My Favorite Books of 2017

Favorite Books Read in 2017

Here are my top ten percent favorite books of the year out of two hundred, so twenty books (well sort of). All of the books that I have listed below are in order of how I read them this year. I will mention below this list what my top five favorite books were. I did not count any of my rereads from this year though because I reread my top six favorite books of all time. I have reviews for most of these books here on my blog. If there is a review for it, I'll put a 📚 beside it.

1.)  A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness- Read January 9th
 When I first heard of this book I was not really sure about it. It was getting a lot of hype as this book with a heartfelt message. I then picked it up and read it in a few hours. This book is one of the most moving books that I have ever read. I was not expecting the overall message in this book. I made sure to go in not really knowing much about it, which is how I recommend reading it. The monster's tales that he told Connor were great and I loved it so much. I will say that this is a tear jerker and broke my heart.

2.)  Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan- Read the whole series January 10th- 12th

I have decided to put all of the books from the Percy Jackson series in this list because it's a favorite of mine as a whole. This is a series that I should have read years ago and I kind of wish that I did. I have owned it for years and I just never picked it up. Shortly after I started the first book, I could not put them down. This has become one of my favorite series of all time and I still cannot stop thinking about it almost a year later. Each book stands out with the references large or small to the original Greek Myths. Greek Mythology is one of my favorite things to read about and I love that there are many middle-grade series that have such great use of these classics. Percy is such a relatable character and his way of narrating his tales had me laughing out loud. I was invested in his life and his friend's lives so much and I did not want to leave them. The Last Olympian was a great ending to this series and is one of my favorite endings to a series ever. It felt like the best way to close this series. 

I will be picking up more of Rick Riordan's series this coming year and I cannot wait. 

3.) Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt- Read February 11th- 12th
When I had first read the synopsis of this book a couple of years ago I thought that it would be a good book. Now after reading the book I know that I was wrong. It was not only a good book it was an amazing book. A great read and an amazing story. Toby and June's friendship was something that I could not get enough of. I really got attached to every character. Another tear-jerk of the year. I love the ideas of art, love, and friendship that fill this book. One of my favorites of the year for its incredible message and for characters that I loved more than anything.


4.) Stranger than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer- Read March 1st
 This is Chris Colfer's second young adult book and I believe it was just as good as his first Struck by Lightning. Cash Carter is a young actor from a very popular television show (Chris has said that this is somewhat based off of events in his life). Four friends who have been obsessed with the show since they were kids jokingly invite him on a road trip. They are very surprised when he says yes. Cash has been hiding many dark secrets though from everyone that explain his dejected attitude about everything. Slowly, the teens and Cash develop a deep relationship. I love the sarcastic humor throughout this book. I was not expecting how sad this would get.

5.) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde- Read April 20th-26th 📚
Dorian Gray is a self-absorbed man who treats the ones that love and care about him horribly. He becomes completely enamored by a portrait of himself that his friend, Basil Hallward painted of him. After another friend, Lord Henry mentions that he will eventually lose his beauty he becomes obsessed with the idea of how the painting will never lose its beauty but he will. Dorian sells his soul so that he would never age as his portrait changes. Over time he changes into a man that only cares for himself and uses those around him. The portrait then starts to reflect the man he truly is, a corrupt man who is vain.

It is interesting to watch Dorian's self-destruction as he loses every bit of redeemable qualities that he once had. The story is slow at the beginning but it is completely worth getting through the first thirty or so pages. Dorian becomes a detestable man that it is hard to feel a bit sorry for him but his decline into narcissism is one of the most interesting stories I have ever read. I would recommend this book to anyone. His self-absorption in the fact that his beauty will eventually end is quite fascinating and I kept wondering what else this man would do.

6.) Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi- Read May 1st- 3rd 📚
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. She has a companion to this book that came out last year called Whichwood that I will be reading soon. 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.


7.) 180 Seconds by Jessica Park- Read May 7th 📚
It's not every day that I adore a book from the first page of it but I became utterly hooked on 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.

8.) Bull by David Elliot- Read May 18th 📚
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. Every one of the characters speaks differently and brings new layers to the story.

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. 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.

9.) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton- Read May 24th- 26th 📚
 I have said this before on this blog but I'll say it again. When I was in tenth grade I really loved learning about the Tudor family and everything else about England at that time period. Really, I just loved my history class at that time but still. I thought that their story would be an interesting historical fiction novel and I have been looking for one ever since. Last year, I heard of this book for the very first time and I knew that I would have to pick it up. Man, am I happy that I did. This became a new favorite historical fiction novel and novel with humor in it for me. I love the characters especially Jane and also the plot. The beginning of this novel is similar to what actually happened in history and then it becomes its own thing. I loved the mixture of history and fantastical elements and I could not get enough of it. Now this year, the Lady Janies have a new book coming out called My Plain Jane which I will be reading when it comes out. :)

