Tag: Read

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N.E.W.T.s Magical Readathon Updates: (August 1-10)

Avery Hemlock

August 1st:

3:07 PM EST

I started Eleven Things I Promised by Catherin Clark. I plan to save it for Dewey’s but was really in the mood to read some YA. I read about ¾ of the book and plan to finish the rest tomorrow. It was slow to start, but the plot picked up about halfway through the book! Can’t wait to finish it tomorrow!

August 2nd:

7:43 AM EST

I feel like I should be writing, but after writing about 1k words I’m still dragging my feet today. I’ve written just over 26k words this week. It’s been a damn good writing week. So, I’m going to finish Eleven Things I Promised and see how I feel afterwards.

8:02 AM EST

I just finished Eleven Things I Promised. It was a decent little read. I think I would have enjoyed it more when I was in high school. Don’t get me wrong I still love YA books, but I feel some of the newish ones I don’t relate to as well.

It’s Day 2 of the challenge and I have my A (For acceptable) in Muggle Studies. (A cover that includes an actual photo element.)

I’m off to a decent start. I’ve been on such a roll with writing that it feels strange not to write more today, but I want to avoid a burnout. So, I think I’m going to read some more. I know Dewey’s doesn’t start until tonight and by reading all day today I might not want to do it tomorrow, but that’s a chance I’ll take. I’m moving onto a book I’ve had for quite some time: Comet’s Tale by Steven D. Wolf with Lynette Padwa.

I’m excited to read this book, because it’s about a rescue dog. I believe it’s based on real events. I just doubled checked and it is based on real events. The book’s about 250ish pages. I think I can get through that today. I’m currently 4 books behind on my Good Reads challenge goal. So, the more reading I squeeze in the better.

4:51 PM EST

I just finished reading Comet’s Tale! It was an incredible book. I’d recommend it to any dog lover!

August 3rd

I blogged this day separately for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon: See the blog post here.

August 4th

After participating in Dewey’s I need a day off from reading. I mostly wrote and watched Sinner on Netflix.

August 5th:

5:07 PM EST

I finished Riverkeep by Martin Stewart. That’s the A of my History of Magic N.E.W.T. (Read a fantasy.)

That’s 4 out of the 9 books I have planned. Since it’s only the 5th of the month I’m not doing too shabby.

August 6th-7th:

No reading. The real world got in the way.

 

August 8th

8:30 AM EST

I started reading Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee. This is my (A) for Astronomy. (Moon on the cover or anywhere in the title.)

I read the first 50 pages of this book. It’s good so far, but real life and writing are eating up my attention. I’m so close to finishing book 6 of my Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga and it keeps drawing me in. Which is good news for my readers, but bad news for my grades in this readathon.

August 9th:

Real life wouldn’t let me read.

August 10th:

2:27 PM EST

I spent some time reading Outrun the moon today. I haven’t finished it yet.

Grades Achieved

Muggle Studies: A, E, & O.

History of Magic: A

What’s Left?

3 books to fulfill my career. 5 books left for my overall goal.

Reading Stats:

Books Read: 3.25

Days I Read: 6/10.

Outlook:

I’m close to finishing Claiming the Shaman (Book 6 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga) so finishing it will definitely take priority. Then it’ll be cover work and rewrites for me to do. I’m hoping to finish this reading challenge and meet my career goal, but I’m saying I have like a 30% chance of reading all the books.

 

 

Readathons

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon: One book finished!

Avery Hemlock

I’ve only been up a little less than 4 hours and have finished my first book of the day: Willow Trees Don’t Weep by Fadia Faqir. I really enjoyed unraveling the mystery of where the main character’s father was.

https://i0.wp.com/img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110822090923/harrypotter/images/5/51/Magical_Quill.jpg

I’m using today to get a better jump start on my N.E.W.T.s Magical Readathon books too. As of right now I have my O in Muggle Studies. Since, I’m studying to be a writer/journalist in the Wizarding world I only needed an A, but was in the mood to go above and beyond.

I’m off to grab a shower and a snack. Happy reading!

Readathons

Good Morning! Happy Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon!

Avery Hemlock

Happy Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon!

Back in April I participated in this particular readathon for the first time. I had a lot of fun and couldn’t wait for it to circle back around. Recently I’ve been off to bed before 8PM (I live in EST) so for it starts now. I woke up about 4:00 this morning. I’m not aiming for any certain goals today page, time or book wise. I’m just looking forward to chilling out and getting some reading done. I read 2 books yesterday, though. So, we’ll see how today goes.

When I first made my TBR list for Dewey’s this time I had planned to start the day with Eleven Things I Promised by Catherine Clark, but I read that on the first and second, because I couldn’t wait any longer.

So today I’ll be starting with Willow Trees Don’t Weep by Fadia Faqir. It’s the last book I need for my O in Muggle Studies (O: Read a book written by a person of color.) for the N.E.W.T.s readathon this month!

I’ll check in soon! Happy reading!

XOXO

Maggie

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5 Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon Tips (August 2019)

Avery Hemlock

In my previous blog I said I believed I wrote a similar blog post in April, I dismembered. In April, I wrote several posts about getting ready for Camp NaNoWriMo, not the readathon. Sorry about that.

