The Subject Book Tag

Tag Tuesday/ The Subject Book Tag

November 28th, 2017

Created by: Rachel Reviews All
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=horhLd1rZIY&list=TLO-pzAeZv4hZgu2_NcoiFUOuhkSskbVdB.  

Questions, Pick your favorite:

1. Math- Crime Novel:
🍁 Insanity series by Cameron Jace- Can't say that this is your normal crime novel, but Alice and the Pillar are trying to solve what is going on in England to save the citizens from the Wonderland creatures. This series is a favorite of mine and I completely recommend it. If you want to learn more about it I would recommend looking it up. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19549410-insanity. I will be reviewing it early next year when I reread the books again. Can't wait for the eighth book to come out.

2. Science- Science Fiction/ Fantasy Novel:
🍁 Science Fiction: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams- The best Science Fiction book that I have ever read (though The Time Traveler's Wife is technically Science Fiction I really don't count it). British humor/ wit is my favorite thing to read. I have probably read or listened to this book six times because I love it.
🍁 Fantasy: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling - from childhood and now
The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo- My most recent favorite from this year.

3. English Lit- Classic Novel:
🍁 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- The narration, characters, and story are everything to me. Love Gatsby.
🍁 The Odyssey by Homer- This is really equal to me with The Great Gatsby. I have loved Greek Mythology since I was a child. This is just so great. I love the story, the characters, and also the setting (Ancient Greece). So this is just perfect for me.

4. Art- Beautiful Cover: For this one I'm going to pick my favorite of the books I read this year instead of overtime. I will be doing a beautiful covers post sometime soon. There have been so many beautiful covers that I really loved this year but this one stands out.
🍁 The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne- This book's cover matches its contents so perfectly. I could look at the artwork in this graphic novel everyday. The story is also just so good and heartbreaking. I love Peter Pan retellings.

5. Languages- Translated Novel:
🍁 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke- I first read this when I was in ninth grade and I loved this story. I wanted to be able to read characters out of books and to be able to go into them. I will be reading it again soon.

6. History- Historical Fiction:
🍁 My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows- I wanted a book similar to this about the Tudors ever since I learned about them in my tenth grade History class. This was everything I wanted and so much more. I loved the historical aspects of Jane's tale but also the changes that made it, its own thing.

7. Geography- Novel not set in UK/USA:
🍁 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller- Set in Ancient Greece (this is a favorite setting of mine). Love, Love, Love this book. I cannot wait for Madeline Miller's new book Circe, which is inspired by The Odyssey. I've already have it pre-ordered.

Friday Reviews Week 12

🦃 Friday Reviews Week 12 🦃 

November 18th- November 24th, 2017

Book 1: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Narrated by Kim Mai Guest

Listened to November 15- 18th, 2017

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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. 

There were times that I liked Xifeng and then could not stand her in another action. She's not the type of narrator that you are going to automatically like and the comments she makes can be quite horrible. That does not mean that she does not have likable characteristics. I really did feel for her many times throughout this story. Her actions are for her own gain and that's intriguing. The stars tell Xifeng that she's destined for greatness and she really believes it. Anyone standing in her way really does not stand a chance, even the man that has loved her their entire lives (I loved him with all of my heart). 

I enjoyed trying to figure out what would happen next in the story, even though I know the original so well. The thing is that yes this is based on a fairy tale, but it is as its heart Xifeng's story. It became so much more than what I expected and I'm so glad. Xifeng chooses her destiny which she knows (believes) that she deserves above anything else. Her character sort of reminds me of Lady Macbeth in the fact that she's willing to literally do anything to get what she wants. This woman is manipulative, conniving, but also has a caring side to her at times that would surprise me. 

With great and imagery, this book played with my every emotion until the very last word. I cannot wait until the next book comes out, which I will definitely be picking up. 

