Maggie Stiefvater

November 2018 Reading Wrap-Up

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Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really like it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 30 – November 3
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Waverly’s salty, salty thoughts.
Least Favorite Thing:  No one communicates well in this book and it is infuriating reading their conversations because like JUST SAY WORDS OK JUST SAY IT DON’T THINK IT!!

I really liked this book. Now I’m torn on Brenna Yovanoff because two of her books I hated and two I loved… What is the real Brenna Yovanoff?? Stress.

My Posts About Places No One Knows

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 3 – 6
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Laini’s writing voice.
Least Favorite Thing:  As I’ve said before, there were some bits that were just too descriptive. Things I’d rather not visualize.

These stories aren’t pleasant, but I like them anyway because of Laini’s voice.

My Posts About Lips Touch: Three Times

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
(Shatter Me, book 4)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 6 – 9
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  That scream! Whaaat!
Least Favorite Thing:  No one communicates in this book!

Man I loved the ending to this book, it was exactly what I wanted.

My Posts About Restore Me

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Aston, & Jodi Meadows
(The Lady Janies, book 2)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 10 – 19
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Helen
Least Favorite Thing:  Just a tiny bit longish…?

I read this book during a reading slump and it still managed to be a four star book for me. It was so funny!

My Posts About My Plain Jane

They Never Came Back by Caroline B. Cooney
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  July 22 – November 23
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The POV shifts.
Least Favorite Thing:  What about Marmee and Dad Bob??

It took me ages to get past the third chapter of this book, but I won’t name any names as to whyyyy… Anyway I finished it and it was well written.

My Posts About They Never Came Back

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 17 – 25
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Beatrice/Benedick
Least Favorite Thing:  EVERYONE JUST FORGIVES FUCKING CLAUDIO LIKE HE DIDN’T PUBLICLY SHAME HERO????

Fuck Claudio. Also why is it always the friar who’s like “let’s pretend someone is dead!”?

My Posts About Much Ado About Nothing

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
(To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 24 – 27
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Um….
Least Favorite Thing:  I did not like a single character in this whole book…

I have to say, even though I rated this 2 stars, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It’s a solid, decent book, but it’s really not my cup of tea which bumped it down a bit. And if you like YA Romance, then you’ll probably love this book.

My Posts About To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

In Progress

1000 Pages Read-a-Thon – Day 8 (The End)

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Woo I did iiiiiitttt!!!!!! I’m really proud of myself because I’m really struggling with my reading this past week or so. I’m desperately trying to avoid this becoming a full-on slump, which is part of the reason I did the read-a-thon at all. I think all-in-all it was successful in motivating me during my almost-slump.

64 pages – The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
107 pages – My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Previous Total:  851 pages

Total Pages:  1,022

Musing Monday: July 9, 2018

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Musing Mondays is a weekly meme, hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker, that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I’m currently reading…
Up next I think I’ll read…
I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
I can’t wait to get a copy of…
I wish I could read ____, but…
I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: How does reading making you feel?

I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)… I got some book merch recently for the new house and I’m so excited about it. It’s all Raven Cycle merch, but I got a print and some throw pillows off Redbubble.

I’m not at the new place right now, but tomorrow I’ll come back here and add pictures of the stuff.

I got:

How does reading making you feel?
Well, it’s a satisfying experience no matter what, but when the book is really good it’s way better. Like it empties my mind and my stress and fills it all back up with another world and a kind of ultra-contentment. There’s nothing at all like it. Which is probably why I consider access to reading material pretty much the most important thing in life.

Top 5 Wednesday: May 9, 2018

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Characters You’d Want as Family

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?

January 2018 Reading Wrap-Up

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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Rating:  ★★★★☆
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  January 6
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Sneaky sneaky sneaky!
Least Favorite Thing:  Ooooh Nick is such a douche!

I’m so grateful to Kelsie @ BilboBookins for putting Gillian Flynn back on my radar and making me really consider reading her books and Marina @ The Review Marina for her review which put to rest my worries about whether having liked the movie, I could enjoy the book too. If it hadn’t been for these two I probably wouldn’t have picked up this amazing book at all and I’d have really missed out!

My Posts About Gone Girl

Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆
Review:  Yes
Reading Dates:  January 7 – 10
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The diet secrets “monologue”.
Least Favorite Thing:  Boredom.

