BookTube-A-Thon 2015!

This year, I was able to take part in the amazing read-a-thon that is BookTube-A-Thon. I wanted to last year, but since I was new to this BookTube thing, I didn't really understand what it was and it was too late when I finally realized it's a read-a-thon. This year, I was prepared! I have to admit I only do it as a regular read-a-thon, with the reading challenges, but not the video ones, since I'm not a BookTuber.

This year's challenges:

1// Read a book with blue on the cover
2// Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name
3// Read someone else's favourite book
4// Read the last book you acquired
5// Finish a book without letting go of it
6// Read a book you really want to read
7// Read seven books
I changed my original reading list, but I still (kinda) managed to complete all the challenges. Here's what I did:

The second Sunday turned to Monday, the first day of the read-a-thon, I started reading The Death Cure, by James Dashner, to complete challenge number 1, which is to read a book with blue on the cover. It was quite easy for me, since I've owned the book for over a year and I really wanted to read it. I read half of it in about two hours before I went to bed, which was a great start. When I woke up, I started reading Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler, which is the last book I acquired. It was so good and short that I finished it on the same day! It made me tear up a lot, but I liked how it was more about grief than about love. I rated it 4/5.

On Tuesday, I was starting a new job, so I knew I wouldn't have much time to read that day. It's actually why I tried to read so much on Monday. I didn't bring any book to work, but I had my phone with me during lunch break, so I decided to start a book I had on my phone that was on my reading list for BookTube-A-Thon, Sugar, by Deirdre Riordan Hall. I cheated a bit, because I read this book to complete challenge number 2, even though Riordan is probably the author's middle name and this is the only first letter we share. I really wanted to read a book that I received to review during the read-a-thon and I couldn't find any book I own written by an author whose last name starts with a R, so I decided to let it count. I actually REALLY liked Sugar and I wanted to read it as fast as possible, because it made me feel so much anger and love at the same time (but not towards the same people). I finished The Death Cure when I got home. I liked it, but I didn't love it, which is why I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. However, I'm glad I finished the series! I can't wait for The Scorch Trials movie now, because it was actually my favorite book of the series.

On Wednesday, I was working again, so I had to read after work and during lunch break. I loved Sugar so much I finished it as soon as I could when I got back home. I highly recommend it, it was awesome! I made me feel sad when I was reading it though, but it was alright in the end. I ended up giving it 4.5/5, because there's one thing I didn't really like in the story. Afterwards, I started reading The Martian, by Andy Weir, and I loved every page I read that day. I realized it was quite long to read it, so I decided to read a bit of it every day while reading other books to complete the challenges. This is the book I chose to complete challenge number 6, because I had been wanting to read it for such a long time and I had just gotten it.

Surprisingly, I didn't read a single page on Thursday. I had a big shift at work and I came home wanting to Watch TV and sleep instead of reading, which is rare for me. I had a one-day reading slump, which wasn't exactly a good thing during this read-a-thon, since it made me late.

I continued reading on Friday, since I had a day off. I completed challenge number 5, which is to read a book without letting go of it. I was really excited by this challenge and wanted to read a relatively short book, but since I was late by this point, I realized a novella would be the way to go. I read Destroy Me by Tahereh outside in the sun (which got hidden by clouds towards the end of the book and made me shiver). I really liked it! I gave it 4.5/5, because there was a tiny missing spark for me. However, I really enjoyed it, especially the last scene. I started reading Choose Us by Caylie Marcoe to complete the seventh challenge, because I just wanted a simple seventh book to read.

In the early hours of Saturday, I finished Choose Us, which I unfortunately didn't enjoy as much as I expected. It saddened me a bit, because I thought it would be the kind of nice fluffy novel that'd make me swoon, but I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. I was really busy on that day, so I knew I wouldn't be reading much. Before I went to a wedding, I started reading Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella, because someone told me it was her new favorite book and I need to complete the third challenge. I read about 40% of it that day.

On Sunday morning, I read as much as I could of The Martian, because I really wanted to complete this year's challenges. I was working at 3 PM, but before that, I managed to get to page 209, which I was happy about. I read Finding Audrey during lunch break and I got to a couple of pages before the end, so I couldn't wait to get home and finish it. I did within minutes and I really liked it! I rated it 4/5. Then, I concentrated on The Martian, even though I realized I couldn't finish it before midnight. I stayed up until 2:30 AM, but I finished it, so I think I pretty much completed the challenges. I wish I had finished it before the read-a-thon officially ended, but I think a few hours delay is okay.

Overall, I (kinda) completed all the reading challenges! I'm really proud of it, even though I wish I didn't have such a busy week. I also watched many video challenges and updates from BookTubers and I have to say that ABookUtopia's videos were my favorite ones!

So that was my experience! Did any you participate?