These are books you read in 2018, not only ones released in 2018.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

This book really disappointed me. I had been looking forward to reading this book for years, but kept putting it off for one reason or another. Now I wish I had kept putting it off…

Undiscovered Gyrl by Allison Burnett

Considering the little mystery and the obvious mental illness, I thought this book would be more interesting than it was. Instead I spent the whole time with a look of vague disgust on my face. Read my review.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

I’ve discovered Yovanoff books are pretty hit or miss with me. Either I love them or I hate them. Unfortunately this was a hate. I wound up abandoning this book.

I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star by Judy Greer

So BORING. The prologue to this book made it seem like it was going to be soooo interesting, but it really wasn’t. DNF.

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham

It just seemed so rambling… I don’t really have much to say about it. I had high hopes and they weren’t met. Read my mini-review.

What were your disappointing reads of 2018?

Our Goodreads goals are quickly closing in. What are you prioritizing for the end of the year?
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer, book 2) by Laini Taylor

This goes at the top of the list because technically I’m already reading it. I loved Strange, but it left me with such high expectations that it’s nearly impossible to read Muse! So I’m annoyed with myself, but I intend to finish this before the end of the year.

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, book 4) by Sarah J. Maas

I was so excited for this one and then I did that same stupid thing where I have all these expectations and it keeps me from even being able to read the book I wanted to read so badly!

A Map of Days (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, book 4) by Ransom Riggs

ARE YOU SEEING A THEME HERE???? Someone just end me. I finally got to preorder some books and I haven’t even touched them because I suck. I’m actually a little worried on this one because it has a lot to live up to with how much I loved the series up to now.

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress, book 2) by Julie C. Dao

This just came a few days ago and I can’t wait to enjoy it. I’m interested to see how I like a book more focused on Jade than on Xifeng, because I really dug the sympathetic villain angle. I am fully sympathized!

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

I’m really to give this book a chance since I saw the Netflix series. I’m a little nervous because it’s not my usual type of book. In fact, it’s the type of book I usually avoid. I’m determined not to put it off like I usually would so I’m going to get to it by the end of the year.

What books are you guys hoping to finish by 2019?

To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Alrighty, I’m going to do this in the order that I read them, not in the order that I liked them (because that would be way too hard).

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This was my first Gillian Flynn novel and I was honestly nervous to read it. I liked the movie and was worried that the book wouldn’t be as good. But a fellow blogger assured me Flynn was an excellent writer and Gone Girl did not disappoint. In fact it kind of blew me away how much I loved it. I went online and bought it before I had even finished reading it. I look forward to reading it again sometime.

Tales of the Kingdom series // Cynthia Voigt

Oh come on, you knew this series had to be on the list somewhere, right? I reread them earlier in the year and loved them just as much as always, maybe even more. As always, this is a loosely-connected, non-magical, fantasy series, set in a medieval-esque world.

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

This is one of the best autobiographies I’ve read ever, and definitely the best this year. Anna is funny and pithy and pleasantly verbose. What made it even better was listening to the audiobook version where Anna reads you the book herself.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

This book was recommended to me from another reader because I said I wanted to branch out of my genre comfort zone and I have to admit I didn’t expect to like it. But the prose was engaging and beautiful and I found myself falling into the mind of the protagonist quickly and easily. I definitely want to read more by Janet Fitch in future.

The Martian by Andy Weir

I had one main issue with this book (mentioned in this post), but everything else about it was excellent. It was funny and the format was interesting. If you liked the movie you will most likely like the book as it is extremely similar. I found it really hard to put down.

What are the best books you’ve read in 2018 so far? Leave me a comment or link me to your own post.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about original content vs. the weekly book memes I do. Obviously my blog is weighted to the latter and I’d rather it was more even.

So I’ve been thinking about what I can change.

First of all, I found a new format for my quotes. Instead of posting them all in one post I’ve been scheduling daily quote posts whenever I finish a book. I really like doing it this way and I’m definitely keeping that.

Which brings me to the fact that I have several book meme posts that are quote centric, and that seems redundant…

So secondly, I’m cutting out Thursday Quotables. I love it, but it just doesn’t make sense to have it when I have my other quote posts.

