N.E.W.T.s Readathon TBR (a bit late)

NEWTS readathon tbr
Hello rosebuds!💐

In July I did my own round of the Harry Potter themed O.W.L.s readathon that G from Book Roast hosted back in April. You can check out my TBR for that here. I am glad to report that after two attempts I was finally able to complete my O.W.L.s, so I can now move onto the N.E.W.T.s. I will be discussing all the books I completed for the O.W.L.s readathon during my seasonal wrap-up at the end of September.

ABOUT
The magical readathon is a Harry Potter themed event that was created by G over at Book Roast. This event has taken the book world by storm as it is based on the exams the students take at Hogwarts in order to gain a career. It is split into two parts–the O.W.L.s and the N.E.W.T.s. The first portion takes place during the entire month of April while the latter occurs in August. The general concept is that the participants are taking each exam for the entire length of each month. The O.W.L.s determine which subjects you can sit for during the N.E.W.T.s. You can only sit for the subjects you completed during the month of April.

This year, G has created an entire catalog of careers to choose from, each with their own challenges and requirements.

If any part of that was confusing, I will link G’s announcement video here.

CAREER CHOICE
I don’t think it should come as any surprise that I chose the career path of an Herbologist which is the wizarding equivalent of a botanist. For the O.W.L.s there were only three subjects/challenges which meant I only had to read three books. For the N.E.W.T.s however, there are three subjects and six challenges overall making this round a bit more difficult. The general rule of thumb to follow is that you don’t actually pass a subject until you complete all of it’s required challenges.

HERBOLOGIST SUBJECTS & CHALLENGES
I passed all three subjects during my O.W.L.s, so the challenges I will attempt to complete for those are as follows:

1. Herbology
Acceptable: Mandrake! Quick, put your headphones on! Listen to an audio book. (If not, green cover)
Exceeded Expectations: Read a book between 350-390 pages.
Outstanding: Read a book with a flower on the cover.
2. Potions
Acceptable: Polyjuice potion: read your friend’s favorite book.
Exceeded Expectations: House ingredient: book with with a cover in your Hogwarts house color.
3. Care of Magical Creatures
Acceptable: Follow the spiders! Why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies! Book title that starts with the letter A, for Aragog.

For a complete list of all the subjects and challenges you can check out the document that Book Roast put together here.

Phew! I think that’s everything! Let’s get started!

N.E.W.T.s READATHON 2019 BOOKS

1. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
by: J.M. Barrie
Subject: Herbology
Challenge: Mandrake! Quick, put your headphones on! Listen to an audio book. (If not, green cover)
Grade: Acceptable

I’m one of those people who doesn’t really listen to audio books. I’ve tried a few times before, but I found it extremely difficult to sit and listen to someone talk. I just can’t focus on what is being said. So with that in mind, I decided to go with the second part of this challenge which is to read a green book. That being: Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.

Considering we are already five days into the readathon, it should come as no surprise that I already started this book. Going into it, I thought this was a prequel to Peter Pan. After about 30 pages however, I discovered this is an entity entirely of its own.

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens features the same male character from J.M. Barrie’s classic, Peter Pan. He has the ability to never grow up and interacts with fairies, but aside from that, everything else about the plot is different. I want to save all of the details for my seasonal wrap up post though, so I won’t say anything else.

2. Farmer Boy
by: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Subject: Herbology
Challenge: Read a book between 350-390 pages.
Grade: Exceeded Expectations

Farmer Boy is one of the few books I own that’s between 350-390 pages. Considering I have over 200 books in my small apartment this is quite shocking.

This is the second book in the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Although, for some unknown reason goodreads says it is the third book. While book one followed Laura’s family in Wisconsin, this sequel follows her future husband Almanzo Wilder on his family’s New York farm. The narrative is basically about how Almanzo tries to prove to his father that he is responsible enough to have his very own horse. I am unsure if we see any of Laura’s character in Farmer Boy, but my guess is telling me no.

3. Seed Leaf Flower Fruit
by: Maryjo Koch
Subject: Herbology
Challenge: Read a book with a flower on the cover.
Grade: Outstanding

Since I have an entire bookshelf dedicated to gardening books, this challenge was a lot easier. This is a work of nonfiction with some fantastical elements mixed throughout. The book itself is split into four parts: seeds, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Each section has information dedicated to the said chapter title. In addition to the text, Seed Leaf Flower Fruit has tons of beautiful full-color illustrations, making it quick to get through and therefore, perfect for a readathon.

4. The Little Prince
by: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Subject: Potions
Challenge: Polyjuice potion: read your friend’s favorite book.
Grade: Acceptable

The Little Prince is a classic and one of my favorite books. With that said this will obviously be a reread for me. This is also a favorite of my friends on bookstagram, which makes this the perfect read for this challenge. I think we all know what The Little Prince is about by now, but for those of you who don’t, I’ll give a brief synopsis.

The narrative follows a pilot who gets stranded in the Sahara desert and along the way encounters a little prince. The prince tells the pilot all about his travels across the galaxy. As he explains his visits to each planet, there is a moral to be learned.

I love The Little Prince, because although the symbolism is hidden within the text, it is still easy to pick up and understand. I can’t wait to reread it for my N.E.W.T.s.

5. The Road to Oz
by: L. Frank Baum
Subject: Potions
Challenge: House ingredient: book with with a cover in your Hogwarts house color.
Grade: Exceeded Expectations

The Road to Oz is the fifth book in the Wizard of Oz series. I am going to be reading this title from the above yellow Barnes and Noble collectible edition. Since I am a Hufflepuff this works out great.

I just read the fourth volume last month for my O.W.L.s but sadly didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous books in the series. Considering this is a sequel, I won’t go into the synopsis for the sake of not spoiling anyone.

6. Anne’s House of Dreams
by: L.M. Montgomery
Subject: Care of Magical Creatures
Challenge: Follow the spiders! Why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies! Book title that starts with the letter A, for Aragog.
Grade: Acceptable

Anne’s House of Dreams is the fifth book in the Anne of Green Gables series. In it, we follow Anne in her new life as a wife and follow along as she makes memories in her new home which she refers to as her “house of dreams”.

