Today is Top Ten Tuesday – A weekly bookish list created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is:
Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR
First up:
- I bought Dorothy Must Die forever ago, but I still haven’t read it! All this talk about Yellow Brick War has made me really want to start this series though.
Second,
- Reached is another book I’ve had in my shelf for awhile that I still haven’t read. I’m not sure why either, because I’ve always really enjoyed this series!
Next,
- Yet another book I’ve had on my shelf for over a year that I have not read! This is actually 3 books in 1, and I haven’t read any of them yet. I really loved the original Christy Miller series, and I’m curious to read these and see what happens next!
After that,
- I borrowed this book from the library, so I’m going to have to read this one very soon. It’s due on the 25th
Then,
- I’ve hear nothing but good things about this book!
Next up,
- I’ve heard this book is so good, and the story sounds so interesting! Someone just needs to buy this book for me so I can read it now!
After that,
- Dance of Fire is another book I’ve had for a while that I’ve yet to read!
Lastly,
- Another book I own; another book I haven’t read… Half my bookshelves are basically overflowing with books I’ve had for 6 months+ that I haven’t read! 😂
That’s it for this week! What books are on your Spring TBR?
Summary
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.
What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.
What I Thought
First, can we talk about that cover for a moment? It is so beautiful and unique! 😍
Anyway, this is the first book that I’ve heard about and read by April Tucholke. So, I really didn’t know what kind of story to expect, other than the fact that it was a mystery of sorts. I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
Wink Poppy Midnight is told from three different perspectives by the main characters of the story, Wink, Poppy, and Midnight. Each chapter is fairly short, which I loved, because short chapters give me an excuse to read “just one quick chapter more!” The writing in general, is very beautiful; it’s descriptive, without being overly so, and it is just written in a very imaginative, poetic way. Some of the sentences are just so beautifully written.
I really enjoyed the characters as well. I felt the characters were very fleshed out, even most of the supporting characters, and I felt like they all had a story to tell. There was a bit of mystery in everyone, and I loved that. Throughout the entire book, I was trying to see where certain plot points were going, and which characters were lying, and which character was being honest, and who was hiding something. This book definitely had a mysterious vibe, even before things really started to get going.
I really did not see the ending coming at all, which I really liked also. The only thing I was confused about, or maybe I just missed something, was the very end. I’m not going to spoil anything, but I wasn’t sure if a certain something did or did not happen, or if it was left to interpretation. So, I’d really like to talk about the ending with someone who has finished this book, so I can get their perspective!! 🙂
Other than that, this story was a really good, fast-paced read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a different kind of mystery, or someone who is a fan of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart or The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle.
**I got this book for free, as part of the First To Read program by Penguin, for the purpose of providing an honest review. Wink Poppy Midnight will be released March 22, 2016!**
Summary
Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To:
– find the liquor cabinet blindfolded
– need a liver transplant
– drive his car into a houseAlice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To:
– well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.
Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted … but maybe should have.
And Alice is caught in the middle.
Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this return to the world of My Life Next Door is a story about failing first, trying again, and having to decide whether to risk it all once more.
What I Thought
This was the first book I’ve read from Huntley Fitzpatrick. So, I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into exactly! I will say I hadn’t realized The Boy Most Likely was a sequel to My Life Next Door. Technically it’s described as a companion novel, since it’s about Tim and Alice, but there are a lot of Jace and Sam in this book as well, and they talk about a lot of what happened in, I’m assuming, My Life Next Door, and I think it would have helped me get into the book better in the beginning chapters, if I had known that. So, I definitely recommend reading MLND before The Boy Most Likely.
