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kaistarus · 4 years

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Love Languages

Pairing: Hinata X Reader

Words: 1K

Summary: How you and Hinata express the love languages of your relationship.

Notes: This is timeskip!Hinata, but it doesn’t really have any spoilers. More self-indulgence. This is different from my usual style, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to write. I tried to do all the love languages justice, but I feel like I had favoritism toward my own lmao

Masterlist

Physical Touch: There was a magnetic force that pulled you and Hinata together-a desire to constantly be connected even in the simplest of ways. Absentmindedly, when the two of you were close your bodies would find a way to reach each other: lazily intertwining fingers, brushing knuckles softly against lower backs, placing hands atop of thighs under tables, or lying forearms across the other’s lap to trace designs against sensitive skin. When Hinata brought you to ornate dinner parties his team was forced to attend you often doodled across his skin hidden by formal tablecloths while he humored stuffy partygoers in conversation-those that only spoke to him for his professional athlete status. You enjoyed how he’d smirk mid-conversation when you drew the kanji for love repeatedly on his wrist, admiring the goosebumps that appeared across his forearm at your featherlight touch. Your eyes would meet his amber stare, filled with adoration and love, and as your heart fluttered in your chest you could no longer imagine anyone else giving you this reaction.

Words of Affirmation: It was the early morning when confessions fell most frequently from your lips. As you leaned heavily against each other throughout your morning routine with sleep hanging desperately to your eyes. You would work together to create some semblance of a breakfast and words would come tumbling out as easy as a breath: when Hinata gifted you a steaming cup of coffee, when you handed him a spatula that was just a little out of reach, if you walked out of the bathroom with the scent of your favorite breakfast wafting through the air, when you rested your head against his broad shoulders, or even when Hinata’s brain defogged just enough for him to focus on your existence propped on the counter top watching him work. The timing was never consistent, but when the feelings came so did the words. Those filter-less moments, when it felt like only you two existed, were probably the best moments of your life.

Receiving Gifts: Sometimes you’ll be heading home from work and you’ll see something that is so blatantly Hinata you can’t help but buy it. For example, one night while walking home you spotted a random shop window and did a double take when staring back at you was an MSBY Hinata plushie. You nearly took out several people with your sudden sharp turn, but the way Hinata’s face lit up when you brought it home was well worth getting chewed out by a random old lady. In exchange, Hinata brings you gifts from every city his volleyball career takes him. He tries to make them as random as possible-last time presenting a pink elephant mug that said ‘#1 grand daughter’ while saying ‘I mean you are’. So, you hate when the bed has far too much empty space, but look forward to the ridiculousness that you can add to the shelves in your shared bedroom.

Quality Time: If there’s a volleyball game that Hinata wants to watch, whether for fun or to analyze a team he’d be playing soon, you almost always watch it. Often you curl up on the couch against his chest and relax to the rhythm of his heart as he explains the game in great detail to you-player’s movements, techniques, positions, and how that squares up to him and each player individually. You hum along, but rarely ask questions, knowing he was speaking for himself rather than actually desiring your response. You just enjoy hearing him speak so passionately about volleyball.

Likewise, when you sit cross-legged on the couch with dinner and rant excitedly to him about your latest obsession he listens to you with bright eyes. Sometimes he even surprises you the next day by casually bringing up he’d listened to whatever album, book-audiobook because Hinata and reading didn’t mix-or looked up the show you’d been talking about. He wants to learn what makes you happy and even if it’s not something he particularly enjoys he likes knowing what you’re talking about when you rant. You appreciate it more than he’ll ever know.

Acts of Service: There was an unspoken rule in your home that if someone had an obvious weight to their shoulders or their expression was near breaking, the other would pick up the household tasks. It didn’t matter the reason-annoying coworkers, family, or teammates; an abnormally heavy schedule; or Hinata’s game not going as planned-if you could make life a little easier for the other than that was the goal. It was the simple tasks like dishes, laundry, picking up groceries, and handling appointments that meant the world in those moments. You still remember the night that Hinata came home from a week long grueling tournament to see his favorite meal warm on the table. He paused before sluggishly dropping his bag on the ground and wrapping his arms around you for several long minutes. You stood there without speaking and let him feel whatever it was he needed until he kissed you on the top of the head in thanks. You both rarely spoke the thanks aloud in those moments of stress or irritation, but it showed in other ways-fingers intertwined under tables, touches far gentler than normal, or maybe one of you would find a sticky note or two hidden in your gym or lunch bag that held loving words. You both knew caring for each other was necessary for the other to be their best.

In the end, you never cared how your love was displayed as long as Hinata knew it existed, and that you had no plans of leaving any time soon.

#hinata x reader #hinata shoyo #hinata shōyō #hinata shoyo x reader #hinata shouyou #hinata shoyo x y/n #haikyū!!#haikyuu!!#hinata shoyo imagine #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu

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anonymoushouseplantfan · 4 years

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Submitted:

Just some podcast recommendations:

Lore by Aaron Manhke - a little bit true crime, a little bit creepy stories. I love it. For fans of the tv show Supernatural I highly recommend.

The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe- yes the guy from Dirty Jobs has a podcast, and it’s just as kind and sweet as Dirty Jobs was. He highlights people who are doing good, mostly everyday people. And he has, in my opinion, the most soothing voice.

Joe Rogan for variety alone. He uses rough language and frequently smokes pot/talks about drugs on the show. It’s such a broad ranging show I sometimes skip episodes and sometimes don’t. For example I listened to an episode with a California state DNR official about coyote populations, and the next episode was, like, Henry Rollins. Completely random, but Joe’s really just interested in hearing how other people think-so he rarely pushes back on controversial opinions.

Jocko Podcast- for those who need inspiration to get out of bed. Jocko’s a former seal who talks, and writes books, about leadership, self discipline, and self control. Bonus interviews with awesome veterans - I remember a specific awesome WW2 vet who was absolutely adorable.

You’re Welcome with Hilary Rushford. It’s a business oriented podcast but one of the most recent episodes was a discussion on age that was just so inspiring and interesting… so I’m recommending based on that single episode.

American Glutton by Ethan Supplee - aka that fat guy in all the movie lost the weight and got fit, now he’s talking about the whys behind our eating habits and health.

Chicks in the Office @ Barstool is one of my favorite gossipy-pop culture pods. Fran and Ria getting to go to the Jonas Brothers secret show gave me such joy I cannot even express it here.

I’m slowly writing my way through “The Fall of Rome” by Patrick Wyman, a really in depth explanation of why Rome fell. (Yes I am a nerd.)