As with Peter Pan in Kensignton Gardens, I’ve already started reading this. I’m only on page 80 and I just know that this will most likely be my favorite book in the series.

I hope you enjoyed reading my N.E.W.T.s TBR!

Until next time,
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O.W.L.S Readathon TBR: Take 2

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owls tbr take 2
Hello rosebuds!💐

Back in April, I attempted (and failed) to participate in the O.W.L.s readathon. Considering I didn’t finish a single book on my TBR during that month, I am creating a redo for myself during the month of July. This way, if I manage to successfully complete the readathon this time around, I’ll be able to participate in the N.E.W.T.s next month.

ABOUT
The Magical Readathon is a Harry Potter themed event that was created by G over at Book Roast. This event has taken the book world by storm, as it is based on the exams the students take at Hogwarts. It is split into two parts–the O.W.Ls and the N.E.W.Ts. The first portion takes place during the entire month of April while the latter occurs in August. The general concept is that each participant is taking their O.W.L exam from April 1st to April 30th. The O.W.Ls determine which subjects you can sit for during the N.E.W.Ts in August. You can only sit for the subjects you completed during the month of April.

This year, G has created an entire catalog of careers to choose from, each with their own challenges and requirements.

If any part of that was confusing, I will link G’s announcement video here.

CAREER CHOICE
Since I have to finish the readathon this time around in order to sit for my N.E.W.T.s next month, I am going to stick with my prior choice which was an Herbologist. The Herbologist was one of the easiest professions to choose from considering there are only three challenges. Since I am under a bit of a time constraint, easy is the way to go. It also helps that I am the biggest nature-lover around.

HERBOLOGIST SUBJECTS & CHALLENGES
1. Care of Magical Creatures– book with land animal on cover
2. Herbology– book with plant on cover
3. Potions– next ingredient: sequel

Wish me luck!

THE BOOKS

1. The Story of Doctor Dolittle
by: Hugh Lofting
Care of Magical Creatures– book with land animal on cover

I think most of us are familiar with The Story of Doctor Dolittle from the movie starring Eddie Murphy. Few people however, are aware that the film was actually based off of a children’s series by Hugh Lofting. In book one, we follow Doctor Dolittle as he discovers that he can talk to animals–Jip the dog, Dab Dab the duck and Polynesia the parrot.

I picked this book for obvious reasons. 1) There’s a land animal on the cover. 2) The entire story is about nothing but animals.

2. Stuart Little
by: E.B. White
Herbology– book with plant on cover

Stuart Little is another book that most of us will be familiar with from the movie. The narrative follows a mouse named Stuart who was born to a family of humans. A true lover of adventure, Stuart’s greatest escapade occurs when his best friend, a bird named Margalo goes missing. I will be curious to see how much the original story differs from the 1999 film.

3. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
by: L. Frank Baum
Potions– next ingredient: sequel

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is the fourth book in L. Frank Baum’s Oz series. Considering this is a sequel it’s only fitting that I chose it for this final challenge.

In terms of actual plot, I’m not quite sure what this fourth installment is about. Judging by the title and book cover, I’m assuming we see the wizard from book one again. Other than that, I think I am going to go into this one blindly.

I hope you enjoyed reading my O.W.Ls TBR!

Until next time,
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O.W.Ls Magical Readathon TBR

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owls tbr
Hello rosebuds!💐

It’s April 1st ,and you know what that means–it’s officially the start of the O.W.L.s readathon!

I am especially excited for 2019’s readathon, because G has created an entire catalog of careers to choose from, each with their own challenges and requirements.

If any part of that was confusing, I will link G’s announcement video here.

CAREER CHOICE
I wish I could say that I thought long and hard of which career to choose, but that was not the case at all. I pretty much knew what I was going to pick before G even shared the catalog. I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone that I chose Herbologist. Being the nature-lover that I am, it only felt natural that I should pick this as my profession. It also helps that the Herbologist is a bit on the easier side when comparing it to the other professions.

HERBOLOGIST SUBJECTS & CHALLENGES
1. Care of Magical Creatures– book with land animal on cover
2. Herbology– book with plant on cover
3. Potions– next ingredient: sequel

I think three challenges for one month is extremely manageable, so this readathon should be super easy to accomplish. Wish me luck!

THE BOOKS

Farmer Boy (Little House, #3)
1. Farmer Boy
by: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Care of Magical Creatures– book with land animal on cover

Farmer Boy is the second book in the Little House series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. While Little House in the Big Woods followed Laura’s childhood in Wisconsin, the sequel, Farmer Boy, is all about her future husband Almanzo, and his time growing up in New York.

In this second book, we read about Almanzo’s desire to own his very own horse. Considering his father doesn’t trust him with such a huge responsibility, Almanzo needs to figure out how to prove himself.

I think this is the perfect book for the Care of Magical Creatures challenge. Not only does it have a horse/land animal on the cover, but it’s literally about a character who is trying to prove that he can care for a creature of his own.

2. Perfume from Provence
by: Winifred Fortescue
Herbology– book with plant on cover

Perfume from Provence is a travel memoir written by Lady Winifred Fortescue. In it, she chronicles her time living in the south of France, with lovely descriptions of their garden and just Provence in general.

I am a serious sucker for any book set in the French countryside. It also helps that my favorite flower (lavender) is on the cover, making it the perfect pick for the Herbology challenge.

3. Anne of Windy Willows
by: L.M. Montgomery
Potions– next ingredient: sequel

For Potions, I decided to go with Anne of Windy Willows. I know, I know, this book has been on my past three TBRs. I’m horrible, please don’t remind me. I do think the fact that I have an entire month to get through this will definitely work to my advantage.

Anne of Windy Willows is the fourth book in the Anne of Green Gables series. A good portion of it is told through letters in which Anne sends to Gilbert. For the sake of not spoiling anyone on the previous three books, I won’t say anything else.

Comment below if you are also participating, and don’t forget to tell me what career you chose!

I hope you enjoyed reading my O.W.Ls TBR!

Until next time,
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Zodiacathon TBR

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zodiacathon tbr
Hello rosebuds!💐

As promised, today I am posting my TBR for the second readathon in which I am participating in this month. That being, the zodiacathon.

