Anticipated 2018 Reads

1.) Circe by Madeline Miller- April 19th, 2018
I love Madeline Miller's first book The Song of Achilles so much. It is my favorite standalone retelling and is one of my favorite love stories. Circe is about Circe a goddess who is one of the most interesting beings that Odysseus meets in The Odyssey. This story follows her life as the daughter of one of the Titans, Helios, the god of the sun. This deals with her banishment on her deserted island and crossing paths with many of the famous figures of mythology including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his son Icarus, Medea, and of course Odysseus. Greek Mythology is and will always be one of my favorite things to read about and I cannot wait for Madeline Miller's take on these myths.

2.) Sea Witch by Sarah Henning- July 31st, 2018
One of the many retellings of The Little Mermaid that are coming out this year. This one is a take on the sea witch from the tale. As I'm sure anyone can tell who has read many of my posts I am a major fan of retellings. I haven't read really any retellings of The Little Mermaid. It is one of my favorite fairy tales ever and I cannot wait to read this and the many other retellings of it coming out this year.

3.) Neverland by Margot McGovern- April 1st, 2018
 This is about a girl named Kit Learmonth, whose parents drown in a storm on a boat when she was twelve. Now at the age of seventeen, she can't remember what happened to them and can only remember the stories that her father and her created about mermaids and pirates that took place on the little island that they lived on. She called this island Neverland. Her uncle is her guardian and has transformed the little island into a boarding school for mentally ill teenagers.

This just looks so good. I love Peter Pan, retellings, and books with boarding schools. Can't wait to see this take.

4.) Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen- July 10th, 2018
A take on the Beauty and the Beast tale.

5.) The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson- April 10th, 2018

A story about an Empire where nearly all are born with a twin. This story follows a singleborn, someone without a twin, which are quite rare. Also, a diminished, someone who has their twin die.

"As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined"- Goodreads.

This just looks like an intriguing premise that I look forward to reading.

6.)  Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress # 2) by Julie C Dao- October 2018
I really do not know much about this book yet. The cover has not been released yet. I really enjoyed the first book which was a retelling of the Evil Queen from Snow White and the origins of how she became evil. It had Eastern Asian roots and was so good. This book I believe is supposed to be from a different perspective and takes place after the first. Cannot wait to get my hands on this one. It's one of my most anticipated books.

7.) The Looking Glass by Janet McNally- August 14th, 2018
A story about two girls Sylvie and Julia Blake. Julia renamed their favorite fairy tale book Girls In Trouble when they were little girls. Now, Julia has disappeared and no one knows what has happened to her or if she's okay. Sylvie is trying to carry on her sisters legacy at a prestigious ballet academy.

Julia then sends her sister a list inside their old storybook and Sylvie starts to see signs of her sister everywhere. She goes with the help of her best friend's brother and his beat-up car to try and find her sister.

This sounds like a great mix of magical realism. Can't wait.

8.) Ruin of Stars (Mask of Shadows # 2) by Linsey Miller- August 1st, 2018
This is the sequel to Mask of Shadows. I really don't know much about it but I am highly anticipating the conclusion especially with the conclusion of the last.

9.) The Surface Breaks by Loise O'Neill- May 3rd, 2018
A reimagining of The Little Mermaid. This book is set beneath the sea, off the Irish coast, featuring a young mermaid, Gaia, who dreams of being human but could face a heavy price for her aspirations. So again, this is just a dream of mine. 

10.) Reflection (Twisted Tales #4) by Elizabeth Lim - March 27th, 2018
I have yet to read any of these twisted tales but they have all looked really great. This one is about Mulan and is based on the movie version of her story. This one follows Mulan as she has to journey into the Chinese Underworld, Diyu, in order to save Captain Shang after he is mortally wounded. She gets help from his lion guardian has they traverse Diyu, trying to save him. This just sounds like a great take on this story and I really want to check it out. I have heard that the Underworld has a feel like Dante's Inferno. I'm intrigued to see how this will be.

