Aimal’s TBR | Bookshelves & Paperbacks | Info Post
Why I am anchouring this to my INSPY readathon:
Having found my groove for reading #Fantasy after a gruelling month of migraines this #WyrdAndWonder in May, 2019 – I’ve decided to give myself free licence to return into the fantastical worlds and realms I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of reading during the event itself! I simply couldn’t get into a lot of the lovelies I had earmarked to read – specifically of course, I wanted to spread out my readings of the Night’s Edge series by Ms Czerneda as I am participating in her MAGE blog tour this August – however, sometimes life has other plans whilst we’re attempting to do something we love.
When I first saw this readathon announced – I nearly worried I couldn’t participate – I mean, its based on “Game of Thrones” – the one series in both literature & tv I’ve avoided like the plague – just #notmycuppa – therefore how to join a readathon paying homage to a beloved series without any inside knowledge of the “houses” we’re meant to select as participants!? It was clearly an easier route of entry for #BeatTheBacklist – I mean, I was bourne a Ravenclaw, talk about a no-brainer! lol
Thus, as I have this lovely sisterhood of readers who are encouraging me along with my readings of the October Daye series – having recently completed my readings of *Rosemary & Rue* this June on the footheels of wrapping up my participation in our 2nd Year of Wyrd and Wonder – I decided to reach out to them (as a few were already going to participate in this readathon themselves) which House I ought to select and how best to address the categories of reading focus.
Through this lively discussion, I decided to join the Equality Progressive House of Spanish Hippies (their descriptions of the house, I wouldn’t know them if I met them!) which I felt suited me just dandy!
Erhm, better known as *House Martell!*
For starters, I’m an Intersectional Feminist – we all rise together or we all fall. Quite a simple philosophy – all women are all equal unto each other and we all should have equal rights across the gender divides. This includes all ethnicties, gender expressions, gender identities (*trans included!) and religious backgrounds – basically any which way to Sunday you identify as a woman and however which way you live your life – you are Equal & a soul sister to all women.
In regards to the “Spanish Hippies” side of the ledger – I’m a green-living cheerleader for 21st Century living – wherein I might be a book blogger & social reader but I’m full-on analogue at the same time – I love my vintage typewriters, love board games, old world arts & crafts and the old fashioned ways of interacting with people unplugged and offline. I also believe in natural & organic foods, green living practices and the whole locavore movement of reducing our footprint by creating a smaller footpath between farm to fork. There is more to it than that, but you gather the gist – I am definitely a ‘hippie’ to live amongst the hippies of this world!
Having sorted that out – I decided to sort out which audiobooks are available via my local libraries which befit the categories whilst which books I can check-out which would also qualify. I recognised this particular readathon isn’t for YA Fantasy – which ironically is predominately what I’ve been checking out recently! lol Still. I found that I have quite a few fantastical reads which are in the Adult section which will give me hours of Fantasy joy to immerse inside.
If I could, I also wanted to pull from the selections I made during #Mythothon – as towards which of the stories I’d be most keen to pick up reading again this Summer,..
Overall, though – I am slated to read a heap of lovely INSPY novels by the collective hive of #LoveInspiredSuspense novelists who are giving me a wicked good read for gentle fiction & compelling suspense wherein I know I can handle where the stories take me! This year, I’m dearly focusing on Elizabeth Goddard novels as I never had the chance to dig into hers last year whilst I am also returning into the Callahan Confidental novels I adored last July! I haven’t formulated my TBR this year but if you see me doing recaps or reading progress reports about this imprint of Harlequin just know these novelists truly keep me engaged!
At the same time, I have some thrilling INSPY reads outside of the scope of Love Inspired Suspense I want to finish reading as well! Including the other half of the series I began in December which rendered me slightly dizzy due to how extremely on edge I was reading it!
I’ll be continuing my #InspySundays showcases throughout July along with a return of Inspirational & Self Motivating Non-Fiction and/or Memoirs returning as a keen focus of my Non-Fic wanderings alongside my Scientific enquiries as well. I am just thankful to finally get back into the books I desire to be reading and if this readathon can be anchoured to July’s Christian Fiction & Clean Reads readathon as a path towards re-aligning into those stories I love to read, all the better!!