*I received the audiobook for an honest review. Thank you so much*

Book 2: Plank's Law by Lesley Choyce

Read November 19

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I really enjoyed the humor throughout this book. Trevor has spent a good portion of his life knowing that he had Huntington's disease and has spent most of that time going day to day not really living. I liked the relationship that Trevor has with Plank, an older man that he befriends at the beginning of the novel. Plank was one of the best parts of this novel with his snarky sense of self. When I first read about him in the description, I really wanted to read this book. He did not disappoint me. 

The overall message of this book is one that has been said before but that did not detract from it. It's to live every single day to the fullest. To make the most out every moment that you have. Trevor starts to try to complete items on his bucket list. With the help of Plank and a girl named Sara, he realizes that there might be more important ways to spend his life. 

The only real issue I had with this book is how rushed certain parts seemed throughout. I would have enjoyed getting to know the characters more and I feel that the relationship between Trevor and Sara could have been expanded upon. To me, their relationship, at least at the beginning of it, seemed forced. I would have liked them getting to know each other a bit before "falling in love." This story was very sweet and I loved how they both supported each other. 

Plank's Law is a sweet story of living in every moment that you have left and was a story that I liked reading. I just wish that there was more to it and that Trevor and Sara's relationship was fleshed out more. 

*I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. Thank you.*

Book 3: Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting

By Brian Gordon

Read November 24, 2017

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This is Brian Gordon's first book. Earlier this year, I read his second book that came out this year. This was just as great as the second and I really loved the comics. Brian Gordon is someone that I will have to continue to follow because his comics really make me laugh. I cannot get enough of these. They have become some of my favorites that I have read with comics.

My favorite from this book. 

If you like comics you should pick this and the second one up. You will most likely like this. I will say that he does swear in these books. So it may not be for the children.  

Book 4: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

Read November 22rd- 25th, 2017

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I first heard about this book early last year and was intrigued by the premise. It is a story about the city of Canaan, where our narrator Nadia lives. It's a safe, structured community within white walls. No one knows why they are behind the walls and what happened before, at least that is what most in the city believe. Every twelve years the city descends into bloody chaos caused by the Forgetting. This is a day where everyone loses their memories unless they write it down. Everyone carries around their book, where they write their identities and lives.

Nadia is the only person that she knows that has never forgotten. As the days get closer to the next Forgetting, Nadia tries to use what she knows to help prevent everyone losing their memories. Along with the glassblower, Gray, she finds out about the past. 

This book did not disappoint me at all. It was very interesting and I did not ever expect some of the twists throughout this novel. I loved the narration of Nadia and learning about the world through her perspective.

Books You're Thankful For/ Top 5 Wednesday

Books You're Thankful For/ Top 5 Wednesday

November 22nd, 2017

For this week's topic, we were supposed to pick out our top 5 books that we were thankful for. 

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.) Disney's Wonderful World of Knowledge Vol. 10: Myths and Legends- This was one of the
books that I first fell in love with when I was probably about eight. I really do not know how many times that I actually read this book, but it was a lot. The major focus of this book is on Greek Mythology and this was my introduction to many of those myths. I have always loved Greek Mythology and I believe that this is one of the reasons. Also, Disney's Hercules. Each of the World of Knowledge books was told by a certain character and this one was by Minnie Mouse, which I had loved at that early age. I haven't picked this book up in a very long time and I might just do it sometime soon. It would be great to see again what really got me into Myths and Legends when I was a kid. I'm thankful for this book because of the love of both of these that was instilled in me at such an early age. This whole series is very good for children. I loved every book I read from them.

4.)  Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett- I decided to put all three of these authors together because I am thankful for them for the same reason, their humor. Each author has written plenty of books that I could place on this list. Douglas Adam's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of my favorite books and its dry sense of humor never ceases to make me happy. Even just thinking about this book brings a large smile to my face. If I had to I'd probably read it every day. Neil Gaiman's books also have this British humor. His books are all very different but there is almost always this wonderful humor. I love the wit that his books hold and they have become favorites because of it. Finally, Sir Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is slowly becoming one of the best series that I have ever read. He's also becoming one of my favorite authors, let alone one of the authors that I admire highly. My one wish was that I could have met him and Douglas Adams before they passed away. I could not pick between any of these books or authors because I'm thankful for them quite equally. They all will also be on next week's list.

