July TBR (My Friend Picked My TBR!)

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my July TBR! Just like last month, I decided to try to do something a little bit different and asked my friend Allison to pick out my TBR (I got this idea from BookTuber BooksandLala who did a video where her husband picked her TBR). Allison is one of my friends that I get to nerd out with about books and we have mostly similar tastes in books so I’m excited to see what she picked out for me. Each book has an explanation for why she chose it and for the remainder of the post my interjections are going to be in italics.

1. Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I chose this book for Janelle because it is a nice contemporary read perfect for summer. I read it in 2016 and thoroughly enjoyed it and thought Janelle would too.

Funnily enough this is actual on my Summer 2018 TBR, so I’m glad I will finally get a chance to read this! 🙂 

2. The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm #1) by Michael Buckley 

When seeing this on Janelle’s to-read list, I absolutely had to pick it. This was by far one of my most favorite series from childhood, and I have yet to meet another person who has read it. That combined with Janelle’s obsession with Disney and middle-grade made it the perfect pick.

I’ve been meaning to read this one for a while and actually meant to pick it up in May when I was focusing on middle-grade reads, however I never got to it, now I will hopefully get to it. 

3. So Not Happening (The Charmed Life #1) by Jenny B. Jones 

This is written by a Christian author who was introduced to me years ago and I have yet to see Janelle pick up one of her books, even though we met at a Christian school. I wanted to introduce a new author to her, as well as a fun main character who I think she will relate to. Also it’s a mystery (WIN!!!).

So I actually have read several of Jenny B. Jones’ books, but not since I was a senior in high school. I guess it’s time for me to reread this one! 🙂 

4. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur 

A challenge and a different writing style.

I read The Sun and Her Flowers earlier this year and I am interested to see what this collection is like, since I do like poetry, but I do remember there being a few themes in The Sun and Her Flowers that weren’t to my taste. 

5. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 

Does any reason need to be given? Just read this already!!!!

HAHA! I was going to wait until I finished the original Grisha Trilogy, but since I don’t really know when I am going to pick it up again, I am just going to go ahead and read this one because I really want to and I know Allison has been dying for me to read it too. 

6. Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West 

Janelle loves Kasie West’s books and this is her latest release.

I am looking forward to picking this one up, I feel so behind on all the Kasie West books I need to read, so far I have only read two but I really like her style and that they are light and fluffy! 

7. Girl With Curious Hair by David Foster Wallace

This book is meant to be a challenge. Wallace has an extreme sense of writing that is mind-turning.

I’m not sure if I will get a chance to read this one this month, only because I have been able to find a copy at the library. But I will definitely give it a try if I managed to get my hands on a copy of this book. 

 

Thanks Allison for picking a really awesome TBR for me! I am looking forward to reading each and everyone of these books.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Mini-reviews #2

1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater

The Raven Boys started out slow at first and I almost put it down…but then I got into it. The plot is weird, but interesting and different from anything else I have read. However, I felt like the characters needed to be developed a lot more, but I guess that will happen over the course of the series. I was also confused about the whole thing with Noah, so if you know what was going on with that can you please let me know down in the comments? I gave this book 3.5/5 Stars.

2. Hunted by Meagan Spooner

3. Ever the Brave by Erin Summerill 

4. Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts

I really enjoyed this book especially since it had some good kick-butt moments and laugh-out-loud moments. However, there were certain parts of it that seemed generic and that it could be found in any YA fantasy novel. I did love the characters and watching them develop over the course of the novel. I am interested to see what happens next in the sequel which comes out soon. 3.75/5 Stars.

5. The Beautiful Lost by Luanne Rice 

I liked the first few chapters and I loved getting to know the main characters, Maia and Billy. However after the first few chapters, I didn’t really enjoy this book, even though I was curious enough to finish it just so I could see what happened. I felt like there were several main characters that could have also been better developed such as Astrid (Maia’s step-mom) and Gillian (Maia’s mom), especially since these two characters seemed to be foils to each other. I did like how the author dealt with mental illness throughout the entirety of the novel, however I felt like it was dwarfed with all the different issues/themes she tried to tackle which really did not have much to do with the main plot – I felt like these things detracted from everything else. 2.5/5 Stars.

 

 

Book Review: Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean edited by Kirsty Murray, Payal DHar, and Anita Roy.

About the Book: 

Be transported into dystopian cities and other-worldly societies. Be amazed and beguiled by a nursery story with a reverse twist, a futuristic take on TV cooking shows, a playscript with tentacles – and more, much more. Plunge in and enjoy!

A collection of sci-fi and fantasy writing, including six graphic stories, showcasing twenty stellar writers and artists from India and Australia: Isobelle Carmody, Penni Russon, Justine Larbalestier, Margo Lanagan, Lily Mae Martin, Kuzhali Manickavel, Prabha Mallya, Annie Zaidi, Kate Constable, Vandana Singh, Mandy Ord, Priya Kuriyan, Manjula Padmanabhan, Samhita Arni, Alyssa Brugman, Nicki Greenberg and Amruta Patil

My Thoughts: 

Book Review: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Hello Everyone!

Today’s review is on Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein.

About the Book: 

Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.

AR Level: 4.5 ; AR points: 7.0

My Thoughts:  

 

Day 1: A Book Series That Should Have Ended

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Day 1 of the 30 Days of Books series. Today’s topic is a book series that should have ended. Before I get started I just want to give a disclaimer that even though I didn’t like this particular series, it doesn’t mean that you are not allowed to enjoy it, this is just my personal opinion.

The series that I believe that should have ended probably after the first book is the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard.

I loved Red Queen it was a great book and I just loved the whole concept of the novel and I was super excited for the second book, Glass Sword, that I ordered it as soon as I finished Red Queen. However, it was such a let down and I had a hard time getting through it because I feel like not much happened. I went into a reading slump when I read it, and I just started hating the characters. I thought about picking up King’s Cage (Book 3) but I’ve had several friends tell me not to bother because it was also a let down.

Even though I am curious as to how the series is going to end, I also don’t know if I want to waste my time on something I will probably end up not enjoy when there are so many other books I want to read.

I believe that maybe Red Queen should have been a standalone or maybe just a duology instead of a quartet because it seems that each book after the first one was not great and even though I am curious to see how it all wraps up, I don’t want to the time to do so.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

P.S. Click here and here if you are interested in reading my reviews on Red Queen and Glass Sword

May Wrap-Up

1. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

3/5 Stars.

2. Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson 

5/5 Stars.

3.  The Royal Rabbits of London by Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore

4/5 Stars.

4. Junonia by Kevin Henkes 

5. Catching a Story Fish by Janice N. Harrington 

6. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo 

7. Somewhere Among by 

8. The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket 

9.  The End by Lemony Snicket

10.  The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 

11. 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith 

12. The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill 

13. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

14. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate 

15. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

16. Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar 

17. The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton 

18. Fat Girl on the Plane by Kelly DeVos 

19. From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

20. Redemption by Karen Kingsbury

21. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

22. Murder Past Due by Miranda James 

23. Future Perfect by Jen Larsen