Ramadan Readathon 2019 TBR

Can you believe it’s almost Ramadan again?! The year has raced by! And of course, it’s time for another Ramadan Readathon and this year is going to be even better than the last!

This year there the reading challenge has a bingo card with prompts to help you choose books to read. Nadia, who runs the readathon, also has a spreadsheet of over 400 Muslim authored books to help you if you’re stuck for books to read.

There is also a weekly Instagram photo challenge based on the bingo card prompts. There will be a twitter chat during the month with Yasmin Rahman, the author of All the Things we never Said. There is even a book tag which you can all take part in!

Here is Nadia’s blog post with all the details and links and the sign up form.

So the pillar I chose is Shahadah (Faith) and these are the books I chose to read:

Free Space – Light Upon Light by Nur Fadhilah Wahid
Non-Fiction – Prayers of the Pious by Omar Suleiman

Historical Fiction – The Weight of our Sky by Hanna Alkaf
Recommended to You – Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
Multiple Points of View – An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

And if I finish those then I will try to complete the Sawm (Fasting) pillar and read these books:

MG/YA Fiction – Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi
Sci-Fi or Fantasy – Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Involves Food – Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Free Space – Reclaim your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed
Read in one Sitting – Yes, I’m Hot in This by Huda Fahmy

So these are the books I will read during Ramadan Readathon!

Will you be taking part? What books will you be reading?

My Magical Readathon TBR

I decided to take part in the Magical Readathon which is hosted by Book Roast and you can check out her video where she explains everything here. It will also have all the pdfs for you to decide what you will be reading.

So the magical readathon is based around Harry Potter and being a huge HP fan I just had to take part! In April we will be taking our O.W.L.S based on our chosen careers. And then in August we will be taking our N.E.W.T.S!

So this readathon starts April 1st and runs for the whole month.

After much deliberation I decided on my career and to pursue being a Healer! Seeing as I work in healthcare I thought it was the closest to what I would actually like to do! Yes, I am very serious about choosing my magical career lol

So the O.W.L.S I need to take and what I will be reading:

Herbology (Plant on the cover) – The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Charms (Read an adult work) – The Dark Vault by V.E. Schwab
Defence Against The Dark Arts (Title starts with R) – Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Potions (Sequel) – The Extinction Trials Rebel by S.M. Wilson
Transfiguration (Sprayed edges/red cover) – We Are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo

3 other subjects of your choice:

Ancient Runes (Retelling) – Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
Care of Magical Creatures (Land animal on cover) – The Devils Thief by Lisa Maxwell
Divination (Set in the future) – This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olsen

So these are the books I will be reading. Hopefully I will get through all of them!

Will you be taking part? What career did you pick?

The “I Should Have Read That” Book Tag

So I was tagged by Travels in Fiction to do this fun tag! Thank you for tagging me!

Rules

Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post
Link to the creator’s blog booksnest.co.uk in your post
Answer the questions below and tag others to take part

So this tag is perfect for anyone who reads because lets face it we always have more books than we have read and we will continue to buy more!

1 A book that a certain friend is always telling you to read

My friend Anisha has been telling me to read a couple books since they released and I haven’t gotten to either of them yet. All the Wandering Light and Queen of Air and Darkness are books I really need to read soon! Especially as she’s waiting for me to read them so she can fangirl with me!

2 A book that’s been on your tbr forever and yet you still haven’t picked it up

SO MANY! I have a ridiculous tbr, honestly it’s getting out of hand. One that I have been meaning to read since it released over a year ago is Iron Gold by Pierce Brown. I adore the Red Rising trilogy so I was super excited about reading it but I just haven’t yet. I really want to read it soon though as Darkk Age will be out this summer.

3 A book series you started but haven’t got round to finishing yet

The Kiss of Deception was a book that I read last year and really enjoyed but I never got round to continuing the trilogy. I want to read them this year though. You know, before I forget what happened in the first book.

4 A classic you liked the sound of but never actually read

Peter Pan, I mean I love the films and I’m pretty sure I will love it but I just never read it. Maybe this year! I especially want to read it as my friend Fatima loves it so much and is always telling me to read it.

5 A popular book that it seems that everyone but you has read

I feel like everyone has read Children of Blood and Bone except me. I have been meaning to read it for ages. Hopefully before book two is out I will get to it.

6 A book that inspired a film/tv adaptation that you love but haven’t read yet

A Discovery of Witches, I watched the show and completely fell in love but I had never thought about reading it before I watched but now it has been added to my tbr. Also I so need season two already. Why are they torturing me?!

7 A book that you see all over Instagram but you haven’t picked up yet

The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab, it was recently re-published and it’s absolutely everywhere on Instagram. Hopefully will be able to pick it up soon!

So these are my answers. Everyone is welcome to join in the tag!

Kick the Moon by Muhammad Khan – ARC Review

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending my this eARC. It does not affect my opinions of the book.