ZODIACATHON OVERVIEW
This is a readathon that is inspired by astrology. In order to participate, you must know your sun, moon and rising signs, as most of the challenges are based off of what signs you were born under. The zodiacathon will last 7 days, taking place from March 20th-March 26th. There will be a total of six challenges which I will go over below.

THE CHALLENGES
Like I said above, participants must know all three of their signs in order to participate. If you don’t, you can very easily look up a moon and rising sign calculator by searching those terms on google. You will just need to know your time and place of birth.

There is a challenge for every sign of the zodiac, so I am only going to discuss the one’s that I am participating in according to my signs.

My signs: Sun-Pisces | Moon-Scorpio | Rising-Virgo

Challenges are as follows:

Buddy read a book with someone who shares your sun sign.
There are group chats on twitter for pretty much every sign. In the Pisces group chat, we have chosen to read a bad ass book about mermaids which I will discuss in my TBR below.
Read a book with an astrology/astronomy term in the title.
Pretty self-explanatory.
Read a book that fits the challenge for your sun sign.
Again, my sun sign is Pisces. The challenge for that sign is to read a five star prediction.
Read a book that fits the challenge for your moon sign.
My moon sign is Scorpio. The challenge for that sign is to read a book that has romance.
Read a book that fits the challenge for your rising sign.
My rising sign is virgo. The challenge for that sign is to read a mysterious book.
Read the group book.
Although I listed this challenge, I will not be participating in it.

For a full list of the challenges and an in-depth description of the fine details, you can go check out the twitter profile for the zodiacathon here.

THE TBR

1. Sea Witch
by: Sarah Henning
challenge: Buddy read a book with someone who shares your sun sign.

In the Pisces group chat on twitter, we decided that our buddy read for this first challenge should be Sea Witch, by Sarah Henning.

According to ancient mythology, the Pisces constellation was originally created by the ‘first mermaid‘ known as Atargatis. Considering the fact that Pisces is a water sign and has mermaid origins, I don’t believe we could have picked a better book.

For those of you who don’t know, Sea Witch is a retelling/prequel to The Little Mermaid. It basically tells the story of the Sea Witch, before she turned evil.

2. Clara Voyant
by: Rachelle Delaney
challenges: 1. Read a book with an astrology/astronomy term in the title.
2. Read a book that fits the challenge for your rising sign. (Virgo: read a mysterious book.)

I am going to be doubling up on books for the above two challenges. I know Clara Voyant is kind of pushing it for the first one, which is to read a book with an astrology/astronomy term in the title, but ‘voyant’ can be seen as an astrology word. Voyant–which is technically a french term–can be defined as a person who is sensitive to things beyond the natural range of perception, or in other words, a medium or psychic. This is also a middle grade mystery novel, so it works out great for the Virgo challenge, as well.

Clara Voyant follows a girl named Clara who joins the newspaper staff at her new middle school. Clara intends to write articles that deal with hard-news and other ‘important’ issues, so when the editor assigns her the topic of horoscopes, she is less than thrilled. Things start to get worse (or interesting) when her horoscopes start coming true.

Now I don’t know about you, but I am totally here for that synopsis.

3. A Year in Provence
by: Peter Mayle
challenge: Read a book that fits the challenge for your sun sign. (Pisces: read a five star prediction.)

A Year in Provence is a memoir that follows the author who one day, decides to drop everything, and move to the south of France. This book chronicles his adventures throughout the course of one year, going from month to month. Starting with Peter’s first day in his 200-year-old farm house and going all the way to his odd escapades, such as discovering the secrets of goat racing.

I am a total sucker for the south of France and just anything related to that country. A few years ago, my mother took me on an unforgettable trip all along the border, and you can bet we visited the region discussed in this book. I am totally expecting to love A Year in Provence, and would be highly shocked if I end up hating it.

4. Anne of Windy Willows
by: L.M. Montgomery
challenge: Read a book that fits the challenge for your moon sign. (Scorpio: read a book that has romance.)

I had a hard time deciding on a book for this challenge, as I am not the biggest fan of the romance genre. In the end, I decided to go with Anne of Windy Willows, because it includes my favorite Pisces heroine, Anne Shirley.

Anne of Windy Willows is the fourth book in the Anne of Green Gables series. It has been included on countless TBRs, so I am not going to trouble you with a synopsis.

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post!

Until next time,

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The Irish Readathon TBR

Posted by thegardenofreadenblog

irish readathon
Hello rosebuds!💐

I have decided to do away with monthly TBRs. The reason for this is because I am normally pretty good about following those TBRs. By discussing pretty much all of the same books in both my monthy TBR and wrap-up, everything was getting way too repetitive. On the other hand, there would also be books that I would say I was going to read and would never get around to. Those books were the ones that would be mentioned in various monthly TBRs. Again, very repetitive.The only exception to this rule would be if I am participating in a readathon, because we all know most readathons have challenges, and I like to share what I am reading for each challenge.

Anyways, In March I am participating in two readathons. Today I am going to discuss the Irish Readathon which will take place during the entire month (3/1-3/31). This readathon is hosted by 3 Irish booktubers: Leanne of Leanne Rose, Aoife of Fred Weasley Died Laughing, and Elaine Elaine Howlin. I will link Leanne’s announcement video here for all of the details and challenges.

Basically, all you need to know is that this is a readathon dedicated to reading books by Irish authors.

I am going to attempt to complete all 5 challenges which are:

1. Read a book by an Irish female writer
2. Read a book by one of the hosts favorite authors (Sarah Rees Brennan, Louise O’Neill, Marian Keyes)
3. Read an Irish book that isn’t a novel
4. Read an Irish book that is older than you are
5. Read a book with green on the cover

Let’s get started!

THE BOOKS

1. The Hounds of the Morrigan
by: Pat O’Shea
challenge: Read a book by an Irish female writer

The Hounds of The Morrigan was published back in the 1980’s and took ten years for the author to write. The story is set in a world that was heavily inspired by Irish mythology and faeries. It basically follows the events leading up to the reign of the Great Queen, the Morrigan, and how two children, Pidge and Brigit are chosen to prevent her from causing destruction to the world.