Despite a confusing beginning (which is only because I missed the memo on this book being a sequel), this book was still such a page turner! The characters in this book were fantastic and so real. What I really liked about Tim and Alice’s relationship was the fact that this wasn’t “insta-love.” Tim realizes he is a mess, and he truly is trying to better himself. Alice is the typical date-and-dump kind of gal, but begins to realize maybe there can be more than that. I also love, love, loved that Alice actually truly cared about her family! She was clearly overworked, but she never resented her parents or her siblings or anything like that, which is something I haven’t read in a lot of books. It seems that the “overworked child” usually ends up escaping her mean, selfish family, and it was refreshing to see the earnest love Alice and her family had for each other. She actually cared about her family, and likewise, her family actually loved and cared about her too! The whole family was really wonderful! It was nice to read about a big family that all actually loved and supported each other amidst the struggles.
One thing I want to make known, is this would definitely be a book for an older YA reader. There’s quite a bit of language and sexual content that may not be appropriate for some younger teens. Despite that though, if you’re looking for a more mature, YA novel, featuring honest characters who are truly trying to better themselves and a positive family image (well, for Alice’s family anyway…), with a realistically paced romance, then this book is for you!
With this book, Tim Mason just might be the boy most likely to steal your heart! (hehe sorry I couldn’t help it!)
**I got this book for free to review as part of the First to Read program. The Boy Most Likely To will be released August 18, 2015!**
Review originally written July 2015.
February was the first month that I participated in The Pretty Books’ 2016 Classics Challenge, which is where each month you read at least one classic book of your choice.
February’s Book:
Check it out on Goodreads
Originally Published: 1678
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Synopsis: Often rated as important as the Bible as a Christian document, this famous story of man’s progress through life in search of salvation remains one of the most entertaining allegories of faith ever written. Set against realistic backdrops of town and country, the powerful drama of the pilgrim’s trials and temptations follows him in his harrowing journey to the Celestial City.
Along a road filled with monsters and spiritual terrors, Christian confronts such emblematic characters as Worldly Wiseman, Giant Despair, Talkative, Ignorance, and the demons of the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But he is also joined by Hopeful and Faithful.
An enormously influential 17th-century classic, universally known for its simplicity, vigor, and beauty of language, The Pilgrim’s Progress remains one of the most widely read books in the English language.
WHEN I Discovered This Classic
I’m not exactly sure when I discovered The Pilgrim’s Progress. I think someone at my church mentioned it a couple years ago, and it was one of those books I was always going to look into, but never bothered to until years later.
WHY I Chose to Read It
I’ve had several people tell me this book was the perfect allegory for the Christian faith, and it was free at the Nook store, so I thought why not?
WHAT Makes It A Classic
Well for starters, this book is over 300 years old. It’s also a book that is thought very highly of in many churches, and many other Christian based organizations.
WHAT I Thought of This Classic
This book was okay. For me, I’d say it was about 2 1/2 – 3 stars. I gave it a 3 star rating on Goodreads, because 2 stars seemed too harsh. Plus, the lessons that can be learned, and the reminder this book gives you on what it means to be a true follower of Christ are just as meaningful and important today, as they were in the 17th century. The issue I had was that, while I’m sure this book was very influential and amazing when it came out, its pace and style is pretty clearly from the 1600’s. This book was definitely written for Puritans. Honestly, it took me almost 6 months to read this book, and it’s not even 200 pages. I’m glad I read this book though, just because this story has been read by so many generations, and it’s interesting that despite all this time, this book is still being read, and influencing people, and is still being talked about.
WILL It Stay A Classic
Well, this book has been around for over 300 years, so I think it’s safe to say that this book probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, I feel like it’s become lesser known throughout the years, so it may continue to decrease in popularity. Despite that though, there are too many people who still really adore this book (I would imagine this especially so in the very strict Christian denominations, such as the Amish) for it to ever completely disappear or lose its “classic” status.
WHO I’d Recommend It To
I would recommend this book to Christians who are interested in reading classic, Christian literature. Or, this book would be interesting for anyone who is curious to read about what the Puritans read.
