Monthly Recs: Books I am Thankful For

So this is going to be a first and I think it will adhere to some interesting content. Forgive me if these continue on and I just don't have enough to put into the post, as I realize I do need and want to read more content.

Monthly Recommendations is a Goodreads group found Here by Trina from the book-tube channel Between Chapters and Kayla from the book-tube channel KaylaRayne

Monthly Recommendations basically just gives you themes to give book recommendations each month. And with November comes the theme: Books You are Thankful for.

The first book/series I am thankful for is: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Why? Its a unique story, but also because it's a series that I was challenged to read. My mom got me the first three books in the series in promise that I would read at least the first three before the movie with Jim Carrey came out. I did, plus more, and she took my brother's and I to see it in theaters where I proceeded to point out everything that was wrong. This book helped me realize I am not one to read a book then see the movie adaptation but rather watch the movie then read the book. But this series also just started getting me into series as a whole in elementary school. Just in time for middle school where I am thankful for these two oddities on the list.

Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya and Tokyo Mew Mew by Mia Ikumi

...yeah these came out of left field. No I haven't picked them up since 2003, but they're still dear to me. I am thankful for these two manga series because it got me closer to my two best friends that I am lucky to still have today. And oddly these books kind of fit them perfectly. I don't own these two any more but I always regretted giving them up. My friends and I were a bit obsessed with anime and manga in middle school. We'd crush over guys in manga and anime, write fan fiction....yeah you know just a bit obsessed. We'd all meet up early in the morning in the library and read in the corner by the heater. I am thankful for these books to help me build the foundation of my friendships.

I don't think anyone has left out J.K. Rowling, and I'm not about to start:

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I read the Hunger Games before I read Harry Potter. I watched Twilight before I read Harry Potter. I watched Harry Potter before I read Harry Potter. But despite my late decent into the books, I still hold them dear. I'm a proud Huffle-claw/Raven-puff. And although I think J.K. Rowling can and should just stop and just do a re-release every ten/twenty years, I love the constant development. No I don't want her to re-write the series from Snape's perspective. No I don't want her to right a new series focusing on the Marauders. But I enjoy reading the back stories to characters I wish were a little more present in the books in Pottermore. I enjoy hearing how she came up with Quidditch in a pub. I don't feel like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was necessary. Yes I enjoy, no it's not needed. Yes I could have lived with out it. I am Thankful for Harry Potter's World, and letting me escape as I entered college.

And I'm Thankful for Neil Gaiman

I had liked Neil Gaiman for Coraline a couple years ago but wasn't sure about any of his other books at the time. Until my youngest brother had suggested Norse Mythology on Audio. I was hooked. Not just with Neil Gaiman's voice, but his stories, his characters. I am thankful for Neil Gaiman's imagination, creativity and writing. For taking me across the United States to other world's with him.

What books are you thankful for this November?

Until next time

Litta

Fall Time, Cozy Time Book Tag

Have been meaning to do a fall type book tag for a bit now, and figured this one would fit pretty perfectly:

Fall Time Cozy Time Book Tag by Sam from Sam's Nonsense

Like always I will leave the questions down below if you want to do them yourself.


1) Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color - Choose a book that has reads/oranges/yellows on the cover

I'm not sure if I should be choosing one that I own that's on my shelf or one I want for my shelf...I'll do both.

From my shelf:

Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

The orangest book I own, I think the black vines and yellow flowers help with that fall feel.

From my "to-buy" list:

Risen by Cole Gisben

This book doesn't come out until March of 2018 but this cover is fall.

2) Cozy Sweater: It's finally cool enough to don warm and cozy clothing: What book gives you the warm fuzzies?

My Grandmother Told Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman translated by Henning Koch

This book is just so heart warming. Told from the view point of a seven year old, it's just so endearing and quirky.

3) Fall Storm: The wind is howling and the rain is pounding - choose your favorite book or genre that you like to read on a stormy day.

It's hard to pinpoint a genre or book specifically for me really, as I'm a mood reader I can't say I prefer one genre over another pending on the season. But I guess if I had to choose, it'd be more towards fantasy or thriller/mystery

Guess the perfect example of this would be:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I listened to this in June but it would have been a good one for fall. As the time line kind of lends itself to the fall/winter seasons.

