Love-a-thon kick off | Questionnaire.

Hosted by: Alexa (Alexa Loves Books), Cee (The Novel Hermit), Hazel (Stay Bookish) & Mel (The Daily Prophecy)

Hello everyone to this wonderful day. It is the time where we kick off the Love-a-thon event! It is time to post your answer to the questionnaire and to hop around different blogs to get to know new people. This post also contains the list with participating people and even the first giveaway.

Also, don't forget to check out Instagram (with Alexandra (@twirlingpages, Aly (@alybabybooks and Mara (@bookmarauders as our ambassadors), Youtube (with Anabel-In the Book Corner, Kristin-Super Space Chick and Tiffany-About to Read as our ambassadors) and Twitter with the hash tag #Loveathon to keep up with the different platforms!

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1. What’s your name?
   Melanie, but Mel to all my friends.
2. Where in the world are you blogging from? The Netherlands, country that is probably known for cheese, windmills, tulips and clogs (plus two other things I would like to ignore)
3. How did you get into blogging in the first place?
   It all started on Goodreads (follow/friend me if you like!), where I saw people linking back to their blog. One day I decided I wanted to do the same and I took the jump.
4. How did you come up with your blog name?
   It is a nod to Harry Potter (The Daily Prophet) and I have no idea, it just popped in my head and I still love it.
5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?
   Fantasy and fairytale retellings, my two favorite things in the world.
6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews?
   I post the occasional discussion post, I have something called Fairytale News where I talk about all the fairytales. I also like to ramble about movies/TV shows, specifically Disney.
7. Best blogging experience so far?
   I think making friends all over the world. I think it is amazing I've finally found people who love to read too. Also, I've gotten so many awesome opportunities, like having my name added in the acknowledgment of Cress, being mentioned on the Harper Collins website with my review for The Queen of the Tearling, starting of my book club and being asked for amazing events like this! Also, meeting Leigh Bardugo was the BEST.
8. Favorite thing about the blogging community?
   Talking, raving, shouting, discussing and ranting about books.
9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2016!
   Mindy McGinnis – The female of the species.
   Victoria Schwab – This savage song.
   Cat Winters – Yesternight.
   Marissa Meyer – Heartless.
   Sarah J. Maas – A court of mist and fury.
10. Name the 5 books you want to read this 2016 that you didn’t get to in previous years! Rachel Cain – Ink and bone.
    Ransom Riggs – Library of souls.
    Liz Braswell – A whole new world.
    Elizabeth May – The vanishing throne.
    Erin Bowman – Vengeance road.
11. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read? Everything by Juliet Marillier, hands down.
12. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF? I think a lot of people are going to say this, but I would be best friend with Hermione for sure.
13. Which book boy or girl would be your book boyfriend/girlfriend? I love the moody, serious, intelligent type of guys, but at the same time I also love sarcasm, so I would like to have a blend of Beast (Dark Triumph), Sturmhond (Grisha), Thorne (Lunar Chronicles) and Chaol (Throne of glass)
14. Who would you recruit for your apocalypse squad (5 characters max) Celaena, because she is a bad-ass. [Throne of glass]
    Katsa, that girl knows how to fight. [Graceling]
    Allison, battles with vampires and fights with a katana. [The immortal rules]
    Hermione, because magic always comes in handy. [Harry Potter]
    Nina, because damn girl! [Six of crows]
15. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests? I'm a big Netflix addict. Give me all the movies and TV shows! I love playing games, board games or PS3/Nintendo. I love hanging out with friends, boyfriend and family. I like writing and I used to paint/draw a lot and I wish to pick it up again.
16. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for? Clothes, definitely. Wearing new clothes makes me feel so confident.
    
17. What would your dream library look like?
    Beauty and the beast, oh yeah.

Love-a-thon sign-up post '16.