Today is Top Ten Tuesday – A weekly bookish list created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is:
Top Ten Books If You’re In The Mood For Dancing
As a ballet dancer, I love to read books involving dance. This week I’m going to list five books/series involving dance that I’ve read, and five books/series involving dance that are on my TBR.
First up, the top 5 ballet books that I’ve read:
- On Pointe by Lorie Ann Grover
This book was so, so good! It’s about a girl who is an incredible ballet dancer, but she doesn’t have exactly the “right” body to get accepted into the program she wants. This book is all about learning to accept what life gives you, and if you’re passionate about something, never give it up.
Next on my list is:
- The Dani Spevak Mystery series by Amanda Brice
This is such a fun, cute, mystery series. It’s about a girl who gets accepted into a performing arts boarding school, and she is always stumbling across mysteries. I love the way dance is so incorporated, and if you don’t know a whole lot about dance, that’s okay, because this series really explains different dance styles and steps. It’s really a lot of fun!
After that:
- Bunheads by Sophie Flack
This book is about 19-year-old Hannah Ward, who works in the corp de ballet for a prestigious ballet company. It deals with all the joys and struggles of dancing. This book was actually written by a former dancer of the NYCB, too!
Fourth on my list is:
- The Dance of Shadows series by Yelena Black
The series is about a girl named Vanessa, who gets accepted into the very same prestigious ballet academy where her sister, Margaret, went missing. This series is a mystery, with a paranormal twist.
Last on my list of books I’ve read is:
- Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
This is such a lovely book about three orphaned sisters trying to make a name for themselves. Don’t be fooled by the tween-y cover, while this is a children’s book, it is one of those books that, I think, could be enjoyed by all.
Now onto the top 5 books I want to read:
First up:
- Girl in Motion by Miriam Wenger-Landis
I’ve wanted to read this book for a while now, and I actually own it. I just haven’t gotten around to reading it yet! Check out it’s synopsis here!
Second on the list is:
- A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin
I’ve heard this book is quite good, but I’m hesitant to read it, because I know I’m going to cry! Check it out on Goodreads!
Next up:
- Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy by Elizabeth Kiem
This series sounds really mysterious and interesting! Check it out here.
Fourth:
- Tour De Force by Elizabeth White
I actually just checked this book out of the library, so I will be reading this one in the next week or two! Read about it here.
And finally:
- Up To This Pointe by Jennifer Longo
This book was just released in January, and it just sounds really interesting! Check out its synopsis here.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s list. Let me know what you thought!
*The Pilgrim’s Progress not pictured
This month wasn’t a spectacular reading month, but that’s okay, because this month I actually created this blog! Making a book blog is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time, but I never got around to it before, or I couldn’t think of a name, or I’ve always had some other excuse, but I finally made one. So, I’ll excuse my lack of reading for this month and just celebrate the fact that I finally made this blog. 😊
BOOKS READ
Overall, I read three books this month:
– Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
– Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover ⭐️⭐️⭐️
– The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan ⭐️⭐️⭐️
BOOKS REVIEWED
– The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
– Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
– The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
CLASSIC READ
I’m participating in ThePrettyBooks’ 2016 Classics Challenge, which is where you read at least one classic book per month. This month I read:
– The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
Click here to read the full post about this month’s Classics Challenge book!
Summary
What if you aren’t the Chosen One? The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?
What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.
Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.
Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.
What I Thought
I want to start by saying, I have heard really good things about this book. So many people absolutely adore this book. In fact, the high praise involving this book was one of the biggest reasons I even bought it. I’ll be honest and say that I really had very little knowledge of what this book was about when I purchased it, but I saw it at Target, on sale, and signed by the author, that, on top of all the praise it had gotten, was enough for me! Actually reading the book though, I was a little underwhelmed. I did not dislike The Rest of Us Just Live Here, I just did not love it like I wanted to.
