It’s April, so that means it’s time for my March wrap-up! For me, March was a pretty great month. It was my birthday on the 29th, and while I didn’t read quite as many books as I would have hoped, I still read a fairly good amount. My blog did really well in March, too!
Altogether, I read five books in the month of March!
BOOKS READ
– The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker \\⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– Beneath by Maureen Miller (ebook) \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– Just One Day by Gayle Forman \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– The Rebellion by Livy Jarmusch (ebook) \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STANDOUT BOOK OF THE MONTH
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe! It was such a delightful book that really stood out to me. I now understand why this book is such a beloved, classic!
BOOKS REVIEWED
The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beneath by Maureen Miller \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
BOOK HAUL
Like I said, it was my birthday on March 29th, and my family knows me well, so naturally, I received a few books!
My mom gave me The Fever Code by James Dashner and Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp. And my grandma gave me The Last Star by Rick Yancey.
In March, it was also my local library’s spring book sale, and so, of course, I went way overboard and definitely bought more than I could possibly ever have room for or read…oops! I shared on my Instagram Stories what I got, but because those only last for 24 hours, I compiled them into a video to share with you all, if you’re interested in seeing all that I bought.
Also, side note, I’m sort of debating on whether or not I should start a booktube (obviously the videos will be better quality than this, lol), too. Thoughts?! Would you watch my videos?
MISCELLANIOUS
Here’s all the TTT’s I did in March:
- Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes
- Top Ten Books That Surprised Me
- Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR!
- Top Ten Books That Take Place in Another Country
- Top Five Characters I Liked in Books I Didn’t Like
Here were my picks for Waiting on Wednesday this month:
This month, I also participated in the Wonder Week Readathon!
I also wrote Guess That Book: Emoji Edition!
I also had the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for Beneath by Maureen Miller!
Then, I did a few book tags this month, as well!
Okay, that just about wraps up the month of March! Hopefully April will be just as great (plus with warmer weather).
Thanks so much for reading!
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Title: Breakfast at Tiffany’s: A Short Novel and Three Stories by Truman Capote
Pages: 162
Genres: Fiction, Classic, Short Stories
Published by: Modern Library (Jan. 13th, 1994, originally 1958)
Summary
It’s New York in the 1940s, where the martinis flow from cocktail hour till breakfast at Tiffany’s. And nice girls don’t, except, of course, Holly Golightly. Pursued by Mafia gangsters and playboy millionaires, Holly is a fragile eyeful of tawny hair and turned-up nose, a heart-breaker, a perplexer, a traveller, a tease. She is irrepressibly ‘top banana in the shock department’, and one of the shining flowers of American fiction.
This edition also contains three stories: ‘House of Flowers’, ‘A Diamond Guitar’ and ‘A Christmas Memory’.
What I Thought
I decided to read Breakfast at Tiffany’s because of how well-loved the movie is. I’ll be honest, I didn’t realize it was based on a book until recently. I’ve never seen the movie, but I’ve been wanting to, especially since I saw that it was on Netflix. So, I decided to read the book first.
It’s Top Ten Tuesday again! It’s a weekly bookish list hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is:
Characters I Liked in Books I Didn’t Like
This week was a hard one for me, because of that, it’s only going to be a top five today. For one thing, usually if I don’t like the characters, it’s the biggest reason why I don’t like a book. For another thing, honestly, there are very few books that I actually dislike. I don’t love every book I read, but a lot of the times, as opposed to full-on disliking them, I’ll find certain books just okay, but there’s still usually some quality of the book I still appreciated. I think that’s the case for just about all of these books here!
Alright, here we go!
Khalila Seif
If you read my review, you’ll know that Ink and Bone definitely wasn’t my favorite book. I had trouble connecting to this story. That being said, there were a lot of great, interesting and diverse characters in this book. Khalila, in particular, was one of my favorites. She was so fierce and independent!
Samantha and Lucy Madison
Ready or Not is another book I didn’t love, but still had great characters. I loved the sister relationship Samantha and Lucy shared. It felt super realistic, and was really sweet.
Check it out on Goodreads!
