Saturday, September 24, 2016

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander



Publication Date: March 12, 1964
Publisher:  Square Fish
Pages: 224
Series:  The Chronicles of Pydain #1
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Autumn TBR


Autumn is defined by falling leaves, colder weather, and Halloween.  The colder weather just makes me want to sit inside with a cup of tea and a good book even more than usual, so I actually thought up a list of books to read before Winter comes. Although I can't promise I'll stick to this very well, one can hope, right?

Saturday, September 17, 2016

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab



Publication Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 464
Series: Monsters of Verity #1
Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books. Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives. 

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

How to Survive High School



Last week (when this post was supposed to go up, but somehow disappeared and ruined my cosmic timing) I started my junior year of high school.  It's going to be difficult and tedious every step of the way.  I rather deal with taking down a dystopian government than with hormonal teenagers that have the emotional range of a teaspoon (thanks, Hermione).  If only I were attending Hogwarts instead...

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe


Publication Date: 1958
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 152
Series: The African Trilogy #1
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis: Okonkwo is the greatest wrestler and warrior alive , and his fame spreads throughout West Africa life a bush-fire in the harmattan. But when he accidentally kills a clansman, things begin to fall apart. Then Okonkwo returns from exile to find missionaries and colonial governors have arrived in the village. With the world thrown radically off-balance he can only hurtle towards tragedy.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

The Greek Mythology Tag


Like everyone else, I think my introduction to Greek mythology was the Percy Jackson series.  Ever since then I've really enjoyed all the different stories and issues...that were usually caused by Zeus's affairs.  Thanks to Tasya @ The Literary Huntress for tagging me!

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray


Publication Date: September 4, 2015
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press 
Pages: 551
Series: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Genre: Science Fiction
Synopsis: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Eight years after the fall of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire now reigns over the known galaxy. Resistance to the Empire has been all but silenced. Only a few courageous leaders such as Bail Organa of Alderaan still dare to openly oppose Emperor Palpatine. After years of defiance, the many worlds at the edge of the Outer Rim have surrendered. With each planet’s conquest, the Empire’s might grows stronger. The latest to fall under the Emperor’s control is the isolated mountain planet Jelucan, whose citizens hope for a more prosperous future even as the Imperial Starfleet gathers overhead…

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

The Phenomena of Youtuber Books


Does anyone remember when YouTube was a place for crappy dance/music videos and makeup tutorials filmed on a laptop camera?  But that YouTube is now a thing of the past.  In the past few years, YouTube has transformed from a hobby into a full-fledged business where creators are sponsored by brands and offered product deals, including book deals.  There has been a huge influx of YouTuber books in the market, causing a point of contention with viewers and especially book lovers.  

Friday, August 26, 2016

Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke


Publication Date:  March 22, 2016
Publisher:  Dial Books
Pages:  247
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Contemporary
Synopsis:  Every story needs a hero. Every story needs a villain. Every story needs a secret. Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous. What really happened? Someone knows. Someone is lying.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

The Raven Cycle Book Tag


Honestly, if you don't know about my obsession with The Raven Boys, where have you been?  This series is one for the books.  So you're probably wondering: but, Erin, didn't Anna from Annaish tag you to do this weeks ago?  Yes, yes she did.  

Friday, August 19, 2016

Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton


Publication Date:  July 12, 2016
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Pages:  384
Series:  Tiny Pretty Things #2
Genre:  Contemporary
Synopsis:  June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice. June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price. After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

In Which I Venture into Bookstagram


Recently I took the plunge and created a bookstagram (alongside Rebekah from Wings Made of Words).  It has been a couple of weeks since I finally started the account and it has been a lot of fun!  I have discovered a lot of new bloggers and bookstagrams, and it would be selfish not to share them.