Something I really did enjoy in this book were the Indie Kids. Indie Kids are the characters who would be the main protagonist in any typical YA novel. I loved the way they were portrayed, and I actually thought it was really funny! I really liked that at the beginning of each chapter, you were given a glimpse as to what was going on in the Indie Kids’ lives. This book really shows us what is going on in the lives of everybody else, while the hero (aka the Indie Kid) is out saving the world again.
I also appreciated the way mental illness was portrayed. The main character, Mikey, has OCD, and his sister also is recovering from an eating disorder. I felt it was a very honest portrayal of these mental illnesses, and it was very interesting to to read about what it is like to experience them.
I also enjoyed the various friendships, family, and romantic relationships. They were all very realistic, and I really liked that.
Honestly, this book wasn’t bad, but I just found it a bit…boring at times. I get that the characters were supposed to just be living their life like an average high schooler, but let’s be real, that’s boring sometimes. Aside from the ending, there was just a little too much everyday life in this book. Maybe if I was in high school still, I would have found it more exciting and relatable, but I’m not. So, it just ended up feeling uneventful a lot of them time, for me anyway. Like I said though, I’ve heard many great things about this book, so maybe it just wasn’t the one for me!
Overall, this book features a very unique storyline with good characters. It was just a bit boring for me at times.
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature started by Breaking the Spine, that puts the spotlight on upcoming releases! While I’m not sure if I will be doing this every week, I would like to try and feature an upcoming book that I’m excited for at least once a month.
Today’s pick is:
Awe by Travis Thrasher
Releasing late March 2016
Pre-order it here!
Synopsis:
After his best friend disappears and his girlfriend abandons him, Brandon finds himself alone with few answers about what’s happening in the small town of Appleton. Nobody knows the whereabouts of Devon, so Brandon decides to get the help of a private investigator who warns him of bad things ahead. At every possible turn, Brandon seems to meet a roadblock. With Marvel’s dangerous uncle, Carlos. With the mysterious Otis Sykes. Even with Marvel herself. What darkness awaits them as the story unfolds?
The third in The Books of Marvella series after Marvelous and Wonder. Watch for the final book, Glory.
So far, this series has been incredible! I am very eagerly awaiting book #3! Also, can we please take a moment to admire the cover? This entire series has had really unique, beautiful covers!
Today is Top Ten Tuesday – A weekly bookish list created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is:
Top Ten Books Outside of My Usual Reading Type
It’s actually going to just be Top 5 this week, because I don’t read outside of my comfort zone enough…lol
First up is:
- On Pointe Lorie Ann Grover
I love dance books, so naturally I was interested in this book. What made this book unique though, is the fact that it was written in free verse. I’ve only read one other book written this way (If I Stay, which I loved), so I was a bit unsure. This book is so beautiful though, and having it written in free verse really adds to its beauty I think. I really, really loved this book. I borrowed it from the library, but I would love to own this one someday. It’s been almost a year since I’ve read it, and yet I still think about it. On Pointe was definitely one of the best books I read in 2015.
Next on my list is:
- Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This book is a memoir of sorts, and I never read memoirs. Honestly, I don’t read a whole lot of non-fiction to begin with, so I wasn’t really sure what I was getting myself into with this one. This book was good though; really good, and really well-written also!
Another unique read for me was:
- The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
This is an adult fiction novel, and for the most part, I read YA. I do, however, like to expand past that sometimes, which is why I decided to read The Book of Speculation. For the most part, this book was really mysterious and intriguing, and was quite enjoyable!
After that, I’ve got:
- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
I don’t read a lot of classics. I’m trying to read more of them, because I want to experience and read books of all types, but in all honesty, classics are not my typical go-to genre. This book was a good one though! I read it around Halloween time, which was perfect because this is a very spooky and mysterious book!
And lastly:
- Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Magic
I never read compilations like this. Despite that, this was still a rather fun, easy read, and a very Christmas-y book, that I enjoyed reading over the holidays. 🙂
Well, I hope you enjoyed this little list of mine! Let me know what you thought, and thanks for reading. 🙂
the calico books 