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Hey everyone!  It’s a little late, but here is my wrap-up for this year’s Booktube-A-Thon.  I didn’t get as many of the challenges done as I had hoped, and even the challenges that I did do, I didn’t finish all the books completely, but I still had a good time, and actually read quite a bit more than the previous weeks, so yay for that!

1. Read a book with a person on the cover.
2. Read a hyped book.
3. Finish a book in one day.
4. Read about a character that is very different from you.
5. Finish a book completely outdoors.
6. Read a book you bought because of the cover.
7. Read seven books.


Read a Book with a Person on the Cover.

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I love, love, LOVED this book!  A full review will be posted soon, but just know this book was so good!  Morgan Matson always write such well-written, comfortable, summer-y books, and Second Chance Summer was no exception.  This book had me smiling like a fool and, on the flip side, ugly crying.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read a Hyped Book.

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I didn’t get to finish Hopeless during the readathon, but from what I’ve read, which is about half, I’m really enjoying more than the other Colleen Hoover book I read, Maybe Someday.  This book is definitely a bit problematic, especially Holder’s actions very early in the book, but it’s fiction, and even though I, personally, don’t find Holder swoon worthy so far, this book is one you don’t want to put down!

My rating as of now:

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Finish a Book in One Day.

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Stage Fright wasn’t my favorite Nancy Drew or Hardy Boy book, but I didn’t expect it to be either, lol.  This book was a super quick read, and wasn’t too predictable.  I had a lot of fun reading this one, and it was just the lighthearted, easy book I needed to read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finish a Book Completely Outdoors.

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I didn’t complete Kitty Hawk completely during the readathon, but every time I read it, I read it outdoors.  I got about halfway through this one, as well!  So far, it’s been a lot of fun, very informative, and adventurous!

My rating as of now:

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Read a Book You Bought Because of the Cover.

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Mobile Library is yet another book I started, but didn’t finish.  I read the first chapter, and honestly, I didn’t love it.  I may give it another go at a later time, but I just didn’t feel like pushing through this book during the readathon.  This isn’t a spoiler, because it’s literally the first page, but the book starts with this grown woman kissing a 12 year old boy, and I was just like, “what the heck am I reading?!?”  Now, maybe I read it wrong, because from the reviews on Goodreads nobody has talked about that or even mentioned anything of the sort, but I just didn’t feel like finding out during the readathon.  If anyone has read this book, please tell me, is it really what it seems, and if it is, why in the world is everyone who reads this book okay with it, because that is hecka creepy?!

My rating as of now:

⭐️


Well, that wraps up the BookTube-A-Thon for me!

How did everyone else do?  Let me know in the comments!


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Hey everyone! So, this is really impromptu on my part, but I’ve decided to participate in the BookTube-A-Thon!  I wasn’t going to, just for the fact that I didn’t really know when it was, and I’m not a booktuber, but after seeing so many other bloggers participating, and just the hype about it starting today in general, I decided “why not?!”  I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump these past few weeks, and I thought a readathon might be just the thing I need.

Okay, so in case you’re unaware of the readathon (kind of like I was), the BookTube-A-Thon, hosted by Ariel Bissett, runs from July 24th – July 30th.  The goal of the readathon is just to read as much as you possibly can within these seven days.  There are also challenges that you can use to guide your TBR if you want to!  The challenges are:

1. Read a book with a person on the cover.
2. Read a hyped book.
3. Finish a book in one day.
4. Read about a character that is very different from you.
5. Finish a book completely outdoors.
6. Read a book you bought because of the cover.
7. Read seven books.

To find out more about the BookTube-A-Thon, be sure to check out the official Youtube channel, Twitter, and website!


Okay, on to my TBR!

Read a Book With a Person on the Cover.

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I’m currently reading Second Chance Summer, but I’m still going to count it for the readathon!  I only have a little under 200 pages left, so I hope to finish this one up quickly.

Read a Hyped Book.

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Everyone is obsessed with all of Colleen Hoover’s books.  I read Maybe Someday by her last year, and I wasn’t super impressed, but I’ve decided to give her a second chance.  Here’s hoping I enjoy Hopeless more!

Finish a Book in One Day.