Since it is March 1st, I already started reading this. The story starts off in Galway, Ireland but I can imagine it will eventually move to a fantasy realm. Even though I’m only about 20 pages in, I can already tell that I am going to love the author’s writing style, as she has a very lyrical way or wording things which I love.

2. The Surface Breaks
by: Louise O’Neill
challenge: Read a book by one of the hosts favorite authors (Sarah Rees Brennan, Louise O’Neill, Marian Keyes)

The Surface Breaks is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Little Mermaid, but with a feminist twist. Not only is this written by an Irish author, but it also takes place off the coast of Ireland making it the perfect pick for this readathon. Louise O’Neill is host Leanne’s favorite author.

3. The Leprechaun
by: Lady Wilde
challenge: Read an Irish book that isn’t a novel

The Leprechaun is actually a short story I found in the above collection of Irish fairy tales from Barnes and Noble. I love this book because the table of contents organizes each story and poem by the different types of mythical creatures from Irish folklore. There are stories based on the Sidhe, changelings, selkies, leprechauns, and so much more. In terms of what the actual narrative is about, I honestly have no idea. Leprechauns, maybe? It’s only a few pages long so I don’t think much will be involved. I am saving this to read on St. Patrick’s day though.

4. Gulliver’s Travels
by: Jonathan Swift
challenge: Read an Irish book that is older than you are

Gulliver’s Travels is an extremely famous classic novel by Irish author Jonathan Swift. In it, we follow Gulliver, who gets shipwrecked on an uncharted island which he soon discovers is the home to a whole country of tiny people.

This is another book I already started reading, and after looking through the table of contents, it appears as if Gulliver goes to various countries other than the one mentioned above. Apparently there are friendly giants and wise horses involved as well. I did not know this prior to picking it up, so I now am even more excited than before.

5. The Secret Garden
by: Frances Hodgson Burnett
challenge: Read a book with green on the cover

Okay, I know it’s technically not an Irish book in any sense, but Leanne of Leanne Rose said that as long as the book is green, it counts. So it doesn’t have to be by an Irish author. Since March is my birthday month, I figured what better time to do my annual reread of my favorite book of all time?

For those of you who don’t know what The Secret Garden is about, hi and welcome to my blog! The Secret Garden follows recently orphaned Mary Lennox who starts off as a bitter child. After the death of her parents she is sent to live on the English Moors with her uncle, Archibald Craven. It is at this location where Mary discovers a secret garden and decides to tend to it, helping the garden grow, and herself along with it.

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post!

Until next time,

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January Wrap-up & February/Inloveathon Tbr

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febtbr
Hello rosebuds!💐

What felt like the longest January ever, is finally over. Although I thoroughly disappointed myself by only completing two books, I am completely ready to take on February in full swing. Considering this is the shortest month of the year, my TBR might seem a bit ambitious, but that’s only because a majority of the books are for the Inloveathon.

Before I get into the books for my wrap-up and TBR, I will go into a bit more detail on the Inloveathon.

The Inloveathon is a readathon dedicated to reading romance novels or just books with a great love story. It will take place from the 10th-16th of this month. There will be 10 challenges altogether which I will list below. My main goal is to complete 6 of those 10 challenges.

The challenges:

1. Read a book from your favorite romance author
2. Read a book that combines your favorite genre with romance
3. Read a book with your favorite romance trope
4. Read a fairy tale retelling
5. Read an original fairy tale and watch the movie or film adaptation
6. Buddy read a book
7. Read a book while eating Valentine’s Day treats
8. Read a book that takes place in a location you would love to spend Valentine’s Day.
9. Read a LGBTQ+ love story
10. Read one of the host’s favorite romance books

As per usual, this post will be split up into three sections. My January wrap-up, my general February TBR and the books I plan to read for the Inloveathon.

Let’s get started!

JANUARY WRAP-UP

1. Pippi Longstocking
by: Astrid Lindgren

This puffin chalk edition tells the tale of a young, parentless girl named Pippi Longstocking. Pippi is a rambunctious child with red hair and a freckled face. She also just so happens to possess the fascinating ability of super human strength. Strange, I know.

The narrative begins when Pippi returns from traveling around the world by ship with her pet monkey and horse, and moves into a house all by herself. She then meets her neighbors, Annika and Tommy who instantly become her best friends. Throughout the novel we follow Pippi and her companions as they go on various adventures including an eventful trip to the circus.

I discussed this book quite a bit in my January TBR, as I ended up completing it only two days into last month. I mentioned how I really disliked Pippi’s character and I honestly don’t see that opinion ever changing. While she was both quirky and eccentric–qualities I love in a children’s lit heroine–she was also extremely rude and pretty much got away with anything and everything. Even though I did dislike the protagonist, the author made up for all that with her easy-to-read writing style and interesting plot. Overall, I really did enjoy this story. Although not a new favorite, I did love Pippi Longstocking enough to rate it a solid 4.5 flowers.
My Rating:

2. The Garden Party
by: Katherine Mansfield

The Garden Party is a classic short story collection written by Katherine Mansfield. Each narrative tells a different story about the struggles and tragedies that occur in our everyday lives.

I have a lot of thoughts, and am very sad to say that this book was such a disappointment for me. My biggest issue was the fact that Mansfield’s writing was super difficult to read and took me what seemed like forever to get into. I really wish I could pinpoint what it was about her style that threw me off but I just can’t say. Something about it I just did not mesh well with.

In addition to the writing, most of the stories were so completely confusing that half of the time I had no idea what was going on. I think the reason for my confusion was the fact that the plots were majorly allusive and had this abstract feel to them. The writer doesn’t make it clear what is actually going on, but leaves it to the reader to read between the lines. Pretty much every narrative ended abruptly and in the same sense where I was left asking myself, “what the heck just happend?”. It also didn’t help that some of the stories–namely the first one–had such an extensive cast of characters that I found it extremely difficult to keep track of who’s who. Even though I did enjoy some of the narratives, those few weren’t enough for me to give this book a decent rating. So overall, 2.5 flowers for this one.
My Rating:

GENERAL FEBRUARY TBR

1. Two on a Tower
by: Thomas Hardy

Two on a Tower is a love story that follows a man and woman who are 10 years apart in age. They meet for the first time in a column that is eventually converted into an astronomy tower, and continue to have an affair that is kept a secret due to the judgment of others.

