My Favorite Books of 2017

Favorite Books Read in 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

6.) Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi- Read May 1st- 3rd 📚
This was a great novel and it makes me want to read more of Tahereh Mafi's works. She writes in clever prose with beautiful lyrical writing. Also, her asides are quite funny along with the chapter introductions. She has a companion to this book that came out last year called Whichwood that I will be reading soon. This story is geared towards Middle Grade but I cannot help but think that anyone would have a fun time reading this (I believe anyone can enjoy a good Middle-Grade novel. I don't care what age you are). Not only is this a great adventure story but it also is a story about individuality. Alice is never afraid of being herself and will let anyone know this. She, I believe would be a great inspiration for younger readers and even older readers.


7.) 180 Seconds by Jessica Park- Read May 7th 📚
It's not every day that I adore a book from the first page of it but I became utterly hooked on this book from the very first page. There was something about Simon and Allison's relationship in the first chapter that made me adore them so much. I did not know too much going into this book. I knew that Allison was a college student who had been adopted at the age of sixteen. That interested me so much because one I had never read a book with a character that had been adopted at such a late age and was very interested to see what would happen. Her interactions with Simon (her adopted father) are so beautiful and I adored them immensely as characters.

8.) Bull by David Elliot- Read May 18th 📚
One of the greatest aspects of this book is the fact that it was written in verse. I can not imagine how long this book would have taken to write let alone contemplate. I love the idea of writing in verse myself since I love writing poetry and I love reading it. The author explains at the end the types of verse that he used throughout for each character. Every one of the characters speaks differently and brings new layers to the story.

What I really liked about David's book was that, yes he stuck to the myth but he added character and motivations to the story that were not already there before. He explained at the end his process in writing this and I loved that he did this. This is one of my all-time favorite Greek myths and he added a layer to the story that made me love it so much more. Asterion, the Minotaur becomes a tragic character in this story that I loved. In the original myth he really never had much of a character but in this David makes the character have new dimensions. I felt bad for him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tis the Season Book Tag

🎄 'Tis the Season Book Tag ☃️

 Tuesday, December 5th, 2017 

☃️🎄🎁🎄🎁🎄 ☃️

Created by my favorite Booktuber- RichardMediaGeek.

I love Richard so much.  He's just the best.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bQ7nmhU9SQ

1. Do you have a favorite Winter read?
    ☃️ A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

       

2. Find a book with blue on the cover!
    🎄 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 

3. Find a book you’d use as the star on a Christmas tree? 
    ☃️ The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan because it's so pretty

4. Pick one fictional place that would be perfect for a Winter vacation!
    🎄 Hogwarts- which he picked but it's my favorite place from any book. Could you image spending the winter holiday there? It would be great seeing the castle all decorated and having meals with all the professors at one table. Opening Wizard crackers and Christmas carol singing. What fictional place could be better? None that's the answer. :) 

5. Pick one fictional character you’d take with you on your Winter vacation! 
    ☃️ Percy Jackson because he's amazing. We would have so much fun. Percy and Harry at Christmas would be everything. (I am getting excited about this fictional occurrence.) 

6. Name one book on your Wishlist this year!
    🎄 I'd love to get Neil Gaiman's Sandman Graphic Novel series

7. Favorite Holiday drink, treat, & movie? (I'm also adding songs because what is Christmas without music)
     ☃️ Drink: Green tea- but this is all year round. I drink this almost every day.
                 Hot chocolate- for the Holidays

     🎄 Treat: I love pumpkin roll

     ☃️ Movie: Ebby's Story (a retelling of A Christmas Carol)
                   Home Alone because it's awesome

   

     🎄  Song: "Last Christmas" by Wham!- this is just everything to me.

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.

Genre Benders/ Top 5 Wednesday

Nov. 1: Genre Benders/ Top 5 Wednesday 

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

Top 5 Wednesday is a group created by Lainey of Ginger Read Lainey on Booktube. It is now hosted by Sam of Thoughts on Tomes on Booktube. Here is a link to the group on Goodreads if you are interested in joining.

