BookTube-A-Thon 2018 Wrap-Up!

BookTube-A-Thon is a week long read-a-thon created by Ariel Bissett, a BookTuber, that encourages the book community to get together and focus solely on reading for the week. This is a great way to either get through some smaller books you've had on your TBR for way too long or maybe get the courage to pick up one of those books that you've been too intimidated to pick up.

I will link the official BookTube-A-Thon Youtube Here if you need any more information about the read-a-thon, and if you ended up missing it I hope you are able to participate next summer!

In this post I'll talk about the books I read, and the ones I was supposed to but didn't read. This BookTube-A-Thon was the first year I didn't finish all the challenges! I hit a few bumps in the road of this year's read-a-thon but I am really happy with the books I read!

If you're interested, here is my BookTube-A-Thon 2018 TBR


What I'll do is I will list the books I read, which challenge they completed, and my experience reading the book! I will link the reviews I have up already so if you're interested in my more detailed thoughts about a specific book then just click the link!

Orange: Future by Ichigo Takano 

Although I really enjoyed this extra conclusion to the story I don't think it was necessary. If you like the characters you'll probably enjoy it but like I said, it didn't seem necessary. However it's an incredibly quick read. I read it  Sunday night (technically Monday, the day this read-a-thon started) and finished it before bed. So it was a quick and easy read.
Challenge completed: Have a coin flip choose your first read. 

Synopsis:
In this long-awaited sequel to the critical and commercial hit, orange: future contains two stories that continue from where the series ended.

On the day that Naho begins 11th grade, she receives a letter from herself ten years in the future. At first, she writes it off as a prank, but as the letter’s predictions come true one by one, Naho realizes that the letter might be the real deal. Her future self tells Naho that a new transfer student, a boy named Kakeru, will soon join her class. The letter begs Naho to watch over him, saying that only Naho can save Kakeru from a terrible future. Who is this mystery boy, and can Naho save him from his destiny? This is the heart-wrenching sci-fi romance that has over million copies in print in Japan!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 

I hated this book so much which was a complete surprise to me because I picked it up thinking I'd like it. I was supposed to read Disney After Dark (Kingdom Keepers #1) by Ridley Pearson which I wasn't feeling so instead I decided to listen to this on audiobook instead. The narrator was great, but the preachy harmful messages and awful fatphobic elements had me hating this book entirely. 
Challenge completed:  Read a book about something you want to do.

Synopsis:
Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!

But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice 

Although I enjoyed my re-read of this book, it definitely was not a good pick for a read-a-thon. There is a lot of dull backstory and descriptions that slow the pacing down a lot which took away some of my fun reading it because I knew I was basically on the clock. I think no matter what, if I read it during a read-a-thon or not I'd still have the same issues I had but I definitely got a bit more agitated than I think I would have. I think it's a great story and the movie is a lot of fun. I can't wait to continue my re-read of this story.
Challenge completed: Read and watch a book to movie adaptation

Synopsis:
This is the story of Louis, as told in his own words, of his journey through mortal and immortal life. Louis recounts how he became a vampire at the hands of the radiant and sinister Lestat and how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life. His story ebbs and flows through the streets of New Orleans, defining crucial moments such as his discovery of the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside. Yet, he makes Claudia a vampire, trapping her womanly passion, will, and intelligence inside the body of a small child. Louis and Claudia form a seemingly unbreakable alliance and even "settle down" for a while in the opulent French Quarter. Louis remembers Claudia's struggle to understand herself and the hatred they both have for Lestat that sends them halfway across the world to seek others of their kind. Louis and Claudia are desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand, and someone who knows what and why they are.

Louis and Claudia travel Europe, eventually coming to Paris and the ragingly successful Theatre des Vampires - a theatre of vampires pretending to be mortals pretending to be vampires. Here they meet the magnetic and ethereal Armand, who brings them into a whole society of vampires. But Louis and Claudia find that finding others like themselves provides no easy answers and in fact presents dangers they scarcely imagined.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

I loved this re-read! I absolutely loved the adventures, make believe, and fantastical elements of this story. I love Peter so much he's such an interesting character. I forgot how dark the original story is!  Like the movies, the book has some problematic and outdated views, but it makes sense since it was published in 1906. I do hope in future adaptations we are better to the Native American characters because although I am not normally a fan of changing stories but I think some of the problematic content is unnecessary to the story.
Challenge completed: Read a book with green on the cover & Book with a beautiful spine.

Synopsis
Neverland is home to Peter Pan, a young boy who has never grown up. On one of his visits to London, Peter makes the acquaintance of young Wendy Darling, whom he invites to travel with him to Neverland and become the mother of his gang of Lost Boys. Flying through the night sky to Neverland, Wendy and her brothers are soon caught up in adventures.
 

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson 

I LOVED THIS RE-READ. I forgot how amazing the characters, story, and art are in this book. I need to find more Noelle Stevenson stories because I love this and LumberJanes so much. I highly recommend this book for everyone because it's so charming.
Challenge Completed: Read a book while wearing a hat the entire time.

Synopsis:
The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh 

Because this is an ARC I don't think I will go into detail of the story itself but I loved this book SO much. I highly recommend picking up the first book, Reign of the Fallen, if you haven't. If you've already read Reign and liked it don't forget to pre-order Song of the Dead! 
Challenge Completed: It didn't. I changed my TBR early on for this to be my seventh book but I only read six.

Synopsis (for Reign of the Fallen to save people from spoilers) 

Odessa is one of Karthia's master necromancers, catering to the kingdom's ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it's Odessa's job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised--the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa's necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead--and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer's magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

  

***

So I obviously didn't complete the challenge "read seven books" because I only read six. I also did not read Disney After Dark, I changed it for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I swapped out Sadie by Courtney Summers for Song of the Dead. I do plan on reading Sadie this upcoming week, so I am really excited for that. I also plan on picking up the other book I didn't pick up, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. I just didn't have the time. I am really excited to read it though!

Overall I am really happy with the books I read, even if I didn't love them all my progress is something I am proud of especially since I read a total of 1,560 pages in the week. I am excited to keep reading the books I didn't get to start. I don't feel as burnt out as a I normally do which feels great. I am pretty excited to keep reading in the month of August.

Thanks for reading!