11.) Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon- March 6th, 2018 
I have never read Oliver Twist by Charles Dicken's but have known the basic storyline for some time. If I do pick this one up will also be picking up Oliver Twist. This is a reimaging with the title character being a female who has to pretend to be a boy for her own safety on the streets until she can be rescued. This looks not only interesting but that cover is one of the prettiest that I have ever seen.

12.) Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff- March 13th, 2018
I read the first book in this series back in 2015 when it first came out. It is a book made up of a fascinating dossier of hacked documents- including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more. It was a book that I really enjoyed and I wanted to wait to read the second book until the third came out. Finally, this one will be coming out and it will be great binging them all together.

13.) All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor- May 15th, 2018
A story about four teens befriending a YA novelist, who then find their deepest and darkest secrets in the pages of her next book. This book is told through interviews, journal entries, and pages from the book within the book. This is such an interesting concept and a book that I want to pick up this year.

14.) The Land of Yesterday by K.A. Reynolds- July 31st, 2018
"After Cecelia Dahl’s little brother, Celadon, dies tragically, his soul goes where all souls go: The Land of Yesterday. And Cecelia is left behind in a fractured world without him. Her beloved house’s spirit is crumbling beyond repair, her father is imprisoned by sorrow, and worst of all, her grief-stricken mother abandons the land of the living to follow Celadon into Yesterday.

It’s up to Cecelia to put her family back together, even if that means venturing into the dark and forbidden Land of Yesterday on her own. But as Cecilia braves a hot air balloon commanded by two gnomes, a sea of daisies, and the Planet of Nightmares, it’s clear that even if she finds her family, she might not be able to save them. And if she’s not careful, she might just become a lost soul herself, trapped forever in Yesterday." - Goodreads

I love middle-grade books and this looks like one of the best that is coming out this year. I also have heard that this has a lyrical style of writing similar to Laini Taylor and whimsical worlds like Neil Gaiman. Sounds like the best combination that I have ever heard.

15.) In Search Of Us by Ava Dellaira- March 6th, 2018 
 I read Ava Dellaira's debut Love Letters to the Dead a couple of years ago when it had first come out. It was a favorite of mine and I have been highly anticipating this one ever since. This is a parallel story about a mother and daughter each at age seventeen. Marilyn's tale is about the summer she fell in love and set out on her own path and Angie's story is about her search for her unknown father. I love stories that follow along with multiple perspectives and time periods and I cannot wait to see how both of these stories come together in this book.

16.) The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black- January 2nd, 2018
I love Holly Black's writing, she wrote one of my favorite series, The Spiderwick Chronicles.  I don't know much about this story other than the fact that it deals with the fey. Jude the main character, was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her sisters were stolen to live in the High Court of Faerie. She wants nothing more than to belong there, but can't because of her mortality. Many of the fey despise humans, especially the youngest prince, Prince Carden. To win a place in the court she has to defy him. Love the sound of this.

17.) Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Quartet #1) by Roshani Chokshi- March 27th, 2018
This book is being published by Rick Riordan's new imprint with Disney publishing and it sounds wonderful. This is about a twelve-year-old girl trying to just fit in at school. She spends her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art, and is waiting for her mother to return home from her latest archeological trip. Three of her schoolmates show up at the museum to catch her in one of her many lies and she lights the Lamp of Bharata which is cursed. She unwittingly realized the Sleep, who is an ancient demon whose job it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and mother get frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.

A new series of books based on the myths of Indian culture. So yes, I'm a very excited.

18.) House of Night and Day by Gregory Funaro- Sometime in 2018
I really loved Gregory's Odditorium series when I first read it a couple of years ago. I still hope that it will be continued someday. This book is part of a Middle-grade fairy tale-flavored duology. Two children move into an ominous old house that sits right next to a feared dark wood, where an ancient magic lives. This includes carved wooden animals that fill the children's house that come alive at night. This will be coming out in fall 2018, well at least it is supposed to be. I love Gregory's writing style and can't wait to see what he does with this story.