10.) Heartless by Marissa Meyer- Read June 9th 📚
I adored this book and it was hard for me to read it at times because I knew what was going to happen to Catherine the whole time. This is the origin story of the Queen of Hearts one of the memorable characters of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Throughout the story, each of the denizens of Wonderland is shown and we learn how they ended up where they are and how they are in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Catherine is the future Queen of Hearts who has the affection of the King of Hearts who deeply loves the young woman. Catherine does not want his love or to become queen, she wants to open up her own bakery. She is known throughout the kingdom for her wonderful treats. At the ball, that she is supposed to be proposed to at, she meets Jest, who she falls hard for. She and Jest secretly court each other because of her family and the king. Catherine wants nothing more than choosing her path but she has fate to fight with. She will be the future Queen of Hearts even if she does not want it.

I really loved how Carollian the writing in this book was. Marissa Meyer did an incredible job creating her own story but also making it feel like it could have been written by Lewis Caroll himself.

11.) The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer- Read July 11th 📚
Chris Colfer has been a favorite author of mine since 2012 when his first book The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell came out. I have loved Chris from his first episode of Glee and I still do. His books are just so special to me and I kind of wish that they would have come out when I was a kid. That is not saying that I did not enjoy them now because I adore them. Really, I just wish I could have been lucky enough to grow up with them like the kids are now. I am much older than the target audience of this series, even though I don't really believe that you have to be a certain age to enjoy a book. The Land of Stories is one of my favorite series of life and that will never change. Every single year I have done a reread of each of the books leading up to the release of the new one (I'm going to miss doing this). This was a great end to a series that I have loved for five years. The characters are great, the lands he created are all so vivid, and this world is one that I would live in, in a heartbeat. I have compared the feeling of finishing this series to when I finished the Harry Potter series ten years ago. This is actually the first series that I read along with as each of the books was released instead of reading them months or even years later. This was the perfect ending book to a series that I have loved for years and I cannot wait to see the companion series that he is planning on writing. I will be reading it as soon as they come out. As I said above in Stranger than Fanfiction, I have read every one of Chris's books and I don't plan on ever stopping. Also, I am beyond excited for the movies. I may be one of the only adults that will be there without children, but I will be seeing it as soon as it comes out.

12.) Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor- July 30th- August 2nd

Laini Taylor has a writing style that I simply adore and this story was one of the best that I have ever read. Lazlo and Sarai's stories are beautiful and I could not get enough of this book. This is my second of her books with Daughter of Smoke and Bone being my first a few years ago. Strange the Dreamer has a world that I would love to live in and characters that I connected with so much. Also, that ending was powerful. I'm interested in seeing what will happen in the next book. Laini's style may not be for everyone but it is for me. It's lyrical, poetic, and each line feels alive in itself. This book was perfection.

13.) The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, Veronica Fish (Illustrator)- Read September 2nd 📚

 This is a stunning graphic novel and is one of the best that I have ever seen visually if not the best. The illustrations/art by Veronica Fish are incredible and I just want to keep looking at them. The story is also great. I love retellings or stories that take a twist on original tales and this one was definitely very good. Melissa Jane Osborne takes the tale of Peter Pan and twists it into a story of grief and how to overcome great obstacles. The notebook-like design is not only clever and beautiful but it also goes perfectly with the story that Melissa is telling. I recommend this book to anyone that loves the original tale of Peter Pan and graphic novels. This was a great take on a classic story that I cannot get enough of. Also, it looks absolutely stunning and has a great texture to the cover. I could gush about it forever. Please, if the premise of this book sounds even a bit interesting to you, pick it up. You will not regret it. 

14.) The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell- Read September 10th 📚

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this novel. The fantasy story was interesting and also cute. I rooted for all of the characters especially our two main characters, Xar and Wish. Also, the witches are interestingly different than I have ever seen before and are creepy. Cressida Cowell is great at story building and writes with a voice throughout the story that I could not get enough of. Her use of wit and narration are great parts of this story. This is the first book of Cressida's that I have picked up and know I will pick up others of hers. She is known for writing the popular How to Train Your Dragon book series that the two Dreamworks movies are based on. Middle-grade fantasy is a genre that I have always loved and this is an incredible example of one of the best. She builds this world that I felt like I was walking around in when listening to this book. The creepiness of these witches and also just the deep dark forest was perfect for the story. She says at the beginning that we may have heard of deep dark forests before but we really don't know what we are getting into. Her descriptions throughout were perfect to show this.

David Tennant did a great job creating a distinct voice for each of the characters. I have loved David Tennant since I first saw him in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire movie and also in a few episodes of Doctor Who.  He gave each of the characters a voice that seemed to fit their characters. My favorites were for the sprites, which were amazing. So adorable. He could literally read any audiobook and I would listen to them. That is because he made these characters come alive and created this atmosphere of a reading experience that I will never forget. Saying that I enjoyed listening to this book is an understatement. He made this book so much for me and I know that I will be picking up the rest of the series once they come out.

