Fandoms I'm No Longer in/ Top 5 Wednesday

Fandoms I'm No Longer in/ Top 5 Wednesday - May 31st, 2017

This is my first post after joining the Top 5 Wednesday group that was created by Lainey from Ginger Reads Lainey on Booktube and is now hosted by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes on Booktube. Here is a link to the group on Goodreads if you are interested in joining:

Fandoms can be for books, movies, or tv series. These can be fandoms that you either hate or just old fandoms you are no longer interested in for some reason.

5. Maximum Ride Series: 

This was a series of books that I really enjoyed reading when I was in around 10th grade. I read seven of the books at that time and then it took a couple of years for the others to come out. After some time I lost my interest in the series and also I did not even know if the series was ever going to end. I now think that the series has ended, for now, but I have no interest to pick it up again. Also I know that I would have to read the ones that I have already read because I really do not remember what happened in all of them. I do not want to waste time reading a series I do not believe I will even still enjoy. There is also a movie coming out from this series or it is already out but I do not have any interest in watching it.

4. Divergent Series:

I have read each of the books in the Divergent series. I did enjoy the first and second books but the third disappointed me. These are books that I would not ever read again because I just do not care for them anymore. Also I would never watch the movies because they really do not look that good. I have so many better things to spend my free time with and I am not wasting it on something I could not even remotely care about anymore 

3. Lorien Legacies:

I read the first novel from this series I am Number Four basically so I could watch the movie that I thought looked interesting. The first book was good I will say that but for me to like anything that is Science fiction it has to completely interest me (like for instance Star Wars, which I adore a lot). The other books in this series never interested me and the first book really never did either. It was okay but I just really do not want to read anymore of them.  

2. Dr. Who:

This is a fandom I cannot say that I have really been majorly in. Really, I have probably in total watched about ten episodes from the show. The tenth and eleventh doctors were good but really I never spent much time on them. I had many friends who loved Dr. Who in high school and I did watch episodes along with them. But I could never really get into any of the episodes and again this deals with the fact that it is science fiction. Science fiction is not something I am drawn to unless it interests me. This is an example of Science fiction that bores me. I never could understand the thrill of this show or any of the love that my friends had for it. 

1. The Mortal Instruments Series:  

Another series of books that I have no interest in continuing or being a part of anymore. I remember a professor of mine telling me how much he really loved the first novel in this series: City of Bones. He let me borrow it and I did like the book but it was not something that I could get obsessed with like many other people had. I had my parents get me a box-set of the first five books in the series (the sixth wasn't out when I got them). I really do not know what happened but I just never felt the need or want to pick another up. This is another urban fantasy book that I could never really get interested in. I also do not want to read any of the other books that are part of the Shadowhunters' worlds. 

I also did watch the movie which was okay but it did not help with getting me to want to read anymore of these books or watch the tv series.  

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones Review

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones- Read May 27th

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This is the second time that I have read this novel. I read it again because I wanted to read it before reading the second book. I did enjoy this book and have always enjoyed the way that Sonya Sones writes. I have read many of her novels in verse and am looking forward to read more. This one is my least favorite of all of her books that I have read though I did like reading it. My favorite would be Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy. That novel is amazing. I love reading books in verse. Sonya Sones writes some of the best that I have ever read.

What My Mother Doesn't Know is about a fourteen year girl who finds three loves over the course of the novel. She learns about herself and these boys. Each meaning something to her at certain points of her life.  Sophie is a sweet girl that at certain points of the story got on my nerves but in the end I really did feel for her. I remember when I was fourteen and the feelings that I had for certain boys that at the time I felt were true love. I could really connect to this novel even though I'm about ten years older than Sophie.

Now I'll go over the sequel for this book. There will be spoilers for the first in it so if you have not read the first book do not read my review below.

What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones- Read May 27th and 28th

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This is the second book in a duology. I will say that I enjoyed this book much more then the first which I was happy about. In this book, Sonya focuses on Robin's perspective after the first book's plot. Robin is having to deal with the aftermath of his relationship with Sophie after the school finds out. Robin has always been made fun of since he had moved into town in third grade and now everyone is making fun of both of them for dating. I thought that this novel was very realistic and that Sonya really got the voice and thoughts of this teenage boy down pact. I really felt for Robin and for Sophie in this book. Also, I would have loved to have a word with the bullies in this story.

