Tag: BiannualBibliothon

The Final Biannual Bibliothon – How Did It Go?

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Happy Saturday!

Sorry for not posting on Thursday, but I just did not have the creativity or mindset to sit down and write a blog post that would be satisfactory for you all. Lately, my mind has been a cluttered mess of positivity and negativity, and I am only realizing just now that maybe I should try to work on fixing that.

Anyways, I DID want to make a post talking about how my Biannual Bibliothon went and what exactly I managed to read so I hope you enjoy!

TBR RECAP

  1. Read the Group Book – Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
    1. SUBSTITUTE – Free Choice – Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi
  2. Read a Host’s 5-star Read – Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee
  3. Read a Book Based Off of the Cover – The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
  4. Read an Adult Genre Book – Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
  5. Free Choice – The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
  6. Read a Book From an Author You’ve Never Read From – The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
  7. Read a Graphic Novel – Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise: Part One by Gene Luen Yang
  8. Read a Book You Were Excited For but then Never Picked Up – The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  9. Read a Predicted 5-star Read – Vicious by V.E. Schwab

How Did I Do?

Despite the nine days I had to read nine books, I only FINISHED four which is definitely not bad, but I was really wanting to challenge myself for this final Biannual Bibliothon. However, as I mentioned, my head’s been a little full lately, and it’s been hard to focus on a book when there are so many other things occupying my mind.

The books I did read though, were ones I really enjoyed my time with.

Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi – 3.5/5 stars

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I flew through this book mostly because this is the fifth book in the series so I already know the characters and the world. However, I kind of forgot about what happened in Restore Me, so it took a little bit for me to clue into what was going on, but once I did it was smooth sailing. It wasn’t AMAZING, but it does have me curious about what will happen next. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – 4.5/5 stars

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As always, I love reading these books and being in this world. While they aren’t perfect, after giving this book a re-read, I definitely think The Raven Cycle is in my top 5 favourite series. Just everything from the characters to the world to the story is so rich and immersive that I can’t help but be sucked in. 

Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise: Part One – 3/5 stars

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First off, I was a little confused when I started reading this graphic novel because I thought it was the graphic novel interpretation of the TV series, but it is actually what takes place AFTER the events of the TV show. Not that I don’t want to know about that, but it just wasn’t exactly what I was expected. Also, Katara’s and Aang’s RELATIONSHIP in this was just…strange and forced in my opinion. It kept popping up everywhere and annoying me. I always thought I shipped them, but recently, I have been aboard the Katara x Zuko ship so…

Vicious by V.E. Schwab – 5/5 stars

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This book was SO well done and amazing, that I could not help but it give it 5 stars. I guess TECHNICALLY, this could for the challenge of reading an adult genre book as well because this book was not YA, but I am only going to count this for the challenge I originally associated it with. I loved the grey characters and grey world and superhero/villain aspect of it all because it made for a very interesting story. Now, I cannot WAIT to pick up Vengeful next!

While I only FINISHED four books, I am halfway through two others on this list. They are Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, which I was listening to the audiobook version of for the readathon but lately, I have NOT been in the audiobook mood so I only got halfway through. I am going to try and finish this book because I really like the story, but I think I will pick up the physical copy and try to finish it that way. If I can’t, oh well.

The other book I am halfway through and 100% will finish before Monday (which is when the Reading Rush begins!) is The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. Currently, I am 250 pages in so either I will finish today or tomorrow. I am not going to try and fit in any other books though because I definitely want to relax before the next readathon and also get some writing done for Camp NaNoWriMo which I may or may not have been neglecting recently…

 

That is all I got done for the FINAL Biannual Bibliothon and I hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you participated and what exactly you got done because I would love to know. Don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

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Biannual Bibliothon TBR

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Hellooo!

I am so excited to share this TBR with you all, because it is either my second or third year participating in the Biannual Bibliothon, but will also be the last one because this is the last EVER Biannual Bibliothon. One, that is very sad, but two, it only makes me more excited and motivated to get a lot of reading done during this readathon because I want to end it all with a bang. But first off, you might have a few questions…

What Is the Biannual Bibliothon?

The Biannual Bibliothon is a readathon that usually takes place in the winter and summer where you try to read a book a day for however long the readathon is. There are reading challenges, video challenges, and overall, it is just a really fun time! However, the hosts have decided to make this the final Biannual Bibliothon so if you want to participate, do it now!

When Is It?

It starts today! The final Biannual Bibliothon takes place from July 11 (12am) – July 19 (11:59pm).

What I’m Reading…

1. Read the Group Book 

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The group book is Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, but I am not a sci-fi fan really at all, so I decided to treat this challenge as a “free choice” instead. I decided to read Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi instead, the fifth book in the Shatter Me series which I have yet to pick up. It’s been a hot minute since I read Restore Me and I also remember nothing, so I will definitely have to read a spoilery review before jumping into this dystopian, but nonetheless, I am curious to see how much I will like this book.

