Thank you again to Read at Midnight (https://readatmidnight.com) again for an awesome Pokemon themed reading challenge!
I used to watch the Indigo League series when I was a kid and I recently rewatched it as an adult on Netflix – not the same but gave me some nostalgia for Pokemon! The #ReadThemAllThon is a three week challenge (8/14 – 9/4) for readers and bloggers to read eight books in three weeks, each book representing a different gym in the Indigo League. Each participant also gets a Pokemon and gains experience and strength from reading, defeating gyms, and writing reviews. I do not expect to win or do well, but this seems like a fun challenge with a fun theme! I will keep my stats on this page with my Pokemon!
Dragonair
CP: 327
Yikes! Starting a new series! That might just be the scariest thing I ever do in reading. And of course it is for Pewter City, the start of our Pokemon journey. For this challenge I will read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This book has been sitting on my shelf forever. And I am not sure why I have not picked up this supposed scifi classic. With a reading schedule of diversifying my authors and the fact I never want to start series… Hitchhiker’s Guide has been a lost cause in my TBR’s for the past five or so years. I am thankful this book looks relatively short and it should be a light and fun read. In addition, the series is only 5 books long, unlike the Wheel of Time series I have yet to start… 🙂
Defeated
This category is hard for me because I can never predict what will hit home for me in a particular story. For this gym, I ave selected Loving vs Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell. Written in verse, this new book releasing during the 50th anniversary of Loving Day (a commemorative day celebrating the legalization of interracial marriage) tells the story of Mildred and Richard Loving. I received an ARC from NetGalley to review and I am very excited. I think it may hit my emotions because of how close this issue is for me. I am a product of an interracial marriage and my own marriage is interracial. I look forward to learning more about the history and I look forward to writing about this book!
Defeated
Thunderous hype. The first book I thought of when reading this category was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. But I neither own the book or want to buy it anytime soon, so I will put a pin in that book. The one book I do own (an e-copy) of that got a TON of hype back in the day is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I passed on the book because of the incredible hype and the fact they were making a movie about it. I know nothing about the book and will go in hopefully with a clear mind and low expectations.
Defeated
Yes! Now this is a category I can get behind. I did not even have to think about this one. For the Celadon City Gym badge, I will be reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This is one of my picks on my August to be read list and I am happy for some crossover. I am looking forward to reading this book because I liked Flight by Sherman Alexie a lot and want to dive more into his writings. I am hoping to feature this book in a review when I finish.
Romance is WAY outside of my wheelhouse and I tend not to seek it out and avoid the genre all together. I am not against reading novels where romance plays a significant role, I personally never have gravitated towards them. My pick is The Second Mango by Shira Glassman. This is the first book in a LGBTQ+ fantasy series and I have read romance plays a major role in the story. I am willing to give romance a try and excited to expand my diverse reading with this book. Who knows? Maybe I will enjoy romance as a genre and finish the series or even pick up more romance novels!
Defeated
Ummmm… I own this book? I do not remember acquiring it but yes, it is on one of my bookshelves. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith is a fantasy, paranormal alternate history of our once President Lincoln. I just need to knock this one off my shelf to be honest and this seems like the place to do it. From the reviews, it is okay at best. I am not expecting much and maybe that is a good thing. It should be a very short read.
As I was scrolling through my personal library, I noticed a complete lack of books with red covers… How is that possible? I did happen to find one: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. This is King’s follow up novel to The Shinning and takes place when Danny is all grown up. I really like Stephen King’s writing and storytelling – he is able to write horror with more of a suspenseful and thrilling edge than straight horror. I look forward to see where he takes the universe of The Sinning.
Well, my knowledge of post-apocalyptic books and my ownership of those books are slim. I have to go with Wool by Hugh Howey. I read the first serial novel a while back and I found the entire book used for a decent price. When thinking about this entry, I realize I need more suggestions for diverse books and authors in this genre! I would appreciate any book recommendations.
Here is some information about how my Dratini can gain experience and maybe evolve over the course of the challenge:
The main challenge is to read those eight books in the 3 weeks. However, you can also have ONE POKEMON EACH and use them to keep scores and figure out who’s the very best.
- Each participant can choose one Pokemon, and will start with i) 10CP (Combat Power) for a Pokemon that can evolve OR ii) 50CP for a Pokemon that cannot evolved e.g. Lapras.
- For each 10 pages they read during the challenge, their Pokemon will gain +1CP. That’s +10CP per 100 pages!
- For each gym badge/book completed, they will gain an extra +20CP.
- For each review you post of a book you read during the Read-a-Thon period, gain an extra +20CP.
- Each time you tweet under the hashtag #ReadThemAllThon on Twitter, gain +2CP.
- Each time you post a photo of your book + a Pokemon (via Pokemon Go camera function) under the hashtag #ReadThemAllThon on Twitter, gain +5CP.
- When you are 150CP, your Pokemon can evolve, earning you gain an extra +50CP. If your Pokemon has a third evolutionary form, it can evolve again at 400CP and gain you an extra +50CP.
- If you choose a Magikarp, you can’t evolve until you get to 450CP, but you will gain an extra +120CP when you have a Gyarados. Basically, if you think you can read loads of books, choose a Magikarp.
- Whoever owns the Pokemon with the highest CP in the end, wins the title of Pokemon League Champion and will earn a prize (to be announced), as well as bragging rights.