Hello, friends! It is with great pleasure that I can announced that the sign-ups for the 2016 Love-a-Thon are officially open today. I’m really excited about this year’s event. Last year I was a participant and this year I am one of the co-hosts together with Cee of The Novel Hermit, Hazel of Stay Bookish and Alexa from Alexa loves books. We’ve got plenty of fun things in store that will challenge your creativity and foster positivity and friendship in the book communities – on blogs, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. I hope that you’re ready to get in on sharing the love with us this year, whether you’re an event veteran or newbie!

The Love-a-Thon is an event dedicated to spreading positivity and love. It’s time dedicated to visiting other bloggers/Instagrammers/BookTubers, leaving a comment or two, making new friends and fostering positivity among the members of our amazing community. As in the previous years, the event will include mini challenges, Twitter chats and giveaways galore! The full schedule will be sent to you when you’ve signed up, so you can start preparing your posts.
We’re really looking forward to seeing everyone participate in sharing love, encouragement and inspiration all over the bookish communities on the blogosphere, Instagram and YouTube! And, of course, we hope everyone will have fun. If you’re interested in participating, please fill in the sign-up form below. Once that’s done, you can consider yourself an official #LoveAThon participant!

FAQ

Who can participate in the Love-a-Thon?
All book bloggers, Bookstagrammers, BookTubers, authors and publishers are welcome to jump in! We have challenges spanning three different platforms (blogs, YouTube & Instagram), and you can participate as much or as little as you’d like. (Everyone is invited to join in on the Twitter chats though!)

When is the Love-a-Thon happening?
We’re going to be maintaining the two day schedule, with the event taking place from February 20, 12:00AM EST to February 22, 12:00AM EST.

How can I sign up?
All you need to do is fill out the form below! You can grab the banner up top to share on your sidebar or your social media platform of choice. Sign-ups will be open up until February 20, though it’s recommended that you sign up early so that you receive the schedule and can plan out what you want to participate in!

How can I help?
There are two ways you can choose to help. First, you can help us spread the word! Last year’s number of participants was above and beyond anything I could have imagined. I’m hoping thereare even more of us this time! Second, you can donate to the giveaways! If you want to donate ANYTHING – books, swag, services – towards the mini-challenge giveaways or the big giveaway at the end, please email bbloveathon@gmail.com with details.

Twitter? 
Use the official hashtag (#LoveAThon) when tweeting about the event. I’ll be checking on it every now and then, so use it if you want me to see your tweets!

Questions, comments, concerns or suggestions?
If you have any other concerns that were not answered here, feel free to send an email to bbloveathon@gmail.com or to tweet any of us (@alexalovesbooks • @thenovelhermit • @staybookish • @dailyprophecy).

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up to participate in the 2016 Love-a-Thon today! If you do sign up, please know that we are so grateful and so excited to have you joining us this year. This community is really wonderful, and constantly growing, and is made up of such unique individuals. It’s truly awesome to be able to celebrate it, and to celebrate each other too!
 

Love-a-thon 2015. High Five.

I thought this was the best opportunity to spread some love to show my appreciation for you guys. I gave my own twist on the 'High Five' challenge and I'm only going to talk about the 'blogger' question. If I don’t mention your name, that doesn’t mean I’m not happy to have you around. You all contribute something unique to the community and it’s amazing that you are part of it. The last time we had our fair share of drama, but I hope we can put this behind us to focus on more important things: we are here to talk about our shared passion for reading and books. We might not always agree and there might be bumps in the road, but it’s an amazing thing we have here. Let’s not spoil that with negativity and fights.

First, I need to address some things people seem to discuss about all the time. So many articles shame people for the books they read, how they read and why they read. To those judgmental people I have one thing to say:

You are entitled to have your opinion, but not if it’s that kind of bullshit where you ridicule others for the books they pick up. It’s not up to you to decide what someone can/can’t read.

Love-a-thon 2015. Snapshots.

Hosted by Alexa from http://www.alexalovesbooks.com

This mini-challenge is about bookish pictures! I use my Instagram to post pictures of the books I'm currently reading or the ones I recently bought. Scattered throughout my account you might find snippets of my life and past. You can find my IG over here: Mel_1704.