3.) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger- This is my ultimate recommendation. It was one of my first adult fiction books that I ever read and became a favorite right away. I had first heard of this book when the trailer came out for the movie. I saw it at my high school's library and had to take it out before I saw the movie. The day afterward I stayed home very sick from school and literally laid on the couch all day reading it. Over the years since, I have read it five times. Each time I have still connected to it just as much as I did about seven years ago. I'm thankful for the writing style of this book. It is incredible with the non-linear format that Audrey Niffenegger writes in. This is the book that I could probably read at least once a month and would still adore it. It's my favorite book for a reason.

2.) The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer- I'm a big fan of retellings, especially fairy tale retellings. I grew up with the Disney movies and those stories became a passion of mine early on. Chris Colfer was my favorite actor from the tv show Glee and I remember finding out that he was writing a series with fairy tale retellings. I pre-ordered every single one of his books so far and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Chris's books are some of my favorites and are my favorite retellings. I love his way of playing with the classic tales and making them his own. Watching his main characters, Alex and Conner grow up throughout the series has been a joy. This year the last of the series came out in July. It was a great wrap-up to the series. I'm thankful to be able to enjoy such a great series again that makes me think of my childhood with Harry Potter. The last time I felt the way I did at the end of a series was with Harry Potter and that was ten years ago. These books are everything to me and really are some of the best that I have ever read.

1.) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling- Like many who are fans of this series, it was the series that got me majorly into reading the way I do now. I was a reader before Harry, but I became an avid reader after Harry. It was actually the third book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that made me fully immersed in Harry's world. I received the first three books as a Christmas gift when I was around maybe nine. At that time I read the first book but did not enjoy reading too much. Then I saw the first and second movies. The Chamber of Secrets did not help matters (I had a large fear of spiders. I still do). Then I watched the third movie and fell in love with the story. I become totally engrossed in the series and I had to finish the series. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were and still are my favorite characters. I am thankful for this series because when I think about it I become so happy. It brings back great memories of waiting patiently for the seventh book to release at midnight, staying up until three in the morning reading, and getting emotionally attached to so many characters for the first time. Harry Potter was and still is something I am most attached to and I don't know who I would be without this series. I'm thankful to call this my favorite series of all time and I would never change that for anything.

Bookish Beginnings Tag

🦃 TAG Tuesday- November 21st, 2017

Bookish Beginnings Tag 🦃

The tag was created by Lauren of Reads and Daydreams. Here's a link to her video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq1vEMnwhyM

1. Tell us about what you loved to read as a child.
🍁 Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The BFG by Roald Dahl
🍁 The Richard Scary Books
🍁 Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
🍁 Where's Waldo books
🍁 Dr. Seuss books
🍁 Peanuts and Garfield Comics
🍁 Mary-Kate and Ashley books- I was obsessed with Mary-Kate and Ashley. I read most of their books about their movies and tv shows.
🍁 Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
🍁 Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
🍁 Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
🍁 Trivia books
🍁 The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
🍁 Books about history, such as President books, learning about the states- I read a lot of books to learn about things. A lot of books with random facts.
🍁 The American Girl Doll books, specifically the Molly books- I loved American Girl and the dolls when I was around eight. That is when I asked for Molly for Christmas. I got her that year and also the books. I loved reading those books and read them over and over again.

2. What was the first adult fiction you tried to (or want to) read?
🍁 Probably The Time Traveler's Wife and all these years later it has become my favorite novel. It wasn't at the time, but it is now. I did love it then though.

