Hello!! Happy June, and welcome summer!
And with the start of summer, there is a new seasonal readathon hosted by Celine @TheBookWanderersBookclub. I absolutely adore that these readathons are seasonal, and spread over three months. This one runs from June until the end of August and is themed around the sea. How perfect!?
I’ve also posted this TBR as a video on my YouTube Channel – if you’d prefer.
1. Read a book with blue on the cover
A book I saw around a lot the last few years, I’m going to pick up This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. I know next to nothing about it, only that a lot of people have loved it. It also fits the prompt for June’s Bevvies and Bookclub (LGBTQ+ Standalone).
2. Read a book taking place near water
A book I’ve had on my shelves for a long time now is The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw. A bit of the synopsis from Goodreads is; “Two centuries ago, in the small, isolated town, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return from the depths, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbour and pulling them down to their watery deaths.”. Count. Me. In!
3. Read a book about freedom
I’ve had this sitting on my Kindle since it released – I’m choosing On Wilder Seas by Nikki Marmery, which is an alternative history/historical fiction following Maria – an enslaved woman who escapes on Francis Drake’s ship, The Golden Hind. Feels like a perfect setting for this readathon!
4. Read a book with a water-related word in the title
I received a beautiful edition of A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross from Illumicrate. I am terrible for picking up the books I get in book subscriptions, so I wanted to make sure I picked up at least one for this readathon. It follows two told childhood enemies teaming up on their magical isle to figure out why girls are going missing. I cannot wait!
5. Read an adventure story
For this one, I’m going to delve into the classics and read Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. It’s a satire piece from the 1700s, a travel-parody if the reviews I’ve glanced over are to be believed. I have come across the title before, but don’t really know much about the story – totally going to find out it’s an absolute chunk-er of a book, like a fair few classics are, when I go to pick it up, aren’t I? I haven’t looked at the length yet. I hope not!
6. Read a book with a water creature
I’m finally going to try a book by Joanne Harris (one of Lizzie @LizzieIsElf‘s favourite authors) and read The Blue Salt Road. It’s a retelling of the myths about selkies. On that alone, I am in!
7. Read a book with an enemy to lover trope
I’ve had to do quite a bit of googling to find a book – i probably own a lot, I love a good enemies to lovers as there’s so much banger involved usually. But I also like knowing as little as possible about a book before reading it. So, I have no idea what’s on my shelves really… I’ve chosen Promises and Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller. It’s a dark romance on kindle unlimited, styled as a Hades and Persephone retelling – and it’s maybe time I give one another go.
8. Continue a series or saga
I’ll be picking up The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne. I read the first in April for the Magical Readathon, and absolutely loved it! I then had a massive wait for some reason before my copy arrived of the next (considering it was published the day after I finished the first). So it’s currently fallen prey to the curse that is me never finishing a series haha. Hopefully, this will mean I will pick it up at last! It’s also set in a world heavily influenced by Norse/Viking Mythology – and considering they were seafaring – it feels rather fitting.
9. Read a book with a queer character
If I remember rightly, the whole cast of characters were LGBTQ+ in A Lesson in Thorns – I really enjoyed the book, and I think it’s finally time to pick up the second of the Thornchapel series and read Feast of Sparks by Sierra Simone. The first had all the occult and dark academia vibes I could ask for – I really hope it’s maintained in this one!
10. Read a book with a ship
I think I’ve said this a few times for various TBRs, but I’m going to choose Call of the Bones Ships by R.J. Barker. It’s set in a dark world where people are sailing the seas to fight in an endless war aboard ships built from the bones of extinct sea dragons. This is the second in the series following a motley crew sailing aboard The Tide Child, who have just done the impossible – I cannot wait to carry on, as it was the top book I read last year.
There are also always two bonus prompts that are less about the books themselves, this round’s are:
11. Read in the sun
12. Watch a movie taking place near water
Have you read any these? Any books you’d recommend that fit?
The Bookworm's Feast 
Leave a Reply