2019 Flourish and Blotts Reading Challenge

Time to sign up for another 2019 reading challenge! I found this Harry Potter-themed challenge and just had to join in the fun. You can see their challenge post on Instagram here.

There are 52 total prompts, each corresponding to a character, class, or other concept from Harry Potter. You can do any number of them, but the levels are Ron = 12 prompts, Harry = 24 prompts, and Hermione = 52 prompts. Naturally I'm aiming for Hermione, but not putting too much pressure on myself.

Here are the prompts, and I'll fill in the books I read for them throughout the year:

1. Harry: (re)Read a Harry Potter book
2. Ron: Read a book under 200 pages
3. Hermione: Read a book over 500 pages
4. Ginny: Read a poetry book
5. Luna Lovegood: Read a book about creativity or something unusual
6. Fred & George: Reada  book with twins in it
7. Fleur Delacour: Read a book translated from another language
8. Dumbledore's Army: Read a book about social justice or a current issue
9. Professor McGonagall: Read a book with a strong female lead
10. Dumbledore: Read a book involving a school or teacher
11. Gilderoy Lockhart: Read a book from a celebrity book club
12. Umbridge: Read a book with a pink cover
13. Snape: Read a book that includes page 394
14. Newt: Read a book containing a fantastic beast (any beast that can be found in the Fantastic Beasts textbook)
15. Bathilda Bagshot: Read a book written by a woman
16. Godric: Read a book that represents Gryffindor's values
17. Helga: Read a book that represents Hufflepuff's values
18. Rowena: Read a book that represents Ravenclaw's values
19. Salazar: Read a book that represents Slytherin's values
20. The Chosen One: Read a book that mentions Harry Potter in it
21. He Who Must Not Be Named: Read a book with a character that shares a name with a character from Harry Potter
22. Deathly Hallows: Read a book with a symbol on the cover
23. Gryffindor: Read a book recommended by a Gryffindor
24. Hufflepuff: Read a book recommended by a Hufflepuff
25. Ravenclaw: Read a book recommended by a Ravenclaw
26. Slytherin: Read a book recommended by a Slytherin
27. House Cup: Read a book that has won an award
28. Quidditch: Read a book involving a sport
29. Wizarding Radio: Listen to an audiobook
30. Hogwarts Library: Read a book you checked out from the library or borrowed from a friend
31. Herbology: Read a book related to nature
32. Potions: Read a book with potions, alchemy, or chemistry in it
33. Astronomy: Read a book with a star on the cover or in the title
34. Defense Against the Dark Arts: Read a book about Good vs. Evil
35. Transfiguration: Read a book about a huge change
36. History of Magic: Read a historical fiction
37. Charms: Read a book with a charming cover
38. Care of Magical Creatures: Read a book with an animal on the cover
39. Arithmancy: Read a book with a number in the title
40. Ancient Runes: Read a book set before you were born
41. Flying: Read a book with a bird on the cover
42. Divination: Read a book that includes prophecy or fortune telling
43. Muggle Studies: Read a memoir or biography
44. Apparition: Read a book set somewhere you want to travel
45. Restricted Section: Read a banned book
46. Durmstrang: Read a book with a boat in it
47. Beauxbatons: Read a book by a French author
48. Ilvermorny: Read a book by an American author
49. Gringotts: Read a book with gold foiling
50. Flourish and Blotts: Read a 2019 release
51. The Dark Mark: Read a book with a dark cover
52. Hogwarts: A History: Read a book that intimidates you

2019 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

It's time to sign up for 2019 reading challenges! So I'll start with the challenge I've probably attempted more times than any other, the Mount TBR Reading Challenge. I always start with the smallest level, Pike's Peak (read 12 books off your TBR pile); sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't. Of course, at that speed, I will almost certainly die before finishing even the TBR pile I have now, never mind all the books I'm still gonna buy over the decades!