There’s also podcasts for learning languages, subjects, even excel. I'l throw in bonus audiobook recommendations for David Copperfield, read by Richard Armitage; a fan made and therefore bootleg LOTR series.

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Thanks! These look amazing!!

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bleakcreek · 4 years

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idk if you’ve listened to the book of mythicality audiobook but I frequently go back to listen to the chapter with their wives cause I think it’s so sweet and funny. I just wanted to share cause I decided to listen now. the way jessie talks about rhett at the beginning makes my heart ache in the best ways. and I especially love how she says she got to “not-date other guys” while her and rhett were not-dating sfjfhsjsdhd. anyway I’m soft for them all today ;-;

i haven’t listened to the audiobook at all yet even though i bought it and i’ve read tbom itself, but that’s really sweet!! i absolutely adore that chapter, they really do love each other so much. 🥺

#asks #Anonymous

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valentinewheeler · 5 years

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2018 Book Recap!

If you follow me on twitter you saw this already, but here’s my favorites I read this year.

They weren’t all 2018 releases, but they’re what hit my kindle/bookshelf and stood out! In reverse order, basically, of when I read them. Check out the list below - it’s a little eclectic.

The Good Neighbor: The Life and Works of Fred Rogers (Maxwell King) - My toddler is ALL ABOUT Mr. Rogers. Turns out he was just as wonderful in life as he was on TV. If you’ve got a small person in your life who loves him (or you were one), I recommend this deep dive into his life and legacy.

Blackfish City (Sam J. Miller) - This sat on my kindle for months before I opened it, but once I passed the first few chapters and got into the world, I blew through 90% in a day. Beautifully woven storytelling, deep worldbuilding. Infrastructure, plague, and culture clash: three things that win me instantly. PLUS a nonbinary POV character!!

A Conspiracy of Truths (Alex Rowland) - I hate unreliable narrators, and yet, here I am, in love with this book. I finished the audiobook (which is BEAUTIFULLY narrated!!) and actually yelled out loud when there wasn’t any more. WHAT A WORLD. Economics, legal drama, and grumpy characters: three more things I can’t resist in a novel.

A Duke by Default/A Princess in Theory (Alyssa Cole) - I hadn’t read much romance until this year, and I don’t know why because turns out I love it. Or at least, I love Alyssa Cole’s work. Both of these had great heroines and super fun supporting casts. I loved both of them equally. I want the next one immediately.

Witchmark (C.L. Polk) - Everyone said I’d love this. EVERYONE WAS RIGHT. Magic! Bikes! Social class based on a false meritocracy! MURDER! MAGIC-SCIENCE BLEND! REALLY FREAKY PAYOFF! Read it. You’re missing out if you don’t.

Spinning Silver (Naomi Novik) - Now, I’ve loved Naomi Novik’s work for about fifteen years. I knew I’d like this one. What I didn’t expect was to have to lie down for a few hours to contemplate it after reading it in one go. I love a main character who ISN’T traditionally sympathetic but you love anyway. Beautifully woven folklore and feeling.

Legend (and sequels) (Marie Lu) - I love YA dystopias with all my heart. This was such a great one. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I loved seeing the broader world than is usually seen in a post-apocalyptic setting (how DO other governments handle the end of the old way??) Just a delightful read.

Fuzzy Nation (John Scalzi) - I tried to minimize my white men on my reading list this year, but Scalzi is always an exception. I LOVE the original work, and this is a beautiful update. But then, legal battles in space will always win me over. Love it just as much as HBP’s, which is a pretty high bar to cross.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Julie C Dao) - This took me a while to get through, because it was so, I don’t know, filled with impending doom? This little book had such a dark, blood-soaked voice, and I love a fairytale retelling that DOESN’T go how you expect. Absolutely worth reading. Lush setting, high body count.

The Poet X (Elizabeth Acevedo) - If I had known this was all in verse, I wouldn’t have picked it up. So I’m really glad I didn’t know that. If that turns you off, listen to the audiobook. A phenomenal performance. What an immersive experience this book was. It’s stuck with me for months after reading.

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife (Meg Elison) - I love post-apocalyptic stories. This was a brutal one. Explores how different communities deal in the face of disaster, and not for the weak of stomach. But one of my favorite PA books of the year for sure. Bought the sequel and finished both in one day.

An Extraordinary Union/A Hope Divided (Alyssa Cole) - The other set of her books I devoured this year. The first slavery-era US romance I’ve read that didn’t leave a sour taste in my mouth. The way she builds her characters and their bonds is just SO #goals.

Orientalism (Edward Said) - I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, and I finally made it through this year. A little dated, maybe, but a dense brick of really interesting thinking and history. A classic for a reason!! The audiobook is GREAT.

Americanah (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) - I love a character who is lying to herself! And I love a book where the backstory is meted out in drips and dabs. A dive into communities I know very little about, some of which are right around the corner from me. Ifemelu is a completely solid character, one that feels ABSOLUTELY real.

Trail of Lightning (Rebecca Roanhorse) - If you’ve read her short fiction, you know she’s a master. This lived up to it. Post-apocalyptic Navajo monsterhunters? Exactly as awesome as promised. The mythology and worldbuilding are perfection.

The Calculating Stars/The Fated Sky (Mary Robinette Kowal) - THESE BOOKS! I love alternate history, I love space, I love characters who confront prejudice within themselves and without! Every character makes SENSE, even when they’re awful! All the science feels absolutely real! I WANT TO GO TO SPACE

The Book of M (Peng Shepherd) - My goodness, I read a lot of post apocalyptic novels this year? This one has one of my personal fears - memory loss that can’t be stopped. Another great blend of science and maybe-magic and spirituality (?) and how humans cope with weird, horrifying, tragic things.

Alexander Hamilton (Ron Chernow) - I figured before seeing Hamilton I needed to read the book, and I’m really glad I did. Super engaging, with just the right blend of anecdote and data. After reading this I definitely annoyed my mother and my spouse during the whole musical by whispering trivia at them.

War Against All Puerto Ricans (Nelson Denis) - I’m ashamed to say I knew very little about the history of Puerto Rico. After reading this book, that really pisses me off. The US really did PR wrong, and continues to do so. A vital read for anyone interested in US history.

Cinder/Scarlet/Winter/Cress (Marissa Meyer) - Apparently people have been into these for years and I’m just hitting them now. Fun YA, a genre I’ve missed (I like all this hard-hitting, serious YA, but sometimes over the top silly is absolutely necessary!). Spouse and I enjoyed pointing out all the absurd fairy tale tropes.

Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel) - !!! I’m ALL ABOUT books that weave together multiple stories that you KNOW how to intersect somehow but you don’t know HOW IT WILL HAPPEN! Post apocalyptic, weaving stories over fifteen years, all connecting to the life of one guy as the apocalypse hits. GREAT.

All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes (Maya Angelou) - Yes, I’m well past missing the boat here. But I’m catching up. My goodness, she’s a beautiful writer. And the period covered in the book is spellbinding and brutal and painful and gorgeous.

Cooking is Terrible (Misha Fletcher) - Okay, do you have like twelve minutes and four dollars to cook dinner every night? THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. Easy recipes in non-threatening form, with going off-script absolutely encouraged. I read this start to finish and have been referring back FREQUENTLY as I cook.

Front Desk (Kelly Yang) - THE MIDDLE GRADE BOOK I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED. Oh, this was wonderful. I want to give this to every ten year old I know (which is actually none?). Mysteries! Racism! Badass middle schoolers! Intra-community problems! Three-dimensional characters! YES!

Edge of Nowhere (Felicia Davin) - SPACE ROMANCE! Teleportation! Cafe-owning lesbians! Sweet big stoic guy/small angry disaster guy romance (my FAVORITE KIND)! SPACE SPORTS! Space HEIST!!!! Alternate dimensions! YES.

Everything I Never Told You (Celeste Ng) - This one hurt. What real, beautiful, flawed, horrible characters. All their choices made sense in context, all their pain felt real, and I didn’t want to leave them when the book ended. Content warnings for child death. The 1970s have never felt so close.

Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng) - I usually hate books that start at the end, but this one earned it. Disaster rich people are kind of my jam, especially when they have consequences. And again the characters were the stars. I felt like I knew everyone, and I loved them even when they were awful.

Into the Drowning Deep (Mira Grant) - I’m never going in the ocean again. Mermaids have been ruined forever. Terrifying. Great characters, some of whom die horribly. Scary scary unending horrorshow. But oh, what a way to go. Gory fun filled with great representation.

Uprooted (Naomi Novik) - I was so delighted by Spinning Silver I almost forgot that I loved this one NEARLY as much! Scary forest, plenty of fantasy/fairytale tropes turned on their heads. Disaster love interest. Competent, frustrated main character. A+.

The Beauty that Remains - There were a lot of dead friends books this year, and this was my favorite in the not-police-related category of those. Strangers whose lives weave together around the deaths of three people close to them all, and the band that brought them all closer. Gorgeous.

An Indigenous People’s History of the US (Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz) - Another one that’s absolutely vital in filling gaps in the history I’ve learned of this country. Engaging writing and strong voice. Didn’t give me any warm patriotic fuzzies, that is for sure.

Company Town (Madeline Ashby) - Floating future town! Unions! Murder! Loved it.

The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead) - I know the boat on this was a couple years ago, but what a chilling, brutal, beautiful book. The slight speculative element was just the perfect touch to give it a flavor of myth, if that makes sense. Steel yourself before reading.

River of Teeth (Sarah Gailey) - HIPPOS! IN THE MISSISSIPPI! This was a DELIGHT from start to finish. Leverage on HIPPOS in the Wild West?! YES PLEASE.

The Wanderers (Meg Howrey) - Astronauts on a simulated mission to Mars basically all break down, as does everyone around them. I adored this book. I loved the thousand POVs because each one was its own distinct voice. I loved the different ways everybody fell apart!

Infomocracy (Malka Older) - WORLDBUILDING!!!!!! Future elections, future political system, future tech, all brilliantly built. I need to read the sequels, but I haven’t managed to work up the brainpower I know they deserve!!! READ THIS if you like scifi political minutiae (I DO)

The Poppy War (RF Kuang) - The first half is Tamora Pierce, the second half is George RR Martin, but better. This was nothing like what I expected. Absolutely staggeringly, brutally beautiful. What a bold novel. Will buy anything else she ever writes sight unseen.

Warcross (Marie Lu) - This is what I wanted Ready Player One to be. Virtual reality gaming with real life consequences. References and fantastic characters. The sequel is just as good.

Zeroboxer (Fonda Lee) - BOXING IN SPACE! Secret science!! MYSTERIES!! All things I love.

Dread Nation (Justina Ireland) - GREAT. Zombies during the Civil War. A heroine who takes no shit and instead takes zombie heads off. COMBAT SCHOOLS. SUPER GREAT.

An Ember in the Ashes (Sabaa Tahir) - I didn’t expect to love this the way I did, but I devoured it, and the two sequels, each in about a day. This felt like all the best parts of old-school fantasy novels, the thick kind you shoved in your backpack in seventh grade, but BETTER. And I love a good Evil Roman!

Space Opera (Catherynne Valente) - Queen meets Hitchhiker’s Guide! This was a JOURNEY from start to finish, a glorious, absurd, delightful meditation on fame and Eurovision and what it means to be worthwhile and human and a person. YES.

The Broken Earth (NK Jemisin) - More like the BROKEN ME after reading these. Periapocalyptic fiction, absolutely 100% deserving every award and more. Content warning for very small child death brutally described, and more horrors. NK Jemisin goes HARD.

American Islamophobia (Khaled A Beydoun) - Could not put this down. I learned an astonishing amount, especially about the historical place of Islam, Muslims, and Islamophobia in the US. A hard read, but worth the work.

All the Birds in the Sky (Charlie Jane Anders) - Okay, I have to admit it, I have no idea what was going on in this book. But that didn’t stop me from loving it!! Witches and technology and animals and weird apocalyptic nonsense! DELIGHTFUL

Anger is a Gift (Mark Oshiro) - Another YA book that pulled no punches. What a phenomenal look into the way kids and communities of color move through the world, and how the world moves against them.

History is All You Left Me (Adam Silvera) - SO MANY DEAD FRIEND BOOKS THIS YEAR. A great use of the start at the middle, work both directions format, it covers both the time before the death of the MC’s ex and the fallout. I wept through most of it.

White Tears (Hari Kunzru) - Horror, and the villain is essentially appropriation. Very satisfying! The author’s love of music comes through. A nerdy, scary, millennial read.

Love, Hate and Other Filters (Samira Ahmed) - Loved this. Melded teen interpersonal drama, family expectations vs. dreams, and confronting the world and the way they see you all at once, woven together in a beautiful way.