15.) Mort by Terry Pratchett- Read September 23rd- 25 📚
 The fourth book in the Discworld series and the first in the Death subseries, which is so far my favorite of the subseries. Death has been in each of the books so far because he comes when someone dies. This book focuses on him taking on an apprentice and then trying to find a more "normal" job for himself. Death both understands humankind more than we ever could because he has watched us for so long, but also is trying to still understand emotions and the actions of humans.
His adventures and quotes within this book our some of the best I have ever read in literature let alone in this series. This easily made it onto my favorites list. I can't wait to get more of Death's story throughout the novels.

16.) The Marvels by Brian Selznick- Read October 9th 📚

The Marvels tells two different stories that connect in such an amazing way. The first is told in about 400 pages of continuous pictures. It begins with a boy named Billy who is shipwrecked in 1766 and eventually finds work at a theater in England. Throughout this story, we follow the rest of his family throughout the generations and their life as actors. This is up until 1900 when Leontes Marvel is banished from the theater.

The second part of this story takes place almost a century later, in 1990, with the runaway Joseph Jervis. He has come to England from his boarding school to try and find his uncle. Albert Nightingale, his uncle, is known to be a strange man living in the most stunningly beautiful house, that contains many secrets. Joseph becomes fascinated in this house and his uncle. He tries everything to figure out what has happened in the past with his family and also the house.

I loved both sides of this story and especially the twist that we find out in the second part of this story. This is definitely my favorite of Brian Selznick's books. I would recommend reading this and his others. They are all very good.

17.) The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo- Read November 3rd-4th 📚
 This is a beautiful fairy tale collection set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Each story in this collection is accompanied with illustrations on every page which grow with each page until they make a two-page spread illustration at the end. Besides the illustrations, the stories are just as stunning if not more. Leigh Bardugo's writing is one of my favorites ever and I could not get enough of each of these stories. Some were based on some of the original fairy tales and other classic tales, and others were completely of Leigh's own creation. I loved how each story had the feel of a classic fairy tale to them. Really, I could have had twenty more of these tales and I would have been happy. I hope that she will eventually write more of these. I'll definitely buy them. Also, I cannot wait to read more of her books this year. I will be at least reading her Wonder Woman book.

18.) Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao- Read November 15th-18th 📚
From the first sentence of this audiobook, I was hooked. I have not read many books where the villain was the protagonist. I really loved this retelling/ origin story of the Evil Queen. The Snow White fairy tale has always been one of my favorites and this twist on that was enjoyable to read. It definitely became a new favorite one for me out of any of the Snow White or any other retellings. I loved Julie's take on this story and how she made it her own.

My favorite aspect of this book was how Julie made this her own story. I just love how she took these classic concepts and twisted them into a novel that I could not stop listening to. It became one of my favorites last year among a list as you have seen here that is quite extensive. I cannot wait for the next book in this duology, which I will be picking up as soon as it comes out.

19.) Descender: The Deluxe Edition Volume 1 by Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen (Illustrator)- Read December 13th 📚
I had heard so many incredible things about this graphic novel series since it had first come out. At the end of last year, I was lucky enough to get the chance to review this first volume for the website Impulse Gamer. This was even more incredible than what I had heard before. It is definitely in my top graphic novel picks along with I Hate Fairyland and the Wendy Project. The illustrations in this graphic novel are stunning watercolor designs that just pop out. The story was very compelling. I really connected to TIM and cannot wait to continue his story in the near future. This is one incredible volume that I would recommend to anyone to read. It has a great mix of action, adventure, and science fiction.

20.) Hogfather by Terry Pratchett- Read December 26th- 29th 📚
This has been a great year of reading and I'm glad that this was one of my final books of the year. I loved starting Terry Pratchett's Discworld series last year and cannot wait to continue with Pyramids this month. Hogfather was one of the darkest so far for me of the Discworld series and also the funniest. It was entertaining reading about Death saving Hogswatch and also the world along with it. So far this is one of my favorites of the series. Terry Pratchett was an incredible writer and person and I would recommend them to everyone. He was one of a kind and it devastates me to know that he has not been with us for almost three years now. What an incredible mind and person. I cannot express to you enough about how much you should read this book and the whole series in general. If you love a great fantasy you should read this. If you love the feeling around Christmas you should read this. And finally, if you love a great story you should read this. This was an incredible book that I cannot speak more highly of. Also, Death is one of my all-time favorite characters out of any book.

