Books I Want to Read This Fall | 2017 TBR

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to share lists (because we love them) about books and bookish things.

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.

On with the show!

• SIEGE AND STORM: I read Shadow and Bone 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 Six of Crows duology already (and I'm fairly certain that I know how this trilogy ends), I really want to read these last two books because I'm so excited for Language of Thorns to release is just (!) one (!!) week (!!!).
• JANE, UNLIMITED: I've never read any Kristin Cashore, but her Graceling 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.
• THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE: 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.
• THE DIVINERS: Fall seems like the perfect 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.
• WONDER: 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.

• WILD BEAUTY: 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, look at that cover and tell me you don't want to read it.
• LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE: (see also: The Rest of Us Just Live Here) 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.
• LOST STARS: 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 Bloodline by Claudia Gray, and this audiobook is available through my library's overdrive.
• THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: 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.
• ARTEMIS: 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 The Martian, so I'm really anticipating reading his newest book that's set on the moon. 

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.

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Required Nerdy Shows: 10 Favorites That Make Me Geek-Out (And You Need to Watch ASAP)

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to share lists (because we love them) about books and bookish things.

There was no possible way for me to put these in any kind of order. None. (Although, there are some honorable mentions at the end because I couldn't just pick 10 TV shows.)

How I found this show: On tumblr, the fancast for Rowena Ravenclaw is Katie McGraith (Morgana), so one day--out of curiosity--I went down an internet hole and figured out that she was in this show. Months later, I had just finished Parks & Rec and was scrolling through Hulu (procrastinating, as usual) and found this gem. I watched the first three seasons in a couple of weeks, and then took a break and watched the last two seasons this summer.

I could go on for years talking about this show. It's not perfect, and it has that "recurring bad character" trope that the protagonist refuses to kill in the last few season and that does get a bit old; however, I absolutely love shows and books and movies that are set in this time period. Give me a bunch of dudes riding around on horses in chainmail and armor, kings with crowns and capes, and women in beautiful dresses over the average plebeians any day.

(Although, I will be the first to admit that I still haven't watched the final two episode because I don't want it to be over.)

Anything that plays with Arthurian legends, has magic, and dragons (!!!) is 100% for me.

FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Guinevere, Gaius, The Great Dragon, Gwaine, Lancelot
LEAST FAVORITE CHARACTERS: Uther Pendragon, Morgause

In an attempt to hide from my scrooge-like family on Christmas Eve a few years ago, I hid away in the sunroom and turned on the TV, flipped through until I found BBCA and stopped because "Let's Kill Hitler" is an eye-catching episode title. I was immediately entranced (albeit incredibly confused) and watched the next episode that they aired, which was one of the specials with James Corden. I didn't really know who James Corden was, but I loved him. I was still very confused.

That evening, with a newly acquired VISA gift card, I bought my very first Netflix subscription and proceeded to watch and rewatch this show for the next few months. I became obsessed. I genuinely remember my mom walking in on me watching this show and saying "Really? Since when did you like this show?" She knew that there was no going back and that I was lost.

At least I wasn't doing drugs, mom.

FAVORITE DOCTOR: Ten
FAVORITE COMPANIONS: Donna, Amy and Rory (I love their storyline), River, Jack Harkness

Basically everything on this list is a show where you have to watch from beginning to end without skipping or you miss things. However, everyone needs that one show that you can just pick up whenever you're feeling tired of extended character arcs. While I definitely don't keep up with this show now (because Derek is gone *cry face emoji*), I will watch reruns of this show until I die because I love Spencer Reid and I find serial killers extremely fascinating. (I feel like this says bad things about me.)

This show has been my newest obsession. I watched the first three seasons in four days over the summer because each season only has 10 episodes, so it's completely doable.

Long story short: Tatiana Masley is a goddess of acting. She plays all of her clones, who are all very different, and I want to be as skilled as her at any skill. Anything. She's fantastic. Please go binge it.

I've been obsessed with this show since it premiered when I was in high school. I went through a phase when I didn't watch it for about a year after the mid-season finale for season 2 or 3, but then I came back full force and haven't let go.

This was a mini-series on Hulu that aired this past spring, and despite the fact that James Franco is the lead, it's actually amazing. It's a show based on a Stephen King novel about a man who goes back in time in order to prevent the assassination of JFK (hence the title, 11.22.63). The element of time travel is done extremely well, and I think that it also digs deep into these characters and their relationships with each other, despite the short amount of time with them.

This is a wonderful show, and you should definitely use that free trial to watch this.

