tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63709023947435170372024-03-05T07:47:00.565-05:00Tomes ProjectOne book at a time, I plan to uncover the corners of literature and upcoming novels with a form of review that I create filled with my opinions and takes on the novel and it's author. With touches of personal experience, I am determined to knock off every last book on my ever-growing list. Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.comBlogger283125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-40690497184038632812020-01-30T00:00:00.000-05:002020-01-30T00:00:00.702-05:00Reading the Top 12 Fantasy Books on Goodreads | 2020 TBR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-oziUt1gHHmXEIRglB6ZEDItHA78TcpNPsPFjyqImGoAqeM6ig5Y1EeINxeovYI09vqnXRVql0MBvqCiP3k9O97Pdexdqpu0eYDwagYemPFTaBnSCQjcv4i9fiaA1Qfu1TZZg_CNyL4/s1600/2020-01-26+%25285%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1205" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-oziUt1gHHmXEIRglB6ZEDItHA78TcpNPsPFjyqImGoAqeM6ig5Y1EeINxeovYI09vqnXRVql0MBvqCiP3k9O97Pdexdqpu0eYDwagYemPFTaBnSCQjcv4i9fiaA1Qfu1TZZg_CNyL4/s640/2020-01-26+%25285%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I've slowly been sticking my toes into adult fantasy for the past few years, and lately, there have been a lot that I have wanted to read but just keep putting off for some reason or another. But mostly, because I'm intimidated by them.<br />
<br />
Adult fantasy seems so inaccessible for me. And I think that's because I listen to <i>a lot </i>of audiobooks. Over half of the books I read are via audio. And like a lot of people, adult fantasy is very hard for me to grasp onto via audiobook. I'm not quite sure what it is. Something about all the fantasy names and locations and none of it seeming <i>real</i> I think is part of it.<br />
<br />
But I really want to conquer my fear of adult fantasy in 2020. <i>And </i>I want to get back into the habit of physically reading books because it's something I really enjoy and have missed in the past year or so of mostly listening to audiobooks.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1777-the-top-12-trending-fantasy-novels-on-goodreads?int=Soapbox_2020_Jan&int_sub=Blog_1777" target="_blank">Enter, a Goodreads article.</a> </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
After a few years of consistent book buying, I have amassed a not-that-small collection of unread fantasy books. That results in me being kind of overwhelmed when I go to my shelves to pick out one that I'm interested in reading because I'm interested in all of them! So, when I logged onto Goodreads to see a list of adult fantasy that I'm very interested in reading (and I already own most of them), I figured that this would be as good a jumping-off point as any.<br />
<br />
Now, I've already read two of these, <i>The Hobbit</i> and <i>A Game of Thrones, </i>so here are the ten adult fantasy books that I'm challenging myself to read throughout the year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqmsULpwurc31nvhLiTZpPZUYflriC6s8H4f6ClAkSP9Mk_dfa2-7t63BRDa4QoDB1ra3A6D-utEHvV-zCyQv97qHLbILu9x4m5qadVtDQ9tCP7RIOT0OusRatuZxa-LeVmtwIVq6A9g/s1600/2020-01-26+%25289%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="1044" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqmsULpwurc31nvhLiTZpPZUYflriC6s8H4f6ClAkSP9Mk_dfa2-7t63BRDa4QoDB1ra3A6D-utEHvV-zCyQv97qHLbILu9x4m5qadVtDQ9tCP7RIOT0OusRatuZxa-LeVmtwIVq6A9g/s640/2020-01-26+%25289%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>NINTH HOUSE by Leigh Bardugo: </b>Starting this list off with two women feels good. Adult fantasy is a genre historically dominated by men (as the rest of this list will show you) so it makes me a little happy that the two top trending fantasy books on Goodreads are ones written by women. <i>Ninth House, </i>in particular, I am a little hesitant about because I've heard mixed reviews. However, I do generally like Bardugo's work so I'm going in optimistic, even though I know the subject matter is dark.</li>
<li><b>CIRCE by Madeline Miller: </b>This one is a recommendation from a) Goodreads b) everyone on the internet and c) my sister. So this one is a definite must-read for me because once books (especially ones that aren't adaptations) go beyond the bookish internet and into mainstream culture, I know that I've got to read it, especially when it's got the older sister stamp of approval. </li>
<li><b>THE LAST WISH & BLOOD OF ELVES by Andrzej Sapkowski:</b> I'm planning on starting <i>The Last Wish </i>in February because I just recently finished watching the show and have the bug to know more about this world and this story. If I like the first book, then I'll probably immediately jump into the second collection of short stories, <i>Sword of Destiny.</i></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQwyogX6rfGsEg36w5b61vOtqUdA3LgVY_6ISl7UBfCxmr7t46QRhLWVOACmLqrBLbIypqRgIvLkJ-3BE_u9aV0NCM9_aSHsuwAj-kcSfWh-DmLhFkWASV8J43mQR34kCfjUd38eb2Os/s1600/2020-01-26+%25286%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="973" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQwyogX6rfGsEg36w5b61vOtqUdA3LgVY_6ISl7UBfCxmr7t46QRhLWVOACmLqrBLbIypqRgIvLkJ-3BE_u9aV0NCM9_aSHsuwAj-kcSfWh-DmLhFkWASV8J43mQR34kCfjUd38eb2Os/s640/2020-01-26+%25286%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING by J.R.R. Tolkein: </b>I knew there was going to be one classic fantasy on here that I was not excited to read, and here it is. I do own a very 80s book club edition of this series, so I was definitely planning on reading it at some point in my life. But I'm nervous to read this because I didn't grow up on any Tolkien. The movies came out when I was very young, and I remember being <i>terrified </i>of Gollum. And when I watched them through in college . . . I was really bored? I did start the first book years ago in high school (right after I finished reading <i>The Hobbit</i>) and got to the point where Frodo and Sam start their journey before I got tired of Tolkein's descriptions. Hopefully, I've matured a bit as a reader since then and can appreciate this series and its impact.</li>
<li><b>GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett:</b> Probably the one on this list that I'm most excited to read? I started reading Terry Pratchett's <i>Discworld </i>series last year (and feel very comfortable in saying that reading through that series is a lifetime goal because it's so long) and I really loved what I read. Also, I read some Gaiman last year that I really loved, so I'm excited to read the collaboration between these two. I'm really confident that I'll enjoy it because I enjoy some humor in my fantasy and Pratchett does that incredibly well. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zUOtLcxZTieTjAc8it2QFnz-8ICgJ3qqbclcgZlk5OHXqW3KwCxJuRqnUivH3BxZROFXIj_MbncT7VxesSWxscIIQPOMbTIsYe1MFjgMB5nPXdVY0cqVt5IaUgHrpOmPr62dxAm7a6o/s1600/2020-01-26+%25287%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="994" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zUOtLcxZTieTjAc8it2QFnz-8ICgJ3qqbclcgZlk5OHXqW3KwCxJuRqnUivH3BxZROFXIj_MbncT7VxesSWxscIIQPOMbTIsYe1MFjgMB5nPXdVY0cqVt5IaUgHrpOmPr62dxAm7a6o/s640/2020-01-26+%25287%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman:</b> I don't know a lot about this one. I did find a used copy of this for a couple bucks, so I do <i>own it</i> and am terrified of it because it's massive. </li>
<li><b>THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss: </b>Speaking of <i>terrified . . . </i>this is one of the very first adult fantasy books I ever bought because I heard so much buzz about it. And it's sat on my TBR shelf for <i>years </i>because there's still no announcement for the third book in this trilogy and it's been something obscene like ten years since the second book was published? So part of me is terrified of reading a very large fantasy book that I might not enjoy, and then the other part of me preemptively scared of getting through books one and two and having to wait an indefinite amount of time for the third book. </li>
<li><b>THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman:</b> The only book on this list that I a) have firmly DNF'd and b) do not own. I started reading this ages ago in high school because it was an almost-boyfriend's favorite book and I wanted to impress him. But, uh, I started it and did <i>not </i>enjoy it so I just kind of gave up on reading it. I'm going to try one more time to read this, but I will not beat myself up if I still don't enjoy it and just end up DNF'ing it again.</li>
<li><b>THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin: </b>Wow, am I glad this book is on here because this list is dominated, with the exception of Bardugo and Miller, by white men. And there is so much more to fantasy and so many more fantasy writers than just white people. Jemisin was the first black woman to win the Hugo award (I believe for this book, but it could be for one of her other series). This is a very highly acclaimed book, both in terms of awards and from people that have read it, so I'm excited to read it. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I want to review as many of these books as possible, too. Is there one that you're particularly interested in my thoughts on? Is there one on this list that I need to read first? Or if you want to read some of these, we can totally read them together. Let me know down in the comments!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7967242-monica-tomes-project" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tomesproject/" target="_blank">INSTAGRAM</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/tomesproject" target="_blank">TWITTER</a></b></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-10269112995606185762020-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:002020-01-26T00:00:01.856-05:002020 Books I've Preordered | My 6 Most Anticipated Releases (+16 Bonus Books)Happy belated new year! I'm not making any promises about blogging regularly (we all saw how that turned out last year, oop), but I just got the blogging bug again and wanted to chat about some of the books that I'm absolutely bursting at the seams to read. A few of these have already come out because this is getting posted late into January, but that doesn't mean they were any less anticipated by me!<br />
<br />
I don't preorder a lot of books usually, but I feel like this year was kind of an outlier because most of these books are sequels in series that I love and adore (with a couple of exceptions).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm_BsR6rHj2TlgQS-t_biABG-Z7ePV_QdSk1H6taKWCoDshwc-AV43x3ZOnAhEehNKkn96ft6JIOf_66Ak1PrO0kLsrKFsWOeS7QsWJtcZZ1q9iSLafod_WTAaWux4jChzCE4q1ryOQE/s1600/pre-tumble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm_BsR6rHj2TlgQS-t_biABG-Z7ePV_QdSk1H6taKWCoDshwc-AV43x3ZOnAhEehNKkn96ft6JIOf_66Ak1PrO0kLsrKFsWOeS7QsWJtcZZ1q9iSLafod_WTAaWux4jChzCE4q1ryOQE/s640/pre-tumble.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44804083-come-tumbling-downhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44804083-come-tumbling-down" target="_blank">Come Tumbling Down</a></b><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;">- 7 January</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
Even though this one has already been released and I already have it in my home and on my shelves, I haven't read this one yet. I like to save these books for a time when I'm feeling a little bit down and want a quick escape to a different world. This one also is more of a direct sequel to the second book in the series, <i>Down Among the Sticks and Bones</i>, which is my favorite out of the four books I've read so far, and I kind of want to reread that before jumping into this one. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">
I've pretty much had this one on preorder since the cover was revealed.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxphLk1gRAFrYt3HzKAONr9iNJHxcnjlZ0ERe0iFyNSJyhOZyNwRmFfd64o8yyrZHh5AvghjUCKSiWJLOjUPYZ_J1ZkiXHHFQGyp2ocpMdm4uDHgb5rSlgI0F6OCfBNeG727Orve_Umkg/s1600/pre-heartstopper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxphLk1gRAFrYt3HzKAONr9iNJHxcnjlZ0ERe0iFyNSJyhOZyNwRmFfd64o8yyrZHh5AvghjUCKSiWJLOjUPYZ_J1ZkiXHHFQGyp2ocpMdm4uDHgb5rSlgI0F6OCfBNeG727Orve_Umkg/s640/pre-heartstopper.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43449920-heartstopper" target="_blank">Heartstopper: Volume Three</a></b><span style="text-align: start;"> - 6 February</span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And it's a good thing that I <i>did </i>make this list late in January because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to gush about how much I love this series. I added this to my preorder list maybe a week or so ago because I impulse bought and immediately devoured the first volume of this in the first week of January. As soon as I finished it, I immediately bought the second book. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's been a long time since I've been this attached to a series and been this ravenous to read on with the story, so I had to preorder it. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlYiPzs1wdd2Sr6F0VWnnXsdq7_46LRxIAafvka9nmXr3SmJ_2Io6dPhoOgaY9voO6Fk6FdtCv-6eFH1Ztwn_NyOTQfVYBVJSxJXHPD559SYIWT9DcYYcfYK2V6IvdSkyidVHchGRD3g/s1600/pre-falling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlYiPzs1wdd2Sr6F0VWnnXsdq7_46LRxIAafvka9nmXr3SmJ_2Io6dPhoOgaY9voO6Fk6FdtCv-6eFH1Ztwn_NyOTQfVYBVJSxJXHPD559SYIWT9DcYYcfYK2V6IvdSkyidVHchGRD3g/s640/pre-falling.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48118801-the-falling-in-love-montage?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=X1frL3gJGA&rank=1" target="_blank">The Falling in Love Montage</a></b> - 9 June</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This one is a little bit of a gamble for me. But how could I not gamble on THAT COVER and this synopsis: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Saoirse doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. If they were real, her mother would still be able to remember her name and not in a care home with early onset dementia. A condition that Saoirse may one day turn out to have inherited. So she’s not looking for a relationship. She doesn’t see the point in igniting any romantic sparks if she’s bound to burn out.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: none; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">But after a chance encounter at an end-of-term house party, Saoirse is about to break her own rules. For a girl with one blue freckle, an irresistible sense of mischief, and a passion for rom-coms.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: none; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Unbothered by Saoirse’s no-relationships rulebook, Ruby proposes a loophole: They don’t need true love to have one summer of fun, complete with every cliché, rom-com montage-worthy date they can dream up—and a binding agreement to end their romance come fall. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters actually fall in love… for real.</span></blockquote>
A F/F rom-com where the hardened against love character falls in love with a soft romantic is everything that I didn't know I needed. Also, I just have a gut feeling that I'll really relate to Saoirse's character. I am <i>not prepared.</i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwvXIYfbW8e-n7n9vnGUy_o5_YNCAihlcs1vZojX9ZAOEq9tcGl1vhOUBZM3JA5PjGgRvpgxOlK0O4dS0buvFq2fYpX7kZAbdrcGlfUp72epZ5-tdju61cNyA1P5myv-s8DdU-bZOV9g/s1600/pre-beautifully.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwvXIYfbW8e-n7n9vnGUy_o5_YNCAihlcs1vZojX9ZAOEq9tcGl1vhOUBZM3JA5PjGgRvpgxOlK0O4dS0buvFq2fYpX7kZAbdrcGlfUp72epZ5-tdju61cNyA1P5myv-s8DdU-bZOV9g/s640/pre-beautifully.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49003616-a-beautifully-foolish-endeavor" target="_blank">A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor</a></b><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;">- 7 July</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The sequel to one of my favorite reads of last year was another immediate add to this list. I really don't know what this will be about (I'm honestly worried that it won't be very good) other than it will obviously pick up after the events of the first. I really didn't need more.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7u1YwRpy8eF713_3R80q4yNgjR7VeQT2lpDKn617smG5MtbOWSRdUKIoNslMF-NSU1b3Q9cKyZjWRwqGDqi3q7yP3WqtmsVESM3XY6jnJ_Wg5byb87pO_L6oyS2rSNPowVdRA_rYYgHs/s1600/pre-bodies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7u1YwRpy8eF713_3R80q4yNgjR7VeQT2lpDKn617smG5MtbOWSRdUKIoNslMF-NSU1b3Q9cKyZjWRwqGDqi3q7yP3WqtmsVESM3XY6jnJ_Wg5byb87pO_L6oyS2rSNPowVdRA_rYYgHs/s640/pre-bodies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47361132-burn-our-bodies-down" target="_blank">Burn Our Bodies Down</a></b><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;">- 7 July</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While Rory Power's debut book, <i>Wilder Girls, </i>was one of the most divisive releases of last year, I was firmly in the <b>this-is-amazing</b> camp. It gave me major <i>Annihilation</i> meets <i>Lord of the Flies</i> vibes, and that atmosphere totally made the book for me. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All I really know is that Power refers to this as the "corn book" and that the cover is stunning. I really love her writing style, and that was all I needed to preorder this book because I knew for sure that I would want to read it as soon as it came out.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3-sPKe5bTEJI6cg5McN3sdRUFrgGb-_vz6MT7Ggg6dHszdN51RFubhZBXWUd8ZRtoANJnXNage7RT9SSRm4dqYf1usbGAoL0_1aP1RcnY_7e9YzA6lAgGT_ID3xiXUZMk8EcAE9O4tg/s1600/pre-hollowpox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3-sPKe5bTEJI6cg5McN3sdRUFrgGb-_vz6MT7Ggg6dHszdN51RFubhZBXWUd8ZRtoANJnXNage7RT9SSRm4dqYf1usbGAoL0_1aP1RcnY_7e9YzA6lAgGT_ID3xiXUZMk8EcAE9O4tg/s640/pre-hollowpox.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46196106-hollowpox" target="_blank">Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow</a></b><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;">- 18 August</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The third book in the best current middle-grade series was an immediate pre-order for me. Like everyone else, I'm absolutely obsessed with this series. I can't believe we're finally getting the third book. I'm actually unbelievably excited, this is my most anticipated book of 2020.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvMPDiedmg97jXFHSrtgbuNFj_nHmRI8l-vwVhv5JtllCfEwKfS1MNHFmatd2iOoU7w5MVRPjgoDbCTYQT9CACzsUHHJhUb-KWQQL2r1McvMKM4AajMT7Cyfode1KqtTbHNT9rDzaqrI/s1600/Seperate+Transparent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvMPDiedmg97jXFHSrtgbuNFj_nHmRI8l-vwVhv5JtllCfEwKfS1MNHFmatd2iOoU7w5MVRPjgoDbCTYQT9CACzsUHHJhUb-KWQQL2r1McvMKM4AajMT7Cyfode1KqtTbHNT9rDzaqrI/s1600/Seperate+Transparent.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
The rest of these are some of my most intriguing releases of 2020. If you want all the releases for this year that are on my radar, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7967242?shelf=released-2020" target="_blank">here is my goodreads shelf</a>. Most of these are ones that I will get from my library, see if they appear on scribd, or might buy for myself if I hear enough good buzz about them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE9al184WT-_gJYB8h-4wfFc2FtLIAqH7LGc6l8MhSp1spOEkUCLbTgBmGEro5BK0pyG5-0_ATnPGTKfpgabGULzBGXuRZlGr8fluuwhnUczjFEJjfxnjLfz9bkyz-_lqVc2JPAxwtpc/s1600/anticipated1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE9al184WT-_gJYB8h-4wfFc2FtLIAqH7LGc6l8MhSp1spOEkUCLbTgBmGEro5BK0pyG5-0_ATnPGTKfpgabGULzBGXuRZlGr8fluuwhnUczjFEJjfxnjLfz9bkyz-_lqVc2JPAxwtpc/s640/anticipated1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45730524-loveboat-taipei" target="_blank">Loveboat, Taipei</a> </b>- 7 January | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44218347-dark-and-deepest-red" target="_blank"><b>Dark and Deepest Red</b></a> - 14 January</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43803346-the-mystwick-school-of-musicraft" target="_blank"><b>The Mystwick School of Musicraft</b></a> - 21 January | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45043369-anna-k" target="_blank"><b>Anna K.: A Love Story</b></a> - 3 March</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnd-UznY6Zw6OvCNplRDjrnRDmZT99bo_r6CCmdPBXvNxC9P_vLxaZBNjs7dttAt9czwZuthT2hul4qDdC1m8PbvhT3dwyJQjYM7aHoFWdad0y7hegaDXKlL5FCvWUCRL0lgCab2FKdQ/s1600/anticipated2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnd-UznY6Zw6OvCNplRDjrnRDmZT99bo_r6CCmdPBXvNxC9P_vLxaZBNjs7dttAt9czwZuthT2hul4qDdC1m8PbvhT3dwyJQjYM7aHoFWdad0y7hegaDXKlL5FCvWUCRL0lgCab2FKdQ/s640/anticipated2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46649971-eight-perfect-murders" target="_blank">Eight Perfect Murders</a> </b>- 3 March | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50607148-wild-at-heart" target="_blank">Wild at Heart</a> </b>- 3 March</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45730058-frozen-beauty" target="_blank"><b>Frozen Beauty</b></a> - 17 March | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45754981-the-glass-hotel" target="_blank"><b>The Glass Hotel</b></a> - 24 March</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnFqNWmXGjQkJZp7gsb8HuZvJyNiYDXchgc8hqpKHU5B_bxnEICa5c4JdxjLjy7EY7OQI6wvz3IiBMyY05pXAN0unysRtGq52CWjIvuLSP5JMB4YCuc664j87bceKbfntbDvb57MUNWk/s1600/anticipated+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnFqNWmXGjQkJZp7gsb8HuZvJyNiYDXchgc8hqpKHU5B_bxnEICa5c4JdxjLjy7EY7OQI6wvz3IiBMyY05pXAN0unysRtGq52CWjIvuLSP5JMB4YCuc664j87bceKbfntbDvb57MUNWk/s640/anticipated+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44077284-the-southern-book-club-s-guide-to-slaying-vampires" target="_blank">The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires</a></b> - 7 April </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41541435-check-please-book-2" target="_blank">Check, Please!: Book 2</a></b> - 7 April | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44280822-the-prettiest" target="_blank">The Prettiest</a></b> - 14 April | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49484935-running" target="_blank">Running</a></b> - 5 May</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjsm_983bl8gTSq0eARzISSPafvbkoX1JPY8qHjgZR67diOuiuxPJnzsAzbulI_ovo2SRxHexmfRHUvjQh9Rvh7A25eb9vbr4qy8xE-_pD_gOa2HkqLbD0NsjXCXlbQpwSO1jcRQwvZk/s1600/anticipated4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjsm_983bl8gTSq0eARzISSPafvbkoX1JPY8qHjgZR67diOuiuxPJnzsAzbulI_ovo2SRxHexmfRHUvjQh9Rvh7A25eb9vbr4qy8xE-_pD_gOa2HkqLbD0NsjXCXlbQpwSO1jcRQwvZk/s640/anticipated4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49952514-the-life-and-medieval-times-of-kit-sweetly" target="_blank">The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly</a></b> - 5 May</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39085465-a-song-below-water" target="_blank">A Song Below Water</a></b> - 2 June | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42115981-loveless" target="_blank">Loveless</a></b> - 9 July | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43240681-grown" target="_blank">Grown</a></b> - 15 September</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvMPDiedmg97jXFHSrtgbuNFj_nHmRI8l-vwVhv5JtllCfEwKfS1MNHFmatd2iOoU7w5MVRPjgoDbCTYQT9CACzsUHHJhUb-KWQQL2r1McvMKM4AajMT7Cyfode1KqtTbHNT9rDzaqrI/s1600/Seperate+Transparent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvMPDiedmg97jXFHSrtgbuNFj_nHmRI8l-vwVhv5JtllCfEwKfS1MNHFmatd2iOoU7w5MVRPjgoDbCTYQT9CACzsUHHJhUb-KWQQL2r1McvMKM4AajMT7Cyfode1KqtTbHNT9rDzaqrI/s1600/Seperate+Transparent.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And that's it! I'm really excited about all of these books, and so many more! 2020 feels like it's going to be an incredible year for book releases. And if these stunning covers are anything to go by, I have high hopes.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
What are some of your most anticipated releases of this year? Do we have any of the same books on our lists? Let me know!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-44021841043200769642019-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:002019-03-02T00:00:07.067-05:00BOOK QUIZZES PICK MY TBR | Spring TBR 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ya2NqWuVU1SVNW086X74vjWTfABV7kRnD3KCRyqvs44_EtAe7DtSvmHwldQtxHcUwVrOdNis0ZFZsvVrxoFOp6v678RFcNJzRfiuLlresUxpPvM6JUQdt3PGGl29xVR1a4Pyn6v-wBk/s1600/HEADER6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ya2NqWuVU1SVNW086X74vjWTfABV7kRnD3KCRyqvs44_EtAe7DtSvmHwldQtxHcUwVrOdNis0ZFZsvVrxoFOp6v678RFcNJzRfiuLlresUxpPvM6JUQdt3PGGl29xVR1a4Pyn6v-wBk/s640/HEADER6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Since I started my bullet journal at the beginning of the year, I've been following monthly TBRs. Almost entirely because they function well in a monthly bullet journal spread. But I wanted to go back to my roots, seasonal TBRs, but this time <i>with a twist. </i><br />
<i><br /></i> I recently started following (and loving btw, you have to check out her channel) Starlah Reads. She recently did an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPc3xdewu0w"><i>excellent </i>video</a> where she took a Penguin Teen quiz that told her "Which YA Heroine Are You?" and then she read and reviewed the book it gave her. I thought this idea was basically brilliant, and then proceeded to take the quiz for myself.<br />
<br />
And then I took some more. Because internet quizzes are my kryptonite. And made a TBR for myself. I also know it's impossible for me to read 13 books in one month, so I'm going to read these books for the next three months. (I'm also challenging myself to review these fully on my blog as well, but don't hold me to it.)<br />
<br />
At the end of this, I'll wrap-up my overall thoughts on the books. And who knows, I might do it again.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">FROM PENGUIN TEEN</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJnNGvJPtBF4xuteStILObPP7Dxtq00VeuIwsNidrvG_sB6LeqtqtTpSHLEimEWhw9HnIIOymjJCUvSnVxeN46c6sILV9xVLdJJ3FTitwKPgQku0zpffPkr91WLu6kSt_wXBMLq23OJk/s1600/dark+days+club.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJnNGvJPtBF4xuteStILObPP7Dxtq00VeuIwsNidrvG_sB6LeqtqtTpSHLEimEWhw9HnIIOymjJCUvSnVxeN46c6sILV9xVLdJJ3FTitwKPgQku0zpffPkr91WLu6kSt_wXBMLq23OJk/s640/dark+days+club.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15993203-the-dark-days-club?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | </span><a href="http://www.penguinteen.com/quiz/which-ya-heroine-are-you/" style="text-align: start;">Which YA Heroine Are You?</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="tab">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You're Lady Helen!<br />
You're an old soul. In fact, you were probably even born in the wrong era. As such, you stand out in a crowd and always seem to end up with way more responsibility than you ever wanted. You might even be living a double-life as a result. Or monster hunting. Who knows.<br />
You're cutthroat and fearless when it comes to ~evils~, but you're not afraid to put on a pretty dress and smile either. You always have the upper hand and nerves of steel to back you up.</blockquote>
</div>