Top 5 Favorite Books of the year
5. Mort by Terry Pratchett
4. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
3. The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer
2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (because I'm counting this as one)
1. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Friday Reviews Week 9

🍁 Friday Reviews Week 9: 🍁
October 28th- November 3rd 

🍂 Book 1: Lumberjanes Vol: 2 by 

Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, 

Maarta Laiho, and Brooke A. Allen

Read November 1st, 2017 🍂

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The second installment in the Lumberjanes graphic novel series. This was just as cute with the stories as the first. I'm really having a great time reading these. I'll probably continue to read one each week. One of the best parts of this one was the addition of Greek Mythology into the story. Usually, if something has Greek Mythology in it, that is something that makes me like it more. I thought that the humor brought in with this element, especially with Issue 8, made this for me. Each of the issues in this volume was about equal for me besides issue 7.  That one was my favorite. I'm glad that their camp counselor Jen, is now going on their adventures with them. She is one of the best characters in this series with her always knowing everything. 

Issue 5: 📚📚📚📚
Issue 6: 📚📚📚📚
Issue 7: 📚📚📚📚📚
Issue 8: 📚📚📚📚

Here's a link to all of my other posts on the Lumberjanes series: Lumberjanes Series

🍂 Book 2: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

Read October 30th- November 2nd, 2017 🍂

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The sixth book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the second in the Witches subseries. This book is part of the overall series but can be read on its own. If you are new to the Discworld series or would like to know more about it you can use this link to see my other posts on them: Terry Pratchett's Discworld

This book reintroduces Granny Weatherwax. It also introduces two other witches Nanny Ogg, the matriarch of a large tribe of Oggs and the owner of the "most evil" cat ever, and also Magrat Garlick, a junior witch, who firmly believes in all things of the occult. This annoys the other two older witches greatly. The three witches/ wyrd sisters are the main characters of this book.

A Short Synopsis

"As the cauldron bubbled an eldritch voice shrieked: 'When shall we three meet again?' 

There was a pause.

Finally, another voice said, in far more ordinary tones: 'Well, I can do next Tuesday.'"

This book parodies many of Shakespeare's plays: Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear. It borrows themes from each of these plays to help form this story. The book starts with the witches deciding on a time to meet. Magrat wants to start a witch coven with the other witches because she believes that this is what is meant to be done. "Granny" Esmerelda Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, who are much older witches do not really care for this sort of way of using magic. Throughout the whole book, we see them try to teach her the ways of magic and also learning from her. 

We then find out that the king of the land, King Verence has been killed by his cousin who wanted to take the kingdom for himself. Instead of being left to die peacefully, King Verence becomes a ghost and will remain a ghost until he fulfills his destiny. His cousin, Felmet was guided by his wicked wife to murder Verence for the throne (Terry really has fun with making the duke's wife).  Over the course of the novel, we see him trying to keep hold of the kingdom, while he slips into insanity. A major hindrance for him, at least as he believes, is the witches. He does not realize though that the witches really do not like getting into politics. Also, that witches are not actually what he believes.

After the witches are given the son of King Verence with a crown by mistake, they know that they have to find him a home. This is until he can take his rightful place on the throne. They know that it will eventually be his destiny to take over the throne. He is given to a troupe of theatre performers and the witches hide his crown in prop boxes. The story continues on from there to hilarious and strange places.

Overall Thoughts  

"'Ah,' said Nanny. She took the girl's (Magrat) arm. 'The thing is,' she explained, 'as you progress in the Craft, you'll learn there is another rule. Esme's obeyed it all her life.' 

'And what's that?'

'When you break rules, break 'em good and hard,' said Nanny, and grinned a set of gums that were more menacing than teeth." 

First of all, I have always thought Lady Macbeth was bad, well the duchess could give her a run for her money. She's just as manipulative, but more in a humorous way.  I don't find her to be as mad as Lady Macbeth though. Her husband, on the other hand, has completely lost any touch with his sanity. This is where the King Lear elements fall into play. The duke is followed along by his loyal Fool, who is probably the most sensible person on the duke's side. 

I love when an author uses themes from other stories and makes them their own. I have always been a fan of Shakespeare's plays, especially Macbeth and Hamlet. It was great being able to recognize the references to his plays throughout the book and made the scenes even funnier. Where it diverges from the original source material is what makes this book for me. I enjoyed getting to know each of the witches and seeing their relationship with each other and others. Granny Weatherwax became one of my favorite characters ever in Equal Rites and this book has just solidified that for me. All of the witches are so complex and intriguing. I cannot wait to read the other books with them. 

Also, the scene with Death near the end of this book is my favorite. I will never get enough of Death as a character. He's the best. I would write out the whole scene here, but it would spoil the book. I will put one quick quote though. 

"This worried Death. He was used to people claiming that they were not dead, because death always came as a shock, and a lot of people have some trouble getting over it. But people claiming that they were dead with every breath in their body was a new and unsettling experience." - Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett. 

By all means, you don't have to have read any of the plays I mentioned to read this book. I believe that you would still enjoy it. But I do feel that many of the jokes that Terry Pratchett uses in this book are funnier because of my knowledge of these plays.

I cannot recommend this series enough. It may seem intimidating, but really it isn't once you get into it. You can really start it anywhere you want and you won't really miss anything. Each of the books stands on their own for the most part. I hope you enjoy Terry Pratchett's Discworld if you do decide to pick any of them up. I know that I do. 