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I’m a big fan of any and all Nancy Drew books, and Stage Fright is one that I’ve had on my shelf, unread, for probably about 5 years now.  It’s definitely time I read it, and it’s super short, so I should have no trouble finishing this one in a day.

Read About a Character that is Very Different from You.

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Being that the Borrowers are only 2 inches tall, I think they definitely qualify as characters that are very different from me.  While I’ve seen the movie a couple times, and was a fan of The Littles (a very Borrowers-esque story – except they have tails) when I was very young, I’ve never read The Borrowers!

Finish a Book Completely Outside.

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I’m really excited about this challenge!  I love reading outside as it is, and I think I’ve found the perfect book to go with it.  In Kitty Hawk, it’s all about exploring and adventure, and I think a book like this is the perfect type of book to read outside.  It’ll make it feel atmospheric!

Read a Book You Bought Because of the Cover.

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Mobile Library was a complete cover buy for me.  I saw it at the dollar store, and was just so intrigued.  If you’ve ever read this book, let me know how it was, because I’ve never heard of it before!

Read Seven Books.

I’m going to be completely honest, I know I won’t be able to read seven complete books in one week.  However, I’m going to try my best at getting through the books I mentioned, and maybe, just maybe, by some miracle I’ll fit in a 7th book.  Also, I am still in the middle of Gone with the Wind, and while I won’t be finishing it this week, I still plan on continuing to read it alongside these books.  So, maybe that one sort of counts as my 7th book?


Alrighty, there’s my BookTube-A-Thon 2017 TBR. Here’s hoping I get a lot of reading done this week!  Good luck to everyone else participating as well. 🙂

Let me know if you’re participating, and even if you’re not, let me know what you’re currently reading!


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Title: Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker

Pages: 224

Genres: YA, Historical, Romance, Christian

Published by: Zondervan (Dec. 26, 2012)

Summary

Scarlett Blaine’s life in 1960s Georgia isn’t always easy, especially given her parents’ financial struggles and the fights surrounding her sister Juli’s hippie lifestyle. Then there’s her brother, Cliff. While Scarlett loves him more than anything, there’s no denying his unique behavior leaves Cliff misunderstood and left out. So when he wishes for a rocket to Jupiter, Scarlett agrees to make it happen, no matter how crazy the idea might be. Raising the rocket money means baking pies, and the farmer’s son, Frank, agrees to provide the peaches if Scarlett will help him talk to Juli. The problem is, Scarlett really enjoys her time with Frank, and finds herself wondering if, someday, they could be more than friends. Just as she thinks everything might be going her way, Cliff suffers an accident that not only affects the rocket plans, but shakes Scarlett’s view of God. As the summer comes to an end, Scarlett must find a way to regain what she’s lost, but also fulfill a promise to launch her brother’s dream. 

Chasing Jupiter

 

What I Thought

I recently discovered this book through a Booktube video, and thought it looked like the perfect summer read.  After checking out all the rave reviews on Goodreads, I decided to check it out from the library, and see what I thought of Chasing Jupiter!

I really enjoyed this book.  It’s set in the ’60’s, which is one of my favorite time periods, and actually, the setting is one of the things that initially drew to this book.  The writing really made me feel like I was there.  I could feel the hot, Georgia, summer sun on me, and the chill ’60’s vibe.  Also, this book will make you so hungry for peach pie it’s not even funny.

The characters in this novel were so good!  I absolutely loved Scarlett’s little brother, Cliff.  He was such a fun, sassy little character.  I loved his knock knock jokes! It’s pretty clear that he has autism, but being that this book takes place in the ’60’s everyone just thinks he’s “different.”  I love how Scarlett loved him and treated him just the same as anyone else.  She respected his space and sensory issues, and really allowed him to be himself.  Scarlett, herself, was such a strong, likable, and relatable character.  Then there’s Frank.  He made such a good love interest, and I really just loved everything about him – especially his love for animals.  I also absolutely loved the pastor’s wife, Dotty.  She was such a fun and energetic character, and I loved seeing the friendship between her and Scarlett grow.