This was one that I had on my TBR <i>years </i>ago when it first released but then took off in a goodreads purge because I hadn't really heard anyone talk about it. To be fair, it still sounds really interesting, even though paranormal isn't my usual genre, and the quiz kind of did a good job selling this to me because Helen sounds like a fun protagonist.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vtxPMcp_nCPxiBcaLI0rVptuR57Vkt9W-lYijLn3Gg6LrKsq6JnhrETPJk5AkJQTdP095KtZ0z6rzNrQLVaYcn0Kh9A19q8cRqoBM0qTURZUlPf9o_tqkZjoQt56BJlLnL9hico_VGI/s1600/nemesis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vtxPMcp_nCPxiBcaLI0rVptuR57Vkt9W-lYijLn3Gg6LrKsq6JnhrETPJk5AkJQTdP095KtZ0z6rzNrQLVaYcn0Kh9A19q8cRqoBM0qTURZUlPf9o_tqkZjoQt56BJlLnL9hico_VGI/s640/nemesis.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30142139-nemesis?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.penguinteen.com/quiz/read-based-favorite-sci-fi-show/">What You Should Read Based on Your Favorite Sci-Fi Show</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If you love Orphan Black, chances are you're addicted to twists, turns, and maybe a conspiracy or two. Get your fix by reading a thriller like Nemesis, which features a girl who gets murdered every two years--then comes back hours later.</blockquote>
This was less a quiz and more a one question pick a TV show question. I haven't heard anything about this book, I haven't heard anyone talk about or review this, but if it's anything like Orphan Black (which I haven't thought about in ages, but <i>adored</i>) then I don't really want to know much.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">FROM EPIC READS</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQOfFvN1b6qXUl0kcEADJMfzpC1Stdz09vb9Un0jb78AXleSS9-KLVtLvjPjXhXDNKCoPFIcllQadk2Jpcxti6QZj03U8yuwadDWD3_ngM3WjbI1IMFlcFRlaTWt7FHtn2VsOjKi0XM4/s1600/mariam+sharma.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQOfFvN1b6qXUl0kcEADJMfzpC1Stdz09vb9Un0jb78AXleSS9-KLVtLvjPjXhXDNKCoPFIcllQadk2Jpcxti6QZj03U8yuwadDWD3_ngM3WjbI1IMFlcFRlaTWt7FHtn2VsOjKi0XM4/s640/mariam+sharma.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35230406-mariam-sharma-hits-the-road?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.epicreads.com/blog/lets-get-lost-trip-quiz/">Go on a Trip and We'll Tell You What to Read Next!</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Looks like you're ready for a spontaneous road trip to New Orleans! Make your escape and get away by page with Mariam Sharma Hits the Road.</blockquote>
I haven't heard the best reviews about this, what I've heard has been pretty middle of the road, but I really love Sheba Karim as a person. I've gotten to hear her speak a couple of times, and I've been meaning to read <i>That Thing We Call a Heart </i>for years so I'm hoping this will force me to actually pick up one of her novels.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YFZB7i5Way3yRMBBoRnALy71x_tfg8TomfHD9Em-TJFd3PXTCxV9VziuMGfivLoHPDSUPi5oTKrcdfn6TTjYFQdJ0tqH7ySs1XYCYnWi8dHf_fpNNXgTepBAOUVihFj0Da6aFlb2OWI/s1600/emergency+contact.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YFZB7i5Way3yRMBBoRnALy71x_tfg8TomfHD9Em-TJFd3PXTCxV9VziuMGfivLoHPDSUPi5oTKrcdfn6TTjYFQdJ0tqH7ySs1XYCYnWi8dHf_fpNNXgTepBAOUVihFj0Da6aFlb2OWI/s640/emergency+contact.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297272-emergency-contact?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.epicreads.com/blog/book-cover-personalities/">Which Book Cover Matches Your Personality?</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You always present your best foot forward, and often, it's to cover up for the insecurities that plague you. You shouldn't have them, though, because you're often underestimated and never fail to prove yourself. You have a secret romantic side as well, but you'd rather die than admit it.</blockquote>
Another one that I took off of my TBR, this time because of negative reviews, and I'm not completely thrilled to read. I don't really have a lot to say here because I don't think I'll like this. But I'm going to give it a try.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eqeTkYHyDBaCHEFvCTYNDusBzlh95sSKin0jY27mJZ4I48tdPDOGyllJoMHd3VmXUMTF458-HUlHY_oS6HOlFJZb1ZAugiXYKzCUpQBMtSzap4EabY-sknZqkir0W7HOzsLQ6HRdSUw/s1600/epic+love+story.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eqeTkYHyDBaCHEFvCTYNDusBzlh95sSKin0jY27mJZ4I48tdPDOGyllJoMHd3VmXUMTF458-HUlHY_oS6HOlFJZb1ZAugiXYKzCUpQBMtSzap4EabY-sknZqkir0W7HOzsLQ6HRdSUw/s640/epic+love+story.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36203673-this-is-kind-of-an-epic-love-story?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.epicreads.com/blog/bestselling-books-next/">Choose Some Bestselling Books, and We'll Tell You What to Read Next!</a></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We hope you're already consider Kheryn Callender's <i><b>totally</b></i> epic love story a must-read, because the story of Nathan and Oliver James will have you smiling to yourself a ridiculous amount. And that's exactly what you--well, let's be read, what we can all--use!</blockquote>
So, while Epic Reads by far had the best and most varied quizzes (thank you, I appreciate it), they don't really do the best job of selling me these books. I've only glanced at reviews, and the top ones from people I trust are fairly negative, but this looks like it's about two boys falling in love and one of them is really into film?<br />
<br />
I've seen this cover around a lot, but I never actually added it to my TBR. Another one that I'm super skeptical about but will give my best shot.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLggLS4t04hyphenhyphenndff8oe96ANmEyKPDkoqaHj6imuX5FOl7icT4d1OFmnt5HaRuM_Vs4D-lhPuNmbCnnC40svJbWP2Uo7T7iMOfkHMmeGoRKiqKW4AHdrHoHDiu7l-n1jebh6came6fzQ98/s1600/ember+in+the+ashes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLggLS4t04hyphenhyphenndff8oe96ANmEyKPDkoqaHj6imuX5FOl7icT4d1OFmnt5HaRuM_Vs4D-lhPuNmbCnnC40svJbWP2Uo7T7iMOfkHMmeGoRKiqKW4AHdrHoHDiu7l-n1jebh6came6fzQ98/s640/ember+in+the+ashes.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36506218-an-ember-in-the-ashes">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.epicreads.com/blog/cw-ya-soulmate-quiz/">Build a CW Show and We'll Reveal Your YA Soulmate</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Elias is a fighter--he would fight for you, for your future, and for a better world. You have a social justice streak and need someone who can keep up with you.</blockquote>
I feel like a lot of these responses have been very middle of the road, but I'm genuinely so excited for this one! I've been meaning to read it for ages, and I actually own my own copy so I'm prepared to jump into this world. The people that love this world are completely in love with it, so I hope I love it as much as they do.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">FROM BOOK RIOT</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmNXqDWnm-NYqY-hY1BsUiuHxRYrxTTtsu0PPyzHicv-IY1DJ7C8w3rhA2HUPWBRz0efrNKWfhlH6GtxEct-zowuXpaK5v9rACoGc6pjvPz0Bdrr5QZhkxSRJptgUc6u3m82lNVA8xOs/s1600/the+way+you+make+me+feel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmNXqDWnm-NYqY-hY1BsUiuHxRYrxTTtsu0PPyzHicv-IY1DJ7C8w3rhA2HUPWBRz0efrNKWfhlH6GtxEct-zowuXpaK5v9rACoGc6pjvPz0Bdrr5QZhkxSRJptgUc6u3m82lNVA8xOs/s640/the+way+you+make+me+feel.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35704397-the-way-you-make-me-feel?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bookriot.com/2018/10/15/romantic-ya-book-quiz/">Which Romantic YA Book Should You Read Next?</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Clara's taken her prankster life too far. After a bloody incident at her prom, she and her rival are sentenced to working her father's food truck for the summer. It's not all enemies and Korean-Brazilian fusion, though--there's the cute Hamlet, who spends his days vending coffee. Watch Clara fall in love--and maybe in friend--in <i><b>The Way You Make Me Feel</b></i>.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've heard such good things about this! I know it has a food truck and a Korean-Brazilian main character and a great dad. This is another one that I actually own and genuinely very excited to jump into this one.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Also, I wanna say that of the three places I took quizzes, Book Riot by far gave the best results quality-wise.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBo4sn_r1-a292vckoVH4dSoZKoie8cZy-JyhyFOPQavfCQyHlV3rXTYYzBK2QgA10H9wi5qXWL8uO0wj87_OirNLlQArAETSjOGSFVP5qXsPBRZ87ZqbGNUSFjHzID5oWvQZHade20s0/s1600/twinkle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBo4sn_r1-a292vckoVH4dSoZKoie8cZy-JyhyFOPQavfCQyHlV3rXTYYzBK2QgA10H9wi5qXWL8uO0wj87_OirNLlQArAETSjOGSFVP5qXsPBRZ87ZqbGNUSFjHzID5oWvQZHade20s0/s640/twinkle.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373464-from-twinkle-with-love?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bookriot.com/2018/10/15/romantic-ya-book-quiz/">Which Romantic YA Book Should You Read Next?</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Twinkle idolizes female filmmakers and wants to make it big herself. To do so, she sets herself to creating a film for an upcoming contest. But there's also her crush on Neil--is it him sending her emails? Or is it his sort-of dorky twin brother, Sahil? Find out in<b> <i>From Twinkle, With Love</i></b>.</blockquote>
I haven't heard many reviews for <i>From Twinkle, With Love</i> but I adored Sandhya Menon's first YA book. A lot of people weren't big fans of that, but I got to hear her speak about how <i>Dimple </i>got published and the inspirations and that made me like it maybe more than some people. I am very excited that the main character in this one, Twinkle, is super interested in movies and film. That's something that I love and we don't get a lot of books where main characters have varied interests.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKDPLYw_Eg-bXeiYiwliDTSRfz14-tBT98zISe-_P8D5No1xjXOmmQOFXXug4MIz_jGMlM1jo8HYRQ1MQgSXXA-0lOnTYDXE6ybpkhCD3uCae-GiIoOscY7NJBLDYLn1HgCYREXgH-JI/s1600/saga+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKDPLYw_Eg-bXeiYiwliDTSRfz14-tBT98zISe-_P8D5No1xjXOmmQOFXXug4MIz_jGMlM1jo8HYRQ1MQgSXXA-0lOnTYDXE6ybpkhCD3uCae-GiIoOscY7NJBLDYLn1HgCYREXgH-JI/s640/saga+3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19358975-saga-vol-3">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bookriot.com/2018/11/08/which-literary-cat-quiz-are-you/">Which Literary Cat Are You?</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Lying Cat: You are fierce and loyal. And you can always tell when someone is lying.</blockquote>
I kind of just took this quiz for laughs, but when I got Lying Cat from Saga, I knew I had to add it to the list. I'm in the middle of the second volume right now, so I'll be reading the third volume for this challenge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkHO1Fhyphenhyphen6G7cbizHuc637exBCb-5Y3wQ_31UQyyz4yV3S1buDQhtkqJLU6PW3zGN2o-DsmZ3N8V8Yg7N3sRfl6MYKSvc22ZQwvxtyotfMikQvFefAy5DqANwle2-Z2frgw3t-rbrQfZQ/s1600/lives+we+never+lived.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkHO1Fhyphenhyphen6G7cbizHuc637exBCb-5Y3wQ_31UQyyz4yV3S1buDQhtkqJLU6PW3zGN2o-DsmZ3N8V8Yg7N3sRfl6MYKSvc22ZQwvxtyotfMikQvFefAy5DqANwle2-Z2frgw3t-rbrQfZQ/s640/lives+we+never+lived.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38645136-all-the-lives-we-never-lived">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bookriot.com/2018/11/12/thanksgiving-book-quiz/">Plan A Thanksgiving Dinner, and We'll Give You a Book to Read</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You should read <i><b>All the Lives We Never Lived</b> </i>by Anuradha Roy! While surrounded by your family, read about a man searching for his. In India during World War II, Myshkin was known as the boy whose mother ran off with an Englishman. Now, as an adult, he tries to find out where she went and why she left.</blockquote>
This book gets the special honor of being the only one on this list that I've never heard of before. But it's a pretty short post-WWII historical fiction. Hopefully, I'll enjoy it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPP4eixfLaYQLNa0Axc8-6MBSQoU7hho0olRpDTvOzNoSSNNAAzIkw_66c7ugk-WnTbYQI9ni_l3fB39PBwle104sIfdjGt94QISr2xzzGj3lE7pv9douAKTw9BAR6G_1gth0jyp37zM/s1600/extraordinary+union.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPP4eixfLaYQLNa0Axc8-6MBSQoU7hho0olRpDTvOzNoSSNNAAzIkw_66c7ugk-WnTbYQI9ni_l3fB39PBwle104sIfdjGt94QISr2xzzGj3lE7pv9douAKTw9BAR6G_1gth0jyp37zM/s640/extraordinary+union.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30237404-an-extraordinary-union?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bookriot.com/2019/01/03/quiz-which-romantic-adventure-novel-should-you-read-next/">Which Romantic Adventure Novel Should You Read Next?</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You should read <i><b>An Extraordinary Union</b> </i>by Alyssa Cole. Set during the American Civil War, this novel tells the story of Elle, a former slave who returns to the South to spy for the Union army. There she meets Malcolm who is also an undercover agent. When these two fall in love, they have to decide what's more important: their passion for their cause or their passion for each other.</blockquote>
I completely fell head over heels for Alyssa Cole's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2080678226">Reluctant Royals</a> series. I'll be honest, though, historical romance is <i>not </i>my thing, and this doesn't sound particularly up my alley. But if I trust anyone to do it, I trust Alyssa Cole.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wiSp6WnLMCfAWps_oeePthVGkcWygCm4wcS3FgQWXPVljA6wjOId-UuspNqY-5Jh8ID-qCtjEEcD5YKGNB4saFy-h-GdFVMmMdtBJ8Y0SQPT6VLhLYSPfGd7m_QwtE3Hx3afJYpfKlc/s1600/save+the+date.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wiSp6WnLMCfAWps_oeePthVGkcWygCm4wcS3FgQWXPVljA6wjOId-UuspNqY-5Jh8ID-qCtjEEcD5YKGNB4saFy-h-GdFVMmMdtBJ8Y0SQPT6VLhLYSPfGd7m_QwtE3Hx3afJYpfKlc/s640/save+the+date.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333338-save-the-date?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bookriot.com/2019/01/23/book-recommendations-quiz/">Answer 5 Questions and We'll Give You 5 Book Recommendations!</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Something Heartwarming and Romantic: <strike>The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory</strike>, Save the Date by Morgan Matson, <strike>A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole</strike>, The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang, <strike>The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli</strike>.</blockquote>
I think, depending on how this story goes and how much I enjoy it, this might be my last Morgan Matson? It's nothing against Matson or her writing, but I think I've just outgrown her stuff. I don't love cishet people falling in love over the summer. I just don't really read many of those books anymore.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rkb22wJs_IplC11Sci43Mb7RtZjlP16Fn9fCKfRD_aYTpUYcWWw1F_q345MMCdvXHR_PXQ1C76tnbxQLbnZLY-Ryrr_WyvlDQHrHNcaHl93-KoYohhOP_R5wpry018-gJAmRgE9zPSY/s1600/prince+and+the+dressmaker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rkb22wJs_IplC11Sci43Mb7RtZjlP16Fn9fCKfRD_aYTpUYcWWw1F_q345MMCdvXHR_PXQ1C76tnbxQLbnZLY-Ryrr_WyvlDQHrHNcaHl93-KoYohhOP_R5wpry018-gJAmRgE9zPSY/s640/prince+and+the+dressmaker.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34506912-the-prince-and-the-dressmaker?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://bookriot.com/2019/01/23/book-recommendations-quiz/">Answer 5 Questions and We'll Give You 5 Book Recommendations!</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I was so pumped when this was on the list of books? I'd heard buzz about this for <i>years</i> and just never picked it up. I was never incredibly interested in it, but I thought it sounded intriguing enough. I'm excited to see what I think of this graphic novel.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CzmEBJLygzGO6hfQyxONnTTzoug-KDpP1dti39TLwL1iVihPdMbCWgzxKFMQvVfu6GmIKJPz5_UKhpJBZJ9jAo6-v8_vARp7HkBMUz4esMrMID5tTyVm3bizllvZTzO6bHmwUn1W-Q/s1600/36_Design_element.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="1600" height="33" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CzmEBJLygzGO6hfQyxONnTTzoug-KDpP1dti39TLwL1iVihPdMbCWgzxKFMQvVfu6GmIKJPz5_UKhpJBZJ9jAo6-v8_vARp7HkBMUz4esMrMID5tTyVm3bizllvZTzO6bHmwUn1W-Q/s200/36_Design_element.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>It's a lot of books. It's ambitious, especially for me, but I'm looking forward to this project. </b><b>Please tell me down in the comments if you've read any of these, and which ones you think I should prioritize.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-36953156397414985682019-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:002019-02-05T00:00:03.611-05:00February TBR | blackathon, contemporary-a-thon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvPZL16RQU_kFyXpN2GXj4Iow8QvbbJ_Tp1iUZzj6wIbYSlkVXRTxfqmYY1Kq8AAd_XCzWXVDJ9092BrVVryJlRaRvwQjyISIKFpgb3FCAAv4S3s5x7mVgEPTf0UpTEdRUpMGDO3TUpo/s1600/febtbr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvPZL16RQU_kFyXpN2GXj4Iow8QvbbJ_Tp1iUZzj6wIbYSlkVXRTxfqmYY1Kq8AAd_XCzWXVDJ9092BrVVryJlRaRvwQjyISIKFpgb3FCAAv4S3s5x7mVgEPTf0UpTEdRUpMGDO3TUpo/s640/febtbr.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Usually, I'm not a monthly TBR person, but seeing as February is basically one giant readathon with Blackathon, Contemporary-A-Thon, and Feminist Lit February all being this month, I thought I'd share what I'm wanting to read this month.<br />
<br />
The only book that's not really for a readathon, though it could count for Feminist Lit Feb, is my random TBR read for the month: <b>GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE</b> by Natasha Ngan. I am currently reading this and really enjoying it. It very much evokes the imagery of the first Selection book or the parts of The Hunger Games that take place in the Capitol. It has pretty standard writing, but I'm very here for all the Asian-inspired fantasies and this one has a F/F romance. I haven't gotten to that part yet, but honestly, the anticipating is killing me.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>BLACKATHON</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0qTV5KztSg">announcement video</a>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPFE3XpfUS-62s3ck8VlLZSwxivCK-1BePTlPdyf_r5ZnZp2CMyXpe6-XVRIHTd5ZHM-haGN_EfE4akiFurmUIhXNIUnQ3asYf8Qb36ByyXx1DFQskQjy5GTq8dEeGRTHYSBC60eLrRo/s1600/ftbr1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPFE3XpfUS-62s3ck8VlLZSwxivCK-1BePTlPdyf_r5ZnZp2CMyXpe6-XVRIHTd5ZHM-haGN_EfE4akiFurmUIhXNIUnQ3asYf8Qb36ByyXx1DFQskQjy5GTq8dEeGRTHYSBC60eLrRo/s640/ftbr1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2697358563">Saga, vol. 2</a> by Brian K. Vaughan:</b> I read the first volume of this at the end of January, and I now completely understand the hype for this series. I have the first book out from the library, which I think collects the first two or three TPBs. So, I might end up reading the third as well.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2473680418">Black Panther: World of Wakanda</a> by Roxane Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates: </b>I've been meaning to read this for a long time, mainly for the authorship. But after loving the Black Panther movie, I'm definitely interested in trying the comics.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2502112962">Becoming</a> by Michelle Obama:</b> I finally got this back from the library! And just in time for Black History Month. I was <i>loving </i>this book when I had to return it, and now I also have the audiobook out from Overdrive, which is narrated by the former First Lady herself. I'm about a fourth of the way through, and I'm loving it. There's so much about her life that I can't relate to, but the way she speaks about her ambitions and expectations for herself hits real close with me. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1910271249">The Belles</a> by Dhonielle Clayton:</b> This was a book I wasn't sure I would ever read until I won a copy of this in a giveaway and found the audiobook from my library. This is a Selection-esk story from what I've heard where people, our main character included, are "Belles" that have the ability to control beauty, which is a precious commodity in this world. Not sure if I'm going to enjoy this, but I want to give it a shot.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>CONTEMPORARY-A-THON</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WbhNdkOAi8">announcement video</a>)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SbmsdwGYRi2iEPiDFRI8Fe25Sulbin4S2u9Y0mrQgvTU7EIjo7WP8LgT1dyHB6K5THwZXErRbLRVpYHw3zWY7522PZefzimT-Ncn45C3TI6gSGxS3DdodpG5kcgrMhP7TjV1FWFok-U/s1600/ftbr2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SbmsdwGYRi2iEPiDFRI8Fe25Sulbin4S2u9Y0mrQgvTU7EIjo7WP8LgT1dyHB6K5THwZXErRbLRVpYHw3zWY7522PZefzimT-Ncn45C3TI6gSGxS3DdodpG5kcgrMhP7TjV1FWFok-U/s640/ftbr2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2488481252">The Proposal</a> by Jasmine Guillory:</b> While I did quite enjoy it, I wasn't the biggest fan of <i>The Wedding Date. </i>Carlos, however, I was a giant fan of, and he's the love interest in this sequel. I've been meaning to read this since it came out, but part of me wanted to save it for this readathon. Also, the premise is something that really intrigues me, because I've thought about it more than once: the novel starts when Nik and her boyfriend are at a baseball game, and he decides to surprise propose to her. The catch: she doesn't say yes, and the reaction is negative. Enter Carlos, my favorite person ever.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2354971702">Sadie</a> by Courtney Summers:</b> I don't know anything about this. At this point, I've forgotten the premise, and I've kind of refused to listen to people talk about this book. The only thing I know is that literally everyone loves it. I'm probably going to continue my audible subscription for at least one more month (my free trial literally ends the day before the readathon starts, so I'll probably grab this on the first day and then cancel my subscription) so that I can grab this one because I've heard the audiobook is amazing.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2395070417">Giant Days, vol. 9</a> by John Allison:</b> If you don't know, now you know that this is my favorite comic series of all time. I can't believe I have read one series for nine volumes, it's insanity. I've got the single issues of this all lined up to read, I've missed reading this series lately so I'm exicted to get back into it.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2668096098">Waves</a> by Ingrid Chabbert: </b>This is an eARC that I've actually already read, but haven't rated or reviewed because I was <i>super unsure </i>about it. It's one of those books that is very well-crafted and beautiful and, from what I can tell, an experience close to the author's own, but I did not enjoy it when I first read it. So, I'm hoping that maybe time and space and a reread will let me enjoy this one more. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-36170905814941326682019-02-04T16:34:00.000-05:002019-02-04T16:34:40.003-05:00January Wrap-Up | 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8YDKD8-QmsOinw6QtnagWlQe4XqrHCQ7N4bKNCz5qbyPVUBTyJAfgYdZU4cXSrlZ4NSDuoEUB0i7s4_refuWCm5wNR9ElQg_wnmVP3cv-in67OkhtCRS3fYcAs0w4HXI5ck2vE79U48/s1600/jwu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8YDKD8-QmsOinw6QtnagWlQe4XqrHCQ7N4bKNCz5qbyPVUBTyJAfgYdZU4cXSrlZ4NSDuoEUB0i7s4_refuWCm5wNR9ElQg_wnmVP3cv-in67OkhtCRS3fYcAs0w4HXI5ck2vE79U48/s640/jwu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Hopefully, January is an indicator of how the rest of the year will go, because it was a pretty solid month, both reading and watching-wise. I read 11 (ELEVEN!) books this month, and only one of them was a comic, and two were novellas. Also, I finished off some books that were leftover from 2018. It was a pretty productive month, so let's get into it.<br />
<br />