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

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

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

My Top Five Genre Benders: 

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

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

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

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

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

Finally Fall tag

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

Created by Tall Tales on Booktube

Her Video

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

🍂 Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🍂 Green tea

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

This a quick post to show my favorite book ever! It's finally here. I have been waiting since March 2015 for this book. It's so gorgeous and it's also my favorite color. All of my illustrated editions of the Harry Potter books are going to look great together. 

Also some other great news. The Percy Jackson series is going to be published in illustrated editions. What a great day. 

Banned Books Week September 24th- 30th

Banned Books Week 2017: September 24th- 30th

Top 15 Banned/ Challenged Books I Have Read

Below I have listed some of my favorite books that I have read that were banned or challenged for many different reasons.  Most of these books I read for the first time while in school, whether that be elementary, middle, or high school. I will give a brief explanation of why the book was banned or challenged and also why I like the book. 

I am a firm believer that books should not be banned in schools or in some cases, censored.

Key:

Elementary school: 📕

Middle school: 📙

High School: 📗

College or afterward: 📘

These are in no particular order. 

📗 15.)  Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: This book has been banned in schools for its story of a girl who stays silent the whole school year because she was sexually assaulted at a party. Many schools have banned it for being considered, as they say, soft porn. This book is far from anything of the sort. It deals with issues that many teens deal with whether that be sexuality, drugs, or alcohol. Laurie Halse Anderson does not condone this type of behavior and sure does not glamorize what has happened to her main character Melinda. If anything, this book is teaching its readers a lesson on speaking out and letting people know what is going on in their lives.  

I remember reading this book when I was in ninth grade. I was the same age as the protagonist Melinda and I could never have imagined something like this happening to me. It is a hard book to read in the fact that we are reading from the perspective of a young girl who has been broken by a horrific experience. The reader learns about speaking up for themselves. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage will inspire her readers.

📗 14.) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky: Perks... has been banned in many schools for the use of sex, homosexuality, "the glorification of drugs and alcohol", suicide, etc. This is another book banned because of many situations that teenagers do deal with. 

The author has also spoken out about his book being banned in schools and I feel that his quote explains this so well, "It creates dialogue about issues that young people face," he said "...The classroom legitimizes these issues and by taking it out of the classroom we denote these things to 'dirty little secrets' and they're not dirty little secrets; these are things young people face every day." I find what he says here important to think about. This books and books similar to this are meant to help young people not harm them. He does also state before this that a parent has every right to choose if their child should be able to read a book, but that another parent should be able to choose too. 

If you would like to read more about this case here is the article: http://cbldf.org/2015/04/author-responds-to-connecticut-ban-of/

Perks is another book that I read in ninth grade when I was the same age as Charlie the protagonist of the novel. I remember at that age reading this book and being similar to Charlie. I was shy and did not really express my opinions too much. I had a small group of friends that I was close with and I was happy with that. Charlie learns a lot about himself during his freshman year of high school. He learns not only to participate, enjoy life, but also to speak out. Reading a book like this is not going to make students go out and do these things if they are able to learn from mistakes of others. I know I never did any of these things and I read this book young. 

📕 13.) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl: When I saw that this book has been banned in previous years I was surprised. I could not imagine why this would be on the list and the reason surprised me just as much as it being on the list. One of the reasons it has been banned was because many have said that it promotes a bad philosophy of life and that Charlie has no positive traits just has an absence of negative qualities. This is not the only book of Roald Dahl's that was banned. Matilda and James and the Giant Peach have also made this list.

I have loved the story of Charlie since I was a child. It's a story of this boy, who is living a terrible, awful life. Charlie and his family are not only hungry and poor, they are destitute. This little boy is literally starving to death, but he still is kind and polite to those around him. He's a well-behaved boy that gets a once in a lifetime opportunity when he goes to Wonka's factory. Yes, he doesn't have bad qualities, but that's sort of the point of the book. It might be a little over exaggerated to have a perfect child, but really it's meant to teach children about behaving. It's enjoyable. 