19.) The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert-  January 30th, 2018
I'm going to put in the Goodreads synopsis here so I don't miss anything about this book.
"Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong." - Goodreads

This book is my second most anticipated novel from this year. I love the sound of this story and cannot wait to read about the Hazel Wood.

20.) The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang- February 13th, 2018
 A graphic novel about a Prince, whose parent's are trying to find him a bride. Sebastian is living a secret life that no one knows besides his best friend Frances. At night he puts on dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia- the hottest fashion icon in the world of Paris. This sounds like a sweet fairy tale that I wanted to read as soon as I heard about it.


21.) Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli- April 24th, 2018
The companion/ sequel to one of my most favorite contemporaries of all time Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. This one focuses on Simon's best friend Leah. She has been holding a lot of secrets from her friends even though her mother knows. This takes place during their senior year and is just everything I wanted. I cannot wait to read from Leah's perspective and also to get more of Mr. Simon Spier. :)

22.) My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton- June 26th, 2018 
"You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights." - Goodreads

I loved the first book by the Lady Janies: My Lady Jane. The humor was incredible and I cannot wait to see their take on Jane Eyre and also the life of its author Charlotte Bronte. I will be reading the actual book before I actually pick this up.

23.) Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor- October 2d, 2018

I don't actually know much about this other than the fact that it is the sequel to Strange the Dreamer. Strange the Dreamer was one of my top five favorite books of last year and I can't wait for the sequel. I hope it's coming out this year.

24.) Dreamer (Traveler #2) by L.E. DeLano- April 10th, 2018
The sequel to Traveler a book about alternate dimensions and a girl named Jessa who finds out that she is one of the Travelers. People born with the ability to slide through reflections (such as mirrors) and dreams into the alternate realities. Jessa finds out from another Traveler, that she is dying in many of the other realities, and Finn the other Traveler, will do anything to stop her from dying. I have been looking forward to this book since I first finished Traveler.

25. The Strange And Deadly Portraits Of Bryony Gray by E. Latimer -February 13th, 2018
I actually have an e-arc for this book so I will be picking it up sometime this month. This is a middle-grade reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray. It sounds like it has the right mix of creepiness and also whimsy. I can't wait to pick this book up sometime soon. I will have a full review for this on here when I am done with it.

26. The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw- March 6th, 2018
A mixture of Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic:  this is what first drew me to this story. In the town of Sparrow, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. They were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. For a brief time each summer, the sisters return. They steal the bodies of three weak-hearted girls, each time so they can seek their revenge. They lure boys into the harbor and pull them under.

Sounds extra dark and very intriguing.

27. To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo- March 6th, 2018

Yet another retelling of The Little Mermaid that is coming out this year. This one sounds like we get to hear the perspective of not only the mermaid but also of the prince. Princess Lira is of siren royalty and is the most lethal of them all. She has the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection. She kills one of her own and is punished by her mother the Sea Queen, who transforms into what they loathe most humans. She has until the winter solstice to get the heart of Prince Elian to her mother or she will be a human forever.

Prince Elian calls the ocean his home even though he is the heir to the most powerful kingdom on the surface. He hunts sirens as a hobby. When he rescues a drowning woman, she promises to help him destroy all of sirenkind. But can she really be trusted?

This sounds like a great departure from the original tale but also close enough to it to be a retelling. It's the one that interests me the most out of the three based on the original tale.


28. Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston- February 27th, 2018
 Said to be a reimaging of Anastasia with a science fiction twist. Yep, I want to read it.

October Books and Movies

🎃 October Books and Movies: 

What I Want to Read and Watch 🎃

I will not be reading all of these books, but these are the ones that I will be picking from this month. I hope to be able to read most of these. Every year in October I also like to watch many Halloween movies that I have since I was a kid so I will be taking some time to do that.

🎃 The Books 🎃 

👻 Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller Audiobook -

 I will be finishing this book early this month because I started it in September. So far I am fully enjoying it. This is an audiobook that I received for an honest review. 

