N.E.W.T’s TBR

Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of The CW Torch, and yes, another TBR. Today, I am headed off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, onboard the Hogwarts Express, to take part in my N.E.W.T’s. The N.E.W.T’s are the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, which are the second part, and the much more difficult examinations of the O.W.L’s. In April, I took my O.W.L’s and passed four subjects; Astronomy, Transfiguration, Charms, and Ancient Runes. So, for the N.E.W.T’s, I will be trying for Outstanding in three of those subjects, and there are three grades to pass per subject. So, let’s ready our wands, hit those textbooks, and pass these damn N.E.W.T’s. 

*This ReadAThon was created by G from Book_Roast, and is a continuation of the O.W.L’s. If you want to learn more about these examinations, then definitely check out her announcement video, which I will link down below. I will also be participating in another ReadAThon, that overlaps with the N.E.W.T’s, so some of the books I plan on reading, are also books that I plan on reading for the BookTubeAThon. Subject #1) Charms

A: Read a book with magic in it- Monstress, Volume 1: The Awakening by Marjorie M. Liu (writer), Sana Takeda (artist), Rus Wooton (Letterer, Designer) 

Synopsis: Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, Monstress tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.  

E: A book with a cover that charmed you- The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Synopsis: Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Allister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell— the thick silver cuffs he’s worn since birth. They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off. Han’s life gets even harder after he takes a powerful amulet from Micah Bayar, the son of the High Wizard. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, the Bayars will stop at nothing to reclaim it from Han. Meanwhile, Raisaa ana’Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name day, she isn’t looking forward to trading in her common sense for a prince with a big castle and a tiny brain. Raisa aspired to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her—plans that incur a suitor who goes against everything the queendom stands for. O: A book that you think will leave a mark- Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

Synopsis: When Marvin Johnson’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid. The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it’s up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag. Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean. Subject #2) Astrology

A: A book with stars on the cover- Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Synopsis: Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets. But when group camping goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together. What could go wrong? With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely. And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars? E: A book that has the word ‘sky’ in the title- Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan 

Synopsis: Based on the story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours. Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazi’s. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders. Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share. O: A story that is set on a different planet/world- Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston 

Synopsis: Seventeen year old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him. Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled iron blood boy beats Anna to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them. When everything goes wrong, she and the ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them alive. What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves? Subject #3) Ancient Runes

A: A book set in the past- The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Synopsis: A series set amid the deadly feuds of England known as the Wars of the Roses, following the wars of the Plantagenets. Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England. Told in the eyes of The White Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, who catches the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. E: One of the most ancient books on your TBR- This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Synopsis: There's no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants to be is human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives. O: A book translated from another language- The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux 

Synopsis: A story that revolves around the young, Swedish Christine Daae. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she is raised in the Paris Opera House with his dying promise of a protective angel of music to guide her. After a time at the opera house, she begins hearing a voice, who eventually teaches her how to sing beautifully. All goes well until Christine's childhood friend Raoul comes to visit his parents who are patrons of the opera, and he sees Christine when she begins successfully singing on the stage. The voice, who is the deformed, murderous, ‘ghost’ of the opera house named Erik, however, grows violent in his terrible jealousy, until Christine suddenly disappears. The phantom is still in love, but can only spell disaster. There you have it folks, my TBR for the dreaded N.E.W.T’s. I think this is going to be the most difficult ReadAThon I have participated in, since my TBR is pretty stacked. But, I love challenging myself with ReadAThon’s, and this particular one is supposed to be challenging, but fun. I am looking forward to taking these subjects, and reading all of these books. Good luck to everyone who participates, especially to my fellow Hufflepuffs!! 

TTFN and Happy Reading, Chynna Williams @TheCWTorch  

Related Links: N.E.W.T’s announcement

BookTubeAThon TBR Social Media Platforms: Twitter- @chynnaw16 Instagram- @bigleaguephoto