Fantasy & Inspy are two of my cuppa loves of bookish joy!
Speaking of which, did you see my review for Fantasy Inspy by Morgan L. Busse?
Sigil: a gold spear piercing a red sun on a field of orange
House words: “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.”
Not all of these selections are being borrowed through my local libraries as some of these titles were received for review consideration and will be reviewed. Others are part of a readalong and/or readathon focus of interest. Some are a carry-over from Wyrd And Wonder Year 2 or Mythothon Year 1. Technically, I am also beginning my Year of Asian Stories co-hosted by Bookish Valhalla (#YOAS).
Concurrent to the intent to keep this strictly a list of Adult Fantasy vs YA Fantasy – I’ve come to the conclusion, I happen to be gravitating towards a heap of YA moreso in some instances than Adult selections of Fantasy. Thereby, for the sake of the readathon + the points, ONLY those books I could sort out being a) Adult / Adult Crossover or b) NA – New Adult are going to count for points for House Martell. You will automatically see the (points) next to the titles for further clarification. Once my review goes up on my blog a link will be added!
The rest of the lovelies are *extras!* I’m reading for the joy of discovering them. I just decided to streamline the list to showcase which Fantasy authors, stories and series I am a) attempting to begin reading, b) attempting to finish reading and c) joyfully will be enjoying throughout the #IronTomeAThon!
I’d like to give a proper s/o of gratitude to Annemieke who helped me sort out
how to create my own TBR for this readathon! Kindly visit her TBR, too!
How to read this #mustread list of the fantastical : per each (→) the first novel is the one I am reading *first!* and if there is time leftover in the month and/or if I’m feeling itchy to read the second novel in that particular listing, I’ll move into the next (→) of choice.
Castle Black
what qualifies for this focus: read a book with more than one protagonist, or an ensemble cast, and still count the prompt fulfilled. You could also read two books for one of the other prompts! OR you could skip the prompt entirely, all up to you.
Truly grateful the host gave us a secondary opt when we were disinterested in the group read as previously I had discovered via fellow book bloggers “The Poppy War” was #notmycuppa of Fantasy.
→ A Turn of Light by Julie E. Czerneda | points: 864
→ The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall (audiobook) | points: 352
Winterfell
Read a Book Set in (Partially or Fully) Cold Environment
*curiously can only find YA to fit this prompt!
no points earned as a result.
↓ Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (audiobook)
↓ Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis (audiobook)
↓ Once Upon A Winter’s Night by Dennis L. McKiernan
*until I found this available:
→ The Beast’s Heart (re-telling of “Beauty & the Beast”)
(audiobook) by Leife Shallcross | points: 304
except – I fear its still considered YA?
This might be one category prompt I have to bypass officially!
King’s Landing
Read a Book About or Involving Royalty, Politics or Government
Politics / Government within the World:
→ A Nest of Vipers by Richard Storry, narrated by Jake Urry (audiobook) | points: 240
Royalty and/or Family of Influence within the World:
→ Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri | points: 496
(this title was approved by the host)
→ The Queen of the Tearling (audiobook) by Erika Johansen | points: 434
Sunspear
Read a Book Inspired by a Non-Western Setting,
or Read a Book by an Author of Color or an Indigenous Author
→ City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty | points: 533
Oldtown
Read a Book About or Involving an Institution of Knowledge or Training
→ The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (audiobook) | points: 391
→ Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (audiobook) | points: 782
These were my original ideas but they no longer befit the prompt/readathon:
→ The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (audiobook) | points: 339
→ Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (audiobook) | points: 288
Valyria
Read a Book About or Involving Dragons
→ The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samathan Shannon | points: 848
(see also #25PagePreview featured post)
Asshai
Read a Dark/Grimdark Fantasy or Read an Urban Fantasy
I’d technically classify October Daye as Dark Fantasy meets Urban Fantasy!
I’ll be reading one of my October Daye selections – depending on where I am within this series by the end of June, I will be might be reading multiple installments.
→ A Local Habitation | points: 377
→ An Artifical Night | points:354
→ Late Eclipses | points: 372
→ Home Improvement: Undead Edition (October Daye short story) | points: TBA
→ One Salt Sea | points: 354
(see also my Review of “Rosemary & Rue”)
*However, – being I was previously engaged with October Daye,…
→ I’ll be reading : The Gossamer Mage by Julie E. Czerneda for this prompt !