I would recommend picking up this book if you enjoyed the first but even if you did not completely love it you may enjoy this book more. Robin was a great protagonist for this book and I am very happy that I picked it up. It does not fall into the sequel craze in Ya contemporaries where the second is just a rehash of the first book with a different perspective. It continues on with the story and I believe that it was better than the first. 

Changes in History, Horses, Ferrets, and a lot of Humor (Review of My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows)

📖 My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cythnia Hand, and Jodi Meadows 🐴 Read May 24-26

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"Shall I compare thee to a barrel of apples?

Though art more hairy, but sweeter inside. 

Rough winds couldn't keep me from taking you to chapel,

Where finally a horse could take a bride..."

-This quote is utterly brilliant. 

The original Lady Jane Grey.

This book was very funny. I have been looking forward to reading it for a while. The Tudor family, with Henry VIII and his children have always interested me. I remember learning about their lives in my history class back in ninth or tenth grade and thinking that their story could be an interesting story. What a tale that was actually reality. I wondered if I would ever find a fictional version that made it even more interesting. Guess who predicted this book? I loved reading this  and the three different perspectives, Edward, Gifford, and Jane. 

What actually happened to Jane Grey is not a funny or glamorous story. Jane became the Queen of England after her cousin Edward died. She was given the throne in an attempt to keep a Protestant ruling over England. Jane does not last long as the queen, nine days to be exact. Her and her husband Guildford (a name that was changed for My Lady Jane) are later executed. Jane quite literally loses her head. This is the start of Mary's reign as queen. She is later known as Bloody Mary.

The first part of the novel sticks close to the original, though instead of religion being what splits the country, it's the idea of people being able to turn into animals. They are called E∂ians(pronounced eth-ee-uhn). The three authors added in this bit of magic into the story. Instead of the battle between the Catholics and Protestants we get a story of the E∂ians and then those that cannot change. Each chapter switches between the three perspectives, which was a great idea. I loved seeing the story from all of these. Jane is a smart, well-read sixteen year old girl, who would much rather read a book than associate herself with anything dealing with the kingdom. Except for her cousin Edward. Edward is the young king dying from "the affliction" though this may not be what it seems. Then there is Gifford who is a horse half of the day. All three of them work together to save the kingdom and also themselves from the fate that history has given them. 

I have always loved the story of the Tudors and have hoped for a book similar to this for a long time. It did not disappoint. The humor in this book had me laughing loudly out loud and really I am not afraid to admit that. Great novel. I cannot wait to see the next tale from The Lady Janies. 

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich- Read May 20th 

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This was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and it did not disappoint me. It reminded me somewhat of the Hunger Games in the fact that the LIC controlled the Love Interests in a similar way. I thought it was a thought provoking book and an interesting take on young adult romance. 

The story is about a secret organization that raises boys from the age of eleven, before this they are put in foster care. There is also a section for the girls but we see the story from one of the guy's, Caden's perspective. These boys are raised/ cultivated to become the perfect Love Interest of some girl out in the world that is important for the organization. They get sent out into the world to make the girl fall in love with them. Usually, two get sent out, the nice and the bad. I thought this aspect was interesting because this makes me think of the love triangles that are in a lot of young adult novels. In the love triangles usually, there is a good guy and the bad boy. I thought that Cale's way of playing with this common trope was great. In this book the good is Caden and the bad is Dylan. They are competing to win the heart of this girl so they can then be with her and spy on her for the organization. Whoever she does not choose will be killed. They develop feelings and thoughts that are not ones they should have about the organization and what they are meant to do. These feelings can get them killed. 

I think that the idea that the guys are supposed to act in a certain way because of the organization adds a layer to this book that I enjoyed. Many readers of young adult books or those that know this trope of the love triangle will most likely notice how Cale plays with it. This book made me think of the movie Cabin in the Woods because of the fact that the Love Interests are being controlled by an overhead organization similar to the organization in the movie. 

I enjoyed most of the book though I do feel the ending was somewhat rushed. Overall I loved this book and it was another great addition to my reading month. I recommend it. 

Myths, Verse, and the Minotaur (Review of Bull by David Elliot)

🌟 Bull by David Elliot- Read May 18th 🌟

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"Mommy has a little calf.

      Little calf.

      Little calf. 

Mommy has a little calf.

His nose is black as tar.

She calls her calf Asterion .

       Asterion.

       Asterion.

That's my name —  Asterion.

I'm Ruler of the Stars. " - This is just one example of the beautiful writing in this book. It is also on the image of the bull head on the cover. 