3. What was the classic book that you read (not because of school)? 
🍁 I've read so many classics that were not for school and I still do even after I'm out of school. Some of them are The Great Gatsby, A Christmas Carol (I also read this as a child), Shakespeare's play (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and The Illiad. They are just some of the classic books I read that I didn't have to for school. I love them so much.

4. Tell us about a book that made you realize a new favorite genre or writing style. 
🍁  I have always loved fantasy books. The first books that got me into fantasy were The Chronicles of Naria series.

5. What was the first literary prize-winner that you read (or want to read)? 
🍁 I really don't have a clue. We read a lot of them when I was in school. I believe that Where the Red Fern Grows might have been one of the first. I read that in fourth grade. There are probably some before that but I really have no clue.

6. What was the first piece of translated fiction that you read (or want to read)? 
🍁 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke which was translated from German. I read it in ninth grade, I believe.  I plan on reading the rest of the series this year, which I decided to do at the beginning of the year. It will happen.

Friday Reviews

Friday Reviews Week 11

November 11th- 17th, 2017

Book 1: All the Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry

Narrated by Maria Cabezas

Listened to November 3rd-12th
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The Characters:
First of all, I want to say that I don't like how at the beginning of this book we believe that the narrator and her boyfriend are cousins. It is not until a little bit in that we find out that they actually are just pretending to be cousins to stay safe. This was something that at first made me not really interested in listening further. I am glad that I continued.

Our narrator, Sarah Jac and her boyfriend, James are trying very hard to survive in the bone-dry Southwest. They work hard in the maguey fields trying to earn money so that they can eventually get enough to get a home for themselves. After a horrible accident at the ranch at the beginning of the novel, they are forced to flee. They travel to the Real Marvelous, a supposedly cursed ranch. Slowly the ranch and the people there start to take over their minds. Their plan for a future with each other seems to fade away with what is actually happening at the ranch.

Over the course of the novel, we find out bits and pieces of their past. It really helps add to each of their characters and their story as a whole. I loved the way Samantha Mabry told this story and could not get enough of the narrative. Sarah Jac is not a perfect character and does many actions that get her and James into trouble. It was probably the best part of this book being in her head and seeing her every thought. She really was a great, developed character.

The Setting:
The visuals that Samantha Mabry creates in this story are incredible. The imagery throughout the book is stunning and this was something that made me really like this book. I have not read many books set in the Southwest like this. It was interesting learning about what Sarah Jac and James had to deal with throughout this book.

The best part of this book for me was the magical realism aspects. There is a large mystery of what is actually going on at the Real Marvelous and I kept wanting to listen to find out more. From chapter 6 until the end I was hooked in.

The Narration:
It took me quite some time to actually get into this novel, especially with the narrator, Maria Cabezas. They really picked the perfect person to narrate this book. Her voice not only felt genuine but also really felt like she was Sarah Jac. Sarah Jac is not a likable narrator at first and does not reveal information in a way that I would have expected. I at first did not really enjoy listening to her every thought and really could not stand her way of narrating. Then chapter six happened and I could not stop listening.  I went into the book expecting one thing but came out somewhat heartbroken and heavily moved by this girl. Maria's voice is soothing which really helps when she is describing the imagery that Samantha Mabry wrote in her book.

* I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. *

Book 2: Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories 
in 25 Words or Fewer 
Edited by Robert Swartwood
Read November 15th, 2017
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As a writer, I really love the idea of being able to tell a story with only a small amount of words. This book was marketed as an experiment based on the story that was supposedly by Ernest Hemingway, "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." I have myself always wanted to write my own six-word memoir and never have been able to write one that I felt fit perfectly. This book was more of the editor creating the hint fiction (25 words or less) with 125 stories by award-winning authors and also emerging writers. So when I saw this at a three dollar a bag sale, I put into my bag interested to read the little stories.