Two on a Tower was on last month’s TBR, and I’m actually currently reading it but didn’t end up completing it in January. I initially started reading this at the end of this past summer. I was really enjoying the story, but had to put it on hold for a readathon I was participating in. Unfortunately, I did that thing where I just never picked it up again. Right now I’m on page 237 out of 314, so I really don’t have much more to go.

2. Emma
by: Jane Austen

Emma follows a young female named Emma Woodhouse who never really envisioned herself falling in love or even just being in a relationship. Ironically, she finds the most joy in playing match maker for others which may or may not end up getting her in trouble.

As with Two on a Tower, I already started reading this classic Austen novel. Emma is one of those books that have been collecting dust on my shelves for years. It is for that reason that I made it top priority to complete this classic in 2019. I think the main reason I wanted to read this is because although my name is Emilie, everyone calls me Emma. That’s a silly reason to want to read a book, I know. I also heard Jane Austen’s Emma was the inspiration behind the cult classic Clueless and I am so here for it.

3. Old Herbaceous
by: Reginald Arkell

Old Herbaceous is a classic British novel of the garden. In it, we follow an orphan, Bert Pinnegar, starting from his youth as a schoolboy where he enjoys picking wildflowers and often finds himself dodging angry farmers, all the way to adulthood where he becomes a legendary head gardener earning the name, “Old Herbaceous”.

I heard about this book through the Bookish Princess on Youtube, and immediately knew it was a novel I needed to read. I always loved learning about characters who are gardeners or who just pick up gardening as a hobby. There’s something so fascinating to me about reading beautiful descriptions of flowers and just nature in general. This book sounds right up my alley and I really can’t wait to read it.

INLOVEATHON TBR

1. Anne of Windy Willows
by: L.M. Montgomery
challenge: Read a book from your favorite romance author | Read a book that combines your favorite genre with romance

Anne of Windy Willows is a book I will be doubling up on for two challenges. The first challenge, which is to read a book by your favorite romance author, is a bit of a stretch. I know L.M. Montgomery’s books aren’t considered to be in the romance genre, but the Anne series is basically one big love story between Anne and Gilbert. For the second challenge, which is to combine your favorite genre with romance, this was the most obvious choice as children’s classics are my absolute favorite.

Anne of Windy Willows is the fourth book in the Anne of Green Gables series. As per usual, for the sake of not spoiling anyone I wont go into the synopsis. Just know that Anne is now out of school, and currently has a new job..and love interest.

2. I See London, I See France
by: Sarah Mylnowski
challenge: Read a book with your favorite romance trope

For the third challenge which asks to read a book with my favorite romance trope, I decided to go with the road trip romance theme.

I See London, I See France is a young adult romance novel that follows two best friends who go traveling through Europe together. Unfortunately, on the plane ride there, they run into a cheating ex-boyfriend and his super hot best friend. So naturally, I think we can all guess what is going to happen from there.

3. Everland
by: Wendy Spinale
challenge: Read a fairy tale retelling

Everland is book one in a trilogy full of retellings. The first story reimagines the classic tale of Peter Pan with a steampunk twist. Meanwhile, the second book pulls inspiration from Alice in Wonderland with the conclusion following a world inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Everland is another one of those books that have been collecting dust on my shelves for quite some time now, so I am really hoping to remedy that this month.

4. Peter Pan
by: J.M. Barrie
challenge: Read an original fairy tale and watch the movie or film adaptation

Peter Pan will be a reread for me, and I am totally looking forward to diving back into it. I think we all know what this is about by now so I won’t trouble anyone with a synopsis. I do however, remember the original story being a lot darker than the Disney movie. It’s been years since I’ve read this, so I will be interested to see how much that opinion has changed.

I am planning on watching the animated Disney film after I read this, but If I can find the 2003 adaptation with Jeremy Sumpter I might go for that one instead.

5. Thumbelina
by: Hans Christian Andersen
challenge: Read a book while eating Valentine’s Day treats

Like Peter Pan, Thumbelina will be a reread for me. I picked this book to read while eating valentine’s day treats because it is only 32 pages which I can totally do (and have done) in one sitting.

Thumbelina is a classic fairy tale that tells the story of a young girl who’s so tiny, that if you ever met her she would be roughly the same size as your thumb. We follow Thumbelina’s journey as she is kidnapped by an ugly toad and eventually becomes the Queen of all Flowers.

This is a lovely tale full of whimsy and beautiful descriptions of nature and flowers. I am sure I will love it just as much second time around.

6. Love and Gelato
by: Jenna Evans Welch
challenge: Read a book that takes place in a location you would love to spend Valentine’s Day.

If I could spend Valentine’s day anywhere it would most likely be somewhere tropical like Hawaii. Now you’re probably wondering why I picked Love and Gelato for this challenge, and not something else like say, Summer of Sloane. The reason behind my decision is because this book has been on my TBR for way too long and I just really need to read it. I would also never say no if my significant other offered to take me to Italy for Valentine’s Day.

Love and Gelato follows our protagonist Lina who’s mother just died. It was her mother’s dying wish that Lina gets to know her father better. This means a trip to Tuscany that Lina does not want to take. When Lina is handed her mother’s journal from the time she spent in Italy everything changes.

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post!

Until next time,

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December Wrap-up & January TBR

Posted by thegardenofreadenblog

december wrapup jan tbr Hello rosebuds!💐

I decided to combine my December Wrap-up and January TBR for today’s post. I’m not quite sure if this will be a permanent change or not, but I am contemplating it because I am changing my posting schedule for 2019. I basically decided to do two posts a week instead of three. Three was just too much for me, and now that I have a job where I am working 5 days a week I really don’t have the time for that much anymore.

Overall, December was a decent reading month considering how busy I was. Even though I pretty much failed at both of the readathons which I participated in, I ended up completing four books which isn’t too shabby. For the month of January, I am being a bit ambitious since I will be traveling during the first and second week.

All that aside though, let’s get into today’s post!

