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

My Favorite Audiobooks/ AudioFile's 2017 Best Lists

🎧 My Favorite Audiobooks 📚

For quite some time, I have been wanting to make a list of some of my favorite audiobooks. I decided that this would be the perfect time after such a great year of them. Below I have listed my top ten favorite audiobooks of all time. These are in no particular order. Then below that, I have two of the lists from AudioFile's 2017 Best Audiobooks.

🎄 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (both audiobook editions read by the author and the other read by Stephen Fry.): This is one of my favorite books and this is my favorite audiobook of all time. I have listened to both versions and I will say I love both. The narrations are amazing. Both Douglas Adams and Stephen Fry had a way of narrating these books that brings out the humor every time you listen to them. I love the dry wit in this book and their dry way of delivering the narration is the best. 

☃️ The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell (read by David Tennant): David Tennant is an actor that I have always loved. I love the characters that he can create. Each character that he narrates in this wonderful book, is brought to life in a way that I cannot get enough of. This has now become a series that I cannot wait to get more of the books from. I will definitely be listening to the other audiobooks that he narrates. 

🎄 Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer (read by the author): I'm a big fan of all of Chris Colfer's book and also his audiobooks. I'm a big fan of when authors read their audiobooks and his are just very good. I love the little voices that he makes. What is really is great about an author reading their own book is that they know their characters so well and the scenes so well. His Land of Stories series are also very good. I recommend any of his books. 

☃️The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (read by Mark Hamill): Mark Hamill is known for his voice acting and is just one of my absolute favorite audiobook narrators.  

🎄 Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (read by the author): Carrie Fisher's memoirs are some of my favorites. I have loved her since I first saw Star Wars when I was around 5 or six. This is my favorite of her memoirs that I have read or listened to. Having her read her own memoir is probably the best part of listening to this. Like I have said and will continue to say, I love when authors read their books. This is about her family and Star Wars and it's just incredible. I will be reading/ listening to this on December 27th in honor of Carrie. 

☃️ Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (The BBC Radio 4 Dramatisation): This is a dramatization of the novel that features a full-cast. This was a wonderful production that I thoroughly got engrossed in. I'll have to check out some more of the BBC Radio Dramatisations because they are pretty incredible. It's like listening to a play but in audio format. Pretty incredible. 

🎄 Neil Gaiman's Stardust (read by the author): Neil Gaiman's audiobooks are some of the best. His voice is so soothing and just adds to the experience of reading his books. I fell in love with this book four years ago and the audiobook three years ago. It's beautiful. 

☃️ The Odyssey by Homer (read by John Lee): Never thought that I would love a version of this better than the Robert Fagles translation from the Penguin Classic Deluxe Edition, but I really adore this narration. I listened to this in a few days because I just fell in love with it. The Odyssey is one of my top favorite classics and I cannot get enough of this. The next time I decide to read this I'll definitely listen to this edition. It's the best.

🎄 Mort by Terry Pratchett (read by Nigel Planer): Nigel reads a good amount of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. This is the first one that I have listened to his narration and I fell in love with it. He's definitely my favorite of the narrators for the series so far and cannot wait to hear his rendition of Hogfather when I get to it this month. 

☃️ The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester (read by the authors): Dan and Phil are my favorite YouTubers and this audiobook was just as great as their videos. I loved listening to them read this book. Great production. 

AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of 2017

For the last two months, I have been working with the magazine AudioFile reviewing at least two audiobooks for their online and print magazine. Before I started working for them, I really liked looking at their website for reviews. Their reviews are short and concise at 110-125 words.

 For December, they picked a list of the best audiobooks in nine different genres, Young Adult, Children's & Family Listening, Fiction, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Biography & History, Memoir, and Nonfiction & Culture. I was asked if I would like to share any of the lists on my blog and I said yes right away. The lists I chose were Young Adult and Children's & Family Listening. Below I have provided the lists, reviews that various reviewers on their website have written, SoundCloud sound clips for some of the audiobooks, and interviews with some of the narrators for the books. 

If you would like to find more audiobooks to listen to, I'd recommend looking at these lists and listening to previews of the ones that interest you. I know I want to pick up many of these books/ audiobooks after looking at them myself.

Here is a link to their AudioFile Ezine if you would like to check out audiobooks from the other categories. 