As for me it is the epitome of a *Dark Fantasy!* | points: 400
Total points attempted:
6,797 +/- October Daye
Points Earned = ?? tba
Some alternative Selections:
The Shattered Court by M.J. Scott
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Caught in Time by Julie McElwain
- I might have to expound on these in case I run into a book #notmycuppa!
Additional Fantasy Selections for Summer:
part of #MYYASummer focus
*June through September*
[ not a strictly fantastical journey ]
as I’ll be reading different genres for this sub-focus!
All of these selections are being borrowed through my local libraries:
as previously disclosed some of my wanderings are for Asian Stories
→ The Candle and the Flame (audiobook) | by Nafiza Azad | @Nafizaa
→ We Hunt the Flame (print) : Book One: Sands of Arawiya
by Hafsah Faizal | @hafsahfaizal
→ The Star-Touched Queen (audiobook) : Book One: Star-Touched Queen series
by Roshani Chokshi | @Roshani_Chokshi
→ The Book Jumper (audiobook) | by Mechthild Gläser
→ Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (audiobook) | by Julie C. Dao | @jules_writes
→ A Mortal Song (print) | by Megan Crewe | @megancrewe
→ Wicked Fox (print) : Book One: Gumiho by Kat Cho | @KatCho
→ Sorocery of Thorns (print / or / audio) | by Margaret Rogerson | @MarRogerson
→ Spin the Dawn (print) | by Elizabeth Lim | @lizlim
→ Girls of Paper & Fire (print or audio) | by Natasha Ngan | @girlinthelens
→ Beware the Night (print) | by Jessika Fleck (see also interview)
→ Empress of all Seasons (print) by Emiko Jean | @emikojeanbooks
If #WyrdAndWonder encouraged you into #FantasyReads, why not dive into more #Fantasy during #IronTomeAthon this July? Find out what #JorieReads via #JLASblog's TBR announcement! feat. #YOAS #OctoberDaye Click To Tweet
If you are participating in this readathon & have a suggestion for *Winterfell*
I’d be all ears!
{Sources: Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. Post dividers provided by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com. #IronTomeAthon banner and the House Martell banner created by Jorie via Canva.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2019.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
This is one of the #Fantasy novels I'm hoping to finish #amreading during @IronTomeAThon (#IronTomeAThon) as I 'met' the first twenty-five pages during #WyrdAndWonder this past MAY! Not surprising it took an award — the world-building and foundation were bang-on!???
— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter ?? (@joriestory) June 18, 2019
?♀️How do we do this? Is it a private DM chat? I've done this previously and it works wonderly well!?I briefly mentioned #IronTomeAThon on my recent #TopTenTuesday post – trying to get my tail into order after a wicked horrid week & release my participation by 1st JUL?
— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter ?? (@joriestory) June 30, 2019
For those taking part in #IronTomeAThon?do join a private (DM) group if your house of choice is hosting one! I've been trying to iron out my #TBRList for this #readathon for ages now & in one night, I feel a bit more secure in a few of the prompts!?Plus #TheNightCircus *finally
— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter ?? (@joriestory) June 30, 2019
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- #IronTomeAThon
Winterfell is a hard prompt! Looking through my read books it is hard to find some that are adult and fantasy. I guess The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett works. It is Discworld but easy to read withouth prior knowledge and if you can find the illustrated copy is a really interesting read. Other than that I’d say Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams.
Also doesn’t The Night Circus go to an area where it is colder at some point? It has been years since I read it though so don’t pinpoint me on this.
I’d really like to get to the Alexis Hall book this month too, but it might have to wait a little while. I’m looking forward to it though ?
Hallo, Hallo Louise!
*waves!* I didn’t even realise this existed until I started looking through my OverDrive catalogues at my local libraries – when I saw this one, I thought – well, that is certainly a cleverly spun plotting!! Now I’m hoping the narrator won’t disappoint me – I didn’t get to hear the full sampler as OverDrive’s app was acting wonky lately… *le sigh*… were you going to attempt the audio or the print? (or perhaps e?)
How did you discover this one?