DECEMBER WRAP-UP

1. A Very Vintage Christmas
by: Tilly Tennant

A Very Vintage Christmas is an adult romance novel that takes place during the holiday season. In it, we follow Dodie who loves everything from years past, and who also happens to own a vintage clothing shop known as, Forget-Me-Not Vintage. One day, when Dodie is looking through some of her vintage finds, she spots a love letter in the pocket of an old jacket. From that point on our protagonist makes various attempt to deliver the letter to it’s rightful owner.

I read this book for the Tistheseason-a-thon back in December, and absolutely adored it. This was one of those narratives where I just could not find it in me to put down. Not only was the writing super easy to get through, but the characters were just so lovable as well. It also helps that the ending caught me completely off guard. In order to keep from spoiling anyone though, I won’t say much more. If you are looking for a cute holiday romance to pick up at the end of 2019, this might be your story.

My Rating:

2. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares
by: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is a YA contemporary that takes place in NYC during the holiday season. In it we follow Lily, who one day decides to fill a notebook full of challenges and leave it on a favorite bookstore shelf. Lily is convinced that whoever comes along and accepts the dares is the right guy for her.

This was the second book I completed for the Tistheseason-a-thon last year. I seriously flew through this in about five days. Considering I had just started a new job at that point in time, five is a pretty impressive number.

Again, the writing was super easy to read and you will certainly find yourself rooting for Dash and Lily 100% of the way. All throughout the book there are tons of obstacles that seem to either keep them from meeting or just tear them apart. In the end though, I was completely content with the conclusion. I didn’t really hear great things about the next book, so I don’t think I will pick that one up.

My Rating:

3. Christmas or The Good Fairy
by: Harriet Beecher Stowe

This tale was just okay, hence why I am giving it just three flowers. In it, we basically follow a young girl who is discussing with her aunt all of the presents she would like to gift her friends and family for Christmas. Her aunt, then explains that there are people out there who can’t afford such luxuries like she can. After that, we read on as this girl purchases simple, every day items that the average individual would turn the other cheek at, but a person who suffers from severe poverty would simply rejoice over.

I liked the message of the story, but when it comes down to it, the narrative was way too short to have any kind of impact. Not only that, but the ending was super abrupt as well.

My Rating:

4. Mary Poppins Comes Back
by: P.L. Travers

Mary Poppins Comes Back is the sequel to the children’s classic, Mary Poppins. Considering it is the second book in a series, I won’t go into the synopsis for the sake of spoilers. I will however, tell you about the first book.

Mary Poppins tells the story of a nanny who is blown by a fierce wind to the doorstep of the Banks family. From that point on, a series of whimsical and nonsensical events occur. Mary Poppins does things that no one can explain, and as it turns out, no one ever does!

As with the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. The writing is just as whimsical as before, and the plot just as fascinating. The only reason I didn’t rate this a full five flowers was because Mary’s character is starting to annoy me. Mary was just as conceded, and just as snarky in the first tale, so I’m not sure why it is bothering me now. Either way, I am still going to continue on with the series, because I am seriously obsessed with all the wonderful kookiness.

My Rating:

JANUARY TBR

1. Little Women
by: Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is a classic children’s book that I think most of us have heard of by now. The narrative follows four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy during the American Civil War era. We watch as they go through their day to day lives doing things from putting on a Christmas play, all the way to forming a secret society. We also follow the sisters as they grow up and go from little girls to little women all while their father is away fighting on the war front.

It is taking me way too long to finish this book. I mean, I kind of knew this would happen, but I was really hoping to complete Little Women before the new year. It has nothing to do with the quality of the story, because I honestly love it. I think I’m just so intimidated by the length, that I get discouraged every time I go to pick it up. That sounds super strange the more that I think about it, but either way, now that it’s already 2019, I am just going to take my sweet time with this chunk of a book. I won’t include it on anymore TBRs for the sake of not being too repetitive. I will however, include it in a wrap up whenever I do finish it.

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2. Pippi Longstocking
by: Astrid Lindgren

I actually already finished this book, and I have to admit that I really disliked Pippi’s character. Although she has some of those quirky qualities I often enjoy in children’s lit heroines, I found that she was mainly just rude and downright annoying. Whenever Pippi was called out for her rudeness by another character, she would just tell this sap story about how she has no parents and asks if one can really blame her for being that way. Nine times out of ten the other character would suddenly feel bad for her. That’s what really bothered me.

I won’t give you guys my rating just yet, because I want to save that for my monthly wrap-up. Just know, that Pippi’s persona was enough for me to bring that overall number down.

3. The Garden Party
by: Katherine Mansfield

The Garden Party is a classic short story collection written by Katherine Mansfield. Each narrative tells a different story about the struggles and tragedies that occur in our everyday lives.

I am currently reading this collection, and have to admit that 80% of the time I have no clue what is going on. I also really just don’t like Mansfield’s writing style, as it is takes me forever to get through just one page. I am going to spare the fine details for my monthly wrap-up, so keep a look out for that later on.

4. Two on a Tower
by: Thomas Hardy

I started reading this at the end of this past summer. I was really enjoying the story, but had to put it on hold for a readathon I was participating in. Unfortunately, I did that thing where I just never picked it up again, so I would really like to remedy that this month.

5. Anne of Windy Willows
by: L.M. Montgomery

I hope you enjoyed reading my December Wrap-up and January TBR!

Until next time,
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Christmas at Hogwarts Readathon TBR

Posted by thegardenofreadenblog

christmas at hogwarts tbr-01
Hello snowflakes!❄️

As promised, I have my second TBR for December ready to share with you all. This time however, I will be discussing all of the books I plan to read for the Christmas at Hogwarts Magical Readathon.

For those of you who don’t know the Christmas at Hogwarts readathon is a Harry Potter themed readathon that is hosted by G over at Book Roast. G created the first magical readathon back in March of this year. After the popularity of that first event soared, she decided to continue on with more Harry Potter readathons similar to the first one.

The Christmas at Hogwarts readathon will take place from the 17th of December to the 26th (10 days total). By the time this TBR is posted, it will most likely already be the 17th. OOPS! I don’t want to go into too much detail regarding the rules and fine details, so I will just link G’s announcement video here.