I am going to show you a different range of photo's, starting with a Books(h)elfie and proof I've been a reader for a very long time. Instead of walking with dolls I used my doll carriage as book trolley. I was also fond of comfortable reading spots, like sitting in our laundry basket.

Love-a-thon 2015. One can only quote.

Hosted by Alexa from http://www.alexalovesbooks.com

This mini-challenge is all about picking your favorite quotes about 'love' and 'friendship'. I went with friendship quotes, because friendship are a powerful thing. I'm a big fan of Disney, so I went with a quote from Winnie the Pooh by A.A Milne.

Sketched by me, based on a picture from A.A Milne's work.

And I forced myself to pick only three quotes. There you go;

This is something I recognize myself in:
“You are my best friend as well as my lover, and I do not know which side of you I enjoy the most. I treasure each side, just as I have treasured our life together.” - Nicholas Sparks, The notebook.

Because there is almost no better friendship than these three:
"You said it once before," said Hermione quickly, "that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we? We're with you whatever happens.” - Hermione, J.K Rowling, Harry Potter & the half-blood prince.

And the last one, because I think it's powerful to see this happen between two guys.
“He looked at his friend, perhaps for the last time, and said what he had always known, from the moment they’d met, when he’d understood that the prince was his brother in soul. “I love you.” - Sarah J. Maas, Heir of fire.

What are some of your favorite quotes?

Love-a-thon 2015. Introduction.

I also participated in the 2014 Love-a-thon and you can find my interview here for even more information. Hosted by Alexa from http://www.alexalovesbooks.com

1. What’s your name?
   Melanie, but everybody calls me Mel.
   
   
2. Where in the world are you blogging from?
   The cold and rainy Netherlands.
   
   
3. How did you get into blogging in the first place?
   Goodreads. I started to post my reviews there and I stumbled upon a few bloggers. I decided I wanted to do the same and I simply got started.
   
   
4. How did you come up with your blog name?
   It’s a wink to my love for Harry Potter, based on their newspaper ‘The Daily Prophet.’
   
   
5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?
   Fantasy and Fairytales & retellings!
   

Debut-a-thon 2014.

Hosted by Books of Amber. This will take place from December 8th until December 14th. There is one rule: the debut must be released in 2014. There will be fun things during this event, like giveaways, interviews and challenges! Come join in the fun. You can find a list with possible titles here: 2014 debut author challenge.

Books I’m interested in:

For now I have no plans what I’m going to read, but if you have any recommendations let me know!

Bout of books Updates.

Here you can find all the details about my Sign up post and goals. You can also follow my progress on Twitter with the hashtag #dailyboutofbooks. You can find some of my photographs on my instagram: Mel_1704.

Bout of books sign-up + goals.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

I'm not sure what I want to read, but I hope to finish at least 4 books. My idea is to finish 2 TBR pile books and 2 review copies:

I want to visit 10 new blogs every day and leave some comment love. I hope to join at least two challenges and you can follow my progress on Twitter with the hashtag: #dailyboutofbooks

Are you participating? Leave a link to your sign-up/goal post!

Bout of Books '14.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Love-a-thon: Letter to a younger Mel.

I'm nervous and thought about not posting it.. I might take it offline after a while, but for now..

Dear young Mel,

Sometimes I want to go back and hug you, innocent, shy girl. I know it's sometimes hard for you to fit in, but please be yourself. There is no need to try to change yourself for others, you are good the way you are. Let them bully you all you want, you are better than them. I know that it would be too much to ask to stand up for yourself, so be strong. Enjoy the time you spend with the friendly people and ignore the uglies! Just remember that you are not alone. Keep reading the books you love; escape in the bookish world and feel loved by your family. Because remember:

Love-a-thon: spreading the love.

This is one of the things I love about the love-a-thon: spreading some bookish loves. I’ve tried to include as many of my favourite blogs as possible, but if you aren’t mentioned: you’re still awesome!

