Introducing – UKYA Readathon! Coming August 2020

So I am SO EXCITED to announce that I am hosting a readathon! I’ve been plotting this for a little while but I’m finally getting it off the ground. I wanted to put together a readathon that celebrates all things UKYA, as there are some amazing UK authors, and I feel that a lot of us don’t celebrate that enough. This readathon is going to run throughout August 2020, and has nine prompts. If you want to double up prompts to complete it, you can, there’s no real rules, just to read UKYA authors! I’m including Irish authors too, as they definitely don’t get enough love!

I’ve had some amazing help with it – Lis from @careful_of_books and Faye from A Daydreamer‘s Thoughts. Lis helped me sort categories and gave me some invaluable advice, and Faye did my amazing graphics and again helped with categories. 💙

I am using a fairly broad definition of UK and Irish authors – so if you consider them to be so, they count! And if you’re stuck for book ideas, there are some useful lists on goodreads here, however I’ve also included a couple of ideas to start you off. Onto the prompts!

Read a Debut

This is fairly self explanatory! It doesn’t have to be a current debut, any UK (&I) YA author’s debut counts. Examples are:

• The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
• Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran
• The Novice by Taran Matharu
• Solitaire by Alice Oseman
• Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

Reread a Favourite

If you don’t like to reread books, read a new book by a favourite author! I can’t help you with examples for this 😉

Book with a Monarchy

Any book featuring a monarchy! If the more obvious fantasy examples I have aren’t for you, then any book you can justify from contemporary or mystery etc can count 🙂

• State of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury
• Gilded Cage by Vic James
• Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
• To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

AOC Read

Books written by British or Irish authors of Colour.

• I am Thunder by Muhammad Khan
• Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
• Naughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
• The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

LGBT+ Read

Any book that covers the LGBT+ spectrum, or is written by an author who identifies as LGBT+

• Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
• The Love Hypothesis by Laura Steven
• Eight Pieces of Silva by Patrice Lawrence
• Hideous Beauty by William Hussey

Red, White or Blue Cover

Another fairly self explanatory one!

• The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James
• After the Fire by Will Hill
• Heartstream by Tom Pollock
• A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
• Margot and Me by Juno Dawson

Trip to the Seaside

Read any book based around water – lakes, sea, rivers – it all counts!

• Hold Back the Tide by Melinda Salisbury
• Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
• Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Deidre Sullivan
• Viper by Bex Hogan

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Read a book outside your favourite genre. So for me, this is anything not fantasy! It will likely be a contemporary or historical book, depending on what calls out from my shelves 😉

Afternoon Tea

Read a book that starts with the letter ‘T’! If you’re reaaaaaaaally stuck, you can even use “The”

• Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
• Truth or Dare by Non Pratt
• Theatrical by Maggie Harcourt

Feel free to reuse the graphics when plotting your TBR’s, and if you post them definitely come and let me know 🙂

Are you planning to take part? Let me know if so! I’d love to chat with you about it – here or on twitter using the hashtag #UKYAreadathon