I’m definitely keeping First Lines Fridays, it’s my absolute favorite of the bookish memes I do. I love the idea of judging a book solely off the first line(s). But as we all know some really good books have really boring first lines, so I don’t do a FLF for every book I get like I could.

Which brings me to the third thing:  From now on, Teaser Tuesday is solely to supplement First Lines Fridays. Whenever a book has a first line so crappy I’m not willing to do an FLF post for it, I’ll do a Teaser Tuesday on it! That way I get at least one teaser “judge this book on a quote” style post for each book I read.

Fourthly, I’m going to quit WWW Wednesday because I feel like I repeat myself too much when I use that one… Almost everything I have to say about the books I say someplace else in some other format.

Fifth on the list of changes, I will now be alternating What Are You Reading Wednesday and Friday 56. Meaning, if I do one on a book I’m reading, I won’t do the other. Sometimes when I’m looking on page 34/34% I can’t find anything worth posting, so when that happens I’ll try using page 56/56% instead. That way I have at least one post of that sort each week.

I plan to keep doing Top 5 Wednesday whenever I have something for the prompt, and I would like to get back on top of Musing Monday. So those aren’t changes, just something I’ll try to make more of an effort on.

As for book photo posts:  I will keep doing my original Dedication Spotlight idea, and I will keep doing Tomes & Tea occasionally. I’m also hoping that after this move is done I can get back into doing some Book Photo Challenges.

And of course I hope to keep coming up with reviews and other original content.

Older posts from the book memes I’m quitting will still be available on my blog, they just won’t be linked in the sidebar anymore, and for the record I still totally like those lovely memes, I just feel like I need to focus a bit more.

That’s everything, I think. Wish me luck!

You can say this in a broad way or be specific (i.e. _______ would be a cool aunt, ______would be a great older brother, etc.)
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Almost every main character from The Tillerman books // The Tillerman Cycle by Cynthia Voigt

This is probably cheating to be like “oh yes the entire extended family unit from 7 whole books” but whatever! I love the Tillermans more than I’ve ever loved any characters from any media.

I don’t even think I can properly explain it, but if a god came down from some heaven and was like “I will reset the world and let you invent a family for yourself, tell me what you want” I would just dump these books in their lap and just:

“I want Dicey, Sammy, James, Maybeth, and Gram first of all. And I still want my real Granny too because I think she and Gram would get along scarily well, so just keep that in mind. Secondly, Bullet needs to be alive and HAPPY and if you have the time to make Miss Liza not go crazy and die that would be great. No no, I have no need for John the abusive husband, that bitter prick can die. I don’t want Francis Verricker either. He doesn’t count as a part of that family and if you bring him to life I will kill him myself so don’t waste your time. Feel free to throw in Mina Smith’s whole family AND Tamer Shipp (and his family probably he seems to like them) and Jeff Greene’s too. Actually wait, just Jeff, Brother Thomas, and the Professor. Melody’s whole side of the family can choke. Okay great get crackin’ on all that I’m going to go reread the series.”

And whatever god offered me this option would completely regret it, but I would insist we shake on it as soon as possible so they’d be locked into that whole deal.

The Gangsey // The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

Yep, I’m still cheating. But honestly after my last answer this one probably seems like nothing at all. In fact, you might even let me get away with having Blue’s Fox Way family and the Gray Man? Yes. Excellent. So all the decent humans from The Raven Cycle. Check.

Ripred // The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins

Who wouldn’t want a GIANT FUCKING RAT who is excellent at killing as family?

Honestly though, he would be excellent to have around. He’s sarcastic and rude which I can dig because I too am sarcastic and rude, he can kill anyone so Guard Rat, and he mostly just wants to eat shrimp in cream sauce and read books so like…. A nice companion all in all.

Dashti // Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

She’s so kind and loyal and a great friend. Plus she has healing magic that can also help relieve the pain of chronic injuries so… Useful. Fuck you Mr. Chiropractor my new fam Dashti the Mucker can help me by just laying her hand on me and singing me a nice song. Eat it.

And like she’s lovely and brave and I always thought she’d be an excellent friend.

Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy // Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Okay so first I was torn between the two. The sassy lady or the most awkward man to ever live… And then I decided I’d just take them both!

I’d get to enjoy the sass of Eliza Bennet and the awkward kindness of Fitzwilliam Darcy AND if we were related…um….you know… HE’S SUPER RICH AND I WANT TO BE SUPER RICH BY PROXIMITY SO DEAL WITH IT. But mostly I just like them. The money is only a bonus.

Wow I am very demanding in my list of potential family… What about you? What book characters would you wish to have as family?

This month’s crossover topic is your auto-buy authors that write SFF.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Cynthia Voigt

I know she’s only done the one fantasy series, Tales of the Kingdom, but they are my favorites (it’s not often that I find a non-magical fantasy in the YA genre) and she’s my absolute favorite author so you know I had to bring her up! And anyway, if she ever published another fantasy novel I’d be trying to buy it before the ink could even dry.

Julie C. Dao

After Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, I am so in love with Dao’s writing I absolutely have to have her future novels. It’s rare that I would call someone an auto-buy after only one book (or at all actually, I have very few auto-buy authors), but that’s how good it was to me so there you have it.

Laini Taylor

If you had asked me before Strange the Dreamer I might not have mentioned Laini, since I’d only read her DoSaB trilogy at that point, but now? I don’t think I could resist buying anything she came out with at this point.

Shannon Hale

Shannon was the first author that I liked something of theirs so much I had to search out everything else they’d written. I got Shannon’s novel The Goose Girl in 6th grade at the book fair and it introduced me to one of my favorite genres (fairytale retellings). And her take on magic is a strong favorite of mine.

Ransom Riggs

He’s only got the one Peculiar Children trilogy so far, but it was so good that I’ve already decided to buy the untitled book he’s got listed for publication this year (hopefully this year).

What sci-fi and fantasy authors do consider worthy of automatically buying anything they come out with?

What are some of your favorite books in your favorite genre that don’t get a lot of hype?
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Tales of the Kingdom // Cynthia Voigt

I swear there isn’t a single book rec that goes by without me trying to get someone to read these books. It’s a four-book, loosely-connected, non-magical, fantasy series, in a feudal sort of setting. These are actually some of my all-time favorite books. The female characters are strong, without falling into the whole “strong = masculine” trope, and the lack of magical powers doesn’t take away from the overall magic of the story at all.

The Books of Bayern // Shannon Hale

This middle grade fantasy series was actually my introduction to the genre and they remain favorites to this day. It starts with a fairy tale retelling of The Goose Girl and expands from there into a lovely series full of magic and friendship and saving kingdoms.

Underland Chronicles // Suzanne Collins

This is another middle grade fantasy series. In this one, a boy discovers a hidden land under NYC and he and his family proceed to get caught up in a bunch of prophecies. There’s not magic in this one, unless you count giant talking animals as magical…

The Chanters of Tremaris // Kate Constable

Nature magic via song? Yes, thank you! This trilogy begins with a world divided. Those with magic are separate from those without, and even the individual types of magic wielders keep segregated. But what world could thrive like that?

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

In this standalone novel, serving maid Dashti is bricked into a tower with her obstinate mistress as a seven-year punishment. It’s another fairytale retelling — Shannon’s specialty if you ask me — and this time the magic works through song.

I’d love to hear what books from your favorite genre haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. Hit me up with some recommendations everybody!

Forgettable Books

Whether you loved or hated them at the time, these are books that you just don’t really remember…
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely, book 1) by Melissa Marr

The only thing I remember from this book is the phrase:  “Don’t speak to invisible faeries.”

It was recommended in a tumblr post for books about fae, and when I looked it up I recognized just enough to know I had read it in high school, but nothing more, not even whether I liked it or not. So I got it from the library and I’m going to read it again. Wish me luck!

Palace of Stone (Princess Academy, book 2) by Shannon Hale

I’ve mentioned this before on both book blogs. I read Palace of Stone twice, once when it first came out and again when The Forgotten Sisters came out because I realized I couldn’t remember it. What makes it worse is I remember the first book perfectly and Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors, but this particular book just will not stick in my brain!