Friday, August 5, 2016

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton


Publication Date:  August 26, 2014
Publisher:  Ecco Press
Pages:  400
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Historical Fiction 
Synopsis:  On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office—leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin. But Nella’s world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist—an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . . Johannes’ gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand—and fear—the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Friday, July 29, 2016

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab


Publication Date:  February 23, 2016
Publisher:  Tor Books
Pages:  512
Series:  Shades of Magic #2
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift – back into Black London. Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games – an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries – a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port. And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall. 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

A Severe Case of Harry Potter Nostalgia


Growing up, I didn't want to be a doctor or a teacher.  There was a short stretch where I wanted to be a veterinarian, but that ended the second I discovered euthanization. No, I was determined to attend Hogwarts and become a wizard.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas


Publication Date:  May 3, 2016 
Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages:  640
Series:  A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.


Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Fear of the Future


Recently my older brother graduated from high school, which is a terrifying thing, for him more so than for me.  But it's had me thinking about my future.  In two years, I'll be in his place, and it's so strange to think that.  Just yesterday it seems I was doing cartwheels in the front yard and playing with my mom's makeup.  Today, while I may not be all grown up just yet, I'm getting there.  And that, my friends, is the scary part.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins


Publication Date:  March 15, 2016
Publisher:  Broadway Books
Pages:  400
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once. That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Friday, July 8, 2016

American Gods by Neil Gaiman


Publication Date:  June 19, 2001
Publisher:  William Morrow  
Pages:  592 
Series:  American Gods #1
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident.  Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.  He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same…

Friday, July 1, 2016

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater


Publication Date:  April 26, 2016
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Pages:  439
Series:  The Raven Cycle #4
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  For years, Gansey has been on a quest to find a lost king. One by one, he’s drawn others into this quest: Ronan, who steals from dreams; Adam, whose life is no longer his own; Noah, whose life is no longer a lie; and Blue, who loves Gansey… and is certain she is destined to kill him.  Now the endgame has begun. Dreams and nightmares are converging. Love and loss are inseparable. And the quest refuses to be pinned to a path.


Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The Get to Know Me Tag



Thanks to Denise at The Bibliolater for tagging me!  I'm the nosy kind of person that loves finding out more about the person behind the blog, so I hope you guys enjoy this, too.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Recap: April 2016


April is my favorite month of the year.  I won't lie, this probably had something to do with the fact that my birthday is in April.  But, hey, there's also the great weather.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Birthday in DC



On April 22, I turned 16, which is apparently a big deal as birthdays go.  There are entire TV shows revolving around sweet 16 parties, but I'm not much of a party kind of person, and half my friends live in another state since I moved, so for my own birthday, I decided to forgo that tradition.  Instead, I took a weekend trip to Washington DC with my family and seized the hell out of that weekend.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Shadowhunters Season One Review


In 2013, just before I read the book series, The Mortal Instruments was adapted into the infamous City of Bones movie that ultimately flopped.  In 2015 it was announced that the series was getting another shot at success--this time an unrelated TV show with a brand new cast and set of writers.  But maybe it didn't quite succeed in the way we had hoped.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan


Publication Date:  May 19, 2015
Publisher:  Crown
Pages:  320
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Magical Realism/Fantasy
Synopsis:  As a Gracekeeper, Callanish administers shoreside burials, sending the dead to their final resting place deep in the depths of the ocean. Alone on her island, she has exiled herself to a life of tending watery graves as penance for a long-ago mistake that still haunts her. Meanwhile, North works as a circus performer with the Excalibur, a floating troupe of acrobats, clowns, dancers, and trainers who sail from one archipelago to the next, entertaining in exchange for sustenance.  In a world divided between those inhabiting the mainland ("landlockers") and those who float on the sea ("damplings"), loneliness has become a way of life for North and Callanish, until a sudden storm offshore brings change to both their lives--offering them a new understanding of the world they live in and the consequences of the past, while restoring hope in an unexpected future. 

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Bookworms Will Love


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This is a master list of some of my favorite books.  All of them can't be here, but most of them are.  If anyone asked me, "What book should I read?" I would most likely say one of these ones, which all hold a special place in my heart.  All bookworms, like me, would love these.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare




Publication Date:  March 8, 2016
Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages:  668
Series:  The Dark Artifices #1
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions… Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish People on Social Media



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish, and I especially love this week's topic because I have a (slight) obsession with all things bookish and social media related.  The hardest part is choosing who to include!

