#TheReadingQuest TBR

When I first saw LittleBookOwl's/Catorina's TBR for #TheReadingQuest, I was interested in how a video game style readathon would work.  This amazing reading challenge has been created and will be hosted by Read At Midnight.  Her website has all the details and rules and the SIGN UP to be entered for the grand prize as well as all the adorable art work by ReadThinkPonder!

#TheReadingQuest runs from August 13th - September 10th.  I will be starting on the Rogue path but hope to continue on to the Mage journey as well.  I will post updates on my reading during the Quest on my Twitter and Instagram.  I am hoping to create at least a Wrap Up from this readathon on my YouTube Channel as well.

So let's jump into the readathon planning!  As I mentioned I am planning to start out on the Rogue path, so I will start on the board where the little green Rogue guy is and work my across the bottom row toward Mage, then up toward Knight, and possibly across the top toward Bard.  Also, the blueish squares in the middle are side Quests that you can complete at any time during the Character Quests.

Just to be fully prepared, I decided to plan out AS MANY BOOKS as possible.  There is not debate that I will not be able to finish all of these books, especially as I will be back to work full time by the start of this reading challenge.  None the less, here is my very tentative, insanely massive, super ambitious, and absolutely impossible TBR! :)

ROUGE PATH:

A Banned Book: The Handmade's Tale

A Book With a Partially Obscured Face: The Hate U Give

A Book With <500 Reviews: This Year I Will

A Book with a One Word Title: You

MAGE PATH:

A Book That Contains Magic: Akata Witch

A Book Based on Mythology: The Sea of Monsters

A Book Set in a Different World: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The First Book in a Series: A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

KNIGHT PATH:

A Book with a Verb in the Title: Pushing the Limits

A Book with a weapon on the Cover: Princess Bride

A Book with red on the cover: Don't Get Caught

A Book that has a Movie/TV adaptation: Big Little Lies

BONUS QUESTS:

Potions: Because You Love to Hate Me

Multiplayer: This Savage Song

Grind: Gemina

Time Warp: Ready Player One

Open World: Lucky in Love

Respawn: Why Not Me

Expansion: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Mini-Game: Saga Vol 7

Animal Companion: Full Cicada Moon

So there it is!  What a list!!  Hope I can get 10-13 of these read at the least, but again, I will be back to work full time during this challenge - so we'll see what I get done!  Let me know down below which books you've read from my TBR and if you are going to participate in #TheReadingQuest, what's on your TBR?

A to Z Reading Challenge

I'm challenging myself to read 26 books, a title beginning with each letter of the alphabet this school year.  I attempted this challenge last year and almost made it!  This year, I'm preparing to win!  Below you can see my TBR video and find the two printables I made to keep myself on track if you'd like to join in on the challenge!

VIDEO

TBR LIST




















MONTHLY READING PLANNER/TRACKER

REVIEW: BEFORE WE GO EXTINCT BY KAREN RIVERS

Six Word Summary: Grieving teen deals with friend's suicide.

Kinda-like: Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson) meets Looking for Alaska (John Green).


Favorite Line: "How far do you have to go to get away from yourself?"

My Thoughts:
I think this book was just amazing.  I think we often forget that young people have to deal with tough issues, too, and this is a perfect, realistic representation of the grieving process.  This topic hit close for me, so I'm having trouble putting my thoughts into words at the moment.  Suffice to say, I would recommend this book to all those who enjoy YA and I will be adding this book to my school library collection.


Rating:


Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.  Opinions are my own.

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REVIEW: JUST ONE DAY BY GAYLE FORMAN

Six Word Summary: Reckless teen searches for lost love.



Kinda-like: The travel and heartache from Eat, Pray, Love meets the stupid decisions and complaining nature of Cheryl Strayed in Wild.



Favorite Line: "Stains are even worse when you're the only one who can see them."