A People’s History of the US (Howard Zinn) - Obviously this is great. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by his son. Sobbed through the child labor chapters. Cheered at the union chapters. Loved it.

Thornfruit/Nightvine/Shadebloom (Felicia Davin) - I LOVE WORLDBUILDING. This is a fantasy on a world that doesn’t turn, so night and day are DIRECTIONS, not times. SO COOL. And I adore the main character. Small Angry/Large Shy is the BEST ROMANCE TROPE. The magic and language is beautifully developed.

Tempests and Slaughter (Tamora Pierce) - Look. I’ll read a gonorrhea brochure if Tamora Pierce writes it. So you knew this would be on the list. But it earned its spot! I love Numair in the Daine series, and he’s a tiny ball of feelings in this. I need more.

Unfamiliar Fishes (Sara Vowell) - I’ve always been interested in Hawaiian history, and though this was a little light and memoir-y for my taste, it contained a shocking amount of information that went down easy in her light, friendly style. Absolutely worth the couple hours it’ll take you.

The Only Harmless Great Thing (Brooke Bolander) - Elephants! Memory! What it means to have value! What we owe other beings! Radium! Sharp and dark and deeper than it has any right to be.

#book recs

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mattmurdocksgirl · 6 years

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I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Summary: Abigail honors her mother's dying request to attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. When she's introduced to a blind attorney from Hell's Kitchen, her lonely Christmas prospects start looking much better.

Notes: Mentions of cancer and parental death.

Other Christmas Stories:

Stop the Cavalry - Frank Castle & Steve Rogers

I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play. And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth goodwill to men.

The sound of bells rang through the night air. It was such a beautiful sound, meant to be celebratory and joyous, and Abby could have listened to them all night. Soon they stopped, though, leaving just the bustling sound of movement all around.

Sitting back on the pew behind her, she helped the older couple next to her raise the kneeling rail that they’d shared just moments before. After hastily gathering her belongings, she followed them into the aisle. The woman wished her a Merry Christmas, before taking her husband’s hand and walking on quickly, perhaps to a cozy house covered in twinkling lights where, later in the day, grandchildren would gather around an enormous Fraser Fir, covered with ornaments that had been collected over a lifetime together.

Sliding on her coat as she walked, Abby thought back to past Christmases when she’d made this same late night pilgrimage in her small Midwestern town with her mother. Her mom adored the Christmas Mass, and insisted that in those moments after midnight, she felt closer to God than any other time of the year. Abby suspected that was why she chose last Christmas Eve to give up the two-year long fight that she’d been waging against an aggressive form of brain cancer, to go be with him permanently. Before she died, she made Abby promise to continue the tradition, and she was nothing if not a dutiful daughter, even though she would have rather been in bed, wallowing in her private misery.

“Abigail?” A familiar voice reached out to her over the din of parishioners shuffling out into the cold winter night. The owner of the voice waved his hand, inviting her to join him near the large beautifully decorated tree in the middle of the narthex.

“Merry Christmas, Father,” she greeted him with the best forced smile that she could muster. “The service was beautiful.”

Father Lantom was one of the first people that she and her mother met when they moved to New York almost two years ago to be closer to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where her mother was getting treatment. Doctors were optimistic, so they left their familiar small town and found an apartment to share in Hell’s Kitchen. Abby found a job as a Librarian at the Columbus Library just a few blocks away, and they gave her the flexibility she needed to take care of her mom. After she passed, Abby thought about returning home, but she found herself making excuses to stay in the city longer, perhaps hoping to avoid all of the memories that waited for her there.

“Merry Christmas to you, my dear. I’m glad that you decided to come.”

“Well, I did promise, so here I am,” she shrugged.

“Yes, well I am happy to see you. Oh, pardon me. I am being very rude.” He turned to his other side, and for the first time she saw that another man was standing there. He was taller than her, dressed in a gray suit with a festive red tie that almost clashed with his neatly styled red hair. Even though it was late at night, he wore small round glasses, and carried a long white stick, which he clutched in his left hand. She realized quickly that he was blind. “Abigail Berken?” This is Matthew Murdock. He’s a long time resident of Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Merry Christmas, Ms. Berken.” He held his hand out to her and she shook it. “Matt’s fine. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. Merry Christmas to you as well. I go by Abby.” She didn’t bother with her forced smile this time, since he couldn’t see it anyway.

“If you two will excuse me,” Father Lantom interrupted. “I should go speak with some of the other parishioners. Have a blessed Christmas, both of you.” He made his goodbyes before leaving the two of them standing awkwardly together.

“So, uhhh, are you new to the area, Abby?”

“Not really. I’ve been here almost two years, I guess.”

“And do you like it?”

“It’s been a bit of an adjustment from the small town I grew up in, but I’m getting there. Not driving a car all the time is still something I’m not used to, not that I need to, I guess.”

“Right? I have a hard time with that too,” he mused.

She surprised herself by actually laughing. “Oh geez, I’m so sorry.”

“Not a problem at all,” he laughed. “I was just teasing you. Probably not the best thing to do on Christmas, I guess.”

“No, that’s okay. I could use the laugh.” She actually smiled without having to force it for the first time today, and it was nice. “Well, I should probably get going.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s pretty late.” They walked together, toward the open doors. He moved very well and didn’t seem to need the wide berth that people gave him for his walking stick. After making their way down the steps, they both stopped.

“It was nice meeting you, Matt. I hope you have a nice Christmas.”

“Actually, you know, I was going to stop off at this 24-hour diner just down the street for a bite to eat before heading home. It’s sort of a Murdock Family Christmas tradition, breakfast after Midnight Mass? I think my dad liked to stuff me full of food so I’d sleep longer in the morning.” A grin spread across his face at the memory. “Any chance you’d be interested in joining me?”

She considered him for a moment. He seemed nice enough, and Father Lantom knew him, so how bad could he be? Besides, if she was being completely honest with herself, she just wasn’t ready to be alone.

“Sure, why not? I was just going to go home and eat half of my mother’s Famous Chocolate Reindeer cake, wash it down with a bottle of wine, and pass out in a drunken sugar induced coma, anyway.”

“Well, breakfast suddenly seems much healthier, for sure.” His smile was infectious as he offered her his arm and led her down the street.

The sidewalk was mostly clear of people and even though she’d lived there for a while, the dark alleys and strange city sounds were still something that she wasn’t quite used to. It didn’t appear to bother Matt at all, though, as he easily maneuvered the sidewalk and seemed to know exactly where he was going.

"So if you don’t mind me asking, why aren’t you spending the holiday with your family this year?”

