Book-tube-a-thon To Be Read Pile

I’ve never really done many read-a-thons before. I have about three weeks before school starts, so I thought that this would be a good time to get some books knocked out of my to be read pile. I’m hoping that writing this down will actually keep me on track with getting some books knocked out of the way before I’m drowning in homework again. Ariel from Ariel Bissett hosts this every year, so I’ll link her channel here. Check out what she’s reading and how all the challenges work.

Here are the challenges this year-

1. Read a book with a person on the cover:
            My pick for this challenge is Gunslinger Girl by Lindsay Ely. It doesn’t come out until January… but it’s been really calling out to me lately. I think I need a good western adventure to get me out of this creeping reading slump. I’m hoping that this read-a-thon is going to get me out of it before it starts. My other option for this challenge is Hunted by Megan Spooner, which is a Beauty and the Beast retelling.

2. Read a hyped book:

            I didn’t really know what to read for this, since I have so many books on my shelf that are, essentially hyped. I think I might finally read either Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard or A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. These books are both very different, but very hyped books. I’m eager to see why everyone loves them so much.

3. Finish a book in one day:

            I’m probably going to read a Victoria Schwab book for this challenge, since she is so engaging. I read most of her books in one day. The other booko I have for this option is The Windfall by Diksha Basu, which is a super short book I got through Book of the Month Club.

4. Read a character that is very different from you:

            A Court of Mist and Furies by Sarah J Maas is about faeries, so I think that’s pretty different from me… It’ll also give me an excuse to finally continue with the series.

5. Finish a book completely outdoors:

            This normally isn’t that hard of a challenge for me, but it’s been so freaking hot outside lately that it’s going to be difficult for me to just want to leave the comfort of my air conditioning. Maybe it will cool off later this week so I can knock this challenge out.

6. Read a book you bought because of the cover:

            I do this very rarely, but I think I’m going to read Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I think it’s just a really simple cover that doesn’t give much away about what the book is about, which I really appreciate.

7. Read seven books:

            I have some easier romance books that I can read from my Kindle, so I’ll probably just pick some of those up in order to complete this challenge.

Anyways, this is just a loose pile of books that I want to read. I am really bad about keeping on track with actual lists since I am a mood reader. Hopefully I’ll be able to read so

Ten Books to Read in 2017

I haven’t done a top ten list in awhile. I got this idea from Ameriie, so I’ll link her Ten Books to Read in 2017 video here (her book is on this list as an honorable mention!). Since we’re already halfway through July (I can’t believe it), I’m making it a priority to read as much as I can. These are either books on my shelf, books that people have recommended to me, or books that I have easy access to through the library. Without further ado, let’s get into the books that have most priority for me right now. I guess this would be the Young Adult version of this list, because I have more than just ten I want to get to.

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera:

            This book follows Griffin, who’s ex boyfriend dies in a drowning accident. It sounds like there are secrets another boy who started dating Griffin after he moved away to college. I love stories about grief and how people deal with these kinds of emotions, so I’m all for this book. Plus, I loved his debut novel More Happy Than Not, so I’m basically going to read anything by Adam Silvera at this point.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz: 

            I’ll just put a brief quote from the Goodreads description here, because I’m really bad at giving synopsis for books. “The first day of senior year: Everything is about to change. Until this moment, sal has always been certain of his plays with his adoptive gay father and their loving Mexican—American family. But now his own history unexpectedly haunts him, and life—altering events force him and his best friend, Samantha, to confront issues of faith, loss, and grief.” I guess I’m really into the hard—hitting contemporaries right now because this is another grief—laden story that I can’t wait to get my hands on.

The Gentlemen’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee:

            Honestly, I don’t know how I haven’t gotten a copy of this yet. Oh, right. It’s because I’m seriously broke. Anyways, this is one of my most anticipated books of the entire year and I still haven’t been able to read it. I’ve heard it compared to Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, but in old Europe. And it’s kind of a road trip novel! This book sounds so up my alley. Also, the cover is simply stunning.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers:

            This has been on my radar for a long time. It’s about an eclectic crew on a spaceship “just trying to get from here to there.” I’ve heard this is very character driven. I have a copy waiting for me on my shelf; I can’t wait to get to this science fiction book. I’ve been really craving this kind of story for a while.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J.Maas:

            I can’t and don’t really want to know much about this second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I just need to catch up as soon as possible, and this book has been staring at me for so long. I don’t know why I’ve been procrastinating. What I do know is that this is a Hades and Persephone retelling, but it involves faeries, so I’m interested to see how that plays out.

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis:

            “Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.” Just this little bit of the synopsis has me intrigued. I also loved her previous books, so I can’t wait to get to this gritty contemporary.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson:

            All I really know is that this follows twins who were super close and then something happened to make them not close anymore. It’s told in past and present, so I know I’m going to love finding out what happened between them. Jandy Nelson is so many people’s favorite author, so I’m excited to get to he ore famous book.

Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson:

            Jodi Lynn Anderson’s book Tiger Lily, is one of my all time favorite books. I wasn’t really interested in any of her other books until this one. It seems like a kind of multi-generational story with weird science fiction/magical realism elements weaved in there. I am not even going to attempt to summarize this because I have no idea what it’s actually about.

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab:

            I’ve been on a real Victoria Schwab kick recently. I’m currently reading her A Darker Shade of Magic series, and I loved the first book in the This Savage Song duology, so I’m really looking forward to this sequel. I didn’t want to know much about this going in, because it is a sequel and a conclusion. It follows Kate Harker and August Flynn in a world where monsters are made real by acts of violence. The first one was really engaging and I recommend it to people all the time, so I’m really looking forward to getting this book in my hands.

More Than This by Patrick Ness:

            I read The Rest of Us Just Live Here earlier this summer, and absolutely adored it. A Monster Calls is one of my favorite books of all time. I’m just on a Patrick ness kick, obviously. This one has been sitting on my shelf for years (since it was published in 2014). I just haven’t gotten to it yet. “A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies. Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive.” That quote is all I really need to know about this book. That, and the fact that Patrick Ness wrote it.

These are all of the books that I want to get to by the end of the year. Most of them are young adult novels, but I have a completely separate list of adult books that are top priority as well. This has been such a great reading year so far, and I can’t wait to see what other books I’m going to get to! What are you most excited for? Comment down below to let me know!

Tentative July To Be Read

            I am so bad at to be read piles. I am mostly a mood reader, so I’ll sit staring at my bookshelves until something piques my interest. This month, however, I have a small stack of ARCS and library books that need to be read before school starts next month. Yikes. I don’t want to think about that. Mostly because I’ll be graduating in a year. Anyways, the books are much more important. I’m going to talk about the books I’m excited for this month/the books that I have to read and review. I don’t think I’m going to get too much in the synopsis of these because I’ve been trying to go into books blind. I’ll give a brief summary of the main plots, but I feel like too often the synopsis spoils a book. Without further ado, let’s get into the books!

Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody:

            This is a murder mystery set in a fantasy circus. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this (comes out July 25) and I’m already slightly behind. This is top priority.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir:

            This is the sequel to An Ember in the Ashes. It’s a fantasy inspired by ancient Rome, and the first book in this series was fantastic. I have this checked out from the library.

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas:

            I have no idea what this is about really, I picked up this because the cover is stunning and I think it’s about a writer. This comes out September 2017, so you have a few months to wait.

White Bodies by Jane Robinson:

            I’ve been weirdly into thrillers lately. This is an adult thriller that comes out September 2017. If you liked Gone Girl or Girl on the Train you will probably want this on your radar.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust:

            This is an LGBT fantasy retelling of Snow White, and I couldn’t be more excited to read this. This also comes out Setptember 2017. You definitely want this book on your radar.

            These are my tentative plans for reading this July. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get to more than this, just because, like I mentioned before, school is starting in a month and a half and I won’t have hardly any time to read once it starts up again. Have you heard of any of these? Let me know in the comments!  

Beginners Guide to Fantasy

I love fantasy novels. It’s probably my favorite genre. I read maybe one or two contemporary books a year. I’m very picky about that genre. But fantasy is a whole other ballgame. For as long as I can remember, I’ve read for escapism. I like to be enveloped in a story that takes me to somewhere new and exciting. Fantasy, however, can be intimidating (have you seen how big the Game of Thrones books are?).  I thought it would be fun to show you what some of my favorite fantasy books are. These are the ones that I read when I was younger, yes, but I feel like anyone would be able to enjoy them—especially if they’re looking to get into the longer fantasy novels that are out there. I feel like these books are a good place to start.

            I’ll get the obvious out of the way and say it—Harry Potter. Everybody has either read or heard about these books. However, the later books in the series can get long and rather complicated (in my opinion). So here are the books that I think make great introduction to the fantasy genre. If you’ve read any of these let me know. Or, if you feel I’ve missed a series to put in here, let me know that too! Without further ado, let’s get into the list!

The Goose Girl series by Shannon Hale:

            I read this series so long ago. I think it’s actually time for a reread because I have such fond memories of this series. Essentially, it’s about a girl who is royalty but is cast out of the palace for some reason. I don’t particularly remember the details. I do, however, remember loving this series. There’s also the added element of air/fire/water/earth elementals. The first book introduces the power so subtly that you don’t even really notice that the main character has one of these powers, and I really appreciated that. So much of the time the magic system is just thrown in your face and it’s hard to grasp right away. I think that Shannon Hale did an excellent job with this series, and anybody can enjoy them! I think it’s time for a reread of this series soon.

Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

            This is another classic YA fantasy series that I read back in junior high and high school. The first book in this trilogy, Graceling, is about a world where people have graces. I.E., they have the stronger abilities than most to play music or make things or grow plants. The main character of Graceling has the Grace to kill someone, and she’s basically the king’s assassin at the beginning of the book. The rest of the books are in the same world but follow different characters. I won’t go into too much detail, because they’re kind of spoilers for what happens in the first, but this series was another that was super easy to read and understand what was happening. I think it’s a great place to start if you’re looking for a classic high fantasy story.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson

            This book plays off of the classic “chosen one” trope. Elisa is such a strong main character that you can’t help but root for her through all three books. Her character development is exponential throughout the series. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is so easy to read that you will more than likely forget you’re even reading a fantasy story. I have such fond memories of this series.

Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard

            From the description on Goodreads, “This is a world divided by blood—red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers.” Basically, if you like X-Men and fantasy, I think you’d really appreciate this. It’s a four-book series and only three are out right now, but the first one follows Mare Barrow as she discovers that she might be more than just a Red. This is another one that’s easy to get into but will probably make a long-lasting impression on you if you like this kind of thing. People complain that it’s kind of a mash up of everything that’s been done before in YA, but honestly, I thought it was executed really well.

An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir

            This is another really popular series, but it’s more of a desert fantasy. It follows Laia, a slave girl, and Elias, who is the prodigy of an elite military school. This is brutal and violent, but I was completely sucked into it. If you’re into spies and people trying to fight for their freedom, then definitely check this one out. I think it’d be right up your alley. I flew through it in a couple of days, and have been putting off reading the sequel, just because I don’t want to have to wait for the third. But I highly recommend this. The first book in this series was so fun and engaging, that I really do think anyone would have a good time reading this.

            So these are my picks for my beginners guide to fantasy. Hopefully I chose ones that people don’t know much about, so I can get them onto people’s radars. I really had a great time reading all of these, and think that most people will enjoy them. Have you read any of these? What are your beginner fantasy recommendations? Leave them in the comments!

Strange the Dreamer Review

Today I finished Strange the Dreamer, and I have to say, that this book was incredibly strange. This has been my first experience with a Laini Taylor book… and I am very confused. I still gave it a decently high rating, because it kept my interest through the entire thing. I’ll get into why I didn’t give it a full five stars in a bit, but I’m going to go ahead and say it’s more of a 3.75 rating. Strange the Dreamer was so strange that the entire time I was reading, I expected to find answers as I flew through this book, only to be left more in the dark.

            I’m going to try and explain this book in a way that’s easy to understand, although I don’t know if that’s possible.

            Essentially, Strange the Dreamer follows Lazlo Strange who is an orphaned boy who is discovered by monks at the beginning of the novel, turns into a librarian and then… well you’ll have to read to see if he becomes anything else by the end of the book. The entirety of this novel follows him as his obsession with city named Weep (because a goddess ate it’s original name) and what he does when he actually gets there.

            The things that I enjoyed the most about this novel are fairly straightforward. I felt that the plot was original, and it kept me engaged for the entire book. I wanted to find out who these blue skinned people were and why they were there. Lazlo as a character was very entertaining to read about, especially in the earlier parts of the book. I so related to his dreaminess, and his getting lost in the library where he worked at. Laini Taylor’s writing is so vivid that I really felt as though I were in this book. Those are the kinds of books I like reading the best—if they can block out the outside world for a couple of days, then I know it’s a good book. And Strange the Dreamer is good, in it’s own way, but I do have a few complaints.

            I’m going to start with the romance.

            I like a good romance as much as the next person. That being said, when I’m engrossed in a fantasy novel, I don’t want it to take up the entire plot. Mostly I kept reading because I wanted to find out where these blue skinned people came from and why they were there. I basically got no answers. While I understand that this is the first book in a series (duology? I have no idea how many books are going to be in this series), I like to have at least some answers before I have to wait another year for the next installment. And to be honest? I couldn’t care less about Lazlo and his romance with the other main character. I wanted to learn more about the world and what happened to make these blue people come down to this world and be so cruel to humans. There was so much talk about hate and how brutal it could make people, but I wanted to see why. Sure, there was some backstory as to why some of the characters are the way they are now, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Laini Taylor’s flowery writing really only focused on this very intense dream romance (I don’t really know what to call it without spoiling the whole book).

            So, overall, I’m not quite sure how I felt about it. I gave it a higher rating on Goodreads, mostly because I enjoyed reading it for what it was. I still wished there were more answers than Taylor gave us, but it was like watching a very vivid movie that I never wanted to leave. I have very conflicting emotions about this book. I’m definitely going to pick up the next one, and I’m not sure if I explained it well enough for any of you to want to read it. I say if you read her previous Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, you might want to check this out. For me, however, this book was my first experience with Laini Taylor’s writing, and I don’t know how I feel about it, if I’m being honest. I had a really good time while I was reading it, but now that I’m done I feel mostly confused. Hopefully we’ll get some answers in the sequel, because with the way this one ended, I know that I’m going to be picking it up when it’s released.