Friday Reviews Week 10/ ScalleywagAThon Wrap-Up

Friday Reviews Week 10:

November 4th- November 10th

For this Friday Reviews, I am going to combine my reviews of the books I read this week with my wrap-up for the ScalleywagAThon. When I come to a book that I read for the ScalleywagAThon, I'll put a pirate flag by it. Overall, it was a great week of reading and a great start to this month. I read every book that I wanted to read for ScalleywagAThon and most of them were great. 

Book 1: I Hate Fairyland Vol. 1: Madly Ever After

 by Skottie Young

Read November 4th, 2017

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This is my third read of this volume of I Hate Fairyland. I like rereading them each time a new one comes out. Again, I really love this graphic novel series. The humor is great and the way Skottie plays with tropes of fairy tales is the best part. The colors used in this comic and the illustrations can be very beautiful. 

This series follows Gert, a forty-year-old woman stuck in a six-year-old's body. She has been stuck in the magical world of Fairyland since she was six. She and her guide, Larry go around Fairyland trying to find the key to her world. Gert is very brutal. The illustrations go from being cutesy to gory. It's not for the faint of heart or kids. 

This is a graphic novel series that I really adore with a sense of humor that I love. 

Book 2: I Hate Fairyland Vol. 2: Fluff My Life

by Skottie Young

Read November 5th, 2017

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The first volume of I Hate Fairyland is one of my favorite graphic novels I have ever read. This volume is enjoyable and funny, but it doesn't (at least to me) hold the originality of the first volume. The main joke going through this one, which is the same as the first, is that Gert wants to go home. Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy this volume, but not as much as the first.  Some of the scenes in this are so funny, especially when Gert goes into Larry's hat. I believe the best part of this volume and of the first was Larry's snarky humor. He makes these for me. This is still one of my favorite graphic novel series and I had a great time reading it a second time. 

🏴‍☠️ Book 3: I Hate Fairyland Vol. 3: Good Girl   🏴‍☠️

by Skottie Young

Read November 5th, 2017

(The first book for ScalleywagAThon)-
 Blue on the cover

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This volume was great! The humor in this volume especially centered around Larry was some of the best in the entire series. I loved the issue with Larry's past and him seeing a different future for himself if he didn't meet Gert. It was definitely different than I expected. My favorite part of this was the spoof of the movie Labyrinth. When they first said that they needed to go to a labyrinth, I was expecting that they were going to play with the myth of the Minotaur from Greek Mythology. I never expected the jokes about the movie Labyrinth. It is one of my favorite movies and I enjoyed seeing how Skottie played with it. Parody is one of my favorite types of humor. Loveth Lovelord was a handful. 

Larry is and will always be my favorite part of these comics. He's so snarky and isn't afraid to speak his mind. It was great actually seeing him care for Gert. Like I said before, the issue based all around him was one of the best. 

Also, that ending. Man... I want the next volume right now. This was a great continuation of the series. The only thing that I marked this down for was that the joke of Gert trying to get home is getting a little old. I did like her trying to become "a good girl" though. All I could think of the whole time was "yeah right." The art style in this is just as great as in the other two issues. I cannot get enough of how stunning it really is. 

I recommend reading this. It was a great addition to the series. 

Book 4: Harry Potter- The Unofficial Guide

 to the Collectibles of Our Favorite Wizard

by Eric Bradley

Read November 6th, 2017

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As a huge fan Harry Potter fan, I was happy to receive this book for a review. I like knowing random trivia. This book has some interesting facts in it that I liked learning about. It's astonishing to see what these items are worth (though it is subjective really). I can't say I loved this book, but I did like reading it.

We go from the first editions of the books (and how to pick them out), posters, jewelry, Funkos, and movie props. The "Did You Know" facts were a good addition to the book and many of them I didn't actually know. I enjoyed seeing items that I have seen before and then the other items I never have. 

The most interesting part was probably how the books have changed from their first editions. 

*I received a free copy of this for an honest review.*

Book 5: Sweet Revenge: Passive- Aggressive Desserts

 for Your Exes & Enemies by Heather Kim

Read October 25th- November 6th, 2017

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Never thought I would say that I laughed at a cookbook. This is definitely the funniest and most engaging cookbook I ever read. I know I will have to try out the recipes in it and see how they are. Also, the pictures are so vibrant. It made me very hungry reading through this. This writer, I feel could make anything funny, just from what I saw here. 

Overall, this would be a nice cookbook to have on the self that I enjoyed reading. 

*I received a free copy of this book for an honest review

-Thank you very much, Net Galley.*

🏴‍☠️ Book 6: To Be or Not To Be: 🏴‍☠️

 A Chooseable- Path Adventure 

by Ryan North

Read November 7th-8th, 2017

(The second book for ScalleywagAThon)- 
Skull on the cover

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I have been a major fan of Choose-Your-Own- Adventure books since I was a child. It might have been because I have always had a natural affinity for telling my own stories, whether that be through writing or just in creating stories with my toys as a child. This is a version based off of Shakespeare's Hamlet and I cannot get enough of creating new paths in it. When I read it this time, I created around ten different paths throughout the book. This is a really great idea for a book and I love how Ryan North played with the original play that I know so well. This is a re-read of certain parts, but also a first time read of others. It's not the type of book you read straight through. I know that I will continue to have a great time with this book and cannot wait to see even more of the paths and illustrations that go along with the ends. 

