Hi everyone,
I am so excited today to talk about the Pondathon! I think this might be the most excited I’ve ever been for a readathon. To find out all about the readathon, my fierce forest muffin, Florian, my character for the readathon, as well as my TBR, please read on! The team I’ve joined, Team Varian, needs a bit of thought behind when I read what books, as you will find out…
What is the Pondathon?
The Pondathon is a co-operative and story-driven readathon hosted and run by CW from The Quiet Pond. The aim of the Pondathon is to read books and collect points to protect the friends over at The Quiet Pond from the encroaching malevolent forces that threaten our friends in the forest.
Have fun participating in the Pondathon readathon by joining one of five teams, each with a unique way to collect points and signing up! You can also follow the story of the Pondathon as it unfolds, and participants can also complete ‘side quests’ during the readathon to collect extra points. The readathon takes place from January 24th 2020 to March 7th 2020. More information about the readathon can be found here.
Information about Joining the Pondathon
- To join the Pondathon, simply sign up anytime between January 18th 2020 to March 5th 2020.
- Choose a team, create your own animal character for the Pondathon and create a character card!
- Create a blog post, bookstagram post, booktube video, Twitter thread, or whatever medium you wish, with ‘#Pondathon’ in the title or your tweet. Share the character you have created and your character card!
- Link back to this post so that others can find this readathon and join in.
Share your updates on your blog/bookstagram/booktube and social media. You are more than welcome to tag @thequietpond or @artfromafriend on Twitter or Instagram in all your updates! We’d love to see all of the beautiful and awesome characters that you create!
My Pond Character
Let me introduce my Pond Character, Florian. Florian likes to think they’re the fiercest fox of all the forest. Known for their skill with blades, Florian is ready to be the shield to protect their forest friends. But inside, Florian is scared and shy. They want to be able to protect their friends, but just don’t know if they have the skills needed.
Florian has joined Team Varian to help add their magic to the shield around the Pond, and thus needs to read book in different genres to get the most points. For each set of three books of different genres finished, Florian will get more points to help protect the Pond.
My Pondathon TBR
As mentioned above, I have joined Team Varian who is in charge of the shield protecting the Pond. I need to read books of different genres to get points, and for each set of three books of different genres, I get a bonus (and the genres reset – thank GOODNESS because the amount of fantasy books I have to read is HIGH). I’ve therefore set out my TBR in sets of three below!
Salvation Day by Kali Wallace
Genre: Horror, Science fiction, Adult
This is all about a lethal virus which viped out a population on a ship, and now people want to go back to the ship, awakening whatever deadly outbreak killed everyone years before. This sounds so thrilling and terrifying and I can’t wait to be scared.
The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis
Genre: Contemporary, YA
A queer contemporary romance, I’ve wanting to read this one for a while and it was finally free at my library! Falling in love with your best friend + Greek family + abusive mother, it sounds like a heartbreaker.
We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar
Genre: Historical, YA
Set during the 1980s, with discussions of the AIDS crisis, a group of friends trying to figure out who they are. Apparently this has actually been picked up for screen rights by Jaime Lanister’s company? We need more queer teens on screen so I am all for this.
These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
Genre: Contemporary fantasy/paranormal, YA
Queer! Teen! Witches! Plus blood magic, which is always one of my favourite kinds of magic.
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
Genre: Contemporary, YA
I actually have a signed copy of The Surprising Power of A Good Dumpling after I met Wai at a book event last year, and I can’t believe I haven’t got around to reading it yet. As my bookshelf is very fantasy heavy currently, this book is perfect for Team Varian!
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
Genre: Historical fantasy
This is one I randomly picked up at the library as I thought the cover looked interesting, so fingers crossed! Follows a group of girls after one accidentally murder someone, in a Western style world.
All the Bad Apples by Moïra Fowley-Doyle
Genre: Mystery, YA
Mystery with a tiny it of fabulism thrown in! Deena’s sister Mandy went missing a year ago, and now Deena has started receiving letters claiming to be from Mandy, talking about a curse on the family…
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J Hackwith
Genre: Fantasy, Adult
As soon as I hear queer librarians, I am in. This particular pansexual librarian needs to hunt down the escaped hero of a book, but everything goes wrong when an angel attacks them convinced they have the Devil’s Bible.
Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Sapphic, grammar school romance, when the school bad girl and the girlfriend of a future prime minister come together to expose the school’s problems.
Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger
Genre: Fantasy
Thank you to Shealea at Shut Up Shealea for the most amazing book review of this one, the only time I’ve ever closed a book review and literally immediately purchased a book. Also it has magical animal companions which all fantasy books need.
Tell Me How You Really Feel – Aminah Mae Safi
Genre: Contemporary romance
Enemies to lovers sapphic romance between the Straight A cheerleader and a wannabe director, when they decide to make a film.
The Seep by Chana Porter
Genre: Science fiction
Alien entity invades Earth and changes everything – anything that can be imagined can be made true. Trina’s partner imagines being a baby again, and vanishes from Trina’s life. All about grief and moving on, with a older trans MC.
I am so excited to start this readathon tomorrow: I can’t wait to find out what all the additional quests might be…
Let me know if you’re joining the Ponadthon too – I’d love to see your characters!
Anxious Nachos 