Out of the eleven books that I read, six of them were 4+ stars, and my average star rating for the month was 3.81; so overall, a great month.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">THE BOOKS</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsn40g1EAEHnx7ynWyJ1kP3NOgck_yQt5qHYqAYGiekLJhW-o9E_PEtIRGPwDmBzfQtSm5n1haz_4xLuLzztntV4sBuWuZXnGUn430UJWfgjlprz343B4cJCR0oUo55OQRlOW51PM_XE/s1600/jwu1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsn40g1EAEHnx7ynWyJ1kP3NOgck_yQt5qHYqAYGiekLJhW-o9E_PEtIRGPwDmBzfQtSm5n1haz_4xLuLzztntV4sBuWuZXnGUn430UJWfgjlprz343B4cJCR0oUo55OQRlOW51PM_XE/s640/jwu1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1358223755">A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE</a> - Brittany Cavallaro:</b> 3.5/5 - I've heard about this book for <i>years </i>now and finally just grabbed the audiobook from my library. And this was fun. It was nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking, but I had a good time reading it. I'll definitely continue on with the series, most likely through audiobooks from the library, throughout the year. I will say I'm not the biggest fan of, especially in Sherlock Holmes retellings/reimaginings, when the gender/sex of either Holmes or Watson is changed to a female so that then there's an "acceptable" way to shoe-horn in a romance. It just bothers me, because the only reason you made one of them a girl is so that she's there to fall in love with the companion or with Moriarty or whoever. It's just a personal pet peeve of mine.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2520563549">BY NIGHT, VOL. 1</a> - John Allison </b>3/5 - I actually read most of these in single issues during 2018, but I read the last issue this month. (The TPB is supposed to release in March.) This is from the author of everyone's favorite title, Giant Days, and ... it's not as good as Giant Days, but I didn't expect it to be. This is a bizarre little supernatural book, and it has me intrigued enough to try the second volume but I'm not sure if I'll continue on after that.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094505573">GONE GIRL</a> - Gillian Flynn:</b> 5/5 - I didn't read this for years because I figured that the hype was undeserved, and it was just kind of the popular book of the time. Also, I knew nothing about it. I literally knew that there was a woman and that she went missing. That's it. And <i>wow wow wow </i>did this completely surprise me. This was exceptionally well written, and the story was top-tier twisty and intriguing. It kept me reading, and I couldn't put it down. If you've gone as long as I have without getting spoiled for this, you should definitely read it. A new favorite, for sure.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34w80BVxkkujEYqEXXPaMkG_xSD1LMofPVZmNpgJeHGOQa82pc0zWLotjIkoAnj-nYU5RIGMqJCi7-ui9GwxujH5zc-ENW40iwbXk7-DPBGrOJ069YUi7nFi3Mb3kKHgvZS72pu96nSw/s1600/jwu2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34w80BVxkkujEYqEXXPaMkG_xSD1LMofPVZmNpgJeHGOQa82pc0zWLotjIkoAnj-nYU5RIGMqJCi7-ui9GwxujH5zc-ENW40iwbXk7-DPBGrOJ069YUi7nFi3Mb3kKHgvZS72pu96nSw/s640/jwu2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2293905227">IN AN ABSENT DREAM</a>* - Seanan McGuire:</b> 4.5/5 - I love this series, so much. I especially love these even books that delve fully into one character's story, one character's portal fantasy world. This fourth book in the Wayward Children series is following Lundy and her adventures when she was younger in the world that was opened up to her, the Goblin Market. As with the other books in this series, I really enjoy McGuire's writing and ability to craft such beautiful and vivid worlds in a succinct but effective way. A great installment in the series and I'm eager to continue on when the next book releases.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2618074530">ONCE GHOSTED, TWICE SHY</a> - Alyssa Cole:</b> 4/5 - If you're not reading the Reluctant Royals series, you need to be. Alyssa Cole is here to come for all these pseudo-not-that-feminist-feminist-romance writers with quality romances. This one's a novella (you <i>can</i> read it as a standalone, but I would recommend reading at least the first book, <i>A Princess in Theory, </i>in order to get the full context of the story) following Likotski as she's back in New York and reconnecting with Fab, the woman who broke her heart the last time. This is a F/F romance starring two black women, and I completely fell in love with it. It's a little short, and I would have loved for this to have been a full-length novel. Likotski, who we meet in the first book, gains so much more depth to her character, and Fabiola is fantastically fleshed out, especially for having just been introduced in this story.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2664544008">EVIDENCE OF THE AFFAIR</a> - Taylor Jenkins Reid:</b> 3/5 - Not going to lie, this was kind of disappointing. First of all, it's an epistolary novella, neither of which are formats that I really enjoy that much. Secondly, this was just very standard, based on the title and the premise, it's exactly what I figured it would be. About halfway through, I thought maybe there would a twist or a raising of the stakes, but this story is <i>very flat</i> and not much happens.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2643031782">THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES</a> - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:</b> 4/5 - If I wasn't reading these books through the Stephen Fry-narrated audiobook, I likely wouldn't enjoy them <i>as much</i> as I do. But I read this book (as inspired by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6wKgH6YIKKfNX9-EN0dxIA">Olive's</a> random TBR pick) because I picked it for my randomly generated book off my physical, owned TBR shelf. I will hopefully continue reading this series throughout the year.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* I read and reviewed an early copy of this book for review from the publisher. All opinions are my own and aren't affected by receiving this book for free.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBKkwbEoTW-SsqgnSUoguc1weILvQl2wf0NUNUUHYMry4yZi7aPA3yWcQ6UNFKulmFUyZGQ5R1n6BaYNtC7wFIKSp1Vo4DXUsKrgGa1bzHL4wuOCvoIbESg6dXqgVWKylVfXnWvh7NP0/s1600/jwu3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBKkwbEoTW-SsqgnSUoguc1weILvQl2wf0NUNUUHYMry4yZi7aPA3yWcQ6UNFKulmFUyZGQ5R1n6BaYNtC7wFIKSp1Vo4DXUsKrgGa1bzHL4wuOCvoIbESg6dXqgVWKylVfXnWvh7NP0/s640/jwu3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2535354466">FIERCE FAIRYTALES</a> - Nikita Gill:</b> 3/5 - I keep reading modern poetry, hoping to find one that really hits me and that I completely fall in love with. But this was fine? There were a few that I really liked, but often with modern poetry, and this collection was no exception, I just feel like it gets very repetitive very quickly. If you like modern poetry mixed with prose, this is a really good collection. I just keep reading things I know I won't like.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1842248222">RAMONA BLUE</a> - Julie Murphy: </b>3/5 - I still don't know quite how to talk about this book. But the main component of this that I didn't quite enjoy was Murphy's writing. This was the first book I read from her, and it'll probably be the only one that I read. My enjoyment of an author's writing is a huge part of whether or not I like a book, and I really did not gel with her writing. It's just very not for me. The story itself was okay, but nothing was exceptional for me.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2412635961">THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY</a> - Ruth Ware:</b> 4/5 - My first Ruth Ware that I picked up solely because of the fact that it takes place in an old, abandoned, gothic-y house, which has to be my favorite settings of all time in books, movies, anything. It's my weakness. And I got exactly what I wanted with this book. Was it like the most predictable thing I've ever read? Yeah. Was I very satisfied that I was absolutely right? I sure was. Did I stay up until 3am to finish this? I sure did. I could not put it down, and if you want a gothic-y stuck in a house atmosphere, you should read this one. I've heard her other books aren't as good, but I'll probably still give one or two a try.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2697006255">SAGA, VOL. 1</a> - Brian K. Vaughan:</b> 5/5 - Oof. Another completely hyped book that I feel like I'm the last person to read. This is incredible. I'm going to continue reading this series ASAP. If you like operatic SFF and comics, you've probably already read this, but if you haven't you should. It completely lives up to the hype.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CzmEBJLygzGO6hfQyxONnTTzoug-KDpP1dti39TLwL1iVihPdMbCWgzxKFMQvVfu6GmIKJPz5_UKhpJBZJ9jAo6-v8_vARp7HkBMUz4esMrMID5tTyVm3bizllvZTzO6bHmwUn1W-Q/s1600/36_Design_element.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="1600" height="33" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CzmEBJLygzGO6hfQyxONnTTzoug-KDpP1dti39TLwL1iVihPdMbCWgzxKFMQvVfu6GmIKJPz5_UKhpJBZJ9jAo6-v8_vARp7HkBMUz4esMrMID5tTyVm3bizllvZTzO6bHmwUn1W-Q/s200/36_Design_element.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>And that's it. All the books I read in the first month of 2019. A good month, if I do say so myself.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Please tell me down in the comments any of the books you've read this month or if you've read any of the ones that I mentioned please let me know! I'll talk to you all again soon. </b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-61416560905730660342019-01-03T15:59:00.000-05:002019-01-03T15:59:39.513-05:00Favorite Reads (& Watches) of 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOoCozQPh5ekQRdXatL15GAnKS-NNGER8pejlSgKMNnKYVxyUqhwo5fMlPlRRHCJ4MYIw3R4hP2O0lA_AUD-KgDqPIslGjXHzOvzk8D6b10ZXmBA9UxqjHrTdLSOXF6xvGqZPubdNBsE/s1600/favesheader.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOoCozQPh5ekQRdXatL15GAnKS-NNGER8pejlSgKMNnKYVxyUqhwo5fMlPlRRHCJ4MYIw3R4hP2O0lA_AUD-KgDqPIslGjXHzOvzk8D6b10ZXmBA9UxqjHrTdLSOXF6xvGqZPubdNBsE/s640/favesheader.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm not going to give too much of an introduction because we all know why you're here and what this list is. I will say that this is a long list because I've been reading a lot of really great things, and I've enjoyed most of them. I'm really starting to hone in on my reading tastes and what I do and don't enjoy when it comes to that. For your convenience and my sanity, this list is separated into fiction works (mostly novels), nonfiction, and comics. Not all categories are created equal, and a lot of my favorites are actually in the comics section, so, yay! Also, strap in, this is a long one.<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
FICTION</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dm9aNihrFxRLFjcIttmS5wSxobwIjxccnfxsREYCnPLsbG240lZUAmGxmV8EHSVCml3lMYzshA7D_uJVX0XD5lnz66TzWVY2Bv5rlPQnwh8z7X1OB99fL06LjvS6QTNMF93YP9u5Zzo/s1600/favorites-1+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dm9aNihrFxRLFjcIttmS5wSxobwIjxccnfxsREYCnPLsbG240lZUAmGxmV8EHSVCml3lMYzshA7D_uJVX0XD5lnz66TzWVY2Bv5rlPQnwh8z7X1OB99fL06LjvS6QTNMF93YP9u5Zzo/s640/favorites-1+%25282%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2080678226">A Princess in Theory</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2543617364">A Duke by Default</a> - Alyssa Cole:</b> I normally cannot stand romance novels. At least that's what I thought before I found my new favorite, Alyssa Cole. Not only am I sucker for any kind of royal romance, I've finally found one that lives up to being a modern, feminist romance. Because I've tried to read the other "feminist" ones that still perpetuate gross and harmful behaviors. This series is a gift to us all, and the next in the series (a novella) is a F/F romance and the cover is two women looking in love. I'm gonna cry.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1897444444">The Language of Thorns</a> - Leigh Bardugo:</b> I don't know how to even begin to talk about how great this was? These are very good, amazing, magical short stories. Some of them give you hope and others are just horribly dark and cruel. If you like fairytales and Bardugo's writing and <i>haven't </i>read this, you should because it's amazing.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2257719541">An American Marriage</a> - Tayari Jones: </b>Probably the most acclaimed and buzzworthy book on this list. This is very good, top-tier writing and storytelling. It's one of Barack Obama's favorites for a reason. Because it's good. And amazingly written with complex characters and situations and it's really just remarkable. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2054633474">The Refrigerator Monologues</a> - Catherynne M. Valente: </b>If you stick around towards the end of the list, you'll see how much I love and adore comics. They have been such a large part of my life for the past five years, and at this point, I can't imagine my life without them. And since I started reading comics later in the game, I've read a lot of really great representation of women, that's mostly written by women. But that's not the history of comics. This is one of the two books in this section that completely has my whole heart. This is told in series of short stories, each told by a different woman that has been fridged in their superhero's story. These are the women that are killed, raped, brainwashed, stripped of their powers in order to service the story of their male protagonist. This works best with some working knowledge of comics and the history of fridging (links <a href="https://www.lby3.com/wir/">here</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/10/17/6981457/gail-simone-dc-comics-female-superheroes">here</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Refrigerators">here</a>), and I completely fell in love with it.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-ZDqiqVOV5tTUx_4JSP4QPpLiVXNVKwwHQqv50pdVO8JqyKX-hpCPFARQBfG6RwyWqaxYN7ZLUXOTUv_fu9PkJZLijtyyTC9QUCNWBGrWw8ifiBC8EBtPnU0IMuV9y551u2CqdAU7Hg/s1600/favorites-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-ZDqiqVOV5tTUx_4JSP4QPpLiVXNVKwwHQqv50pdVO8JqyKX-hpCPFARQBfG6RwyWqaxYN7ZLUXOTUv_fu9PkJZLijtyyTC9QUCNWBGrWw8ifiBC8EBtPnU0IMuV9y551u2CqdAU7Hg/s640/favorites-2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2487945733">Beartown</a> - Fredrik Backman: </b>This one wins the award for the book that made me cry the most on this list. This is such a strong story, and incredibly well written. People rave about Backman's stories and writing for a reason. It's amazing, and heart-wrenching and is another one that makes me love and hate the world all at the same time.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2355012280">If They Come For Us</a> - Fatimah Asghar: </b>The only poetry on this list, and of all the poetry I read this year, it's <i>the one </i>that I want everyone to read and is shamefully underrated and needs to be on more people's radars. It is the best poetry collection that I've ever read. This one has my heart.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2325293356">Children of Blood and Bone</a> - Tomi Adeyemi: </b>This book is phenomenal. And whether or not you think it follows certain fantasy tropes or adheres to YA cliches, it is phenomenal because it is a stunning YA fantasy written and starring a black woman. The family relationships far exceed regular YA and fantasy novels. This is a fantasy novel that has a really amazing character, especially for our main character Zelie, but really for all of our featured characters. Really a great story, and I'm incredibly excited to continue.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2100024127">The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</a> - Taylor Jenkins Reid:</b> Because I don't want to go on for seven years, I'm going to encourage you to read my goodreads review (linked through the title). I have never read a book that I feel more personally about. This book is <i>mine, </i>and it is me on the page. I was laughing and crying and this book encompasses my whole soul. I love it with my whole heart, and it's a new all-time favorite. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>There are also two series that I started and finished in 2018 that I also absolutely loved, both for their individual stories and for their overall series arcs. And here they are: </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhKg97MA655RFzyG2XkqnTuF31kvM7eTmHliFaB4_CepACqKvTXwMgK9yyVEM2guKD2ioJsagMU7bVIzZIvn6xRp9_WVS_gVd-QkLHokUO9h9DizYdoHgivQWZM1ijUGv1aN7AykNVIw/s1600/2018-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhKg97MA655RFzyG2XkqnTuF31kvM7eTmHliFaB4_CepACqKvTXwMgK9yyVEM2guKD2ioJsagMU7bVIzZIvn6xRp9_WVS_gVd-QkLHokUO9h9DizYdoHgivQWZM1ijUGv1aN7AykNVIw/s640/2018-2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Crazy Rich Asians, series (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2272905660">I</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2353960035">II</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2358518723">III</a>) - Kevin Kwan: </b>These are the audiobook stars of the show for this year. (Also, one of the movie stars of the show: stay tuned.) Are these phenomenal literature? No. But are they a good old romp with characters that I love and adore? Yes, I would die for and marry Astrid. And due to the really gossipy, social nature of these books, the audiobooks really sold this series for me, because I felt like I was getting the inside scoop on these characters. It was an experience. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBEoDyic4oTAPmTGcJ215YeJ94ATDC5vbfQFueP1lotlpGJRRs5-mZoe8hDtsV8Eb9Uz_aQExvedxQ4sbCiOBjNUUo-mAsp-sUtDhJeSt7wPcf8cnG6orDMg8xFRIFWwROqYpBayxISs/s1600/2018-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBEoDyic4oTAPmTGcJ215YeJ94ATDC5vbfQFueP1lotlpGJRRs5-mZoe8hDtsV8Eb9Uz_aQExvedxQ4sbCiOBjNUUo-mAsp-sUtDhJeSt7wPcf8cnG6orDMg8xFRIFWwROqYpBayxISs/s640/2018-3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Binti, series (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2325257819">I</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2367852762">II</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2387843972">III</a>) - Nnedi Okorafor:</b> Afrofuturism is a genre that I've only dipped my toes into, but is already one of my favorites. It combines my love of speculative, science-fiction and culturally-and-character-based stories. <i>Home </i>is my favorite of the series, closely followed by the first. I read all of these fairly close together, and that definitely helped me grasp the story and characters. I really recommend these (also as audiobooks because they really helped me with a lot of pronunciations).<br />
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<br /></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
NONFICTION</h2>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm still learning how to accurately talk about nonfiction books, so this section should be a nice reprieve from all my writing. Also, all of these are pretty popular and well-read, so most of you have probably already read or heard of them.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sr-ACmgvSEHqRlUj1WIY2S0JBzOMcovmYaxDWV_Tawv5CfoK-MB2uJbegRPJ_qdqd7FxHaXqOfhbRpYwMv09Dej1m2B-ZJr7gXv8C3iV5hR15sJQaNSV6vhuj4aDKChjKOARqbAKl9Y/s1600/favorites-4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1600" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sr-ACmgvSEHqRlUj1WIY2S0JBzOMcovmYaxDWV_Tawv5CfoK-MB2uJbegRPJ_qdqd7FxHaXqOfhbRpYwMv09Dej1m2B-ZJr7gXv8C3iV5hR15sJQaNSV6vhuj4aDKChjKOARqbAKl9Y/s640/favorites-4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094542534" style="text-align: left;"><b>The Glass Castle</b></a><span style="text-align: left;"><b> - Jeanette Walls:</b> The most popular book that I read in 2018, and I know why. Jeannette Walls had a truly fascinating childhood. The common thread with all these nonfiction books is that they kept me engaged during the reading process. </span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1970585442" style="text-align: left;"><b>Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness</b></a><span style="text-align: left;"><b> - Susannah Cahalan: </b>This is a terrifying but fascinating recollection of a month of Susannah Cahalan's life. I could not put this down. It's so well-written and always kept me engaged.</span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2163919482" style="text-align: left;"><b>Between the World and Me</b></a><span style="text-align: left;"><b> - Ta-Nehisi Coates: </b>This is the one that blew me away out of this section. It is so profound and amazing. </span>Definitely<span style="text-align: left;"> recommend listening to the audiobook, as it's read by Coates himself. This book covered a </span>lot of ground,<span style="text-align: left;"> and is one that I will think about for a long time.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE92vgQ4G7atc1aLzVDiUfg0cIp-161XizhCGyC2b49pQUc9szg-dpbWA1R5nojnLLza3zk3EFlOKobEkVtqn9i0U5GxPzViR42GNbXRMmUGrZkmAwkiEYhw2sbDZTEo6d7i780g3s5mM/s1600/favorites-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE92vgQ4G7atc1aLzVDiUfg0cIp-161XizhCGyC2b49pQUc9szg-dpbWA1R5nojnLLza3zk3EFlOKobEkVtqn9i0U5GxPzViR42GNbXRMmUGrZkmAwkiEYhw2sbDZTEo6d7i780g3s5mM/s640/favorites-3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1960500266">In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom</a> - Yeonmi Park:</b> This book really took the world by storm a few years ago, and I finally got around to reading it. It still feels so relevant. It was endearing and heartbreaking and horrifying. If you've gone without reading this like I had, I definitely recommend it.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2289583252">Smoke Gets in Your Eyes</a> - Caitlin Doughty:</b> I found Caitlin's YouTube channel earlier in 2018, and I bought this soon after. This is part memoir, part facts about death and dying and different options for what happens to you after death. This is really, very good, and is the one that I will reference and revisit as I need to.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
COMICS</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQt6NG9fM1NY6KeYf4UYgICq2CuhfJVNl6Ox5KEwxN0Fkd1jCuWtcTL5OePUUjMCIcFsohp4RZNLPlUsXOGnVwVqoBpDow9kPOz7Y39_Rx0YdTlMaeLDNS0eqvlDGfG-O93jBKzdj-cro/s1600/favorites-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQt6NG9fM1NY6KeYf4UYgICq2CuhfJVNl6Ox5KEwxN0Fkd1jCuWtcTL5OePUUjMCIcFsohp4RZNLPlUsXOGnVwVqoBpDow9kPOz7Y39_Rx0YdTlMaeLDNS0eqvlDGfG-O93jBKzdj-cro/s640/favorites-5.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Goldie Vance, vol. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2071018326">3</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2479778083">4</a> - Hope Larson:</b> I love a queer Nancy Drew. I'm not sure if we're getting more of this series, and that makes my heart hurt a little bit. This is a precious story with so much heart, and I adore it.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2462162757">Aquicorn Cove</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2469273981">The Tea Dragon Society</a> - Katie O'Neill: </b>These are the cutest, most adorable short children's stories. They are compassionate and educational and I love the art. Everyone loves these for a reason.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1730564774">Bitch Planet</a> - Kelly Sue DeConnick:</b> Standout comic writer of the year for me is Kelly Sue DeConnick. I am a true stan now. I love her so much. This comic is set in near-ish future where the men in charge send the women they deem "non-compliant" (those who aren't content to simply comply to their patriarchal overlords) are exiled to a different planet. I'd been meaning to read this for years, and I really enjoyed the story and the feminist nature of it. It's great, please read it.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuDOdrEtODppeuWXlL8SjJNM2qOHf6PHJsxJ9RfQ05sJE7lJ27S5TW0luxhEa4bHwIjJbKzcfbHiISEvTwmgdEzIV5dtClahkinDz5S6XhM8qZoVfpCjtknwQSJaObGSryqdydwPD7nk/s1600/favorites-6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuDOdrEtODppeuWXlL8SjJNM2qOHf6PHJsxJ9RfQ05sJE7lJ27S5TW0luxhEa4bHwIjJbKzcfbHiISEvTwmgdEzIV5dtClahkinDz5S6XhM8qZoVfpCjtknwQSJaObGSryqdydwPD7nk/s640/favorites-6.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2216026122">Giant Days, vol. 8</a> - John Allison:</b> If there's ever a year where this comic doesn't make my favorites list, it will be a truly sad day. This is the only series I've ever followed from the beginning for this long. Allison always keeps me interested in these characters and their day-to-day adventures. I love this series so much.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2524881696">The Life of Captain Marvel</a> - Margaret Stohl</b>: Okay, okay, so after you read the 2012 run of Captain Marvel (see: next entry), you <i>have</i> to read this. The collected volume doesn't come out until later this month, but I read the single issues of this as they released towards the end of 2018, and I've got to applaud this story. As a bit of a *<i>nerd</i>, there were some story issues that I wasn't immediately a fan of, but this story has sat with me since I finished it. I think what this story does is very important and a vital change that Carol's story needed. Please just read it, this is a truly spectacular series.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1706630872">Captain Marvel (2012)</a> - Kelly Sue DeConnick:</b> I love Captain Marvel's story. And this is the arc where she was promoted from Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel. This first volume isn't my favorite, but the overall arc of this series (1: In Pursuit of Flight & 2: Down & 3: Avengers: The Enemy Within) is <i>so good. </i>And though I'm partial to the 2015 run of Carol's story because that's how I was introduced to her, this is really spectacular writing, and it really established DeConnick as one of my favorite comic writers of all time and Carol as my favorite superhero.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
MOVIES</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8sayKcr_kP1cT0_SyfwL7RSn_KwoeP8OFFt-zXi1I8yft7tRbmXfkA6yvtlO-wfFVMrAvwLulHzd9EMAh5HD1pTqLa6C3vyzw8Ymz9LfdluYHXma50S4DfvGNsKCc9lRfVYtnJHqIXo/s1600/2019-01-03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1281" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8sayKcr_kP1cT0_SyfwL7RSn_KwoeP8OFFt-zXi1I8yft7tRbmXfkA6yvtlO-wfFVMrAvwLulHzd9EMAh5HD1pTqLa6C3vyzw8Ymz9LfdluYHXma50S4DfvGNsKCc9lRfVYtnJHqIXo/s640/2019-01-03.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, if you haven't heard of letterboxd, and you watch a lot of movies like I do, it's basically a goodreads (but better!) for movies. The full list of 20 movies is <a href="https://letterboxd.com/tomesproject/list/favorite-films-of-2018/">here</a> for you to peruse, but just quickly here are my top favorites from that list (ordered roughly with my absolute favorites at the top):<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Shape of Water</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Paddington</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sorry to Bother You</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Annihilation</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Carol</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Widows</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Inside Llewyn Davis</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CzmEBJLygzGO6hfQyxONnTTzoug-KDpP1dti39TLwL1iVihPdMbCWgzxKFMQvVfu6GmIKJPz5_UKhpJBZJ9jAo6-v8_vARp7HkBMUz4esMrMID5tTyVm3bizllvZTzO6bHmwUn1W-Q/s1600/36_Design_element.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="1600" height="33" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0CzmEBJLygzGO6hfQyxONnTTzoug-KDpP1dti39TLwL1iVihPdMbCWgzxKFMQvVfu6GmIKJPz5_UKhpJBZJ9jAo6-v8_vARp7HkBMUz4esMrMID5tTyVm3bizllvZTzO6bHmwUn1W-Q/s200/36_Design_element.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>And that's it. It was a long one, but I had a whole lot of favorite things this past year and I wanted to share all of them with you. I've been reading less bad things and more things that I know I'll enjoy, which is why this post has been seven years long.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Please tell me down in the comments any of the favorite things you've read or watched this year, if you've read any of my favorites, or if you have any favorites you'd think I'd enjoy please let me know! I'll see you all soon(er than I have been). </b></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-87667396666075675432018-10-26T19:46:00.000-04:002018-10-26T19:46:13.459-04:00Toil & Trouble | Anthology Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhPKOQz0L8dbeTEE9rzLjIpif8Wm5E0qJmGveMrqDJcVc9RIYKByysjuH2xM6ZHVONk3uWgoPndFAPYXLrzlzPVqWFXnqLR97ZL6uiD3-0rOXzaktevFKbgCGXD3eo6qpflRs7vIa7XY/s1600/TOILTROUBLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1600" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhPKOQz0L8dbeTEE9rzLjIpif8Wm5E0qJmGveMrqDJcVc9RIYKByysjuH2xM6ZHVONk3uWgoPndFAPYXLrzlzPVqWFXnqLR97ZL6uiD3-0rOXzaktevFKbgCGXD3eo6qpflRs7vIa7XY/s640/TOILTROUBLE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<i>If witchcraft is the voice of women rising free and powerful (to change the world, make it ours, on our feet instead of on our knees) then I wish to be a witch more than anything.</i>
- Elizabeth May, <i>Why They Watch Us Burn</i></blockquote>
<br />
I had really mixed feelings going into this: on the one hand, I love the idea of queer witch stories, but on the other hand, I have a notoriously bad track record with enjoying anthologies. I love the idea of anthologies and I love a lot of short stories, but often times with anthologies, I only find two to three stories or authors that I really enjoyed reading.<br />
<br />
So, I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed most of the stories and fell in love with about eight of the fifteen stories. I have a full breakdown of every story in the collection over on my goodreads, but here I just want to geek out about all of the stories that I loved.<br />
<br />
Part of what was surprising to me about the ones that I loved was that all eight of them are from authors I've never read before. Since reading their stories in this anthology, my TBR has gotten, ahem, quite a bit bigger. Or, at the very least, it got majorly reorganized.<br />
<br />
My absolute favorite, favorite stories were: <i>The One Who Stayed</i> by Nova Ren Suma, <i>Th</i><i>e Gherin Girls </i>by Emery Lord, <i>Why They Watch Us Burn</i> by Elizabeth May, <i>The Truth About Queenie</i> by Brandy Colbert, and <i>Beware of Girls with Crooked Teeth</i> by Jessica Spotswood.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>The One Who Stayed</b>: This is my favorite story in the entire anthology. I am absolutely in love with Nova Ren Suma's writing. She writes an amazing short story, and she had my full attention throughout the whole story.</li>
