Last Week Squees + My Own #Marvel-a-Thon TBR

You may have noticed that this is a new post for this blog – I’ve decided to do a weekly reading recap each week called “Last Week Squees,” because I’m nearly always gushing about some book or another. And this week is special, because it’s not only my first one, but it’s also the one where I reveal that I’m going to do my own little readathon! It feels so good to be back. ❤

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Last Week Squees

So I have this new day job, and with it, a new commute. PLUS I’m in our new place by myself (without furniture, I might add) for a while until my husband can transfer jobs to our new city of residence. So I’ve been listening to a lot of audiobooks! And the squeeing is real.

The First Squee

So, the first book I read this week was a reread of Luck on the Line by Zoraida Córdova. I had forgotten how much I loved that one. You can read my full review here, where I definitely fangirled a bit (Zoraida and I are internet friends and I love her). And this time, I listened to it on audio, which was such a good decision! It was so good. Do recommend the audiobook for that one!

The Second Squee

Oh man, so after that, I started an audiobook that came in from the library that I’d had on hold – Together We Rise by the Women’s March Organizers. HOLY CRAP, Y’ALL. I cried through the whole book, through every stage of the planning and the execution of the march and the aftermath. I can’t wait to write the review for this one, because it was so dang good, and I needed it so much, and now I’m tearing up again. And to me, I would have needed this one on audio. I needed to hear their voices. I needed this book more than I can put into words.

The Partial, Slow-Burn Squee?

Okay, I’ve been reading this nonfiction paperback that was handed to me by my husband for a couple of weeks – Spy by David Wise – and it’s been really slow going. But last night, it started to get GOOD. I know the story – Robert Hanssen was the most damaging spy in the history of the FBI – but I didn’t know any details! And the details are bananas, he was such a weirdo and now that we know what he was doing, they seem so SO obvious! But anyway, this might be one of next week’s squees. I hope it doesn’t turn into something I have to snark about, but we’ll see.

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Upcoming Reads

So June was a blur, as I mentioned, and Marvel-a-thon was going on in June. So I missed it! And then Tome Topple started yesterday, but all of my books are in transit, so I’ve decided to conduct my own private readathon using the game board for the Marvel-a-thon but with some of my own added rules. Because that’s how I do things, you know? I’ve got my Kindle here with me and a whole lot of old ARCs that I never had time for, so here is what I devised for myself:

Marie’s NetGalley + Edelweiss Marvel-a-thon

Tada! Many birds with a fun, superhero stone! Here’s the game board, made by the lovely Jamison at Jamishelves.

And here are the challenges, which follow the movies in the MCU. (Psst, I’ve been watching everything in the MCU in order! You can go check out my progress at in the #MarieMarvels section of the blog.) I’ve included my intended TBR too… sometimes with multiple options, because I am a moodreader, after all! Most of the books come from my ARC backlist or frontlist, with a few exceptions. Hurray!

Phase One:

• Iron Man: Iron Man started the MCU timeline (in terms of when the movies were made, at least). Read the first book in a series.
  • Beyond the Red by Ava Jae
  • The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King
• The Hulk: Bruce Banner is famous for his green alter ego. Read a book with a green cover.
  • I’m Not Missing by Carrie Fountain
• Iron Man 2: Iron Man 2 is one of Marvel’s most unpopular movies (aside from The Hulk, obvi). Read a book that’s unpopular. (Note: there are many “unpopular” books that I flat out refuse to read, so this one is only mildly unpopular, according to Goodreads. And the other option is Hillary, so no questions should be asked.).
  • Smothered by Autumn Chiklis
  • What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Thor: The Thor movies are (loosely) based on Norse Mythology. Read a book that involves myth or mythology.
  • The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
• Captain America: Captain America was set during World War II. Read a book set or written in WWII.
  • Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• The Avengers: The Avengers is the first time we see the MCU heroes together. Read a book with multiple perspectives.
  • Sugar Street by M.J. Pullen
  • Furyborn by Claire Legrand

Phase Two:

• Iron Man 3: Tony Stark has to make some hard decisions in this movie. Read a book that will challenge you.
  • Me and Me by Alice Kuipers
  • How Does It Feel to Be Unwanted by Eileen Truax
• Thor: The Dark World: In the Dark World, Thor has to team up with Loki to win. Read a book that involves siblings.
  • The Story After Us by Fiona Perrin
  • The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier: In the Winter Soldier, a character returns as a villain. Read a book where the main character is a villain or anti-hero. (Oh, how I wish Mackenzi Lee’s Loki book was out!)
  • The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox
• Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Guardians of the Galaxy is well-known for its soundtrack. Read a book set in, written in, or involving the 1980s.
  • The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron: The villain in Age of Ultron is a robot created by Tony Stark. Read a book involving AI in some way.
  • The Future Will Be BS Free by Will McIntosh
  • Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Ant-Man: In Ant-Man, Scott involuntarily gets caught up in a heist. Read a book involving a heist or thieves.
  • The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Phase Three:

• Captain America: Civil War: The Avengers split into two teams after a disagreement (LOL A DISAGREEMENT). Read a book about a rivalry or enemies.
  • Not Now, Not Ever by Lily Anderson
• Doctor Strange: Stephen Strange was a doctor before he was a hero. Read a book that involves medicine in some way.
  • The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang
  • Get Well Soon by Jennifer Wright
• Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: GOTGV2 shows even more epic space battles. Read a book set in or involving space.
  • To See the Sun by Kelly Jensen
• Spider-Man: Homecoming: Peter Parker has to hide his superhero identity at school. Read a YA book involving secrets in some way.
  • See All the Stars by Kit Frick
• Thor: Ragnarok: Ragnarok is one of Marvel’s most popular movies. Read a popular book. (This could basically be a free-for-all, but…)
  • Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova
  • My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
• The Avengers: Infinity War: Considered “the most ambitious crossover event in history.” Read a book that fulfills multiple challenges.
  • The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
• Black Panther: Black Panther features Marvel’s first black superhero. Read an #ownvoices book with a black main character. (There are so many excellent new books to choose from!)
  • The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
• Captain Marvel: This movie will feature Marvel’s first female hero as the main character. Read a book with a female MC. (LOL this is basically my entire library.)
  • Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon
• The Avengers 4: Details of this movie, including its title, are still a secret. Read a book you don’t know anything about. (I actually try to keep book plots largely a secret until I’m reading them, so hey, this could be just about anything!)
  • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Whew! That’s all, folks! The original readathon took place over one month, so I’m going to try to stick to that too. I’m shooting for July 1-31, so this starts tonight at midnight for me! I better finish up that Spy book, huh? *laugh crying forever*

All credit for the readathon idea goes to Jamison at Jamishelves! I’m just putting a little spin on it.

Happy reading, and have a bookish weekend!