 I adored this book. This looks to be the month of Greek mythology (so far I have read three and am at least reading one more) and the month of favorites. One of the greatest aspects of this book is the fact that it was written in verse. I can not imagine how long this book would have taken to write let alone contemplate. I love the idea of writing in verse myself, since I love writing poetry and I love reading it. The author explains at the end the types of verse that he used throughout for each character. Everyone of the characters speaks differently and brings new layers to the story. 

Another aspect I loved about this book was the way David retold the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. For those that do not know the myth I'll give a quick synopsis. Minos the king of Crete gets Poseidon the sea god angry. So Poseidon takes out his anger by making Minos' wife interested in a bull and ultimately has a child, Asterion with the bull. This bull grows up and is eventually placed in a Labyrinth by his stepfather the king, to take revenge on the Athens. This is one good example of Greek mythology for you 

What I really liked about David's book was that, yes he stuck to the myth but he added character and motivations to the story that were not already there before. He explained at the end his process in writing this and I loved that he did this at the end. This is one of my all time favorite Greek myths and he added a layer to the story that made me love it so much more. Asterion, the Minotaur becomes a tragic character in this story that I loved. In the original myth he really never had much of a character but in this David makes the character have new dimensions. I felt bad for him. 

David also made the story so funny and tragic throughout which added a great mix to the plot. Overall this was a creative retelling that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also loved Poseidon's character in this. He is so darn funny. Definitely a favorite of the year. 

Also the cover is great. 

Mirrors, Pirate Ships, and Alternate Realities Review (Traveler by L. E. DeLano)Travler by L. E.

🏴‍☠️ Traveler by L. E. DeLano- Read May 13-16th ⚓

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This book was so darn great. It took me around fifty or so pages to get into the book but once I actually did I could not stop reading it. I will never look at a mirror the same again. The story is about a girl named Jessa who dreams about many different worlds and writes about them. What she does not know is that these worlds are real. One day Finn comes into her life and wants to take her out for coffee to talk. He is from one of these other realities that she is dreaming about and she dreams about him constantly. She finds out that she is a Traveler just like him, they are people who can travel into these other realities through mirrors and other objects that you can see yourself clearly in. Throughout the novel she learns more about her abilities and also about the fact that someone is out to kill her and all of the other versions of her in the other realities.

This book was a great addition to my reading month and I am very happy that I found it. The sequel cannot come soon enough. What a cliffhanger! I recommend reading this book if the description above sounds even the least bit interesting. It might take you a little while to get into the book but trust me it was completely worth the effort. The ending was very good but the cliffhanger got to me. I know one book that I am definitely going to read next year (it's called Dreamer). Great book I really enjoyed it and you should read it. 

Superheroes with puny names and flying houses (Reviews)

The Adventures of Technicality Man by Jessica Meats: Read May 12th-13th

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This was an interesting read that I was not expecting. At first I really enjoyed the puns that were throughout this book. It was unlike anything I have ever read. The book is playing with the conventions of stories and is really parodying the way many people write or in this case superhero stories. Some of the names are quite enjoyable such as Good for Nothing Boy (a sidekick character), Tangent Tiger (there are some writers that need to get rid of this guy), Alchemisto, Alchemistress, Origami Man, etc. 

When a group of villains start to go against the natural order of the stories, Technicality Man has to join forces with the other good guys and some villains to get the stories back in order. It was quite funny to see the author play with these conventions. For instance big cats are the guardians of the stories and are the ones that control what is happening. There is a punctuation cat that controls punctuation throughout stories. When this cat is stolen the punctuation starts to mess up. 

I think that this was a creative idea though there were times that I lost interest while reading. The ending was great and funny. All together this was a story that I am glad that I read. I love stories that play with the conventions of stories and break the fourth wall. 

I was given this book for free for an honest review. 

The Magnificent Flying Baron Estate by Eric Bower: Read May 13th- 14th

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"Magnus was a very sensible horse. In fact, he was probably the most sensible creature in the Baron Estate. Often, when my father would try to use Magnus in his experiments (like when he place electric horseshoes on his hooves to make him run faster, or the time he tried to attach a propeller to Magnus's backside to turn him into what he called a horse-e-copter), our horse would give him a look that seemed to say, 'Are you utterly insane? I am a horse. A horse! Just let me be a horse, for goodness' sake.' " - This is just one of the many gems from this wonderful novel.

