April has come to an end – March seemed to last forever, but April flew by – and I can’t deny it’s been a difficult month.

If you’ve been following my blog over the past couple of weeks you’ll know me lovely Grandma lost her battle with COVID-19 on 15th April and her funeral was today. My parents and I couldn’t attend because we’re so far away, but we were able to watch the ceremony via video call thanks to the incredibly helpful funeral service.

It’s been a strange day, a strange month, a strange year, and yet I still managed to read quite a lot for the O.W.Ls Readathon! I’m still furloughed, so reading is about the only thing I can do right now.

O.W.Ls Progress

• Ancient Runes – Heart Rune: Read a book with a heart on the cover or in the book/series title Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman
• Arithmancy – Magical qualities of number 2 (balance/opposites): Read a book outside your favourite genre The Black Unicorn by Audre Lorde
• Astronomy – Night Classes: Read the majority of this book when it’s dark outside Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
• Care of Magical Creatures – Hippogriffs: Read a book with a creature with a beak on the cover Of Sorrow and Such by Angela Slatter
• Charms – Lumos Maxima: Read a book with a white cover The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta
• Defence Against the Dark Arts – Grindylows: Read a book set at sea/the coast The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
• Divination – Third Eye: Assign numbers to your TBR and use a random number generator to pick your read The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles
• Herbology – Mimbulus Mimbletonia: Read a book with a title that starts with an M
• History of Magic – Witch Hunts: Read a book featuring witches/wizards Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
• Muggle Studies – Read a book from the perspective of a muggle (Contemporary) Heartstopper: Volume Three by Alice Oseman
• Potions – Shrinking Solution: Read a book under 150 pages A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian
• Transfiguration – Animagus Lecture: Read a book/series that includes shapeshifting Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger; narrated by Moira Quirk

11/12! I’m both really pleased with that and a tad frustrated, because it seems such a shame to be just one subject away from getting all 12 subjects.

I’m currently around 30% of the way through A Memory Called Empire, and maybe I’ll finish it tonight, but I doubt it – I’m actually thinking of putting it down and returning to it later in the year because while I am enjoying it I don’t feel like I’m quite in the right head space to concentrate on it.

I have managed to acquire all the subjects I need to pursue the Librarian career when the N.E.W.Ts come along in August, though, so I’d say this has been a very successful O.W.Ls year! My apologies to Professor Sprout for not quite managing her subject…

Did you take part in the O.W.Ls? How was your April reading?