<li><b>The Gherin Girls</b>: The sheer number of witch sisters in this anthology is amazing, and I loved most of them. But of the sister stories, this was my favorite. I loved all of the sisters in different ways, but I <i>loved</i> Nova. Like, she shaved her head when she got into a serious relationship with a dude so that people wouldn't assume she was straight. I love a bi protaginst.</li>
<li><b>Why They Watch Us Burn</b>: So, so amazing and well-written. The allegory, the story, everything about this was perfect for me. This also has a real cute F/F romance.</li>
<li><b>The Truth About Queenie</b>: After this story, I'm officially bumping up Colbert's book on my TBR. I absolutely fell in love with her writing. This story was very much real life with a touch of magic, which is one of my favorite ways for magic to be in stories. It also felt very <i>Practical Magic</i>, which I loved.</li>
<li><b>Beware of Girls with Crooked Teeth</b>: Oh, I love an unlikeable, morally grey female main character. Also, it felt like a period drama? Which super appealed to me. </li>
</ul>
<div>
My other favorites were <i>Love Spell</i> by Anna-Marie McLemore, <i>Afterbirth</i> by Andrea Cremer, and <i>The Legend of Stone Mary</i> by Robin Tally. </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Love Spell</b>: So, now I understand the absolute love for Anna-Marie McLemore and her writing. The writing itself is absolutely gorgeous, and I love how she incorporates Spanish into her writing. It just <i>exists,</i> she doesn't translate or explain it, it's just part of the story. Also, the family relationship in this book hit me right in the heart. Gonna go read all her books ASAP.</li>
<li><b>Afterbirth</b>: This was the historical, <i>Crucible</i>-esk story that I wanted going into this. I loved Cremer's writing, and I'm kind of sad that her other novels don't sound super appealing to me.</li>
<li><b>The Legend of Stone Mary</b>: I feel personally blessed that Robin Tally has so many other books for me to read after this. The writing wasn't my favorite, but there was nothing wrong with it either. However, the <i>storytelling </i>and the plot of this story kept me so engaged.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I'd also like to give a quick honorable mention to Zoraida Córdova's <i>Divine Are the Stars</i>. I didn't love this one as a short story. I loved the roots of this story, the magical realism, the relationships, but it was just too short? I wanted this to be fleshed out more, so I think I'll really love her full-length novels.</div>
</div>
<br />
My average rating for this anthology is closer to a 3.5-3.75, but I bumped it to a 4. Because while there were a handful of stories that I <i>really</i> didn't like, the ones that I enjoyed I absolutely loved. So, if you're wanting some good, queer witch stories leading up to or on Halloween, this is a great choice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-90874939625860991402018-10-23T12:50:00.000-04:002018-10-23T12:50:50.878-04:00Getting Back Into Blogging | Recently in Reading #4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt0O2hVJlnFVLsqZy2UP8S6Mtx5gfl1YUbQvTNJafvffzeBexowHNpyO7MZoSSIfXJeCUt8HYC65fxtn22NP9Rv3ik77BQYeJffZHn5ejDio0MBAG7eLgI6cI4d3U739qs7tjmkgjXNE/s1600/RECENTLY+IN+READING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="1600" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt0O2hVJlnFVLsqZy2UP8S6Mtx5gfl1YUbQvTNJafvffzeBexowHNpyO7MZoSSIfXJeCUt8HYC65fxtn22NP9Rv3ik77BQYeJffZHn5ejDio0MBAG7eLgI6cI4d3U739qs7tjmkgjXNE/s640/RECENTLY+IN+READING.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Recently in Reading" is a feature on my blog that I created myself, although I did adapt it from the Goodreads Tag and made it into a feature that I could do semi-regularly on my blog!</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
I'm so happy to be back on the bookish internet, and after rounding up all the best books I've read in the year I've been away, I thought this would be a good way to catch you up on the recent goings-on of my reading and bookish life before jumping back into everything.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq2VcF48-8NEpMhCZyZq9jdgaCQvESS1brpqkGTirVlIiX5XVB3D1Dp-n6Rxy-ifA1RuqG2T4Hb_qnov0ObS6MS0W6AvRfdtpcB4hcT-Qw5VPrjyGJLXLkEOfPrwmYGWag9-dPpEsp_E/s1600/RIR+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq2VcF48-8NEpMhCZyZq9jdgaCQvESS1brpqkGTirVlIiX5XVB3D1Dp-n6Rxy-ifA1RuqG2T4Hb_qnov0ObS6MS0W6AvRfdtpcB4hcT-Qw5VPrjyGJLXLkEOfPrwmYGWag9-dPpEsp_E/s320/RIR+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuZRglK-pDVwFdYGJN-xYKLoBSzngkvSBHAvVh44B9We48OLdBvxXHUnIxVL6o9hhhkHuG88fmaPaxJbbA1AUeLLhY2swhatRiOxNC66rSd6VkKJIaVFz5rQHMgE0FJ5AO_RtI-1SPis/s1600/24909347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuZRglK-pDVwFdYGJN-xYKLoBSzngkvSBHAvVh44B9We48OLdBvxXHUnIxVL6o9hhhkHuG88fmaPaxJbbA1AUeLLhY2swhatRiOxNC66rSd6VkKJIaVFz5rQHMgE0FJ5AO_RtI-1SPis/s320/24909347.jpg" width="211" /></a>I recently finished <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2080580937">Obsidio</a></i>, the last book in the Illuminae Files by Amy Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. I've been following this series for years, so I was really anticipating this finale. (So much so that I bought it release day and then waited almost six months to read it.) I'm simultaneously very happy with how it ended but so sad that it's over. We will get another space trilogy from this writing duo next year, but . . . it just won't be the same.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0Ehg63qqSPr_V1okfhDIMIRcFhyxwRVkMzART381_VvNWfycqMU6KU0rQL2lafAyTgCpcL6QglfuWzvRBJqi5y7_ZYxE1i-2bHjjENJvH0g6WjvCRG1_5UIENrhjhI6CmoDDwD3vURc/s1600/RIR+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0Ehg63qqSPr_V1okfhDIMIRcFhyxwRVkMzART381_VvNWfycqMU6KU0rQL2lafAyTgCpcL6QglfuWzvRBJqi5y7_ZYxE1i-2bHjjENJvH0g6WjvCRG1_5UIENrhjhI6CmoDDwD3vURc/s320/RIR+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-4QqGMX9HNfgSnviJqo6RowqoCW1Am-uMUMkoFilHbAz3E_yqhI8sl5Zy1F0ZGrnzUaAPQ_8KUradFyLXTgBbOneLhQ6bjJNyRdZvqQZjMmy1CjiPLJ5ricMGGLDGuu2aCqgfauVx3w/s1600/current.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="1600" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-4QqGMX9HNfgSnviJqo6RowqoCW1Am-uMUMkoFilHbAz3E_yqhI8sl5Zy1F0ZGrnzUaAPQ_8KUradFyLXTgBbOneLhQ6bjJNyRdZvqQZjMmy1CjiPLJ5ricMGGLDGuu2aCqgfauVx3w/s640/current.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Currently, I am a few stories away from finishing the <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2178614951">Toil & Trouble</a></i> anthology, which I've surprisingly been loving. I've also been making my way slowly through Stephen King's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2132911098">Full Dark, No Stars</a></i>, which I started during Spookathon but never finished.<br />
<br />
The best comics I've been following issue-by-issue and picking up from my local comic book stores have been Margaret Stohl's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2524881696">The Life of Captain Marvel</a></i> and John Allison's (yes, the John Allison from everyone's favorite <i>Giant Days</i>) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2520563549">By Night</a></i>, both of which I have been loving.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4aPyJTIvlOEX_ORbAaNLdq6pxnqPFL_AYd4ZOgSKBMGawjkE6Daz6RiduFhB9FSPfkFXt2I4reCg5hjC_S_LWA28tWI3UpfdNigwTzUDyh_JCKwtKz612tX6xjLPBE_Gh4FIupOeGY0/s1600/RIR+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4aPyJTIvlOEX_ORbAaNLdq6pxnqPFL_AYd4ZOgSKBMGawjkE6Daz6RiduFhB9FSPfkFXt2I4reCg5hjC_S_LWA28tWI3UpfdNigwTzUDyh_JCKwtKz612tX6xjLPBE_Gh4FIupOeGY0/s320/RIR+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwI3udtLHxVuRX90L8s8w7o3s7W2MewFQhDEnV0KktdmnMiVY4_2BVDQkAICF_I_s2ZzTqCK3FOLN3xlAPdR659UXPtEF9-WiHCZzXf3NeMcByLaQ_ZVPaccTZzhZY392nSMgCJ1iOwNA/s1600/upcoming.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwI3udtLHxVuRX90L8s8w7o3s7W2MewFQhDEnV0KktdmnMiVY4_2BVDQkAICF_I_s2ZzTqCK3FOLN3xlAPdR659UXPtEF9-WiHCZzXf3NeMcByLaQ_ZVPaccTZzhZY392nSMgCJ1iOwNA/s640/upcoming.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I've been reading a lot of comics while I was away, and one that was recommended by one of my favorite comic writers Kelly-Sue DeConnick and recently released the first issue is <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41518441-man-eaters-1">Man-Eaters</a></i>, a satirical comic (almost similar in tone to <i>The Power</i> by Naomi Alderman) where women when on their period turn into man-eating cats. I love it so far.<br />
<br />
Novel-wise, I recently heard great things about <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38244389-a-heart-in-a-body-in-the-world">A Heart in a Body in the World</a>,</i> which I know almost nothing about. I also loved Brandy Colbert's story in <i>Toil & Trouble</i>, and I saw that she has an upcoming release, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38097294-the-revolution-of-birdie-randolph">The Revolution of Birdie Randolph</a></i>, which has an amazing cover and I also know nothing about. Similarly, the cover for <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36596442-hello-girls">Hello Girls</a></i> dropped recently, and I don't need to know anything else because I'm already in love with it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjweHMhyphenhyphenywlegYdN_9Dl7TcTFABq_OehWC8YeGrPP2jn8r88gmqMODUg3m8KTO66NQ0DniLpFBosF7CMRbn9CuJpPm8V9v6qqQFdNx1V2tvKBjHFCQHzp3ChBl3pDuZSpzGgE573cdQU/s1600/RIR+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjweHMhyphenhyphenywlegYdN_9Dl7TcTFABq_OehWC8YeGrPP2jn8r88gmqMODUg3m8KTO66NQ0DniLpFBosF7CMRbn9CuJpPm8V9v6qqQFdNx1V2tvKBjHFCQHzp3ChBl3pDuZSpzGgE573cdQU/s320/RIR+4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Nonfiction November starts soon, so I want to finish what I'm currently reading before then. If I have time, I also want to start some of my semi-recent acquisitions (<i>What If It's Us, Fierce Fairytales, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing</i>) before or during the month of November.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7n12rbkfwDwFjiI7SG5cANEi0ZwFPCrlCA9-e_eaRQVNxePDu-a_lEW1PTSfrZuXWzQaEQn0KSVpW5naL_-Z3e3d9egpIC3YPyJl2699mHi6HMamcvA1o_fd6-FOm98O588mwVon3Gg/s1600/RIR+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7n12rbkfwDwFjiI7SG5cANEi0ZwFPCrlCA9-e_eaRQVNxePDu-a_lEW1PTSfrZuXWzQaEQn0KSVpW5naL_-Z3e3d9egpIC3YPyJl2699mHi6HMamcvA1o_fd6-FOm98O588mwVon3Gg/s320/RIR+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bfjRam5N_dStydkbIn9qX756-yp_kWBD5Uv2289C_rL-W5cU2pga6jHgofbaBhqUBet87EN0SEdMjn2X1BunkbpJgg3_ScsPU3WOzI_0NWlpRDS-Xen8MQQXj8giKYWt4hxOzLvd5vQ/s1600/acquired.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="1600" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bfjRam5N_dStydkbIn9qX756-yp_kWBD5Uv2289C_rL-W5cU2pga6jHgofbaBhqUBet87EN0SEdMjn2X1BunkbpJgg3_ScsPU3WOzI_0NWlpRDS-Xen8MQQXj8giKYWt4hxOzLvd5vQ/s640/acquired.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Recently, I made a trip to Nashville for a signing of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36341204-what-if-it-s-us">What If It's Us</a></i>, where I also picked up a copy of Anna-Marie McLemore's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36952596-blanca-roja">Blanca & Roja</a></i>. While I was in the area, I also traded some books at the used book store, and I found a bunch of things that I've been wanting to read for ages. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27213244-the-long-way-to-a-small-angry-planet">The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet</a></i> is a sci-fi that has amazing reviews and has the found family trope, which is my favorite. Also grabbed some recent fantasy releases, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35018908-the-queens-of-innis-lear">The Queens of Innis Lear</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39652412-spinning-silver">Spinning Silver</a>,</i> as well as Margaret Atwood's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51827.Alias_Grace">Alias Grace</a></i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3FP2k-4T0pTgwuVca2fAWjxgUBCDfwUay8-EUHj9mpoHlgtdTFzaK_V8qhYJb9WL6Xq36GBJlMgjcK2aOgiGuWdH_WQ82aOzlKLKcdnKeEgdCcY3-F5MSMmZ0ZsKPOlojZoa_u0YVRs/s1600/RIR+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3FP2k-4T0pTgwuVca2fAWjxgUBCDfwUay8-EUHj9mpoHlgtdTFzaK_V8qhYJb9WL6Xq36GBJlMgjcK2aOgiGuWdH_WQ82aOzlKLKcdnKeEgdCcY3-F5MSMmZ0ZsKPOlojZoa_u0YVRs/s320/RIR+6.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm not entirely sure what I'll buy next, but it'll either be <i>The Storm Runner</i> by J.C. Cervantes or a nonfiction book that I grab during the month of November.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CbJW6mFDPO4Rn-lcEnLsHP6u1l4XCZ9QXv4fXNPFs0xiXv_2Bll85naMjHnWAg8PZ8xD8nDdz_6c2u5Ww5FdKlZiXdZb4hiwJJ6KEM1jS1nUpzpJf34sPuZopnubOqWZtghlpJVqyV4/s1600/RIR+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CbJW6mFDPO4Rn-lcEnLsHP6u1l4XCZ9QXv4fXNPFs0xiXv_2Bll85naMjHnWAg8PZ8xD8nDdz_6c2u5Ww5FdKlZiXdZb4hiwJJ6KEM1jS1nUpzpJf34sPuZopnubOqWZtghlpJVqyV4/s320/RIR+7.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIlicTT_wzzs9Gr4khEOyM_Bgj1DGIIR7PDRIVFQCkop7Y5KXPn1UBD8Q8Gtzm7cf1n5LjeIf9PYxujdc_-8XANS5N4eMYxU89yBJkYmGXjp25XwCEfYNXFzo_an1O2pT238qRVUY0OQ/s1600/3Zdn9HQT.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIlicTT_wzzs9Gr4khEOyM_Bgj1DGIIR7PDRIVFQCkop7Y5KXPn1UBD8Q8Gtzm7cf1n5LjeIf9PYxujdc_-8XANS5N4eMYxU89yBJkYmGXjp25XwCEfYNXFzo_an1O2pT238qRVUY0OQ/s400/3Zdn9HQT.jpg+large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Last week, I went to the local stop on the What If It's Us book tour, and I got to meet up with book friends that I haven't seen in ages. It was so nice to catch up with them, and it was so nice to see Becky and Adam again.<br />
<br />
Another thing I've been loving (though my wallet hasn't) has been going to my local comic book stores. It's been a great way of grabbing new comics that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-60023483615002660062018-09-18T00:00:00.000-04:002018-09-18T00:00:07.409-04:00One Year of Favorites | Tomes Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb6GNJZ9ejqM-WgkpYE31mQPF7-qyoh02DQ7FnspGiLw1MayN0xDWnzo1TXEyz_oM6DRAn4suwcT8953_yUbLJmwc7MuAEKKDSa2tEkTkRQcy3Kc5Iqyz85_6FWQC6kr6smVDwkwG-f4/s1600/i%2527m+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb6GNJZ9ejqM-WgkpYE31mQPF7-qyoh02DQ7FnspGiLw1MayN0xDWnzo1TXEyz_oM6DRAn4suwcT8953_yUbLJmwc7MuAEKKDSa2tEkTkRQcy3Kc5Iqyz85_6FWQC6kr6smVDwkwG-f4/s640/i%2527m+back.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">I've been gone for a while (almost exactly a year, in fact) and that's been for a lot of reasons: school was far too stressful, issues with medications, and just general gloominess. But in the time I was gone, I still read quite a lot (over 50 things just this year, in fact) and most of them I really loved because I've mostly stopped reading things just because everyone else is reading it. If I finish it, I've got to love it.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span> <span style="text-align: center;">I've also been watching <i>a lot</i> of movies, and I've been tracking them on letterboxd, which is a goodreads-esk equivalent (with <b>half stars!</b>) for movies. (You can <a href="https://letterboxd.com/tomesproject/">follow </a><a href="https://letterboxd.com/tomesproject/">me</a>, if you'd like.) And I may end up incorporating more movies/tv type content here as well, so if you're interested in that, let me know.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span> <span style="text-align: center;">Either way, here are the 21 books, two complete series, and a handful of comics that I've been loving in my time away from blogging (ordered by read date).</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
END OF 2017</h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1Xa9R2dBdvaJhZO7l-nyB2UUwH7-oBVfK0fxM86w8lTCRmcUrGsmziEc5kf1TsTygZe4NsvvEADxPbZJfS-ee8kGuT2Gii3v1XopJ0vBJJWYPhwbhUVCKa7WLqao5ewaUhhPl6snjw0/s1600/2017-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1Xa9R2dBdvaJhZO7l-nyB2UUwH7-oBVfK0fxM86w8lTCRmcUrGsmziEc5kf1TsTygZe4NsvvEADxPbZJfS-ee8kGuT2Gii3v1XopJ0vBJJWYPhwbhUVCKa7WLqao5ewaUhhPl6snjw0/s640/2017-1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2089701082">JANE, UNLIMITED - Kristin Cashore</a>:</b> 4/5 - Oh my gosh, I loved this so much. It's the most unique book I've ever read; it's multiple universes plus a 'choose your own adventure' story that bends genre. So lively and fun.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2121199722">DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES - Seanan McGuire</a>: </b>5/5 - Probably one of the ones on the list that I continue to think about the most. This was everything that I wanted from this series--a dark, portal fantasy fairytale. The even numbered books of this series are the ones that show the students from Eleanor's school finding their doors. I love those stories, and McGuire writes them so well. In addition, this has some really powerful writing and messages about gender norms and the restrictions and expectations that we put on children that I think about on a regular basis. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1899966579">THE PRINCESS DIARIST - Carrie Fisher</a>:</b> 4/5 - I didn't grow up on the classic Star Wars trilogy. I never really cared, to be honest, but one of my earliest memories is seeing Episode II in theaters. I only got into the series when the new trilogy premiered in 2015. And, this provided a lot of context to those movies and that fandom that I hadn't known. When I started reading this, I was the same age as Carrie's diary entries from the first movie, and there was a particular connecting power in that for me. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf__Z5FFqX6m2AmuweZfWWbV_TePu4rctjn8Df6DzNT97RMyi6_fe6nzE_aakRCr0ReK8L8IdohnJL8cnuPI006Gr7HPawYkEoyrgwvP9Yi9I-LN2V4NeRTm8OjrZ9QvkajKTmE4w0cg4/s1600/2017-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf__Z5FFqX6m2AmuweZfWWbV_TePu4rctjn8Df6DzNT97RMyi6_fe6nzE_aakRCr0ReK8L8IdohnJL8cnuPI006Gr7HPawYkEoyrgwvP9Yi9I-LN2V4NeRTm8OjrZ9QvkajKTmE4w0cg4/s640/2017-2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2080144242">MARCH, BOOK THREE - John Lewis</a>: </b>5/5 - An absolute must-read non-fiction graphic memoir series that takes place during the civil rights period, with flashes of the "current time" of 2009 on the day of Barak Obama's inauguration. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1971663103">THE POWER - Naomi Alderman</a>: </b>4/5 - This is another one that I continue to think about on a near-daily basis. While not my favorite book or the most well-written book for me, this has fundamentally altered the way that I not only interact with the world but also with my own ideas and beliefs. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2086586132">LONG WAY DOWN - Jason Reynolds</a>: </b>5/5 - Actually the only one on this list so far that I've reread. I read this both in print and on audio, and while both great, I would definitely recommend the print version because this is a book in verse, and Reynolds' poetry is very visual in nature.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
SO FAR IN 2018</h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn-a6R0SctBwp11zq6I2yk16-3oXZCg5UsLA_JKFc3StuUJKSpyrU4SuzdFRKFzb1KIqGO1mz6g_93pmDt6ppKbBpYiNQ7ovP3BkVQ7aAeS_E2efGyTF9-H6j7D57nxy0mu-7XLcgZGI/s1600/2018-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn-a6R0SctBwp11zq6I2yk16-3oXZCg5UsLA_JKFc3StuUJKSpyrU4SuzdFRKFzb1KIqGO1mz6g_93pmDt6ppKbBpYiNQ7ovP3BkVQ7aAeS_E2efGyTF9-H6j7D57nxy0mu-7XLcgZGI/s640/2018-1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2086585214">ALL AMERICAN BOYS - Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely</a>: </b>5/5 - Jason Reynolds is a fantastic author, and I love his work. This is a complex look on police brutality against black people in America. It was written a few years ago now, but it's still very relevant and taught me a lot of things. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2100024127">THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO - Taylor Jenkins Reid</a>: </b>5/5 - I literally cannot talk about this book without going on for about three hours about it, so I'll keep it short. This is <i>my book</i>, I've never connected to anything like I've connected to this. I've never felt that type of ownership over anything before, so much so that I cannot listen or read people talking about how much they love this book because it's just such a personal story for me. I absolutely loved this, and it's my favorite book of probably ever.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2054633474">THE REFRIGERATOR MONOLOGUES - Catherynne M. Valente</a>: </b>5/5 - Another book that has fundamentally changed my outlook on things. In this case, comics and superhero movies, of which I consume a lot. This is a series of short stories parodying the "Women in Refrigerators" trope. Here are some resources for you to look deeper into the topic (<a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/10/17/6981457/gail-simone-dc-comics-female-superheroes">Vox article on Gail Simone</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Refrigerators">wikipedia page</a>, <a href="https://www.lby3.com/wir/">WiR website</a>) but basically, this is the plot device where, disproportionately, women are killed, injured, driven insane, or depowered for the advancement of the men in the story. It's a thing that happens a lot in comics, and *cough cough* especially recently in big superhero movies.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1897444444">THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS - Leigh Bardugo</a>: </b>5/5 - Bardugo is a queen. I love her. These are the dark fairytales that I've always wanted and never got until this.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1797475799">WE ARE OKAY - Nina LaCour</a>:</b> 4/5 - I read this when I was in an especially dark period, and Marin was so incredibly relatable to me, and the arc that she goes on in this book really helped me.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxHtE7cbNfuIGSpwE9gaNX7yfpUx5QcR-P2HESh0ORRGy39_mTMJZCwc4kXxD8pyUTo4DNqNeNS289cC942e9j7TfnEdTuc1X3wOvK2m_j3vCi-DdTv9xGuEeFkk_kM-j5x_wsITP9os/s1600/2018-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxHtE7cbNfuIGSpwE9gaNX7yfpUx5QcR-P2HESh0ORRGy39_mTMJZCwc4kXxD8pyUTo4DNqNeNS289cC942e9j7TfnEdTuc1X3wOvK2m_j3vCi-DdTv9xGuEeFkk_kM-j5x_wsITP9os/s640/2018-2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Crazy Rich Asians trilogy (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2272905660">I</a> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2353960035">II</a> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2358518723">III</a>) - Kevin Kwan: </b>4/5 - *screams for seven years about how much I love Astrid Leong*</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK6less7nn0zSBDDbpFB-D0GLusoDEUrnmGg5Gsa0-hV-Ac9LWoT-jvG2-qxWzw8XyASeoMWycIEgUj7x0nA4xWb9fbIs_lkraijbKf_ArSK7QXF0ol0_HBijZC9mQ2r-NHH309rZNIc/s1600/2018-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK6less7nn0zSBDDbpFB-D0GLusoDEUrnmGg5Gsa0-hV-Ac9LWoT-jvG2-qxWzw8XyASeoMWycIEgUj7x0nA4xWb9fbIs_lkraijbKf_ArSK7QXF0ol0_HBijZC9mQ2r-NHH309rZNIc/s640/2018-3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Binti Trilogy (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2325257819">I</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2367852762">II</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2387843972">III</a>) - Nnedi Okorafor: </b>4/5, 4.5/5, 3.5/5 - Such a phenomenal series of sci-fi novellas that stars a young girl, Binti, who is the first in her family to leave their village, their <i>planet</i> in order to go to university. I consumed these, and they're so great.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Aj2gW5NgNBRw6QISSgSI_anvdxzQ2Sv99PCvkz3G6EHb1JdUk83ulI-UH2UUcuzhDzo9KIrEua8iwc0QFgYQG4onMBnx9EWQTY9ZOaakqYSWOZPpGP7Co5IJuqjh6NSgxb8tJRl40HE/s1600/2018-4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Aj2gW5NgNBRw6QISSgSI_anvdxzQ2Sv99PCvkz3G6EHb1JdUk83ulI-UH2UUcuzhDzo9KIrEua8iwc0QFgYQG4onMBnx9EWQTY9ZOaakqYSWOZPpGP7Co5IJuqjh6NSgxb8tJRl40HE/s640/2018-4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2355012280">IF THEY COME FOR US - Fatimah Asghar</a>: </b>5/5 - Absolutely beautiful and stunning and incredibly eye-opening and relevant poetry. I actually bought my own copy recently so that I could go through and mark it up. The best poetry I've read in the past year.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1944447778">THE HATE U GIVE - Angie Thomas</a>: </b>5/5 - You've all heard of this, you all love it, and the only reason it took me so long to read was that I specifically wanted to listen to the audiobook, and the waitlist from my library was ridiculously long.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2289583252">SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES - Caitlin Doughty</a>: </b>4/5 - My family was low-key concerned about me when I was reading this, but this is a really good book for anyone looking to know more about the death industry and what happens when you die. This is something I know that I will go back and reference as I need, and it's another that I continue to think about.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1960500266">IN ORDER TO LIVE - Yeonmi Park with Maryanne Vollers</a>: </b>5/5 - Another that I'd been meaning to read for years, but felt that I <i>needed to </i>due to current events. This is a terrifying recount of Yeonmi's life and her escape from North Korea. An absolutely necessary read, especially now.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1422298985">THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE - Heidi Heilig</a>: </b>4/5 - At the time, I really needed something to lift my spirits. I'd been reading a lot of really heavy material at the time (see: above) and this was a really fun YA romp with pirates, time-travel, and myths. Oooh, I loved it, and I'm hoping to read the sequel soon.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6KoXRVdGlneFbQwzD6NVkE_gMXQa_ngve7zWVoPAwEu2cdDE9W_HASJEQg4raaVMb4cBrcYsETG2vnzwV72ZFKbFH0Xxa_laTOEIUTVn9yt4s41R_br6B7YizLVN0IJiUcQyewWM568/s1600/2018-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6KoXRVdGlneFbQwzD6NVkE_gMXQa_ngve7zWVoPAwEu2cdDE9W_HASJEQg4raaVMb4cBrcYsETG2vnzwV72ZFKbFH0Xxa_laTOEIUTVn9yt4s41R_br6B7YizLVN0IJiUcQyewWM568/s640/2018-5.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2281303613">UNDEAD GIRL GANG - Lily Anderson</a>: </b>4/5 - It was a girl gang with witches. I couldn't not enjoy this.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2462162757">AQUICORN COVE</a> & <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2469273981">THE TEA DRAGON SOCIETY</a> - Katie O'Neill: </b>4/5, 5/5 - CUTE</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1970585442">BRAIN ON FIRE - Susannah Cahalan</a>: </b>4/5 - Another memoir that was terrifying and gripping. This was Susannah's recount of the medical mystery that surrounded her at 24. A really amazing story that's incredibly well-written.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2325293356">CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE - Tomi Adeyemi</a>: </b>5/5 - Speaking of well-written, I'm low-key shook after this book. So, so amazing, and another one that only took me so long to read because I was waiting for the audiobook from my library. (Sidenote: Bahni Turpin is now one of my favorite audiobook narrators of all time, she always does an amazing job.)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
