I’ve decided that it’s TIME to do another read-a-thon. Now, last time I attempted to do this during my uni semester it was a relative disaster becauase I have exactly no free time. But I’m determined that I can do it this time! I’m hoping to have a few more spare moments which means I will totally be able to read 8 books in three weeks (did you catch that sarcasm?).

The Pokémon Indigo League #ReadThemAllThon is being hosted by the delightful Aentee @ Read at Midnight and is lasting for three weeks. The challenges are based on the diferent types of gyms – but I’m going to let you go over to Aentee’s TBR post because I have no idea about anything Pokémon, so I shan’t confuse you.

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When?

This read-a-thon is running from Sunday 14th August to Sunday 4th September. And anyone can sign up so join in the fun!

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The Challenge

As I said, I will be trying to read 8 books because there are 8 different challenges. These are based on 8 gyms and we earn a badge for each book we complete! How exciting!!

An extra challenge we can do is to pick a Pokémon that, through our reading, we can level up each time we meet certain milestones in our reading (e.g. finish a book). It’s all really complicated and I’m not sure I understand it so definitely go to the original post to read what Aentee said. I’m going to do this and pick a Pokémon – hopefully I’ll figure it all out. But really I will have no idea what I’m doing. Excellent.

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 My Pokémon

I’ve decided to go with Abra purely because I love how it looks and I nearly died laughing when I found out that an Abra evolves into a Kadabra and then into an Alakazam. Like, *slow claps*. I love it.

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My TBR

Fire & Flood
by Victoria Scott

Tella’s brother is dying. He’s got cancer, and Tella is helpless to save him. Or so she thought. When an invitation arrives for Tella to compete in the Brimstone Bleed, a deadly competition that will lead her through treacherous jungle and scorching desert, she doesn’t think twice. Because the prize is a cure to any illness. But Tella will be facing more than just the elements.

This book is making me feel so guilty. Whenever I think about all the books that I have to read this ALWAYS jumps to mind because it’s been on my shelf for so long. I think I’m really going to like it (and omg the cover?!) so I’m using this read-a-thon as a kick up the butt to just pick it up. I hope I enjoy it after all the mental hype I’m made for it.

 366 pages || potential +36CP

Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline

Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from “aging out” of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse.

Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly discovers that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

The closer Molly grows to Vivian, the more she discovers parallels to her own life. A Penobscot Indian, she, too, is an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past. As her emotional barriers begin to crumble, Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.

This was a birthday book and my rule is that I read all my gifted books before anything else – otherwise they get put off and not read for ages. So I almost stuck to that rule (but you know, holidays throw them spanners). I’m really curious about this book, I’ve heard some really excellent things about it so I hope it is as good as the world’s been telling me. I have doubts that this book will actually make me cry but I wanted to squeeze it in this read-a-thon and it sounds emotional. So you know.

278 pages || potential +27CP

Rebel Spring
by Morgan Rhodes

{ My review for Falling Kingdoms }

This series has such extreme hype around it – and I loved the first book so much I literally read it in a day. I, obviously, just had to buy the second book right away but that was almost six months ago now!! I’m terrible at making time for those books that I’m super eager to get around to. So here I am, ready to dive back into this world.

416 pages || potential +41CP

The Glass Palace
by Amitav Ghosh

Set in Burma during the British invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by Amitav Ghosh tells the story of Rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides of political and social chaos, who goes on to create an empire in the Burmese teak forest. When soldiers force the royal family out of the Glass Palace and into exile, Rajkumar befriends Dolly, a young woman in the court of the Burmese Queen, whose love will shape his life. He cannot forget her, and years later, as a rich man, he goes in search of her. The struggles that have made Burma, India, and Malaya the places they are today are illuminated in this wonderful novel by the writer Chitra Divakaruni calls “a master storyteller.”