🍂 Book 3: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo 

Read November 3rd-4th, 2017 🍂

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Yay! 

I'm not surprised that I really loved this book of short stories. Last year, I fell in love with Leigh's writing in her Six of Crows Duology, which I read over a course of two days. I have yet to read the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but I will be picking it up when I have time to marathon a whole series (I know I won't be able to put them down). 

Leigh has created such a detailed world in her Grishaverse and I cannot wait to see what else she comes out with in the future. This book has six short stories that I will further talk about below. Overall, each of the stories helps create a different view into this world with wonderfully atmospheric writing, and illustrations that build into a full two-page illustration. I have never seen a book that each page built the end illustration more and more as you went. It was a great idea and those illustrations were beyond stunning, just like the stories they were for. 

"Ayama and the Thorn Wood": 📚📚📚📚📚
Sort of a twist on the myth of the Minator, with a half-wolf man. I loved how this story and all of the others felt like the some of the original fairy tales (Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson). I could see this one especially being thought of as classic fairy tale. It was similar in elements such as the tales that Ayama tells. This was a great start to the collection.

"The Too-Clever Fox": 📚📚📚📚📚
Following along with Koja, the fox, was an enjoyable experience. I liked seeing him outsmart other creatures and using his cleverness to his advantage. The message at the end of this story was also a nice touch. It (I'm going to repeat myself) felt like a fairy tale in this aspect. Also, I was not expecting the ending.

"The Witch of Duva": 📚📚📚📚📚
A take on "Hansel and Gretel". In the author's note, Leigh talks about this story among the others. It's funny because I completely agree with her take on the original tale. This tale flips that one and really makes you think about the real villain in the tale. I loved seeing her twist on this story.

"Little Knife": 📚📚📚📚
A short tale, of a beautiful young woman whose father, is trying to find the perfect husband for her. He makes many men do all sorts of tasks to try and win her hand. Her father definitely felt like a father out of a fairy tale. I really liked Yeva, the beautiful young woman in this.

"The Soldier Prince":📚📚📚📚📚
I really thought that this take on the Nutcracker story and somewhat of The Velveteen Rabbit was one of the best. These are both stories that I have known since I was very young and have enjoyed. It was based on those stories, but with more of a focus on the Nutcracker as a being. This is a retelling that I could not get enough of.

"When Water Sang Fire": 📚📚📚📚📚
This story was probably my favorite. I love mermaid stories and have been looking for a good book about mermaids for quite some time. The lore of this world that she creates is some of the most interesting that I have ever read. I loved the use of magic through music. It's perfect for mermaids. Then the ending...man that ending. I love the connection to The Little Mermaid that she made with this story (I adore The Little Mermaid with all my heart). I will not go into details about that but it thrilled me. What a great ending to the collection!

I have now realized even more how hard it is going to be for me to pick favorites this year. The list will probably have about twenty books. There have just been so many great ones and this is one of the best. If you love great fantasy books, Leigh's books, or just a great story, in general, you should read these stories. They are each quick and beautifully illustrated. The best part though is the writing that to me is what makes Leigh's books so incredible. Read this, I don't believe you will regret it.

Genre Benders/ Top 5 Wednesday

Nov. 1: Genre Benders/ Top 5 Wednesday 

For this week's Top 5 Wednesday, we were to pick our top five books that defy genre or that are hard to place in a certain category. Some of the most genre bending books that I have read are magical realism books. Technically magical realism is a genre, but these books are really a mixture between contemporary/realistic books and fantasy.

Top 5 Wednesday is a group created by Lainey of Ginger Read 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.

A few books that I want to read that fit in with genre bending are: 

~ Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore: This book came out this year and I have yet to pick it up yet. It's about a girl that has five different choices to make that will determine the course of her life. I have heard that each of these decisions is a separate genre. It's got a fast-paced spy thriller, a psychological horror story, a science fiction, and a fantasy decision. This is one of the books that I look forward to reading soon. I can't wait. 

~ The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry: I have this book and have been wanting to read it for quite awhile. It's been compared to Friday Night Lights and The Time Traveler's Wife (my favorite book of all time). The genre bending of this book sounds really cool. The main character is visited by an apparition that she calls "Grandmother" and is told that she has to save a young man. This is a time-traveling book set in our contemporary world. What I have heard of it makes me intrigued. I cannot wait to read this soon. 

My Top Five Genre Benders: 

5.) The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: Told through a frame narrative, Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, has many different tales told from many of his characters. We get a tale from the Miller, the Knight, the Friar, the Squire, the Wife of Bath, and many others. Each of their tales fit into many different categories and genres. The frame narrative fits into historical fiction based in the time of Chaucer. The various stories that are told could fit in the following genres: chivalric romance, myth, Breton Lais (set in the Brittany region of France, they were tales of magic, fairies, and folklore), beast fable (giving animals human characteristics), fabliau (humorous, bawdy tales that could be very disgusting), mock romance, and many others. For those that like historical fiction and short story collections this might be a great choice for you. The tales can be quite good but some of them are also disgusting and childish. What I really enjoy about the idea behind this book is that the stories all fit into the overall frame narrative and that it all deals with a competition to tell the best tale. 