COMICS OF NOTE</h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHEaBne6w39WM3UH3erPLf3Dv1k_HNXRINpNHBSn_dZO_sWuFV1XRsZnaIJdAgRS1a5Jnu4JeRVrg27mR3PfrAMi4hpBWhESD6s3FuXmrlulL8oYYmOccLCrL9NV-96lkTt3GxSRaXHg/s1600/2018c-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHEaBne6w39WM3UH3erPLf3Dv1k_HNXRINpNHBSn_dZO_sWuFV1XRsZnaIJdAgRS1a5Jnu4JeRVrg27mR3PfrAMi4hpBWhESD6s3FuXmrlulL8oYYmOccLCrL9NV-96lkTt3GxSRaXHg/s640/2018c-1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2113040192">MISFIT CITY, VOL. 1 - Kirsten Smith</a>: </b>4/5 - Kind of a female Goonies written by one of the writers of <i>Legally Blonde</i>. It's a fun time.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2039556123">SPELL ON WHEELS - Kate Leth</a>: </b>4/5 - Gay! Witches! Roadtrip! I didn't fall in love with this as much as I wanted to, but this was so much fun and I'll keep an eye on anything Kate Leth does in the future.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2216026122">GIANT DAYS, VOL. 8 - John Allison</a>: </b>4/5 - I LOVE GIANT DAYS. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2064525168">WONDER WOMAN, VOL. 2 & 3 - Brian Azzarello</a>: </b>It took me forever to continue on with this series, but if you loved the Wonder Woman movie, you would be a great fit for this series. It's wild and fun and kind of reminds me of Percy Jackson?</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78A7NW0zo5sQRgJt_sfaAzeSN8Mxt-_T2-n-xK4NQYx9IY2XJIpwydURuzkP2I3w0G0bR3JfTqUEl2VNRAIWRrh8qozaNL8G1XqHo8gI-8bOpMnB42QJKEKEMW4AavqhbxrHBh2OgdnI/s1600/2018c-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78A7NW0zo5sQRgJt_sfaAzeSN8Mxt-_T2-n-xK4NQYx9IY2XJIpwydURuzkP2I3w0G0bR3JfTqUEl2VNRAIWRrh8qozaNL8G1XqHo8gI-8bOpMnB42QJKEKEMW4AavqhbxrHBh2OgdnI/s640/2018c-2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2287166219">BINGO LOVE - Tee Franklin</a>: </b>4.5/5 - This is one I'm gonna recommend my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2287166219">goodreads review</a> for because this was a really important and beautiful story, but I had some issues with it that I go into there.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1730564774">BITCH PLANET - Kelly Sue DeConnick</a>: </b>4/5 - KSD is a phenomenal writer. I love her so much, and when I heard we were getting more of this comic soon, I picked up the first volume of this. It's definitely more mature than the others on this list, so maybe don't pick this up if you're not keen on nudity (purposeful, not excessive or super sexualized) and violence.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1706630872">CAPTAIN MARVEL (2012) - Kelly Sue DeConnick</a>: </b>I'm like crazy excited for the new movie, and I loved the 2015 run of Captain Marvel, so I've been making my way through Carol's backlist. It's been so much fun, and if you're looking for a place to start with Carol before the new movie comes out, this is a good place to start.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2071018326">GOLDIE VANCE, VOL. 3 - Hope Larson</a>: </b>4.5/5 - Queer Nancy Drew. Fight me, it's so much fun.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxV3eIrJYCwRRJDK_zq_trVGdIMJst4aBEvE4KHbO8EyKBug95h7XXuBgWVVAxFvEX47h5PpRAnnr4k36-0nUJOnuKHdTRTHwt5oahY3ZLRCwX7fCpHbXXtRJAYnDoeb9VdO9oHGs-3Y/s1600/2018c-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxV3eIrJYCwRRJDK_zq_trVGdIMJst4aBEvE4KHbO8EyKBug95h7XXuBgWVVAxFvEX47h5PpRAnnr4k36-0nUJOnuKHdTRTHwt5oahY3ZLRCwX7fCpHbXXtRJAYnDoeb9VdO9oHGs-3Y/s640/2018c-3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2524881696">THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL #1-2 - Margaret Stohl</a>: </b>Have I mentioned that I'm excited about the Captain Marvel movie? (The trailer drops today, and I literally can't handle the excitement.) This is exceptionally well-written, and issue #3 comes out this week. *can't handle the excitement*</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2520563549">BY NIGHT #1-2 - John Allison</a>: </b>When I was picking up the previous comic from my local comic book shop, I saw this and John Allison's (see: GIANT DAYS) name and immediately bought the first two issues. It's a wild, supernatural ride, and I'm really enjoying it.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
That was a lot, and if you've stuck around in my absence then I really appreciate you. If you're new, welcome! I hope you stick around. I'm dipping my toe back into blogging for now but I'm looking forward to coming back to this world. I've missed it a lot. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(I am working retail right now, so I'm a little dead inside but we're all good.)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-44317062435638717412017-10-19T00:00:00.000-04:002017-10-19T00:00:10.835-04:00Guessing My Next Favorite Book | Five Star Predictions (1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2vWnzbR3oBaVJ3QIGCk4F9aTh_Jds3dUYSNYB1GAMh-13gmvxU1nv8aD_9FVZzhZBnzyjprkhvtOMZPEAuFfRWR70uZzReccyMfeQfahsS2ldnTC2ZhpBF5ub3Pu9OTPEaRI8sdox2o/s1600/five+star+predictions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2vWnzbR3oBaVJ3QIGCk4F9aTh_Jds3dUYSNYB1GAMh-13gmvxU1nv8aD_9FVZzhZBnzyjprkhvtOMZPEAuFfRWR70uZzReccyMfeQfahsS2ldnTC2ZhpBF5ub3Pu9OTPEaRI8sdox2o/s640/five+star+predictions.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello all! Welcome to my first five-star prediction post! If you're unfamiliar with the concept, this is a post where I look through my physical, owned TBR books and guess based on reviews, synopses, author, etc. which ones I think will be five-star reads. This has recently made the rounds on the BookTube community (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmVKJ0Dpi3EP77EBgflPCNmy86POx0_jR&disable_polymer=true">I've made a playlist of some of my favorites</a>). I absolutely love the idea and wanted to bring it to my blog. It's a great way for me to get excited about reading books that I already own instead of constantly pining over books that I don't own or books that I have from the library. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For these posts, I've provided goodreads links and (when applicable) reviews that made me want to pick up the book originally or a review that made me think I'd enjoy the book. I don't know how often I'll do these posts, but I'm thinking of doing a wrap-up after I read each of these books and telling you what I thought of the book and whether or not it became a new favorite. Today, I'll be sharing six books from my TBR shelf that I think will be new favorite reads.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmOFo4W7i-iK_-MXQdtaWIt2G2u82Xlo43qKywh5BVxOcrPQuMrLXF-sCeYurlvkDFLAsam4cO_RFK2HPlWpeuDsZ1doqH0vr7fB7vgE5OAEX6tftXZmIVcE9MfnazOQzK9i-R5f6CuA/s1600/the+fifth+season+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmOFo4W7i-iK_-MXQdtaWIt2G2u82Xlo43qKywh5BVxOcrPQuMrLXF-sCeYurlvkDFLAsam4cO_RFK2HPlWpeuDsZ1doqH0vr7fB7vgE5OAEX6tftXZmIVcE9MfnazOQzK9i-R5f6CuA/s640/the+fifth+season+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season?ac=1&from_search=true">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flVWcTYKFQs&feature=youtu.be">Connor O'Brien's review</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This is the first book in an adult science fiction/fantasy trilogy that I haven't heard much about but what I have heard has been absolutely phenomenal. This won the Hugo Award in 2016, so clearly people like it. Additionally, this is a fantasy book that's written by a woman of color, which is basically a rarity in the genre, so I'm hopeful that this won't be your average interesting world-sexist characters pitfall that many fantasy books are prey to.<br />
<br />
I don't know too much about the world. There is a magic system, and it has something to do with preventing earthquakes? (Don't hold me to that.) But, in this world, instead of four seasons there are five seasons. And that fifth season always brings a certain apocalyptic aspect (i.e. acid rain). This book starts at the beginning of that fifth season.<br />
<br />
I've heard this has complex, amazing female characters, which is a breath of fresh air for fantasy. I'm so excited to pick this up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDRwEUmpBcNauiussDkQIknQv5Ce6Q-ZLJ_DMYHgX78pTnVYCTY3PQs5i3bdxpKd-mPvBwi2rAvbwuQ-AluNRTsz4f5t4abW27ZQXWbQ-DAsu4zpBcnSYPDVPlrF98GGrLpGf8IUcJ_4/s1600/wild+beauty+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDRwEUmpBcNauiussDkQIknQv5Ce6Q-ZLJ_DMYHgX78pTnVYCTY3PQs5i3bdxpKd-mPvBwi2rAvbwuQ-AluNRTsz4f5t4abW27ZQXWbQ-DAsu4zpBcnSYPDVPlrF98GGrLpGf8IUcJ_4/s640/wild+beauty+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33158561-wild-beauty">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1848144630?book_show_action=false">Ava's review</a></div>
<br />
I won an ARC of this book, and I <i>still </i>haven't read it. *hides face in hands* But, I've been putting it off because I think I'll really like it and then want to read all of McLemore's backlist.<br />
<br />
If you don't know this about me, I'm a Spanish major. I've read a lot of short stories and poems and a few books in Spanish and from Hispanic authors. They're always among my favorites. The writing is lyrical, often there is a magical realism element, and there's usually a strong family influence.<br />
<br />
In addition to having all of those things, the main character in <i>Wild Beauty </i>is bisexual, which makes my little heart sing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59-hfFPhUHmmDdOO2y7e5EHbGhHDUmiuMAfb_pPWcXr3W5NPU8tOmQ1pUaqtZVBCjYGC0YwViPMPef4qvFf11bM-o_ry-7wUzkhvxH82nMQosyWI4BDxgVcNkPub7ZEzXYGGD9_unbGg/s1600/the+shadow+of+the+wind+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59-hfFPhUHmmDdOO2y7e5EHbGhHDUmiuMAfb_pPWcXr3W5NPU8tOmQ1pUaqtZVBCjYGC0YwViPMPef4qvFf11bM-o_ry-7wUzkhvxH82nMQosyWI4BDxgVcNkPub7ZEzXYGGD9_unbGg/s640/the+shadow+of+the+wind+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1232.The_Shadow_of_the_Wind">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/680909702?book_show_action=false">Max's review</a></div>
<br />
In a similar vein, this is book that has been translated from Spanish and into English. This one, however, is the first book in a trilogy that takes place in Barcelona, Spain during the 1940s. I have had this book on my shelf for <i>years, </i>and it's one of the only books I'll ever say that I'm ashamed I haven't read.<br />
<br />
So this a book about books. It follows a boy who goes into a bookshop and gets one book by this author. After finishing the book, he searches for other works by this author only to find that someone has been destroying all of his works.<br />
<br />
I'm excited to read this book, but I know that I need to be in a specific mindset to read this one. It's also one that I'd love to reread in Spanish after finishing the English translation just to see how they differ. (Because I'm a nerd.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghY-vQ0WZah0p9TBoOa1RJ-4ZJKFZ_PqiJQW37llPKKKOwDErFqvaK6ip0uNew72_Mj1Hs8kIt5AMwmX1AwLX3xcDWCztECAhyphenhyphenaTl7ix24R2rfzt3DItN4k-dr5UJMEQlUN13gUUjxISk/s1600/the+language+of+thorns+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghY-vQ0WZah0p9TBoOa1RJ-4ZJKFZ_PqiJQW37llPKKKOwDErFqvaK6ip0uNew72_Mj1Hs8kIt5AMwmX1AwLX3xcDWCztECAhyphenhyphenaTl7ix24R2rfzt3DItN4k-dr5UJMEQlUN13gUUjxISk/s640/the+language+of+thorns+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34076952-the-language-of-thorns">goodreads</a></div>
<br />
There's no specific review or person that's made me really want to read this. I just want to read it because it's Leigh Bardugo. I haven't finished the Shadow and Bone trilogy, so realistically, it'll be a while before I can get to this book.<br />
<br />
This is a collection of fairy tales and stories that exist within the Grisha world. These are stories that the characters would know and are referenced in the text. It's almost like <i>The Tales of Beedle the Bard, </i>but better because it's Leigh Bardugo and there are some stunning illustrations in this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1x_Nx5Y40wF6QnSJSsfDmUnOqBXgtYeqp1gNqgJ7sUOkWkDNaJ4Nlm2WcowDztvQQzY7Hbi2PbpAd3IrXjKNvqRnWcDTnJbf6yoFOOiVB2ghEor_JzuKLDl7Xx6HNS43Fz0GEIaiQws/s1600/little+fires+everywhere+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1x_Nx5Y40wF6QnSJSsfDmUnOqBXgtYeqp1gNqgJ7sUOkWkDNaJ4Nlm2WcowDztvQQzY7Hbi2PbpAd3IrXjKNvqRnWcDTnJbf6yoFOOiVB2ghEor_JzuKLDl7Xx6HNS43Fz0GEIaiQws/s640/little+fires+everywhere+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34273236-little-fires-everywhere">goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZFx_ry3q2I&t=1s">Joce's review</a></div>
<br />
Everyone loved Ng's previous book <i>Everything I Never Told You </i>when it released a few years back, and so when it was announced that she was releasing a new book, even people who hadn't read her first novel (AKA: me) were excited about this release.<br />
<br />
I got this through my Book of the Month subscription because I knew that I needed to read it. Immediately after its release, it got countless rave reviews, got picked up for Reece Witherspoon's book club, and Ng even went onto Seth Meyer's late night show to promote the book. I don't know too much about this apart from that it takes place in a suburban town called Shaker Heights. This is one of those books that I don't want to know much about before going into it because I feel like it'll be best discovered whilst reading.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs4eXttg8JpuPpGkcJ1Ts2OdURKMZkB3oZi2n_mPAoMD_I94MrAJKPe2m7MLfvroM-23ukA2M3ROwiLFWbWNBPiInvP3vejbGglR0zktEHbo0Gu-ozbk4zybQrrMsL9Rw8wiFDox_0eg/s1600/the+hate+u+give+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs4eXttg8JpuPpGkcJ1Ts2OdURKMZkB3oZi2n_mPAoMD_I94MrAJKPe2m7MLfvroM-23ukA2M3ROwiLFWbWNBPiInvP3vejbGglR0zktEHbo0Gu-ozbk4zybQrrMsL9Rw8wiFDox_0eg/s640/the+hate+u+give+%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give">goodreads</a></div>
<br />
A book that stays at no.1 on the <i>New York Times</i> young adult bestseller list for 30+ weeks is there for a reason, and I think it's bound to be a favorite. At this point, most everyone in the book sphere has at least heard about, if not read, this book already. I feel like I'm one of the only people that hasn't read this book yet, and I'm experiencing major FOMO.<br />
<br />
As far as a five-star read goes, I'm really hoping this sticks that rating. Everyone has absolutely loved this book, even if they <i>didn't </i>give it a full five stars. I want this to be a five-star so badly, so here's to hoping that it is.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Have you read any of these books? Which one should I pick up first? (I feel like most of you will say THUG.) Tell me all your thoughts down in the comments!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-47153818500403038592017-10-14T00:02:00.000-04:002017-10-14T00:02:44.855-04:00October Currently Reading + #Spookathon TBR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XPzVLqZKX6j6HN4m15DQ3f-x1zjQQmAA5VF6X5lTLol4K7lMyMKJASqUEn0htbj-eiIxdq6ag_3BTe6FZvC8EN4U9cywMa78mYntqlcxK-W03OPorZntHtk8jpibvKVRv_l39iHWKeo/s1600/currently+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XPzVLqZKX6j6HN4m15DQ3f-x1zjQQmAA5VF6X5lTLol4K7lMyMKJASqUEn0htbj-eiIxdq6ag_3BTe6FZvC8EN4U9cywMa78mYntqlcxK-W03OPorZntHtk8jpibvKVRv_l39iHWKeo/s640/currently+reading.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<i>Currently Reading </i>is a monthly feature on my blog, where I catch you up on the books that I'm currently reading (or at least attempting to read). Usually this goes up on the second or third Friday of every month, but it's going up on a Saturday this month because I got <i>swamped</i> with school.</blockquote>
This month's currently reading is going to be a bit different because there are some upcoming readathons that I wanted to talk about since this week is actually my fall break so I'll have more than thirty minutes a day that I can read.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>CURRENTLY READING + READBYZOEATHON TBR</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8pD-Di-limjjrcHdQ6ETmi0vsXLzF2ia5WflDrf_QvAcSITkAYguXBIL-idJHJHLFWawU8A7AlcdBY4A5Lg3x703QqjhOF-zrRzILj2W43Be4GB90rpuGSc8vhyphenhyphenmpgz1mchZSaIMMKo/s1600/ONE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8pD-Di-limjjrcHdQ6ETmi0vsXLzF2ia5WflDrf_QvAcSITkAYguXBIL-idJHJHLFWawU8A7AlcdBY4A5Lg3x703QqjhOF-zrRzILj2W43Be4GB90rpuGSc8vhyphenhyphenmpgz1mchZSaIMMKo/s640/ONE.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2121199722">DOWN AMONG THE STICKS AND BONES</a>: </b>This is my current audiobook. I am about halfway through it since it's only around five hours long. This is the sequel to <i>Every Heart a Doorway</i>, which I read recently and liked but didn't love as much as everyone else because it was a book that circled around the idea of portal fantasy without any actual portal fantasy. <i>This </i>is everything that I wanted the previous book in this series to be. This is a portal fantasy (aka my favorite subgenre of anything ever) that tells the story of Jack and Jill, two twin sisters that we meet in the first book. It's creepy and atmospheric and an absolutely delightful look at gender roles.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1971663103">THE POWER</a>: </b>I mentioned this book in my last post, and I have now officially started it. I'm about 100 pages into this, and it's <i>so intriguing.</i> The basic premise of this that suddenly young girls start developing an electric-esk power that can inflict others with pain--even death--with a flick of their fingers. Suddenly, women have the power and men lose control. It's told from four perspectives of people around the world as this phenomenon grows. I'm really liking this one, and I want to finish it ASAP. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2125172076">PELUDA</a>: </b>This is a poetry book that I got approved for on Netgalley. This is from a spoken-word poet that I absolutely love, Melissa Lozada-Olivia. It's funny and personal and self-deprecating. I'm going to try and finish this today. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29436571-march?ac=1&from_search=true">MARCH, BOOK THREE</a>: </b>I keep telling myself that I'm going to read this, and I keep putting it off because I know that this last volume will have the heaviest material. If I don't at least start this during Zoe's 24-hr readathon, you all have permission to send me annoying gifs on Twitter.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>SPOOKATHON TBR</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz7FYA22fT4&t=201s">announcement video</a>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmwG_wJrxivUiF6pqd7dj8Iv7dNnPZ1Eca4YCX1sRr-X0baW_mGJ8AIGN0HK9-2DYuw0XDxtmP3kSWSDRmeXANa0xT7tABJQ0H3-DCfc_mJS_oiwjhWOSFBEhXDyaqDCcnjFJVwQpsvU/s1600/TWO+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="1600" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmwG_wJrxivUiF6pqd7dj8Iv7dNnPZ1Eca4YCX1sRr-X0baW_mGJ8AIGN0HK9-2DYuw0XDxtmP3kSWSDRmeXANa0xT7tABJQ0H3-DCfc_mJS_oiwjhWOSFBEhXDyaqDCcnjFJVwQpsvU/s640/TWO+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10042119-full-dark-no-stars">FULL DARK, NO STARS</a>: </b>I picked this up for a few reasons. This fits with the challenges <i>read a book with a spooky word in the title </i>(dark) and <i>read a book with orange on the cover. </i>I also wanted to read this because one of the novellas in this collection, "1922", is being released or was just recently released on Netflix, and I really want to watch it because I refuse ro watch <i>It </i>until it releases on DVD so that I can watch it from the comfort of my own home.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/853510.Murder_on_the_Orient_Express?ac=1&from_search=true">MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS</a>: </b>Another movie that's releasing soon, this doesn't really fit any of the challenges, but I want to read it. I've never read a Christie book before, and I want to read this before the movie releases in November.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22350224-bird-box">BIRD BOX</a>: </b>I recently read and <i>loved </i>Josh Malerman's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2017112779">A House at the Bottom of a Lake</a></i>, which is a short but incredibly atmospheric and gripping story. The story was brilliant, so I want to read more of his books. This is the most popular one; I hear people rave about this constantly. I know almost nothing about it, but I think it takes place completely in the dark or the characters are blindfolded? Something like that. It sounds eerie and atmospheric, and I adore Malerman's writing. </li>
<li><b><a class="" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13129925-horrorst-r?ac=1&from_search=true">HORRORSTOR</a>: </b>This is another book that I don't know much about. (It's the best wat to go into thriller/mystery books, okay?) This I think would qualify for the <i>read a thriller </i>challenge. I could probably also count this as <i>read a book about a childhood fear </i>because I was terrified of everything as a child. Among the countless fears was getting trapped in a store overnight, like getting left behind in a store and being locked up there for the night. I don't know, few of my fears made sense. But I believe this is following IKEA-type employees who volunteer for a graveyard shift at the store. Why? Because they're in a horror novel.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>What are you guys reading this weekend? Are any of you planning on joining in on Spookathon? If you've read any of the books on my TBR, please tell me what you thought of them down in the comments!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b><a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<br />Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-13390819118106764582017-10-06T11:00:00.000-04:002017-10-06T11:00:16.657-04:00If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio | Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rB44ObH1XKoTftNuoqcqyHgIek4hIIr7VPTkgtOikXb9R02fgwOKq7X1eYdvkfJ6ZgXYBD5xudsCEXOW7s0QLfKWffXICJV8mWYc-FgNsdDobr3dTrxLmhEDbQCvMLZOfARySsuQVWY/s1600/iwwv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1600" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rB44ObH1XKoTftNuoqcqyHgIek4hIIr7VPTkgtOikXb9R02fgwOKq7X1eYdvkfJ6ZgXYBD5xudsCEXOW7s0QLfKWffXICJV8mWYc-FgNsdDobr3dTrxLmhEDbQCvMLZOfARySsuQVWY/s640/iwwv.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
For those of you unaware, this is a literary/general fiction book that’s also kind of a mystery/thriller. It’s not wholly a mystery, and I would debate calling it a thriller at all.<br />
<br />
The premise is this: it’s 1997 and there are seven friends who are in their fourth year of the (Shakespeare-only) drama program at their university, and at the beginning of the book one of the friends—our main character, Oliver—is getting released from his 10-year prison sentence for something that happened in their final year of school. This book goes back and forth between 1997 Oliver and the 2007 Oliver that is explaining what really happened that year to a now-former police officer who just wants to know the truth.<br />
<br />
Before we delve into my thoughts on this book, I need to put out a <b>content warning</b> for a few things that happen in this book: <i>physical violence, suicide attempt, overall poor representation of sexuality, mention of an eating disorder. </i>
<br />
<br />
If you’re curious about the discussion on sexuality, I’ll have to direct you to my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2129892446">goodreads review</a> of this book since both the author and the novel treat sexuality as a plot twist and a spoiler. I personally don’t agree with this. Sexuality should never be a plot twist, whether your book takes place in 2017, 1997, 1827, or 4207. Rio’s handling of sexuality is almost entirely why I gave this book 1 star.<br />
<br />
In my goodreads review, I also break down in detail each of the content warnings above, so please go check that out if those are things that will affect you.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
NOW. Onto the actual <i>review</i> of the book.</div>
<br />
Even if I could push aside my feelings about Rio’s poor treatment of sexuality (spoiler: I couldn’t), then this would have been at most a three star read but more likely a two and half. On my rating scale, 2.5 is just average and a 3 is average but still enjoyable. With a different ending, this could have been a three. Take out the “sexuality is a plot twist” aspect and this would easily have been a four star read.<br />
<br />
This is the debut novel from Rio, and it shows in the writing. There are certain plot conveniences that happen because this story is told in first person and Oliver needs to be privy to certain information to make the story move forward.<br />
<br />
Also, in a clear attempt to not use the phrase “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” Rio uses “I breathe out a breath I didn’t know I was holding” which made me stop reading for a solid two minutes because I was laughing so hard.<br />
<br />
Story-wise there’s nothing horribly original here. Many people (almost everyone) has compared this to <i>The Secret History</i> by Donna Tartt, but I haven’t read that book. While not able to speak with any level of expertise on the topic, based on reviews, there are a striking number of similarities between the two, but there is no mention of Tartt in the Acknowledgements or the Author’s Note so the similarities could be coincidental.<br />
<br />
However, instead of classics, this group is obsessed with Shakespeare. So much so that they often have whole exchanges in which they are quoting the Bard like a conservative Christian would quote the Bible. When it's just a line thrown into the dialogue, it's not distracting and usually quite clever, but when they get into multiple page-long exchanges at too many points in the story, it's very easy to just skim over them.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It also made me feel very pretentious and frankly bad that I've ever enjoyed Shakespeare. I feel like I need to go wash my mouth out with <i>As You Like It.</i></div>
<br />
<b>Would I recommend this?</b> No, I gave it one star. If you <i>really</i> want to read it, I’d tell you to go ahead and read it for yourself. The things that bogged down my reading experience may not hinder yours at all, but they were things that I hadn't seen mentioned in reviews and had I known them, I wouldn’t have read this book.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480717682l/30319086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480717682l/30319086.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio<br />
Published: 11 April 2017 by Flatiron Books<br />
Format - Length: Hardcover - 352 pages<br />
Source: Library<br />
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30319086-if-we-were-villains">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2129892446">My Goodreads Review</a><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
Enter the players. There were seven of us then, seven bright young things with wide precious futures ahead of us. Until that year, we saw no further than the books in front of our faces.
<br />
<br />
On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.
<br />
<br />
Ten years ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But in their fourth and final year, the balance of power begins to shift, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.