The stories were very strange to me and a good amount of them were just boring. I thought that this would be similar to the book of six-word memoirs that I read but most were not. The point that I always got out of these short stories was that they could stand by themselves and interest you to want to know more. That's the whole point of the one credited to Ernest Hemingway that I mentioned above. These really did not have that feel to them. Most don't even really tell a story.

There are three parts: Life & Death, Love & Hate, and This & That. In these parts mostly the stories focused on one topic. For instance, in Life & Death, almost all of the stories were depressing stories about death and not at all about life. 

That's not saying that there are not good ones in this collection because there are. This just really makes me want to write my own, maybe someday. 

Nostalgic Book Boyfriends/ Top 5 Wednesday

Nostalgic Book Boyfriends/ Top 5 Wednesday

November 15th, 2017

This week's topic is pretty self-explanatory, we were supposed to pick the book characters that we liked when we were younger. At first, I had a hard time picking characters for this, but then I really thought about my younger self and thought of the characters below. Some have some funny stories to go along with them. I also enjoyed thinking back to my time as an early reader for some of these books and characters. I really had a good laugh thinking about all of this. :)

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. Prince Caspian from the Chronicles of Narina (in Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and part of The Last Battle)- Probably my first book crush, that I remember adoring when I was about ten. The Chronicles of Narnia was a series that I loved with all of my heart when I was young, I still do. My second favorite of the books is Prince Caspian. I enjoyed reading about Caspian growing up and the adventures that he went on throughout the book. Also, he was a daydreamer that always dreamed of escape. He escaped into adventures and I escaped into books.


4. Harry James Potter from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling- Harry was a character that I briefly had a crush on back a long time ago. I was not going to originally include him on this list, but I guess I have to admit to this. At the age of twelve, I wanted to be Mrs. Potter. It was probably because of his snarky attitude from the later books. I have always enjoyed this side of him. Now almost twelve years later, I can only laugh at this. :)


3. Adam Wilde from If I Stay by Gayle Forman- I first read this when it first came out when I was a freshman in high school. I then read it again in my junior year of high school and Adam reminded me of someone in my life at the time. What can I say, I like guys that can sing. I have yet to read the sequel, I'm kind of afraid that I won't like it as much as I love the first one. Also, I really wish they would have kept the original cover design for the second book. I have always loved this cover.


2. Kostos Dounas from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants- I read this series all within three days (well besides the fifth which wasn't out at the time) in 2007 when I was in eighth grade. This was probably the quickest I had ever read a series of books up until this point. Kostos was one of my earliest crushes from literature. I had always loved his relationship with Lena and could not get enough of his scenes in the books. In ninth and tenth grade, I would read certain scenes from the books over and over again. His scenes were some of the many that I would do this with. Now looking back on it, I really am not completely sure of what I really liked about him, but I do remember being obsessed with the books and him when I was fourteen. These books were everything to me when I was very young. They will always be special to me for those years.


1. Peeta Mellark from the Hunger Games Series- This was a series that I actually was not interested in reading until a good friend recommended them to me in my senior year. I blame her for my obsession with it. I borrowed each of them from my high school library and read them in three days, in between writing two essays. I specifically remember rewarding myself with another chapter (which became about five) each time I finished writing a paragraph. Needless to say, I became utterly enthralled in this story. One of my favorite aspects of these books was Mr. Peeta Mellark. I had a thing for the baker's son, from his first introduction. He's cunning, caring, smart, and a steady rock for Katniss when she is most vulnerable. I loved seeing him grow throughout the books and was devastated at the end of Catching Fire and in Mockingjay. He was the definition of selfless often willing to sacrifice himself for Katniss. So yeah, he was my favorite part of this series. I'll have to reread these sometime soon, it's been too long since the first time.

My Writing Process Tag

My Writing Process Tag
Tag Tuesday- November 14th, 2017

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week so far. I decided to do another writing tag this week in honor of Nanowrimo (I'm not actually participating, but I'm always writing). For those that don't know, I'm writing a four-book fantasy series and am writing the second book right now. My last tag for last week, Writing Tag, has more information about it if you would like to know more (just click the Writing Tag link). 