4.) The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: This book seems to be realistic when you are first reading it, but then as the story goes on we see some fantastical elements. It's about a little boy who travels the universe after living on a little tiny planet with just a flower. I was not expecting what I read in this book but was impressed by it. The mixture of genres was interesting and one of the best parts of this. 

3.) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: Set in Sussex, England, where a middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. The house he used to live in is long gone, but he is more drawn to the farm at the end of the road. There he met a girl named, Lettie Hempstock, when he was seven years old. She lived in the house with her mother and grandmother. The man hasn't seen Lettie for decades, but he still sits there at the pond (the pond she said was an ocean). This is where he starts to remember a past that he has suppressed in his mind for a long time. As you read the novel you find out more and more about this boy, this family of women, and the weird occurrences that happened many years before. This is a chilling story that can be quite terrifying at times especially thinking about what this poor boy went through. The whole time reading though I wondered what had actually happened or if this was the imagination of a little boy. It is an example of Neil Gaiman's incredible magical realism writing. The genres blend to create a thrilling story that I believe is an amazing example of Gaiman's talent as a wordsmith. 

2.) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: Lady Jane Grey and the Tudor family in general has always interested me since I was around fifteen years old. I found King Henry VIII's story and his whole family to be one of my favorite parts of my tenth grade history class. Really, I have been wanting a book just like this one since then. So, when I heard about this historical fiction novel based on this part of history, I wanted to read it right away. This is part historical fiction, most of the characters are based off of real people and some of the events are similar. It also throws in fantastical elements that greatly add to the appeal of this novel. The humor is my favorite part of the novel and I really loved the blending of genres throughout it. I cannot wait to read the next of the "Lady Janies'" books: My Plain Jane which is about Jane Eyre and also the author Charlotte Bronte. It comes out next year and I'm thrilled to pick it up. 

1.) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: My favorite novel of all time focuses on the love story of Claire and Henry (who just happens to be a time traveler). Most of this book could be considered a contemporary/realistic fiction book. The major aspects focused on throughout the course of the novel are issues that we ourselves deal with on a daily basis. It focuses on how Henry and Claire deal with their normal lives through steady jobs, their good friends, having children of their own, and their relationship as a whole. Another obviously important part of this story is the fact that Henry can travel through time and how this affects their relationship. My favorite aspect though is the writing style where we see Henry and Claire throughout their entire lives in a non-linear format. This style is incredible and is what originally drew me in. Many would say that this is a science fiction novel, but I would not just say that. It is very much a contemporary with a portion dedicated to some science fiction. This is at its heart is a love story with a bonus of some time-travel.

Finally Fall tag

🎃 Tag Tuesday: Finally Fall Tag- October 10th, 2017 🎃 

Created by Tall Tales on Booktube

Her Video

1.) In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting.
🍂 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

🍂 Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

2.) Nature is beautiful...but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.
🍂 Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rafka Brunt

🍂 The Marvels by Brian Selznick- I just read this book for the first time this week and it has become one of my favorite books ever. It is beautifully written and illustrated and has a heartwarming story. It broke my heart a little reading it but I loved it the entire time.

3.) Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.
🍂 Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer- this is a guide that gives tips for writing imaginative fiction. I'm not quite finished with it yet but I have learned so much from this book.

4.)  In order to keep warm, it's good to spend some time with the people we love: name a fictional family/household/friend-group that you'd like to be a part of.
🍂 I really always love the Weasleys. Molly and Arthur take Harry and Hermione into their home right away and made them family. They all are such great people (except for that darn Percy for like six years but he even turns around). It would be great to know them and be a part of their group.

5.)  The colorful leaves are piling up on the ground: show us a pile of fall-colored spines.

6.)  Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside: share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.
🍂 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke- This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. I have to finish this series soon.

7.) The nights are getting darker: share a dark, creepy read.
🍂 The Lovely Bones by Alice- This creeps me out, especially the beginning.

8.) The days are getting colder: name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody's cold and rainy day.
🍂 Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick- His books are longer but they take little time to read because over half of the books are illustrated.

9. Fall returns every year: name an old favorite you'd like to return to soon. 
Oh and fall is definitely my favorite season. 
🍂 So I do plan on reading an old favorite again this year, the Harry Potter series, in December. I have a whole month planned.

10. Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights: share your favorite cozy reading "accessories"!
🍂 Nice cozy socks

🍂 Green tea

Happy Book Birthday Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and Rhett and Link's Book of Mythicality by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal!! I just read Rhett and Link's book now it's time for John's Yay!

