Children's Books/ Top 5 Wednesday

Children's Books/ Top 5 Wednesday- July 12th 

This Top 5 Wednesday is my top five favorite children's books.These are books that I want to recommend that I feel others should read. Obviously, I will say you should read the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and any Rick Riordan series. I want to have others that may not be as popular or that I just love so much from childhood.

This is the edition that I read in 2nd grade.
I actually was lucky enough to find
a copy of it for my own library.

5. Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne: I first got into this series because of the Disney movies and the Disney tv series The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The collection of Winnie the Pooh books and stories was actually the first book that I signed out of the library when I was in, I think second grade. I remember loving the stories then and after I read the first book recently I loved it again just as much. This is a series that I grew up on and adored. I will highly recommend this forever because they are some of the funniest, most beautiful, and just all around best children books I have ever read. 

4. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie: Another book that I read because of a Disney movie. I remember loving this book so much as a kid and I am going to be doing a reread sometime soon, maybe even this month. This is a book that I'm sure many of you have at least heard of in some way. I have seen so many different versions of this story from tv shows to movies to retellings. There are many books that have went down in history as great classic books and this one is a one of the best. It's an enjoyable read that I believe everyone should read. Captain Hook is a great villain and Peter is a very interesting character that I enjoy reading about. 

3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: This would not be a list of top children's books without this book. I did not actually read this book as a young child. I believe I was eleven or twelve when I had first read it. I distinctly remember not liking the movie as a child and not being interested in reading the book. Then for some reason I picked up the book and liked it. Now years later, I love the book so much. One of the reasons I love it is the subtle humor that Lewis Carroll uses that I'm sure my twelve year old self would have never noticed. I love that humor also the retellings are some of my favorite books to read. This is the type of book that I believe that you will either love or hate. I recommend it but also go in knowing that it is strange. Wonderfully strange. 

2. Matilda by Roald Dahl: I have already said on here that this is one of my favorite children's books ever. This book is a book that I enjoyed so much reading and was one of the books that got me into reading when I was young. I have talked about this book on length on here already. It is a favorite that I have to reread again soon. Matilda was someone I wanted to be as a child. She was a great character and someone I believe children can look up to. 

Time for a gush: 

The first book in the series.

1. The Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer: This is a series that I did not grow up with but it has became one of my absolute favorite series ever right below the Harry Potter series. The final book The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide just came out yesterday (July 11th, 2017).  It was an amazing book that I enjoyed reading when it came yesterday. This month has always been my Chris Colfer month, where I reread the series again before the next book comes out. I enjoy rereading them finding new aspects each time. I love the Bailey twins, Alex and Conner and their adventures in the Land of Stories. The series is perfect for middle grade children but I would really recommend it to anyone who loves a great adventure. You will most definitely get a great adventure in a world that is creative and a place that I would have loved to go myself. A fairy tale lover's dream. This is a series that I wish was around when I was a kid. At least it is around now. 

On my blog I'm doing reviews for all of the books so if you interested in reading more about the series I will have more to come. 

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old Review

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen Review- Read June 3rd- July 2nd

📚📚📚📚

This will be released in America on July 11th. 

I want to first start this review with a little background of the book. This is a fiction novel that was originally published in Amsterdam in 2014 in Dutch. It was then published in the UK in 2016 and then picked up in the United States for publication on July 11th. I had first heard about the book months ago and requested a review copy and was lucky enough to receive a review copy in the mail. This book was written by an anonymous writer that goes by the pseudonym, Hendrik Groen.

I remember when I had first heard about this book months ago and was very intrigued by the fact that this was a daily diary written by an 83-year-old man. Never have I heard about a book like this that was about an older man. Most books written in a diary format that I have heard of are about younger people. This got me wanting to read this book. 

I'll show you a perfect quote from the very beginning of the book that will show you Hendrik's character. 

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

"Another year, and I still don't like old people. Their walker shuffle, their unreasonable impatience, their endless complaints, their tea and cookies, their bellyaching. Me? I am eighty-three years old. " 

That quote is the perfect representation of his character throughout the book. He is an older man who cannot stand older people. He can be considered a curmudgeon but I find more in his character than that. Throughout the novel, we learn bits and pieces about his past and it can get quite sad. I was not expecting this book to be as touching as it is at times. I will say that some of what he says and what is in this story can be off-putting. It took me so long to read because I put it down halfway through and did not pick it up for quite awhile. This is not the type of book that I feel can be read without taking some breaks. Hendrick is a very funny character and I do recommend reading it but it is hard hitting and very sad at parts. 

My favorite part of this book is the fish tank scene. Trust me it is totally worth reading for it. This is a great book that I enjoyed most of the time while reading. I hope they decide to publish the second one here. I would love to read it. 

First Three Chris Colfer Reviews: TLOS: The Wishing Spell, Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide To Royalty, and TLOS: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer 

Review- Read July 1st 

📚📚📚📚📚

This is the sixth time that I have read this book. Every year before a new book in Chris's series is released I reread the previous ones. I remember really wanting to read this series when I had first heard about it. Chris played my favorite character on the tv show Glee, Kurt Hummel, and I was excited to hear that he was writing a series. His books are some of my absolute favorites and I really love him as an author. So yes, I read this series every year and plan on continuing to that even after the final book comes out. I love how he plays with the fairy tales and creates this world that I wish I could live in.

This is the first book in The Land of Stories series. Two twins, Alex and Connor Bailey from our world, get swept into the world of fairy tales that they had heard and loved since they were very young. They want to find a way to get home but also explore the world that they feel is just as much their home. Over their time in the fairy tale world of The Land of Stories they meet famous characters such as: Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and so many others. They make friends and learn about themselves as they go on a treasure hunt of sorts to find a way home. 