“It was just me and my mom, and she’s dead. Passed a year ago yesterday, actually,” she responded.

“On Christmas Eve?”

She nodded and felt silly, because of course he couldn’t see that. “Yeah, cancer. There was a treatment that had a chance of working, which is why we moved here. In the end, it didn’t, and I guess she just got tired of fighting.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that. I heard you mention that you came to mass because you promised. Did Father Lantom make you promise that you’d come?”

“No. He was there when my mom made me promise I would, though. It was our tradition, and she was hung up on me continuing it, so I did.”

“Well, I’m glad that you did. Otherwise I wouldn’t have met you. It’s nice to have company.” He looked right at her, and once again she found herself smiling despite herself, and very glad that he couldn’t see the blush creeping across her cheeks. “So what do you do in the City?”

“I’m a Librarian at the Columbus Library on 10th Avenue.”

“Oh, nice. They have a pretty big audiobook section, as I recall, but I’ll be honest, I haven’t been doing much reading for fun lately. What made you decide to become a Librarian?”

“I love books, I love organizing things, and I really love telling people to be quiet,” she joked, causing him to laugh. “Back home I managed the entire library but considering you could probably fit that whole library in the Reference section of the Columbus, I’m glad that I’m not actually in charge. What about you? Window Washer? Taxi Driver? Pilot?” She was relieved when he laughed again at her attempt at a joke.

“All quite tempting,” he chuckled, “but I’m an attorney. My best friend, Foggy, and I have a small firm here in Hell’s Kitchen. By small I mean there’s only us and our Office Manager, Karen, and she threatens to quit on a daily basis.”

He stopped in front of the diner and held the door open for her. The restaurant was surprisingly crowded for just after midnight on Christmas day. She picked an empty booth near the back, and he took the seat across from her.

“So do you think you’ll stay in the City?” Matt asked, after the waitress came to take their drink orders. Abby realized that this must be a place Matt frequented fairly often, because the waitress knew him by name.

“I don’t know. I kind of like it here. There is so much to do and a lot of new people to meet, not that I’ve actually gone out to do either. I’ve kind of enjoyed the ability to get lost here, I guess. Back home it’s the same places and same people that I’ve been with most of my life, you know?”

“It’s probably nice not to have all of those memories to go back to as well. I bet your mom would want you to get out and take advantage of the city, though.”

“Part of me thinks that my Mom purposely made me come out here just to get me out of that town again. I never wanted to stay there. I went out of state for college, and when I got my Masters, I took a job at a library in St. Louis. That lasted almost a year until my mom was diagnosed, and I made up an excuse to come home. Soon, I was working at the town library, dating my high school sweetheart again and it was like everything that I never wanted when I was growing up.” The waitress came to take their orders, and realizing that he probably didn’t need to hear her life story, she decided to change the subject. “So what about you? Why aren’t you with your family?”

“No one left to be with. My mom died when I was a baby. My dad died when I was a kid. I spent time in the Saint Agnes orphanage before going off to school,” he shrugged.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I make the Midnight Mass in his honor too. It gets easier, but it never goes away.”

“I’d settle for easier, at this point.” She took a sip of her coffee, and decided to change the subject. “So, is it okay if I ask if you were born blind?”

“No. I wasn’t. I was just a kid when there was an accident, and my face got splashed by chemicals from a passing truck. This is what happened.”

“Oh, that had to be horrible!”

“Well, it wasn’t the best time, but my dad threw himself into making sure that I adapted as quickly as possible, and here I am. A blind attorney who helps people. At least I try to.”

“Very noble,” she replied.

“Doesn’t pay as well as being on the other side, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

As they ate, they carried on with polite conversation, until the waitress returned to refill her coffee. When Matt pushed the sugar bowl toward her, she was surprised. “How in the world did you know that I put sugar in my coffee?”

“I’m blind, not deaf,” he laughed. “I could hear the packet being opened earlier.”

“Impressive. Maybe you got super powers like my Mom did.”

Matt gave her an amused look. “Oh? Your mom got super powers? Could she fly? Turn invisible? Did she join the Avengers?”

Abby giggled. “It’s a little bit crazy. She had this whole belief that…You know what? It’s completely ridiculous, so I’ll spare you. You’ll think I’m nuts.”

“This sounds like a story that I want to hear,” he smiled at her, encouragingly.

“Okay, so when my mom was diagnosed with the brain tumor, she swore it gave her super powers.” Abby expected him to laugh again, but he sat there silently, his head inclined in her direction. “She believed that she could see the future.”

“Wow. That’s interesting. There have been cases where people swear that their tumor gave them special powers. Did you ever see it work?”

“Well, yeah, but it was mostly little things. She said that she had no control of it, she just kind of caught glimpses of things. For instance, she told a woman who worked at the grocery store in town to enjoy her vacation, and the woman insisted that she wasn’t going anywhere. We ran into her two weeks later at the store, and it turned out that on that very day, her husband surprised her with a cruise for their anniversary. Thing is, though, her husband owned the local mechanic shop, and my Mom was there the day before getting her tires rotated. She could have overheard him talking about it, even though she swore she didn’t.”

“Maybe she didn’t realize that she had.”

“That’s what I said! She had a string of these things, though. She congratulated our 18-year-old neighbor for getting into his first choice of college when he came over to mow the lawn for her, and he didn’t even get the letter for two more days. She congratulated my high school friend on her pregnancy before she even took the test, and told me that my boyfriend was going to be offered a job in Chicago.”

“Was he?”

“The very next week. He suggested that I go with him, but I would never have left my Mom alone while she was sick, and I wasn’t really sold on the longevity of our relationship anyway, so I declined and we broke up. Then there was the nurse at the cancer center here. Mom made me go buy a manicure gift certificate to a local spa nearby because it was the nurses birthday the next day. Mom insisted that she use it that afternoon, and sure enough, her boyfriend proposed to her the next day. Afterward my mom claimed she wanted to make sure she had pretty nails to show off her ring.”

“Foggy, loves to read all those unbelievable stories. He’d be absolutely ready to believe that your mom had special powers. I’m much more of the skeptical type, but to be honest, after aliens fell from the sky over Manhattan, I’m a little more inclined to believe things. Maybe she could see the future.”

“Or maybe she was just a really good guesser.”

The waitress dropped off the bill, and Matt grabbed it before she could even get her hand up. “I’ve got this. I asked you to join me, it’s my treat.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t have to, but I am.” She decided not to argue when he flashed that handsome smile at her. “Consider it a Christmas present.”