2. Read a Host’s 5 Star Read

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My first pick for this was Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but that was already taken out at the library, so I decided to pick up The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee. I have heard nothing but fantastic things about this book, so I am looking forward to diving in and seeing if it lives up to the hype for me. While I hear about this book non-stop, I have NO idea what it is about. I do know it has LGBT rep in it though which does have me even more excited because I feel like the books I’ve been reading lately have lacked that.

3. Read a Book Based Off the Cover

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All of the sudden, I got a HUGE desire to re-read The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, so that is what I am going to try and accomplish during the two readathons I am doing this month. So yes, for this book, I am reading The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater because the cover is GORGEOUS and the story is as well. I always read these books during the summer and I am following that trend once again.

4. Read An Adult Genre

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A few days ago, I picked up Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan from the library and it just happens to be a perfect choice for this reading challenge. I loved the movie and I know I will adore the book because I’ve heard it is really fast-paced and fun, which is exactly the type of book you want for a readathon. However, it is pretty lengthy (either close to 500 pages or over) but I’m hoping I will fly through it.

5. Free Choice

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I am carrying through with my Raven Cycle re-read, so for my free choice, I will be reading The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. Just writing about this series is making me SO excited to re-read it, and I cannot wait for this readathon to start (as I am writing this, it is Wednesday, the day before) so I can see all the characters I love so much. There is also something so enthralling about the whimsical atmosphere of these books that pull me in and fully immerse me, which again, is essential for a readathon!

6. Read a Book From An Author You’ve Never Read From Before

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This is a pretty unexpected choice for me because I have never really had plans to read this book, but for this challenge, I will be picking up The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman. While I’ve heard about this book and the Victorian London setting has definitely intrigued me, I’ve had no near-future plans to read this book. However, I’m reading it for the readathon and I am so excited! Once again, NO idea what this book is about other than it takes place in London and there is a club…called The Dark Days Club…and also that this book is pretty huge. It’s good enough for me though!

7. Read a Graphic Novel

Image result for avatar the last airbender the promise book one

My first idea of what to read for this challenge was Gate 7, a manga I’ve been trying to read for months now, but then of course, I decided to ditch that book and read Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise: Book One instead. But, I cannot WAIT to read this because I am a massive fan of Avatar the Last Airbender and I just know reading this graphic novel will be the best of times. It will also make me want to watch the TV show which is NOT good because it is Camp NaNoWriMo on top of two readathons, but I’ll make it work, right?

8. Read a Book You Were Excited For But then Never Picked Up

Image result for the picture of dorian gray

When I first bought this book, I had every intention of reading it ASAP but for whatever reason, that never happened. That book is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. However, I am DETERMINED to actually read it this readathon because one, it is pretty short (under 300 pages) and two, I know it will be really good. Also, I am trying to read more classics!

9. Read a Predicted 5-Star Read

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I am once again, trying to finally read a V.E. Schwab book but of course, it is NOT the one I own. Instead, I will be reading Vicious by V.E. Schwab which I’ve taken out from the library because I have heard amazing things about it so I have high hopes of it achieving that 5-star read! Also, I think I heard that it is getting a movie adaptation? Correct me if I am wrong. Hopefully, I will love it because I really want to start my V.E. Schwab reading journey on a good note.

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Those are all of the books I plan on reading for the Biannual Bibliothon and I hope you enjoyed! I do have back-ups for every challenge just in case I’m not feeling a book or something, but hopefully, that doesn’t happen. I’m just super excited for 9 days of good books! Anyways, don’t forget to check out my last blog post and happy reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: What I’m Reading

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Biannual Bibliothon Day 6 – Reading By the Fire 101

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alejtr5u

Happy day 6 of the Biannual Bibliothon!

Not going to lie…I completely forgot to write a reading update for day 3&4 but that’s okay because I didn’t get much done (hahaha go me). Anyways, today’s blog host is Jacqueline from EvilQueenBooksBlog and she wants us to tell her what books we think would be perfect fireside reads. This challenge sounds so cozy and it makes me want to curl up by the fire and read…even though I don’t have a fire to do that with. But anyway, I decided that along with picking 5 books to read, I would share some tips on how to have the perfect reading time next to a fire.

STEP ONE: Choose Your Books

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

I had to throw a Harry Potter book in here because are they not the most perfect side reads? The fourth book is my favourite as of right now in the series because it’s long and a little bit of a different plot structure than her other books. When I close my eyes, I can definitely imagine myself by the warm and crackling fire, swaddled in a blanket and cracking open this amazing book.

fangirl_coverdec2012

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Not only would this be a great fireside read because it always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, but it is also one of those books I can finish in one sitting. This book is relatable, funny, adorable, awkward, and a whole lot of fun to read!

