The Terror of Knowing

Hello witches and wizards, it’s that (dreaded) time of year again – the exam season is upon us… but that’s ok because these are exams I actually might enjoy studying for! That’s right, it’s time for the second round of the Magical Readathon- the NEWTs Readathon 2019 which is taking place for the entire month of August.

For those unfamiliar with the readathon, this is a Harry Potter/Hogwarts themed readathon – it has two main readathon rounds, the OWLs and the NEWTs, which correspond with the sets of wizarding examinations that Hogwarts students face in their fifth and seventh years respectively. For each round of exams, the wonderful creator of this readathon, Gi from the Book Roast, circulates a list of revision topics (read: readathon prompts) from Professor McGonagall herself which you need to swot up on if you hope to pass all your exams!

Because Gi is incredible and completely extra she has put together incredible materials that detail the ins and outs of the Magical Readathon (seriously, I’ve not seen detail like it before), so be sure to check out the NEWTs prompts and the Wizarding Careers Guide to see which prompts you need to complete during the readathon if you’re interested in taking part! There’s also a Twitter account and hashtag dedicated to the readathon so any questions you might have probably been answered there.

As with the OWLs I took in April, I’m still striving for that coveted position as a Hogwarts Professor, teaching Charms! This means I have to study specific revision topics and pass specific exams aka fulfil some challenge prompts! As their name suggests, these tests could be nastily exhausting so let’s waste no more time and take a look at what’s on my revision schedule aka TBR:

NEWT Requirements for Hogwarts Professor

Must achieve:
O in subject you wish to teach
E in Defence Against the Dark Arts
+ at least 2 As in secondary subjects of your choice

TBR

Charms
A – Read a book you think has a gorgeous cover
Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood
E – Read a comic/graphic novel/manga OR book under 150 pages
Giant Days, Volume 6 by John Allison, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Liz Fleming
O – Spongify (softening charm): read a paperback book
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Defence Against the Dark Arts
A – Book that’s black under dust jacket
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
E – Gilderoy’s memory charm: first book you just remembered from TBR
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
O – Cornish pixie!: book written by an English author or set in England
State of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury

History of Magic
A – Read a fantasy
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
E – Read a book that includes a map
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
O – Tom Riddle’s diary: reread a favourite OR read a classic
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Muggle Studies
A – Cover that includes an actual photo element
The Furies by Katie Lowe
E – Book set in our world
The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie
O – Book written by a person of colour
Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron

I think that’s quite enough books to be getting along with but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if my mood changed and I end up substituting some alternatives for some of these challenges. I’ve tried to include a few eARCs I have sitting on my NetGalley shelf and to have a mixture of formats so I don’t get bored of reading in one format so hopefully that will help my reading progress throughout the month. I’m sure I’ll still chop and change though so, if you’re curious, you can keep up to date with my reading progress over on this Twitter thread and I’m sure I’ll do progress updates throughout the month on here too. Otherwise, I’ll see you on the flip-side, witches.

Are you taking part in the Magical Readathon this year? What career path have you chosen? Even if you’re not participating, let me know what you’re planning to read in August. Do you have any fun or exciting reads lined up? Comment below!

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