Just so you guys aren’t left completely in the dark, this event is sort of like a choose your own adventure type deal. The challenges are in the style of the marauder’s map where each prompt is connected by black foot prints. Once you complete the first challenge, you are then free to move onto the next with the promise that the second prompt is connected to the previous one via footprints. I’m not sure if that made any sense, but just in case, I will include a photo of the challenge sheet that G made below this paragraph.

Displaying Christmas at Hogwarts readathon.jpg
Anyways, enough babbling, let’s get into today’s discussion!

THE BOOKS

1. Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe
by: Melissa de la Cruz
challenge: finish your coursework/finish your current read

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe is a gender swapped Pride and Prejudice retelling that takes place during Christmastime. I started reading this for the tistheseason-a-thon earlier this month and was unfortunately, never able to complete it. I am currently on page 72 of 225 and have to say that this is just as awful as people are saying—if not worse. The writing is so terrible and cheesy, that I often find myself cringing. Some people say that this book is like reading a Hallmark movie, and I totally agree with that. In my opinion though, if you take the most corny Hallmark film out there, and multiply that corniness by 1,000, Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe is what you will get.

I am praying to the bookish gods above that I am able to complete this book for the Christmas at Hogwarts readathon. This is the first and most crucial challenge because I can’t change what I am currently reading, it just is what it is. If I can’t complete this important prompt I will pretty much fail at this readathon altogether. Wish me luck!

2. Little Women
by: Louisa May Alcott
challenge: help hagrid decorate the trees/read a book with golden details

Although I started reading Little Women back in November, and it is therefore technically considered a current read, I am going to count this book for the second challenge instead of the first. This works out perfect, because it just so happens to have golden details on the cover.

I am a little less than halfway through the story, at about page 384 with 393 to go. I am crossing my fingers that I can complete this before the 26th.

A Christmas Treasury
3. Christmas or The Good Fairy
by: Harriet Beecher Stowe
challenge: visit three broomsticks for mulled pixie wine/ read a book that will only take one night to read

After I am done helping Hagrid decorate the trees, I am heading over to Three Broomsticks for some mulled pixie wine. YUM! I was originally planning on reading Christmas or the Good Fairy for the tistheseason-a-thon, but since that entire week was an epic fail, I am moving this Christmas-themed narrative over to this next readathon.

Christmas or the Good Fairy is one of many short stories in Barnes and Noble’s collectible edition of A Christmas Treasury. Inside this gorgeous hardcover you can find a wide array of Christmas themed tales written by famous authors such as L. Frank Baum, L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and much more. In terms of what this specific narrative is about, I really have no idea, as I couldn’t even find a description on goodreads.

4. The Nutcracker
by: E.T.A. Hoffman
challenge: sneak into the kitchen to gift dobby socks/read a book with clothes on the cover

The Nutcracker is a children’s coming-of-age novella that has just about something for everyone, from beautiful dolls all the way to deathly battles, as well as toys and animals that come to life. The narrative follows little Marie on Christmas eve as she receives and plays with her new gift–a nutcracker. After her brother breaks it, Marie aids the nutcracker and puts it to bed, but at the stroke of midnight, our protagonist awakes to a ferocious battle between an army of mice and and army of toys–including her beloved nutcracker.

I am beyond excited for this prompt as The Nutcracker will be a reread for me. I chose this book in specific, not only because it is a super quick/short read, but it also fulfills the challenge of reading a book with clothes on the cover. Although there isn’t clothing just sitting by itself, Marie and her doll both have dresses on, so I am going to go ahead and count it.

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5. Mary Poppins Comes Back
by: P.L. Travers
challenge: open your molly’s knitted sweater/read a book with a family as a strong theme or parents are present

Mary Poppins Comes Back is a bit of a stretch for this challenge. Even though the parents are present, they aren’t around very often at all due to the fact that Mary Poppins was hired to be the children’s caretaker. If I find that I am struggling to get through the rest of the books on my TBR, I might switch this title out for one of the short stories in my Barnes & Noble edition of A Christmas Treasury.

Mary Poppins Comes Back is the sequel to the children’s classic, Mary Poppins. Considering it is the second book in a series, I won’t go into the synopsis for the sake of not spoiling anyone. I will however, tell you about the first book.

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post!

Until next time,
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December & TistheSeason-a-thon TBR

Posted by thegardenofreadenblog

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Hello snowflakes!❄️

Like most people, December is going to be a crazy month for me. I just started a new job which just so happens to be a retail position, so you can imagine how busy I will be with all of the holiday hours. Not only that, but I am also participating in two week-long readathons as well.

The first readathon takes place from Monday, December 3rd, and lasts until Sunday, December 9th. This readathon is called the TistheSeason-a-thon. I am super excited for this first one because it basically gives me the chance to tackle of my unread Christmas themed books. The TistheSeason-a-thon was created by Heather over at Bookables and she is joined by some pretty awesome co-hosts. There are five challenges total, all of which I am going to attempt to complete. I will link Heather’s announcement video here for all the in-depth details.

The second readathon takes place more towards the end of the month. I am planning on doing a separate post for that one, so I’ll leave it a surprise.

Anyways, enough babbling, let’s get into my December TBR!

TISTHESEASON-A-THON TBR

1. The Nutcracker
by: E.T.A. Hoffman
challenge: read a book with red or green on the cover

The Nutcracker will be a reread for me, as I read it for the first time last holiday season. I’m sure we all know what this story is about by now, but for those rare few of you who don’t, let me inform you.

The Nutcracker is a children’s coming-of-age novella that has just about something for everyone, from beautiful dolls all the way to deathly battles as well as toys and animals that come to life. The narrative follows little Marie on Christmas eve as she receives and plays with her new gift–a nutcracker. After her brother breaks it, Marie aids the nutcracker and puts it to bed, but at the stroke of midnight, our protagonist awakes to a ferocious battle between an army of mice and and army of toys–including her beloved nutcracker.

I won’t go into any more detail because, well..spoilers! Just know, that this timeless story wasn’t dubbed a classic for nothing. I also plan on rereading this every holiday season.

