Wrap Up: O.W.L. Magical Readathon | 2019

Let’s see how I did on my O.W.L.s. 😐

Back on the first of April, I posted my TBR for the O.W.L. Magical Readathon (created by the Book Roast) and announced my intention to pursue studies that would make me an Aurologist, someone who studies auras — their colors, meanings, and sensations. Now it’s time to see how well I did on my exams.

The O.W.L. Magical Readathon is inspired by the Harry Potter series. Participants read books that match the prompts for each subject in pursuit of their chosen wizarding career. The O.W.L.s took place on April 1-30 and the N.E.W.T.s, which will decide whether or not a person can pursue their chosen career, will be held on August 1-31.

Let’s revisit the requirements for my chosen career: (my TBR post)

Aurologist

Key traits of an aurologist:

Intuitive

Perceptive

Requirements:

O.W.L.s

Astronomy

Divination

History of Magic

N.E.W.T.s

Astronomy – must receive E

Divination – must receive E

Additional

Research paper on Theory of Color: Auras and Their Interpretations at a Glance

(No explanation is given for this, but I’ve decided to interpret this “research paper” as I must read The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair sometime between now and August 1)

O.W.L.s are graded for total exams completed

Acceptable = 2 or more exams completed

Exceeds Expectations = 6 or more exams completed

Outstanding = 9 or more exams completed

Grading key:

Passing grades

O = Outstanding (continues to N.E.W.T.-level)

E = Exceeds Expectations (usually continues to N.E.W.T.-level)

A = Acceptable (rarely continues to N.E.W.T.-level)

Failing grades

P = Poor (may repeat level)

D = Dreadful

T = Troll

Now for what I accomplished:

Required

Astronomy: Read a book with “star” in the title.

Zodiac Starforce, #1 by Kevin Panetta, illus. by Paulina Ganucheau

It’s the first issue of a YA fantasy comic book series about a group of teenage girls with magical powers who protect the planet against dark creatures. In this issue, there are four girls in the group and their aliases are based on the zodiac — so Pisces, Aries, Gemini, Taurus. The stories begins with the group disbanded because something horrible had happened, and by the end of this issue, something worse is about to happen. It makes me curious about what happens next.

Astronomy = complete (I give myself an E because I completed it quickly, but it is a single-issue comic book so that’s expected.)

Divination: Read a book set in the future.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

This was such a fun read! It’s a sci-fi novella about a security android that calls itself Murderbot who’s sent to a distant planet to guard a group of scientists who are there to conduct surface tests. However, Murderbot just wants to be left alone so that it can watch as many entertaining shows as it can. This was a fun read that was quick to complete because I couldn’t break from it for long, busy as I was. I love Murderbot’s inner monologue. That’s what entertained me, kept me reading, and made me want to read more from the series.

Divination = complete (I give myself an O because though it is a novella, I whisked through it quicker than usual.)

History of Magic: Read a book that was first published at least 10 years ago.

Middle Passage by Charles Johnson

Middle Passage is a historical fiction novel that was first published in 1990, so about 29 years ago. It’s set partly in New Orleans in the year 1830 and is about a newly freed slave named Rutherford Calhoun (a.k.a. “Illinois”), who stows away on a slave ship to escape a woman intent on marrying him, as well as his debts. The slave ship, called the Republic, is sailing for Africa to collect members of a legendary African tribe called the Allmuseri. On the trip back to New Orleans, Calhoun endures a dangerous and horrific journey that leaves him deeply marked and changed by the experience. This was such a great read!! I enjoyed it though it sometimes made me uncomfortable. But it was compelling and I couldn’t stay away from it for too long.

History of Magic = complete (I give myself an O because I completed it quicker than expected and enjoyed it.)

Other subjects

Charms: Read an adult work

Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson

This is a book of semi-autobiographical (I think) short stories about an unnamed narrator’s experiences with drugs. Umm… the stories are extremely well written, but this wasn’t one for me. I don’t get on well with the stream of consciousness format, which is used in this book and works well for these stories. It was interesting, but I didn’t like it.

Charms = complete (I give myself an E because it took longer than expected to complete — because I didn’t like it — and I was tempted to DNF it the entire time.)

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Read a book with a title that starts with “R”

Run for It by Marcelo D’Salete (illus.)

It’s a collection of historical fiction stories in graphic novel form about Black resistance to slavery in Brazil. This is the second time I’ve attempted to read this for a readathon and again I waited until the last minute and was unable to complete it in time. 😦

Defense Against the Dark Arts = incomplete (I give myself a P because I knew better and should have started this earlier. It’s not even long.)

Herbology: Read a book with a plant on the cover

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (illus.)

Another collection of stories in graphic novel form. These are YA horror stories that are creepy and all have a fairy tale quality to them that I like. This is also another book I often intend to read for readathons but never succeed in completing….until now. 😀 I enjoyed it.

Herbology = complete (I give myself an O because I FINALLY read this book!)

Potions: Read a sequel

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol.s 4-6 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.)

I have the 3-in-1 bounded volumes of the Fullmetal Alchemist series. This was a reread because I’d like to complete this series. I enjoyed it and consider it a favorite. It’s a sci-fi manga about two brothers whose bodies were altered by an experiment they conducted. The story is about their adventures as they try to get the Philosopher’s Stone, which can enable them to regain their original bodies. I enjoyed reading this almost as much as the first time.

Potions = complete (I give myself an O because I had a great reading experience with this.)

Transfiguration: Read a book with sprayed edges or a red cover

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1-3 by Hiromu Arakawa (illus.)

I went with a book that has red on much of its cover (because I read that as “…or has red on the cover”). This book contains the first three volumes of the Fullmetal Alchemist series. I enjoyed the story and realized that much of my memories of the story is from the anime rather than the manga, lol.

Transfiguration = complete (I give myself an E because though I completed the book, I misread the instructions and read a book with some red on the cover.)

Overall performance on my O.W.L.s

E

I actually did better than I expected because I hardly ever complete readathons and never read the books on my set TBR, but I managed to do so (for the most part) with this one.

So up next:

Read The Secret Lives of Color for my “research paper” (I’m giving myself this task. It’s not specified in the readathon instructions).
Prep for N.E.W.T.s in August!