Month: April 2020

Readathons, Uncategorized

What I Read for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon

Maggie Hemlock

So… I participated in Dewey’s this year again. I really enjoyed most of the day, but didn’t get to read at much as I wanted. It was stormy. I have weather anxiety after living in the Midwest. It interrupted my day. Though, I really enjoyed the 6 hours and 12 minutes I did read. I probably would’ve hit ten if the storm didn’t come when it did. I was never going to read for 24 hours or even 12. I have to move around. I get stiff and brain fogged if I don’t. I was aiming for 8, but since no one’s counting in the long run I’m okay with the fact I didn’t manage it.

So what did I spend those 6 hours and 12 minutes reading?

I started with a great audiobook. I still haven’t finished it, because my brain will only take so much audiobook at a time. I listen while I do chores or play Stardew Valley. (And when I make book covers! lol)

What If It’s Us? By Becky Albertalli

This is a YA Romance. It’s cute and funny and insightful. I love that the characters are well fleshed out. Ben’s character gets a bit preachy at times for me. He talks with insight that surely comes from the author and not his teenage self. I’ll forgive that, though, because this book has made me laugh, cry, and just bang my head on the proverbial wall of ‘why did he do that?’ I’m loving it. I still have about an hour left of it and will likely finish it up today while I do laundry and stuff.

 

Then I read Quidditch Through the Ages, because I wanted something fun to read. It took me all of 20 minutes, but it was a nice trip back to Hogwarts.

Then this one is probably what really slowed me down – I don’t know why I choose to read a memoir – no matter how short- in a readathon where continuing to read is the goal.

I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson

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It’s been on my TBR shelf for a long time now. It’s the book I mostly read at night for the prompt. I love memoirs and history. Even heart-breaking history. I just think if I would’ve read something more light-hearted I would’ve finished more books.

What did you read yesterday?

 

Readathons, Uncategorized

I Finished My O.W.L.s (To be a Healer) (An O.W.L.s Magical Readathon Update)

Maggie Hemlock

Yesterday evening I finished reading Nicholas Spark’s Message in a Bottle. It was the last book I needed to fulfill the prompts to be a healer through the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon (along with my extra lectures.) Since there are still 8 days left in the month I’m going to go for a clean sweep of the prompts. Yep, I was that kid in school too.

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The books above in green are the ones I needed for my readathon goals and have finished readidng. The ones under those are the ones I need to make a clean sweep of the readathon.

I think besides being stuck at home what helped me the most this time around is the fact I changed out books that fit the prompts and my reading whims and moods. We’ll see how the rest of the month goes, but either way I’m ready for my N.E.W.T.s come August 2020!

Readathons, Uncategorized

O.W.L.s Magical Readathon Reading Update 2

Maggie Hemlock

Reading has definitely made my time in self-isolation more magical. I don’t have much more time than I did before this started. I work from home. I write almost everyday. I just published a book and am taking a long weekend. Which is rare. Really rare for me to do as a workaholic. This hasn’t been my highest reading month. That was January with 17 books. So far this month I’ve read 10 books so far this month. Only 6 of them have been for the readathon.

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So far most of the books I’ve read for the readathon haven’t been the ones I thought I would from the start. All of them have changed except Hum If You Don’t Know the Words. It was a really good book. I’ve added in other rereads and some random books I grabbed off the shelf when the power was out here for 21 hours earlier this week.

The only O.W.L.s I have left to pass are Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I’m currently reading and listening to two separate books that have nothing to do with the readathon, but caught my attention. One is a library loan e-book of World War Z. I want to get it read and returned so the next person can read it. I had to wait a few weeks to get it.

I’m happy with my progress this month, because I have 12 days (one of them including Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon) and only 2 more books to read for this challenge. I don’t plan on switching the books I chose for those subjects at this time, but who knows? I’ve always been a reader who follows her whims.

Readathons, Uncategorized

O.W.L.s Magical Readathon Reading Update

Maggie Hemlock

Finally! I’m writing a blog at an appropriate time and not when I should be working on my novel! Book 9 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga is off to the editor! I can’t wait to bring it out for everyone to read, but for now it’s time to catch up on my own reading. My O.W.L.s are going a bit slower than I thought they would.

I know it’s only the 8th, but I’m behind by my own logic.I should finish a book about every 2 days to get through all 8 of them this month. It’s the eighth and I’ve finished one. My Potions O.W.L. at that. I’m in the middle of my O.W.L.s for Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic. My TBR has shifted a little bit as my mood has changed. I switched from the Christmas Carol to the Most Dangerous Game for my Potions O.W.L. Then I switched my History of Magic to The Witchcraft of Salem Village. It’s non-fic about the Salem witch trails. I think it’s in the spirit of the O.W.L. I’m currently reading that one and Hum if You Don’t Know the Words. I’m enjoying them both for different reasons.

I’ve put together a handy spreadsheet to track my progress. I should say I’ve also finished two books I wanted to read that were not for the O.W.L.s and that’s why I’m behind on the readathon. I’m reading just not what I should be reading. lol As usual, this list is subject to change on O.W.L.s I haven’t started.

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How’s your O.W.L.s Magical Readathon Going?