For something with “Gilmore Girls” all over the cover, it had surprisingly little Gilmore Girls in it. (This is neither a good nor bad thing, just an observation.)

My Posts About Talking as Fast as I Can

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Rating:  ★★★★☆
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  December 27 – January 11
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The way Beatriz thinks.
Least Favorite Thing:  Waiting for something to Happen in the beginning of the novel.

As I mentioned in my rating post, my complaint about this book was just that it was hard to get into, but I really think it’s worth it.

My Posts About All the Crooked Saints

Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt
(Tales of the Kingdom, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★★
Review:  Yes
Reading Dates:  January 11 – 12
Read Count: 4-ish?
Favorite Thing:  Burrrrl!
Least Favorite Thing:  Cam is so much more annoying than he was when I first read this in middle school lol

This is my favorite series, and this is one of my favorite stories from the series. It makes me so sad that no one seems to know about these books anymore (admittedly they are a bit old, but they are so good)!

My Posts About Jackaroo

On Fortune’s Wheel by Cynthia Voigt
(Tales of the Kingdom, book 2)
Rating:  ★★★★★
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  January 12 -15
Read Count:  4-ish?
Favorite Thing:  Birle at the end, with Nan.
Least Favorite Thing:  The part at the slave market where that nasty fucker shoves his fingers in Birle’s mouth while he’s deciding if he wants to buy her. I literally had to stop reading and go brush my teeth, the passage evoked that visceral a response from me. (Actually I may need to again now just remembering…)

This one always gives me a little trouble during Part 1, because it moves slowly, but once I get past that, Parts 2 & 3 speed by so fast because this book is amazing.

Note:  Also published as The Tale of Birle, which is the copy I actually read this time, since I don’t have access to my own copy right now.

My Posts About On Fortune’s Wheel

Live Through This by Mindi Scott
Rating:  ★★★★☆
Review:  Yes
Reading Dates:  January 17
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  That life goes on as normal even with the bad things that are happening.
Least Favorite Thing:  I wish we got to know what came next. I mean I get it, but I still wish.

Trigger Warning:  Sexual Assault

Despite the harsh subject matter, I really liked this book.

My Posts About Live Through This

Counterfeit Son by Elaine Marie Alphin
Rating:  ★★★☆☆
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  January 20
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  The sailing.
Least Favorite Thing:  The mom at the end. Spoiler: [start] I just hate that the book ended without her even acknowledging that he was really her son or anything other than standing there… [end]

I’m not sure what made me think of this book all of a sudden, but once I did I suddenly also wanted to reread it.

My Posts About Counterfeit Son

Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan
Rating:  ★★★☆☆
Review:  Yes
Reading Dates:  January 25 – 26
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Piecing together all the little tidbits that didn’t get direct explanations.
Least Favorite Thing:  The usage of the g*psy slur & negative stereotyping of Romani people. (It was a part of the characterization of the antagonists, but it was still left a bad taste in my brain.)

I decided to go on a Lois Duncan reading kick, and Gallows Hill was the first one I grabbed.

My Posts About Gallows Hill

The Wings of a Falcon by Cynthia Voigt
(Tales of the Kingdom, book 3)
Rating:  ★★★★★
Review:  No
Reading Dates:  January 21 – 29
Read Count:  4-ish?
Favorite Thing:  Oriel & Griff’s friendship.
Least Favorite Thing:  Merlis…

Don’t talk to me. Don’t look at me. The Thing literally gets harder every time I reread this even knowing it’s coming!

Note:  Also published as The Tale of Oriel, which is the copy I actually read this time, since I don’t have access to my own copy right now.

My Posts About The Wings of a Falcon

The Third Eye by Lois Duncan
Rating:  ★★★☆☆
Review:  Yes
Reading Dates:  January 30
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  I liked the mechanics of Karen’s gift. Especially the heightened sense of smell. That was interesting.
Least Favorite Thing:  Did we really need such a detailed description of a dead dog?

This was the second book on my Lois Duncan kick. I liked it better than the first one I think.

My Posts About The Third Eye

First Lines Fridays: January 19, 2018

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First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

You can hear a miracle a long way after dark.

Interested? Scroll down for the cover and summary!

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater

Here is a thing everyone wants: a miracle.
Here is a thing everyone fears: what it takes to get one.

Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of watchful desert stars.

At the heart of this place you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo.

They are all looking for a miracle. But the miracles of Bicho Raro are never quite what you expect.