O.W.L.s Magical Readathon 2020 TBR

Hello, everyone! How are we all holding up?

I wasn’t originally planning on joining the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon, since my April was supposed to be Very Busy. But plans have flown out the window and I’ve found myself jobless and stuck at home for the foreseeable future, so…time to do some more reading, I guess!

For the uninitiated, the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon is a month-long challenge during April, based on the O(rdinary) W(izarding) L(evel)s from Harry Potter, with the goal of pursuing a career in the wizarding world by passing exams. For more information, see the introduction video from the readathon’s creator, G at Book Roast on Youtube:

You can also check out the list of wizarding careers and the prompts for each class subject.

Since my own career has been basically put on hold, I’ve decided to focus on my imaginary wizarding career for the time being, since that sounds much more appealing. This year, there is the added option of several different training courses in addition to the usual careers, and as soon as I saw one of them, I knew that I had to pursue it. And that, of course, is…

✨ dragon taming! ✨

I just want to hang out with Charlie Weasley and train gigantic, terrifying monsters, okay?? Let me live in this imaginary fantasy world.

hungarian horntail | Dragões, Novelas, Gif

The course description:

“This course will focus on taming wild dragons. The programme includes a year of observational theory, a year of rescue mission expedition and another year of taming and tending techniques and practice. At the start of your course you will be assigned a dragon egg that has been abandoned by the dragon mama. Successful care and hatching of this egg will count for thirty percent of your overall performance. The top students will be offered a scholarship for further masters in dragonology, in which case you will continue to raise the baby dragons that were hatching, including your own one with the added bonus of naming it.”

So not only do I get to work with dragons, but I get to hatch and name one?? DREAM COME TRUE.

norwegian ridgeback | Tumblr

In order to become a dragon tamer, my career of choice will be Magizoologist, which sounds pretty cool in its own right. The exams that I need to pass for this career (and for the added dragon taming course) are:

✨ Care of Magical Creatures: Hippogriffs – creature with a beak on the cover
✨ Charms: Lumos Maxima – white cover
✨ Herbology: Mimubulus Mimbletonia – title that starts with M
✨ Potions: Shrinking Solution – book under 150 pages
✨ Extra research: book with dragons

So I have to read five books in order to pursue this career. Since the local libraries are all closed, I’m somewhat limited in what I can read, but luckily I have lots of books stored up on my Kindle. Now let’s get into my reading plans!

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Care of Magical Creatures 🦉 Hippogriffs: creature with a beak on the cover

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

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I’ve been rereading The Hunger Games trilogy via audiobook and thoroughly enjoying it, so it’s time for the last book in the series! And fortunately enough, it fits this prompt perfectly.

Charms ✨ Lumos Maxima: white cover

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

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After loving The Priory of the Orange Tree last year, I knew I had to pick up some more of Samantha Shannon’s books, and her debut series has been calling out my name. I’m ready to love this!

Herbology 🌿 Mimubulus Mimbletonia: title that starts with M

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

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Not gonna lie, this is the only book I have right now that starts with M (other than Mockingjay, I supposed, but that’s already on my TBR). Luckily, I just read My Lady Jane and enjoyed it a lot, so I’m looking forward to this!

Potions 🍵 Shrinking Solution: book under 150 pages

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

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This is the only book I have that fits the prompt, so I guess I’m in for a scare! I’ve been meaning to read this for a while anyway, and while I thought I might save it for the Halloween season, I might as well read it now.

Extra research 🐉 book with dragons

The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr

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This is a middle grade fantasy with, well, dragons, and it sounds adorable. And I’m always happy to read more dragon books.

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Since I usually read more than five books in a month, I’m also going to plan to read a few more books based on other prompts. The five for my exams will be the priority, but I’ll get to these when there’s time. And these days, time seems to be something I have an abundance of.

Astronomy 🌌 Night classes: read the majority of this book when it’s dark outside

Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie

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Well, I had to fit this in somewhere, since I have the ARC to read, so I might as well use it for this prompt! Plus, a sci-fi book feels appropriate for an Astronomy prompt.

Arithmancy 🔢 Magical qualities of number 2: balances/opposites – read something outside your favorite genre

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West

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Despite what the title may say, this book isn’t actually fantasy; it’s a nonfiction essay collection that I’m very curious about. I’ll be listening to the audiobook and hopefully I enjoy it!

Defense Against the Dark Arts ⚫️ Grindylows: book set at the sea/coast

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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I mean, it has sea in the title, and I believe it takes place on an island, so I’d say this definitely qualifies.