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The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

The atmosphere in this novel is cozy enough on its own that I wouldn’t even need a fire to read by. The story would do a well off job heating me up on a cold, cold day. This contemporary-fantasy book takes place in dreary ol’ London, the best place, I think personally, to cuddle up next to a fire. Well, actually right now in Canada a fire sounds great too but you get what I mean!

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Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

I have yet to read this book, which is the third installment in the Eleanor’s Home for Wayward Children series (will be reading it this readathon though!). I loved the first two books and cannot wait to dive into the next one. These books are so incredibly short (this one being under 150 pages),  and that along with their addictive, fast-paced storylines, makes them great fireside reads.

 

STEP TWO: Make Yummy Drinks/Snacks

This is a very important step. Are you going to make some delicious, rich hot chocolate? Steep some green tea or brew some coffee to keep you awake whilst reading? Maybe you’re a little hungry and need something to snack on. Well, now is the time to figure that all out! Personally, I would love nothing more than to snuggle up with a good book and some hot chocolate right now.

STEP THREE: Atmosphere

This is also crucial to your fireside reading experience. The atmosphere must be the ultimate cozy atmosphere, but how do you accomplish that? Well, let me tell you: blankets (specifically fuzzy ones, but any old blanket will do), mood lighting (if the fire isn’t enough light to read, light some candles or if your lights can adjust to different settings, perfect), and of course, seating (are you going to sit on the ground next to the fire, or on a chair? This is important to figure out people!).

STEP FOUR: READ

One important thing to remember while reading by fire is too NOT PUT YOUR BOOK IN THE FIRE. Whether it is intentional (for who knows what reason. Maybe the book is really bad) or accidental, books do not belong in fires. If you are a particularly clumsy person, adjust yourself so there is no way your book can accidentally fall out of your hands because let’s be honest, that would ruin step 3, and it’s all about the atmosphere.

Those are 4 books I would love to snuggle up and read by the fire, along with a “Reading By the Fire For Dummies” step-by-step guide! Don’t forget to check out my last blog post, as well as all my other Biannual Bibliothon blog challenges, and make sure you check out my social media accounts linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: 

Biannual Bibliothon Day 1 – Winter Snow Storm Fun

Biannual Bibliothon Day 2 – Christmas Party

Reading + Writing Update – Biannual Bibliothon 2019 Day 1 & 2

Biannual Bibliothon Day 3 – Bookish Mad Libs

Biannual Bibliothon Day 4 – Clickbait Challenge

Biannual Bibliothon Day 5 – Winter Trips

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Biannual Bibliothon Day 5 – Winter Trips

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alejtr5u

Happy day 5 of the Biannual Bibliothon!

I’m slowly getting back on track with reading and am having SO much fun trying to read as much as I can. Sometimes with all the hectic things going on, I forget to sit down and read. Obviously, sometimes I’m so busy with school and life that I don’t have the time to read, but most days I do and this readathon is reminding me to find time every day to do something I love; and that’s reading.

Anyways, today’s blog challenge host is Danielle from PoetryBooksYA (check her out!), and she wants us to tell her the five book characters (I chose Lara Jean Song Covey, Peter Kavinsky, Etienne St. Clair, Ronan Lynch, and Leo Valdez) we would take on a winter trip. I decided to yet another story for this blog challenge just because I had a lot of fun writing the last one. I hope you enjoy it and let me know if you’re participating in the Biannual Bibliothon down below in the comments!

 

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“Are you sure you want to drive, Lara Jean?” I ask hesitantly, eyeing her as she slides into the driver’s seat. She gathers her dark hair up into a high ponytail, tying it off with a pale pink scrunchie.

“Yep,” she says with a nod. “I have to practice if I want to get better.”

“True.” I grab the seatbelt and buckle up, admiring the white trees around us as we pull out of the driveway; the branches drooping with piles of heavy snow and icicles gripping onto them like the crystal leaves of winter.

We ease into the snow-caked driveway of a familiar grey house with white shutters.

“Hey!” Lara Jean’s phone is pressed to her ear. “We’re here.”

“Be right out,” says the phone, words crackling before she pads the off button.

“I’m sooo excited,” Lara Jean exclaims, twisting around in her seatbelt to grab her purse from the back seat. She rips the zipper open and retrieves a Tubberware container full of varied cookies. “Okay, so I made snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, and shortbread.” My mouth waters and I can’t help but reach out for them. She slaps my hand lightly away, shoving the container back into her purse. “These cookies are for the trip to the cottage. I should probably hide them anyways before the boys get here.”

“Probably a good idea.” I laugh. “Teenage boys are animals.”

“Animals for food,” she corrects but she’s laughing too just as the two back doors fly open.

“Yo, yo, yo!” Peter Kavinsky slides into the seat behind Lara Jean, a wild grin bright on his face. He pinches her shoulder teasingly before yanking off a black beanie and ruffling his curly brown hair.

