My #PondathonII Readathon Sign-up
What is the Pondathon?
Pondathon II is a story-driven and gardening-themed readathon hosted and run by CW from The Quiet Pond. The aim of the Pondathon II readathon is to read books to earn plants and decorate your own little garden so that we can restore the forest together. More information about the readathon can be found here.
Information about Joining the Pondathon
- You can sign-up to the Pondathon II readathon here. The readathon starts on January 10th 2022 and ends on December 11th 2022; sign-ups are open across the duration of the readathon.
- You also get to create your own Pond animal character for the Pondathon, and create your own character card!
- If you’d like, create a blog post, bookstagram post, booktube video, Twitter thread, or whatever medium you wish, with ‘#PondathonII’ in the title or your tweet. Share the character you have created and your character card!
- Link back to this post so that new friends can find the readathon and join in as well.
My Pond Character
My Pond Character is Daydreaming Book Lover, The Emo Daydreaming Cat who’s basically just the cat version of me. She’s a black cat who wears a purple flower crown with matching shoes and glasses. She wants to try something new because she spends most of her time daydreaming and being emo. She may not have the best gardening skills but she’s willing to try! Because the forest needs help!
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My Pondathon TBR
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
Synopsis and Book Cover courtesy of Goodreads
Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”
The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.
After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.
Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.
Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.
Why on TBR…
- Historial Fiction/Fantasy YA
- Bipoc author and Bipoc (Asian) rep
- Sequel to These Violent Delights
- Romeo and Juliet Retelling
- Enemies to Lovers and Star-crossed Love
The Kindred by Alechia Dow
Synopsis and Book Cover courtesy of Goodreads
“Utterly swoony…an endearing reminder that true love can change the world”
—J. Elle, New York Times bestselling author of Wings of EbonyTo save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…
Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.
Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.
Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.
Why on TBR…
- Sci-Fi/Fantasy YA
- Bipoc author with Bipoc (Black) and plus-size rep
- Set in same universe as The Sound of Stars
- Star-crossed Love
- Acespec and Bi rep
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
Synopsis and Book Cover courtesy of Goodreads
Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.
Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.
But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.
Why on TBR…
- Contemporary Romance YA
- Webcomic and Online fandom themes
- Mental Illness rep
Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann
Synopsis and Book Cover courtesy of Goodreads
Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.
But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).
When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.
Why on TBR…
- Contemporary Romance YA/NA
- Bipoc author and Bipoc (Black) rep
- Asexual and Bi rep
Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant
Synopsis and Book Cover courtesy of Goodreads
Jane the Virgin meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this charming debut romantic comedy filled with Black Girl Magic. Perfect for fans of Mary H. K. Choi and Nicola Yoon, with crossover appeal for readers of Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert romances.
Sixteen-year-old Tessa Johnson has never felt like the protagonist in her own life. She’s rarely seen herself reflected in the pages of the romance novels she loves. The only place she’s a true leading lady is in her own writing—in the swoony love stories she shares only with Caroline, her best friend and #1 devoted reader.
When Tessa is accepted into the creative writing program of a prestigious art school, she’s excited to finally let her stories shine. But when she goes to her first workshop, the words are just…gone. Fortunately, Caroline has a solution: Tessa just needs to find some inspiration in a real-life love story of her own. And she’s ready with a list of romance novel-inspired steps to a happily ever after. Nico, the brooding artist who looks like he walked out of one of Tessa’s stories, is cast as the perfect Prince Charming.
But as Tessa checks off each item off Caroline’s list, she gets further and further away from herself. She risks losing everything she cares about—including the surprising bond she develops with sweet Sam, who lives across the street. She’s well on her way to having her own real-life love story, but is it the one she wants, after all?
Why on TBR…
- Contempory Romance YA
- Bipoc author and Bipoc (Black) rep
- Mental Illness rep
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Have any of you decided to join the Pondathon II Readathon? If so, I’m interested in knowing what’s your Pond character like? What’s on your 2022 TBR list? Have any of the books above on your 2022 TBR?
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Good luck with your TBR!
I should probably add Happily Ever Afters to mine, I’m sure I have a copy somewhere.
Yeah, you should add it. I plan on FINALLY starting to read Happily Ever Afters today which I’m looking forward to. Good luck with your TBR as well!