A Christmas Treasury
2. Christmas or The Good Fairy
by: Harriet Beecher Stowe
challenge: read a book while listening to holiday music

Christmas or the Good Fairy is one of many short stories in Barnes and Noble’s collectible edition of A Christmas Treasury. Inside this gorgeous hardcover you can find a wide array of Christmas themed tales written by famous authors such as L. Frank Baum, L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and much more. In terms of what this specific narrative is about, I really have no idea, and I couldn’t even find a description on goodreads. I also plan on reading this while listening to some Harry Potter holiday ASMR videos on YouTube.

3. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares
by: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
challenge: read a warm and fuzzy book

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares is pretty much a classic for mostly everyone on booktube or bookstagram during this time of year. This will be my first time reading it, so I honestly could not be more excited.

I have heard nothing but awesome things about this book, and considering I used to live right in the heart of Manhattan, I am pretty darn excited to read about all of the locations Dash and Lily visit.

4. Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe
by: Melissa de la Cruz
challenge: read a short book (less than 250 pages)

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe is a gender swapped Pride and Prejudice retelling that takes place during Christmastime. Beyond that, I didn’t need to know much else. I am however, aware that this was quite the disappointment for a lot of people, so I will keep that in mind when reading this. I’m really not looking for an amazing narrative when it comes to this book but rather something just quick and easy, so I think I will enjoy it just fine. Fingers crossed!

5. A Very Vintage Christmas
by: Tilly Tennant
challenge: read a holiday themed book

A Very Vintage Christmas is an adult romance novel that takes place during the holiday season. In it, we follow Dodie who loves everything vintage and who also just so happens to own an antique shop known as, Forget-Me-Not Vintage. One day, when Dodie is looking through some of her vintage finds, she spots a love letter in the pocket of an old jacket. From that point on our protagonist makes various attempt to deliver the letter to it’s rightful owner. Oh, and she might meet a man somewhere along the way too…

GENERAL DECEMBER TBR

1. Little Women
by: Louisa May Alcott

I started reading this book back in November, but I am not the least bit worried that I didn’t complete it last month, because I never really intended to. Considering this hardcover is a whopping 777 pages, my main goal is to just finish Little Women before January 1st of 2019.

Those are all of the books I plan on reading in December! Keep a look out for part two later on this month!

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post!

Until next time,
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November & HoHoHo Readathon TBR

Posted by thegardenofreadenblog

203
Hello snowflakes!❄️

Halloween is over and it is officially November 1st as I sit here typing this. The minute the clock turned to 12:00 am, I immediately got into Christmas/winter mode. So, with that said, this month I will be participating in the HoHoHo readathon hosted by Kimberly over at The Caffeinated Reviewer. You can check out her signup post here if you are looking to participate.

This will be my first year participating in this readathon so bear with me here. The dates for the HoHoHo readathon take place from the 9th to the 18th of November. My main goal is to complete at least three holiday/winter books. I’m a slow reader so this is the most realistic goal for me.

I am going to have two sections in this post. The first will just be my general November TBR and the second will include the books I want to get to for the readathon.

Anyways, without further ado, let’s get started!

GENERAL NOVEMBER TBR

1. The Dollmaker of Krakow
by: R.M. Romero

The Dollmaker of Krakow is a middle grade historical fiction novel that takes place during the second world war. In it, we follow a living doll named Karolina who is spirited away from the land of dolls and into the hands of a dollmaker in Krakow, Poland. Karolina is brought to life right before the dollmaker’s eyes, and before he even knows it he is smiling and laughing–something the dollmaker never does–all at the same time.

Unforunately, this newfound happiness is quickly dashed when the Nazi soldiers begin to invade Poland. Karolina and the dollmaker soon realize that their Jewish friends are in serious danger and decide they must help save them no matter what happens.

I have heard many great things about this book but the one detail that sticks out to me the most is the advice not to read this in public. Why? Because this book is heartbreaking and will make you cry. I’m not really one for sad books but I am excited to read this nonetheless. Plus, it had gorgeous illustrations throughout.

2. Little Women
by: Louisa May Alcott

I have had this puffin in bloom edition ever since I started blogging. I kept telling myself each holiday season that I would pick it up but never did due to the hefty size and length of 777 pages. I actually already started reading this and am on page 40 something. If I don’t complete it by the end of November I won’t be too worried because I know it’s long and my goal is to just finish it before 2019.

HOHOHO READATHON TBR

1. A Christmas Carol
by: Charles Dickens

I think we all know what A Christmas Carol is about by now so I won’t trouble you with a synopsis. I got this gorgeous Wordsworth Collector’s edition in the mail a few days ago and absolutely love it. I think this will be the perfect book to pick up for the HoHoHo readathon due to the fact that it is only 144 pages in length.

2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
by: C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a children’s classic that follows three siblings as they stumble through a wardrobe and discover the land of Narnia. There are mythical beings, a talking lion and magic galore.

This will be my first time reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or any of the Narnia books for that matter. I’ve heard that it is recommended to start with The Magician’s Nephew, but I honestly just wanted this gorgeous pocket edition, so I really don’t care.

3. Winter Story
by: Jill Barklem

Winter Story is the fourth and final book in the seasonal Brambley Hedge series. Each book is named after and takes place in a different season. So, it starts with Spring Story and ends with Winter Story.

In this narrative we follow the mice as they prepare for a huge snow day as well as a snow ball. When I say snow ball what I mean is the event with dancing, food and festivities–not the kind you build and throw at other individuals.

This is yet another quick read full of illustrations that I should be able to finish in one sitting, making it perfect for a readathon.

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4. Whichwood
by: Tahereh Mafi

Whichwood is a middle grade fantasy novel and the sequel to Furthermore. In Whichwood we follow a girl named Laylee who is fated to wash the bodies of the dead and prepare them for the afterlife. She is stuck in a loneliness right after the death of her mother and is basically just going through the motions when one day two familiar faces appear and change everything.

I chose this final book for the HoHoHo readathon because I believe it takes place in a winter-y setting. The first line is even as follows, “Our story begins on a frosty night…”. I honestly can’t wait to dive into this perfectly atmospheric read.

Those are all of the books I plan on reading in November!

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post!

Until next time,
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