“It’s too early for yo, yo, yo, Kavinsky,” says Etienne St. Clair from behind me. “I need a cup of coffee…actually, make that two cups of coffee, first.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll get your coffee, St. Clair.” Lara Jean says, but I notice her eyes meeting Peter’s in the rearview mirror. Her cheeks are flushed like earlier, but a light pink colour instead. I smile.

“Hey, where’s Ronan?” I ask, noticing no other doors opening and no other bodies filing into the very back seats of the van.

“Being his usual brooding self, my friend,” St. Clair explains, stretching his scuffy boots so they pop out beside me. I slap them away and we both laugh.

“Oh, there’s Mr. Sexy Brooder,” says Peter.

Lara Jean and I glance at each other before bursting out into laughter. Sure enough, Ronan Lynch storms out of the house with his dark brows knitted together and bag dangling from his tight grip. When he reaches the van he opens up St. Clair’s side and grumbles something inaudible.

“Sorry, Ronan, could you repeat that? I couldn’t understand you through all your grumbling.”

“Shut up, St. Clair.” Ronan pushes past him and squeezes into the back seat despite being one of the taller ones of us all. His eyebrows are still stuck together as if they can’t bear to part from each other. I want to laugh but I want this trip to be fun, not tense. Not that Ronan is ever in a good mood, but still.

“Where’s the Latino elf?” Ronan grumbled, his arms crossing tightly over his chest.

“Leo’s still not out yet,” Lara Jean says, glancing at him over her shoulder. Her lips purse tightly in concern. I know how well she wants this trip to go; just three simple days of friends up at a cottage, drinking hot chocolate, playing board games and having snowballs fight. Not fights between the five of us minus the snowballs. “I just texted him and he said he’s almost ready to go. Do you want a cookie while we wait?”

Silence.

“Sure,” he says, sounding bored but we all hear his stomach grumble. I can’t help but laugh into my hand as Lara Jean whips out the cookies.

“Woah, woah, woah! I want one! Covey, come on, give me one first. I’m starving.” Peter is a puppy begging on his hind legs as his girlfriend bops his nose with a finger and shakes her head.

“Ronan first. Don’t worry I made lots.” She reaches over to hand the container to Ronan and he gleefully takes it, cracking it open and slowly biting into a gooey chocolate chip cookie. He closes his eyes with pleasure just to spite Peter who groans in pain.

“I’m here!” The door opens and Leo Valdez stands there, eyes wild and hair in inky tangles. “The party can start now. You’re welcome.” He bows.

“You’re late,” says St. Clair, but not unkindly as Leo shimmies past him.

“Time doesn’t wait for those who are great.”

“By great, do you mean yourself by any chance?” I ask and Leo smiles mischievously.

“Obviously. Now, let’s get a move on. I really need to pee.”

“Leo!” We all exclaim, groaning as Lara Jean shakes her head, cranking the ignition and slowly crawling out of the driveway. The world around is like a snow globe, whimsical and magical and white, snow sprinkling down from the thick, grey clouds as we drive off to our winter wonderland with a van full of voices, laughter, and the beginning of memories.

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Sorry, this was SUPER long…but I had a lot of fun writing it so I hope you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to check out my last blog post, as well as my social media accounts which will all be linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: 

Biannual Bibliothon Day 1 – Winter Snow Storm Fun

Biannual Bibliothon Day 2 – Christmas Party

Reading + Writing Update – Biannual Bibliothon 2019 Day 1 & 2

Biannual Bibliothon Day 3 – Bookish Mad Libs

Biannual Bibliothon Day 4 – Clickbait Challenge

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Biannual Bibliothon Day 4 – Clickbait Challenge

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alejtr5u

Happy day 4 of the 2019 Biannual Bibliothon!

I hope it’s going well for you, and that you are enjoying all the challenges I’ve been posting! Today’s challenge was given to us by Hannah from SprinkledWithWords, and she wants us to clickbait our favourite books. This sounds like sooo much fun, and I cannot wait to do it so let’s get into it!

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The Selection by Kiera Cass

A girl enters a competition for the handsome prince’s heart, but how can she fall in love when her heart is miles away?

 

 

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The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

A 15-year-old girl’s mother is kidnapped and suddenly she is thrust into a world of magic. She realizes she isn’t entirely human, but then what is she?

 

 

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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

A simple girl and a snotty boy – will it end horribly or will romance spark in the air?

 

 

 

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perks

When a girl is sent off to boarding school in Paris, she doesn’t realize she’ll get more than just an education – with boys and parents thousands of miles away, who knows what will happen?

 

Ruby Red

 

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Gwen’s cousin is the suspected time traveler in the family, but one day Gwen finds herself decades in the past! Time traveling doesn’t only come with lots of training, but a cute boy and a dangerous secret brewing under the surface – when will it come out? If it comes out?