June Reads: End of the Month Reviews

Dorothy Must Die Series by Danielle Paige: 

For my reviews on these books I'm not going to do a full plot synopsis for each book. This is a series about a girl named Amy, who is the second girl from Kansas to land in the Land of Oz. Her mission is to kill Dorothy. Oz has been completely changed since what happened in the original novels and the movie. Amy joins the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. The Wicked may not be a wicked as they have always seemed especially if Dorothy and her loyal followers are considered "the good".


Dorothy Must Die- Read June 15-18th 
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The concept for these novels is a great one. I like when a retelling or re-imagining takes characters that in their original story are considered good and then makes them villains. The first book in the series is a great setup for the entire series. We get to know our main character and her motivations. She is learning about the world that she has just entered and it gives the audience an eye into the world that Oz has become. One of the aspects that I don't like about this book is the slow middle. I believe with a little tweaking the middle would have been fine. Overall this is a great opener for the series that I enjoyed and hoped would continue for the books. This was also my second reading of this novel and I was excited to finally read the other three books. I got the fourth signed!



The Wicked Will Rise- Read June 19- 21st 
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The Wicked Will Rise is the second book in the series and it definitely for me at least, had middle book syndrome. The problem for me in the first book was the slow middle of the book. This book is almost two hundred pages less and it felt slower for me. Also the lack of descriptions bothered me. I feel that having the world of Oz at your disposal should give plenty of room for great descriptions and story. Now, I'm not saying that I hated this book because I did not but it is my least favorite of the series. The size of this and the rest of the books scared me when I first saw them. They are each at least two-hundred pages less than the first.

Yellow Brick War-- Read June 22- 24th

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The next book in the series Yellow Brick War was a book that I was not really excited for I will say that. After the second book, I felt that the series would just continue to lose me. I wanted to finish the series because I don't like not finishing them. The beginning took me a little to get into. Two days of it. When I got to around page seventy or so I got hooked so hard on the book. I loved what happened in this book and I really don't understand that. This is one of the most hated in the series and I can see some of the flaws that people point out but I love that. I'm not going to mention any of the plot points since this is the third of a series but I love where Amy ends up in the beginning of the book.



The End of Oz- Read June 25th 
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The last book in the series (Oh it better be! Ugh), was a good book until the ending. I like where the romance ends up and also Amy as a character. The solution in this novel that she finally figures out was not something that I was expecting and it sort of wrecked my heart reading it. Then Danielle
Paige goes and ruins it with the ending. We got a happy ending of sorts but then she goes and makes it open ended. I don't know if this is the last book or if we will have more. If there is I may read it depending on when it comes out. I don't want to have to reread these books to read another.

Overall the series is good though I'm not sure if it should have been the four books. I believe that a good amount of some of the books could have been cut out to make this let's say a two book series. Three at the most. I did like the first, third, and fourth books and some of the second. It is an interesting take on the Oz books and I like how Danielle Paige pulls in aspects from other books in the Oz series other than The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I don't know where I stand on this series as a whole but I did enjoy it enough.


My Month As A Whole: 

This was a pretty good reading month for me since I read fourteen books. I will say though that I did not read all of the books that I had planned out for myself. That was due to how much I have been writing this month and also not feeling like reading the books. April, May, and June were experiments for me with picking out a list of books to read that I wanted to during the month. This I thought would be similar to reading for my college classes. It was to an extent but I know that it was not a good idea for me.

 I have never done this for myself before and really have always read what I felt like reading. I wanted to try it out these months and it worked for the most part. Well at least for April and May.

I'm not going to try and force myself to read anything during the months that follow. Next month will be a themed month because I always read the same books during July. I will have a post dedicated to talking about that.

What I learned from this experiment is to not try to force myself into picking books for the month at such an extensive amount. I'm a mood reader and always will be. July like I said is going to be themed month but that is my tradition that I started back in 2012. Next month is going to be exciting.


I cannot wait.


List of some of the books I read this month: 

Random Illustrated Facts by Mike Lowery- Read June 2nd
This book will be coming out October 31st 2017
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This book was so cute but also very informative. I love books that have facts in them and have read many different books similar to this with random facts. A great part of this book is the illustrations. I know that this author is popular for his illustrated children's books and I can see why from this. His illustrations are often quite funny in this book and are a great addition to the facts within the book. Also just so interesting and weird. Many I had heard before but then there were many that I had never seen before. I think this book is a neat little book that may interest many people. I enjoyed my reading of it and am glad that I got the chance to read it. 

I received this for free for an honest review.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll- Read June 1-2nd  

I have a full review of this already on my blog. If you want to read it here is the link: http://whattoreadwithcag.blogspot.com/2017/06/alices-adventures-in-wonderland-review.html

I also watched the 1951 Disney movie version: http://whattoreadwithcag.blogspot.com/2017/06/disneys-alice-in-wonderland-1951-movie.html

St. Grizzle's School for Girls, Ghost and Runaway Grannies by Karen McCombie- 

Read June 5-7th

Released June 2017

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This is an adorable book that I thoroughly enjoyed during the month. The illustrations and the story are just so cute. This is about a quirky school that a young girl named Dani goes to. They try to enter into a film contest to show their love for where they live and hilarity ensues. This is the second in a series of two books so far. It was a quick and easy read. Perfect for young ones but again I will say I enjoyed it. It was funny and had the right types of quirks. I would pick up another one of the books if she ever wrote more. 