<br />
<br />
Part coming-of-age story, part confession, If We Were Villains explores the magical and dangerous boundary between art and life. In this tale of loyalty and betrayal, madness and ecstasy, the players must choose what roles to play before the curtain falls.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-54672335876733600392017-10-02T00:00:00.000-04:002017-10-02T00:00:11.597-04:00End of the Year | Book Tag<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSl5a0tpIH5paNMJCFtR9dLrUA1Zqa8jiyWNyxKELhULSE6eJHT9RWUGJeQOv9HiW-rKTILA9EFCbfeF4oKzqRRK2k41yPhVIWkqKBVVa0p9Nwi6Mbh8lTmkSLnVav3DwaTCX2koCGx4/s1600/BOOK+TAG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSl5a0tpIH5paNMJCFtR9dLrUA1Zqa8jiyWNyxKELhULSE6eJHT9RWUGJeQOv9HiW-rKTILA9EFCbfeF4oKzqRRK2k41yPhVIWkqKBVVa0p9Nwi6Mbh8lTmkSLnVav3DwaTCX2koCGx4/s640/BOOK+TAG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It's officially Fall! *throws leaves into the air*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Even though it's still 80 degrees outside and humid as all get out in the southern US, it's still technically fall, which means being stressed from school and being stressed because I've completed none of my reading resolutions for the year.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This tag was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHf0O4e2Z6A">originally created</a> by Ariel Bisset, and I'm a little bit in love with it. (And, true to form, I have more than one answer to almost every question.)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">THE QUESTIONS</span></h2>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388184618l/259028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388184618l/259028.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490823015l/28902446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490823015l/28902446.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432279206l/25580382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1432279206l/25580382.jpg" width="111" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094545208">THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY</a>: Nothing says my aesthetic like true crime and serial killers. I must have watched too much CSI as a child (shoutout to my mom) and have always been fascinated by murder and serial killers. I always make my way so slowly through nonfiction, but this is genuinely so interesting.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860955364">WELCOME HOME</a>: This is an anthology all about adoption. The reason I haven't finished this one is due to the sheer amount of stories in this collection. So naturally, there are a few that I wasn't a huge fan of, but I think this is just me discovering that I don't really enjoy anthologies. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1996030194">JURASSIC PARK</a>: Jurassic Park is one of (if not my all-time) favorite movies. I got about halfway through the book this summer and just . . . quit for unexplained reasons. I was really loving it, but I think it's just <i>so similar </i>to the movie that I was wondering why I was reading it. But I must finish it.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480717682l/30319086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480717682l/30319086.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498909174l/25528808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498909174l/25528808.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501271454l/34817927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501271454l/34817927.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2129892446">IF WE WERE VILLAINS</a>: This award actually goes to the book that I'm currently reading, which is M.L. Rio's debut novel. This is a literary fiction/thriller book about a group of seven friends that all go to this pretentious Shakespeare-only drama college in the Midwest. It's okay. I thought I'd love it more than I am, but perhaps it gets better. It does give off very autumnal-esk vibes because it does take place in the fall, but it doesn't read like most thrillers where you're constantly wondering what's happening because the narrator knows what happened. It's interesting, and I'm curious to see how it ends.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Is there a new release you're still waiting for?</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
OCT. 3 RELEASES</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25528808-that-inevitable-victorian-thing">THAT INEVITABLE VICTORIAN THING</a>: I don't know much about this book, but with <i>E.K. Johnston, that cover</i>, and <i>Victorian </i>I don't want to know anything before going into this one.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34817927-from-a-certain-point-of-view">FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW</a>: I am a huge Star Wars nerd. I love the movies, the comics, the books, everything. This has so many amazing authors attached to this, and I'm so excited to read this before the movie releases.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388956218l/9571724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388956218l/9571724.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496161758l/33158561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496161758l/33158561.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442253627l/18525661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442253627l/18525661.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494073134l/33871762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494073134l/33871762.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9571724-murder-on-the-orient-express">MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS</a>: This movie comes out fairly soon, and despite my skepticism around Johnny Depp, there are so many other amazing names attached to that movie that my dislike of him will just have to be pushed aside for the sake of Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, and Leslie Odom Jr.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33158561-wild-beauty">WILD BEAUTY</a>: Bisexual latinx main character, beautiful cover, latinx author. I do not need to know anything else.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18525661-siege-and-storm">SIEGE AND STORM</a>: This was going to be pushed to my 2018 TBR, but with the announcement of the Nikolai book, I need to read this book ASAP.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33871762-the-power">THE POWER</a>: This is blurbed by Margaret Atwood? And it's supposed to be a very interesting and thought-provoking look at the patriarchy and feminism. I just got my copy of this, and I'm so excited to dive into it.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Have you already started making reading plans for 2018?</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>No official reading plans, but a goal from this year that I will logistically never finish is that I wanted to read all the books I got in my Book of the Month boxes. I want to carry that over to next year and continue making my through all the books I have left on that list.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>And that's it! What fun. So, so many books to read before the end of the year. Have you read any of these? If you have, be sure to tell me what you thought of them down in the comments. And be sure to tell me the books you're excited to read in the last few months of 2017 so that I can make my TBR longer.</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-40782766571525788752017-09-30T00:00:00.000-04:002017-09-30T00:00:01.770-04:00This Had Better Come to a Stop | Q3 Book Haul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDJNuOd1PKn08VxsVbo8jMa5QFiEvQRdVG_kvqVhjxfAbKRguqZWd0GPbI9SdkGywA0AYSXOW8rXbKlAPO7VNbda_UNty5oSXnfuBtTSHfHLx_zDw8vxfe51J9686tleL-EHX_RjMi34/s1600/BOOK+HAUL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDJNuOd1PKn08VxsVbo8jMa5QFiEvQRdVG_kvqVhjxfAbKRguqZWd0GPbI9SdkGywA0AYSXOW8rXbKlAPO7VNbda_UNty5oSXnfuBtTSHfHLx_zDw8vxfe51J9686tleL-EHX_RjMi34/s640/BOOK+HAUL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
*snaps* Someone stop me from buying books. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is getting absolutely ridiculous. If there are more than ten books in my Q4 book haul, I'm going on stricter book buying ban in the new year.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDFi90e3bXZzBmD44PaJHvAJ90cenDWhjOs4Ut7_LH7fUiOlmOFTWZ7JkxOR3_yM6YDJ88GMv6FddTwCwqRUAMx9YAzzjTThyjRTPGRWpaVR576-IzrWqthyLETVMlUcwhgz2kDhQFP8/s1600/IMG_2758bp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDFi90e3bXZzBmD44PaJHvAJ90cenDWhjOs4Ut7_LH7fUiOlmOFTWZ7JkxOR3_yM6YDJ88GMv6FddTwCwqRUAMx9YAzzjTThyjRTPGRWpaVR576-IzrWqthyLETVMlUcwhgz2kDhQFP8/s640/IMG_2758bp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1912805582">THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE</a>: </b>5 STARS - One of my absolute favorite books of the year. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://tomesproject.blogspot.com/2017/08/dress-codes-for-small-towns-by-courtney.html">DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS</a>: </b>Another absolute favorite that I gave 5 stars! I'm in love with Courtney's books, and I'm so looking forward to all her future releases. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33783637-before-she-ignites">BEFORE SHE IGNITES</a>: </b>I got this in the September Owlcrate. I'm so, so excited to read this because <i>dragons. </i>Need I say more?</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give">THE HATE U GIVE</a>: </b>Everyone has read this but me, and when I go to Target, I have no self-control.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18296016-the-ring-and-the-crown">THE RING & THE CROWN</a>: </b>This is one that I don't know much about, but it's written by a Hispanic author and I don't want to know much more.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30347641-homegoing">HOMEGOING</a>: </b>Everyone loves this book, and this beautiful UK edition was only a few dollars at my local used bookstore so I snagged it (while in the checkout line). </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32319509-the-underground-railroad">THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD</a>: </b>Your girl couldn't say no to the BooktubeAThon discount and the book that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34273236-little-fires-everywhere">LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE</a>: </b>My BOTM pick for September. Literally, everyone and their mother and Reece Witherspoon and Seth Meyers is talking about this book. I want to read it <i>so badly.</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvTQdyIXTyBr-fc1fnOB-P4g41J7B3vWPococEBY5VKhAghc95XqpTfVKcntHZMr5rQdjOqSxiL6JY-nTI3CWojBTfwQDLhTltQYV_Ai-WEU08Ih1NKDk2L5uoSO0Z6wuWHD5CPmDekA/s1600/IMG_2793x.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvTQdyIXTyBr-fc1fnOB-P4g41J7B3vWPococEBY5VKhAghc95XqpTfVKcntHZMr5rQdjOqSxiL6JY-nTI3CWojBTfwQDLhTltQYV_Ai-WEU08Ih1NKDk2L5uoSO0Z6wuWHD5CPmDekA/s640/IMG_2793x.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25735012-career-of-evil">CAREER OF EVIL</a>: </b>This is the perfect example of "Monica buys the newest book in a series she hasn't read the previous release of" but I bought it because it was only about five dollars in the bargain section of B&N.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1908356706">OUR DARK DUET</a>: </b>I don't <i>regret </i>buying this, but I was definitely let down by this release. This was nowhere near the caliber of the first book, and overall it was a very disappointing finale.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32191677-american-fire">AMERICAN FIRE</a>: </b>This was one of my BOTM picks of the summer (the other is ↓) and, while I haven't read this one yet, it still sounds so interesting. This is a true crime story that about a series of arsons in Accomack County, Virginia. But the firefighters didn't put out the burning abandoned buildings and the police stopped searching for a culprit, so vigilante groups pop up in this rural area. It sounds fascinating, and I love true crime.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2046114886">FINAL GIRLS</a>: </b>(Not pictured; I've never unhauled a book this quickly.) *extended groan* It was okay, but for a <i>thriller, </i>I was neither thrilled nor surprised by the ending.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34076952-the-language-of-thorns">LANGUAGE OF THORNS</a>: </b>I got to go to the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZfF8Dcg1CR/?taken-by=tomesproject">launch for this in Nashville</a>. It was lovely and wonderful. We got the announcement of her new book Monday night and we got free ice cream. (And I got a hug because there's nothing like a little cry with your favorite author about <i>Crooked Kingdom.</i>)</li>
<li><b>SIX OF CROWS (French Edition): </b>Emma @ Awkwordly Emma is <i>the actual best </i>because when she went to Canada this summer, she got me this absolutely lovely present because she knows how much I love this book and remembers my flailing over these gorgeous editions.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs21yo0X6qvXXDH9elEdiLLx_-92cWrjPAC-lobssAYkaX1lyzs3bNYpRMMBLn23EQ3On1MJtFetsPJ7jBhiaFhTjsqqI7rhyqTRbramATEOobSPvIH1DYKyRpt0sisvmsTyy95Ojjl4/s1600/IMG_2770bp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVs21yo0X6qvXXDH9elEdiLLx_-92cWrjPAC-lobssAYkaX1lyzs3bNYpRMMBLn23EQ3On1MJtFetsPJ7jBhiaFhTjsqqI7rhyqTRbramATEOobSPvIH1DYKyRpt0sisvmsTyy95Ojjl4/s640/IMG_2770bp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13573503-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower">THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER</a>: </b>I read this when I was a small and awkward high school kid. It was one of the first books I ever read when I started this blog and one of the very first "reviews" I ever wrote, but I've never owned my own copy until I snagged this from my used bookstore. I want to reread this ASAP.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10042119-full-dark-no-stars?ac=1&from_search=true">FULL DARK, NO STARS</a>: </b>This is a bind-up of novellas by Stephen King that I want to read during Spookathon this year. (And there's a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjUzP_c1MvWAhUBRyYKHQ28Ag8QyCkIKjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D3E_fT0aTsjI&usg=AOvVaw2a4kngppc-7WDCj1HnDXCx">movie of 1922</a>, one of the novellas, releasing on Netflix soon!)</li>
<li><b>STUDY TRILOGY (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60510.Poison_Study">I</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1265703.Magic_Study">II</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1966969.Fire_Study">III</a>): </b>Unlike most people, I've never read this series, but I impulse bought all three in one go when I saw them all sitting together in my used bookstore. What is wrong with me?</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9571724-murder-on-the-orient-express">MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS</a>: </b>Another <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjy9Oue1cvWAhWF0iYKHd19CEAQyCkIKjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMq4m3yAoW8E&usg=AOvVaw3MhlCEtr-PCtfJKCZ-hNJo">book with a movie</a> releasing soon! I'm a little more nervous for this one (*cough* Johnny Depp *cough*) but I need to read this before seeing the movie.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33158561-wild-beauty">WILD BEAUTY</a>: </b>I got an arc of this from a giveaway but have yet to read it because I am the actual worst.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30375879-lion">LION</a>, originally published as A LONG WAY HOME: </b>Now, I've already seen the movie for this one (it's fantastic, by the way; Dev Patel is a gem) but I'm really getting into nonfiction, so I grabbed this one when I saw it for 75 cents.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225848-brain-on-fire">BRAIN ON FIRE</a>: </b>Another nonfiction that I grabbed for under a dollar because I see people talking about it <i>constantly</i> and need to read it.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE1gPP7rzqSs1E_duAjzs6zKOJdTSmQsxhSZJ6EtyNWNwyyV4YFkN62Ds4IGZHhxiYFypNnvVqbpLoJZKLQSaAIXjd5ZbvbaT2KgT5XLLb2Wmp6xX_fTvZtmnxN3KiEmnysUXNZwxK20/s1600/IMG_2757bp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE1gPP7rzqSs1E_duAjzs6zKOJdTSmQsxhSZJ6EtyNWNwyyV4YFkN62Ds4IGZHhxiYFypNnvVqbpLoJZKLQSaAIXjd5ZbvbaT2KgT5XLLb2Wmp6xX_fTvZtmnxN3KiEmnysUXNZwxK20/s640/IMG_2757bp.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1348235187">THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1888788407">THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1922859732">THE HORSE AND HIS BOY</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1918551264">PRINCE CASPIAN</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1938198919">THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1943018392">THE SILVER CHAIR</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1943017817">THE LAST BATTLE</a></b><br />
<br />
I recently finished this series for the <i>first time </i>this year. I'd read some of the earlier books when I was younger, but never really got into the series. I bought this horrible bind-up with all seven books a few years back, but it was so heavy and the words were tiny and altogether impossible to read. I've been on the hunt for good editions for a while and collected the whole series of full-color collector's editions secondhand through my used bookstore.<br />
<br />
<b>Whew. That's all of them. But seriously, I need to go on a book buying ban. But in the new year. Have you read any of these? Which ones should I read first? Let me know down in comments!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a> <b><br /></b> <b><br /></b></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-25109972803263563842017-09-20T00:00:00.000-04:002017-09-20T00:00:01.450-04:00The Best and Worst of Summer 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Yny3xNNLa8LgU1WrD5raJNCtlhsdKqu7it0UxL1CFekw2m9td2doAfkQklMRKWe9OAa3Wih2V0HjYzBfBhNNGulZZpk2YBYiosa745iBYdoYtFJ8EFNn_uul_Q-EbUjWlH56g4m1t4/s1600/Background5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="968" data-original-width="1600" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Yny3xNNLa8LgU1WrD5raJNCtlhsdKqu7it0UxL1CFekw2m9td2doAfkQklMRKWe9OAa3Wih2V0HjYzBfBhNNGulZZpk2YBYiosa745iBYdoYtFJ8EFNn_uul_Q-EbUjWlH56g4m1t4/s640/Background5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't think I've ever read so many books in a single season. (And I think July is topping the amount I've read in a single month ever.) But with the combination of an operation and recovery time and my lack of summer classes and the fact that most of my friends stayed near their respective universities for the summer, I had so much time to read.<br />
<br />
And because I don't want to write this post out for twelve years, here is a quick rundown of all the books I've read between the months of July and September with my star ratings, and at the end I'll tell you my favorite and least favorite reads of the summer.<br />
<br />
(Sorry if my graphics are wonky and weird, Pic Monkey is a dick and decided to basically shut down the entirety of their free services and I haven't found an alternative I like yet.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Books marked with a single asterisk (*) were provided via the publisher or Netgalley for review purposes. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">All opinions are my own.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">All links direct to my goodreads reviews of each book</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xx93_8P_sxPKRFZy349EOJu-QYSN_aoltc8BqYrytHrkBHTWlVXcjO1ofNDLCffKl3sjVcOkeLgIvZMfbiBhULPqI7k_jVxnjBzujtfp4T3i-bOpfDkWCoi8eQPgXyKxZQlVADocdj4/s1600/julyx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="1600" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xx93_8P_sxPKRFZy349EOJu-QYSN_aoltc8BqYrytHrkBHTWlVXcjO1ofNDLCffKl3sjVcOkeLgIvZMfbiBhULPqI7k_jVxnjBzujtfp4T3i-bOpfDkWCoi8eQPgXyKxZQlVADocdj4/s640/julyx.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860964317">WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI</a></b> - 5 stars<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094025776">FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM</a></b> - NR**</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2017112779">A HOUSE AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAKE</a></b> - 4 stars<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1943017817">THE LAST BATTLE</a> </b>- 4 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2061144550">HONOR GIRL</a></b> - 4 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1329277085">A MADNESS SO DISCREET</a></b> - 4.5 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1957306549">LUMBERJANES, VOL. 6</a></b> - 3 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2064177241">THE ROYAL WE</a></b> - 3.5 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1675017563">THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED</a></b> - 5 stars<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1963933024">GOLDIE VANCE, VOL. 2</a> </b>- 4 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1912488851">MARCH: BOOK TWO</a></b> - 5 stars<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1963025099">SLEEPING GIANTS</a></b> - 3 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1995504874">GIANT DAYS, VOL. 5</a></b> - 3 stars<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1908356706">OUR DARK DUET</a></b> - 2.5 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1968622748">EXIT WEST</a></b> - 5 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**I didn't rate Fantastic Beasts because rating it felt like rating an article(s) on a wikipedia page. This is all information I could have just gotten on the HP Lexicon or the HP Wikia, but I wanted to listen to Eddie Redmayne read the audiobook.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDcs3M83Ox2CjxTk0vDqMyExmSIzFVN-ubnN1ux9XtKrHNQdGjKVxNW0Q4IJ6JW3n24Z0hfLOMB5VKk2kIy-1pcobCB6Iv-xDpaGbQmBwLKIO9xR6bnGopGqpXh3kELbDRPAL-9q0MNw/s1600/augustx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDcs3M83Ox2CjxTk0vDqMyExmSIzFVN-ubnN1ux9XtKrHNQdGjKVxNW0Q4IJ6JW3n24Z0hfLOMB5VKk2kIy-1pcobCB6Iv-xDpaGbQmBwLKIO9xR6bnGopGqpXh3kELbDRPAL-9q0MNw/s640/augustx.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2046114886">FINAL GIRLS</a></b> - 2 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1910192472">THE BACKSTAGERS, VOL. 1</a></b> - 5 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1987026994">BLOODLINE</a> </b>- 4 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2072087874">POE: STORIES AND POEMS</a>*</b> - 4 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860958424">DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS</a>*</b> - 5 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2088785053">THE SIGN OF FOUR</a></b> - 4 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1624398499">BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO HATE ME</a></b> - NR**<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1912805582">THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE</a></b> - 5 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**You can check out my Goodreads review, where I talk about each story individually. Overall, this book was kind of a mess. (Not going to lie, half the reason I didn't rate it was because it probably averages out to a 2/5 or lower, and I didn't want some booktube stans coming after me.)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygq-9YSxEG3y1g5KdLlIGtS5wtD7Bofjh5azqFWaVh2cIuXEmUHMJXq3orYtjh5fmaKWETPSH4r9lQ0YCf0Hp63j4FPCvdfnTR1WqVnNwJkJyydwKkU6dmTPa8SP6FP6nlAgINJ5D-gw/s1600/septemberx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygq-9YSxEG3y1g5KdLlIGtS5wtD7Bofjh5azqFWaVh2cIuXEmUHMJXq3orYtjh5fmaKWETPSH4r9lQ0YCf0Hp63j4FPCvdfnTR1WqVnNwJkJyydwKkU6dmTPa8SP6FP6nlAgINJ5D-gw/s640/septemberx.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2074374247">GIANT DAYS, VOL. 6</a></b> - 4 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2105416649">DEPRESSION & OTHER MAGIC TRICKS</a>* </b>- 5 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2116400169">THE CHAOS OF LONGING</a>*</b> - 2 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2117989522">SECRETS FOR THE MAD</a>*</b> - 4 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1971310650">THE PENELOPIAD</a></b> - 4 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2113042057">GIANT DAYS, VOL. 7</a></b> - 4 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2118317623">THE PARK BENCH</a>*</b> - 3 stars | <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094547242">THE HANDMAID'S TALE</a></b> - 4 stars</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>OKAY</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Whew. I'm actually so happy with the books that I read these past three months. There were a few flops, but they were vastly outnumbered by the amount of books that I absolutely <i>loved </i>and ones that I really enjoyed. I also read a fair number of adult books, which feels like such a big accomplishment. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i style="font-weight: bold;">ALSO, </i>I finished my 52 book Goodreads challenge!! *celebrates* *bakes cake* </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The arbitrary number that I'm shooting for by the end of the year is 80. I'm already past 60 at this point, so it's possible but I'm not holding myself to that number.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Now, onto . . .</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKQMoIKBo71fxJKBqaaRx0DelDum095VpnmfT16A7fv3BG19WkPH9LXReQtmhMljpPSxvvIacU9qmR5_fDfrxhGNqjAF8IIEjipZl4Ylthg-rCosBGChNOKcU8mx_M6JWYOr_e8H9RIk/s1600/LEASTFAVESxx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjKQMoIKBo71fxJKBqaaRx0DelDum095VpnmfT16A7fv3BG19WkPH9LXReQtmhMljpPSxvvIacU9qmR5_fDfrxhGNqjAF8IIEjipZl4Ylthg-rCosBGChNOKcU8mx_M6JWYOr_e8H9RIk/s640/LEASTFAVESxx.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
None of these are <i>bad </i>books. Most of them just aren't for me. Additionally, most of these are victims of hype. I was <i>too excited </i>and expected <i>too much</i> from these.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Because You Love to Hate Me: </b>I think there were three stories out of thirteen that I actually enjoyed from this collection. Had this just been an anthology (sans booktuber essays and prompts) I might have actually enjoyed it. The villains weren't very villainous and the stories that I enjoyed the most were mostly from contemporary authors, which was a weird surprise.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>The Chaos of Longing: </b>I think if you like modern poetry like <i>milk and honey </i>and <i>the princess saves herself in this one</i> then you will like this, but I'm not the biggest fan of that type of poetry and if I didn't have to review this book, I would have DNFed it.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Our Dark Duet: </b>I'm going to defer you to my Goodreads review for this one because I have <i>a lot </i>of thoughts. Mainly, this felt very contrived and didn't have much of a plot for the first half of the book. I wasn't impressed.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Final Girls: </b>This may be because I don't read a lot of thrillers or it may be because I start off reading thrillers with a much more skeptical eye than other books. But I definitely guessed the ending thirty pages in, and I wasn't on the edge of my seat or anything. Also, this book does that thing where a man writes under a feminine sounding name so that they gain an audience quicker. Not a fan.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6yHGTC6PDiSH7SuLJRTu5HwwxgT0Gmt-dmHaUjFvP2UZp8NdxNVpAJY-Hr3HZ_95RKPzeBlYnhdz8cO7M0clhwtffxyUPN94ck6IPGNA-yE-OeN3bDcSzYgvd9_Tt-7HwiwvqvVE79Y/s1600/FAVESx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1600" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6yHGTC6PDiSH7SuLJRTu5HwwxgT0Gmt-dmHaUjFvP2UZp8NdxNVpAJY-Hr3HZ_95RKPzeBlYnhdz8cO7M0clhwtffxyUPN94ck6IPGNA-yE-OeN3bDcSzYgvd9_Tt-7HwiwvqvVE79Y/s640/FAVESx.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I actually have a pretty even split between graphic novels/comics and actual real books for this list, which is exciting because it means that I had time to read multiple physical novels, which is always exciting.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>COMICS & GRAPHIC MEMOIR</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Giant Days: </b>I'm so happy that <i>Giant Days </i>is still on this list. It continues to be one of my favorite comics on the market right now, and I've never read <b>seven volumes </b>of a comic and still love the most recent issues as much as I loved the first ones. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>March, book two: </b>This is such an important and beautifully written memoir by Congressman John Lewis about his time and involvement in the Civil Rights movement. This specific volume talks about the freedom rides, the march on Washington, and more. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>The Backstagers: </b>I love finding new comic series, and this is an incredible one. If you like <i>Lumberjanes </i>and theater, you will <b>love</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>this. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>NOVELS</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><b>The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue: </b>BI-SEX-U-AL MAIN CHARACTER. Also, historical fiction. Also, alchemy. Also, a kick-ass female character. It was amazing. I'd be <i>shocked</i> if you haven't heard of it. It was so amazing, and I loved Lee's writing style. It was funny and also heartbreaking and I cried 1000% more than I thought I would.</li>
<li><b>Exit West: </b>Okay, this was absolutely fantastic, and my favorite adult book of the year thus far. This is a magical realism refugee story. It's so short, and if you need a push to pick this up, this is that push.</li>
<li><b>Dress Codes for Small Towns: </b>Duuuuudees. This is <i>the best </i>book I've read this entire year. Oh my gosh. Read my full review because I cannot coherently talk about this book in fewer than 500 words.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>*gives you a cookie for making it to the end* You did it! Tell me what your favorite book of the summer was down in the comments. Also, have you read any of these books? Tell me what you thought of them!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-82610588694132640812017-09-19T00:00:00.000-04:002017-09-19T00:00:18.414-04:00Books I Want to Read This Fall | 2017 TBR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoJDPGLwC9CHbdCoAE8N8kqd0ZFhfmkgo1cHsx28H9v8S58Wh5RSmIR7WYzaF-2ICiF5mpeT_W7Fg2jmfsgxvpu9UVFVomu2W5DOg6xUPqSH6r6qh517zEAjZOhuw8oX5yD-KLHjcnPc/s1600/tbr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoJDPGLwC9CHbdCoAE8N8kqd0ZFhfmkgo1cHsx28H9v8S58Wh5RSmIR7WYzaF-2ICiF5mpeT_W7Fg2jmfsgxvpu9UVFVomu2W5DOg6xUPqSH6r6qh517zEAjZOhuw8oX5yD-KLHjcnPc/s640/tbr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html">The Broke and the Bookish</a> to share lists (because we love them)
about books and bookish things.</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
lol @ me for ever thinking I'm going to read all of these books in the first three months of my junior year of college. But it's not a post on my blog if I don't set goals that I ultimately won't meet.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
