2022 Reading Challenges

 I'm bringing it back baby! Long time no write, no see, and even no read. Oops. There's been a lot going on and a couple year hiatus was to be expect right? *cough*pandemic*cough*

I've always loved a good reading challenge and this year is no different, but there are way less of them. I'm focusing on backlist reading and having fun! Without further ado: 

2022 TBR Pile Challenge

hosted by RoofBeamReader

Let's start with a challenge that I've never been successful with but would like to try again. Rules: pick 12 books from my TBR pile and a couple alternates just in case I DNF any of the original list. They must be published before before 1/1/2021 and have been on my TBR pile for at least a year. I definitely have plenty of these so let's give it a go! Here's the list:

1. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

2. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

3. The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

4. The Disasters by M. K. England

5. The Eight by Katherine Neville

6. The Evolution fo Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

7. Heartless by Marissa Meyer

8. Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones

9. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

10. The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Alternates: 

1. Well Met by Jen Deluca

2. Sourdough by Robin Sloan

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AND there was a Marvel themed read-a-thon several years ago, hosted by Jamishelves. I really enjoyed participating in it but I wasn't able to get through all the prompts and all the phrases. So this year I thought it would be really fun to work my way through the prompts in order and possibly watch the corresponding movies. I'm going to take my time with this. And I'll probably make the prompts it's own post but I'm going to enjoy it. And depending on how far I get, I might add my own prompts for movies and shows that have come out since! (a readable version of this graphic and the prompts are linked.)

Happy reading all!

I'm Finally Taking My O.W.L.'s!

The lovely G, from the YouTube channel Book Roast, has been hosting this grand readathon for the last couple years and I have decided to join the party this year! It's a two part readathon, the O.W.L.'s take place in April and the N.E.W.T.'s usually happen some time in the summer.

She has so many resources and links to the prompts and career opportunities. Here's her 2020 O.W.L.s announcement video for all the prompts and information. She has paid so much attention to the details and I absolutely love it! She created a career Guidebook and it's seriously amazing. Go check it out!

I have chosen the career path to become an Auror: I don't know that I'd be suited to this job in real life, but I've always wanted to be one! I'm taking the opportunity for the potential to become one. There are five classes, which means I'll be attempting to read five books. I am really hoping to complete all the classes so I can move forward in the N.E.W.T.'s in August. Here are the classes and books I plan to read:

Charms: Lumos Maxima - a book with a white cover
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins - I'm not really sure what this is about but Taylor and Kathryn gave this to me for my birthday and she's been raving about it, so I really want to read it! I'm grateful that it's got white on the cover and I can fit it into one of these prompts.

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Grindylows - a book set at sea/coast
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - Okay so I'm not entirely sure if the True Sea and the Fold count as coastal, but I'm going with it because I really want to continue this series!

Herbology: Mimbulus Mimbletonia - a book that starts with M
My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill - This feels like it'll be a wonderful lighthearted contemporary and it's perfect for a challenge this big.

Potions: Shrinking Solution - a book under 150 pages
Paper Girls Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan - It's time to pick this series back up; there's only two volumes left so I'm going to go with this one for the prompt.

Transfiguration: Animagus Lecture - a book/series that includes shapeshifting
Runaways Vol. 3: That Was Yesterday by Rainbow Rowell - Okay hear me out: in the original series, there was a shapeshifter character named Xavin. I have no idea of she will show up in this run of Runaways or even in this volume, but I'm still going to count it!

This isn't part of the requirements for Auror but, I really like random number generator prompts, so I'm adding Divination to my list of O.W.L.s.

Divination: Third Eye - random number generator
The Anomaly by Michael Rutger - I've this described as Indiana Jones meets X-files and I've never wanted to read something more.

Also, somewhere this month I have to read The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell for book club  and I'm super excited to read it, so maybe I'll try and swap it out for one of the courses, but I don't think it fits any of them, so this will just be extra!

2019! New Year, New Goals

WELCOME
It's time to decide and commit to my reading challenges for the year. I ended 2018 in a pretty large reading slump, so I'm not particularly inclined to set too many challenges. I would like to participate in a couple read-a-thons, though I don't which ones right now. And I did really enjoy focusing on the series I need to finish last year, so I'm going to do it again!

2019 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge hosted by Celebrity Readers.

Last year, I attempted and completed being a B-lister, so I'm going to do it again. I didn't choose the B-lister life, the B-lister life chose me. I will be attempting to finish/catch up on 5-8 series this year. I've got some new series in mind but we'll see which ones I actually read. Here's a tentative list:

B-List Finisher

1. Charlotte Holmes Series by Brittany Cavallaro (4 books total) - 3/13/19
2. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake (3 books so far)
3. Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith (4 books so far) - 1/19/19
4. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin (2 books total)
5. Renegades by Marissa Meyer (2 books so far)
6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (8 books total)
7. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (2 books total)
8. Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel (3 books total) - 10/31/19

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2019 TBR Pile Challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader.

I did this challenge a couple of years ago, but I did not do well. I just didn't choose my books well.  Now, I think I'm ready to give it another go. 12 books from my TBR pile and a couple alternates just in case I can't get through some from my original list. They must be published before before 1/1/2018, so I've had them on my pile for at least a year. And I know I have plenty to choose from, so here's the list:

1. The Blackhouse by Peter May (2011)
2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater (2013) - 10/6/19
3. Brit-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman (2014) - 3/4/19
4. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (2014)
5. Red Rising by Pierce Brown (2014)
6. Renegades by Marissa Meyer (2017)
7. Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)
8. The Fade Out: Act One (2015)
9. Mr. Toppit by Charles Elton (2009)
10. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (2016)
11. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (2016)
12. Uncaged by John Sandford and Michele Cook (2014)

Alternates:
1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (2015)
2. How (Not) to Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts (2015)