Monday, April 4, 2016

Recap: March 2016


Spring has finally sprung, and even though the weather is all over the place and allergies are running rampant, I am extremely happy.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Comic Book Reviews III


Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why 
Author:  G. Willow Wilson 
Artist:  Adrian Alphona
Rating:  2.5

That's it, I gave this series a shot, but the second volume is just as disappointing as the first.  It seems more like a parody of a comic than the real thing. There's nothing new, nothing that really grabs you. It has a tendency to be rather cliche and generally cringe-worthy.  The art, too, left much to be desired. What threw me off the most with the art style was how disproportional it could be.  I am definitely in the minority with this one, but I just expected more.


The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 2: Dallas 
Author:  Gerard Way 
Artist:  Gabriel Bá
Rating:  4.5

Admittedly, I had the foolish notion that Apocalypse Suite was as good as it could get.  Like I said, it was a foolish notion.  Dallas is a stroke of genius.  It's a ridiculous mess of time travel, assassins, and talking fish.  If I must repeat myself--it's genius.  And that's not even mentioning Gabriel Bá's phenomenal art.


The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys No. 1-6 
Authors:  Gerard Way and Shaun Simon
Artist:  Becky Cloonan
Rating:  4

This is one of those projects created to send a message, and while the story can often be sacrificed for that message, this comic mini series struck a nice balance.  The world-building may be a little lacking and the plot a bit predictable, but the cast of characters are nothing but fabulous, and that message I mentioned earlier?  It's also fabulous. The art, too, was clean and colorful.  However, I fully admit that the enjoyment from reading this relies a bit on watching and understanding the music videos that go along with the comics.  


The Amazing Spider-man, No. 1:  Amazing Fantasy #15 
Author:  Stan Lee
Artist:  Steve Ditko
Rating:  3.5

All the way back to the beginning of Spiderman, to his origin story.  Who ever thought that originally Peter Parker planned to cash in and be a media spectacle instead of fighting crime?  It's a solid start, but rushed and simplified.  But where would we be without this first issue?


The Amazing Spider-Man No. 2, The Chameleon Strikes
Author:  Stan Lee
Artist:  Steve Ditko
Rating:  4 

Spiderman gets a reality check in this second issue as he is forced to confront life of being a hero--one that not everyone may trust.  The struggles within his family in the wake of his uncle's death also add some depth to these short comics, making Spiderman into less of a paper character and more of an actual crime-fighting teenager who was bitten by a radioactive spider.



Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Lovely Books I Should Mention More


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.  I hate to say it, but there are some books I hold dear to my heart that I seem to rarely (if ever) mention--which is a disgrace!  All books deserve some love, don't they?

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie




Publication Date:  January 1, 1934
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Pages:  322
Series:  Hercule Poirot #10
Genre:  Mystery
Synopsis:  Just after midnight, a snowdrift stopped the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train was surprisingly full for the time of the year. But by the morning there was one passenger fewer. A passenger lay dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.






Saturday, March 12, 2016

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date:  September 1, 2015
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Pages:  648
Series:  Throne of Glass #4
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Saturday, March 5, 2016

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Publication Date:  September 7, 2010
Publisher:  Little Brown/Poppy
Pages:  280
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Contemporary
Synopsis:  Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. 

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Inside Out Book Tag!


Before Inside Out was even released, I was begging to go see it.  I never got around to it--until now.  I can now say I LOVED it, and can finally do this tag!  Thanks to both Anna and Mara for tagging me!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Publication Date:  October 8, 2013
Publisher:  Henry Holt and Co.
Pages:  451
Series:  The Ruby Red Trilogy #3
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along. Emerald Green is the stunning conclusion to Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red Trilogy, picking up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Read Out of My Comfort Zone


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week I am listing some books I read out of my comfort zone, and loved anyway.  I have a pretty wide comfort zone, so this wasn't an easy feat.