☠️ Tropic of Kansas by Christopher Brown - 

This is another book that I received for an honest review. It's a dystopian novel that looks quite interesting. I haven't read one in over three years, so I'm interested to see how I like it.

🦇 William Shakespeare's plays Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear - 

Shakespeare's plays are usually quick reads for me so I'm hoping I can get through these in a day or two. I have read Macbeth three times before (in eighth and eleventh grade and in my third year of college). I want to read it again because Wyrd Sisters is based on it and also Hamlet. I also have read Hamlet in my senior year of high school. I want to read King Lear because Fool is based on it and I have never read King Lear. Let's hope I enjoy it. If I get through these quickly I hope that I can maybe get to Merchant of Venice too, but if I don't I already have read it so it's not a big deal. 

💀 Fool and Serpent of Venice by Christoper Moore -

These are two books that I have been meaning to read since I got the sequel Serpent of Venice. I have had Fool for over a year, but I wanted to wait for the sequel. They are based on three of Shakespeare's plays: Hamlet, King Lear, and Merchant of Venice.  

🕸️ Sourcery and Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett -

The next two books in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. These will definitely be books that I read this month. I hope to read at least two of his books each month until I finish them. These are the two that I wanted to read in October so I'm glad that I got to them. I cannot wait to read them. 

🍬 This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee - 

Earlier this year, I heard of Mackenzi Lee for the first time because she was doing an interview about her new book The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. I really enjoyed her personality and looked into her book more and also her. That is when I also heard about this book and that it was based on Frankenstein. I really enjoy Frankenstein and the premise of this book sounds really intriguing. It is the book I am looking forward to the most this month. 

👻 Rhett and Link's Book of Mythicality: A Field Guide to Curiosity, Creativity, and Tomfoolery by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal - 

This is a book that had to be on this list. I have been waiting for this book since the first day I heard about it and pre-ordered it literally the minute after I heard about it. Rhett and Link are two of my favorite YouTube creators and Good Mythical Morning has become a part of my life that I fully enjoy. I make sure to watch them every weekday. So on October 10th, when their book comes to my house I will be reading it. Yay, it's almost here!

☠️ Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - 

This is another book that I have been waiting for since John first announced it months ago. John's books are some of my favorite contemporaries and I have been waiting for another book for about four or five years. Also, this book sounds great. I loved his reading of the first chapter on YouTube a bit ago. I also pre-ordered this book and will be reading it whenever I actually receive it. This also comes out on October 10th, but I will be getting it probably a week after that. Cannot wait!

🎃 The Movies 🎃

👻 Hocus Pocus- 

Every year I watch this movie at least once if not twice in the month of October. This is my favorite Halloween movie and it is one of my favorite movies of all time. I cannot wait! 

☠️ Halloweentown and Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge - 

This is going to be a bittersweet rewatch after the death of Debbie Reynolds last year. I grew up on these movies and there has not been a year that I don't watch them at least once in October. Another favorite of mine. They will never get old. 

🦇 The Nightmare Before Christmas - 

This will be the first time that I have watched this movie since I was a kid. I know that this is a well-loved movie and I enjoyed the story in the manga. What I'm really looking forward to are the visuals which I already love from what I have seen. Also, the music is some of my favorite from Disney movies. "This is Halloween" and "What's This". 

💀 Casper Meets Wendy-

Most of this list of Halloween movies are going to ones that I have loved from an early age. This is another that I usually watch every year. It's been quite a while since I watched it, so I'm excited to see it again. This is what made me love Hilary Duff from a young age. 

🕸️ Underwraps-

This is another classic Disney Channel original movie that I loved as a kid. I have always loved the story of the mummy befriending the kids. 

🍬 Tower of Terror-

This movie is almost tied with Hocus Pocus as my favorite on the list. I have always loved the mystery in this movie and loved the creepy feeling that it gave me. Also, I loved Steve Guttenberg in it. 

