Popular Books I'll Never Read

I'll admit, there are just some super popular books that everyone reads that I have zero interest in, for whatever reason. It can make me feel a little out of the loop sometimes while everyone discusses said books with excitement and ardor, and once and a while, I do cave and read them (The Fault in Our Stars, namely). But there are just some popular books I know I will never even open. 

The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

"Just like the good old days: marching together into the unknown, searching for missing magical weapons and risking painful death. I’d missed my buddies!"

The Best of Netflix (2017)

Like everyone else, I have a slight obsession with Netflix. I've binge watched a problematic number of movies and TV shows, and while it is difficult to choose my absolute favorites, I've attempted to narrow the frighteningly long list down to the best. (Although, I'm still upset about the removal of Doctor Who and Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue

Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Picador
Pages: 272
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Horror
Synopsis: In the Old City of Québec, Kay Harper falls in love with a puppet in the window of the Quatre Mains, a toy shop that is never open. She is spending her summer working as an acrobat with the cirque while her husband, Theo, is translating a biography of the pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Late one night, Kay fears someone is following her home. Surprised to see that the lights of the toy shop are on and the door is open, she takes shelter inside. The next morning Theo wakes up to discover his wife is missing. Under police suspicion and frantic at her disappearance, he obsessively searches the streets of the Old City. Meanwhile, Kay has been transformed into a puppet, and is now a prisoner of the back room of the Quatre Mains, trapped with an odd assemblage of puppets from all over the world who can only come alive between the hours of midnight and dawn. The only way she can return to the human world is if Theo can find her and recognize her in her new form. So begins a dual odyssey: of a husband determined to findhis wife, and of a woman trapped in a magical world where her life is not her own.

Road Trip Reads

You may be wondering, "What is a road trip read?" The answer is simple: to me, it is a book that is exciting enough to capture and keep your attention, that is fun to read and not too dense or serious, and something that could inspire you on your own trip. So what books fit this description?

YA Tropes I Hate

Admittedly, one of the reasons I stopped reading an abundance of YA books is due to the surplus of insanely ridiculous and overused cliches that seem to appear in every other novel.  I think we are all a little sick of them.  

The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst

Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pages: 368
Series: The Queens of Renthia #1
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure. Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . . But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms. With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land...before it’s bathed in blood.