“But I didn’t get you anything, you know, since we just met a little over an hour ago.”

“You can let me walk you home, then. Surprisingly, Christmas is usually a slow night for crime, but I’d feel better if you weren’t out there alone.”

“But then, you’d be walking home alone, wouldn’t you?”

“I grew up on these streets. I know them very well. It may not seem like it, but I can take care of myself well enough. If all else fails, I can beat them with my stick,” he grinned.

“Okay. You have a deal,” she finally agreed. Matt paid the check, and they headed out into the eerily quiet night. She took his arm when he offered it.

“So, did your mom have any premonitions about you?”

“She did, but you don’t want to hear that. It is so ridiculous that I didn’t even give it much thought. She was really going downhill, and I think she was just trying to make herself believe that everything would be okay for me, ya know?”

“As any mother would. Now you have to tell me, though.”

“Ugh. Okay, but it’s ridiculous. She made me promise that I’d keep our Christmas Eve tradition, especially this year, because she was convinced that I was meant to somehow meet Daredevil tonight.”

Matt stopped and turned toward her, his grip on her arm tightening just slightly. “Really? Why?”

“I don’t know. She had this thing in her head that Daredevil and I were going to be involved somehow. Honestly, I think she just didn’t like the idea that I might not be safe in the city, and what better way to make sure that I was, than imagining that I somehow ended up with the Savior of Hell’s Kitchen, as she called him.”

“Most people call him the Devil,” Matt shrugged, as he started walking again.

“That’s not what my mom thought. She thought he was a hero like Iron Man, Captain America, or any of those guys.”

“What do you think?”

“It seems like he does a lot of good things and deals with bad people, but I do question the fact that folks claim that he doesn’t kill anyone. Beating the crap out of someone and throwing them down a flight of stairs can kill people.”

“I read an article once that says he checks up on them, if they’re taken to the hospital, just to make sure they’re okay,” Matt replied, as they turned down the block that her apartment was on.

“Oh yeah, I can see how that works now. He calls the hospital to ask, and the employees are instructed to tell him that the bad guy is fine. He’s been released, given up his life of crime, and moved to Poughkeepsie to raise kittens. Never mind that he was tossed out of a four-story window after having his butt kicked, and actually died of head injuries at the scene.”

“Oh, that’s awful,” Matt chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that’s never happened. At least I hope not! So, what would you do if Daredevil showed up here right now?”

“I’d tell him to get lost. I never gave much thought to my Mom’s prediction until this week. I mean, there really seems to be only one way to meet Daredevil, and I’m not much interested in getting mugged, or worse, tonight.” She stopped in front of her building and patted his arm gently, so he knew to stop as well. “Lucky for me, I met you instead and have managed to make it home without needing to be rescued.”

“Oh, so this is it, huh?”

“Yep. I guess it is. Thanks for the company and for breakfast, Matt.”

“You’re welcome.” They stood together silently, neither of them in a hurry to leave. Finally, Matt spoke. “Abby? Any chance you’d like to have dinner at my place tomorrow? It won’t just be me. Foggy and his girlfriend Marci will be there, as well as a few other friends of mine.”

“Oh, I’d hate to be an imposition,” she replied. “We just met, and you weren’t really planning for me.”

“Trust me, there will be plenty of food. Marci put herself in charge of the menu, and last time she did that, we had food for days. It’ll be a lot of fun, and your mom would probably be happy that you’re out in the city, meeting new people. Besides, I am very interested in her Famous Chocolate Reindeer Cake, if you were serious about that.”

“Oh, I was. Best cake in town. People would be sure to stop by on Christmas, just to get a slice. I’ll be honest though. This is the first year I made it without her help. It looks good, but I have no idea how it will taste.”

“Then it’s settled. You need taste testers, and I will have a room full of them. Give me your number, and I’ll text you the address and details.”

“Well, okay,” she finally agreed. “I guess it would be sad not to share that giant cake with other people.” She typed her contact information into his phone, before they once again found themselves standing in awkward silence.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Merry Christmas, Abby.”

“Merry Christmas, Matt.” She grinned like an idiot all the way up the three flights of stairs that led to her apartment. Once the door was safely locked behind her, she made her way to the kitchen and sat her purse down on the counter. Glancing at the decedent chocolate cake sitting there, she hoped it tasted as good as it looked for tomorrow.

She stopped on her way to the bedroom and found herself staring at a framed photo on the shelf. “Well, Mom, looks like you got half of your prediction right. I didn’t meet Daredevil tonight, but Matt seems like a really sweet guy and I think you’d really like him. I miss you so much, but thanks to your insistence that I go to Mass, it looks like I won’t have to spend Christmas alone. Even when you aren’t around, you’re still looking out for me. Merry Christmas, Mom. I love you.”

One building over, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen stood among the rooftop shadows, keeping watch until the lights went off in the third-floor apartment. Satisfied that all was well, he turned to head home, enjoying the peaceful silence that had fallen over the usually bustling city below.

#matt murdock #daredevil #marvel christmas #matt murdock x ofc #daredevil fanfiction #matt murdock fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #christmas 2017 #my matty #i heard the bells on christmas day

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cover2covermom · 6 years

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Why hello there February! Ta-ta January!!!

I don’t know about you all, but I had a fantastic month. Not only was I able to slay my January TBR and read a total of 10 books, but I was able to get back into my blogging groove.

Let’s see how I fared in January, shall we?

» After being on a hiatus from October – December 2017, I feel like I am finally back into the swing of things. I really focused this month on writing book reviews to clear out my backlog of NetGalley reviews. This will most likely continue through February until I am all caught up.

» Moving forward, I will only be writing full reviews for books I receive for review. For all other books I read, I will be breaking them up into genres (historical fiction, fantasy, thriller, etc) & posting mini-reviews once I have about 5 books to review in each category. I wish I had time to review every book I read, but it just isn’t realistic since I read much faster than I review.

*Book titles link to Goodreads

» The House at the Edge of Night by Catherine Banner

Feelings in a few thoughts:

this book is a gem – I wish it had received more attention when it came out in 2016 ¤ set on an island off the coast of Italy – small island living where everyone is in everyone else’s business

loved the inclusion of folklore & superstition (inspired by Sicilian & Italian folklore?

this book follows one family over the span of the 20th century – you would think character development would suffer as the different descendants come to the forefront of the story, but the author somehow pulls it off so well

family secrets & drama

interesting seeing the progression of the island community throughout the course of the century

» The Girl in the Tower (Winternight #2) by Katherine Arden

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Even BETTER than the first book!