📙 12.) The Giver by Lois Lowry: Banned for sexual situations and death. The first reason this book has been banned does not make any sense to me because there are no sexual scenes in this book. The main character has a crush on a girl and that's the extent to that. 

This was an important book for me in school and I just really enjoyed reading it. It is considered one of the first dystopian novels and is showing how this perfect world that was created has gone wrong. 

📙 11.) Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson: Banned for disrespect for authority and language that some people have found offensive, especially blasphemous dialogue (it uses Oh Lord and Lord) This is one book that has become a classic over the years and really I can see why. I remember fully enjoying reading it and loving the book. Children can learn a lot from this book.

📕 10.) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein: Shel Silverstein is known for his poems and has become a classic over the years. This book was banned because many parents were afraid that it promoted violence and disrespect. Also that it's Satanic. 

I have not read this book since elementary school, probably second or third grade. From what I remember of this book, it was funny, humorous, and first got me into poetry. Most likely it was probably one of the first poetry books that I ever read and loved. 

📙 9.)  A Separate Peace by John Knowles: One of my favorite books that I ever read in school. I still remember to this day acting out scenes from this book in English class. Now, I will say that I have not read it since, but I still remember it fondly. This will be a book that I pick up sometime soon.  

This has been challenged and banned in schools because of the graphic language used. 

📕 8.) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle: Similarly, to another book on this list, this has been banned because of the use of witchcraft, crystal balls, and demons. 

I remember loving this book when I was a child. The main protagonist of this book is a girl named Meg, who is such an empowering character. She's a character that I could very much relate to. She's smart and the book deals with the importance of family and working together. 

📙  7.) The Pigman by Paul Zindel: Banned for offensive language and sexual themes.

This was actually one of the first books that I fell in love with that I read in school. I read each of the sequels and probably read this one, three or four times in the same year. I do not remember everything about the book and plan on reading it this week for my Banned book. 

📗  6.) The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: Banned because of the dark and descriptive depictions of war. This book was written to show how dark and horrible war can be, so obviously, there would be graphic scenes. I read this book in my senior year of high school and it is very descriptive of what Tim O'Brien witnessed while he was in the Vietnam war. This is not a book I would recommend for younger readers that are not mature enough for the read. It was a powerful book that I will never forget. 

📗  5.) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: A major reason that this book has been banned is because of the use of the n-word. Now this one really frustrates me. This book was created to learn from and it is being edited and changed in schools to not include hurtful content. Historical fiction books should be used to learn from the past and to grow as people. I'm sorry to say it but we cannot change the fact that many people in America had slaves and this is the way they talked. We cannot erase our history and pretend that it does not exist. This is a book that students should read in schools. 

I have had both a love and hate relationship with this book over the years. When I was in tenth grade I could not stand Huck or his narration. Then in my junior year of college, I read the book again and found a new appreciation for it. Not only is this an important book, but it also is a well-written book. 

📗 4.) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Similarly to number five, this book has been banned because of language, slurs, and other racial themes, also for pornography because of mentions of rape. This is another amazing book that young people should be learning from and should not be banned. It represents an important part of our history as a country. We should learn from it and not forget it. 

📙  3.) The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton: Banned for the use of drugs, violence, and unchristian values

This is a book that I actually got the opportunity to teach last year with three classes of seventh graders. One of the ways that my co-op and I taught the material was to introduce the time period of the 60s to the students. The time period is an important aspect of the story. Ponyboy deals with struggles that today's students might not understand. I have loved this book since I was in eighth grade and I believe it is an important book that should be taught. 

📕📙  2.) Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: This book has been banned for viewpoints that call it Satanic and occult because of the use of magic. Many have believed that this goes against religious beliefs and is encouraging the use of magic. All I can say to this is that this is fiction.