I really adored this book!  It was short, sweet, and summer-y.  Honestly, the only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the family dynamics between Scarlett and her parents.  I feel like the author tried to portray Scarlett’s parents as average, just a bit stressed out, people.  However they didn’t come across as that way to me.  Scarlett is basically responsible for taking care of the entire family, and when something goes wrong and she talks about how “if only I had done this or that,” nobody even denies it.  She cooks and cleans, she’s responsible for taking care of her little brother with autism, as well as her grandfather with dementia, and at times it feels like she’s responsible for her older sister as well.  Like, that’s too much.  It would be one thing if she had absentee parents, but she didn’t.  It’s never depicted that what they’re doing is wrong. Yes, they were stressed out with work, but that’s not your 16-year-old’s fault.  Yes, family should be there for each other, and kids need to help their parents out, but it felt like nobody was ever there for her. Scarlett had a bit of a Cinderella complex to me, and not once did her parents ever really acknowledge that.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed this book.  It’s much more of a tearjerker than I expected, though!  I had so many emotions while reading it.  I laughed. I cried.  I was angry. I was happy.  It was quite the emotional roller coaster packed into those 224 pages. I cannot believe the author was only 16 when she wrote this book!  I would definitely recommend Chasing Jupiter to anyone looking for a short and summer-y historical (contemporary-ish?), read.

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Hey everyone! Today I’m going to be doing the Mid-Year Book “Freak Out” tag!  I wasn’t tagged by anyone, but I’ve seen this tag floating around for the past few weeks, and I thought it seemed super fun.  So, here we go!


1. Best Book You’ve Read In 2017, So Far?

I’ve read 23 books so far this year, and while that number may not be as large as I would like, I can honestly say I haven’t read a single book that I did not like!  Because of that, there’s no way I could narrow this down to one book, so my top favorite 3 of this year are Holes by Louis Sachar, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, and Replica by Lauren Oliver.Untitled design (1).png

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far?

That would definitely have to be book 3 in the Angel Eyes trilogy, Dark Halo by Shannon Dittemore.  It was the final book in the series, and while all the books in this series were incredible, the ending for this one was absolutely perfect!

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3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To?

I have two for this one!  One new release that I already have that I want to read and haven’t yet is Once and For All by Sarah Dessen.  I love all her books, so I know I’ll love this one soon, and hope to have it read sometime this summer!

This next new release is one I don’t have, but I still can’t wait to get it and read it, and that is When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.  I’ve been hearing so many good things about this book!

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4. Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of 2017?

That would definitely have to be Ringer by Lauren Oliver!  It’s the sequel to Replica, and I am so excited for this book to come out and see how this story ends!

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5. Biggest Disappointment?

This is actually a really hard question for me, because like I said earlier, I have really enjoyed all the books I’ve read this year.  I’d probably have to go with Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire, though.  Don’t get me wrong, this was an enjoyable book, but I’ve heard so much hype surrounding how wonderful this book was, and it just didn’t live up to the hype for me.  It was good but not great, and based on what so many other said about this book, I was expecting great.

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6. Best Surprise?

For best surprise, I’m going to have to go with The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees.  I honestly was not expecting much from this book, and it completely blew me away.  It was so well written, and just all-around way better than I expected!

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7. Favorite New Author?

My favorite new-to-me author would definitely be Shannon Dittemore. Her Angel Eyes trilogy was just so good, and I can’t wait for her to write more books, so I can read them!

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8. Newest Fictional Crush

I’m beginning to feel like a broken record, because this is the third time I’ve mentioned her/her books in this post, but honestly, Jake from Angel Eyes is just so swoon-worthy, and this series was just so good!  😍

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9. New Favorite Character?

There’s no way I could pick just one!  I’ve loved so many book characters this year, I really don’t know if I could narrow it down. 😘

10. Books That Made You Cry?

Oh boy!  A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker were both so, so good, and yet such tearjerkers!

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11. Books That Made You Happy?

Holes by Louis Sachar was so good and brought back so many memories for me.  This was the first time I had read the book, but I’ve seen the movie several times, and it was one of my favorites growing up.  Plus, I was so happy I finally got around to reading Holes, and that it did not disappoint!

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12. Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation?

😏 Based off my last response, I think it is exactly 0% surprising that my favorite book to movie adaptation is Holes.  Y’all. The movie and the book are both amazing!

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13. Favorite Review You’ve Written?

