O.W.L.s Magical Readathon TBR

It is once again time for the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon! This is a readathon that takes place every year and is based on the exams that are taken at Hogwarts in Harry Potter. This year I am going to attempt to read a book for all of the challenges. However, the main career I will be aiming for is Herbologist. This career requires you to complete the prompts for Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and Potions. Then later on in the year when it is time for N.E.W.T.s I will be required to get and O in Herbology, E in Potions, and A in Care of Magical Creatures. So here are the books I plan to read for the O.W.L.s

Ancient Runes: The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
Arithmancy: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Astronomy: Death Note Vol 4
*Care of Magical Creatures: Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater
Charms: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
Defence Against the Dark Arts: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
Divination: The Hand of the Devil by Vincent Carter
*Herbology: Melissa Explains it All by Melissa Joan Hart
History of Magic: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (might swap with Transfiguration)
Muggle Studies: A book by Sarah Dessen probably
*Potions: Iron to Iron by Ryan Graudin
Transfiguration: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (might swap with History of Magic)

*= Classes required for Herbology

Other things I want to read:

Finish Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
Finish Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Finish This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

I do not expect to read all of these books, I just wanted to have my options readily available to me. I am hoping I will be at least able to do the 3 requirements for Herbology.
Let me know if you are participating and what you are planning on reading.

Book Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

This book is about a girl named Tessa who has gone to London to find her brother after her aunt had passed away. Tessa is a shape shifter and has gotten mixed up in the world of shadow hunters, vampires, demons, and an army of clockwork creatures.

4/5 Stars 

I enjoyed this book way more than I was expecting to! I had previously read the first 3 books in the Mortal Instruments series and really didn't enjoy them all that much. Everyone said that if you read her books in publication order they get progressively better. So I reluctantly decided to continue with the Infernal Devices since Cassandra Clare recently released another new book and the Shadowhunter world was being plastered everywhere online again. They were right about the books getting better with this one! It felt like someone completely different had written this one compared to the first 3 I read. The characters were much more likeable and it felt like there was never a dull moment throughout the book. It also reminded me a bit of Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, which I loved.

50 Things To Do While In Self Quarantine

1. Read that book you've had on your shelf for years
2. Play the video game you haven't had time for
3. Clean your room/apartment/house
4. Catch up on a TV show/series
5. Learn a new language through apps like Duolingo and Memrise
6. Practice meditation
7. Have a DIY Spa day/pamper session
8. Draw something
9. Exercise
10. Paint your nails
11. Start an Instagram for your pet
12. Rearrange your bookshelf
13. Try a new recipe
14. Watch your favorite movie
15. Swatch your entire nail polish collection
16. Learn to play an instrument
17. Spend time with your pet
18. Look up photos of cute cats on the internet
19. Bake cookies
20. Try embroidery
21. Discover a new favorite Youtuber
22. Swatch your art supplies
23. Update all your account passwords
24. Play a board game
25. Journal
26. Clear out your computer files
27. Take a personality quiz
28. Take a bath
29. Find a new favorite song
30. Learn a Tik Tok dance
31. Plan your wedding on Pinterest
32. Follow through on your new year's resoulutions
33. Clean out your purse/bag
34. Take some pictures for Instagram
35. Play Animal Crossing New Horizons
36. Start a bullet journal
37. Dye your hair
38. Have a movie marathon - Harry Potter, Disney, Lord of the Rings, whatever you like
39. Decorate your laptop with stickers
40. Do a face mask
41. Get caught up on schoolwork
42. Grow a plant from seeds
43. Go through your closet and make a donate pile
44. Try sewing something
45. Learn origami
46. Listen to a podcast
47. Write a letter and mail it to a friend
48. Watch Anime
49. Make a fancy drink/mocktail
50. Write a novel

Tips For Online Schooling From Someone Who Has Been Taking Online Classes For The Past Year

For Students:

1. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're confused. Having directions typed out is not always as straight forward as when someone is standing in front of you explaining a concept. 
2. If your class does not have a set time that you have to be logged in, set yourself a time. It's important to have a schedule for yourself and stick to it. This allows for routine and normalcy. 
3. Take notes on everything! I am the kind of person that needs to see something in front of me, and taking notes especially helps when you are trying to answer questions or write up essays.
4. Make sure you can be focused while working. If having the TV on distracts you, turn it off. If your family is talking around you, go to a quiet space to work instead.
5. Take your time to read everything! Look up videos if you are confused. There are so many resources available to you online.
6. Remember that this is for you! You have the privilege to learn and this is an opportunity to try a different way of learning than you are used to!

For Teachers: 

1. If you can, make videos or include videos in your lessons. Some people are visual learners or need to hear the concepts rather than read them! I recommend the Crash Course Videos and Khan Academy as resources for you to utilize during this time.
2. Make your directions as straightforward as possible. Different people will interpret your words differently.
3. Consider giving students or parents your phone number. College professors frequently do this and sometimes it's easier to call than to send an email for a simple question.
4. Consider apps as a tool for at home learning. If you teach a foreign language, consider asking students to use Duolingo or Memrise for extra practice while at home.
5. Remember that everyone's situation is different right now and school may not be top priority for all of your students.

