Bookish Item | Magical Readathon Wrap Up

As big Harry Potter fans, we were really excited to participate in this year’s Magical Readathon. You choose a career in this world and read books to earn your O.W.L.s. We both chose career paths and made a TBR (Part 1 & Part 2) at the beginning of April. We’re almost halfway through May and wanted to let you know how we did. What careers will we try to do N.E.W.T.s for later this year? Keep on reading to find out!

Candyce

If you remember my TBR, you know I had a hard time picking just one career. In the end there were still three I wanted to choose from: Librarian, Mind Medic and Care of Magical Creatures. I needed 9 O.W.L.s to get all three careers, so let’s see how I did and what I read!

Ancient Runes –
Heart of the Cover or in the Title

Results In the end, I didn’t end up reading A Heart so Fierce and Broken. It’s still on my TBR to be read really soon. Instead I read Every Heart a Doorway and loved it so much!! I couldn’t recommend this series enough!

Arithmancy –
Read Something Outside Your Favorite Genre

Results I finished Sawkill GIrls and enjoyed it more than expected. Horror is becoming a genre I’m starting to enjoy. The ending was a bit disappointing to me, but all in all a very interesting read!

Charms –
White Cover

Results Even though I put One of Us is Next on my list for this book, I ended up choosing A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. This book sucked me in from the start and I loved every minute of it. The sequel just released and I already have it on my shelf ready to read.

Defence Against the Dark Arts –
Book Set at the Sea/Coast

Results I was going to read Passenger for this prompt, because it’s a book that’s been on my TBR for way too long, haha. In the end I didn’t have time to pick it up. So I’m using Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes. We don’t read a lot about the sea, but they do travel through one when on their journey!

Herbology –
Title Starts with an M

Results Herbology is the only O.W.L. I didn’t end up finishing and it’s frustrating, haha. I may try to fit this in soon and end up counting it towards my N.E.W.T.s. I know it’s cheating, but sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day. We’ll see what the prompts are for the careers I want later this year!

History of Magic –
Book Featuring Witches/Wizards

Results I was just about ready to pick up The Iron Flower when I decided to do a reread of The Black Witch. It’s only been a year since reading this one, but so much happens. And I’m so glad I did, because I totally forgot a few twists near the end! When this is posted, I should be finished with The Iron Flower. I’m afraid to start, but I’m so excited!!

Muggle Studies –
Contemporary

Results Even though I ended up reading a different book than planned, I’m so happy I picked up Alma Underwood is Not a Kleptomaniac. This book hit me in all the feels and is very unique!

Potions –
Book Under 150 Pages

Results I actually read Fence Vol. 1 the first week of April and it was my first O.W.L. Since reading this, I’ve actually already read Vol. 2 and hope to read Vol. 3 soon. This is a fun graphic novel and I’m happy I decided to give it a chance.

Transfiguration –
Book/Series That Includes Shapeshifting

Update I started the audiobook at the beginning of the month and loved it! The narrator was amazing and I remembered why I loved this book so much. I need to fit in a reread of My Plain Jane before the release of the third book next month! I’m so happy these authors are going to write another series similar to these.

O.W.L.s. earned: 8/9 With the O.W.L.s I earned I can only continue my career path as a Librarian. Not a bad choice of course, but like I said I hope to sneak in The Merciful Crow soon. I don’t think I’ve ever done this well with a readathon, so I’m very pleased!

Isabelle

At first I only planned on reading for the O.W.L.s I would need for Magizoologist with extra credit for Merpeople linguistics and Dragon Tamer Training. However, along the way I was hoping to sneak in all of the O.W.L.s! Let’s see how I did 😉

Care of Magical Creatures –
creature with a beak on the cover

Update: I was in the middle of my Harry Potter reread when this readathon started and I simply couldn’t stop haha. When thinking about the books and the prompt though, I realized the audiobooks I listen to have this cover so this one has a creature with a beak! And it fits the readathon perfectly ;).

Charms –
White cover

Update: I already posted my review for Sadie. It’s unbelievable I waited this long to finally read the book. It just goes to show that I have so many amazing unread books on my shelves. This was a hard read but so worth it.

Herbology –
Title starts with an M

Update: In the end I had to go with Middlewest for this prompt. I just didn’t manage to read another book that had a title with the letter M. It’s a shame because I’m super excited for The Merciful Crow! Since I only read one small book for this prompt I don’t feel like also counting it for Merpeople Linguistics. So I guess that has to wait until next year 😉

Potions –
Book under 150 pages

Update: Another one I already reviewed! I’m pretty proud of myself haha. This was just as good as I was hoping it would be and proved that short book can be amazing. I love reading these smaller books that still contain a full story and I hope to pick up some more.

Do extra research on dragons –
Read a book with dragons

Update: I think I read this one the very last day of the readathon haha. Candyce’s boyfriend recommended this one so I could cross of the Dragon Tamer Training haha. It was a quick and fun read and I might just continue with the series because I laughed so loudly.

Extra O.W.L.’s

Ancient Runes –
Heart on the cover or in the title

Update: This was a reread (and also a wonderful short book) and I loved it just as much as the first time around. I wasn’t sure if I would reread this one but since it fit the readathon so perfectly I just went for it haha. Also, look at that gorgeous cover.

Arithmancy – 
Something outside your comfort zone

Update: I’ll admit this one is a bit of a stretch but ok… Giant Days is a wonderful graphic novel series. But it had to grow on me, it’s contemporary and more slice of life than plot driven. And those are not really my comfort zone kind of reads. So I feel like this would count haha, do you agree?

Astronomy –
Read something when it’s dark outside

Update: I bingeread a couple of volumes of Giant Days so the last couple volumes I read at night. In the end I actually managed to finish the whole series. This is a great series and I would definitely recommend it, it could be a fun series to finally start graphic novels with.

Defense at the Dark Arts –
Set at sea/coast

Update: Another recommendation by Candyce’s boyfriend haha. I also needed a book set at sea or the coast so he gave me this one. This story is more sci-fi and I was not expecting to enjoy it so much. I’m already looking forward to reading the rest of the series and I believe there’s also a manga I can watch.

Divination – 
Randomly chosen book

Update: This is the only one I didn’t do! I kept putting it off because it would be easy. But unfortunately in the end I didn’t manage to do it. I’m not too sad about it because Divination is the worst subject at Hogwarts so I just followed Hermoine for this one 😉

History of Magic –
Features witches/wizards

Update: Yay, another Harry Potter. I can be pretty quick about this one, it obviously featured witches and wizards and this series is just the best thing ever.

Muggle Studies –
Contemporary book

Update: And another volume of Giant Days. Like I said before, this is a contemporary series, set at a university. It’s a great book for muggle studies as we follow 3 muggles and their friends and lovers haha.

Transfiguaration –
Features shapeshifting

Update: And the last Harry Potter! I see you thinking, shapeshifting in Harry Potter? Yes! When they drink polyjuice potion to do the 7 Harry’s, or when they go to the ministry, or Godric’s Hollow or Gringrotts. So all in all there is a lot of shapeshifting happening haha.

O.W.L.s. earned: 11/12 + Dragon Tamer Training. Wow! I’m very pleasantly surprised. Like Candyce I think this is the best I ever did in a readathon haha. I can’t wait for the N.E.W.T.s, I truly hope I can manage to get all the N.E.W.T.s I need for the Magizoologist career <3

So that’s how we did with the Magical Readathon this year. If you participated we’d love to know how you did. What career path are you going to continue with later this year?