4) Cool Crisp Air: What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with?

Hermoine Granger....

In all honestly from the first like 4 or 5 books of the Harry Potter Series, particularly Prisoner of Azkaban because I would have totally gotten myself a Time Turner to take more classes (in fact I wore one every time I chose classes for college because there was always way more I wanted to take than my schedule would allow)

Otherwise probably Citra from:

Scythe by Neil Shusterman

So spoiler alert for my November Review, I just finished this book, and Citra is such a bad ass. She's cunning and sly and I just admire her courage to speak up for what she knows is right and her dedication to pursue the right path.

5) Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest hottest thing?

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

I haven't heard much of anything from anyone about this book and I think it's just so important to read. This book follows Subhi who was born into a refugee camp and has been waiting there with his family for years to be able to be let into the country of Australia, or for his dad to come get them and take them back to ....I think it's Guam...If not I am so sorry. The story if fiction but is based around the treatment of refugees in Australia. Fraillon also goes into how refugees are treated similarly in other countries in a blurb at the end of the book. It's an eye opener for sure.

6) Coat, Scarves and Mittens: The weather has turned cold and it's time to cover up - What's the most embarrassing book cover you own that you will keep hidden in public?

Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno

Enjoyed the story of this book. Despise this cover so much. Yes, no joke, to the point where I wouldn't take it in public. I'm aware it's not Katrina Leno's fault, authors tend not to have any control of the cover art of their book. I'm looking at you Harpercollins.

7) Pumpkin Spice: What your favorite fall time comfort food/foods?

Chai tea, or anything with cinnamon

and

Macaroni and Cheese, or anything warm with noodles and garlic bread.

Alright that was in for the Fall Time, Cozy Time Book tag

Until next time!

Litta



Questions:

1) Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color - Choose a book that has reads/oranges/yellows on the cover

2) Cozy Sweater: It's finally cool enough to don warm and cozy clothing: What book gives you the warm fuzzies?

3)Fall Storm: The wind is howling and the rain is pounding - choose your favorite book or genre that you like to read on a stormy day.

4) Cool Crisp Air: What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with?

5) Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest hottest thing?

6) Coat, Scarves and Mittens: The weather has turned cold and it's time to cover up - What's the most embarrassing book cover you own that you will keep hidden in public?

7) Pumpkin Spice: What your favorite fall time comfort food/foods?

October Review

So October was a whirl wind of emotions and events, needless to say I didn't read much at all. Two books. I suppose that's better than nothing but I still feel a bit "meh" about it. Cuz you know, "meh" is a valid feeling to have.

The first book I read I had started in September and finished in October, it took me a bit because it was a little hard to get into and that book was:

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

Published September 2016, By Little, Brown and Company

This book follows Lib, a nurse who has been hired to observe a proclaimed "wonder" of God. Tourists flock to Ireland to see the eleven year old girl who can live off manna from heaven, Anna O'Donnell. To assure she is indeed a "wonder" and out of concern for her health, Lib Wright is hired to observe the girl, a veteran of the Florence Nightingale's Crimean Campaign, she's skeptical and thinks this job will be over quickly.

So I got this as an extra in my October BOTM, that's one thing I love about them, this book was actually an option in October of 2016, but books of the past are readily available as an extra purchase (assuming it's not sold out) for only $9.99. Other book subscriptions do have past boxes available occasionally but I found it's usually a special sale for a holiday.

Anyway...At the time it came out this book intrigued me but I was still cautious with this whole book subscription dealio and was still having issues trying to pick a "good" book for me to choose when it came to Book of the Month. But ever since then, I've been seeing it, and ultimately the cover was what kept drawing me in. And every time I picked it up I would grow curiouser and curiouser about the story. Finally I caved and purchased it. As I said before it took me a little bit to get into, it's a little slow paced. The setting is in Ireland shortly after the potato famine. But when I did start getting into it, I didn't want to put it down. Lib had so much growth in the book, and her past gets revealed little by little, as does Anna O'Donnell's. This book has an interesting angle on pitting faith and moral sensibility against each other, and every step of the way I was questioning everyone's involvement.