 

There they are! These are my 5 clickbait titles and I hope you enjoyed. Don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts below for more Biannual Bibliothon challenges! If you want to check out my day 1, 2 &3 challenge, I will also link those down below. Anyways, thanks for reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: 

Biannual Bibliothon Day 1 – Winter Snow Storm Fun

Biannual Bibliothon Day 2 – Christmas Party

Reading + Writing Update – Biannual Bibliothon 2019 Day 1 & 2

Biannual Bibliothon Day 3 – Bookish Mad Libs

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Biannual Bibliothon Day 3 – Bookish Mad Libs

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Happy Day 3 of the Biannual Bibliothon!

Already, I’ve fallen behind in reading but there are a few days this week where I have most of the day free, so I plan to catch up then! Anyways, sorry today’s challenge is up late, but here it is! Today’s host is Becky from CoffeeCocktailsandBooks, and she has challenged us to bookish mad libs. I am super excited for this challenge and here is my entry, enjoy!

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The 2019 Winter Biannual Bibliothon was in full swing, but you were craving just a bit more adventure. As you settle in to pick up your current read, Mark Blackthorn barges into your room, surprising you. You’re told that Mark’s land is in trouble and you’re needed to aid in finding the philosopher’s stone, the only item that will restore peace and that you’re the only person that can help.

Ecstatic to finally be the chosen one, you agree to help Mark on this quest! As you begin to travel to their land, you find out that others have tried and failed to retrieve this magical artifact and that you are the last hope. You also find out that because no one has succeeded in this quest, no one knows what you’re up against. There are rumors that you need to defeat 888,887 phoenixes.

Excited, yet nervous, you and Mark locate the wise elven protector of the land to learn as much as you can about this artifact and how to retrieve it. The elf informs you the artifact is located in the deepest part of the Moors, to your dismay. You and Mark venture for 8 months to make it to this new land.

Along your journey, you spent your free hours training to master collaging, hoping this new skill will give you an advantage against your unknown foe. Shortly after arriving at this dangerous land, you finally are face to face with your nemesis, Zara Dearborn.

Though you’ve been training, coming face to face with your foe begins to strike you with fear. Your companion encourages you to be strong and reminds you that you’ve been preparing for this. When you go to use your new skill, you learn that Zara is a master. Nervous, you use the only maneuver you have left. You challenge them to gaming. Taken aback by this tactic, they hesitate before reluctantly accepting your challenge. Filled with new confidence, you quickly defeat them!

Begrudgingly, Zara awards you the magical artifact, vowing revenge.

You and Mark return to their home land, where you are greeted with cheers and applause. You’re thanked repeatedly for returning the artifact and saving the land. Mark even shows their gratitude by giving you a kiss on the cheek.

The next thing you know, you are back home with your book in hand. For a moment, you think you made up the whole thing, but then you see the glint of the magical artifact out of the corner of your eye. When you look over, nothing is there, yet you know your adventure was real. With a smile growing, your turn back to your book, already ready for another adventure.

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There it is! This is my epic fantasy adventure with Mark Blackthorn and I am alllll for it. I love Mark. Clearly. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and make sure you check out day 1’s challenge and day 2’s challenge as well! Also, check out my last blog post and my social media accounts which are all linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: Reading + Writing Update – Biannual Bibliothon 2019 Day 1 & 2

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Reading + Writing Update – Biannual Bibliothon 2019 Day 1 & 2

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Happy Sunday!

I was going to do daily updates for the current readathon I’m participated in, the Biannual Bibliothon, but I decided to do a reading update every 2 days instead. It works out that this is the second day of the readathon (well, the very, very end of the second day) and also the day I post my weekly reading and writing update so yay. I’m tackling two birds with one stone. Anyways, let’s get into it!

This week was a decent reading week. Not my best, but I did finish reading 2 books and started on a third! On Tuesday, I finished the fourth and final book in the FABULOUS Raven Cycle quartet by Maggie Stiefvater, The Raven King. It was a good book but honestly, I wasn’t that satisfied with the ending. It seemed…too easy for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the characters and want them to live happily ever after, but the way things got resolved was strange, to say the least. I still really enjoyed it though and flew through it! The next book I started on was Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Every month or so I need a little break from fantasy and magic, and desperately need to slip into some cute contemporary stories. Soooo, I chose Anna and the French Kiss and it was exactly what I needed! I actually only finished it a few hours ago…but hey, it got done and I had fun so that’s all that matters. Last but not least, I started my second read of the Biannual Bibliothon (whoops, forgot to mention that Anna and the French Kiss was my first read of the readathon!), Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I mentioned in my goals for 2019 that I wanted to read more classics so here I am, reading classics! I’m really excited to read this and join the bandwagon, and I’m hoping I truly like the story but I have no idea at this point in it. I might be around 30ish pages into it so I still got a ways to go. If you want to see what I plan on reading for the rest of next for the readathon, check out my TBR HERE!