Animal Crossing Readathon: The Last Few Days

Day 10: March 18th

I can't believe the readathon is almost over and New Horizons is almost here!
I preordered my game from Target and I'm hoping it'll ship early instead of arriving Monday-Thursday of next week like it's predicting right now. I might end up purchasing the digital version and letting my boyfriend have the physical copy once it comes in...
Today I set out with the same schedule as I had yesterday. I worked on school assignments until 2pm and then put away some laundry and read 2 more chapters of Clockwork Angel. I really hope I can finish this book before the readathon is over. I also need to read the Tea Dragon Society and then I will have completed the hosts challenges for the readathon, which is not something I expected to do. I have also achieved some of my personal goals as well which is amazing! I am currently 1 book ahead on my Goodreads goal and I want to keep this momentum going! This readathon has really helped me get out of my reading slump. If nothing else good comes out of 2020, at least it will be the year I finally reach my goal of reading 52 books.

The day before New Horizons comes out! March 19th

 This will likely be my last day reading  because New Horizons will be out and I think I will be getting the digital download while waiting for my physical copy. Today I decided not to worry about school since all I have to do is respond to the class discussions, which can wait until tomorrow and over the weekend to do. So I spent the day finishing Clockwork Angel and it was so good! I give it 4 out of 5 stars! I will definitely be continuing on with the series asap!
I had previously read the first 3 books in the Mortal Instruments series and really didn't enjoy them all that much. Everyone said that if you read her books in publication order they get progressively better. So I reluctantly decided to continue with the Infernal Devices since Cassandra Clare recently released another new book and the Shadowhunter world was being plastered everywhere online again. They were right about the books getting better with this one! It felt like someone completely different had written this one compared to the first 3 I read. The characters were much more likeable and it felt like there was never a dull moment throughout the book. It also reminded me a bit of Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin, which I loved.
Really glad that I was inspired to pick this up after watching Clockwork Reader's Chain of Gold reading vlog.

Total Pages Read: 1573 
Challenges completed: 5/5
Did not do the bonus challenge or twitter challenges.

Overall, I am very proud of the amount I have read during this readathon and I am definitely excited to keep this reading momentum going! 

Animal Crossing Readathon Days 7-9: Corona Crisis?

Day 7: March 15

Did not read at all today. But my boyfriend and I got a new shelf for our living room. Now all of our books officially have a home! We went to Target to pick up the shelf and while the parking lot didn't seem any more crowded than normal, people were scrambling to buy food. All the chicken noodle soup was gone, canned tuna was gone, pasta was gone, but there was a surprising overabundance of mac and cheese. Why doesn't anybody want the mac the cheese? They are limiting toilet paper to one per customer and I am starting to worry that when we do run out there will be none left anywhere. I am planning to stay home unless I need groceries or need to pick up prescriptions.

Day 8: March 16

Woke up with a pretty bad migraine for my first day of school for the semester. Yay! Don't worry, I do not have the virus. I get migraines at least once per month due to a chronic illness. I'm fine, I keep up with my medication, just  Luckily, my program is completely online to begin with. Just about every school is now moved to online or closed completely due to the virus. I hope people stay safe. I did my introduction for class and some of the readings in the "Mastering Strategic Management" textbook. But I do not think I will count those pages as part of the readathon. They textbook even removed the author's name which I found strange. I'm hopeful that this class will be better than my last one, which felt like we did not go in depth enough on the ethics involved with environmental science.

I have been catching up on laundry today as much as possible. I managed to read a chapter of Clockwork Angel while putting some of that away.

Day 9: March 17

As soon as I got up I starting prepping dinner in the crock pot. We got a corned beef for Saint Patrick's day and I wanted to make sure I put it in early enough for it to be in there 10 hours and be ready at a reasonable time for dinner.
I also made myself some kind of a schedule to stick to. School work in the morning and then reading or whatever else the rest of the day. I got a lot done and was a lot more productive by having the idea that once the clock hit twelve I could eat lunch and relax for the day.
Managed to finish what I needed to for school and finish Icing on the Lake as well. It was a cute winter read. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. I also read a bit more in Clockwork Angel, which seems to be a theme for each day. Must read at least one chapter!
My new phone case also came in today. It's a Pela case and it is 100% compostable! I had one on my old phone and I never had any problem with it. My Pura Vida Bracelets order came in too. I got my monthly pack featuring Saint Patrick's day themed bracelets and I also ordered myself the bee charm bracelet and the sloth charm bracelet. I ordered an extra sloth charm bracelet for my Aunt too since she loves sloths. I'm going to save it for her birthday in August. 
Dinner turned out delicious! I added cabbage to the crock pop about 2 hours before it was finished and I also roasted some potatoes and carrots in the oven. Yum!