I really like this question!  It made me look back at my old reviews, which is actually something I don’t do enough.  Anyway, while I’m not sure if this one is necessarily my favorite review written in 2017, I really enjoyed writing my review for Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven.   You can check it out here!

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14. Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year?

This one is a no-brainer for me!  While I didn’t buy it, my wonderful mom recently bought me the absolutely gorgeous Puffin in Bloom collection, and oh my goodness, these books are just so deliciously good looking! 😍

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15. What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year?

ALL OF THEM!  Haha, but in all seriousness, there are so many books I want to read by the end of the year, I really don’t know which ones to list.  So, I’ll just say I want to get to the books that I already own.


I hope you all enjoyed reading this, because I had a lot of fun writing it!

Also, I have a new goal of posting a tag like this once a week on the blog from now on.  I’ve been tagged by so many lovely bloggers for so many different tags, and I’m absolutely horrible at getting to them (I have a tag I’ve been meaning to do for literally over a year).  So, look forward to more posts like these from me!

Thanks so much for reading, and if you haven’t yet, I encourage you to do the Mid-Year Book “Freak Out” tag as well!


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Title: The Photo Traveler by Arthur J. Gonzalez

Pages: 352

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Time Travel

Published by: Fahrenheit Publishing (Feb. 20, 2013)

Summary

Seventeen-year-old Gavin Hillstone is resigned to being miserable for the rest of his life. Left alone in the world after his parents died in a fire when he was four, he was placed in foster care, which for him meant ending up in an abusive home with an alcoholic adoptive father.

Gavin’s only escape is in taking and creating images. His camera is his refuge from the unending torture and isolation of daily life in his “family.”
Until he learns by accident that he isn’t alone in the world after all. His father’s parents are still alive and living in Washington DC.

When he takes the plunge and travels 3,000 miles to find his grandparents, he learns that they—and he—are part of something much bigger, and more dangerous, than he could ever have imagined. Something that has always put his family at risk and that will now threaten his own life, while forever changing it.

He learns that he is one of the last descendants of a small group of Photo Travelers—people who can travel through time and space through images. But his initial excitement turns to fear, when he soon discovers that he and his grandparents are being pursued by the fierce remnants of a radical European Photo Traveler cult, the Peace Hunters. What Gavin has, they want!

His adventure will take him to past eras, like The Great Depression and the Salem Witch Trials. Gavin will have to discover who he really is and must make choices that spell the difference between life and death for himself, for the relatives he now knows and loves, and for the girl he will come to love.

For Gavin Hillstone, life will never be the same.

The Photo Traveler

 

What I Thought

I had never heard of The Photo Traveler, before I saw an advertisement for it on Epic Reads.  Instantly, I was intrigued, which is something, because I usually don’t pay much attention to advertisements at the side of my screen. I saw it was only $0.99 at the Nook store, so I decided to go ahead and buy it.

I was hooked pretty quickly. I found the story really intriguing and I was drawn to the idea of time traveling through photos.  I loved the plot!  I also loved how Gavin talked and acted like a regular 17 year old.  It made his character seem realistic.  I also loved Gavin’s relationship with his grandparents.

I have to say the only thing I didn’t entirely care for about this book, was that some of the events and relationships happened very quickly. Without spoiling anything, I felt like certain moments were being built up to happen slowly, and over time, and then all of a sudden they were already happening.

Also, like most self-published books I’ve read, I caught a couple of typos, but for me at least, they didn’t distract from the story any way.

Also: CLIFFHANGER!!!

So, overall, I highly recommend this book!  I think fans of time travel would really enjoy this book, but it’s not too complicated or confusing that I think even readers who don’t typically enjoy time travel novels would still enjoy this one.

4 and half stars 2

 

*Review originally written July 2013*


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It’s 11 days late, but here it is: my June wrap-up!  Honestly, I’m a little disappointed in the amount of reading I actually got done.  I finished three books in June, which is not terrible for me, but in the summer months I usually read more.  So, I had hoped to just finish a few more books, but oh well!  At least all the books I read were great ones!

BOOKS READ

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– Dark Halo by Shannon Dittemore \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

– Holes by Louis Sachar \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

– My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

STANDOUT BOOK OF THE MONTH

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I really loved all the books I read this month, but I’m going to have to go with Holes.  This book was so, so good.  It’s one of those books I wish I had read it sooner!