I think I’m done my writing break. While I took most of my winter break off from writing back in late December/early January, I think that was enough time for me to replenish my creativity. It felt so strange not to write, and honestly, I really didn’t like how it made me feel. I haven’t written a crazy amount this week or anything, but I did write well over 2,000 words and I think that’s a healthy amount when getting back into the swing of things. I’m working on a non-magical piece…actually the short story version of a later script I will be writing/adapting for my writing class. We are doing screenwriting but in order for me to fully create a fleshed out story, I need to write the in-depth short story for it first. My first draft of it was about 1,500 words and I’m looking forward to tackling the second draft tomorrow!

Anyways, that is all for this update and I hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts linked down below. Thanks for reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: Biannual Bibliothon Day 2 – Christmas Party

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Biannual Bibliothon Day 2 – Christmas Party

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Happy day 2 of the Biannual Bibliothon!

If you are participating in the readathon, I hope it is going well for you and you are having a blast like I am! Today’s blog host is Libby from LibbyReads (check out her blog HERE), and she has challenged us to create a list of 12 book characters we would invite to a Christmas party. It’s pretty simple and straightforward, so let’s get on with my Christmas list!

GUEST #1: Magnus Bane from The Mortal Instruments series

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Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn and he is known for his parties. One of the reasons he throws awesome parties is that he can do magic so OF COURSE, I would want him at my Christmas party. He can whisk up some gorgeous, winter decorations from thin air and also anything else we might need along the way. Magnus is also just a fun person that would liven up the party with his sparkles and glitter.

GUEST #2: Levi from Fangirl

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Okay, Levi is such a nice guy that he would be the PERFECT party guest. I also think he would bring great presents that are specially chosen for each person there because that’s the kind of guy he is. Not only is he super nice, but he’s adorable and also enjoyable to be around. He can make easy conversation, even bringing awkward, close-to-death ones out of the grave and liven them up with his Levi charm which is a must at large parties.

GUEST #3: Christina Rosales from The Dark Artifices trilogy

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I love Christina. I see so much of myself in her, and she is also just a genuinely kind, good-hearted person that you can’t help but adore. If the party stressed anyone out, I know she would be there to help them and make the party run smoothly. To have a successful party, you need a balance of fun and kind people.

GUEST #4: Cricket Bell from Lola and the Boy Next Door

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Cricket is all about inventing things so I feel like he would either bring really cool presents or create something that would make the party that much better like a chocolate fountain or something interesting like that. Of course, he is also just a cool guy that I would love to get to know at my party!

GUEST #5: Lola Nolan from Lola and the Boy Next Door

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You can’t forget about Cricket’s girlfriend, Lola. Lola wears super unique and fascinating outfits (ensuring she never wears the same one twice) that would help bring some sparkle to the party. You need people who step out of society’s usual dress code by wearing vibrant and wild fashions that catch the attention of others. She would hands down, win best dressed if we had a competition at this party.

GUEST #6: Jace from The Mortal Instruments series

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Not only does Jace play the piano, but he’s Jace. I had a crush on him since I first read City of Bones when I was 13-years-old and that’s not stopping now. It wouldn’t be a true party without him either because he’s charming, gentlemany, and musical so yes, he is coming.

GUEST #7: Fred Weasley from the Harry Potter series

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Fred is funny and a jokester; someone who seems fun to party with. Whether he just brought his funny self or something from his joke shop, the party would be 10x better with Fred there.

GUEST #8: George Weasley from the Harry Potter series

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Of course, you can’t have Fred without George. George is also funny, sharing the joke shop with his brother so I would invite him as well to bring some laughter to my Christmas partaaay.

GUEST #9: Maxon Schreave from The Selection series

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Maxon is polite and princely since he is royalty so he would be a lovely guest to have. The REAL reason he is invited though, is because he is a photographer and pictures are a must at any party. We need to commemorate this moment with all these fantastic characters with some professional looking photos.

GUEST #10: Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices trilogy

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To add to the music ensemble I am slowly growing for this party, Jem is not only AMAZING, but he also plays the violin. Jace and he know each other as well, so I feel like them playing together would go smoother than having them play with random people. They would play some beautiful music together and it would be great.

GUEST #11: Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson and Olympians series

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I could not forget to invite the man himself, Percy Jackson. I love this series so much, and Percy is such a sarcastic, fun character that breaks any ice that might freeze over a conversation or situation. I expect him to bring some good, blue food as well, like cake, or candy, just to make the party a tiny bit better as well.

GUEST #12: Gwenyth Shepherd from The Precious Stones trilogy

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Gwen and I would be good friends, (well, at least I think so) so she gets an invite for that reason. Oh, and maybe because she is a time traveler who could carry some cool things back from the past like cute, vintage dresses and jewelry for me to wear. While I would want to be the time traveler of us two, you take what you can get and I would love to have a friend at my party who could zip back into the past.