Animal Crossing Readathon Days 3-6

Day 3: March 11

I woke up with some bad news about jobs I had applied for and decided that if I really care about environmental issues as much as I claim to, then I should be talking more about the issues I care about on the platforms that I have available to me. As a result, I decided to start reading This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein in preparation to review and discuss it in depth. This book covers the issues with capitalism and climate change amazingly and I cannot wait to discuss it with you all.

I also got my Animal Crossing Amiibo Series 4 Card Album in the mail! I am very excited to continue my collection! I also have a number of the series 1 cards up for sale on Ebay right now, so check those out if you are interested.

Tonight I made my take on the Mediterranean couscous from Hello Fresh. I roasted some asparagus and tomatoes in the oven with olive oil, Italian seasoning, pepper, and garlic salt. I also put some chick peas in the oven to roast with olive oil, paprika, pepper, and garlic salt. While these were in the oven I melted some butter and added some garlic and green onions to the pot. I tossed the couscous in this mixture and let it brown slightly before adding my chicken broth. Once the couscous was cooked, I added my vegetables and chick peas. Top with some feta cheese and you're done! It was so good!

Day 4: March 12

I continued with This Changes Everything a bit but had a lot of errands to do today. I did manage to listen to Opal by Maggie Steifvater which is a story set after the events that take place in the Raven Cycle Series.
My Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Controller with KK Slider on it arrived a day early!
Also, Pocket Camp updated to promote New Horizons! How cute is that?


Day 5: March 13

I was able to pick up my special edition Animal Crossing New Horizons Nintendo Switch! I was mostly distracted by this and our brand new washing machine today, but did manage to read a bit of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Claire. I decided to give the Shaddowhunters universe a second change and am glad I did! I picked up Clockwork Angel with low expectations, but ended up liking the characters way better than in the mortal instruments and being interested in the story as well.

Day 6: March 14

Only read about 2 chapters of Clockwork Angel today. Still enjoying it a lot, definitely want to read all of Cassandra's books now. Finally starting to understand what all the hype has been about. We had to go out to buy groceries and boy are the stores crazy busy and those shelves are empty! Hope everyone calms down and stays safe through all the virus craziness!
I also decided to paint my nails to match the colors of the joycons for my switch. 

Total Pages Read so far: 1089

Animal Crossing Readathon! TBR, & Days 1 & 2

Hello everyone! It is no secret that I have a bit of an obsession with the Animal Crossing games. I am so excited for New Horizons to come out in just 10 days! Hopefully on Friday I will have my Special Edition Animal Crossing New Horizons Nintendo Switch in my hands! I am so excited. I waited to get a switch specifically hoping that a special edition would come out along with a new Animal Crossing game!
Anyways, the point of this post is to talk about a readathon that is Animal Crossing themed! How cool is that? This readathon started March 9th and will continue through the 20th when the new game comes out!
There are 5 prompts based on characters from the game and a bonus prompt which is to read one of the Hosts choices.

I do not have a truly set TBR for this readathon, but I did have a few books/goals in mind for myself.

• Finish The Raven King 
• Finish Icing on the Lake
• Finish Blood for Blood
• Finish Truly Devious
• Read a book from my TBR or Trash list
• Read With the Fire on High
• Continue the Cassandra Clare books? 
• Read the Tea Dragon Society for the host choice book
• Get ahead on my Goodreads challenge before school and life hits HARD!

Day 1:

I woke up really not feeling great. I think part of it has been the time change that happened. I have been exhausted lately! Took the morning to finish The Raven King which I gave 5 out of 5 stars to! It was fantastic! I was originally thinking that maybe I would just start rereading the Raven Cycle series right away, but I had other plans already and didn't want to just be stuck on this world. I do feel like I need to reread this series though. There is just so much that happened and I think there are things I definitely missed the first read through, especially since I was listening to the audio books. Would love to get physical copies next time!

Instead of finishing books I already had started, I decided to pick up With the Fire on High in order to complete the Able Sisters challenge of reading a book with a strong family theme. This book is about a teen mom who is struggling to balance school, her child, and her goal to become a chef. She decides to take a culinary class at school that involves a trip to Spain and follows her struggles not only with school, but with relationships and what she wants to do in life.

Today we also got our new futon frame delivered and put that together. So glad to have a couch to sit on again! After we moved in February, it hasn't felt like much of a home here. I feel like we are finally starting to get life together!


Day 2:

Today I also woke up feeling exhausted, but this morning finished With the Fire on High and it was so GOOD! I give it 4/5 stars. Because I liked this book so much, I decided to start The Poet X which is also by the same author. So far, I'm about halfway through and am not enjoying it as much as With the Fire on High, but appreciate the own voices aspect as well as the writing style. I'm going to use this one for the KK Slider challenge of listening to an audio book.

I also read a bit more of Icing on the Lake. I'm about halfway through it as well. I started it in either December or January, and I just haven't gotten around to finish it. It is such a cute rom-com type story and the characters are really fun. I don't know which guy to root for in the love triangle going on, they both are so different.

I'm waiting for a bookshelf to come in and can't wait for my books to have a place to call home instead of being stacked on the floor! Will update tomorrow!