Love-a-thon: Mad lib.

I didn’t participate in the other two challenges, but this was too much fun to pass! What do you think about my story and the boys I picked as bookish boyfriends?

One day, I was swimming with Chaol. Out of the blue, a pirate ship came out of nowhere! It was so majestic, impressive and blue. At first, we were afraid, we were petrified, but we laughed. We hopped on a flying motorcycle to make our getaway. 

As we escaped, we turned up the radio because Let it go came on and made me sing out loud. Everything was extremely smooth sailing until a lady bug appeared in the middle of the road. We swerved to avoid it, but while Chaol stayed on the flying motorcycle, I got thrown onto my side in the woods. I couldn't get up, and felt dazed as I lay there staring up at the trees. What was I going to do? I heard a crashing sound among the leaves, and felt confused. Surely, this was going to be my end. As my eyes fluttered shut, the last thing I saw was a head of red hair and blue eyes.

When I woke up again, I was on a bookshelf. My body hurt a whole lot less, and I could sit up. There was another pirate ship and Christmas tree  in the room, along with a chocolate bar and slushpuppie. The door suddenly opened to reveal Sturmhond, a concerned look on his face. I blushed and averted my gaze, but he break-danced and said, "Don't be shy. It's okay."

He came over to sit by me, and we started talking after I told him my name. We chatted about TV shows, Disney and reading and realized we had a ton in common! I thought he was stunning and couldn't help feeling a little swoony. Just as he reached out for my hand, the door crashed open and in came Duval. "Don't let him charm you away, my love!" He yelled, running at Sturmhond. They each had tablespoons in their hands and began to fight. "Stop!", I yelled, feeling so excited They didn't listen to me. Before I could intervene, Sturmhond fell to the floor and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"What was that?" I asked, staring at the empty space. Duval dropped his weapon, and came over to me. "Magic, but you are safe now, little wolf." He hugged me close, and I suddenly knew that this was the real deal and not just a dream. Just as All of me started playing in my head, I woke up. I cursed my damned luck. Why had it only been just a dream?

Love-a-thon interview.

This event is hosted by Katelyn & Alexa. This is the 3rd time. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s in short a way for authors & bloggers to share love! You can find new blogs or just give some extra love to your favourite blogs. It’s actually a day for bloggers and authors to come together to share fun! There are some mini challenges, twitter chats and giveaways. The first thing we all do is sharing our interview. I’ve been busy with the start of my minor, so I decided to go for the pre-made questions this year.

1. How did you come up with your blog name?
I am a Potterhead, so my name is a reminder of the newspaper 'The Daily Prophet'

2. What genre/subject matter do you read and review most on your blog?
YA: fantasy, fairytales & retellings, Paranormal, Dystopian. Adult: fantasy.

3. Name the 3 books you're excited for in 2014!
Ruin & Rising (Leigh Bardugo), Mortal Heart (Robin LaFevers), Heir of fire (Sarah J. Maas)

4. Where in the world are you blogging from?
A cold, small country called The Netherlands.

5. Tell us -- how did you get into blogging in the first place?
I've always loved to read and write. I started out on Goodreads where I found out about the blogging world. I decided I wanted to combine two of the things I liked, so I created this blog.

6. Apart from reading, what other hobbies/interests do you have?
Watching TV shows and movies, swimming, Disney, hanging out with friends/family/boyfriend, travelling, drawing and I spend a lot of my time on my laptop.

7. If you were stuck on a deserted island, which books would you bring with you?
So, I can have several books.. Let me think. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, because that is my favorite book from the HP series. The book thief, because that's one of my favorite books ever. A bundle of Grimms fairytales and Tiger Lily for all the feelings.

8. If you were stuck in some dangerous situation (like a fire, a sinking ship, a warzone), which book boy or girl would you want to come and save you?
I'm thinking about Allie from The immortal rules. She is a new-made vampire who sticks to her humanity. I think it's handy to have someone who doesn't die easily. She is brave, strong and intelligent. We could work things out. For guys, I think I would like Chaol from Throne of glass. I think he's able to keep his head cool, so I can freak out.