A young boy wakes up after a dream about a talking squirrel to an equally strange occurrence, his house is flying. Waldo Baron's, W.B. for short, parents are inventors who have decided to enter into a contest with their house. The contest is for a $500 dollar prize which they want to use for an assistant. Their plans get messed up though when Rose Blackwood kidnaps them hoping to use the prize money to get her notorious villain brother out of prison. Along the way Waldo has to use his brain and slowly seems to become friends with his captor. Rose though does not seem to be as bad as he expected. 

This is the first book in a series that I will be continuing. I am so glad that I got the chance to read this book. It was so funny throughout. I cannot tell you how many times that I literally laughed out loud. This is a middle grade book and I know that many people believe that they are not worth a read. I will tell you right now that I am not one of those people. Read this book.  It was so very funny and enjoyable. I cannot wait to read the next book whenever it comes out. The characters were intelligent and made me invested in their story. It was also interesting to read about this time period. It took place in 1891. W.B. may be a klutz but gosh it was so enjoyable watching him try to save the day or at least solve their problems.  

 I cannot wait to get a copy of this for myself. 

I was given this book for free for an honest review. 

A-Z Bookish Survey Tag

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Today I decided to do something a little different. This is another exercise that I wanted to do to let you all get to know me a little better. I watched a video by Richard Denney on his channel Richard's Book Nook. The tag was by Jamie on her blog Perpetual Page Turner. Here is the link to the actual page: http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2013/08/some-friday-fun.html

A- Author you've read the most from:
Lemony Snicket (David Handler), which would be because of his A Series of Unfortunate Events which has thirteen books. Plus I have read another by him.
B- Best Sequel Ever: 
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
C- Currently Reading:
The Odyssey by Homer from an audiobook and Traveler by L. E. DeLano
D- Drink of Choice While Reading:
Tea
E- Ereader or Physical book:
Physical book though I do like reading on my Kindle.
F- Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school:
either Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell or Esben from 180 Seconds by Jessica Park
G- Glad you gave this book a chance: 
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, when I had first heard about this book I was not really interested but I was told that it was really great so I read it in my senior year of high school. I am really glad that I have read this whole series.
H- Hidden Gem book:
Insanity by Cameron Jace. I wish more people knew about this book
I- Important Moment in your reading life:
Learning about Booktube and also Goodreads. I have found so many great books because of these discoveries. Also reading all types of genres.
J- Just finished:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
K- Kinds of Books you won't read:
I try to read most books. Really I enjoy most but I do not read erotica and most historical fiction. Though I am reading more historical fiction novels.
L- Longest book you've read:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (896 pages)
M- Major book hangover because of: 
The Time Travelers's Wife
N- Number of bookcases you own: Five
O: One book you have read multiple times:
I have read many books multiple times; all of the Harry Potter series, The Land of Stories series, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Song of Achilles, and many others
P- Preferred Place to Read:
My bed or the chair in our living room.
Q- Quote that inspires you/ gives you all the feels from a book you read:
It's very hard for me to pick out a quote that inspires me or means the most to me. I love quotes and have forever been obsessed with finding the right wording in my own writing. Also I have been obsessed with finding the perfect epigraphs for my own books. So finding important quotes is a big part of my reading experience. One of the quotes that means the most to me is "Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?" I will always remember this quote. It is from The Time Traveler's Wife and I love it so much.
R- Reading regret: Not reading the Percy Jackson books before this year.
S- Series you started and need to finish:
Too many; Dorthy Must Die, Inkheart, Insanity (not all of the books are out though), The Land of Stories (again not all of the books are out) Discworld series (this will take me a while), and many more
T- Three of your all time favorite books:
The Time Traveler's Wife, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Great Gatsby    (these were very hard to choose)
U- Unapologetic fangirl for:
Harry Potter, The Land of Stories series, and Alice in Wonderland retellings
V- Very excited for this release more than any other:
I have two that I am really excited about. First is the last book of The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. I cannot wait to finish the series though I am also very sad about it. The second is the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban because I cannot wait to see how how great it looks.
W- Worst bookish habit:
Not putting down some books that I know I will never get into.
X-  X Marks the spot (start at the top of your self and pick the 27 book):
I picked from my first bookcase going into my room and I got Ella Enchanted.
Y- Your latest book purchase:
Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive 2) by Brandon Sanderson
Z-  ZZZ Snatcher book (the last book that kept you up way late): 
180 Seconds by Jessica Park. I was up until three in the morning reading this book.

I hope you all enjoyed that. I love doing these tag like exercises and will be continuing to do them on Saturdays. They are a great way to start thinking about reading and books. Have fun reading.
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180 Seconds by Jessica Park Review

180 Seconds by Jessica Park- Read May 7-8th 2017

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚 (more like 10 out of 5) 

"Those one hundred and eighty seconds with Esben somehow threw me into a whirlwind. Either I get slammed to the ground by the force or I soar."  

