The O.W.L.s Magical Readathon is a readathon hosted by Book Roast every year in April. I’ve always wanted to participate, but April has always been super busy for me (it’s study-for-finals season), so I’ve never really been able to. But now that we’re all stuck in quarantine, I have way more time.
The OWLs readathon is based on the exams of the same name (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) in Harry Potter. Every subject has its own prompt, and the fulfillment of the prompt allows you to “pass” its exam.
There are also a multitude of wizarding careers you can choose to pursue, all of which require different OWLs. I think most people who participate in the readathon choose a career first and then read books to pass the OWLs they need. But because I’m a mood reader, I’m not sure that’s going to work for me. I think I’m just going to aim to read 12 books to fulfill all 12 prompts and then pick a career based on what OWLs I actually achieve. 😅
So here are the books I’m hoping to read. Most of them are from my physical tbr.
Ancient Runes
Prompt: Heart on the cover or in the title
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
I’ve owned this one for more than six years and have yet to read it. Maybe this readathon will finally convince me to.
Bonus / Alternative
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren from Scribd. It has a heart on the cover.
Arithmancy
Prompt: Read something outside your favorite genre
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Time travel and historical fiction are outside my usual favorite genres of dystopians and romantic comedies.
Astronomy
Prompt: Read the majority of this book when its dark outside
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
This prompt could really apply to any book, but since this book is on my April tbr anyways, I might as well make it count for the readathon anyway, right? Hopefully, I’ll get to Aurora Rising before Aurora Burning comes out in May.
Care of Magical Creatures
Prompt: Creature with a beak on the cover
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Like everything else on this list, this one’s been on my tbr for ages.
Bonus / Alternative
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan.
Charms
Prompt: White book
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
I started buddy reading this one, but we both got distracted by COVID19, so we stopped. I’m hoping we’ll be in the mood to continue this one in April.
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Prompt: Book set at the sea/coast
The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
I actually tried reading this a while back but wasn’t really in the mood so I DNFed it. But it wasn’t fair to the book so I want to give it another chance this year.
Divination
Prompt: Assign numbers to your tbr and use a random number generator
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
Okay, so this one is a bit tricky because I have a few different tbr lists. I pretty much just went by the books on my shelves that I still have to read because my library is closed for the foreseeable future. Apparently, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is #42 on my physical tbr list.
Herbology
Prompt: Title starts with an M
Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
This one is gonna have to be from Scribd. Believe it for not, there are not a lot of titles that begin with M. And I also haven’t read a CoHo book before, so what better time than now?
History of Magic
Prompt: Books featuring witches/wizards
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
I was supposed to read this Fall of 2018 before its sequel came out but that didn’t happen.
Muggle Studies
Prompt: Book from the perspective of a muggle (contemporary)
Roomies by Christina Lauren
Another one from Scribd. I’ve been really into adult romantic comedies lately, especially ones by Christina Lauren.
Bonus / Alternatives
Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarry (this one I own) or Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren (also from Scribd).
Potions
Prompt: Book under 150 pages
Memento by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff??
I don’t know, do novellas count? I can’t really find any books under that page count.
Transfiguration
Prompt: Book/series that includes shapeshifting
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
I believe Rhen is technically a shapeshifter?? I had every intention of reading this last year but then I got distracted by finals and the holidays. But there’s no finals or holidays to distract me now.
TL;DR
I’m using the OWLs as some extra motivation to finally read some books that have been on my shelves for so long.
Are you participating in any readathons next month?
What books are you looking forward to reading?
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