Nesta Archeron
Unpopular opinion time: I didn’t love A Court of Thorns and Roses. I found the book to be slow, and while it wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t the book for me. I was really intrigued by Nesta, though. She’s not in the book a lot, but her character had so much depth, to me.
All the characters from Every Heart a Doorway
I know so many people love Every Heart a Doorway, and it’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, it was just lacking something for me. That being said, this book had a great cast of characters! Everyone was so unique, and the premise of this book was really good. It just wasn’t the book for me.
Maddie Chase
The Notes from a Spinning Planet series had such a great premise, but unfortunately, this book was kind of boring. While it had a lot of interesting information about Ireland and its history, not a whole lot actually happens in this book. I did think the characters were interesting, and I think Maddie made a great main character, though. It just felt like nothing actually ever happened to her.
There you have it! Those are some of the books that I’ve read and haven’t loved, but their characters were the redeeming qualities! Let me know who made the list for you this week.
Thanks for reading!
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Hey everyone! With Easter happening this Sunday, I thought it would be the perfect time to do the Easter Book Tag! I wasn’t tagged by anyone, but I discovered this tag on Abbie’s blog, Bonseasonofglass, and it looked like so much fun, I just had to do it. 🙂
Alrighty, let’s get started:
Rabbits: A book you wish would multiply / have a sequel
This was a really hard one for me, because I’m usually pretty content with standalones. I’ve decided to go with The Secret Garden, though. I’d love to read a sequel about Mary, Dickon, and Colin as adults and see what their lives became.
Egg – A book that surprised you
I’ve talked about The Program before on my blog, but it was the first book that came to my mind that really surprised me. I ended up enjoying this book so much more than I expected to.
Hunt: A book that was hard for you to get your hands on
The Blythes are Quoted is a book I still haven’t gotten my hands on yet! It was L M Montgomery’s last book, delivered to her publisher on the day she died, and was intended to be the final Anne of Green Gables book. It is filled with stories, sketches, and poems, about Anne and Gilbert and their family and friends, and it features them when they are old and gray. From my understanding, this book was only published in Canada, and now it’s only available as an ebook, so any physical copies I find online are quite pricey. I did just discover that it’s going to be republished this summer, so hopefully, it’ll be attainable for me!
Lambs – A children’s story you still enjoy
I may be 24 (side note: it was my birthday yesterday, so that was the first time I typed that lol), but I still love a good children’s story. There’s something just so comfortable about them. One of my favorites is Matilda!
Spring – A book with a cover that reminds you of spring
I have to go with The Secret Garden again! The entire book is just the epitome of spring to me. If my TBR pile wasn’t a mile wide, I would reread this book every springtime.
Rising from the dead – a book from a deceased author
Here I am mentioning L. M. Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables again…oops? L. M. Montgomery will be my favorite forever.
also, lol am I the only one who feels like this question is just a teeny bit sacrilegious?
Baskets – A book in your wishlist right now
I’ve been hearing so many great things about The Belles I really hope to get a copy soon!
Candy – a book that is sweet
The Sweet Seasons series is so sweet, literally! It’s about a high school senior, who works at a candy cart at an amusement park. This series is so much fun, and all the covers will make you hungry!
This was such a fun tag to do! I tag anyone who wants to do this.
I hope you all have a happy Easter!
Thanks for reading!
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Hey everyone! To celebrate the release of Maureen A. Miller’s newest book, Beneath, I’m participating in the blog tour! Today, I’m sharing my thoughts about the book, and I’m also sharing how you can enter to win a $50 Amazon gift Card!
Title: Beneath by Maureen A. Miller
Pages: 340
Release Date: March 26, 2018
Publisher: Self-published
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Format: Print and digital
Synopsis
An overnight fishing trip on the Atlantic Ocean…
It was Stella Gullaksen’s final break before starting her freshman year at college. Joining her best friend, Jill, and Jill’s family aboard the STARKISSED, Stella wakes to a violent storm that capsizes the boat over a hundred miles off the New Jersey shore.
As the waves haul her under Stella knows that she is going to die. Instead, an unusual current drags her deep into the underwater canyons of the Atlantic Ocean. Powerless against the raging waters, she is suddenly sucked into a ventilated cave. One by one, Jill and her family also emerge in the sunken cavern.