I love Vasya’s character. I love that she is fierce, brave, independent, level-headed, and kind

Political intrigue

Sibling relationships – complicated, but at the end of the day they always have each other’s backs.

Religious tones – not preachy. Christianity vs. Paganism.

I’m a sucker for books where women disguise themselves as men – Think Mulan

The Bear and the Nightingale was a slower moving book for world building purposes – The Girl in the Tower is an action packed adventure.

If you enjoy this series, I’d recommend the YA historical fiction (no fantasy) series The Conqueror’s Saga: And I Darken & Now I Rise by Kiersten White. It is a gender swap retelling of Vlad the Impaler.

» Tumbledown Manor by Helen Brown

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Same plotline as Under the Tuscan Sun – divorced woman moves to another country, buys old house, begins fixing up old house with goofy contractors, disasters along the way, and a wedding at the house at the end of the book… sound familiar?

The romance was very awkward.

Struggled with the writing at times: “But his pillow was as vacant as the wastelands of Antarctica” “It was her favorite pillow, so it probably harbored superbugs.” “The scar ran in a horizontal line across her torso like a ruler marking the end of a school essay.” “…row of suns yellow as egg yolks.” “Scott’s boots lay like a pair of drunken sailors under the step.”

Best part about the book is that the MC is an author who writes a series of books based off the Brontë sisters, so there were lots of tidbits of information about the sisters and their lives.

Love the cover

» May the Road Rise Up to Meet You by Peter Troy

Feelings in a few thoughts:

This book is about 4 hours too long – because of the length & slower moving plot, this book took me a month to read.

The convergence of the 2 love stories didn’t really work for me. There wasn’t a significant enough connection between Ethan/Marcella and Micah/Mary. They all just kind of met up at the end, which felt a little forced.

This book needed to be separated into two books: Ethan & Marcella’s story, and Micah & Mary’s story. I enjoyed both stories, but it was too much all together.

This wasn’t a bad book by any means, just feel that the author was a little too ambitious.

» The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Feelings in a few thoughts:

The Handmaid’s Tale is timeless. I cannot believe this book was written in the early 80’s.

With the current situation in the U.S., this book felt very relevant. It is also what makes it so terrifying, the fact that it isn’t so unbelievable as you would hope.

This wasn’t exactly an enjoyable read. It made me angry, which was Atwood’s intent.

Loved the open-endness of this book and felt it was really fitting of the story for us to leave some things up to the reader’s imagination.

The way THT is written took a little bit to get used to – switches from present to past frequently without clear indication.

This book isn’t action packed, but it still packs a punch.

» Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Content/Trigger Warning: child abuse. This book ended up including a topic that I am very sensitive to: child abuse. Generally I can handle books that do not go into graphic detail, but unfortunately this one did. This was a hard book for me to get through.

Going to leave this one unrated because it ended up include a topic I am sensitive to. I don’t feel like it would be fair to rate this one because of this.

This book would have been better as a single POV book. I feel like it would have been better to tell this one through Kettle’s eyes alone.

Loved that the characters in this story showed the aftermath of the interment of Japanese Americans during WWII, HOWEVER the author gave zero information about the actual event. We only get small flashbacks of life in the camp through the characters’ eyes, but we don’t get any actual historical context. If you are not familiar with this event in history, you would have to look it up to see what the author is talking about.

Less a Peter Pan retelling, and more like the story was inspired by Peter Pan – this aspect was well done.

» The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia #1) by Sarah Beth Durst

*4.5 stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I loved the world in The Queen of Blood: the idea that humans & spirits (water, earth, air, fire, etc.) have to coexist despite the fact that spirits desire the eradication of all humans. The setting was also intriguing: people colonizing in trees together to form villages & cities… very whimsical

Daleina was such an awesome main character. I admired her level-headedness, cleverness, dedication, work ethic, and bravery. I also really appreciated that she was not the best, in fact she struggled, with controlling the spirits. It was refreshing to see someone who had to make up for things that do not come naturally with hard work and cleverness.

I was worried at first that this book was going to be cliché, but it wasn’t like anything I had read before. Some things were not a big shock, but I was still surprised a fair amount of times.

Positive female friendship – zero girl hate!

The ending was on point!

» The Hatching (The Hatching #1) by Ezekiel Boone

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I stepped WAY outside of my comfort zone with this one… I tend to avoid books that have to do with things I am terrified of, like man-eating spiders.

If I had no idea who the author was before reading this, I could have told you it was written by a man. This book definitely feels like a book that would appeal to the “man’s man.” This is not a criticism of the book, just that you should not expect “flowery writing.”

I would describe this book as being a little “rough around the edges.” It has foul language and is crude at times, which doesn’t bother me, but if you are easily offended this probably isn’t your book.

Despite the fact that this book terrified me, it was very readable – I had to know what was going to happen next.

Loved that Boone had so many female characters in positions of power in this story: the president, a marine squad leader, a leading scientist in the field of spiders…

While I understand why the author chose to tell this story by introducing us to multiple characters, it was almost too much. I would have preferred for the story to have been told through 3-4 main POVs, and leave the others off. We were introduced to a new character every chapter up until the 30% mark before we cycled back around to some of the past characters.

The Hatching leaves us with a HUGE cliffhanger, enough of one that I am throwing around the idea of reading the next book.

» Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I would have adored this book when I was in high school. This is such an appropriate YA romance.

There isn’t much of a plotline – this is a very character driven story.

Would recommend to fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe BUT I felt the pacing of this book was much better than Aristotle and Dante

Positive family dynamics with parents that are actually involved with their children’s’ lives. A teenager actually got grounded in a YA book?! Thank you! I don’t know about you all, but I spent much of my teen years grounded.

Positive friendships for the most part – just a smidge of “girl hate” in Leah & Abby’s relationship, BUT there was at least a reasoning behind it.

The author nailed Simon’s perspective – I really felt like I was in the head of a teenager.

There were two parts in the plot that annoyed me a little – they both have to do with separate fights that Leah & Abby have with Simon… Really? HOWEVER I try to keep in mind that these are teenagers.

FYI: Simon’s last name (Spier) is pronounced “SP-EAR” – I just looked at the spelling and if I hadn’t listened to it via audiobook I would have been pronouncing it “SPY-ER”

» Binti (Binti #1) by Nnedi Okorafor

Feelings in a few thoughts:

This world gave me Star Wars and The Fifth Element vibes.

There were times where I had a difficult time following along & understanding the world & the concepts – this isn’t a criticism of the book per se, as it is probably more me not being able to wrap my head around everything.

