Last year I participated in the Magical Readathon and failed lol~

The Magical Readathon is one of the most well developed and intricate readathons out there! For more information check out Book Roast’s Channel!

This year, I’m not sure what career I want – so close to home it hurts – so I’m going to try and read as many of the prompts as possible. All the books I’m reading are ones that I own because I need to focus on my TBR as always~

Is this is a bad idea? Yes. Am I going to do it anyway? Yes.

The OWL’s readathon runs from the 1st – 30th April.

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PROMPTS:

ANCIENT RUNES:

Alice in the Country of Hearts vol.1; QuinRose & Soumei Hoshino (illustrator).

This is a reread for me. This manga is an Alice in Wonderland retelling, however, this one is a rather more violent tale. I don’t remember much, but I do recall the art style being super pretty!

This is the only book on my shelves that filled the “heart on the cover or in the title” prompt.

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ARITHMANCY:

The Obelisk Gate; N.K. Jemisin

I read and loved The Fifth Season but never continued. I got intimidated! However, I am excited to continue and see what emotional distress Jemisin is going to put me through next.

This fills the prompt because I don’t tend to go for sci-fi as it’s very hit and miss for me.

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ASTRONOMY:

Hollow Earth; John and Carole E. Barrowman

This prompt is to read a book mostly when it’s dark outside.

So, I reorganised all my unread books into a section on my shelves so they are all sat together to glare and judge me! This book ended up fitting onto the pile of my O.W.L.’s tbr, so I’ll be reading it!

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CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES:

Spin the Dawn; Elisabeth Lim

This book follows a young girl – Maia – who pretends to be a boy so that she can take the place of her ailing father in a competition to become the royal tailor. I believe it has roots in East Asian culture, so I’m interested to pick it up!

There is a bird on the cover next to our main character.

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CHARMS:

The Cruel Prince; Holly Black

I don’t know how, but I still don’t know what this trilogy is about… All I know is that Jude and Cardan exist and because it’s Holly Black there are faeries.

So, Jude has lived in the High Court of Faerie for 10 years but still doesn’t belong. To do so and survive she must form dangerous alliances.

I really love the cover, which fills the prompt as it’s white and I love a hate to love romance. I’m here for it~

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DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS:

Dark Days Pact; Alison Goodman

This is the 2nd book in the Lady Helen trilogy. These books are set in Regency England and Lady Helen learns that she comes from a line of demon slayers.

I found it hard to find books set by the sea/coast, but I read Brighton on the blurb of this book and grabbed it!

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DIVINATION:

The Lady Rogue; Jenn Bennett

This prompt was a number generator one and the book that got chosen was The Lady Rogue. This book is about a young woman – Theodora – who wants to be a relic hunter like her father. Of course, the Victorian era says no. However, Huck – her father’s assistant – comes back from an expedition and needs her help to rescue her father. In doing so they have to go to Romania.

I want to read this immediately and I need March to go quicker haha

 

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HERBOLOGY:

Midnight’s Children; Salman Rushdie

… This is probably the book I’m least excited for, but it’s one of the only books I own that starts with the letter M. It’s a modern classic with strong magical realism elements. Rushdie’s novel is about the 1,001 children born at midnight on India’s independence. These children are all connected and have magical powers.

It seems heavy. It seems way more intelligent than my brain is.

Fun Fact: I was meant to read this in University and even did a presentation on it 😂 I got a first in the presentation and didn’t read it… lol

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HISTORY OF MAGIC:

Serpent & Dove; Shelby Mahurin

This prompt is to read a book about witches/wizards. I was meant to read this for the Backlist readathon but didn’t get round to it. It follows a woman who is a witch who forsakes her magic and runs away from her coven. The city she goes to live in hates magic and hunts witches. In a crazy turn of events she ends up marrying a witch hunter.

This is a hate to love romance, with a fake marriage trope and I am so here for it!

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MUGGLE STUDIES:

The Mysterious Affair at Styles; Agatha Christie

I know what you’re thinking: Hayleigh, this isn’t a contemporary.

And you are so right, considering this book was first published in 1920. But! The prompt also says from the “perspective of a muggle” and Hastings is a definite muggle if there ever was one, so I’m using it.

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POTIONS:

Koyasan; Darren Shan

The prompt for potions is to read a book under 150 pages. I have a very, very limited collection of those. In the end I chose Koyasan because it’s one I remember being really good and I want to see if it stand up to my reading tastes now. It has exactly 100 pages~

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TRANSFIGURATION:

Stolen; Kelley Armstrong

This is the second book in the women of the underworld series by Kelley Armstrong. I have reread the first book about 3 or 4 times, but never continued. I really like her writing (the darkness rising trilogy doesn’t exist to me) and her characters are wonderful! So, I’m making myself finally read this book!

Oh, it fits the prompt of shapeshifting because our main character Elena is a werewolf.

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Are you participating in the OWL’s? Let me know what you’re reading and/or what you think of my picks!

Thanks for reading! I hope you’re having a lovely day~