Anticipated Books of 2017

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

Click on the image to see it larger. 

Books I have read so far: 

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

2. Traveler by L. E. Delano- 📚📚📚📚

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

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

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
📚📚📚📚

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. 

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

1. Best book you've read so far in 2017? 
180 Seconds by Jessica Park. I have a review on this book and all of my thoughts on it. I really loved this so much.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2017? 
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. This was not only the best sequel that I read this year but it is also really one of the best ending books that I have ever read for a series. I had built the ending up for the series over the week that I was reading them and this did not disappoint. It was so good.

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to?  
History is All You Left Me by Adam Silveria

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of 2017?
Chris Colfer's The Land of Stories: World's Collide. This is my most anticipated release of the year. Gosh I really cannot wait to read this book so much. I have been looking forward to this book for a year so yeah.

5. Biggest Disappointment?
Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare. I really love most of Shakespeare's plays and I love Greek Mythology so I was really excited to read this play. But I hated it.

6. Biggest Surprise?
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde it was slow to start but I loved it so much. Dorian is the worst.

7. Favorite debut author?
L. E. Delano who wrote Traveler. I really enjoyed this book and it is one of the best that I read this year by a debut author.

8. Newest fictional crush?
I want to say Gatsby here but I can't because I read the book before. I did really like Esben from 180 Seconds by Jessica Park but I don't think I would call him a crush. He's sweet but still. So I'm sticking with Gatsby forever. :)

9. Newest favorite character? 
This would be one hundred percent Percy Jackson. I read the Percy Jackson series for the first time this year and loved his narration in the books and just him as a character.

10. Book that made you cry?
180 Seconds was one that made me cry and also Tell the Wolves I'm Home. There were others that made me sad but these were ones that seriously hit me hard. They were hard hitting and genuinely were some of best books I read this year.

11. Book that made you happy?
My Lady Jane it was so sweet. Also Bull by David Elliot, it's also sad though.

12. Favorite book to movie adaptation you saw this year?
Beauty and the Beast, really this is an adaptation of the original Disney version but that is based off of the book so I count it in this list. I haven't seen any other adaptations other than this and I loved this movie so much. I have watched it three times.

13. Favorite review you've written this year?
Definitely my April Wrap-up: Classics Month Part 1 post is my favorite review. I spent a lot of time writing this review and thinking through everything that I put into it. I also really enjoyed that month of reading especially the classics. Each of the reviews that I wrote for that post were highly thought out and important to me. It's always great when you can validly back up how you think about a book and what you have learned from the story. I spent the time on this post and many others to show why I felt a certain way towards each book. None of my posts will ever be "Oh I love this book" and that being the whole review because that does not tell anyone anything. Classics also are something I feel strongly about because of my English major background.

14. Most beautiful book you bought so far this year?
I do not yet own the most beautiful book that I bought which would be the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I have been looking forward to this book since I first heard that there were going to be illustrated books for each of the books in the Harry Potter series. This is my favorite of the series and I cannot wait.
Another book that is stunning that I have is Bull by David Elliot

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
There are tons that I need to read by the end of the year but I'll stick to ones that I have on my selves or ones I have pre-ordered.
   1. The Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan- This needs to happen. I most likely will be reading other series of his this year but this series is a definite.

   2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer- I loved Heartless so now I just want to read anything and everything by her.

 And too many others.

Anticipated Reads for Summer 2017 :)

📚 Books I am Anticipating for Summer 2017  😊

This is going to be a short post for today because I just want to show the books that I am looking forward to reading so much over the next couple of months. I will write reviews for each of these books once I finally read them. 

1. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee: Was released on June 27th

It came to my house yesterday and
 I'm already half way through it. It's great so far. :)

2. Because You Love to Hate Me edited by Amerie: Will be released July 11th. 

3. Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley: Was released on June 6th.

4. The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night: Will be released July 21st

5.  The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne: Will be released on July 18th


And the one I am anticipating the most is...

The Land of Stories: Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer: Will be released July 11th.