In case I wasn't already busy enough in April, I decided to participate in the OWLs Magical Readathon, hosted on Twitter . It's based on the Hogwarts universe and testing system. There are twelve subjects for OWLs, just like in the original series. The host made some amazing art for careers, but for this month's readathon, I decided to just go for all twelve books/subjects and decide on a career path in time for the NEWTs readathon in August. One note before I begin, but I completed one book in the Charms extra credit readathon back in October which means I get to start my Charms book one day early, today on Sunday, which works perfectly for me since I have the audiobook and a five and a half hour drive. So let's get into the subjects, prompts, and probable reads. I say probable because chances are that I will end up switching some books in and out because I am awful at making and sticking with TBRs. Ancient Runes is definitely one of the subjects that I would t...

Title: Wreck: A Novel Author: Kirstin Cronn-Mills Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Trigger Warning: Character Death, Suicidal Thoughts and Actions Rating: 5 stars Release Date: April 2, 2019 Synopsis Sometimes loss has its own timetable. Set on the shores of Lake Superior, Wreck follows high school junior Tobin Oliver as she navigates her father’s diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Steve’s life as a paramedic and a runner comes to an abrupt halt just as Tobin is preparing her application for a scholarship to art school. With the help of Steve’s personal care assistant (and family friend) Ike, Tobin attends to both her photography and to Steve as his brain unexpectedly fails right along with his body. Tobin struggles to find a “normal” life, especially as Steve makes choices about how his own will end, and though she fights hard, Tobin comes to realize that ...

It's Top Ten Tuesday! I have never actually done a freebie prompt before, and for audio freebie, I wasn't quite sure how to go from there so I decided to go with audiobooks, both some of my favorites that I remember and what I currently have to listen to next on audible. Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl . I love audiobooks. Most of the time now, I listen while cleaning/packing and during my over five hour drive to my parents. I have to admit, I'm looking forward to having a longer commute for an excuse to listen to them even more. So here are some of my audiobooks, both favorites and on my tbr. 1. The Dog Who Had Kittens This is a weird one to include but when I was little we would get the cassette tape and book from the library all the time and listen to it while following along. This is one of the picture books that makes up my childhood and the first one I can remember. (I feel like I should do a post on books of my childho...

Title: Little Pills Author: Melody Dodds Genre: Poetry, Contemporary, Verse Novel Triggers: Addiction, drug addiction Rating: 4 Stars Release Date: April 2, 2019 Synopsis Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Navarro never asked to be anyone's hero. If you're a hero, your sister isn't supposed to hate you. And you're definitely not supposed to get hooked on Gramma's painkillers. Even so, Charlotte's sister's friend Mia looks at her like she's some sort of hero. As Charlotte starts taking pills more and more, she has to question how it could hurt herself and others, even Mia. Is it a harmless habit or a dangerous addiction? Review A special thank you to Netgalley and West 44 books for providing a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This verse novel follows Charlotte. One thing I find interesting in verse novels is that the plot can be a lot more relaxed, more about capturing moments in time and experiences. This is a p...

Title: Sanctuary Somewhere Author: Brenna Dimmig Genre: Poetry, Young Adult, Contemporary Trigger Warning: Rating: 3 stars Release Date: April 1, 2019 Synopsis Seventeen-year-old Osmel dreams of being a meteorologist. His world is shattered when he finds out he is undocumented. Osmel fears his dreams for college and career are now impossible. Then, ICE begins raiding the orchards his family works in. Will Osmel and his family ever find safety and peace in the place they call home? Review A special thank you to Netgalley and West 44 Books for providing a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This verse poem follows the story of Osmel as he works towards his dreams while dealing with obstacles like discovering the fact that he is undocumented. The story was really powerful and I loved the characters as they tried to determine what would be best for them over everyon...

Camp Nanowrimo feels way too close, but it is definitely coming up on us and will be here in a little over a week! I am really excited but also not entirely certain how everything is going to work out for me. I prepare but there always will be something that will end up catching me off guard. Today, I am going to talk about preparing playlists and other things to listen to throughout the month. For me personally, this is an incredibly valuable use of my time because I need to be able to have this stuff done and ready to go. How I Make Playlists I would like to say that I have everything clean and refined and perfectly suited for the mood of my book and honestly, I just can't do it. Do all of the songs on my playlists generally fit within an aesthetic? Yeah, sure. But honestly, that aesthetic typically changes and is refined as I continue to add songs. Currently, I've been listening to a lot of 90s and 00s Pop Rocks and while some of those songs do not exactly fit with...

Title: The Other Side Author: Sarah Hocut Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance Trigger Warning: Rating: 3 stars Release Date: March 25, 2019 Synopsis “I think we should break up.” Those six little words mean the summer after high school is not starting off the way Sadie Wills had planned. When her boyfriend of three years dumps her the day after graduation, she’s suddenly unsure of what the future will hold. Serving up ice cream at Gigi’s Dairy Bar in downtown Abbyville proves to be a nice distraction. That is, until she finds out the old house across the street, which used to be the town’s flower shop, is being torn down to put up an ice cream franchise. Convinced the new store will put Gigi’s out of business, Sadie comes up with a plan. Her newfound summer resolution? Save that house and save Gigi’s. Complications arise when she meets Eric and serious sparks start flying. The problem? Eric’s dad ow...

It's Top Ten Tuesday! This week's prompt is books on your Spring 2019 TBR. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by ThatArtsyReader Girl.  You can find more information here. I hope to get a ton of reading done this spring. I am awful at making tbr lists, but hopefully I will get all of these read by the end of May for sure. My last exam is on April 30 so May is ideally going to be my major reading month before I have to start working for the summer. Let me know if you've read any of these books and your thoughts! 1. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro Multiple people I follow on twitter absolutely love this entire series so I figure that it's about time that I get into this now that the fourth and final book is released. I figure that I probably should read actual Sherlock Homes as well, but that will just have to be pushed off to a later date. Apparently the leading couple is adorable as well and I have hopes for how I will feel about these characters. I...