🏴‍☠️ Book 7: Lumberjanes, Vol. 3: A Terrible Plan 🏴‍☠️

Read November 8th, 2017

(The third book for ScalleywagAThon)- 
Read in a day

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This volume was just as cute as the others. I like seeing the girls' interactions together and their friendships are something I just really love about these graphic novels. The one thing I was not too sure of at first was the change in art direction, especially in the ninth issue. I did like the art direction in the rest of the issues, but not as much as I did in the other volumes. Also, the ninth issue was not a favorite of mine. Overall, these still are really good. 

Volume 9: 📚📚📚

Volume 10: 📚📚📚📚

Volume 11: 📚📚📚📚

Volume 12: 📚📚📚📚

🏴‍☠️  Book 8: Dear Luke, We need to talk. Darth 🏴‍☠️
and other Pop Culture correspondences by John Moe
Read November 8th-9th, 2017
(The fourth and final book for ScalleywagAThon)- 
A stand alone
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An okay book where you see the letters, emails, text messages, and other correspondences of pop-culture icons. This was a book that I got because I thought it sounded funny and because of its cover. There are many pieces of correspondence that I really enjoyed reading in this book, but a good amount of them are not so good.

Another aspect that may not make it enjoyable to some people is if you don't get the references. That is the problem with this type of book that correspondences are based on something else. Funnily enough, I actually knew basically every reference in this book. I was not expecting that but I did. That did not help to make them any better for me. Like I have said there are some good examples such as Jay Z's 99 Problems (the biggest surprise for me), A Court- Ordered Letter from Dora The Explorer's Mother, A letter from the kids' of Peanuts teacher Miss Othmar, and also the Welp ads for Hotels.

The sad thing is that I have always loved books like this, but I could not even enjoy the pieces based off of pop-culture that I enjoy. One example the Star Wars one, I did not feel that it felt true to the character of Darth Vader and really was not funny, which I believe was the intent behind every piece in this book. Also, the piece for Harry Potter had details that were not actually accurate with Harry Potter. When making a book like this if you are going to use actual details as a joke I believe you should make them accurate to the source material. Also, there were a couple pieces that were quite strange for their source material, like the Friends show and Mickey Mouse ones.  I'm sad to say that I really was bored by this book. 

Scalleywag Book Tag

~Scalleywag Book Tag- November 8th, 2017~

Instead of Top 5 Wednesday this week, I decided to do another tag. One of the creators of the ScalleywagAThon created this tag this week and I wanted to do it while I was doing the readathon. So far, I'm through two of the four books, so yay. I'll probably finish at least three today. It has been a great reading month so far.

The tag was created by Ali of the Hardback Hoarder. Here's a link to her video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=619_J74Ee90

1. All Hands on Deck!- Pick 3 characters on your crew!
- Captain Hook- because he's the first pirate that I ever loved. I'm now writing a retelling series that features the dreaded pirate and I sort of love him with all of my heart. So yeah, my version of Captain Hook will be there. Really, I would really just love to meet him. Best day ever!

- I'm stealing the answer from the creator of this tag: Inej from the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo- She is the first person I thought of and would be a great addition to my crew.

- Mother Goose from The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer because she's tough, knows how to have a good time, and would just be incredible to spend that much time with.

2. Open Waters- there's something lurking below your ship; name a fictional creature you don't wanna meet in your travels. 
- The Kraken, Minotaur from Greek Mythology, Hydra, and probably so much more.

3. Siren Song- you hear the song tempting you with love; name a book you didn't know you needed till you read it. 
- I have two answers for this one.
First, Simon vs. the Homo Sapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli, which is the sweetest and most adorable love story that I have ever read. I love Simon so much and Blue is just everything to me. It's just so darn beautiful.

- Also, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. This broke my heart, healed it, and then broke it into pieces. I adore Achilles and Patroclus, they are one of my favorite couples in literature. I went into this book knowing what would happen in the ending because it's based on the original Greek myths. That sure did not make it any easier for me to read. I willing went into this book knowing it would hurt me and I let myself fall so hard for this couple. So yeah, I didn't know I needed it when I read it, but that sure did not make it any easier for me. This was an instant favorite.

4. Parley- Your crew has been captured! What famous villain are you thrilled (and slightly scared) about meeting? 
- So this is not technically a book villain, but I'm going to say, Darth Vader. No, I don't know why he's out traveling in the ocean or why he has decided to attack my ship, but let's just go with it. I would be scared to death if I met him, but it would also be incredible to say that I met Darth Vader. He's my favorite villain. I wouldn't live to tell people but still.