On with the show!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfkZkeAWn0_DpH-1SKJeWmR9XmrqDbq_FNHFztTC7WvMWRa1eTpCHcuhpv-egrzkBCuE1_IArxeTBFNO5s73LbVfPI_Zz5jNViZPO6EOikreTE4_du8JDkUohv4jttmqar-uzYCR5YT4/s1600/fall+tbr1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfkZkeAWn0_DpH-1SKJeWmR9XmrqDbq_FNHFztTC7WvMWRa1eTpCHcuhpv-egrzkBCuE1_IArxeTBFNO5s73LbVfPI_Zz5jNViZPO6EOikreTE4_du8JDkUohv4jttmqar-uzYCR5YT4/s640/fall+tbr1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1733424718">SIEGE AND STORM</a>:</b> I read <i>Shadow and Bone</i> last year, and for who knows what reason got about halfway through this book before just putting it back on the shelf and forgetting about it. Even though I've read the <i>Six of Crows </i>duology already (and I'm <i>fairly </i>certain that I know how this trilogy ends), I really want to read these last two books because I'm so excited for <i>Language of Thorns</i> to release is just (!) one (!!) week (!!!).</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2089701082">JANE, UNLIMITED</a>: </b>I've never read any Kristin Cashore, but her <i>Graceling </i>series has always sounded so intriguing. I've heard fantastic things about her writing, and my dear friend Emma lent me her ARC of this so I need to read it ASAP.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1411558688">THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE</a>:</b> The running theme of this list is "I haven't read anything from this author, but I hear endless raving about them" and that's also the case for this book. I've had this on my shelf since it was released and it's about damn time I got around to reading it.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1167479226">THE DIVINERS</a>:</b> Fall seems like the <i>perfect </i>time to read this book because a) it's got a really spooky, paranormal vibe and b) the third book is releasing this season so if I like it, I can continue on with the series.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1912490740">WONDER</a>: </b>Literally everyone that I know that's read this book has loved it. I currently have it out from my library and desperately want to read this before the movie comes out.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGRoIiFJ-54zODcCmSNgIhPDnptDp8jiQUhYZaCHVaMXhlwH74rVDQoH9krIfT6yekFlESRRdUAh19_c0eLJWX0l89etN-TdpjkACc2dGGZlbIjBiYj_NCX4s3Hhod_DslLdTzngjZMs/s1600/fall+tbr2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGRoIiFJ-54zODcCmSNgIhPDnptDp8jiQUhYZaCHVaMXhlwH74rVDQoH9krIfT6yekFlESRRdUAh19_c0eLJWX0l89etN-TdpjkACc2dGGZlbIjBiYj_NCX4s3Hhod_DslLdTzngjZMs/s640/fall+tbr2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860963540">WILD BEAUTY</a>: </b>Another ARC that I have yet to get to but am incredibly excited to read. This is written by a Latina author with Latina main characters and it's magical realism. It's so many of my favorite things in one book. Also, <i>look at that cover </i>and tell me you don't want to read it.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2120199963">LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE</a>: </b>(see also: <i>The Rest of Us Just Live Here</i>) I just got this book from my Book of the Month box for September. I have zero idea what this is about, and that's how I want to go into this book.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1989369497">LOST STARS</a>:</b> I am a nerd. I love Star Wars. I need things to distract me from what will probably be the death of Rey's character development that will happen in Episode VIII. I loved <i>Bloodline </i>by Claudia Gray, and this audiobook is available through my library's overdrive.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1834010565">THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD</a>: </b>I've been interested in this book since it released. A book about the underground railroad where it's an actual railway with trains? Sign me up. Also, it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, so I have high expectations.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1994796580">ARTEMIS</a>: </b>Even though I've heard some mixed things about this, I'm still really excited to dive into my early copy of Andy Weir's newest book. I absolutely loved <i>The Martian, </i>so I'm really anticipating reading his newest book that's set <i>on the moon. </i></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>These are the main ten books that I'm hoping to get to this fall. Of course, there are also a lot of comics and graphic novels/memoirs that I need to read as well, but I wanted to just stick with novels for this list because I like setting unrealistic expectations for myself.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-66778747767043649442017-09-15T00:00:00.000-04:002017-09-15T00:00:24.250-04:00September 2017 | Currently Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XPzVLqZKX6j6HN4m15DQ3f-x1zjQQmAA5VF6X5lTLol4K7lMyMKJASqUEn0htbj-eiIxdq6ag_3BTe6FZvC8EN4U9cywMa78mYntqlcxK-W03OPorZntHtk8jpibvKVRv_l39iHWKeo/s1600/currently+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XPzVLqZKX6j6HN4m15DQ3f-x1zjQQmAA5VF6X5lTLol4K7lMyMKJASqUEn0htbj-eiIxdq6ag_3BTe6FZvC8EN4U9cywMa78mYntqlcxK-W03OPorZntHtk8jpibvKVRv_l39iHWKeo/s640/currently+reading.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<i>Currently Reading </i>is a monthly feature on my blog, where I catch you up on the books that I'm currently reading (or at least attempting to read).</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGv0Z6PqATVOlUmH5bzXukKYegO4KNq1hR2bIT6wYAxWVORhhebfqVMYi1lUbLQyypSwaQ9O_K-Vnh5-0VFM3dELXJULvFYQAz8zzY9b1n9AOlrjG2yzGyGxmEU1PSUym_f088gqrvDE/s1600/cr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGv0Z6PqATVOlUmH5bzXukKYegO4KNq1hR2bIT6wYAxWVORhhebfqVMYi1lUbLQyypSwaQ9O_K-Vnh5-0VFM3dELXJULvFYQAz8zzY9b1n9AOlrjG2yzGyGxmEU1PSUym_f088gqrvDE/s640/cr.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094547242">The Handmaid's Tale</a>:</b> I have been reading this book since <i>March. </i>I mean, I read almost the entirety of it in three or four days and then put it down until about a week ago because--let's be real--it was just hitting <i>a little too close to home </i>as a young woman living in the United States. But now, I only have about forty pages left in this book. I'm hoping to finish this today. *crosses fingers and locks self in room until book is finished*</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1912490740">Wonder</a>: </b>This is such a cute and important middle grade novel about a boy with a facial deformity that goes to school for the first time. It's a little heavy-handed, but it's middle-grade so that's to be expected. (Also, I'm so excited for this movie. Daveed Diggs is in this movie and I'm so proud of him.)</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1989369497">Lost Stars</a>:</b> Jesus Christ. I am such a nerd. Also, I stand by the fact that Star Wars has some of the <i>best-produced </i>audiobooks out there. There's music and character voices and multiple narrators. As far as the story, this is a YA dual perspective novel following a Rebel pilot and an Imperial officer. It feels a little Romeo and Juliet, which (in my opinion) isn't really an idea that works when one side is literally a space version of Nazis. I'm hoping it gets better, but if you're looking for a Star Wars book, I'd tell you to pick up Gray's <i>Bloodline.</i></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2098905417">Full Frontal Feminism</a>:</b> This is a book I'm reading for my Women and Gender Studies class this semester. It's a pretty interesting and informative read. It's talking about a lot of stuff and discussing a lot of history that I already know and am well acquainted with. Though, if you're thinking of picking this up, definitely grab the second edition; it's far better.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>These are all the books I'm currently reading! If you've read any of these books, let me know your thoughts down in the comments, and tell me what books you're currently reading!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b><a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-89738065300019907792017-08-24T00:00:00.000-04:002017-08-24T00:00:04.761-04:00My Life in Books | Tag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir88b9VIdD257T1nPEyj2gP5Ph4s5zrJAAk4djiuMRhtNcPJIAvEAN_gC3c-kgjpD4wINcdtAu6ZV5_CvAOussPnEHXp6B9J5TNyO3q1zdSJ-_ryhmZnnYksntWAJaGh2UhEZWoreKQZY/s1600/life+in+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1600" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir88b9VIdD257T1nPEyj2gP5Ph4s5zrJAAk4djiuMRhtNcPJIAvEAN_gC3c-kgjpD4wINcdtAu6ZV5_CvAOussPnEHXp6B9J5TNyO3q1zdSJ-_ryhmZnnYksntWAJaGh2UhEZWoreKQZY/s640/life+in+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I saw this tag on <a href="https://bookmarklit.net/2017/08/17/life-books-tag/">Lauren @ Bookmark Lit's blog</a> and, being a starved-for-ideas college student, wanted to do this tag. This tag was so much fun. I couldn't find the original tag, but I <i>loved</i> the questions and had to do it for myself.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRMYLEMbwzCssmuhLhH9jbANGFeipBL28t0gypgCQKkd5y0K5VvQHSD_unqAIihHwplEjuDYJCkLyKTJTOC3M41TcywDNRnXMFootWLfGmjqqA_bIZl00ww656-V4yXH86nSmiAsSovc/s1600/life5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRMYLEMbwzCssmuhLhH9jbANGFeipBL28t0gypgCQKkd5y0K5VvQHSD_unqAIihHwplEjuDYJCkLyKTJTOC3M41TcywDNRnXMFootWLfGmjqqA_bIZl00ww656-V4yXH86nSmiAsSovc/s640/life5.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Find a book for each of your initials:</h4>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>M </b>|<b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1350321280">Missoula</a> </b>by Jon Krakauer</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>G </b>|<b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1503796549">Giant Days</a> </b>by John Allison</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>W </b>|<b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860964317">When Dimple Met Rishi</a> </b>by Sandhya Menon</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I wanted to pick some books that I have actually read and liked because <i>this is my name, the essence of my physical person. </i>Picking a book for G was <i>easy, </i>but there are not enough books that start with M and W. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGI5EIagOafcdv6-cFD6nzfmuBW6mIJpQi2ttb5WFQchbNjiWIRkBKkZhJV8pr9MJi68AjES5EzA8ilOPBhxI0FbHGYB6ZCRzOSxw_6WtmlOudDTwZ5py3eVOQNwgGSsE_NybI7VtKpE/s1600/life4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGI5EIagOafcdv6-cFD6nzfmuBW6mIJpQi2ttb5WFQchbNjiWIRkBKkZhJV8pr9MJi68AjES5EzA8ilOPBhxI0FbHGYB6ZCRzOSxw_6WtmlOudDTwZ5py3eVOQNwgGSsE_NybI7VtKpE/s640/life4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Count your age along your bookshelf. What book is it?</h4>
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13573503-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower"><b>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</b></a> | I actually <i>just</i> bought this from a local used bookstore because I've wanted to reread this for some time. I loved this book when I read it absolutely ages ago and (controversial opinion) don't really like the movie (except Ezra Miller, he's a gem). This is probably the first book I ever read with queer characters, so it has a special place in my heart.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Pick a book set in your city/state.</h4>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860958424">Dress Codes for Small Towns</a></b> | There are <i>not </i>a lot of books that take place in Tennessee, much less Nashville-area, Middle Tennessee so this one was actually pretty difficult. Most of <i>Dress Codes </i>takes place in a small town in Kentucky, but there are a couple of points in this book when the group will drive down to Nashville. I'm counting it.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Pick a book that represents a destination you'd love to visit.</h4>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1232.The_Shadow_of_the_Wind?ac=1&from_search=true">The Shadow of the Wind</a></b> | SPAIN. BARCELONA. I haven't read this book, but it takes place in 1940s Spain, and there is nowhere I'd rather travel in the entire world than Spain so that I can put my in-progress Spanish degree to work.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Pick a book that's your favorite color.</h4>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1968622748">Exit West</a></b> | Like most adults, I don't have a singular favorite color. I like black, but that's not a very fun answer. So, I picked <i>Exit West</i> which has some of my favorite hues of blue and also has some beautiful typography.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6AK4Dw9iMavcI1Hp9CqmOnVS3fRguZRf6pJMe9RK3yCBzqNzotlBkXrvpoVVvgiaZ1TC0qK6X5LJ9pCvBL2Db1jr4yeuothwnSBXHxJ17e_SJ7lc7HEHCPkrQwCvc_bvaRVGznrRDxc/s1600/life7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6AK4Dw9iMavcI1Hp9CqmOnVS3fRguZRf6pJMe9RK3yCBzqNzotlBkXrvpoVVvgiaZ1TC0qK6X5LJ9pCvBL2Db1jr4yeuothwnSBXHxJ17e_SJ7lc7HEHCPkrQwCvc_bvaRVGznrRDxc/s640/life7.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br /></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Which book do you have the fondest memories of?</h4>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9673436-the-invention-of-hugo-cabret">The Invention of Hugo Cabret</a></b> | In middle school, I was the nerd that volunteered to work in the school library and shelve books during our ''homeroom period" because it combined a few of my favorite things: books and being relatively alone. At the end of the year, all of the student volunteers got to skip class and hang out and eat in the library. The librarians surprised us all with brand new copies of this book. It was the first time I ever remember being properly gifted a book, bow and all, and I read it four times in a row because I loved it so much.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br /></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?</h4>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12297.The_Scarlet_Letter">The Scarlet Letter</a></b> | The Puritans are not the most exciting people, nor is it the most exciting period in American history. This is a book I had to read for a class in high school and, admittedly, the only book I never fully finished for a class.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<br /></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Which book on your TBR pile will give you the biggest sense of accomplishment when you finish it?</h4>
<br />
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/151.Anna_Karenina">Anna Karenina</a> </b>| Not only is this book massive in page count, but also in density because it's a novel by a Russian author with so much Russian political and cultural influences and references. I've started this book a few times now, but always stop about 100 pages in because I have the attention of a squirrel and get distracted by new, shiny books.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Have you done this tag? Tell me down in the comments your favorite book that starts with one of your initials!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b><a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-90153902838752198942017-08-18T11:34:00.000-04:002017-08-18T11:34:18.058-04:00What I'm Currently Reading (+ #TheReadingQuest Update) | August 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKSJNqTpOAmN94yW7UOFS-aEvuyDf3H9DYNSXK19zCUSfDems8B8UGk69GigoMj_iQuEzfiRdfgp5XrweMck3K2PKwru1ARLyLDr013l6F-StQUKqRdkNncXiv8iNoawlvSppeA2Z9Pk/s1600/currently+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKSJNqTpOAmN94yW7UOFS-aEvuyDf3H9DYNSXK19zCUSfDems8B8UGk69GigoMj_iQuEzfiRdfgp5XrweMck3K2PKwru1ARLyLDr013l6F-StQUKqRdkNncXiv8iNoawlvSppeA2Z9Pk/s640/currently+reading.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
I used to do these posts <b>all the time</b> on my blog, and I'm one of those people that reads about five books at once. I'm going to try and do this monthly to show what I'm reading in what format and what I think of it so far! I'm thinking I'll post these on the second or third Friday of every month, but *shrug*</blockquote>
As for the Reading Quest, I haven't completed any of the challenges yet because I've been packing everything away for my move back to college and just haven't had the time. But I am reading four books that fit into three of the side-quests. (And I'm almost finished with my first book!)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRZimh8C1fkNJahewvJIGtM7ZvHBvN2DUYl_c47lmCRq1RQ-1GWKeYv3MtjAzdduShcpFUWwPS3XpsTVyitLwMNl11c8IuIkqx34UPlsmojTIUxZ0XEWZCJQIk2Yg9ySxpUOslKMUnnI/s1600/currently.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRZimh8C1fkNJahewvJIGtM7ZvHBvN2DUYl_c47lmCRq1RQ-1GWKeYv3MtjAzdduShcpFUWwPS3XpsTVyitLwMNl11c8IuIkqx34UPlsmojTIUxZ0XEWZCJQIk2Yg9ySxpUOslKMUnnI/s640/currently.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1912805582">THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE</a>: </b>No one has shut up about this book even since before it released. This fits into the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Time Warp </i>challenge since it takes place in the 1700s. I am <i>loving </i>this book. I only have about 120 pages left, so *fingers crossed* hopefully I can finish it today. This book is hilarious and heartbreaking and has a bisexual main character. It's simultaneously a fun romp through Europe while also bringing up very hard and timely issues (e.g. racism, homosexuality, and female roles in the 1700s).</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860955364">WELCOME HOME</a>: </b>I actually started this before the challenge, and it doesn't really fit into any of the challenges. But this is an MG/YA anthology all about adoption that I've been reading a few stories out of each week. I'm really enjoying this, and I've been discovering so many new authors to read. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094545208">THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY</a>: </b>This is the nonfiction book that I'm currently reading. This takes place during the construction of the World's Fair in Chicago, all about the main architects and also the serial killer H.H. Holmes. This is my <i style="font-weight: bold;">Respawn </i>book, and I'm reading the physical copy this time and really enjoying it. (Can you say that about a book about a serial killer? Well, I am.)</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1835520065">PRIDE AND PREJUDICE</a>: </b>Look who is 20 years old and finally reading Jane Austen's most famous work. This is my <i style="font-weight: bold;">Open World </i>book. I'm less than 100 pages into this. So far my thoughts: Darcy's an ass and I low-key hate him & Elizabeth is a sassy little shit and I love her. I'm listening to this on audio, but I may have to switch over to a physical copy because I get <i>so distracted </i>while listening to it.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
READING QUEST STATS</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Character Class: </b>Mage</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Current Level: </b>1</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Overall EXP: </b>10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Overall HP: </b>63</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Total Pages Read: </b>534</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Total Pages Remaining: </b>744</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I could be doing better, but I'm not angry or upset with how I'm doing. My reading is definitely going to slow down since I start school next week, so my extreme catch-up during the summer is going to pay off. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Are you participating in The Reading Quest? How are you doing so far? If not, what are you currently reading? Tell me down in comments!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-49880025989174312242017-08-14T00:00:00.000-04:002017-08-14T00:00:15.268-04:00Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens | How Faith and Queer Meet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRJkwBUCtp_CgBToCS3jiyYZLFvGMyJcYGKHquRCptUafbOv_w5OtCvHfnIM1xDoCLUHxqBxv6r_N0NEp-WTJL5mTI85FYonsZTHD0qngR_ca2liFNHnY55G1A1ubt05ljvk59zSld0Q/s1600/REVIEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRJkwBUCtp_CgBToCS3jiyYZLFvGMyJcYGKHquRCptUafbOv_w5OtCvHfnIM1xDoCLUHxqBxv6r_N0NEp-WTJL5mTI85FYonsZTHD0qngR_ca2liFNHnY55G1A1ubt05ljvk59zSld0Q/s640/REVIEW.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-weight: normal;">The author was very kind to send me this book upon request so I could read it and review it prior to release. All opinions and thoughts are my own. All quotes are subject to change and will be updated after release if different.</i></h4>
<br />
<br />
Everyone has that one book that they relate to above all others. It's <i>their book. </i>It feels like somehow the author knows the inner-workings of all their relationships and the innermost thoughts they've never shared with anyone.<br />
<br />
For me, that's this book.<br />
<br />
Let me give you a quick rundown of the story. This is a slice-of-life, character-driven story following this group of friends called the Hexagon (because that's what everyone calls a group of six friends, obvs) in a small town in Kentucky, but our main character is the preacher's rebellious daughter Billie McCaffrey. (If that sounds kind of like Footloose, it's because it's kind of like Footloose.)<br />
<br />
<b>Before I get to the review, I do want to address this quickly. </b>I've seen quite a few reviews that say Billie is genderfluid, which I would say is inaccurate. She <i>is </i>a tomboy, she <i>does </i>question gender and what that means and why certain genders have certain roles in society, she <i>does </i>have male friends and has traditionally masculine hobbies and interests, she <i>does </i>have maybe romantic feelings for a girl, but she doesn't specifically question her own gender and the fact that she is a girl. It's actually made quite a point of that she <i>is </i>a girl. So, if you're going into this expecting a main character that's genderfluid, I would say this story isn't that, but it is a great examination of gender roles and stereotypes that exist.<br />
<br />
But on the note of diversity, I would like to say that there is a demisexual character in this book, and I really appreciate the way he was represented and how his story fits into the narrative.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He liked girls too. And boys. And anyone that made him feel deeply. [...] Most people want puddles to splash around in; Thom wants souls where scuba diving is encouraged.</blockquote>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
ANYWAY</h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
I adored this book. I've never seen so much of myself and my life in every character and every place on every page. There was no one character that I saw and said <i>That's me</i> but there was a piece of me in every single character. So, for me, they're all "realistic" characters. They are all going through the things my friends and I went through our senior year in small town, church town, somewhere near Nashville, Tennessee. The Hexagon was my group of friends. The one that wanted more than anything to get out, the one that was only there by happenstance, the one that was born there and will die there, the one that wonders if they belong there.<br />
<br />
There's not much plot to this book, but there is the ever-present fear that the Harvest Festival--the festival that's brought their town together for as long as all of them can remember--might be happening for the last time because it's main financial contributor just died.<br />
<br />
Naturally, our main character and her friends want to save the Harvest Festival. On this journey, Billie tries to figure out who she is, who she loves, and how she fits into this town that is always judging her. She falls in love (??), kisses some friends, and figures out who she is.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite thing about this book is its discussion on sexual fluidity. It's not always easy to figure out and it's not always a thing that makes sense to everyone. It's messy and it's okay if it takes a while to figure it out.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I think there's a place where love equals history and a place where love equals the a future and a place where love is just love and it doesn't go away no matter whether you get it back or not. Figuring out the difference--is impossible.</blockquote>
But my definite favorite thing about this book is the discussion of Christianity and queerness. It's never anything I've read before (and especially not in YA), and it was done so well. It discusses the difference between people's reactions and God's reaction and how they're not always the same thing. This book's existence means so much to me, and I hope it finds its way into so many queer, teen Christian hands so that they don't feel so alone.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I decided that church members would never tell me what to do again. (Jesus could have his say--I was a person of faith; I just wasn't a person of legalistic bullshit.) Those women threw stones over a football and a girl who girled differently from them. That's the real problem--not people leaving the church, not Christians acting like Pharisees, not making up rules that don't exist.</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I've said this about a few books now, but expect to see this on a favorites list at the end of the year. I loved and adored this. </b><b>So, go preorder it. Reserve and request it at your libraries, pick it up next week when it releases. Just go do it. You'll love it.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496274349l/32711701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496274349l/32711701.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<i>Dress Codes for Small Towns</i> by Courtney Stevens<br />
Other Novels: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1939077750">Faking Normal</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24928294-the-lies-about-truth">The Lies About Truth</a><br />
Published: 22 August 2017<br />
Format - Length: ARC - 352 pages<br />
Source: Author<br />
Genre: YA Contemporary<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32711701-dress-codes-for-small-towns">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860958424">My Goodreads Review</a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062398512/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062398512&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dress-codes-for-small-towns-courtney-stevens/1124860393;jsessionid=53B167737C8E1C6D305571665C241A28.prodny_store02-atgap09?ean=9780062398512&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Dress-Codes-for-Small-Towns-Courtney-Stevens/9780062398512">Book Depository</a><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
As the tomboy daughter
of the town’s preacher, Billie McCaffrey has always struggled with
fitting the mold of what everyone says she should be. She’d rather wear
sweats, build furniture, and get into trouble with her solid group of
friends: Woods, Mash, Davey, Fifty, and Janie Lee.<br />
<span id="freeText15721731526142183603"><br />But when Janie
Lee confesses to Billie that she’s in love with Woods, Billie’s filled
with a nagging sadness as she realizes that she is <em>also</em> in love with Woods…and maybe with Janie Lee, too.<br /><br />Always
considered “one of the guys,” Billie doesn’t want anyone slapping a
label on her sexuality before she can understand it herself. So she
keeps her conflicting feelings to herself, for fear of ruining the group
dynamic. Except it’s not just about keeping the peace, it’s about
understanding love on her terms—this thing that has always been defined
as a boy and a girl falling in love and living happily ever after. For
Billie—a box-defying dynamo—it’s not that simple.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-40934240544885279462017-08-07T00:00:00.000-04:002017-08-07T00:00:31.990-04:00Favorite Books of 2017 (So Far)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShxYuBe0XvuguQ752rIgb_XINACpTyGamz3H1EsBssUlXyvNcrWQ92kHp_GFt4wk-86iy3Y5zDrgTGPRfor4AsyffRzRrZd_Lw7I3BwqW5nJB-6fzkO_nCJvtoKwP39HhKln_e471MH0/s1600/BLERP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShxYuBe0XvuguQ752rIgb_XINACpTyGamz3H1EsBssUlXyvNcrWQ92kHp_GFt4wk-86iy3Y5zDrgTGPRfor4AsyffRzRrZd_Lw7I3BwqW5nJB-6fzkO_nCJvtoKwP39HhKln_e471MH0/s640/BLERP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I've seen a few people do posts like this this and last year, and I prefer it to the Mid-Year Book Freak Out because I don't have to talk about books I didn't like. Also, I've read some fantastic books so far this year, and if this list is any indication, then making a single list at the end of the year will be near impossible.<br />
<br />
Now, these aren't all books that released in 2017 (though many of them are), but rather books that I have read and loved so far this year. Also, these are in no particular order because I could not do that to my children.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">All links go to my full Goodreads reviews if you want more detail about my thoughts!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB2pEfckjVegIGPzHqJyrjQbIpN22r1bTgFWIaBtWxLv4YWTwidGKGg8fndwXXoOvh-7-pNghXOxQLtMbEWcEzLbENAmKwKZyvyCQsX7dV1AIsUZ2WOZiGnBFYa0bfvbkwDYLxPRZZ5U/s1600/graphicything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB2pEfckjVegIGPzHqJyrjQbIpN22r1bTgFWIaBtWxLv4YWTwidGKGg8fndwXXoOvh-7-pNghXOxQLtMbEWcEzLbENAmKwKZyvyCQsX7dV1AIsUZ2WOZiGnBFYa0bfvbkwDYLxPRZZ5U/s640/graphicything.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1939077750">FAKING NORMAL</a>: </b>This is definitely a book that I would never have picked up because there's a person on the cover, and nothing about it is particularly striking. But I got to listen to Courtney Stevens talk on a panel at SEYA-fest in March and immediately went to buy her book. This is an honest and raw depiction of how one girl handles the time after being raped. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860964317">WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI</a>: </b>I'm sure 99% of you have heard all the great and wonderful praise about this book, but it's all true. It's kind of ridiculous, but it's basically a Bollywood movie in a book so it's ridiculous by nature but also extremely heartwarming. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1675017563">THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED</a>: </b>Another one that so many people have read and loved this year, but it really is <i>that good. </i>For me, it was so amazing to see Albertalli's writing improve, but I also adored how she connected this book to her previous one. It's almost Matson-like and it's probably one of my favorite things that contemporary authors can do.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1720915127">A CONJURING OF LIGHT</a>: </b>I was pretty skeptical going into this final book in the <i>Shades of Magic</i> trilogy because I was not a huge fan of the second book. But I adored how Schwab concluded this series and wrapped up everyone's character arcs. I loved this.</li>
<li><b>MARCH, BOOKS <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1892962380">ONE</a> AND <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1912488851">TWO</a>: </b>If there is one (or two, technicalities) book that I would tell every single person to read, it would be this one. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1852966172">RADIO SILENCE</a>: </b>Now, I said that these were in no particular order, which is true about all the books except this one. If I had to pick a singular favorite book of the year at this point, I would tell you <i>Radio Silence. </i>This book is phenomenal. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1963025099">SLEEPING GIANTS</a>: </b>I only gave this book 3.5 stars, but this book was still one of my favorite reads (and listens--pick up the audiobook if you can) this year. (Clearly, it's on the list.)</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1963932820">GIANT DAYS, VOL. 4</a>: </b>Definitely my favorite volume of this comic series so far. It's also just one of my favorite comics out on the market right now. I can only tell y'all to read this so many times.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1968622748">EXIT WEST</a>: </b>Just an amazing, amazing book. It's a refugee novel with magical elements and it's done absolutely wonderfully. This is a short book, less than 250 pages, and absolutely flies by. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What have been some of your favorite reads so far this year? Have you read any of these? Are they on your TBR? Tell me down in comments!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script>
</div>
<br />Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-54077632198962229922017-08-03T00:00:00.000-04:002017-08-03T00:00:31.566-04:00The Reading Quest | Sign-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Hosted by Read at Midnight | Art by Read Think Ponder | August 13th through September 10th | <a href="https://readatmidnight.com/2017/07/29/thereadingquest-sign-up/">Info</a></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So, Aentee kept teasing these gorgeous graphics on her Twitter, so when this was finally posted in full, I was immediately drafting my TBR. I don't think I'm going to read all these books. This is the month (30 days over two months, whatever) that I'm moving back to school and starting my junior year, so #stress. I also tried to include as many ARCs and big books and books that I own for this challenge in a half-hearted attempt to join in multiple readathons.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3g9h0LqTT9zjM92EEfD8xVSipQNyqFvKufYKwITzw0VH9vVhmwCniahSQkqqIpLj36pHHrMJ20g_03benTc2EnLzKFC0Rc-dHX09zIK0qyAcF3IsVlWp4apEk4cxBrT0xjqttqPNOyw/s1600/reading-quest-board1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3g9h0LqTT9zjM92EEfD8xVSipQNyqFvKufYKwITzw0VH9vVhmwCniahSQkqqIpLj36pHHrMJ20g_03benTc2EnLzKFC0Rc-dHX09zIK0qyAcF3IsVlWp4apEk4cxBrT0xjqttqPNOyw/s640/reading-quest-board1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