Those are the 12 guests I would invite to my Christmas party, and I hope you enjoyed seeing my exclusive guest list! I had a lot of fun participating in this challenge and if you participated as well, leaving a link to your blog post below because I’d love to see who you invited. Anyways, don’t forget to check out yesterday’s challenge HERE, as well as my social media accounts linked down below! Thanks for reading 🙂

P.S. Shoutout to all the amazing artists who drew the pictures I snagged from the Internet. All the credit to you!

Last Blog Post: Biannual Bibliothon Day 1 – Winter Snow Storm Fun

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Biannual Bibliothon Day 1 – Winter Snow Storm Fun

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Happy day 1 of the Biannual Bibliothon!

If you missed my TBR for the Biannual Bibliothon, make sure you check it out right HERE to see the 7 good books I handpicked myself. If you also don’t know what the Biannual Bibliothon is, it is a biannual readathon that takes place during the months of January and July, where you try to read 7 books in 7 days. It originates from YouTube (check out their channel HERE), but there are also Instagram challenges, blogging challenges, and of course, video challenges. This is either my second or third year participating and I always have SO much fun.

Anyways, today’s blog host is Tracy from TruffleReads (check out their blog HERE!), and they have issued the challenge of naming 3 book characters, 2 food/drinks, and 1 song you would want if you were stuck in a car in the middle of a snowstorm. This is a super fun idea and I decided to write a little story with Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Mark Blackthorn from The Dark Artifices trilogy, and Cath Avery from Fangirl trapped in a car with nothing but strawberries, butterbeer, and Beyonce.

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“Why are you eating strawberries on a plate?” Hermione twisted around in the passenger seat of the car, her frizzy hair a brown halo against the pale snow outside the car. Mounds of it reached halfway up the car door, lumpy and filling the car with frigid air.

“I am positive they taste sweeter this way,” explained Mark, popping another one in his mouth. His blond hair curled at the tips of his slightly pointed ears, delicate and soft like him. In front of him, Cath sat in the driver’s seat, leaning forward and cranking the keys in the engine for the hundredth time. The engine spurred to life and then sputtered dramatically before exhaling into slumber. She angrily raked her fingers through her tied back, brown hair.

“Oh my god,” Cath exclaimed, pressing her forehead to the wheel. “We’re stuck, so that’s great.”

“Try one more time,” pressed Hermione, reaching over and twisting the keys. This time, the car didn’t even purr.

“It’s not working. The snow is completely blocking us in.” Cath pressed her nose against the window, her breath fogging it up. “We’re going to freeze in here. Yay.”

“Have faith that we will make it out when we must.” Mark snatched the last strawberry from his plate and dropped it in his mouth with a sigh. “Delicious.”

“The only way we will get out is if we shovel around the car and then push,” explained Hermione, gripping a thermos of steaming butterbeer in her lap. “But you seem content where you are,” she added under her breath. Mark shrugged.

“Sit back and relax, Hermione. Stress does nothing for oneself.” This only made Hermione huff, her face twisting in annoyance as she peered out the window, glaring as if she could melt all the snow away with her smoldering gaze but her wand was left behind in mad haste to beat the snow. Clearly, it made no difference. The snow was still falling steadily around them from a white lit sky that glowed like the heavens. Dusk was still hours away, but the heaviness of the snow gave the illusion it was closer than it really was.

“No service either,” Cath said, holding her phone up to the windshield and groaning.

“May I see your cellular phone?” Mark asked, setting his plate on the empty seat beside him. Cath shrugged, passing it back to him.

“It’s almost dead by the way.”

“That’s alright,” said Mark, padding against the screen as Hermione sipped her butterbeer, passing it over to Cath who took a big gulp, nose wrinkling as the scorching and sickly sweet liquid ran down her throat. “Ah, perfect.” Suddenly, soft music trickled out of Cath’s phone. Unrecognizable at first, but then Cath started bopping her head back and forth lazily. Even Hermione’s fingernails tapped lightly on her silver and black thermos, despite her never hearing the song before. The beat and lyrics were catchy and predictable, and a sudden familiar warmth flooded the car.

“I didn’t take you as someone who liked Beyonce, Mark.” Cath chuckled, meeting Mark’s strange but beautiful eyes in the rearview mirror. He grinned, mockingly drawing his fair brows together in concern.

“What crazed human being does not like Beyonce? Is she not the queen of pop?” Mark asked before shaping the next lyrics with his thin, pink lips: I can see your halo, halo, halo…

“I would have assumed you enjoyed folk music or something of more magical sounding,” said Hermione, taking another sweet sip of butterbeer. Mark waved a hand.

“That is all we listened to in Faerie and it gets very old. Besides, Beyonce’s Halo is much easier to sing along to.”