Think I gave this 3.75 out of 5 stars.

The Next book I read I actually forgot to mention in my October Haul and that was:

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Published September 2017, by Harperteen

This book follows Mateo and Ruffus in a future not so different from ours, the only thing is Death Cast, an agency that can predict when you are going to die, but not how and not the specific time. Death Cast calls it's victims? clients? Between 12 am - 3 am to let them know that with in the next 24 hours, they will die. Death Cast then helps you organize burial or cremation plans. This book is the 24 hour perspectives of Mateo and Ruffus and how their 24 hours goes for each of them, as well as a couple other side characters.

I don't think I did justice to the synopsis. I listened to this on Audible, which is why I think I didn't add it into my October Haul as I often go off my physical book pile.

I didn't plan to read this originally, but after sampling it on audible, the guy who voiced Mateo stuck with me. The voice actors themselves were relatively great, the only thing I had issues with was due to the switching of perspective between Mateo and Ruffus and the voice actors trying to talk like the other in perspective switch as well as the narration not always saying who said what, it was hard to tell who was who at times. If that makes any sense at all. At times it would be Mateo's chapter and when Ruffus would talk the voice actor would try to sound like Ruffus but it wouldn't always work, and with dialogue it just became hard to distinguish between the two.

The story itself was interesting. Though I do wish it went a little further into Death Cast, and how they were able to know when people died. My other issue was if they altered people's death by telling them. So by telling them they were going to die that day, did they have an effect on people's deaths or was it bound to happen anyway? This will be a debatable question. But in my opinion yes, I feel like Death Cast may have influenced someone's death by revealing they were going to die.

Mateo I felt was a little too paranoid, and Ruffus's lingo bugged me. How "like" is a filler word for us was the same for "mad" with Ruffus, it was used for everything. Otherwise the voice actors who played them, I felt played them well. Mateo was the introverted gamer who just wanted to be able to live a life other's could see as worth living but was too afraid to do so, and all I wanted to do was protect him. While Ruffus was outgoing "thug" type who felt he was welcoming death due to his troubled past, who was also insightful and had a passion for photography that made me melt. They both had a "you could die at any moment" mentality that couldn't be more different than each other but their relationship blossomed in away that didn't feel like it was rushed despite being in 24 hours. I didn't want the title of the book to be true, but I didn't want it to mislead me either.

One thing I do have to say was that the ending fell a little flat. Yes it made me cry at various points, and I still gave it four out of five stars, but I was expecting to throw the book and sob, cursing Silvera for making me feel for characters and then ripping them away from me in a dramatic ending. And that just didn't happen. At the end I was left with a kind of "well fuck" feeling. Yeah it was still sad, but it was still kind of disappointing.

So that was it for my October Review, let me know if you've read either of these books, and what your thoughts were on them. If you want to discuss further feel free, I'm happy to do so. Some prompts for that can be: Would you want to know you were going to die with in 24 hours? What would you do?

Until next time!

Litta

Late October Haul

I am well aware that these are late, and I apologize, the beginning of this month has and emotional rollercoaster and I just haven't had it in me to blog. But here we go with my October Haul, which turned out bigger than I expected.

This first one I actually found at Costco

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld

Published September 2017, by Harper

Three years ago, Madison Oliver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon's Skookum National Forest. She would be eight years old now, assuming she survived. Certain that someone took their daughter the Culver's turn to Naomi, a private investigator with a talent for locating lost and missing children, having been one herself, once upon a time. Known to the police as The Child Finder Naomi is the Culver's last hope. But as Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison's disappearance, Naomi's defenses start to crumble as she is reminded of a terrible loss she can feel but can't remember.

So I know thrillers are typically for "Halloween" reads, but I'm excited and hope to get to this by December. That's one thing I tend to enjoy is when an atmosphere in a book is reflected similarly to what I experience in my own. If it's cold in the book it's more relatable to me if weather is making it so I'm cold. If it's fall in the book I'd like it to be fall when I'm reading it, etc... That's always hard especially with books with longer time lines, or ever unnatural environments (fantasy books) But this looks like a good December read.