Now, that I have one Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon under my belt I’ve collected some tips to help you make the most out of your readathon experience.

  1. Have a TBR List, but plan to diverge too.
Brass-colored Chandelier

It’s exciting and fun to create your TBR list for any occasion, but when creating one for a 24 hour readathon you should be aware of the pit falls. If you’re like me, what you’re in the mood to read isn’t always the same. I planned my list way ahead of the actual date this year and have put a few other books aside in case they no longer tickle my fancy. I’ve also accepted it’s perfectly okay to pick up a book I’ve read a hundred times or another book from my TBR shelf.

2. Meal Prep/Plan Ahead

Bowl of Vegetable Salad and Fruits

If you plan to read as much as possible during the 24 hours of the readathon be sure to plan what you’re going to eat. You don’t want to feel hangry or exhausted from skipping meals. While sweets and junk food are a great addition to the readathon be aware of sugar crashes and the yucky feeling from eating too much of them.

This time around I’m going to meal prep like normal and just allow myself a few extras since it’s a special day. For those of you who don’t know, I’m currently part of the Weight Watchers community. In the past, I’ve totally let myself have whatever I wanted on special days, but this year I want to keep it within reason. So, yeah, I’ll probably have a brownie and some chips, but they won’t be my soul source of nutrients.

3. Remember to move around.

Brown and Black Beagle Walking on Green Grass

If you’re planning to do your best to stay up for most of 24 hours you need to keep your blood pumping.

While everyone has they’re own way of doing this I like to alternate between reading and doing small tasks around the house. I do this most of the time when I read anyway, but this is my first time testing it on a longer time frame since I plan to read for most of my waking hours that day. I’m sure some things will have to be taken care of. The pup will need to go out and I’m not planning on totally skipping my workout that day.

If the weather’s nice moving outside to read or perhaps even taking your books to a cafe or coffee shop are all great options too!

4. Get Comfy

People Lying On Green Wooden Lounger Chairs On Beach

Many of us have our favorite reading spots. For the readathon make sure your area is prepared. You don’t want the start of the ‘day’ to roll around only to find your area cluttered or ill prepared for your purposes. The day before take some time to straighten things up and gather your supplies.

5. Don’t get caught up in how much you do or don’t read

Assorted-color Sequins

Dewey’s isn’t a competition. Sure, it can be fun to track reading progress, but don’t think of the day as a competition to read more than other readers. You’re participating in the day to enjoy one of your favorite activities. If you focus on that you’ll enjoy the whole day much more.

What’s your best advice for a 24 hour readathon? Let me know in the comments.

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N.E.W.T.’s Magical Readathon TBR August List

Avery Hemlock
See the source image

Longtime followers of the blog will remember I participated in O.W.L.’s Magical Readthon back in April. I had a lot of fun and met the requirements of my chosen career as a Writer/Journalist. I also picked up a few extra O.W.L.’s. I wasn’t the best student, but since I was participating in Camp NaNoWriMo at the same time I think I did pretty well.

For those of you unfamiliar with the two part readathon I’ll leave a link to Book Roast’s YouTube announcement video. As the creator the readathons she’ll explain them better than I ever could.

As in the books series, the N.E.W.T. challenge is more difficult than the O.W.L. challenge. Since I’ve just began writing the sixth book in my Hemlock Wolf Pack Series and will be writing during August (when am I not writing?) I’ve been more strategic about what I want to do next month.

To Recap Which O.W.L.s I received in April:

  • Astronomy
  • Care of Magical Creatures
  • Charms
  • Herbology
  • History of Magic
  • Muggle Studies

I received 6 out of 12 O.W.L.s which isn’t too shabby. In August I’ll be focused on just 3 core subjects: History of Magic, Muggle Studies, and Astronomy.

See the source image

Most readers are familiar with the N.E.W.T.’s grading scale, but for those of you who aren’t here’s the short version.

A for Acceptable.

E for Exceeds Expectations

O for Outstanding

I’ll be trying for an O in each of my chosen subjects. If I finish all 9 books needed for that I’ll look at prompts for the other subjects I received O.W.L.s in.

For my career as a writer/journalist in the wizarding world I’ll need:

  • History of Magic – Exceeds Expectations
  • Muggle Studies – Acceptable
  • One chosen subject (Astronomy) – Acceptable

TBR August 2019

History of Magic:

Acceptable: Read a Fantasy Book

Riverkeep
The RiverKeep by Martin Stewart

Exceeds Expectation: Read a book with a map.

Yes, The Griffin Mage Trilogy is technically more than one book, but I own them as a collection.

Exceeds Expectations: Reread an old favorite or a classic

See the source image
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Muggle Studies

Acceptable: A Cover that includes an actual photo element

Eleven Things I Promised by Catherine Clark

Exceeds Expectations: A Books set in our real world

I figured I’d need something to cheer me up after the Fault in Our Stars so I chose Comet’s Tale.

Outstanding: Book written by a person of Color

Willow Trees Don’t Weep

Astronomy

Acceptable: Moon on the cover or anywhere in the title

Outrun the Moon by [Lee, Stacey]
Out Run the Moon

Exceeds Expectations: Word night in the book title or series name

Dragon's Oath (House of Night Book 1) by [Cast, P. C., Cast, Kristin]
Dragon’s Oath a House of Night Novella

Outstanding: Read a scifi book or a book with stars on the cover

We Are All Made of Stars: A Novel by [Coleman, Rowan]
We are All Made of Stars

What wizarding career are you pursuing in August? Let me know in the comments!

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Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon TBR: August 2-3, 2019

Avery Hemlock

With all the writing I’ve done this year I feel so behind on my reading. I’m 4 books behind at the time of writing this. (Mid-July 2019) I’m really looking forward to taking a day away from the keyboard to dive into some books for the day.

This is my second time participating in a Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. I really enjoyed it back in April, but I learned a few things about myself. First, I have to move around. I’m the sort who has a bit of trouble sitting still for hours on end. So, this time I’ll be taking more frequent breaks to move around. I think I wrote a readathon tips back in April, but I’ll be writing another one this time around now that I have a better plan.

If you’ve never heard of Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon it’s a day to set aside for reading. You don’t have to read for the full 24 hours. I certainly don’t plan to. Me without sleep is like taking a bone from a dog. It’s never a good idea. There are a lot of games, giveaways, etc. So, be sure to check out the website for more information.

This time the readathon will begin on August 2nd at 8PM EST and end the following night at the same time. If you need help figuring out which time the readathon starts for you check out this timezone converter. I never know what my sleep schedule will be like. So, this year I’m not going to time my reading. I’m just going to count up the books.

Since the N.E.W.T.s Magical Readathon also takes place all of August I’m taking advantage of Dewey’s to get a good start on my books for the month. I’ll post soon that readathon too.

Last time I made the mistake of planning my day a little too much and felt a little stuck in what I was reading. This time I’m going to give myself a little more variety and not worry as much about how much I read.

Riverkeep

That’s my planned reading for the day. I likely won’t make it through all 3 books, but if I do I’ll just pull more from my N.E.W.T.’s Readathon List.

What are you reading for Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon this August? Let me know in the comments.




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Bout of Books Readathon TBR

Avery Hemlock

I’m on track for my Good Reads reading challenge, but I don’t want to fall behind while I’m busy writing book 5 of the Hemlock Wolf Pack Saga. So, when a friend asked if I was participating in Bout of Books I knew I was even when I said I wasn’t sure I’d have time. Like everyone, some days I get so busy I forget why I started writing. I started writing and continue to do so, because of my love of stories.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bout of Books you can check out the full information here.

Bout of Books is a readathon to encourage readers to read more than they normally would through the week of 5/13/19 to 5/19/19.

The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by [Kirkman, Robert]

I never quite stick to my TBR for readathons. I’ll likely read the combined volumes of the Walking Dead Comics during the readathon. I’m on the second volume and really enjoying finding out where my favorite television show came from. They’re really different, but I’m loving them! If I haven’t devoured them by the time Bout of Books roll around I’ll likely spend the week finishing them up. There are 33 volumes. I’ll likely still be working my way through them.

I’ve also picked up a few novels in case I want to change things up during Bout of Books.

Rainbow Islands by Devin Harnois. I’ve wanted to read this alternate world LGBT book for a while.

Rainbow Islands by [Harnois, Devin]

The Devil Between Us by S.C. Wilson

The Devil Between Us by [Wilson, S.C.]

Let me know in the comments if you’re participating in the Bout of Books Readathon this year!

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Not as much as I thought: Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon

Avery Hemlock

Nope! I didn’t read for 24 hours. I read for all of about 5ish over the course of 2.5 books. I had a few very happy interruptions, but also I’m horrible at sitting still all day. My brain was on my steps and other things. But with that said I did enjoy spending a huge part of my day reading.

So what did I read?

In all of 63 minutes I read:

176473 The Boy Nexty Door was a nostalgicread for me. It wasn’t as wonderful as I remembered R.L. Stine books being as a kid, but it was still a nice and short stroll down memory lane. The Boy Next Door also fulfills my History of Magic Requirement for my O.W.L.s Magical Readathon. (More on that after the month wraps up.)

639754

In just over 2 hours I read Downsiders which was the highlight of my day! It was an imaginative YA book that really brought the city under NYC to life! It had colorful characters and a plot that held strong until the end. It’s one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

20681123 I nearly finished this book with the rest of my reader time. It’s a really interesting book of short stories all told from the point of view of a different animal. I’m just past the story of a turtle and I only skipped one. I won’t say which one, but I just couldn’t get into one of the stories no matter how hard I tried. I’m looking forward to finishing this one up next week. (It fulfills one of my O.W.L.s requirements too.)

So what happened? I was so amped up about Dewey’s this month! But…. I also had an air conditioner arrive early and it’s Camp NanoWrimo. My mind was definitely plotting my own book while I was trying to read. I love reading. It’s one of the reasons I became a writer. I think in the future I’m not going to overlap 24 hour readathons with Nanowrimo months.

How was your readathon?