I don't know what more I need to say about this show other than the fact that Dame Maggie Smith stars in it. Naturally, she's amazing, and if you think a show about a rich, snobby family in the 1920s wouldn't be interesting, you are very wrong.

There are only two seasons of this show because ABC decided to cancel it. However, the two seasons that we do get are fantastic. Hayley Atwell is a fantastic actress, and the humor that Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark) brings to this show is absolutely beautiful. We also get to see Jarvis as a real human and not a red, flying one with a built-in cape. Clearly, this is set in the 1950's after the end of Captain America: The First Avenger.

I love Peggy. I miss Peggy. Give me more Peggy.

This show is absoulte trash. Believe me, I know.

This show has gone 4 seasons past it's prime, but do I still religiously watch this show and cry during every episode. Yes, I do.

If you haven't heard of this show by now, I don't know what bunker you've been living in for 12 years, but this is a very unrealistic show about surgeons in an imaginary hospital in Seattle, WA.

Again, if you have somehow not heard of this show, I would be baffled. Even before I binged this show this past spring, I'd been aware of it's existence for at least 3 or 4 years (or more, who knows?) because my sister really liked this show when it was on air.

Also, I am super hype for the revival. (I haven't watched S7; however, I have looked up episode summaries and know everything that happens.) If she doesn't end up with Jess, I'm going to riot.

Honorable Mentions

Because I love TV way too much to just pick 10 favorites.

What's your favorite of these? What's one that I need to watch ASAP or I might die?

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TEN 2016 RELEASES: THE DNFs, DISAPPOINTMENTS, THE GOOD & THE UNTOUCHED

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to share lists (because we love them) about books and bookish things.

Let's start off this post on a positive note, yes?

THE GOOD

the 2016 releases that I've read and enjoyed

1. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas: dfaeoufppihaoifhdfa < an accurate representation about my feelings on this book. I had problems with the writing (like I always do with Maas), but this is fantastic and the feels and the men. Oh, the men!
2. Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston: WOW. So moving and important. It's a story of a girl who is at cheerleading camp where she gets drugged, raped, and left for all but dead. An excellent re-imagining of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, and now I am very interested in more of Johnston's work.

3. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell: A short story from the UK's World Book day. My only complaint here is that the US doesn't have a WBD. WHY DON'T WE HAVE WORLD BOOK DAY? Let's start a movement.
4. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson: This was everything that I wanted and more. The best MM book I've read to date.

Sorry to say it, but the post just goes downhill from here, guys.

THE DNFs

the 2016 releases that I tried to read, but then gave up on

5. Wink Poppy Midnight: I could not get through this. The writing was just very bottom of the barrel for me, and if you've followed me for a while then you know I don't do shoddy writing.

6. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken: I started this immediately when it came out, but I was in the middle of a very hard semester. This book has very tiny margins with lots of words crammed on one page . . . it's also 400+ pages. I just didn't have the time, but I will get to it!

THE UNTOUCHED

some of my most anticipated 2016 releases that I haven't even tried to start reading

7. Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor: WHY HAVEN'T I PICKED THIS UP. IT'S TIME TRAVEL + HISTORICAL FICTION + OUTLANDER. MY FAVORITE THINGS.

8. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys: Again, this is historical fiction. I don't know why I haven't gotten to it, but the fact is that the most I've touched this one is moving it from spot to spot on my shelves.

9. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: Again, time travel + historical fiction. All the buzz words. I do currently have the audiobook from my library, so fingers crossed I read this soon.
10. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater: This should really go in the last category, but it would just hurt me too much to put it there. Technically I'm "currently reading it" and I've been "currently reading it" since release day. I mean it has been untouched for at least two weeks, so it counts? (This is my blog, I do what I want.)

THE DISAPPOINTMENT

the book that I was looking forward to, but ultimately let me down

11. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare: I'm just going to leave you with the review (linked on the title), but basically it boils down to a few things: a) I couldn't ship the ship b) I had insane expectations and c) everything where I felt Clare's writing improved in COHF just went right back down the drain. *hides from raging fans*

What was on your top 10 list this week? Have you actually finished more 2016 releases than I have? Which was your favorite?! Tell me down in the comments!

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UNRELEASED 2016 BOOKS THAT I WANT TO GET MY HANDS ON

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish to share lists (because we love them) about books and bookish things. 

*photos will take you to the Goodreads links, so that you can add these books to your TBRs*

*also, when I made this list, I completely forgot about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which I have obviously already preordered and will cry over when it appears on my doorstep, but know that Cursed Child is obviously #1 most anticipated because . . . it's Harry Potter, of course it's number one*

Spindle by E.K. Johnston
Expected Publication: 6 December 2016 (but let's face it, we know publishing, it will probably be pushed to 2017)

This is the companion to the 2015 release A Thousand Nights that I will admit I haven't read, but that's what companion series are all about, right? I recently read and loved Exit, Pursued by a Bear by this same author, so the author was definitely what piqued my interest with this one.

