Hi all! I can’t believe we’re already at the end of the OWLs, and I’m very happy to say I managed to complete my OWLs to become a Magizoologist and a bonus course for Animagus training! This means I read 6 books for the OWLs this year.
If you’re confused or want to know more about how the OWLs works, I’d refer to my TBR post here which explains about the magical readathon.
As I explained above, I decided to go for the Magizoologist exams, which meant I had to read four books under the prompts listed below.
Care of Magical Creatures – Hippogriffs: creature with a beak on the cover
Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dreams and into his compromised reality.
Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the more inextricably she becomes tied to it.
Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer . . . and a killer. She has seen what dreaming can do to a person. And she has seen the damage that dreamers can do. But that is nothing compared to the destruction that is about to be unleashed. . . .
I did enjoy this book, but not as much as I’d hoped after adoring The Raven Cycle. You can see my review here!
Charms – Lumos Maxima: white cover
Frank Li is a high school senior living in Southern California. Frank’s parents emigrated from Korea, and have pretty much one big rule for Frank – he must only date Korean girls.
But he’s got strong feelings for a girl in his class, Brit – and she’s not Korean. His friend Joy Song is in the same boat and knows her parents will never accept her Chinese American boyfriend, so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom.
Frank thinks fake-dating is the perfect plan, but it leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love – or himself – at all.
I was a little hesitant going into this one, but I ended up really enjoying it! My review is here.
Herbology – Mimbulus Mimbletonia: title starts with an (i)
For Angel Rahimi, life is only about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world.
Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band is all he’s ever dreamed of doing. It’s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare.
Because that’s the problem with dreaming – eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.
I read this one so quickly as it was so addictive to read and has made me very excited for Radio Silence! My review can be found here.
Potions – Shrinking Solution: book under 150 pages
A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage. Alone and sometimes reviled, she has only her servants on her side. This evocative debut chronicles her rise to power through the eyes of her handmaiden, at once feminist high fantasy and a thrilling indictment of monarchy.
I read this on the last day of OWLs and enjoyed it! It’s not something I’d usually read, but I sped through it as it was only 120 pages.
BONUS course: Animagus Training
Arithmancy – Read a book outside of your favourite genre
Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but everything she knows is changing. Only the local lido, where she swims every day, remains a constant reminder of the past and her beloved husband George. Kate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She’s on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist, and is determined to make something of it.
So when the lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine. But for Rosemary, it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand, and to prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim – it is the heart of the community.
I read this one as it is an adult contemporary and I don’t usually branch out to adult, but this ended up being a fast favourite. I adored it, and you can find my review here.
Transfiguration – Animagus lecture: book/series that includes shapeshifting
No one in modern-day Seoul believes in the old fables anymore, which makes it the perfect place to for Gu Miyoung and her mother to hide in plain sight. Mihoung is a Gumiho, a nine-tailed fox, who must eat the souls of men to survive. She feeds every full moon–eating the souls of men who have committed crimes, but have evaded justice. Her life is upended when she kills a dokkaebi, a murderous goblin, in the forest just to save the life of a stupid boy. But after Miyoung saves Jihoon’s life, the two develop a tenuous friendship that blooms into romance forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s.
This was a mixed one for me, but I did end up liking a lot about it. You can read my review here.
Potions – already covered above!
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
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I felt similar way about Call Down the Hawk–I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as The Raven Cycle. Congrats on a very successful OWLS!
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Aw thank you Holly!
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