I highly recommend picking up this book which I believe that anyone can enjoy. If you like the classic fairy tales, adventure stories, or just a great story; you should be able to enjoy this. Also Chris Colfer's humor is my favorite part of this series. I laugh so hard when I read these books. They also can be quite touching. 

Adventures from the Land of Stories: Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide to Royalty by Chris Colfer
Review- Read July 2nd
📚📚📚📚

A book that perfectly showcases Chris's wit. It's funny to think that this is loosely based on The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli a book that was written to show how to attain, maintain, utilize political power in the western world. 

Our narrator Queen Red Riding Hood in this book has read The Prince and wants to write a book on her take of politics, government, love, and what it means to be royal. This is a great companion to the series. I loved reading a book in Red's perspective but I will say that she can be quite annoying. This is the book that I would expect the character to write and I can easily say that I enjoyed it a lot. 

This is the second time that I read this book and I would definitely read it again. I would recommend to wait to read this until after at least the third book in the series because it will give away plot points in those books. 

The Land of Stories: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales by Chris Colfer
Review- Read July 3rd
📚📚📚📚📚

This is a collection of many of the fairy tales that Chris is going off of to create his novels. He uses fairy tales from the Grimm Brothers, Hans Christian Anderson, Charles Perrault, and others. These are the classic tales such as "The Little Mermaid", "Snow White", "Sleeping Beauty", "Cinderella", and so many others. I love his takes on the tales and how the illustrations in the book not only go along with the tales but also with his series. This is one of the best collections of fairy tales that I have seen. I also really like that he also has the Mother Goose rhymes and her advice at the end. 

I recommend this to anyone that loves fairy tales, his books, and just anyone that loves a great book. 

Books Without Romance/ Top 5 Wednesday

Books Without Romance/ Top 5 Wednesday- July 5th


This Top 5 Wednesday is simple, pick out five books that have little to no romance in them. Romance that is not mentioned or that is hardly mentioned at all throughout the book.

Top 5 Wednesday is a group created by Lainey of Ginger Reads Lainey on Booktube. It 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:

5. The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Ton DiTerlizzi- This is a middle-grade series about three siblings Mallory, Jared and Simon who find out about a world of faeries in their relatives house while living there. It is a fascinating series that I totally recommend reading. There are not any romantic relationships touched on in the series at all. It is just about the story of these children and what they learn and deal with faeries. 

4. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton- The Outsiders is a story about a teen gang of greasers that are rivals against a group of socials. It tells of the struggles of our narrator Ponyboy and the right and wrong done in society. There is plenty of violence in this novel between the gangs but there is very little romance at all. Ponyboy's brother Sodapop has a girlfriend but this is only ever mentioned in the novel and we never actually see her. This is really the story of Ponyboy and his group of family and friends who are growing up in a society that may never think of them as equals. Ponyboy is intelligent and has great character but because he is a greaser many do not see these qualities. If you are looking for a great novel about teens with little to no romance I would recommend this book.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is another book that I would recommend to all of you that does not have any romance in it at all. This is the story of Scout's childhood, who has a father Atticus Finch that is a lawyer that has high moral standards. She is growing up during the Depression. Her father is defending a black man in the town who has been wrongly accused. It deals with love and hatred, kindness and cruelty, innocence and experience. We see this story through the eyes of a young woman looking back on her time as a child. There is no romance mentioned in the novel and really we focus on a story that has become considered one of the best in American literature and I can see why. Simply this is a love story not romantic love but love of one's family, friends, and neighbors. This is a beautiful novel that again I cannot help but fully recommend to everyone.

2. Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple- Where'd you Go, Bernadette is a novel about a woman named Bernadette who goes missing on a family trip to the Antarctica. Throughout the novel we follow around her daughter, Bee who is collecting emails, documents, and other types of correspondence of her mother's to try and find her beloved mother. We learn about Bernadette through these messages and about why she would have went missing. This is a great example of an epistolary novel (a novel written in letters and other types of correspondence) that I really enjoyed reading years ago. It is another love story but of a family, with mother, daughter, and father. Over the course of the novel we learn more and more about the family and Bernadette. There is no romance really mentioned in the book we just learn about the family and what has happened to Bernadette to make her leave. Also it is one of the funniest books I have ever read.
Here's the book trailer of the book made by the amazing author Maria Semple. I have to read more of her books she is so funny:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4g6Ks3p-k

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect, who is the researcher for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, hitchhike across the galaxy after the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway. They travel along with other travelers, Zaphod Beeblebrox, his girlfriend Trillian, who was formally from Earth herself, and Marvin a paranoid, brilliant, and depressed robot. This is the first in a humorous science fiction series. In this book no romance is even mentioned. Trillian is dating Zaphod so she can see the universe. That's her ultimate goal in the relationship and nothing romantic is even mentioned among them. Arthur did at least have feelings for Trillian on Earth but again this is barely even mentioned. The book really focuses on the crazy adventures of our travelers and what they see as they traverse the universe in the Heart of Gold spaceship. 

Anticipated Books of 2017

This is a post that I have been wanting to do for a while. I decided to put all of the books that I want or have read this year that are new releases. Below the graphic I am going to put a list of the books that I have already read from these. I will update this as I read during the rest of the year. 

Click on the image to see it larger. 

Books I have read so far: 

1. Stranger than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer- 📚📚📚📚📚

2. Traveler by L. E. Delano- 📚📚📚📚

3. The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich- 📚📚📚📚

4. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee- 📚📚📚📚📚