The original was made by Kiara from The Bookish Penbabe. Here is a link to her original tag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thNwQivxC7A

1. What genres do you write?
📚 Fantasy and Contemporary

2. What setting gets you the most productive?
🦃 Sitting in my bedroom on my bed, at my desk, or at the kitchen table. I try to keep distractions away and I listen to a lot of music.

3. If you have multiple story ideas, how do you go about picking which one to start on first?
🦉 I usually will pick the story that feels the most important at the time. I have probably eight story ideas (that includes a four book series that I'm working on right now) at the moment.

4. Do you outline?
🍂 Yes, I always have outlined my stories and books.

5. Do you start your first draft with pen and paper, typewriter, or computer?
📚 Computer, but I will write scenes in a notebook with a lead pencil at times.

6. What do you do to get through writer's block?
🦃 I try to set aside time to write each day. Sometimes I don't actually write anything and that's okay. When I am in a writer's block I don't force myself to write because usually what I write during one is not good. I always try to write smaller ideas like poetry when I'm not feeling like writing in my books.

7. Do you format your project from the beginning or worry about that later?
🦉 Format it at the beginning. I try to make sure to have an idea of how it's going to go. That usually comes into the outline.

8. Do you edit as you go or when you've finished with the first draft?

🍂 Edit as I go along. Editing an 80,000-word document or more is daunting.

9. After finishing your drafts/manuscript how long do you give it a break before you start going back over it or do you give it a break at all?

📚 I believe I gave myself a week between finishing the manuscript of my first book before I started really reading and going over it. I did edit and revise as I wrote the novel though. So it wasn't like I really ever was not editing it.

10. Is there something that you prefer to do to get you through writing? (Playing music, tv, having your favorite drink, or food)

🦃 I like to listen to music when I'm writing. Also, I like to drink tea when writing.

11. Do you schedule your writing sessions?

🦉 I try to write at least an hour a day. I have never really scheduled it in.

12. Do you have a word count or chapter goals for your writing sessions?

🍂 Yes, 1000 words but lately I haven't been really stressing it. I believe I'm going to drop it down to 500 words a session and see where I get.

13. Are there any quirky things you do to make your projects more fun?

📚 Nope

14. Do you work on multiple projects at one time?

🦃 I used to when I was in college but I'm really not doing that right now. I really want to be able to focus on this book now. Though I will say that I have been coming up with ideas for later books in the series while writing the first and now the second book.
🦃 I believe that I will be working on a standalone book now along with my series. I will see what's going to happen.

15. How often do you research what you're writing?
🦉 It really depends on what I need research for. Right now, I have been doing research on castles, battlements, and weapons. It has been very informative.

16. How do you organize your projects?

🍂 I use Microsoft OneNote 2016 to make outlines and take notes about future books whether that be in this series or some other project. 

🍂 I have a notebook for notes that I take when I'm not on my computer. 

🍂 For writing, I use a program called Scrivener. It's probably the best program that I have found in my life.

17. Do you reward or punish yourself for achieving or missing out on your writing goals?

📚 No, I don't. The reward I get for finishing something is the fact that I finished it. It might sound silly for non-writers but my greatest gift from all of this is the knowledge that I have written a novel. It's an amazing feeling. 

📚 I don't punish myself because I don't like stressing myself out as long as I continue to write. I'm not going to let myself go for days without writing. 

18. Are there any works similar to your projects that you look for and use-for inspiration and/or comparison? 

🦃 I take inspiration from retellings- for the series I'm working on now.
🦃 I take inspiration from other contemporaries, songs, and my own poetry- for contemporaries that I'm working on.

19. How early do you wait to start looking for and hiring editors?

🦉 I have two best friends from college that have been great assets to my writing over the years. One of them has been helping me with my editing for my first novel. Both of my parents have read my book and helped me with ideas and editing.