I received this for free for an honest review.

I recommend reading it. 

Heartless by Marissa Meyer- Read June 6th-9th

Another favorite of the month that I have already done a review for. I completely recommend reading this book. Here is a link for my review: http://whattoreadwithcag.blogspot.com/2017/06/heartless-by-marissa-meyer.html

Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin 

Released on June 27th 

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This is a stunning book that almost made me cry multiple times while I was reading. I enjoy books with different formats and instantly wanted to read this book. Half of the novel is written in prose where we are getting what is happening to our main character, Genesis after she has an abortion. (This is not a spoiler because it mentioned in the description) The other half of the book is written in a script format showing what happened to Genesis in the past. We switched back and forth between these two different times learning bits and pieces of the story over time. I am going to say that this was a bit jarring at times. The formatting and the way that Bonnie wrote was beautiful but the switch took me out of it two or three times. 

I recommend this to anyone that wants to be touched by a beautiful book. It is sad but also heartwarming at the same time. I will definitely be buying this book for myself. Gorgeous. 

I received this for free for an honest review. 

And finally...

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee- Read June 27-28th

📚📚📚📚📚- I would give it more than this if I could

This book is one of the funniest books I have read of all time. So far it is my second favorite book of the year right below 180 Seconds by Jessica Park. I had been anticipating this book for six months and as soon as I received it I got so excited. This book takes place in the 18th century. Our main character Henry "Monty" Montague was raised to be a gentleman but he is a far cry from even being close to this. He would rather go out gambling, get drunk, and sleep around with anyone that he can. 

He embarks on a grand tour of Europe in an attempt to have all the fun he possibly can before he has to help his father with the family estate. His father is greatly against Monty's lifestyle and is forcing Monty to start behaving himself or he will lose his inheritance. Monty takes his childhood best friend, Percy on the journey, who he helplessly loves and adores. Also, he has his sister too. Their trip goes off track after they find a mysterious object that leads them from Paris to Venice in a manhunt, fighting highwaymen, pirates, and forbidden feelings for each other. 

This book is hilarious and had me laughing so loudly that I disturbed my cat at multiple times. 🙀

I loved the characters in this story and just could not get enough of them. Monty is so bad in this story and does so many stupid things but I could not help but love him. The romance was adorable. His sister, Felicity was an amazing female character that held strong in a world of the past. After reading the book I found out there is going to be a sequel next year with her as the lead. I will 100% be picking up that book. 

Overall this is one of the best books that I read this year and held up to my high expectations for it. Also, the cover and book are stunning. The map is awesome. 

All I can say is read it. But be prepared for cuteness, some inappropriate behavior, butt-kicking characters, and one of the best historical fiction novels. At least to me. 

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Heartless by Marissa Meyer- Read June 6th-9th

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"Perhaps we know each other in the future and you're only remembering backward."- Jest

This book was incredible and is one of my favorites so far of the year. I adored this book and it was hard for me to read it at times because I knew what was going to happen to Catherine the whole time. This is the origin story of the Queen of Hearts one of the memorable characters of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Throughout the story, each of the denizens of Wonderland is shown and we learn how they ended up where they are and how they are in the novel. Catherine is the future Queen of Hearts who has the affection of the King of Hearts who deeply loves the young woman. Catherine does not want his love or to become queen, she wants to open up her own bakery. She is known throughout the kingdom for her wonderful treats. At the ball, that she is supposed to be proposed to at, she meets Jest, who she falls hard for. She and Jest secretly court each other because of her family and the king. Catherine wants nothing more than choosing her path but she has fate to fight with. She will be the future Queen of Hearts even if she does not want it. 

I knew how this book was going to turn out, though I hoped with everything in me that maybe Catherine would have a somewhat happy ending. This book was a beautiful take on her story and I could not get enough of her story. She was such a wonderful character throughout. Also, the other Wonderland characters were represented well throughout. It was really awesome to figure out some of the characters that were from the original story. I will not spoil what happens in this novel for those that have not read it but I will highly recommend this story. 

This is one of the best retellings I have ever read, though it's more of an origin story. I love how this was my first Marissa Meyer read and I will definitely be picking up The Lunar Chronicles sometime soon. She is a great author who wrote an amazing novel. I'm happy that she decided to write this novel and got the idea. Amazing! 

Gosh and now the white roses bring on a whole new meaning. Marissa Meyer has now changed my whole perspective of Wonderland and the Queen. Also the title Heartless sort of breaks my heart so darn much. I love this novel. 

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. 

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. 

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.