With only a faulty diving flashlight to keep oblivion at bay Stella and her best friend’s brother, Colin, search the cave in hope of finding a way back to the surface. What they discover, however, is that they are not alone. There are other survivors in this subterranean grotto–survivors spanning decades of maritime disasters.
Will this discovery prove salvation, or have they all been condemned to the same fate? A grim finale at the bottom of the sea?
On an alliance forged by friendship and attraction, Stella and Colin battle to escape the danger that lies beneath.
What I Thought
*I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A huge thank you to the author and Barclay Publicity!*
Going into this book, I didn’t know what to expect. I haven’t read Maureen Miller’s other books, and so I had no idea what I would think of her writing style. However, I was very intrigued by the plot, and that absolutely gorgeous cover, so I gave it a chance. I’m so glad I did!
It’s Top Ten Tuesday again! It’s a weekly bookish list hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is:
Books That Take Place in Another Country
This week’s topic has made me realize how few books I actually read that take place in different countries. I’m from the United States, and so, obviously, all these books on this week’s list are not.
A Great and Terrible Beauty
A Great and Terrible Beauty is such a great book! I still have to read The Sweet Far Thing (Surprise, surprise…), but I’ve really loved this series so far. Much of the story takes place in England, but also India.
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables takes place in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Y’all know how much I love this book, so, it’s no surprise it’s on this week’s list!
The Book Thief
The Book Thief takes place in Germany during World War II. This book is such an emotional journey, and it really is, in my opinion, just as good as everyone says it is! If you still haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it!!
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
While the beginning of the book takes place in Florida, the majority of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children takes place in Wales. This is one of my favorite series, and I’m SO looking forward to the continuation of it later this fall!
The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes
Nancy Drew books will always be a favorite of mine. They’re such comfort reads. I remember really loving The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes, because this mystery happens in Scotland! I also remember that we learn a little bit about Nancy’s mother in this book, which is never talked about.
The Secret Garden
Another one of my favorite books is The Secret Garden, and it takes place in Yorkshire, England. Every spring I get the strongest desire to reread it, and watch the movie! It’s my dream/goal to have a beautiful garden like the one this book, someday!
Ballet Shoes
Ballet Shoes is another book that I adore, and it also takes place in London, England. It’s such a delightful story about three sisters who work towards following their dreams. It’s really such an underrated classic, in my opinion!
Jane of Lantern Hill
Anne of Green Gables isn’t L. M. Montgomery’s only book! Jane of Lantern Hill is another great one by her, that also takes place in Canada. L. M. Montgomery’s writing is always so descriptive, and you always feel like you’re in the story, and it’s no different for this one!
Just One Day
Just One Day is a book that I just finished, and it was so good! It’s about one crazy, unexpected day in Paris, and how it changed everything.
Dance of Fire
Dance of Shadows and its sequel, Dance of Fire, is such an underrated series! They’re deserving of so much more attention, and I don’t know these books haven’t gained more recognition! They’re both super intriguing mysteries, and Dance of Fire takes place in the UK.
That’s my Top Ten Tuesday! What are some of your favorite books that take place outside of your country?
Do you have any non-American book recommendations for me? If so, I’d love to hear them!
Thanks for reading!
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Hey everyone! Wonder Week, hosted by Rimpy’s Reads, has come to a close! Last week, it was all about reading, and today, I’m going to share with you all how I did.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to complete the whole row, and make a bingo, but I finished three and a half of my challenges, so I think that was still pretty good for me.
My plan was to complete the bottom, horizontal row. So, my challenges were re-read, main character is a female, a classic, a book with a movie adaptation, and contemporary.
The books I completed were:
- Beneath by Maureen Miller
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
- Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Then, I started, but did not get to finish yet,
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
I had one more book that I wanted to get to, but ran out of time, and it was
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Aside from reading, I also hosted a game on my blog! It was Guess That Book: Emoji Edition, and it was so much fun!
Overall, this was such a fun readathon! I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to complete my whole TBR, but I still think I did pretty well. I really enjoyed all the books I read, too, which I’m super happy about!
Did you participate in Wonder Week? If so, let me know how you did!