This next book I snagged at Northtown Books

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Published September 2017, By Simon Pulse

So this was mostly a cover by. I remember Kayla from BooksandLala talk about it on her youtube channel for a cover reveal...I think. But I just marked it as "to-read" because I thought the cover was gorgeous. Reading a little bit of the synopsis it's about a Japanese-American girl who has anxiety and stress. She doesn't end up getting into her dream art college and finds herself living with her abusive uncle. So when a friend invites her to the west coast to tour art colleges, she jumps at the idea, despite her worries and anxiety. So it sounds like a personal growth book, and it's about art, so I'm all for it.

The next three books I actually found at this place called the Book Legger, it's a second hand book store that has the occasional new release, but I was able to find a couple that have been on my radar for a while.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Published September 2012 by Atom

Honestly I don't know jack about this book. It's supposed to be a little fantasy, a little paranormal, and the trilogy is supposed to be amazing. So I wanted to give this one a go.

Every Day by David Levithan

Published August 2012, by Young Readers

So this one seemed really really interesting, and trippy. So everyday this person/consciousness wakes up in a new body, a new life. There's no warning about where it will be or who it will be and this consciousness has made peace with that. But then one day this consciousness wakes up in the body of Justin, and meets Justin's girlfriend Rhiannon. From that moment on the rules no longer apply to this consciousness, because finally it has found someone it want's to be with, day in, day out, day after day after day.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Published October 2010, by Harper Perennial Canada

This one I don't know too much about either. Since reading Lily and the Octopus and having it be compared with this book I've been looking to find it. I actually had heard about it before I got Lily and the Octopus but wasn't able to find it. My boyfriend has read it and says that if Lily and the Octopus or Marley and Me made me cry, then I will definitely cry at this one. That and the cover is just adorable.

The next two books I got in my Book of the Month Box for October:

my selection for the month was Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

Published October 2017, by Scribner

Anna Kerrigan is twelve years old amidst the Great Depression. Her and her father go to a house of a man she thinks is crucial to the survival of her father and her family. Anna observes the uniformed servants, the lavishing of toys on the children and some secret pact between her father and Dexter Styles. Years later, her father disappears and the country is out war. Anna works at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where women are allowed to hold jobs that had always belonged to men. She becomes the first female diver, the most dangerous and exclusive of occupations, repairing the ships that will help America win the war. She is the sole provider of her mother, a farm girl who had a brief and glamorous career as a Ziegfield folly, and her lovely, severely disabled sister. At a night club she chances to meet Styles, the man she visited with her father before he vanished, and she begins to understand the complexity of her fathers life.

This one stood out the most to me, I love historical fiction, and the others just seemed kind of meh. But I'm glad I took the chance with this one, because it sounds very entertaining and thrilling.

I also was able to get (as an extra book for $9.99)

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King

Published September 2017, by Scribner

What might happen if women disappeared from the world of men? In the so real future, something happens when women go to sleep; they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and violent, and while they sleep they go to another place. The men of our world are abandoned, left to their increasingly primal devises. One woman, however, the mysterious Evie, is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease. Is Evie a medical anomaly to be studied, or is she a demon who must be slain? Set in a small Appalachian town who's primary employer is a women's prison.

I had a co-worker reading the new release of Stephen King's It and there was an excerpt of this book on the back that I read, and it sounded really intriguing. And the cover is very lovely.

The next four books I got from Bookoutlet

the first being Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Published August 2016, by Thomas Dunne Books

From what I know about this book, a girl joins a school for assassins to avenge her father. I didn't really want to know anymore about this book. I'm very attracted to both the covers.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer

Published 1996, by Random House Bullseye Books

This I wanted to re-read, I think I remember reading it in fifth grade as an assigned reading? But I remember it being fun, and I remember loving the movie. Milo thinks life is a bore and when a phantom tollbooth appears in his room, he drives through because what else is there to do?  From what I remember there's fun play on words and fairly funny.