Also, this is a retelling that I haven't read. (I want to say that it's Sleeping Beauty.) Additionally, Johnston answered a question about this book on GR and said "SPINDLE is definitely about the OMG THINGS ARE CHASING US." so, um, I'm very interested in this.

And I Darken by Kiersten White
Expected Publication: 28 June 2016

I'm very worried about the hype with this one, as I have already heard such amazing things about it. Gender-bent Vlad the Impaler.

That's all I would like to know, thank you.

Replica by Lauren Oliver
Expected Publication: 4 October 2016

It's a flippy book. (Like Life and Death, but not a book parading as Midnight Sun.) If you watch BookTube at all, then I'm sure you've seen about 20 people tell you how to read this in their BEA book hauls, but I would like to tell you again because it's a flippy book and I am ridiculously excited.

This will be my first Lauren Oliver, and I normally have little interest in reading her books. However, when I heard her talking about this book in March at SEYA Bookfest, then I knew that I wanted to read it (if only because how excited she was about the book).

I am super excited to jump into Oliver's work with this unique piece.

The Muse by Jessie Burton
Expected Publication: 26 July 2016

List of buzz words hit
- Immigrants
- Spain
- London
- illegitimate children (not really a "buzz word" but these always make for very interesting and complicated characters, so I'm counting it)

From the Goodreads synopsis: "tale of desire, ambition, and the ways in which the tides of history inevitably shape and define our lives."

I'm so here for this.

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
Expected Publication: 12 July 2016

This is classified as being for readers of Station Eleven, which I recently inhaled and absolutely loved with all my heart.

It's described as a thrilling psychological suspense, and it's a debut which is always exciting! A few things about The Last One: 1) our main character's name is Zoo, how cool (and odd) is that?! and 2) it talks about reality TV and how the media very heavily plays a part in what we perceive as "real" (or not real).

From the Goodreads synopsis: "Sophisticated and provocative, The Last One is a novel that forces us to confront the role that media plays in our perception of what is real: how readily we cast our judgments, how easily we are manipulated." Yes, please.

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Expected Publication: 5 July 2016 (Already released in the UK - lucky bastards)

I will forever be in love with Schwab's elevator pitch of this book:

"Sin City PLUS Romeo and Juliet MINUS romance PLUS monsters.

It's the story of two teens in a broken world, where violent acts breed actual monsters. Some are shadows with teeth that feed on flesh and bone. Some are corpses that feed on blood. And some can pass for human. Those feed on souls.

It's the story of Kate Harker, the only daughter of a crime boss, and August Flynn, the son of a man trying to hold his city together. She's a human who wants to be a monster, and he's a monster who wishes he were human."

Also, it's Victoria Schwab, and she is queen of all so here . . . no, please I want you to take my money.

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Expected Publication: 27 September 2016

I feel blasefemous having this so high on my list because I haven't finished the Grisha trilogy nor have I read Six of Crows, but I have until September and it's going to have blood-red stained pages. I need no more information.

Futhermore by Tahereh Mafi
Expected Publication: 30 August 2016

A cute middle grade book by one of the cutest authors in the world about a colorless girl in a colorful world who is going on a fun adventure and has the WhittyNovels stamp of approval? Done. I'm there. 

But really, though, our main character--Alice--is in fact colorless and does in fact go on a dangerous adventure through Furthermore to go and rescue her father with a boy named Oliver, who is basically MG Loki (AKA he has the "magical ability based in lies in deceit").

I think this a book about the lengths people go to for love, and I am so excited.

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Expected Publication: 18 October 2016

The sole reason this is number 2 and not 1 is that this has a later publication date, so I have more time to fangirl and sit in horrible anticipation.

Pardon me while I roll my head across the keyboard while I sit in agonywsswedrtyhjhyrtrfdcfvgttghjkuyhgbvc.

A flailing review of book one in this series.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Expected Publication: 9 August 2016

I have no idea how to put my thoughts about this book into coherent words other than I believe someone has described this book as if Hogwarts was filled with murder instead of magic?

I don't even know.

*flails and runs around in circles* *heavy breathing* I'm just so excited for this book.

Are any of these on your list? Tell me down below! Also, share your list with me because a TBR is only a problem if it's not rapidly growing. (Wait. I don't think that's right . . .)

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