BOOKS REVIEWED

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holes by Louis Sachar \\ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BOOK HAUL

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I only bought one book last month, but I know it’s going to be a good one! I bought Sarah Dessen’s new book, Once and for All.  I love Sarah Dessen’s writing, so I’m super excited to read this book!

MISCELLANEOUS

Top Ten Books of 2017 So Far

Summer Reading Goals of 2017

Reading in Style


That wraps up June!  My goals for July include reading more and blogging more.  I have so many reviews I need to write.  Obviously, my blogging hasn’t been great for July yet, but hopefully the rest of the month will be better!

Thanks so much for reading!


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top ten tuesday

It’s Top Ten Tuesday again!  It’s a weekly bookish list created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Books of 2017 (So far!)

In order of read date:

The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

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This was the first book by Ellen Hopkins that I had ever read, and it was so good!  It was so raw, emotional, and beautifully written.  I loved the intertwining of verse and prose, which helped to perfectly tell this story.

Check out my full review!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

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I  admit, I was a little hesitant to read this book.  The only other book I’ve read by Patrick Ness is The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I ended up not loving it.  So, I was afraid I might not love his writing style.  Plus, A Monster Calls has received so much praise and hype, I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to it for me.  That being said, this book was so gorgeous!  I fell completely in love.  This book broke my heart in the very best way possible, and I highly recommend it.

Check out my full review!

Replica by Lauren Oliver

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This book was so good!  I love Lauren Oliver’s writing, so I was excited to read Replica to begin with, but it ended up being even better than I expected!  I loved how creative this book was, and the dual perspective was exactly what this novel needed.  I cannot wait to read the sequel coming out this fall!

Check out my full review!

 

 

 

 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

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I had read a few of her short stories, but this was my first time reading one of Rainbow Rowell’s full novels, and I loved it!  I think it’s safe to say that I am a Rainbow Rowell fan.  I loved the writing, the story, the characters, everything.  I’m so glad I finally read Eleanor & Park!

Check out my full review!

 

 

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

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Everything Everything is another book that has been so hyped up, that I didn’t know if I would like it or not.  Sometimes super hyped books end up disappointing me.  I ended up loving this one, though!  It was so well-paced, creative, and I just loved reading this book.

Check out my full review!

 

 

 

 

 

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees

9466118.jpgI had only recently discovered this book, and I hadn’t heard a lot about it, so I really didn’t know if I was going to enjoy it or not.  It sounded really intriguing though, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance.  The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott completely exceeded any expectations I may have had.  It was just so lovely, and I loved everything about it.  This book deserves to be more well known!

Check out my full review!

 

 

 

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

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Honestly, this whole series is incredible.  The Angel Eyes series is such an adventure from start to finish!  It’s one of those books that has a little bit of everything: action, adventure, mystery, romance, angels & demons, ballet – it truly has it all!

Check out my full review!

 

 

 

 

 

Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is one of my absolute favorite series!  So, obviously, Tales of the Peculiar, was on my TBR the second this book was announced.  It’s a collection of peculiar fairy tales, and it’s such a fun read!  The tales were so whimsical, and if you’re a Miss Peregrine fan, this book is a must-have!

I don’t have my review for this one posted yet, but check it out on Goodreads!

 

 

 

Holes by Louis Sachar

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I loved this book!  I’ve always been a fan of the movie, and so this book has been on my TBR for quite a while now.  So I’m so glad I finally read this one.  The story is just so well thought out and creative.  I wish I had read this book when I was a kid, because younger me would have loved Holes so much.  No matter the age, though, this book was really fantastic!

Check out my full review!

 

 

 

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

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This book was so enjoyable! I’ve heard so many good things about not only this author, but this book specifically, so I was really looking forward to reading this one.  I loved the writing style, and the characters were all so unique. I cannot wait to read more of Fredrik Backman’s books!

I don’t have my review for this one posted yet, but check it out on Goodreads!

 

 

 

 

 


So, those are 10 of the best books I’ve read, so far, for 2017!  Let me know which books have been your favorite for this year. 🙂


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Title: Holes by Louis Sachar

Pages: 233

Genres: Childrens/Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Published by: Scholastic (Aug. 20, 1998)

Summary
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.