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Published October 2011, by Simon Pulse

This book follows Chelsea, who just wants to gain experience as an ice cream connoisseur over the summer, and forget about her ex Ezra. But when she starts her new job and finds Ezra is also working there, she feels forgetting is going to be a challenge

I love this cover, it's adorable. Just a cute fiction. 

Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard

Published April 2015, by Disney Hyperion

This one is another one I'm not aware of what it's about, I just thought the cover was gorgeous.

This next one I got in my Uppercase box. One thing you may have noticed is that I stopped showing pictures of what I get in said box. That's because I found that I can lower my payment and just receive the book. Not that I don't love Uppercase's swag, I just find that all I really want is the book, and there's usually a 50/50 chance that I'll actually use/like that stuff that comes with it.

This box was a book that wasn't even on my radar:

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Published September 2017, By Margaret K. McElderry Books

In this world, Fey can't create something with out it crumbling to ash and dust, so human craft is well sought after. Isobel is a portrait painter and well demanded through the Fey Kingdom. When she's commissioned to to do her first Royal Portrait of Rook, the Autumn Prince, Isobel finds herself in hot water when she portrays human sorrow in the prince's eyes, a weakness that could cost the prince his life. Isobel is cast to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime but her and the prince are waylaid by the Wild Hunt's ghostly hounds, the tainted influence Alder King. Rook and Isobel must rely on each other for survival, but will they cross the laws that forbid them to be together?

I am not a big fan of people being on the cover of books, but this one is really entertaining to me, the one thing that irks me is actually the font color, I feel that is get's lost in her hair and wish it was all as bold as Ravens is in contrast.

The next three I got through another Book outlet buy. I'm blaming my boyfriend on this one, he wanted me to order something and I felt like just buying one book was weird, so I got two more to accompany it.

The book my boyfriend had me get is actually a sequel and that's:

Rip Tide by Kat Falls

Published August 2011, By Scholastic Press

So this is the sequel to Dark Life, which I'm not going to talk about much here but you can read what I thought here. Boyfriend already read this book, and loved it as much as the first. I'm a little apprehensive because it's a sequel.

The two book I got along with Rip Tide is

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke

Published August 2016, by Dial Books

So this is actually an Anthology, so there's multiple stories by multiple authors. Thrillers, horrors, etc... I don't own anthologies, and haven't read any since middle school, and that was Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. I figured it was a good Halloween buy. Still haven't read it and it's November but I'll get to it.

AND

Mosquitoland By David Arnold

Published March 2015, By Viking Children's

In all honesty this was a cover buy. I thought it looked cute and was kind of hoping for a graphic novel...no such luck....no just check again to be sure too.

This book follows Mim Malone. Mim's family has fallen apart and she find herself being dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the "wastelands" of Mississippi with her dad and new Step mom. Before the dust can even settle in the new town, Mim learns that her real mom is sick back in Cleveland. So she ditches her new life and catches a grey hound back to her real mom and her real home. Going on a journey where she'll meet a cast of travelers, will have to face her demons and re-define love and loyalty.

Alright these next two book are I actually won from Goodreads giveaways. So that's pretty exciting.

The first being:

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman

Published April 2016, By Penguin Press

I had seen this book in my local book shop but wasn't sure if I would actually read it nor did I want it for full price, so I figured "why not" when I entered the giveaway. After reading the synopsis I figure it's going to be similar to Kraken by Wendy Williams: A non-fiction delving into some research about birds and how intelligent they are and just kind of summarizing research of a variety of different specialists. Which was fun with the Kraken in terms of Octopuses. Plus I'm a sucker for scientific illustrated covers

The last book I received I also got in a giveaway and that's:

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Published January 2017, By Del Rey Books

Ok before I even get into the synopsis of this book, I am in love with the title. Not so much the content of the title, though it's cute, but the filigree and the font and how strong it is. HOWEVER I feel like it takes away from the image itself. That title sticks with me, the image doesn't.

Ok I lied this is another I have no idea what it's about but I'm hoping it'll be a good winter read.


Alright and there you have it. I apologize I didn't know what some of these were about but I'm sure once I read them I'll let you know how I felt.

Until next time

Litta