Muggle Studies 💻 book from a perspective of a muggle (contemporary)

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

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I’m so excited to read this contemporary co-written by one of my favorite authors! I’ve been hearing lots of good things and it seems like just the thing I need.

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So that’s my TBR! Wish me luck in my quest to become a dragon tamer!

fantastic beast — I feel like we don't talk very much about this...

Are you participating in the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon? What’s your wizarding career of choice? What books do you plan to read?

x Margaret

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22 thoughts on “O.W.L.s Magical Readathon 2020 TBR”

  1. I’m pretty sure everyone is stuck at home. My April was going to be busy too due to schoolwork and it’s usually hectic at this time of year, and with no school for a couple of weeks-my schedule cleared up and being under a lockdown doesn’t help.

    I’ve only read Mockingjay (Finnick never should have died 😭) and My Plain Jane. I have an ARC of Bonds of Brass that I need to get through, but I really like it. I haven’t read Yes, No Maybe So yet but I do have a copy of it. Hopefully I like it

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  4. Sending you lots of love in these weird, scary times. ❤ I'd say studying to become a Magizoologist (wow the first time I tried to spell that, it did not go well) AND a dragon tamer is a pretty superb use of unexpected free time, though! I'm hoping that we all achieve our wildest magical dreams this month and pass all our exams!

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  5. yay! i will also be taking part in owls this year. it was already one of my goals, but i thought i’d have to choose a much less demanding career. it seems i’ll have more time to read, though, so i’m aiming a bit higher. the dragon taming course was the most interesting one i found, but i didn’t have any books to fit the prompt on my TBR, so i had to skip it, hahah. but the magizoologist career sounds pretty dope.
    ahhh, the hunger games! it’s really cool you’re re-reading these books now. unfortunately for me, i don’t feel like i’d enjoy this series as much if i tried to re-read it, but i’m glad it’s going well for you. are you preparing for the new book that is coming out by suzanne collins?
    i had zero books that started with an M on my TBR, so i couldn’t choose any career with herbology, which was really annoying, hahah. i have never read this duology of my plain jane, and i don’t know why, because it sounds really hilarious.
    good luck with your TBR and have an amazing readathon!

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    1. Hooray, I’m so excited for this readathon! 😀 I’m glad you’re taking part too. I hope all the books you choose end up being amazing!

      I’ve actually been surprised by how much I’m enjoying my reread of The Hunger Games – I didn’t expect to still like them this much. But I can definitely understand not wanting to return to them haha. I’m still on the fence about the new book…I think I’ll wait and see what other reviews say before I decide to read it 😉

      You should absolutely read the Jane books, they’re a lot of fun. Good luck with your TBR as well!!

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  6. I saw we have always lived in the castle around Halloween last year but it was too late for me to get it & I was already so swamped with other books so I’m saving it for next Halloween 👻 hope you enjoy it though, I haven’t really heard a lot of people talk about it!

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  7. I think this is such a cool readathon and I love seeing people do it as I get to see their careers and wow Dragon Taming sounds absolutely amazing!!
    Also this made me smile so much — ‘Since my own career has been basically put on hold, I’ve decided to focus on my imaginary wizarding career for the time being’, even though I am sorry about these strange times and hope you are well!!
    Yay I’m glad you enjoyed My Lady Jane and I hope My Plain Jane is just as good!!
    The cover for We Have Always Lived in the Castle already looks spooky so I will be interested in hearing your thoughts about whether it lives up to it, haha!!
    I’ve heard great things about T J Klune’s latest book so I hope you love it!!
    Best of luck with your readathon and of course, happy reading !! ❤

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    1. Yesss it’s such a cool readathon, and I’m very excited to become a dragon tamer! 😄 And yes, focusing on my magical career seems like a productive use of my time 😉 I’m definitely excited for all of those – I haven’t heard a ton about the new TJ Klune book but I can’t wait to read it nonetheless! Thanks so much – good luck with your reading in April too ❤️

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  10. I’m planning on taking the exact same path as you with the readathon! And, funnily enough, I was struggling to find a book under 150 pages (my library is sadly closed too), but you’ve reminded me that I am in the queue for We Have Always Lived in the Castle on Libby! So hopefully I get access to that in time.
    Good luck with your OWLs!!

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  11. I’m so sorry to hear that you don’t have a job anymore and I really hope that things will get better for you, I’m sending you all the good vibes 💕🌸 I am happy that you’re participating in the OWLs though, they’re always fun and make me so motivated to read 🥰 Good luck with your TBR! I did Magizoologist last year and it was amazing (the dragon course is very fitting in this case) 😄🐲

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  12. Pingback: April Wrap-Up | clinging to books during a pandemic – Weird Zeal

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