My Thoughts:I really liked the idea of this story in general with the romance and European travel, but I just couldn't get over her ridiculous attitude and poor decision making and it ended up ruining this book for me.  I just keep thinking, "don't do this" and "please don't do that."  Her reckless behavior could have, if Allyson were a real teenage girl, gotten her seriously hurt, kidnapped or worse.  Her depression/obsession with this boy after returning from France seems to be a horrible representation for teenage girls.  Much like in the second Twilight book, it's like these authors are saying, "It's ok to put your whole life on hold and have a mental breakdown with a boy breaks up with you."  And while after a YEAR of her depression/obsession she makes more dangerous decisions whilst trekking around Europe alone and several times she can't even make up her mind to stick with her decisions.  When we finally maneuver her reckless behavior and flip-flopped decisions, the ending of the book is such a let down.  


Rating:

REVIEW: JAMAICA INN BY DAPHNE DU MAURIER

Six Word Summary: Mary's idiot uncle somehow criminal mastermind?

Kinda-like: A really suspenseful story without the suspense.

Favorite Line: They would have gone from the shelter of the doorway and found a room in the town somewhere; she would have been beside him, and they would have loved one another.

My Thoughts:
I did not enjoy this one.  Read it with Mom, who did enjoy it though.  I found it to be rather boring and predictable. All of the characters were strange and mostly unlikeable but I found the main character, Mary to be just awful.  She did not seem to be a strong character and did the opposite of good designs making!  She thinks her horrible Uncle's brother is just as horrible, but she still goes for him. What??  Makes no sense.  She did walk around a lot and set several different tables though...so she has that going for her.

Rating:





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REVIEW: JACKABY BY WILLIAM RITTER

Six Word Summary: Eccentric detective, assistant solve magical case.

Kinda-like: Sherlock Holmes meets world of Harry Potter.


Favorite Line: "That reminds me," he said, pausing.  "There's a jar in my office marked 'Bail'. If you don't hear from me by tonight, just bring it down to the Mason Street station, would you?  I'm usually in the first or second cell."

My Thoughts:
While nothing ground-breaking, this was a fun and easy world to escape into.  I found the make character, R.F. Jackaby to be quite delightful if not a little too eccentric at times.  His house was full of interesting magical/supernatural elements that I would have loved to explore more.  I would love some more back story for Jackaby.  I will definitely be picking up the sequel. 

Rating:

REVIEW: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Six Word Summary: Pride and Prejudice and Reality TV.

Kinda-like: Pride and Prejudice meets the Bachelor.

My Thoughts:
Not for me. I feel like the characters were really missing the charisma that makes Pride and Prejudice so great.  In P&P, the characters are all crazy but lovable.  In Eligible, it was a struggle for me to find the lovable parts.  I think the success of the book with a reader will lie solely on the readers view of Liz and Darcy, the two main characters.  The bar for these two amazing characters was set high to begin with from P&P fame, but the new versions of these characters fall very short of that bar in Eligible for me.

Starting with Elizabeth Bennet.  Liz didn't seem to be nearly as a strong in Eligible as in P&P, which is one of the things I liked most.  Will in P&P she is willing to invest some time in the "lovely Mr. Wickham," she doesn't seem desperate for his attention.  In Eligible she comes across very desperate for Jasper Wick (Wickham's character is split into two characters in this adaption) and it really left me liking her character much less for it.

Next, Mr. Darcy.  In this adaptation Darcy is a doctor, still filthy rich, and just never quite pulls off the amount of charm I look for in a Darcy impersonator.  His character just seemed like a normal guy with a lot of money.  I do adore the idea of sharing a sarcastic lunch over Skyline chili, though, as presented in Eligible's Cincinnati setting.

Overall, I found the characters less likable, and the romance less believable.  I do wonder if my reaction to the book would change had I not read Pride and Prejudice first.  I will be very interested to hear more reactions to this book from readers who've not read (and looooved P&P) before hand.  Had I not had such high expectations from Pride and Prejudice I might have given this book another star, but alas...

Rating:

Disclaimer: I received an advanced readers copy of this book and have provided an honest review.
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