BLOGTOBER DAY NINE: Trick-or-Treat-a-thon Reading Challenge Wrap Up

So, if you have no idea what the Trick-or-Treat-a-thon is, it’s basically a Halloween/spooky themed readathon hosted in October. You can find my post from the beginning of the month here. Since this was my first official readathon, I wanted to write a wrap up/afterwards post to evaluate my participation/progress.

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Vampire:

Trick: Creatures of the night – Vampires must read at least one book entirely at night or in the dark.

I ended up binging this entire audiobook it one night. Totally worth the read! It was way witchier than I was expecting, and I loved Mila’s dark gallows humor.

Treat: Speed – Vampires may choose one book to receive double points.

Game ended up having the highest page count of the books I read this month. This audiobook felt like it took forever to get through, but I wouldn’t have guessed it was 544 pages.

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Reading Challenges: 

1. Costume Party : Read the group book – Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I’m  happy that finally got around to reading this. It was an extremely short but colorful and creepy read. I do have to say I prefer the movie, but only because the colors exaggerate the strangeness of it all. Also, I kept waiting for Wybie to appear, but I guess he was another movie addition.

2. Monster Mash : Read a book that has your team mascot in it

This book read just like the original series and I found myself really enjoying revisiting all the characters, especially since I didn’t have to watch their painful maturation arcs again. I have different feeling about how it think the second book’s plot will go though.

3. Fall Foliage : Read a book with fall colors on the cover (red, orange, yellow, or brown)

So, I didn’t end up reading either of the two options I originally had on my TBR. Instead, I read Pumpkinheads and it was totally the most Autumnal book I could have picked up. The illustration style and the muted Fall color scheme make this graphic novel altogether too fricken pretty.

4. Spooky Hayride : Read a book that involves a trip or quest

This book is actually the last book I’m reading for this reading challenge, and I’m currently in the middle of it. (I’m hoping to finish it by tonight!) The contrast between the two setting is quite interesting and I’m excited to see how the goddess quests wrap up (even though I think I know what’s coming). Also, I’m happy to cross another Rin Chupeco title off my TBR.

 5. Corn Maze : Read a book where someone gets lost and/or finds themselves

This book was so fricken dense. So very, very dense, but also…good? It made me angry and I just wanted to scream, but the twists were good and always surprising. I do think it was too complex of a plot to have it be a “everything snaps together at the end” kind of mystery though. It made me feel quite lost for most of the book.

6. Black Cat : Read a book with an animal on the cover

Okay, this wasn’t originally my book for this prompt (and only barely fits), but the audiobook came up on my library’s site and it didn’t have any holds; therefore, I couldn’t resist. That ending hurt less the second time, but just want QoN and a (slightly less stabby) happy ending for Jude and Cardan.

7. Spider Webs : Read a book that gives you the heebie jeebies

I actually managed to read both of the books I had for this prompt on my TBR! (I just listed the other one below.) I glad I reread I Hunt Killers and finally finished the rest of the trilogy. It was just as grizzly and gory as the first time. On the other hand, In a Dark, Dark Wood was creepy, suspenseful, and gripping. Of the two Ruth ware books I’ve read, I prefer this one. I think it’s because all of the ‘action’ takes place in the ‘now’ timeline. (Is it just me, or is it less gripping if the ‘action’ took place 20 years ago?)

8. Scary Movie : Read a book and watch the movie/tv show adaptation

This was a really quick read, and that might be because it’s plot-lite. Nothing much happens in this book. A forest nymph gets up to some hijinks, and Sabrina casts a spell gone awry. I did enjoy getting a peek into the cast of characters that are not Sabrina. You get inside their heads in a way the TV show can’t, and it humanizes the characters a little bit more. I especially enjoyed witnessing how Prudence and Ambrose think and process things.

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Other Books I Finished This Month:

     

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Wrap Up:

# of Books Finished: 15
# of Pages Read: 4,928
# of Challenges Completed: 14/16

I’m really proud of how many books/pages I read this month, and I’m especially proud that I finally finished a TBR (even if I did swap a few books out). I’ve never broken 100 books read in a year before, but I hit it during this challenge! The prompts, challenges, and community of readers really pushes you on and helps you keep reading. I had so much fun doing this readathon, and I can’t wait to participate again next year.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Bree