5. Davy Jone's Locker- One of your crew members has died; name a book that provides a  unique outlook on death. 
Optional: choose a crew member to die. 
- I'm not choosing someone to die. I just don't want to.
- A book that has a unique take on the afterlife is, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. I haven't actually read this in five years. This deals with a man's death and him meeting five important people in his life, but many of them are not people that he ever would have expected. It's a cool concept and really makes you think about how every person you meet could have an important part in your life.

6. Yo Ho Ho!- you meet a fellow pirate at a pub; recommend a pirate related book
- Peter Darling by Austin Chant: This is a unique retelling of Peter Pan that I really like.

7. X Marks the Spot- you found the treasure; what is one fictional item you would love to have?
- For this, I'm going to say Hermione's bag from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. I remember when I first read this book wanting that bag and I still do. Being able to make any size bag hold everything you ever need is just something I need. Or at least being able to cast that spell on one of my own bags. 

November (Nonfiction/Catchup Month/ Tome Topple TBR) Reading

November (Nonfiction/ Catchup Month) 

For November I am going to focus on Nonfiction books (that I will list below), The ScalleywagAThon, The Tome Topple Readathon, and two audiobooks.  All of the books in this post are books that I would like to read this month, but it will all depend on what happens. I will be spending a good amount of my free time writing. We will see what happens at the end of the month. 

The books I want to read this month. The Language of Thorns, To Be or Not To Be, the I Hate Fairyland graphic novels, Inkheart, The Final Empire, Dear Luke, We Need to Talk, Darth, On Writing, Guards, Guards, and Pyramids. 

Nonfiction books:

I originally wanted to make this month nonfiction November, but have so many other books to read. Eventually, I decided on these two below for my nonfiction books. 

On Writing by Stephen King- This will be my first ever, Stephen King book. I have heard that it is a very good book and since I have been writing so much lately I figured it would be a perfect read especially for Nanowrimo month (No, I'm technically not participating in Nanowrimo but I am going to be writing a lot this month.) 

Dear Luke, We Need to Talk, Darth: And Other Pop Culture Correspondences by John Moe- I have been wanting to read this book forever and am going to finally pick it up this month. It should be quick. 

ScalleywagAThon TBR:

Click on the image to make it bigger.

I first heard about this readathon today and really wanted to participate in it. The books that I am going to read are ones that I wanted to read this month anyway. It goes from November 5th- 11th. This readathon was created by Ali of HardbackHoarder and Amanda of Read All the Books. Here are the links to their videos Ali's and  Amanda's. 

The Challenges. 

1. You read four books for this readathon. Following the map, you will pick your books that you want to read. 

2. For the first book, you start at 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 and pick one of them. I am planning on number 5: Open Waters- Blue on the Cover. I will be reading I Hate Fairyland Volume Three: Good Girl by Skottie Young. 

3. Next, you follow the lines from that book- It's the white lines for me. So either 6 or 8. I will be doing 6: Jolly Roger-Skull on the Cover. I will be reading To Be or Not to Be by Ryan North: This is a choose your own adventure book taken from William Shakespeare's Hamlet.  I have read some of this before, but have not gotten through all of the choices (and I won't now either). I just really want to read more of this book this month. 

4. Then I have to follow the orange line from 6 to either A or B. I'm going to pick A: Marooned: Stand-alone. I'm going to read Dear Luke, We Need to Talk, Darth: And Other Pop Culture Correspondences by John Moe.

5. Finally,  I will follow the blue line to 10 Rope's End- Read a book in a Day, where I will read Lumberjanes Vol 3. 

These are the four books that I plan on reading. I will be doing a Wrap-up for the week sometime afterward. 

Tome Topple Readathon Round 5 TBR! :

Goes from November 17th- 30th. This will be my first time participating in this Readathon and I am very excited to do it. I just hope that I will be able to complete the challenges I want to. Tome Topple is a Readathon created by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes. It is a readathon where you have to read books that are at least 500 pages or more (tomes). Here is a link to her video discussing this: Tome Topple Announcement & TBR| Round 5

The Challenges:

1. Read more than 1 tome: I plan on reading three. We will see if that happens

2. Read a graphic novel (still over 500 pages!): Habibi by Craig Thompson. I have heard that this is very good and I liked his other graphic novel Blankets, so I'm ready. 

3. Read a tome that is part of a series: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I want to finish this series this year and to do that I have to read the first book again. This will be the perfect time to read it. Well, at least I hope. 

4. Buddy read a tome: I probably will not be doing this, but we will see. 

5. Read an adult novel: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, the first book in his Mistborn series. I have been wanting to read his books for a long time and I figured I would try this month. We will see if that happens. 

These are the three books I plan on reading for the readathon. I will be doing a wrap-up on them once I am done. 

Audiobooks: 

These two books below are books that I have to listen to this month to review. They look incredible. 

All the Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Other books: 

(If I get to them)

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo: I have already read and reviewed this book. It's incredible. 

Pyramids and Guards, Guards by Terry Pratchett: These are two books that I'm not sure if I'm going to pick up this month. I may decide to save them for December if I don't get to them. They are really just maybes on the list. I was going to read two each month of the Discworld series, but I don't really care if I do it every single month. They both look great though so I'm not too sure.