The Harry Potter series is one of the most important series for my time as a reader. It is the reason that I love reading the way I do. This series has been a major part of my life for almost fifteen years and I don't know what I would do without it. These books represent values that are important to us as people.   J. K. Rowling did not decide when she wrote these books to spread values that were not religious. This series shows the value of friendship, family, love, loyalty, etc. We grew up with Harry and learned along with him. These books clearly show that the values that Voldemort holds so dear are not something we should want. 

📘  1.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Banned for language, sexual references, violence, drinking, partying, etc. 

So, this book had to make this list for me because it is in my top three favorite books of all time. I love this book. It is again not a glorification of any of the aspects I have mentioned above. If anything, this book shows the problems with living in such a society. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this book as a commentary on the society that he lived in. This is another example of a historical fiction book that is taught in schools to learn from. Teaching this book is not condoning the actions of the characters. 

These are not all of the banned books that I have read in my lifetime. There are many more that I have read and enjoyed, these are just my top fifteen. A major thing to think about with these books is that they are fiction and are meant to teach their readers. Yes, parents have the right to tell their children what they can and cannot read, but this should not take away the books from other children. If children are taught the right way to behave these books will not be harmful for them to read. They actually can be very helpful. Also, many of these books have been banned for reasons they should not be banned for. J.K. Rowling is not trying to form a colt of wizards, Mark Twain was representing a specific time period (and guess what, that's the way they talked.), and that's just a couple of examples. 

I don't believe that books should be banned. If we take the time to teach students through these books and about these topics, they will learn about life. There are many topics used in these books that make parents, educators, and others feel uncomfortable, but they represent life. It is so much better for these young people to learn about these topics from a book than not at all. Or in some other place but in an unsafe way. 

If you want to see a full list of books that have either been banned or challenged, here's a link: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks

Have a good week and read some banned books. 

In honor of Banned Books week, I will be picking up an old favorite The Pigman by Paul Zindel. It will be the first time in about ten years that I have read this book.

Myths, Verse, and the Minotaur (Review of Bull by David Elliot)

🌟 Bull by David Elliot- Read May 18th 🌟

📚📚📚📚📚

"Mommy has a little calf.

      Little calf.

      Little calf. 

Mommy has a little calf.

His nose is black as tar.

She calls her calf Asterion .

       Asterion.

       Asterion.

That's my name —  Asterion.

I'm Ruler of the Stars. " - This is just one example of the beautiful writing in this book. It is also on the image of the bull head on the cover. 

 I adored this book. This looks to be the month of Greek mythology (so far I have read three and am at least reading one more) and the month of favorites. One of the greatest aspects of this book is the fact that it was written in verse. I can not imagine how long this book would have taken to write let alone contemplate. I love the idea of writing in verse myself, since I love writing poetry and I love reading it. The author explains at the end the types of verse that he used throughout for each character. Everyone of the characters speaks differently and brings new layers to the story. 

Another aspect I loved about this book was the way David retold the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. For those that do not know the myth I'll give a quick synopsis. Minos the king of Crete gets Poseidon the sea god angry. So Poseidon takes out his anger by making Minos' wife interested in a bull and ultimately has a child, Asterion with the bull. This bull grows up and is eventually placed in a Labyrinth by his stepfather the king, to take revenge on the Athens. This is one good example of Greek mythology for you 

What I really liked about David's book was that, yes he stuck to the myth but he added character and motivations to the story that were not already there before. He explained at the end his process in writing this and I loved that he did this at the end. This is one of my all time favorite Greek myths and he added a layer to the story that made me love it so much more. Asterion, the Minotaur becomes a tragic character in this story that I loved. In the original myth he really never had much of a character but in this David makes the character have new dimensions. I felt bad for him. 

David also made the story so funny and tragic throughout which added a great mix to the plot. Overall this was a creative retelling that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also loved Poseidon's character in this. He is so darn funny. Definitely a favorite of the year. 

Also the cover is great.