I read I Am Thunder last year and loved it so I was really looking forward to reading Kick the Moon and was really excited when I was approved for the arc! It’s safe to say that I loved this book even more than the I Am Thunder!

Rating: 5/5

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Ilyas is under pressure from everyone: GCSE’s are looming and his teachers just won’t let up, his dad wants him to join the family business and his mates don’t care about any of it. There’s no space in Ilyas’ life to just be a teenager.

Serving detention one day, Ilyas finds a kindred spirit in Kelly Matthews, who is fed up with being pigeonholed as the good girl, and their friendship blows the social strata of high school wide open. But when Kelly catches the eye of one of the local bad boys, Imran, he decides to seduce her for a bet – and Ilyas is faced with losing the only person who understands him. Standing up to Imran puts Ilyas’ family at risk, but it’s time for him to be the superhero he draws in his comic-books, and go kick the moon.

I read this book in one sitting, I just could not put it down! It’s a book that deals with many social issues prevalent in today’s society and I felt it handled it really well. Like his first book, I feel that many teenagers will relate to this and is a book I feel young boys should read. The main character being Pakistani Muslim is not something that we see in books, especially YA books and I hope we get to see more because we need more representation of young Muslim boys and girls.

There are so many important issues addressed in this book, they are interwoven really well and feel like a natural part of the story and not forced. The main theme that is addressed in this book is toxic masculinity and how this can affect not only the boys life but also those around him. He also addresses sexism, racism and prejudice. And how these can all be interlinked.

Ilyas has to deal with so much, he was a really well rounded character and so relatable. He was brought up with the “boys don’t cry” mentality and you can see how much it affects him. How showing emotion and being “soft” is seen as unmanly. He doesn’t enjoy sports like the other boys, instead he loves to draw comics and loves his rabbit. All things which are perfectly fine but he’s taught it’s not from his dad and his friends and the society around him. I felt so much for Ilyas because I have seen this growing up. Watching people tell my cousins that boys don’t cry and essentially teaching that they should not show emotion. So they never learn how to manage their emotions. They learn to hide parts of themselves if it doesn’t match what they are taught about what makes them a “man”. It just makes them unhappy and stressed and can lead them down a bad path like it did for Ilyas.

I loved that the gang culture, peer pressure and cliques were also addressed in this book. I’m sure it’s something we all saw while in school and were all affected by it. When Ilyas stands up for what is right, he puts himself and his family at risk. The fear he feels felt so real and it made me really root for him because it takes strength to stand up and fight for what’s right. I also loved Kelly, who is a reflection of the rich, privileged school girls and how this privilege gives them an advantage over other students. It was nice to see that she realises her privilege.

One of my favourite parts was that Ilyas was an artist and that he drew comics. But not just any comic, one that represented him and other South Asians. I have always wanted to see a superhero who looked like me and I was so happy to see that in this book! I just want to read a whole comic based on his superhero! I really loved that Ilyas holds onto his identity of being Muslim and a Pakistani. It isn’t something we see enough of in books.

There is so much more I want to say but I don’t want to spoil anyone so I will just say this, this book deals with really heavy topics but it is also fun and uplifting and that representation is so important and I want more and I’m sure many others do as well! I highly recommend picking this book up and also reading his other book I Am Thunder if you haven’t!

Kick the Moon releases today, 24th January.

Fairyloot Unboxing – December Dragons Box

Hey booknerds! I’ve got an unboxing for you today! This is the December fairyloot box and it was dragon themed! When I heard the theme I just had to buy it! I absolutely love dragons so I seriously needed this box and it did not disappoint. I really loved what was included.

This month they included a pin flag which I loved because I hoard enamel pins and I needed a flag to put them on.

They included a mother of dragons magnetic bookmark set too. Unfortunately mine was missing but they did email everyone and say that they would be sending it out separately if it was missing.

They also included a reading journal which is all dragon themed! I loved using the previous one they included so I love that they included another one. It was designed by FictionTea Designs and the artwork was by Blanca Montiel.

There was also a Harry Potter inspired book sleeve designed by Sweet Sequels and inspired by the scene where the trio escape Gringotts on a dragon. The artwork on the sleeve is stunning!

They included a double sided art print. The artwork of Toothless on one side and Abraxos on the other. My two favourite dragons! I squealed when I saw the print! The beautiful artwork is by Diana Worak.

They also included a glow in the dark dragon necklace! I love it so much! I especially love that it glows in the dark.

This month they also included an ARC. They included an advance copy of the Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson. It sounds really good and I’m looking forward to reading it.

This months book is Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst which is a standalone fantasy story. This edition is also signed by the author and includes an author letter and character artwork by Taratjah. I’m really looking forward to reading the book!

So that’s everything included in the box and they also included the first of the tarot cards. This month was Cassian and Amren.

I really loved this box and everything that was included and I’m really looking forward to getting the January Unbreakable Bonds box.

Did you get this box? What did you think? What was your favourite item?