9. You’re attending a party with your friends. Suddenly, the DJ changes the song and it’s YOUR song – what song would that be?
I don't have a ME song, actually. Recently I'm in love with 'All of me - John Legend' because I think it has some perfect lines. 'All your perfect imperfections' that's how I like to look at things. And 'Let it go' from the movie Frozen, because I need to remind myself to do that every now and then.

10. What 3 movies would you love to have your favorite author write into books, or vice versa?Books to movies: Cinder, Throne of glass, Shadow and bone.

Are you participating? Leave a link to your interview!

Read-a-thon Wonderfully Wicked.

Hosted by: My shelf confessions.

The Wonderfully Wicked Read-A-Thon is a time when we all get together to dedicate the days of October 11-20 to as much reading as possible. You read as much as you can in order to get yourself a little further through that huge to-read pile! We know real life gets in the way and even if you can’t participate more than one day, you’re welcome to join in on the fun!

You can find all the read-a-thons I've done so far on my page: Read-a-thons 2013.

I hope to read at least 6 books, but more importantly: I'm just going to have fun :D Are you participating in this event? Leave a link to your post and I'll pay a visit!

Read:
1. Bree Despain - The shadow prince.
2. Leigh Bardugo - Witch of Duva.
3. Leigh Bardugo - The tailor.
4. Leigh Bardugo - The too-clever fox.
5. Anthology - Once upon a time, new fairy tales.
6. Marissa Meyer - Cress.
7. Marissa Meyer - The queen's army.
8. Robin Bridges - The gathering storm.

Fairytale read-a-thon.

 Debz Bookshelf.

I’m planning to read at least 3 books. Here are some books that I might pick:

Tiger Lily is a re-read, but I just love the story so much I might want to read it again.

Bout of Books '13.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

My bloglovin' account is filled with posts about Bout of Books, so I decided to take a look at this read-a-thon. It sounds like fun and I definitely want to read some more books this week. Hence, my very late sign up post. I'm going to set my goal on reading 4/5 books. I'm not sure yet which books I'm going to read, but these are candidates:

If you want to stay updated, you can check my complete read-a-thon page right here: Read-a-thon challenges and I will be editing this post with my progress.

Let's have some fun!

Take control of your TBR-pile Read-A-Thon.

I did one read-a-thon last year and I had so much fun, that I decided to participate in a few this year. This read-a-thon sounds great and I have more than enough books on the shelves I need to read. I really hope to lower my TBR pile, because the amount of unread books is overwhelming.

You can find more information here at the host: Kimba @Caffeinated Book reviewer. But a short version (from her blog): This month is meant to read away that TBR-pile. Every book must be published before March 2013. Time to read your own books! This Read-A-Thon starts March 1st and ends March 31.

Link to my read-a-thon page: Thedailyprophecy. You can find my progress there.

Planning to read:
1. Wendy Higgings - Sweet evil.
2. Emily McKay - The farm.
3. Robin Wasserman - The book of blood & shadow.
4. Laini Taylor - Daughter of smoke and bone.
5. Sangu Mandanna - The lost girl.
6. Sarah Zettel - Dust girl.
7. J. A. Souders - Renegade.
8. Philippa Gregory - Changeling.
9. Jody Gherman - Audrey's guide to witchcraft.
10. Leigh Bardugo - Shadow and bone.

and I'm currently reading Splintered by A.G Howard, part of my TBR pile.
 
Have you read any of these books? Which one do you recommend to read first? If you are participating, leave a link to your post and I'll definitely stop by!

Book Blogger Love-a-thon interview.

Hosted by: Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands. 
and Alex loves books.

Hello bloggers! I decided to participate in the Book Blogger Love-a-thon and we had to do a interview swap. I was linked to Candice from The grown-up YA. This is my first interview and it was fun to do! I was also interviewed, so head over to her blog to find out more about me! :). Let's go on to the interview: