We’re a little over halfway through the house cup reading challenge, so I thought it was time to do an update of what I’ve read so far. As I always, I changed my tbr a bit. What a surprise. I’m very much a mood reader, so I’d say it was unavoidable that I’d switch it up instead of following what I planned to read.
It has been a very productive readathon for me this far. I’ve already read 8 books. Most of them are really great, and a couple have even become new favorites.
Main Challenges (20p)
I’ve completed five out of seven main challenges, which are the ones that are worth most points. I feel very on top of schedule, even though I mixed up my tbr a bit as I’ve already mentioned.
First year — Fool Moon by Jim Butcher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A werewolf is loose in Chicago, killing people. But is it just one or a gang of them? How does it all fit together? That’s what Harry Dresden, professional wizard, tries to figure out. Like the first book in the series, this one is a fun paranormal mystery that has that alluring crime noir vibe. Harry is a bit of a douche, but he’s a lot of fun reading about despite his attempts at being chivalrous.
Second year — Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This gang of questing queens is what you might call squad goals. Four badass and sassy women, who cuss, drink and go on adventures. What’s not to like? It’s a perfect blend of drama and humor. It has made its way into my heart. I’ll follow these queens anywhere they may lead.
Third year — The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I love folklore and I find Russian folklore especially interesting. So when Aurora recommended it to me, I had a strong feeling that this book was possibly going to be a five star read, if not a new favorite. Fortunately, I was right. This book is dark and atmospheric in both writing style and content. It’s so saturated with creepy goodness that you can almost taste it as fairytales and reality mesh together to form an entrancing tale of love, death and untamed strength.
Fourth year — Grave Peril by Jim Butcher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by James Marsters. You might know him as the actor who played Spike on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I liked it a lot, but I think I need to take a short break from the series, because too much of a good thing can ruin it.
Sixth year — Rat Queens Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Now this volume builds upon the characters and circumstances first encountered in the first volume. We get to know Dee better, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Bonus Challenges (10p)
I’ve managed to read a couple of books for the bonus challenges as well, though two of them are graphic novels that I read in a day.
Magical creatures (animal or mythical/magical creature) — Rat Queens Vol. 3: Demons by Kurtis J. Wiebe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I liked this volume, but it wasn’t nearly as solid as the first two. The plot went a little crazy, which was at the same time intriguing and kind of way too fast.
Occlumency (magical abilities or superpowers) — Rat Queens Vol. 4: High Fantasies by Kurtis J. Wiebe ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨. Instead of continuing where the third volume left off, we’re back ‘home’ where the queens go back to their roots of questing. The reason I only gave it 3.5 stars is because of the lack of fun banter between the characters, and the fact that it just ignores that cliffhanger at the end of volume three.
Dumbledore’s Army (buddy read) — Turtles All the Way Down by John Green ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨. I was very pleasantly surprised by John Green’s new book. To be honest, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Sure, the missing billionaire side plot doesn’t really add anything to the book, but all in all, it really is worth reading.
Currently Reading
As of writing I’m currently reading two books for two of the challenges. Those being the fifth year challenge and the one for astronomy class.
Fifth year — Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I’m over halfway through and absolutely loving it. While I do think it drags a bit at times, I love the world and the characters too much to complain about it. In this sequel we’re introduced to a couple of new characters, my favorite being Ling Chan. She’s a science girl and generally very unlike the girly girls who surrounds her. I can honestly say The Diviners series is one of my absolute favorites.
Astronomy Class (outer space) — Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein’s Outrageous Legacy by Kip S. Thorne. Space is awesome. Science is awesome. So, I decided to read a non-fiction book about space instead of the one I’d already picked out for the challenge. It’s over 600 pages long and I’m about 200 pages into it. It’s extremely interesting as it’s told through both science, anecdote and the history of how black holes became accepted as possible.
Reading Stats
2,498 pages read.
8 challenges completed.
130 points.
GO TEAM SLYTHERIN!!!!!!!
Leave a Reply