So, because 12 books a year off my pile is clearly not enough, and also because the rules have changed this year to allow rereads in certain circumstances (and I have some serious reread plans coming up, including the Harry Potter books!), I'm gonna be wildly ambitious and start at not the first, not the second, but the third peak! Mt. Vancouver! 36 books off my TBR pile! Wish me luck, and the strength to resist taking out every library book that catches my eye.

I'll list the books I read for this challenge below.

Read-a-Thon hours 23 and 24: 5:00 - 7:00

Currently reading: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

Pages read these hours: 64

Total pages so far: 855

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson; The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #2) by Adrienne Kress

Snacks: None.

Current state of things: In hour 23 I did awesomely, finishing The Door in the Alley with plenty of time to spare! Then I spent hour 24 desperately trying to hold my eyelids open to read Squirrel Girl, and only getting through 16 pages of it. Boy am I ever ready for bed!

But before I do, here's my closing survey:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? There were a few toughies in there, but I think hour 24 was my worst this time!
2. Tell us ALLLLL the books you read! The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson; The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #2) by Adrienne Kress; and the beginning of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True by Ryan North and Erica Henderson
3. Which books would you recommend to other Read-a-thoners? The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress!! It is so good! Also I need book 2, like, now.
4. What’s a really rad thing we could do during the next Read-a-thon that would make you happy? Start saying "we're halfway done!" at the END of hour 12 instead of the beginning! You sit on a throne of lies! (I get cranky after staying up all night; I'm sorry.)
5. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? Would you be interested in volunteering to help organize and prep? I will continue to read in every read-a-thon forever!

Read-a-Thon hours 21 and 22: 3:00 - 5:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 72

Total pages so far: 791

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: Still sipping my Monster, plus some candy to try to get a sugar boost.

Current state of things: Soooo tired. Only 2 hours to go! No time for videos! Only reading!

Read-a-Thon hours 19 and 20: 1:00 - 3:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 65

Total pages so far: 719

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: Just sipping my energy drink.

Current state of things: Around 1:00 I was pretty sleepy, but in the last two hours I've started to feel a bit more alert again. Possibly the caffeine gradually kicking in. I keep checking my phone and then getting distracted by Facebook, which is affecting my page counts, but at least I'm having fun! And at the rate I'm going, I should at least finish this book before it's time to go to sleep. (I hope I finish early enough to read my graphic novel after that, or I'm really gonna regret saving it for later.)

Oh, look what came up in YouTube's suggestions for me to watch next!

Read-a-Thon hours 17 and 18: 23:00 - 1:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 66

Total pages so far: 654

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: Banana bread, and I started my Monster.

Current state of things: Well, the late-hours-of-the-read-a-thon tiredness has hit! It'll be ups and downs from here. I've started my energy drink and I'm reading a really good book, but right now it's still a struggle.

This update's video is some singing and dancing from Grease to get us pumped up and ready to keep reading for 6 more hours!!

Read-a-Thon hours 15 and 16: 21:00 - 23:00

Currently reading: The Door in the Alley (The Explorers #1) by Adrienne Kress

Pages read these hours: 53

Total pages so far: 588

Books finished: The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine; The Separation (Animorphs #32) by K.A. Applegate; Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-Sitters Club #2) by Ann M. Martin; Tales of the Interlake by Carol Gardarsson

Snacks: A couple of freezies.

Current state of things: Apparently all I needed to wake up was the right book!! While I haven't disliked any of the books I've read today, this book is REALLY grabbing me! Sometimes you know a book's gonna be good just from the first line, and this is a good example of that: "This story begins, like most stories do, with a pig wearing a teeny hat." I mean, COME ON. You can't doze off after that! So the only reason I only read 53 pages in the last two hours is because I was a bit late to start after my last update, and then I got slightly sucked into Facebook once. But I'm definitely reading the perfect late, difficult hours of the read-a-thon book.

I think it's time for some Spice Girls!!