The Shadow Children Series // Margaret Peterson-Haddix

I know for a fact that I read several of the books in this series, but the only thing I remember is that it’s illegal to have more than 2 children. I do remember liking this series, but I don’t remember what happened that I liked…

The Kiesha’ra Series // Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

I mean, first of all, I haven’t even managed to finish the series, but I’ve read the first 3 (possibly 4) books 2-3 times each and I still remember nothing, aside from the fact that there are snake and bird people and they have trouble getting along. That’s it. I don’t even know what to do about this series anymore…

Literally Any Deb Caletti Novel

The thing is, I know that when I’m in a mood for a romance-y novel I have enjoyed Caletti books, and yet, despite having read some of them multiple times, I remember nothing that happened in any of them!

Let me know some books that just didn’t stick with you and why.

These are books you didn’t end up getting to in 2017, but really want to prioritize in 2018.
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

Throne of Glass series // Sarah J. Maas

When the new book came out (ha…not even the most recent new book) I decided I needed to reread the whole series if I was going to have any idea what was going on. Of course, that was the end of 2016, and then with yet another new one coming out in 2017 I figured I would get to it at some point… Wrong!

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

I’ve literally had this for almost an entire year, completely intending to read it, and then just…not…doing…that…. I have no excuse at all honestly. Especially considering all the good things I’ve heard about it.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

God I’ve been “meaning to read this one” literally since it came out in like 2015 or something. I keep getting it from the library, sitting it on the shelf, and then turning it back in without reading it. At least with this one I have a reason though. Sarah Dessen was a favorite back in high school and I was excited to see another book by her, but I suddenly got it into my head that if it somehow disappointed me (something no Dessen novel has ever done) I might not be able to love her other books quite the same as I have. So basically I psyched myself out…

The Forgotten Sisters (Princess Academy, book 3) by Shannon Hale

This is another one that I’ve been intending to get to for ages. I even reread the first two books to prepare for reading this one. And yet… I’m going to blame the second book, because it was completely unmemorable (it wasn’t bad though) so how am I supposed to go on to the third?

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch, book 1) by Rin Chupeco

I was so excited when this book came out and I heard so many great things, so I got it from the library as soon as it was available. And then I read it right away! Not… I put it on the library shelf and looked at it sometimes with the best of intentions, but never quite in the exact right mood for it apparently. (That’s just an excuse, I’m just bad at follow-through!)

What are some books you meant to read last year, but didn’t get around to?

Self explanatory. Let us know 5 of your reading goals for the year. 
To participate in Top 5 Wednesday, head over to their Goodreads Group!

It’s that time again, y’all! I pretty much never make regular new year’s resolutions, but making reading resolutions really helped last year, so here we go!

1. Read 75 books in 2018! (Goodreads Goal)
   I considered raising this number since this was my goal for 2017 as well, but I decided to keep it since it is still a challenge for me at this point. With my mental state the way it is, I have massive slumps where I can barely even get out of bed, much less read regularly. So if I can do 75 two years in a row, I’ll raise the goal for 2019, but for now I think this is still challenging myself.
2. Give General Fiction novels another chance.
   I always had trouble getting into General Fiction because most of the books I found seemed to be full of gratuitous sex scenes that did nothing to enhance the plot, which got boring fast. This year I’d like to at least try a few more General Fic books to see if I can find ones I like.
3. Read at least 15 books that I own, but haven’t read yet.
   Haha I’m garbage and I buy books and never fucking read them! This year I want to knock 15 of them off my TBR so if I don’t like them I can trade them to the used bookstore for better ones!
4. Keep up with writing reviews.
   I said for 2017 that I wanted to start writing book reviews and I did, but as the year went on I did less and less. I would like to get better at reviewing and do it more because I do kind of enjoy it.
5. Keep reading more #OwnVoices novels.
   I never bothered specifically trying to find novels by non-white authors before last year, despite being annoyed by the lack of diversity in a lot of the novels I read (before Own Voices novels I never read a single book with a character like me in it…), but I’m glad I started to that and I want to read even more this year.

Do you have any bookish goals for 2018?