It's not everyday that I adore a book from the first page of it but I became utterly hooked to this book from the very first page. There was something about Simon and Allison's relationship in the first chapter that made me adore them so much. I did not know too much going into this book. I knew that Allison was a college student who had been adopted at the age of sixteen. That interested me so much because one I had never read a book with a character that had been adopted at such a late age and was very interested to see what would happen. Her interactions with Simon (her adopted father) are so beautiful and I adored them immensely as characters. 

This is the story of a girl named Allison who has major social anxieties caused by her life in the foster care system. She has a hard time trusting anyone including her foster father, a man that really is the best parent for her. She is in her junior year of college. Shortly into the novel she meets this guy named Esben, who is popular around campus and she does not realize why. After participating in a social experiment with him, she realizes that maybe they might have some sort of connection. With the encouragement of her best and oldest friend, Steff, Allison navigates this friendship with Esben as the become closer. It is a story that focuses on her relationships with others and the trust that she needs to have with them and herself. 

I thought it was interesting to see the focus on internet presence and also just social networking in general. I had never read a book before that focused on this aspect so much that was as good as this. It really hooked me in and would not let me go. I should have never started reading this at 10:30 at night because I literally kept reading it into the early hours of the morning so I could finish it. It's just that great. Each of the characters and relationships in this novel were so genuine and so relatable, that I could not get enough of them. Allison grows a lot throughout the novel and it was a joy to see her learn about herself and others. Simon was the funniest character in the novel and I am so glad we got to see his relationship with Allison throughout. Esben was such a sweetheart and had the heart of gold. Steff is a great addition to this story and I just could not get enough of her personality. She is the best friend that Allison could want and an amazing girl. 

All and all I can say without a doubt that this is my favorite book that I have read so far this year. I loved every single character and the story as a whole. Esben's use of social media as a way of helping people is inspiring and I could only wish that more people would use it for that use instead of in horrible ways. This has become one of my favorite books ever and I can honestly say that I am so happy that I spent the time to read this book. It was a real wonderful story. 

"He shifts the box to rest on his hip, freeing up a hand. His voice elevates. 'Grab everything you can and run! Only take what you need! Run like the wind!' He yanks a small duffel from the car and dashes to the sidewalk, calling out over his shoulder, 'Come on, Allison! There's no time to waste!' " - The amazing Simon. God I loved him so much. 

I will be buying this book now. 

I received this book for free for an honest review. 

Coraline by Neil Gaiman Review

Coraline by Neil Gaiman- Read May 3

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

This is my fifth Neil Gaiman book and it is a great novel that I cannot help but love. I have enjoyed every one of his books and this one is no exception to that. It is a great creepy children's novel that I would give the highest recommendation for. I adored this book.

Coraline is a young girl who lives in a house that her and her parents share with other tenants; to elderly actresses and an elderly man. One of the flats on the other side of the house is empty and there is a door to it in Coraline's house that has been boarded up. One day while her mother is out getting groceries, Coraline goes into the other flat and it is not boarded up anymore. There she meets her "other" parents who want her to stay with them. At first this place seems some what idealistic but slowly Coraline realizes the "other" parents are not what they seem. Similarly to The Wizard of Oz movie everyone in Coraline's life has a doppelganger in this other world.  A great little book that can easily be read in a day or around that amount of time. I did not want to put this down once I started it. Another great book by Neil Gaiman.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

📏  Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi- Read May 1-3rd  🦊

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

This book met my every expectation for it and I am so glad I picked to read it this week. I fell in love with the characters in this piece and also the worlds that it took place in. I cannot tell you enough about how much these worlds took me in. So good!

The main character of the novel is named Alice Alexis Queensmeadow (I love her name) and she is a very intriguing girl. She was born with almost pure white skin and hair. Her world, Ferenwood, is a world filled of color and she is the only person there that does not have any color besides her eyes. In her world color shows magic and many of the people there do not believe that she has any magic because of this. They also believe that she is strange. Many people would let this get to them but not Alice. She is full of confidence and is herself all the time and is not afraid to say so. 

Alice's father went missing three years before this story and she feels that no one else cares for her after this. Her mother is distant and many of the people in town are constantly making rude comments about her. She is determined to find her father and will set out on any adventure to do it. Along with a boy named Oliver, Alice sets out to a world named Furthermore that is different from what she was expecting. There they will do anything to find her father and bring him back safely. 