It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

Holes (Holes, #1)

 

What I Thought

I just have to say, I can’t believe I didn’t read this book sooner!  I first saw the movie back when it originally came out and absolutely loved it.  I’ve seen it many times since then.  So, the book has always been on my radar, and sort of on my TBR, but it was just one of those books that I always thought about reading but never actually bought or got around to.  Then, this spring I saw it at my library’s book sale for $0.25, so naturally, I finally bought it and read it, and I’m so glad I did.

I absolutely adored this book and everything about it!  It was filled with so much adventure and mystery and the story line was just incredibly well done.  I loved the alternating perspectives from the past Green Lake and the present.  Holes is one of those books that is so well thought out.  Having seen the movie (which I might add is a quite faithful adaptation with only few differences), I knew what was going to happen, so I was really able to focus on the little details of the story, and I loved watching everything come together.  Every single detail was so interconnected between the past and the present, and it just made this book So. Good!

The characters were also phenomenal.  Stanley grew so much as a character, and I love how it was done so subtly.  He didn’t just wake up a new person one day, it was a slight, day by day change that was so realistic.  I also loved seeing Zero grow and learn to stand up for himself.  I also really appreciated how diverse all the characters were.  This was something I never really thought about before when I had seen the movie, but many of the characters come from such different and diverse backgrounds.

Honestly, I don’t even know what else to say about this book other than the fact that I loved it and wish that I had read it sooner.  I only finished this book about a week and a half ago, and I already want to reread it.  This sounds so over dramatic, but honestly, right after I finished reading Holes, I low-key wanted to start rereading it right then and there.

Overall, I would recommend this book to basically everyone, but especially to fans of the movie, and all kids age 8-14 (but seriously, even if you’re an adult, go read it!).

5 stars 2

 

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It’s that time of year again!  The sun is shining, gardens are growing, the pool is open…It’s summertime!  I absolutely love the summer months.  So, today I thought I’d share my reading goals for Summer 2017!  Also, just to be clear I generally count my “summer reading” from Memorial Day to Labor Day – late May through early September.


1. Read at Least 20 Books

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Last year my summer reading goal was 15 books, and I read 20, so I thought this year I’d just make my goal 20 books!

2. Complete My Library’s Summer Reading Program

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My library has a great summer reading program for all ages that not only encourages reading, but also exercising.  I love participating and look forward to it each summer!

3. Read More Classics

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I used to try and read a classic once a month, but for this year so far, I haven’t read any!

4. Read Gone with the Wind

Going off my last goal, one of the classics I want to read is Gone with the Wind.  So many people absolutely love this book, and I have never read it or even seen the movie.  I admit, I’m a little intimidated by this book because it is h u g e, but I feel like summer would be the perfect time to conquer such a mammoth!

5. Finish Some Series!

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I have so many series on my shelf that I have started, and even own all the books, but have yet to finish!  I’d really like to actually see how all those awesome series I’ve started end.

6. Reread The Book Thief

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I read The Book Thief a few years ago, and completely fell in love with it.  I haven’t read it since, but I’ve been meaning to for a long time.  I wanted to reread it last summer, but never got around to it, so hopefully this summer I can!

7. Participate in a Readathon

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I love readathons!  They give me the perfect push to read more.  I know there are probably many out there, but I’m still looking for one to participate it in.  So, if you know of any, let me know!


Those are my reading goals for the summer!  What are yours?  Let me know in the comments. 🙂


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Title: Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Pages: 336

Genres: YA, Paranormal, Romance, Christian Fiction

Published by: Thomas Nelson (May 29, 2012).

Summary

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

Angel Eyes (Angel Eyes, #1)

 

What I Thought

If you follow me on Twitter or my Instagram, you’ve probably seen me gushing about this series the past few weeks. Angel Eyes is one of those books that has been on my TBR for so long.  I first discovered this series a few years ago when I was browsing Lifeway.  The premise seemed intriguing, so I bought the book, but it was one that I just never got around to.  Then, last fall, the author of of Angel Eyes was hosting a giveway of all 3 books, and I won!  And now, I finally got around to reading them, and I don’t know what took me so long, but I’m so glad I’ve finally read this series!

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