The reason that I wanted to read this in the first place is because I’ve always ranted and raved about there not being enough books set in different places. And my example was always Burma. WELL GUESS WHAT. I found a book set in Burma and it’s alllll about its history. This is another birthday present and wowzer am I excited to read it. I have to say I struggled to find a book on my TBR that predominantly focussed on diversity and I really wanted to fit this in my read-a-thon so this is my diverse book. I do think that this book might hold me up, being historical fiction and 500+ pages – but what’s life without overly ambitious TBRs, hey?

512 pages || potential +51CP

Carry On
by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.

This is another birthday book! So when someone says “epic romance” I say “Simon and Baz”. I absolutely definitely need to read this ASAP because I need more Simon Snow in my life. Perfect opportunity, no? It might be a longer book but I think I will fly through it.

528 pages || potential +52CP

The Snow Globe
by Jenna Nelson

By day, Sondrine Renfrew works at Cimmerian’s Curio Emporium, her aunt’s apothecary and antique shop in London, 1875. By night, she weaves fire, water, and air into both inanimate objects and living creatures. When a hooded stranger offers Sondrine a snow globe in trade for medicinal herbs, she accepts, enchanted by the castle, forest, and sea encapsulated under the glass.

Her enchantment fades, however, when her deceitful aunt betroths her to one of London’s wealthiest men—a complete stranger. Determined to escape the marriage, Sondrine trades her corset for trousers and decides to run away. With one foot out the door, she falls down a veritable rabbit hole into Winterhaven, the haunting world inside the snow globe.

Sondrine soon discovers her arrival in Winterhaven is no accident. There, she meets Shan, a man who broods more than the darkened sky above. Turns out Shan is not to be trusted. Not only is he the man who sold Sondrine the snow globe, he is a bounty hunter employed by the king. The beginnings of a sovereign war have been set in motion and an Immortal queen, one who uses fire as a weapon, is set on destroying Winterhaven. Because of her Elemental gifts, only Sondrine has the means to stop the queen. If Sondrine refuses the king’s request, he will behead her. If she rises to the challenge of killing the Immortal queen, her death is just as imminent. After all, an Immortal queen cannot be killed.

Yet another spectacularly amazing birthday book in the wings. This one fits the bill for fantasy or supernatural because there’s MAGIC and people disappearing into SNOW GLOBES. I think I’m going to get on with it really well – I hope!

434 pages || potential +43CP

Hickory Dickory Dock
by Agatha Christie

Normally, a mere outbreak of petty thefts in a youth hostel wouldn’t be enough to interest the great detective Hercule Poirot. However, the warden of the hostel is sister to Poirot’s secretary Miss Lemon, and concern for her sister is interfering with Miss Lemon’s typing abilities. Poirot finds himself with an intriguing puzzle on his hands, and before long, murder increases the mystery. The fastidious Belgian sleuth is brought to life by the voice of veteran British actor Hugh Fraser.

This again was a birtdhay book and I’m ready to tackle on the Queen of Crime again. I recently read And Then There Were None and was mentally scarred it was so good. This is lovely and red so tickety tick for a red book.

304 pages || potential +30CP

The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a government ′rehabilitation camp′. Ruby might have survived the mysterious disease that killed most of America′s children, but she and the others had emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now on the run, she is desperate to find East River, the only safe haven left for kids like her, and she joins a group of other runaways who have escaped their own camps. Liam, their brave leader, is falling for Ruby, but she can′t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all Liam. But there are also other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government.

Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice – and one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.

I was initially going to pick Cruel Crown for this one but a) it’s short and therefore no good for points, and b) I wasn’t sure if it was “post-apocalyptic”? But fear not! I have a ridiculously huge TBR so I selected this one which fits the bill nicely. I’m actually really excited to read this because I’ve heard such magnificent things about it!

488 pages || potential +48CP

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It would be absolutely  marvellous if I can get around to all of these books across the three weeks but I imagine that I won’t quite hit that goal. These are all books that I super want to read – especially given that a good few of them are the last of my birthday books – so I’m ready to tackle this challenge with great gusto and enthusiasm!

Are you doing the #ReadThemAllThon? What’s your TBR?

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~~ Kirstie ~~

Follow @ozbooksnail