This story is geared towards Middle Grade but I cannot help but think that anyone would have a fun time reading this (I believe anyone can enjoy a good Middle Grade novel. I don't care what age you are). Not only is this a great adventure story but it also is a story about individuality. Alice is never afraid of being herself and will let anyone know this. She, I believe would be a great inspiration for younger readers and even older readers.

This was a great novel and it makes me want to read more of Tahereh Mafi's works. She writes in clever prose with beautiful lyrical writing. Also her asides are quite funny along with the chapter introductions. I must say I am very happy that I started my reading this month with such a wonderful book. I hope she will write more books like this if not a sequel. I know that I would definitely read it. 

May Reads: Classics Month Part 2

Will be released on May 16
One of my most anticipated
reads this year. 

For my second month of classics I decided to read four different classics: The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Troilus and Cressida by Shakespeare. Also during the month, I plan on reading at least five other books plus the books I am reviewing. The other books I plan on reading are Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Traveler by L. E. DeLano which is the first book in a duology, Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi, Can you Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella and The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich (which comes out on May 16th).

I have eighteen books until I make my Goodreads goal of reading 100 books this year and I most likely will be able to accomplish that this month! 

The Classics

The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer: 

For these two epics, I decided to read editions of the books that I had never read before. The first time I read The Odyssey was in my senior year of high school and then in my sophomore year of college, I read the same edition. The edition that I decided to read is an edition of both that is written in prose. This is going to be an interesting read. I have never read The Iliad before but I have known the plot of the story for most of my life. I look forward to reading both of these and finally knowing the full story of The Iliad.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite classics of all time and I have been waiting for a while to do a re-read of it. The first time I read this was in 2013 and I believe that four years is a long enough wait to read it again. I cannot wait to pick this one up this month.

Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare

This will be my first time reading this play by William Shakespeare. I thought it would be an interesting one to pick up and it seems like fate to read this the same month I'm reading The Iliad and The Odyssey (my brother picked the order I would be reading my classics these two months). This play takes place during the Trojan War. I do not know a ton about it other than that it is a love story between Troilus and Cressida. It will be great to read another Shakespearean play. I hope it is as good as I believe it will be. 

The Other Books

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi 

I have been waiting to read this book since I had first heard about it sometime last year. Tahereh Mafi is one writer I have wanted to read a book from for quite awhile but I just never had. This I believe will be a great start into her books. I bought this book last year when it released and have been waiting for the right time to read it. I believe that it is the right time now. This is another book that I have high hopes for. I hope I love it as much as I believe I will.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Every year for the last couple of years I have read at least one Neil Gaiman book. In May I want to take the time to read Coraline one of Neil Gaiman's novels that I have been wanting to read for years and I never took the time to read. It looks like it will be something I will enjoy immensely. I love Neil Gaiman's books so much. He is one of my favorite authors but likes to spread his books out so I'm not reading a bunch of his books in one year so I never read more than two Neil Gaiman books that I had never read before. This year I plan on also re-reading Stardust which is my favorite of his.

Can you Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

I have been wanting to read a Sophie Kinsella book for a long time. This is one that I thought would be a great start. She is known for having funny little books and I figured that this would be a great book to read in between classics, especially books like The Iliad and The Odyssey. This is about a woman named Emma who has been holding in a bunch of embarrassing secrets. Then one day she reveals them to a stranger on an airplane, who she finds out is the CEO at the company she is working for. This is all that I know about the story but it looks like it is going to be a fun read that I am looking forward to reading.

Traveler by L. E. DeLano

This is a debut novel from L.E. DeLano that I wanted to read from the minute that I had first heard about it. It is a book about alternate realities and characters coming out of stories. This is the first book in a duology that I cannot wait to read. May is going to be another month of debut authors and reads. This book is one of the many books that I have been anticipating for a while. It came out in February but I have not wanted to read it until now.

And finally...

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

I had first heard about this from an article at the beginning of the year saying the YA books coming out in 2017. From the first time, I heard about this book I wanted to get it and I pre-ordered it so I could read it the day it comes out. I cannot wait to read this book and it is one of my most anticipated reads of 2017 right below Chris Colfer's Land of Stories: Worlds Collide.


I will be doing a full review for each of these books when I read them along with the other books I am reviewing this month. It is a good amount of books for this month but I believe that I will be able to do it. We will see at the end of the month. This is going to be one interesting and eventful month of reading. I cannot wait.