“While I’m more of a Kanye gal,” said Cath, leaning back against her headrest, “this is good too. We might as well just hang out until the snow slows down. It already looks a little lighter.”

“I suppose,” sniffed Hermione, crossing her legs. “Maybe someone will come by and see we need help.”

“But until then,” Mark said cheerfully, “Beyonce.”

The girls glanced at each other and then at him, unable to push the smirks creeping on their faces. They both nodded.

“Beyonce.”

—

That was my short story for day 1 of the Biannual Bibliothon, and I hope you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to check out my last blog post, as well as my social media accounts linked down below because I may participate in the Instagram challenges also. Thanks for reading 🙂

Last Blog Post: Winter 2019 Biannual Bibliothon TBR

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Winter 2019 Biannual Bibliothon TBR

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Happy Friday!

Tomorrow is day one of the 2019 Biannual Bibliothon and I am so, SO pumped to get some more reading done. While I was going to do the reading challenges for this year, I was looking at them and I couldn’t find any books I actually wanted to read for them, so I am just choosing 7 stories I want to read and reading those. While I am not sticking to the reading challenges, I will be doing ALL of the blogging challenges because I always have a lot of fun participating in those so get excited about that. Anyways, onto the books that I will be reading!

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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I guess this could work for the challenge of reading an author I haven’t read before, but anyways, I have been meaning to get around to reading this classic since forever. I tried reading it a few years ago in grade nine, but I wasn’t in the right mindset to open myself up to the possibility of liking it and never got past the first chapter. Since I’ve had to read a wide variety of novels for English, I feel like it is the perfect time to give this book a second chance so I am going to try and power through it sometime this coming week! I really hope I like it because I plan on reading Sense and Sensibility afterward (whether I like P&P or not).

2. Medea by Euripides 

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This is a Greek tragedy from way back when, and I am so excited to continue my exploration of Greek tragedies. So far, I’ve read Oedipus and Antigone, both by Sophocles which I enjoyed quite a bit. I’ve chosen to read Medea next because since I was a Percy Jackson kid, I heard a bit about Medea in The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan and I am looking forward to hearing her original story! Since this is a play, it will be a short, quick read which I am greatly looking forward to during this week-long readathon.

3. Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

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Only recently did I finish the second book in this series and LOVED IT, so I am incredibly excited to read the third book in the series. Also, all the books in this series are under 200 pages so that’s pretty awesome. Beneath the Sugar Sky is the third book in this fantasy series where children venture through doorways into strange, magical worlds and when it is time for them to leave that world, they are brought to Eleanor’s Home for Wayward Children to adjust back to reality. Somehow, the author manages to pack so much plot and character into a short amount of pages and it is amazing. I cannot wait to continue on with this series.

4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

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This is kind of cheating…but also not. I am already 100ish pages into this book, but since the rest of today is going to be so busy, I know I won’t be able to finish it before tomorrow. So why not just add it to the TBR? If I do manage to finish it tonight, I’ll choose another book to read, but I do have about 200 pages left of this book so I doubt that will happen. A few days ago, I was in desperate need of a fun, light-hearted contemporary, so of course, I turned to Anna and the French Kiss. This will be a nice book for the readathon because it such a fast read that I know I will be grateful for throughout this week.

5. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

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Hopefully, this book will arrive at my library sometime next week so I can actually read it for the readathon, but assuming it will, I really want to get around to reading this classic in the next few days. Not only is it short, but I feel like it is a must read for any reader, especially one who is going to be an English major…Everyone else also seems to have read it EXCEPT for me, so it is time to join the club and see if I like The Outsiders or not.

6. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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My plan for this book, since it is massive, is to read a bit every day so I can actually finish this book in the timespan of 7 days. With my current schedule, there is literally no way I could read this book in one sitting without failing two classes, completely ignoring my family and friends, and throwing away the exercise routine I only just got in place. So yeah, I’ll read about 50-100 pages of this every day. This is a fantasy book heavily influenced by West African mythology, and while it has SO much hype surrounding it, I have a feeling I will love it!

7. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake OR Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

I recently bought these books, but I can’t decide which one I want to read! If I still can’t decide by the time I need to read one of them, I’ll read the first chapter or so of each and choose which one I’m feeling at the time…but I would also really appreciate some help! If you’ve read these let me know which one I should pick up! Three Dark Crowns is a fantasy about three sisters who are fighting for the crown (I think), and Truly Devious is a murder-mystery at a boarding school so both sound good to me.

Those are the 7 books I plan on reading for the Biannual Bibliothon and I hope you enjoyed! If you are participating in this readathon, let me know what you are reading because I’d love to know. Are you sticking to the reading challenges or are you just reading whatever like me? Also, don’t forget to check out my last blog post as well as my social media accounts linked down below. Thanks for reading! 🙂

Last Blog Post: The Fairy Garden by Zoe Mathers – Short Story

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