AudioFile's 2017 Best Young Adult Audiobooks

🎄 American Street by Ibi Zoboi, read by Robin Miles
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/123267/

☃️ The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, read by Michael Sheen

Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/129077/

SoundCloud sound clip: https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagazine/the-book-of-dust-la-belle-sauvage

🎄 The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, read by Christian Coulson

Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/129231/

SoundCloud sound clip: https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagazine/the-gentlemans-guide-to-vice-and-virtue

☃️ The Go-Between by Veronica Chambers, read by Karla Souza
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/124723/

🎄 The Gold-Son by Carrie Anne Noble, read by Gerard Doyle
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/128854/

☃️ Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner, read by Michael Crouch
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/124495/

🎄 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, read by Bahni Turpin

Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/123306/

SoundCloud sound clip: https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagazine/the-hate-u-give

☃️ Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg, read by Dan Bittner
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/128289/
Exclusive Narrator Video- Dan Bittner: https://youtu.be/B6N9RXXD0ss

🎄 The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz, read by Robbie Daymond
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/124496/

☃️ Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson, read by M.T. Anderson
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/131036/

🎄 Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, read by Jason Reynolds
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/131274/

☃️ Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist, read by Pat Young
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/118409/

🎄 Nyxia by Scott Reintgen, read by Sullivan Jone and Dominic Hoffman
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/131473/

☃️ The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein, read by Maggie Service
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/128924/

🎄 Solo by Kwame Alexandar and Mary Rand Hess, read by Kyame Alexander
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/130144/

☃️ Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, read by Kate Rudd
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/131416/

Exclusive Narrator Video- Kate Rudd: https://youtu.be/u3LExCsaQZY

AudioFile's 2017 Best Children & Family Listening

🎄 The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya, read by Pablo Cartaya

Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/127848/

SoundCloud sound clip: https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagazine/the-epic-fail-of-arturo-zamora

☃️ The Ethan I was Before by Ali Standish, read by Kirby Heyborne
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/123290/

Exclusive Narrator Video- Kirby Heyborne: https://youtu.be/MY_OurTUDZE

🎄 Flying Lessons & Other Stories by Ellen Oh [Ed.], read by Dion Graham, Samantha Quan, Meg Medina, Julia Whelan, Adam Lazaree-White, Tim Tingle, Abigail Revasch, Sunil Malhotra, Kwame Alexander, and Dominic- Hoffman
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/122310/

Exclusive Narrator Video- Dion Graham (of one of the stories): https://youtu.be/cb50lSS9T0Y

☃️ Freedom Over Me by Ashley Bryan, read by Patricia R. Floyd, Kevin R. Free, and Jenny Sterlin
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/130159/

🎄 Friendshape by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, read by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Kate & Lily Weyant, Quin A. Seaman, and Ryan Cassel
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/127084/

☃️ Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly, read by Ramon de Ocampo and Amielynn Abellera
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/124521/

Exclusive Narrator Video- Ramon De Ocampo: https://youtu.be/Uo0bZLOu9a4

🎄 I'm New Here by Anne Sibley O'Brien, read by Frankie Corzo, Ariana Delawari, Ramon De Ocampo, Ruth Livier, Anne Sibley O'Brien [Note]
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/119006/

Exclusive Narrator Video- Ramon De Ocampo: https://youtu.be/qNzK8dWy8Z4

☃️ In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O'Brien, read by Jackie Chung
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/128819/

🎄 My Brigadista Year by Katherine Paterson, read by Frankie Corzo
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/131602/

☃️ The Playbook by Kwame Alexander, read by Ruffin Prentiss III
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/123599/

🎄 A Poem for Peter by Andrea Davis Pinkney, read by Channie Waites
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/130160/

☃️ See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng, read by Kivlighan de Montebello, Brittany Pressley, Graham Halstead, Michael Crouch, Jason Culp, and a Full Cast

Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/123866/

🎄 She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton, read by Chelsea Clinton
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/129008/

☃️ The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan, read by Michael Crouch
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/134080/

🎄 Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, read by Dion Graham

Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/134771/

SoundCloud sound clip: https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagazine/trombone-shorty

☃️ The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, read by Jayne Entwistle

Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/128818/

SoundCloud sound clip: https://soundcloud.com/audiofilemagazine/the-war-i-finally-won

🎄 Writing Radar by Jack Gantos, read by Jack Gantos
Review on Audiofile Website: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/128984/

The Subject Book Tag

Tag Tuesday/ The Subject Book Tag

November 28th, 2017

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

Questions, Pick your favorite:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday Reviews Week 12

🦃 Friday Reviews Week 12 🦃 

November 18th- November 24th, 2017

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

Narrated by Kim Mai Guest

Listened to November 15- 18th, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

Book 2: Plank's Law by Lesley Choyce

Read November 19

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

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

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

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

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

Book 3: Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting

By Brian Gordon

Read November 24, 2017

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

My favorite from this book. 

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

Book 4: The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

Read November 22rd- 25th, 2017

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

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

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

Books You're Thankful For/ Top 5 Wednesday

Books You're Thankful For/ Top 5 Wednesday

November 22nd, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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