Thanks for reading!
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Title: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia (publication order) #1) by C. S. Lewis
Pages: 206
Genres: Children’s, Fantasy, Classic
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers (Mar. 5th, 2002, originally Oct. 16th, 1950)
Summary
They open a door and enter a world
NARNIA…the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy…the place where the adventure begins. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.
I’m pretty sure I’m one of the few homeschooled, Christians who did not read The Chronicles of Narnia growing up. Pretty much all my friends read it, but for one reason or another, I just never picked it up. Well, I finally did, and I’m so glad!
Hey everyone! In honor of Wonder Week, I thought it’d be fun to play a game with you guys on my blog today. I’m calling it Guess That Book: Emoji Edition, and the idea is pretty simple. Each row of emojis describes a different book, and it’s up to you to make your guesses in the comments!
Alright, let’s get started!
Popular YA Novels
1. 🙎🏽☀️✈️🌧️🙎🏽❤️🧛🏼♂️ ⚾️ ⚡️ 🧛🏼♂️🧛🏼♀️🧛🏾♂️🏃🏽♀️🏃🏼✈️🧛🏼♂️🙎🏽🧛🏼♂️🏥💑💃🏽🕺🏼💑
2. 🙋🏽♀️ 👫👫👫👫👫👫👫👫👫👫👫👫🏟👊🏼🏹🏹🏹⚔️😵😵💀💀💀😵💀🥖😵💀😵💀😭😭😭😭🏆🙍🏽🙍🏽♂️
3. 🤷🏼♂️🔲❓🧑🏽🧑🏼🧑🏻🧑🏽🧑🏽🧑🏾👦🏼👩🏽🏃🏽♂️🏃🏽♂️🏃🏽♂️↙️↗️⬇️↔️❌⬇️➡️↘️❌↙️⬆️⬅️➡️🔫💀😭😭😭❓
Children’s Classics
1. 👧🏼🐷🕷🎪🎡🐖🥇🕸🕷🕸😢☺️🐷
2. 👧🏽🐶🚲🙇🏽♀️🐶💨🌪🏚🧙🏼♀️💀🧙🏼♀️😡👠👧🏽🤖🦁❇️🌆🧙🏼♀️💀🎉🎉👧🏽🐶➡️🏠
3. 👧🏼🐇🕳🚪🗝🐛🍄👧🏽⬆️👧🏽⬇️🌹❤️🃏❤️👑🏃🏼♀️👧🏼➡️🏠
Speed Round!
These describe just the title from classics, YA, and popular adult novels.
1. 💦💧🐘
2. 🕰🍊
3. 👴🏼🌊
4. 🌑
5. 🅰️
6. 🍇😡
7. 👋🏼🌬
8. 🛑👸🏼
9. 🍽🙏🏼❤️
10. 👸🏼📝📒
Okay everyone! Share your guesses in the comments down below! I can’t wait to read everyone’s answers, and hopefully, you all were able to figure some of these out. This actually ended up being way harder to make than I anticipated, but I had a lot of fun with it, and I hope you will, too.
Let me know how many you got right! Also, describe your current read with just emojis!
Thanks for reading!
ANSWERS
To read the answers, select/highlight the text!
Popular YA Novels
- Twilight
- The Hunger Games
- The Maze Runner
Children’s Classics
- Charlotte’s Web
- The Wizard of Oz
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Speed Round
- Water for Elephants
- Clockwork Orange
- The Old Man and the Sea
- New Moon
- The Scarlet Letter
- The Grapes of Wrath
- Gone with the Wind
- Red Queen
- Eat Pray Love
- The Princess Diaries
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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature started by Breaking the Spine that puts the spotlight on upcoming releases!
This week’s book is:
Emergency Contact
Releasing March 27th, 2018!
For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.
Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.
When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.
I haven’t heard a whole lot about Emergency Contact, but I’ve been hearing more and more about it lately, and I’m intrigued! This book sounds like it’s going to have that eccentric, quirky, indie movie-esque vibe. Plus, the characters are in college, which I really appreciate, because there just are not enough books that feature characters in that phase of life. I can’t wait to give this book a try!
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the calico books 