20. If you've finished a first draft or a manuscript. Tell us how you felt afterwards. (Pick your favorite) If you're not through the first draft yet tell us how you're feeling about it at the moment. 

🍂 I have finished my manuscript for my first novel. As I have mentioned above, I am feeling proud of myself. It's an incredible feeling having finished a book. Also, being one-fourth of the way through my series. I am enjoying the experience and cannot wait to get further in my second. 

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

📚📚📚📚

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

📚📚📚📚

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

📚📚📚📚📚

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

📚📚📚📚

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
📚📚



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. 

Writing Tag

✍️ Writing Tag: 
Tag Tuesday, November 7th, 2017📝

In honor of November being Nanowrimo: National Novel Writing Month, I decided to do some writing tags each of my Tuesdays this month. Also, I'm going to spend some time just talking about my writing.

This year I started writing a four-book series, that I have had the idea for since 2014. I am right now working (slowly) on my second novel. It's a twisted retelling of classic stories such as Fairy Tales, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Greek Mythology. I am trying to get the first book represented by an agent at the moment. This series has become everything to me and I'm excited to do this tag all about the characters in this story.

This tag was created by Rachel from Rachel Writes here is a link to her blog: http://coffeeandcalligraphy.tumblr.com/post/146337815684/writing-tag

1. A crazy hacker's gone into your computer and has deleted all of your music, except for one song off of your writing playlist. Which song is it?-
🍂 "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Celine Dion. It's a favorite of mine and one of the longest songs. Luckily, I have all of it already backed up.

2. Your protagonist and antagonist have been paired by friends to go out to lunch together. Where do they go?
🍂 In my second book, I am planning on introducing a little family restaurant run by some trolls. That would be quite fun for them to go together. Poor Max.

3. You're crossing a bridge when the troll living under it stops you. He demands to read a chapter from your novel and won't let you cross otherwise. Which chapter do you give him?
🍂 I have written the first book in a series with retellings of classic books and tales. One of the chapters is actually focused on a goblin who owns a troll bridge (I won't say why he does). That would be the chapter I would choose.

4. Your friends have invited you out to a party. Surprise! All of your characters are there. Who do you choose to hang out with?
🍂 This is literally the hardest question for me. Well, if they are all there I would be able to meet them all, which would be the best day ever! The character I'd probably hang out with is Lyndell. We would have a great time dancing. The best party ever.

5. Crap. You left your car keys in your house, and you've (somehow) locked yourself out. Which of your characters picks the lock for you?
🍂 Zichwich would be perfect for picking locks. He's a trouble-making goblin. He'd know how to do it.

6. The zombie apocalypse is happening right now.  (It sucks.) Everyone is fleeing the planet and moving to Mars. ONE of your characters can go with you. Who do you choose?
🍂 Probably Arthur, who is first introduced in my second book. He's powerful and would probably be helpful in this situation.

7. You've been given the opportunity to travel to one place (town, building, landmark, country) in your book. Where do you go?
🍂 The White Kingdom, then I'd be able to go to the other worlds also.

8. You meet your main character and start a conversation with them. Problem is, you've got six words or less to do so. What do you say?
🍂 Everything's going to turn out okay. (At least I guess I would. I don't know)

9. Crazy acid rain is falling from the sky. Which of your characters would you use as an umbrella?
🍂 This is so easy, I would use the man in the magic mirror from the hunting cabin (makes sense if you read the book). The mirror would be perfect to hold off the rain. Also, it would not hurt him because the mirror is imperishable.

10. You're out at a restaurant with your main character and the time has come to order dessert. What do you order for them?
🍂 For Max, I'd order something with marshmallows. They have always been his favorite sweet since he was a child.

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. 

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 🍂

📚📚📚📚

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 🍂

📚📚📚📚



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 🍂

📚📚📚📚📚

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.