Orillium Readathon/September TBR

 The Youtube channel Book Roast is resuming her magical readathon with all new fantasy worlds. I'm hoping this will be the kick I need to get out of my reading slump. There are seven prompts but I need to complete at least 2 to participate in the upcoming April readathon. I will pick 7 books but will still consider it a success if I can read 2. I'm a mood reader so some of these are subject to change.

Here are the prompts:

Read a book with a map- Endurance by Alfred Lansing

Top of my TBR- Climbing the Date Tree by Shira Glassman or The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn

Read a standalone- We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida

Featuring ghosts or supernatural elements- The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden or The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Thriller or mystery book- Losing You by Nicci French or Hostage by Clare MacIntosh

5 star prediction- When the Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson

Book with a school setting- The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan or The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

August Wrap Up

 Surprisingly, I finished one book this month. I'm actually proud of it, because I started several books and fizzled out quickly.

The book I finished was How to be a Movie Star by TJ Klune. This is a companion novel to How to be Normal. It focuses on Josiah Erickson who lives in L.A. trying to make it as an actor. He's an affable stoner who is great at radio trivia and wins a prize to see a poetry reading. There he meets Q-bert and the rest of the story is their relationship developing. They were fun, likable characters with some real issues and great representation for mental health and demi-sexuality. A lot of it was absurd, but it made me laugh out loud and hopefully broke my slump. I gave it 4 stars and highly recommend.

July Wrap Up

 In July I was ill but I managed to read 5 books. I have since not been reading so there won't be an August TBR.

The first book I finished was Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This is my fourth book of hers I've read, and I will say she does a good job creating fake celebrities. The book focuses on a family whose father is a rock star and the impact he has on them. I enjoyed it and felt it was a compulsive read, but pretty forgettable. I gave it 3 stars.

Then I listened to The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson. This is a children's fantasy story about a magical land that can only be accessed for a limited time and a child is stolen. A band of magical people vow to get him back. I enjoyed it but wanted more. I gave it 3 stars.

Next I picked up Dealing with Dragons by Patrica Wrede. A cute story about a princess who runs off to live with dragons and doesn't want the knight to rescue her. I gave it 3 stars.

Afterwards, I read The Space Between Stars by Michaiah Johnson. I really enjoyed this science fiction story about a woman who could travel to parallel universes. While it took a while to get going, I really enjoyed the main characters and how the story resolved. I gave this 4 stars and will eagerly anticipate any future books by this author.

Lastly, I picked up the novella The Psalm of the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. She is one of my favorite authors, but this was not on her usual level. I felt the characters were undeveloped, her world-building was almost non-existent, and no real plot. It felt like a slog to get through. I gave it 2 stars.