk Books for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! Find all the details about The Princess and the Fangirl HERE!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
One convicted of murder, the other given a new identity.
Now, nineteen years later, another child has gone missing.
And The Flower Girls are about to hit the headlines all over again…
I’m not formatting this review the same way I usually do purely because I don’t have enough to talk about in all the sections I generally use. So instead I’ll talk about the negatives and the positives.
But first I just want to touch on thoughts that aren’t necessarily positives or negatives. This is the first time I have read an adult Thriller and I really don’t know how to feel about how the book ends. I think this is purely because I generally read YA and I am so used to the typical, everything is resolved in the end, type books. Which this is NOT! Most things were revealed to the reader but then you are thrown a spanner at the end that makes you sit there thinking ‘NO, what, help!’. There is also two major things that are mentioned once at the end and it’s not explained and I want to know why & how!! To some degree I get it and understand that leaving it how the author did makes it thrilling and makes you think. I’m not okay with not really knowing how things would end though!
Negatives
So I have 2 main things that annoyed me with this book.
First off, the POV, this book is told in third person POV which I always struggle with a bit. It was the same in this book, I couldn’t really connect with the characters. So while I wanted to know what happened because I was curious as hell, I didn’t care who it specifically was because I didn’t have a connection with any of the characters that made me root for one or the other. The POV just meant I was a bit disconnected from the book and it’s characters.
Next is the jumps in the time line of events. Honestly the book was all over the place when it came to the time line of events. Each chapter would swap between who we were following, where the person was & the time line. Things were barely ever revealed simply in order. I appreciated the glimpses into the past sprinkled throughout the book. They were distinguished by a simple ‘1997’ or ‘1998’ at the start of the chapter however they were also no in order and while the ‘1997’ or ‘1998’ made it easy to know that we were in the past but not when specifically in the time line of events. All this jumping around simply made the book hard to follow. Most chapters were only a couple chapters and some of the time it took most of the chapter figuring out when & where we were currently looking at.
Positives
This book took a bit of getting used to with the POV & time jumps which took about 100/150 pages but once I got into it I was hooked! I read the last 200ish pages in one day easily!
The chapters are super short which means you feel like you are getting through the book quickly, which I was but it just added to it. Some of the chapters also ended on cliff hangers of sorts and then the next chapter would be completely unrelated to whatever just went down. So you are gripped and speed through the next couple chapters till you find out what just happened after that cliff hanger. This book is very hard to put down in that way. I was literally walking about the house reading it while doing other things because I just wanted to know what happens.
Every character in this book is very fleshed out and interesting. They all have very different views & backgrounds. It was really interesting learning about these characters and figuring out what happened to make them who they are. Granted they aren’t all revealed, but that is just part of the mystery.
Lastly this book is COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE!! You think you have a grasp on what went down but then a spanner, no scratch that, the whole fucking toolbox is thrown into the works and your ideas are completely out the door.
Well that is all my thoughts thrown on a post. Thanks for reading!
Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
You can purchase a copy for yourself at any of the links below.
Have you read The Flower Girls? What did you think of it? Do you agree that the jumping around was hard to follow? Also, is leaving you with 1000 questions normal for Thrillers?!
Purchase any of the books mentioned from BOOK DEPOSITORY! World Wide FREE shipping and awesome prices? Can’t say no to that!
Aussie? Want quick shipping? Awesome prices? Want to be able to utilise AfterPay? Then try BOOKTOPIA or even ANGUS & ROBERTSON!
Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links. This does not change the price of your purchases, however, I receive a small commission if you use any of those links to make a purchase! Which I highly appreciate!
So it is the 10th day of OWLs Magical ReadAThon and I thought I would do a little update of what I’ve read so far and what challenges I’ve completed so far!
Physical Reads
I read 3/4 of A Curse So Dark and Lonely after the ReadAThon started. So I decided to count it towards the Ancient Runes challenge as it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling!
I planned to read The Song Rising but decided to reread the first 2 books before reading it as it had been a while and I couldn’t remember as much as I liked. I decide to use this one for the Divination challenge as this is set in the future.
Audiobooks
I’ve been slowly making my way through the Hercule Poirot series and I have so far read these 2 this month. I used Murder in Mesopotamia for the History of Magic challenge & Cards on the Table for the Charms challenge.
I have started rereading The Medoran Chronicles by Lynette Noni via audiobook. So far I have read Akarnae, Raelia & Draekora. I have used Akarnae for the Herbology challenge & Raelia for the Potions challenge. Draekora doesn’t fit in any of the challenges unfortunately.
Currently Reading
I’m reading The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon as part of my reread before starting The Song Rising. I’m also rereading Graevale as the next part in The Medoran Chronicles series. Graevale also doesn’t fit in the challenges anywhere. I am using The Mime Order for the Transfiguration challenge.
Let’s Chat!
Are you participating in OWLs Magical ReadAThon? How many challenges have you finished so far?!
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