MY MAYBE TBR</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Because I am notoriously terrible at sticking to a TBR pile.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I flip-flopped between Mage and Knight for <i>ages, </i>but I ended up settling on <b>MAGE </b>because it aligned better with the ARCs that I have as well as some of my top priority TBR books. Also, magic and fantasy is 80% of what I want to read always.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494273579l/34928122.jpg" width="131" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496161758l/33158561.jpg" width="131" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442806554l/17645.jpg" width="131" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442253627l/18525661.jpg" width="132" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467940475l/30969076.jpg" width="129" /></div>
<br />
Mage Path:<br />
<ul>
<li>A book with a one-word title: <b>Artemis by Andy Weir</b></li>
<li>A book that contains magic: <b>Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLemore </b>(this is magical realism, so I won't really be sure until I read it how much actual magic is in it so this may change to <b>Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comic Anthology</b>)</li>
<li>A book based on mythology: <b>The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood</b></li>
<li>A book set in a different world: <b>Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo</b></li>
<li>The first book in a series: <b>Nevernight by Jay Kristoff</b></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1445097091l/26795352.jpg" width="132" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421696237l/17901125.jpg" width="131" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492601464l/29283884.jpg" width="131" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470057005l/13206828.jpg" width="132" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400845036l/22071887.jpg" width="133" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457361267l/29436571.jpg" width="139" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1424193184l/24807186.jpg" width="132" /></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Side Quests:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Potions - a book concocted by 2+ authors: <b>My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows</b></li>
<li><strike>Multiplayer - buddy read a book: I have not planned anything for this, and let's be real, the amount of books I'm assuming I'll read in the first month of school is laughable already.</strike></li>
<li>Grind - a 500+ page book: <b>The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon</b></li>
<li>Time Warp - a book set in either the past or the future: <b>The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee</b></li>
<li>Open World - read whatever you want: <b>this will be whatever I manage to read that's not one of these books</b></li>
<li>Respawn - read a book you previously DNFed: <strike>(okay, so I <i>might </i>cheat a bit on this one because when I DNF books, they're done for good, so I might use a book I started and just never finished? is that cheating?)</strike> tentatively, this is <b>Cress by Marissa Meyer</b>, but it's looking like this won't actually happen</li>
<li>Expansion - read a companion novel or short story: <b>This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner</b></li>
<li>Mini-Game - read a graphic novel, novella, or poem collection: I'm assuming this includes comics as well? Either way, this will probably be<b> March, book three by John Lewis</b></li>
<li>Animal Companion - book referencing an animal on the cover: <b>Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin</b></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Are you going to try and participate in this? What path are you choosing? What books are you wanting to read? Tell me down in comments!</b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-17863793060673896152017-08-01T00:00:00.000-04:002017-08-01T00:00:21.592-04:00Hiatus Catch-Up | Recently in Reading #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt0O2hVJlnFVLsqZy2UP8S6Mtx5gfl1YUbQvTNJafvffzeBexowHNpyO7MZoSSIfXJeCUt8HYC65fxtn22NP9Rv3ik77BQYeJffZHn5ejDio0MBAG7eLgI6cI4d3U739qs7tjmkgjXNE/s1600/RECENTLY+IN+READING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="1600" height="529" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt0O2hVJlnFVLsqZy2UP8S6Mtx5gfl1YUbQvTNJafvffzeBexowHNpyO7MZoSSIfXJeCUt8HYC65fxtn22NP9Rv3ik77BQYeJffZHn5ejDio0MBAG7eLgI6cI4d3U739qs7tjmkgjXNE/s640/RECENTLY+IN+READING.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Recently in Reading" is a feature on my blog that I created myself, although I did adapt it from the Goodreads Tag and made it into a feature that I could do semi-regularly on my blog!</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
If you saw my recent post, then you know that I've kind of disappeared from the blogging community the last few months. Part of me missed it, and part of me was relieved to be taking a break. But, now I'm back and I wanted to catch you all up on the things I've been reading and loving during my break!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq2VcF48-8NEpMhCZyZq9jdgaCQvESS1brpqkGTirVlIiX5XVB3D1Dp-n6Rxy-ifA1RuqG2T4Hb_qnov0ObS6MS0W6AvRfdtpcB4hcT-Qw5VPrjyGJLXLkEOfPrwmYGWag9-dPpEsp_E/s1600/RIR+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJq2VcF48-8NEpMhCZyZq9jdgaCQvESS1brpqkGTirVlIiX5XVB3D1Dp-n6Rxy-ifA1RuqG2T4Hb_qnov0ObS6MS0W6AvRfdtpcB4hcT-Qw5VPrjyGJLXLkEOfPrwmYGWag9-dPpEsp_E/s320/RIR+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhVKrZ07ujVHfHpJAz2MQOIgUoXz0WGi-HV4bWh_Ep4kaUnwz1zvCurrLxkpOcJhlaraj_AizoOc94IQVK_LY7wiyHXj2-D26Kv53ty3oqzpd53NfdpbwbWw1sROTOtKEbMsNd_JJpEU/s1600/IMG_20170729_165953_246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhVKrZ07ujVHfHpJAz2MQOIgUoXz0WGi-HV4bWh_Ep4kaUnwz1zvCurrLxkpOcJhlaraj_AizoOc94IQVK_LY7wiyHXj2-D26Kv53ty3oqzpd53NfdpbwbWw1sROTOtKEbMsNd_JJpEU/s640/IMG_20170729_165953_246.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Y'all, <i>y'all. </i>You need to read this book. You must, must read it. I've written up a brief <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1968622748">review on Goodreads</a>, but basically, this is a magical realism book that takes place in an unnamed war-torn country (similar to Pakistan) but in this form of our world, there are these doors that lead to different places around the world. It's the story of two immigrants, Saeed and Nadia, and how they leave and how they adjust to where they wind up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0Ehg63qqSPr_V1okfhDIMIRcFhyxwRVkMzART381_VvNWfycqMU6KU0rQL2lafAyTgCpcL6QglfuWzvRBJqi5y7_ZYxE1i-2bHjjENJvH0g6WjvCRG1_5UIENrhjhI6CmoDDwD3vURc/s1600/RIR+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0Ehg63qqSPr_V1okfhDIMIRcFhyxwRVkMzART381_VvNWfycqMU6KU0rQL2lafAyTgCpcL6QglfuWzvRBJqi5y7_ZYxE1i-2bHjjENJvH0g6WjvCRG1_5UIENrhjhI6CmoDDwD3vURc/s320/RIR+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzCEESY5jN6w5x7esjGhjVg_1EWHmWVjR9vmOGqUa_izuGyj1EA_gJHYG-WIjgUnkagtXUDPNcYQ7szjNJm4LSkxXfIhyphenhyphennov9kikzjgR1ZRQ0kwNI0Dtl9fXXa-gAzk6vVsh3Udx2ixA/s1600/rir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1600" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzCEESY5jN6w5x7esjGhjVg_1EWHmWVjR9vmOGqUa_izuGyj1EA_gJHYG-WIjgUnkagtXUDPNcYQ7szjNJm4LSkxXfIhyphenhyphennov9kikzjgR1ZRQ0kwNI0Dtl9fXXa-gAzk6vVsh3Udx2ixA/s640/rir.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1447058568">AND THEN THERE WERE NONE</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1638154132">ALWAYS AND FOREVER, LARA JEAN</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2046114886">FINAL GIRLS</a></b></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
You know me, always reading too many books at once. This time around, we have an interesting mix. All very different. I'm as confused as you are by this mix. (I think <i>Lara Jean </i>is just so sickly sweet that I needed something murderous. Weird? Probably.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4aPyJTIvlOEX_ORbAaNLdq6pxnqPFL_AYd4ZOgSKBMGawjkE6Daz6RiduFhB9FSPfkFXt2I4reCg5hjC_S_LWA28tWI3UpfdNigwTzUDyh_JCKwtKz612tX6xjLPBE_Gh4FIupOeGY0/s1600/RIR+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4aPyJTIvlOEX_ORbAaNLdq6pxnqPFL_AYd4ZOgSKBMGawjkE6Daz6RiduFhB9FSPfkFXt2I4reCg5hjC_S_LWA28tWI3UpfdNigwTzUDyh_JCKwtKz612tX6xjLPBE_Gh4FIupOeGY0/s320/RIR+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TztmD5KwPEVjupE_sa1fV5dfh9JQ3los2XIO4vyQX_jbewCIEsbKPG54ZsBHwTsqix1FRzLV6clF4kbcSXNue_LNTTzR9U0wE-1-ihKfhE6OTOc62ubThOBzZB2aFdDp2C2DPMPuqt0/s1600/rir2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TztmD5KwPEVjupE_sa1fV5dfh9JQ3los2XIO4vyQX_jbewCIEsbKPG54ZsBHwTsqix1FRzLV6clF4kbcSXNue_LNTTzR9U0wE-1-ihKfhE6OTOc62ubThOBzZB2aFdDp2C2DPMPuqt0/s640/rir2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So there have been <i>a lot </i>of books that have happened upon my eye during my hiatus, but these six are some of the ones I'm <i>most excited</i> for:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23356533-the-secret-of-platform-13">THE SECRET OF PLATFORM 13</a>: </b>This is not a new book. It's nearly 25 years old, and it's actually very similar to Harry Potter. Platform 13 at King's Cross Station has a secret door underneath that appears only once every nine years. Then there's something about a prince that was moved from one world to the other. Adventures ensue. There's magic and wizards. It sounds great.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2061608545">LOVE, HATE & OTHER FILTERS</a>: </b>This debut releases <i>January 2018 </i>and it's an #OwnVoices story about an Indian-American Muslim girl who is forced to confront Islamophobia when a suicide bomber strikes in America and he happens to have the same last name. People are suddenly looking at her family completely differently, now with much more hatred, much more fear. I needed this yesterday.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075663-midnight-at-the-electric">MIDNIGHT AT THE ELECTRIC</a>: </b>I've never read a Jodi Lynn Anderson book, but I've heard praise through the roof recently about this one. This takes place in three different timelines--2065, 1934, and 1919--and it follows these three ladies and how their lives intertwine.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35383830-moxie">MOXIE</a>: </b>Things that intrigue me: 1) The UK cover. Look how pretty this is. 2) Amy Freakin' Poehler has blurbed this. 3) Girl fights sexist behavior in her high school by starting a feminist zine, inspired by her mother's behavior in the 90's.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1994796580">ARTEMIS</a>: </b>I GOT APPROVED FOR THIS ON NETGALLEY. *deep breath* Anyway, Andy Weir's second book releases <i>November 14th, 2017 </i>and it's basically a heist story that takes place on the moon. I'm super excited.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33640512-speak-easy-speak-love">SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE</a></b><b>: </b>This is a retelling of Shakespeare's <i>Much Ado About Nothing. </i>That's all I need to know. That's all I want to know. It's my favorite Shakespeare play. This releases <i>September 19th, 2017.</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjweHMhyphenhyphenywlegYdN_9Dl7TcTFABq_OehWC8YeGrPP2jn8r88gmqMODUg3m8KTO66NQ0DniLpFBosF7CMRbn9CuJpPm8V9v6qqQFdNx1V2tvKBjHFCQHzp3ChBl3pDuZSpzGgE573cdQU/s1600/RIR+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjweHMhyphenhyphenywlegYdN_9Dl7TcTFABq_OehWC8YeGrPP2jn8r88gmqMODUg3m8KTO66NQ0DniLpFBosF7CMRbn9CuJpPm8V9v6qqQFdNx1V2tvKBjHFCQHzp3ChBl3pDuZSpzGgE573cdQU/s320/RIR+4.png" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7yOtWNdteTiMRCvHlFyvZbTeGGw2yU38B3UeYO4hJIkXAw5DjQE7mWtQyq8X_deiHs1saLOGp7ae1Fsr_TlUvpJWjFB5lNgm_IHjQYSTD2JU8YayQqq8PrIKFrbm5vJbo34GF5Q8uak/s1600/rir3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7yOtWNdteTiMRCvHlFyvZbTeGGw2yU38B3UeYO4hJIkXAw5DjQE7mWtQyq8X_deiHs1saLOGp7ae1Fsr_TlUvpJWjFB5lNgm_IHjQYSTD2JU8YayQqq8PrIKFrbm5vJbo34GF5Q8uak/s640/rir3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1987026994">BLOODLINE</a>: </b>I love Star Wars. I love Leia Organa. I love politics. This is all of the above, and I currently have it out from my library and want to read it ASAP.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1910192472">THE BACKSTAGERS, VOL. 1</a>: </b>Another library book. This is a new comic that Noelle Stevenson has given her stamp of approval. Similar to <i>Lumberjanes, </i>this is a group of boys that have to deal with supernatural shit while working backstage (get it? *nudge nudge*) at their school's theater. This checks all my boxes. So excited.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860958424">DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS</a>: </b>This releases <i>August 22nd, </i>but I have an ARC and want to read/review this before it releases. I love Courtney Stevens, and this is supposed to be a wonderful story that follows the queer daughter of a preacher in a small town. I relate to this so much it's not even funny.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7n12rbkfwDwFjiI7SG5cANEi0ZwFPCrlCA9-e_eaRQVNxePDu-a_lEW1PTSfrZuXWzQaEQn0KSVpW5naL_-Z3e3d9egpIC3YPyJl2699mHi6HMamcvA1o_fd6-FOm98O588mwVon3Gg/s1600/RIR+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7n12rbkfwDwFjiI7SG5cANEi0ZwFPCrlCA9-e_eaRQVNxePDu-a_lEW1PTSfrZuXWzQaEQn0KSVpW5naL_-Z3e3d9egpIC3YPyJl2699mHi6HMamcvA1o_fd6-FOm98O588mwVon3Gg/s320/RIR+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqRRHdkcoMo5GbgXanzhtDPxG76M5fLuiT4a1lkLHfkPSm837iXVfy3NJk2d6TbivpanZMipOtFtlzu9s8W62E-Ki6BJKY1o4uKoo9aINqkZsLH8jv60EyO5PDBgi7c4u7CbzNS9V-0s/s1600/IMG_20170729_193244_298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1417" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqRRHdkcoMo5GbgXanzhtDPxG76M5fLuiT4a1lkLHfkPSm837iXVfy3NJk2d6TbivpanZMipOtFtlzu9s8W62E-Ki6BJKY1o4uKoo9aINqkZsLH8jv60EyO5PDBgi7c4u7CbzNS9V-0s/s640/IMG_20170729_193244_298.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
LOOK. AT. THAT. FRENCH. EDITION. OF. SIX. OF. CROWS.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
OH. MY. GOD. IT'S. GORGEOUS.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, <a href="http://bookworm716.blogspot.com/">Emma @ Awkwordly Emma</a> went to the great and terrifying North (that's right, <i>Canada</i>) and got a bunch of lovely things and said she'd send me a surprise in the mail. I could not stop yelling for about ten minutes. It's one of the most beautiful things I own. Who cares if I can't read French? (Also, doesn't it look so wonderful with all my other SOC things? *flails*)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3FP2k-4T0pTgwuVca2fAWjxgUBCDfwUay8-EUHj9mpoHlgtdTFzaK_V8qhYJb9WL6Xq36GBJlMgjcK2aOgiGuWdH_WQ82aOzlKLKcdnKeEgdCcY3-F5MSMmZ0ZsKPOlojZoa_u0YVRs/s1600/RIR+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3FP2k-4T0pTgwuVca2fAWjxgUBCDfwUay8-EUHj9mpoHlgtdTFzaK_V8qhYJb9WL6Xq36GBJlMgjcK2aOgiGuWdH_WQ82aOzlKLKcdnKeEgdCcY3-F5MSMmZ0ZsKPOlojZoa_u0YVRs/s320/RIR+6.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Hopefully nothing. However, I did just order <i>The Underground Railroad </i>from Book Depository to support the Booktube-a-Thon. It'll take like a month to get here, I'm sure. Or get lost.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3FP2k-4T0pTgwuVca2fAWjxgUBCDfwUay8-EUHj9mpoHlgtdTFzaK_V8qhYJb9WL6Xq36GBJlMgjcK2aOgiGuWdH_WQ82aOzlKLKcdnKeEgdCcY3-F5MSMmZ0ZsKPOlojZoa_u0YVRs/s1600/RIR+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CbJW6mFDPO4Rn-lcEnLsHP6u1l4XCZ9QXv4fXNPFs0xiXv_2Bll85naMjHnWAg8PZ8xD8nDdz_6c2u5Ww5FdKlZiXdZb4hiwJJ6KEM1jS1nUpzpJf34sPuZopnubOqWZtghlpJVqyV4/s1600/RIR+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CbJW6mFDPO4Rn-lcEnLsHP6u1l4XCZ9QXv4fXNPFs0xiXv_2Bll85naMjHnWAg8PZ8xD8nDdz_6c2u5Ww5FdKlZiXdZb4hiwJJ6KEM1jS1nUpzpJf34sPuZopnubOqWZtghlpJVqyV4/s320/RIR+7.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEw4vKJALPoPJOocO0Meauf_WfAlY3DDvi-Q1zTR7OPINHu1cnVhyphenhyphenwlme0sFZd3BV79ayK1FyOEwRWlk8Ui6m-trUMA_nQp6NE1x88MbEQm_jjKMLYVSj7GXGdmsJrxOFAmz7zyohIm8/s1600/28458598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEw4vKJALPoPJOocO0Meauf_WfAlY3DDvi-Q1zTR7OPINHu1cnVhyphenhyphenwlme0sFZd3BV79ayK1FyOEwRWlk8Ui6m-trUMA_nQp6NE1x88MbEQm_jjKMLYVSj7GXGdmsJrxOFAmz7zyohIm8/s200/28458598.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKNAGnftxCovQiR9FvqzjM88xNDVsr4j9onV7tZcYaqIjQInCjbvXkYCsnQQzHXBFEG3YHs_g8k6YLj4HeVMI2DYPvDWEeDSn1t9NpvGNxFR_Cr7ml2Y-Rl7sBgRAWx-rPPDLdDs6CcA/s1600/p179914_p_v8_aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKNAGnftxCovQiR9FvqzjM88xNDVsr4j9onV7tZcYaqIjQInCjbvXkYCsnQQzHXBFEG3YHs_g8k6YLj4HeVMI2DYPvDWEeDSn1t9NpvGNxFR_Cr7ml2Y-Rl7sBgRAWx-rPPDLdDs6CcA/s200/p179914_p_v8_aa.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
In an effort not to repeat myself with <i>Exit West, </i>I'm going to pick my new favorite YA book, which is <i>When Dimple Met Rishi. </i>I will <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860964317">link my review here for you</a> to read in full. Additionally, I got to meet Sandhya at a tour stop and she is so lovely and wonderful. It was a joy to meet her in person. (Also, inside tip from the author herself: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is <i>the movie</i> to watch if you loved Dimple. They are so similar, and it's a fantastic film.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>And that's it! I'm so happy to be back blogging! If you want to see more of the books I bought recently, you can check out my last post <a href="http://tomesproject.blogspot.com/2017/07/used-bookstores-are-my-weakness-q2-book.html">here</a>. Also, tell me down in the comments a recent favorite book/bookish thing!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-15187651344712541562017-07-30T10:41:00.002-04:002017-07-30T10:41:52.361-04:00Used Bookstores Are My Weakness | Q2 Book Haul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5a5kLS2f91KFz32L7bWaY2pOYYU99QrgfN9aShwQ4ApYmQbG5vec7tFSp-VkJxd8Cmmf9zuF-ZoBxbetZj1S2A3UmUqw9BDgRVXLjlW5I5fht2XtiAHWBJKssZyem9kHxgcng8LEgeX4/s1600/q2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5a5kLS2f91KFz32L7bWaY2pOYYU99QrgfN9aShwQ4ApYmQbG5vec7tFSp-VkJxd8Cmmf9zuF-ZoBxbetZj1S2A3UmUqw9BDgRVXLjlW5I5fht2XtiAHWBJKssZyem9kHxgcng8LEgeX4/s640/q2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here we are again. Me, with too many books. Me, breaking my book buying ban. Me, posting this an entire month late. None of these should be very surprising.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z6kPgS8L18_xTMYF6NcsITcKRJlto8uDlR8Xs2T4gcsSUjpvLtC2A6ELkfwq66PV-h52UaSo5vxmzhe9jL-_zA6UWwg-MZOYStMp5vEnODmPsIkltObztw4VbuO055fViU3QsCk0N5Q/s1600/q2btom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3z6kPgS8L18_xTMYF6NcsITcKRJlto8uDlR8Xs2T4gcsSUjpvLtC2A6ELkfwq66PV-h52UaSo5vxmzhe9jL-_zA6UWwg-MZOYStMp5vEnODmPsIkltObztw4VbuO055fViU3QsCk0N5Q/s640/q2btom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
First, I have my BOTM picks from May and June. I actually didn't spend any money on these because I won a three-month subscription (and got an extra book credit because the customer service is incredible), so now I'll have<i> plenty </i>of books to read for a while, even outside of my supposed "ban" on buying books.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.mybotm.com/1tc5lo6xtvl07ldi">If you've been thinking of joining BOTM, you can use this link and I will get extra credits if you join.</a> (But seriously, no pressure. I just genuinely love this service.)</span></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1968623104">AMERICAN WAR</a>: </b>This novel is a near-future imagining of America, after its second civil war--this time over fossil fuels/clean energy. I think this is told <i>after</i> the war by a child born during the war, recounting his family's involvement in the war.<b> </b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1968622748">EXIT WEST</a>: </b>I was actually waiting to put this post up until I finished this book and <i>man, oh man</i> am I so glad I did. If you take one thing away from this post, it's that YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. <b>5 stars</b>, my review is linked on the title. <i>Please, please, please read it.</i></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2016941202">A MILLION JUNES</a>: </b>So, this is apparently a take on Romeo and Juliet? I'm a sucker for <i>anything </i>that is compared to Shakespeare, and I've heard glorious praise about Henry's writing style so I had to grab this one.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1842248558">AND WE'RE OFF</a>: </b>I don't know much about this. Goodreads compared it to <i>Gilmore Girls</i> and that's all I needed to want it immediately.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPBB64iTCFNBR0a2vo58d6Y1DKjJirQvVviQ8VQSoNlUcV7rCkEZURcHXufO7fbFyPNZeRIwVocjT8wHZA8TEDa9Dod5PWeX51Pt9Wf142JcGln0wVU-1qQkqmdIrx6Zzyz_joiuYxz8/s1600/q2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPBB64iTCFNBR0a2vo58d6Y1DKjJirQvVviQ8VQSoNlUcV7rCkEZURcHXufO7fbFyPNZeRIwVocjT8wHZA8TEDa9Dod5PWeX51Pt9Wf142JcGln0wVU-1qQkqmdIrx6Zzyz_joiuYxz8/s640/q2b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">where my books were acquired, a guide</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* my local used bookstore</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">** my local indie bookstore, at an author event</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*** a giveaway</span></div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1970584558">BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY</a>* & </b><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1094539865">CODE NAME VERITY</a>*: </b>These two books are ones that I've heard endless good things about. I don't know much about either except that they take place during WWII. That's all I want to know going into these books.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1638154132">ALWAYS AND FOREVER, LARA JEAN</a>:</b> I wasn't going to buy this, I never even planned on reading it, but the cover is <i>so pretty </i>and it was 20% off at Target. It was a moment of weakness. I'll read this eventually.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860964317">WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI</a>**:</b> People, this is one of my new favorite books. Expect to see this on some sort of list at the end of the year. It was that good. I had the pleasure of meeting Sandhya Menon at her stop in Nashville, so I got to talk with her for a bit and she signed my book! <b>5 stars</b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1675017563">UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED</a>***: </b>Another one of my absolute favorite books so far this year. Incredible, so diverse, better than <i>Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda</i>, and all around a great and engaging read. <b>5 stars</b> </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1867854065">THE MOTHERS</a>*:</b> I don't know too much about this, which is my preferred way of going into contemporary novels, but I <i>do know </i>that it place in a black community in Southern California. I definitely picked this up for that setting alone. I also believe it's a character-focused piece, but don't quote me on that.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1640331879">STRANGE THE DREAMER</a>**:</b> Something about a city called Weep that no one remembers. There's magic and blue people? You all know what this is about. I don't know enough about it to explain. But I did get to meet Laini, and she's fantastic.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqs0kfuPadSg7x1PyrFa0orclGA3YOkkm7lKwh1UKLblY6J3yfxJlPTfTDdhOeZvHrfY6iOXxhdPsCY-Xl1yKgZ6jqeG-4mGLD4Wyavz-rwJMEFixauYgWP-dUD2BPgNkLd5SMqrVNx4/s1600/q2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqs0kfuPadSg7x1PyrFa0orclGA3YOkkm7lKwh1UKLblY6J3yfxJlPTfTDdhOeZvHrfY6iOXxhdPsCY-Xl1yKgZ6jqeG-4mGLD4Wyavz-rwJMEFixauYgWP-dUD2BPgNkLd5SMqrVNx4/s640/q2a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2034981048">WICKED</a>*:</b> I got about halfway through this book ages ago when I was a wee thing in middle school, before I ever saw the musical. I then saw the musical and returned the book to my sister half-finished. I am and always will be obsessed with the musical. It's the musical that got me into musicals. I want to give the book another try, as an adult.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1996030194">JURASSIC PARK</a>*:</b> If you know me, you know my favorite movie is Jurassic Park. Not only is it a fantastic film, it's incredibly innovative and is the reason we have as many amazing CGI effects in movies as we do today. Anyway, dinosaurs are cool; Kristi @ Melbourne on My Mind <i>loves </i>this book, so I finally picked up my own copy.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1848792807">QUEENS OF GEEK</a>:</b> People <i>will not shut up about this book, </i>so I picked it up so I could read it for myself.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1935090908">THIS SHATTERED WORLD</a>*:</b> Amie Kaufman is the reason I now am interested in Sci-Fi. I was surprised how much I loved <i>These Broken Stars, </i>and I am very excited to read the sequel and see what happens next in this series. (Also, this series has the prettiest covers ever. Hands down.)</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1970585442">BRAIN ON FIRE</a>*:</b> This is a memoir that I've heard endless good things about. It was also 75¢ and that's definitely the reason I finally picked it up.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1748293048">THE COLOR PROJECT</a>:</b> SIERRA HAS A BOOK. LOOK. AHHHHHHHH. CONTEMPORARY BOOK WITH A GEM OF A BOY NAMED LEVI. I'M FREAKING OUT.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1906891206">DEFY THE STARS</a>***:</b> SPACE. Claudia Gray writes a lot of Star Wars books, so I'm sure this is great. I'm excited to read it.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1960511718">CITY OF SAINTS AND THIEVES</a>:</b> I actually got this from my friend Trina because she read it and didn't feel the need to keep it on her shelves. This is a YA mystery/thriller that takes place in <i>Kenya. </i>That's all I needed to know.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>AND THAT'S IT. Have you read any of these books? If so, tell me down below. (Also, I'm very excited to be blogging again. So yayayay.)</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script>
</div>
<br />Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6370902394743517037.post-41007351747110023992017-07-22T00:00:00.000-04:002017-07-22T00:00:04.906-04:00Auto-Read Authors | Monthly Recommendations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n64V_BdzRuelSqbyOrtH37qFqLJN48ikoHPGitrTRzti_kTIv_uuv9qBXCTU6J1qWbiIj0teM054PTtjMVqeX0Sigg-pBOC3oUQ-iFukJniVuwbIVBWRtJ6hi4T4seiqAKb1djkNoYI/s1600/monthly+recommendations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n64V_BdzRuelSqbyOrtH37qFqLJN48ikoHPGitrTRzti_kTIv_uuv9qBXCTU6J1qWbiIj0teM054PTtjMVqeX0Sigg-pBOC3oUQ-iFukJniVuwbIVBWRtJ6hi4T4seiqAKb1djkNoYI/s640/monthly+recommendations.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f7f3d2; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
A few of my favorite people, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5sNXtE1-m-Sipo1tDnvQQw">Trina @ Between Chapters</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4ZhMXJLeoGqIQi1SlR07rg">Kayla @ Kayla Rayne</a>, run a monthly recommendations group over on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/168259-monthly-recommendations">Goodreads</a>. This month we're discussing our auto-read/buy authors. Naturally, I have separated this by novelists and comic book authors.</div>
</blockquote>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
NOVELISTS</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB-qFZd_aw0lU0JiNOLcHRd2E0PsEKigo12_8IuIqzFk7jQCmWex5q1Mhpy1liooWllEwZqb6K67WaLt2MzAgftlFkgzwdmayIzUa7620coaXhXOY1R2JZ3wBrEQHzaKu7PipcMOXlYc/s1600/authors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="1600" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB-qFZd_aw0lU0JiNOLcHRd2E0PsEKigo12_8IuIqzFk7jQCmWex5q1Mhpy1liooWllEwZqb6K67WaLt2MzAgftlFkgzwdmayIzUa7620coaXhXOY1R2JZ3wBrEQHzaKu7PipcMOXlYc/s640/authors.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>VICTORIA/V.E. SCHWAB: </b>Some of my all-time favorite books are from Victoria, so naturally, she has to be first on this list. The Shades of Magic trilogy, the Monsters of Verity duology, and (my personal favorite) <i>Vicious. </i>I will read anything and everything she releases until the end of time.</li>
<li><b>AMIE KAUFMAN & JAY KRISTOFF: </b>Kaufman and Kristoff are basically inseparable at this point. Whether they're writing together or separately, I love what they release. They both have their hands in so many different series that they're dominating my TBR pile at the moment. </li>
<li><b>BECKY ALBERTALLI: </b>While I haven't read <i>Upside </i>yet, Becky joined this list halfway through my first read of <i>Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda</i> because she writes the most vivid and amazing characters throughout her novels. </li>
<li><b>SANDHYA MENON: </b>I adored <i>When Dimple Met </i><i>Rishi </i>when I read it this month, and I actually got to meet her when she was touring for its release. She's lovely and wonderful and so, so nice. I loved her writing, and a fantastic personality and presence will immediately put an author on my auto-read list.</li>
<li><b>ALICE OSEMAN: </b>Another author that I've only read one book from, but <i>Radio Silence</i> absolutely captivated me when I read it a few months ago. I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I still need to pick up her previous book, <i>Solitaire,</i> but I'm definitely going to be following her future works.</li>
<li><b>RAINBOW ROWELL: </b>Rowell's books aren't my favorite. Some of them are, but others just aren't for me. However, I do love her writing style and (most of) the characters she creates. </li>
<li><b>LEIGH BARDUGO: </b>Bardugo is not only fantastic at creating worlds but also phenomenal at crafting some of my all-time favorite characters. I'm still mid-Grisha trilogy, but <i>Six of Crows </i>and <i>Crooked Kingdom </i>have sold me on the rest of her works for all time.</li>
<li><b>COURTNEY C. STEVENS: </b>Courtney is another of those "I met the author before I read the book" situations that made me fall in love with the author and subsequently read and adore their books. She's fantastic and wonderful both on the page and off. </li>
<li><b>J.K. ROWLING: </b>I mean, does this really need an explanation? Despite my indifference towards the Fantastic Beasts movie and my nearly 100% hatred of <i>Cursed Child</i>, I will always be invested in what Rowling is doing next.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
COMIC BOOK AUTHORS </h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKsK1F0wMfLbbmf7DZTRWR0K6F3Nlg9EGA_jd71eTQqQidjou5JMvztim5gb7pxjZl82Amepb2e2BuL6Y0Rlh3GumEhllbaiTQGdxT7ULPCocEUSr0Chgg37JcL5EkI7MTaTCTDN0kIc/s1600/comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="1600" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKsK1F0wMfLbbmf7DZTRWR0K6F3Nlg9EGA_jd71eTQqQidjou5JMvztim5gb7pxjZl82Amepb2e2BuL6Y0Rlh3GumEhllbaiTQGdxT7ULPCocEUSr0Chgg37JcL5EkI7MTaTCTDN0kIc/s400/comics.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>NOELLE STEVENSON: </b><i>Nimona </i>and <i>Lumberjanes </i>are two of my favorite non-novel works in existence. While she's no longer working on Lumberjanes, it's still one of my favorite series and Stevenson's stamp on those characters is still there. She also is a fantastic illustrator. Everything she does is wonderful.</li>
<li><b>JOHN ALLISON: </b>Fighting for my favorite comic series against <i>Lumberjanes </i>is <i>Giant Days</i>, which is written by John Allison. It's so wonderful and definitely my favorite contemporary comic out there. I'm definitely going to be following his work for a while.</li>
<li><b>KELLY SUE DECONNICK: </b>DeConnick was one of the biggest writers for Captain Marvel in the past five (maybe more?) years. I <i>adore</i> how she wrote Carol Danvers. I have a bit of backlist to work through of hers, but I'm definitely following her future endeavors as well. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s1600/HAPPY+READING+06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="666" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-yu1R4wxBkuG4sqrJOagD8-lzEUCdc52i55u0bI3c3EjGaMK-r3EOgfjZgZqxUOjKu6E6E-1PT4aQ3-JflIKdipTyuLDEo6mgFs94I35_MyZOvT9ekGXIX7XDtbrnx_Ok1Jf1aI-LkE/s320/HAPPY+READING+06.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="blsdk-follow" data-blsdk-counter="false" data-blsdk-type="button" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/tomes-project-13575735" target="_blank">Follow</a><script>(function(d, s,
id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js =
d.createElement(s);js.id = id;js.src =
"https://widget.bloglovin.com/assets/widget/loader.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document,
"script", "bloglovin-sdk"))</script></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Monicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875424245169092921noreply@blogger.com0