The writing is breathtaking.

Themes: cultural diversity, peace, communication, customs & traditions, forging one’s own path, etc.

Binti was an amazing female lead – smart, talented, brave, level-headed, etc.

The audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Robin Miles,

I really wish this had been a full length novel – how was the author able to pack in such a mind-blowing world in such a short novella?!?

I think fans of The Fifth Season would enjoy this novella series.

2017 Reading Wrap-Up + Bookish Goals for 2018

January 2018 TBR

2017 New Releases I Wish I Had Read in 2017

Book Event: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Book Tour

Book Event: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo Book Tour

Book Reviews:

Book Review: The Last Girl (The Dominion Trilogy #1) by Joe Hart

Book Review: North of Here by Laurel Saville

Book Review: Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend

Book Reiew: Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale by David Kudler

eBooks:

» As Good As True by Cheryl Reid

A powerful and haunting novel of a woman’s broken past and the painful choices she must make to keep her family and her home.

August 1956. After a night of rage and terror, Anna Nassad wakes to find her abusive husband dead and instinctively hides her bruises and her relief. As the daughter of Syrian immigrants living in segregated Alabama, Anna has never belonged, and now her world is about to erupt.

Days before, Anna set in motion an explosive chain of events by allowing the first black postman to deliver the mail to her house. But it’s her impulsive act of inviting him inside for a glass of water that raises doubts about Anna’s role in her husband’s death.

As threats and suspicions arise in the angry community, Anna must confront her secrets in the face of devastating turmoil and reconcile her anguished relationship with her daughter. Will she discover the strength to fight for those she loves most, even if it means losing all she’s ever known?

» Declaration: A Poetry Chapbook in Three Movements by Jeff Roush

This poetry chapbook constitutes the first collection published by Jeff Roush. Its inspiration and organizational structure come from Jefferson’s inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The chapbook focuses its linguistic eye and musical ear on quiet moments in everyday life that fall among and across these lofty concepts.

Physical Books:

» Beartown by Fredrik Backman

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.

Which books did you read this month?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month? If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books? If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

How was your #reading month in January? I read 10 #books! See which ones in my #wrapup. #BookBlogger #Bookworm Why hello there February! Ta-ta January!!! I don't know about you all, but I had a fantastic month.

#Am Reading #Bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Book Haul #Book Nerd #Book Worm #Bookish #Books #Bookworm #Reading #Wrap Up

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scarletwelly-boots · 6 years

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Books Read 2017

I read 35 books this year. I'm about halfway done with #36, so I might make a smaller post later if I finish it before the New Year. I will also make a follow-up with the top ten so you don't need to read this whole thing. This post will briefly review each book (and damn I slacked this year; last year I got through 39 books).

As last year, each entry will include the title, author, and the entry of this year's reading challenge that it fell under.

1. All the King’s Men, by Nora Sakavic (A book that’s been on your TBR list for way too long). This is book three of the All for the Game trilogy, and holy shit you have to read this. It’s the best book in the trilogy. It is a series about a college sports team who play a made up sport called Exy, which is basically a more violent version of lacrosse. I’m not a huge sports fan, but the way she writes Exy matches had me on the edge of my seat. The team is made up of all “at-risk” students, the main character being a kid on the run from his mob boss dad. Trigger warning for the series for violence, sexual assault/rape, abuse, drug use, I may be missing some things. It was so good though.

2. Chopsticks, by Jessica Anthony (A book of letters). This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I kind of cheated on including this for this part of the challenge. It’s not entirely epistolary. It’s more mixed media. The story is told through pictures, letters, newspaper articles, notes, etc. It was good. It’s about a girl who’s basically this piano prodigy who meets a boy and falls in love.

3. East, by Edith Patton (an audio book). This year was going to be the year I reread books I haven’t read since junior high, but I kind of fell through on that, so I think this might be the only one I actually read. It’s a retelling of the Scandinavian fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, which in turn is basically a version of Beauty and the Beast. I was obsessed with Beauty and the Beast retellings (and fairy tale retellings in general) when I was fourteen. The book certainly holds up over time. I definitely recommend it.

4. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz (a book by a person of color). Guys, everything you have heard about this book is true. It is so cute, and beautifully written. Two very different boys meet at a swimming pool when they are fifteen, and almost immediately become inseparable best friends. Also, if you can, the audiobook is surprisingly cheap on Amazon and read by el amor de mi vida, Lin-Manuel Miranda, so the book has that going for it too. 11/10 would recommend.

5. The Summer Palace, by CS Pacat (a book with one of the four seasons in the title). This is a short story in the Captive Prince series, and while it is absolutely adorable and so sunny, you need to read the trilogy to understand and appreciate it. It’s so sweet, with Laurent and Damen finally allowed to get to know each other and explore their personalities without the immediate threat of death hanging over them. Definitely recommended, but only after you read the trilogy, which I also obviously recommend.

6. The Course of Irish History, by TW Moody &co (a book with multiple authors). This is like 800-page textbook-grade Irish history, from the Ancient Celts to the Celtic Tiger economy in the 2000s. It is the leading book for Irish History courses, as I understand it. Guys. I loved this book. It took me forever to read, but I love Irish history books. It’s almost the only nonfiction I can sit through. Will you like it? Probably not. Do I recommend it anyway? Absolutely.

7. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire (a book with a cat on the cover). Might’ve cheated on this entry too. Okay, listen. I have zero interest in reading the other books in the series and I’m sorry, but the musical was ten times better. However, there are several things about this book that I love. (And I read this in January so how accurate my memories are is questionable.) Elphaba is absolutely bi/pan in this and you cannot convince me otherwise. There are two munchkins who aren’t in the musical but who are absolutely gay as the Fourth of July. I’m pretty sure I remember someone who could be read as trans. This book was very queer. I just have no attachment to the characters that I know will be in the other books. If you want to read it, I’d recommend it. If you have the opportunity to see the musical instead, go with that option even if it’s the more expensive choice.

8. Fence, vol. 1, by CS Pacat (a book by an author who uses a pseudonym): CS Pacat is back, this time with a modern sports comic about fencing. This is a literal comic book guys, so it was really short, but vol. 2 is out soon so it’s okay. I liked it. I like fencing and CS Pacat, so I enjoyed it. Too short, but I know that’s how comics work. Yeah, go read it and support comics.

9. The Raven King, by Nora Sakavic (a bestseller from a genre you don’t normally read). “This was a bestseller?” Yeah, okay, so I cheated a lot this year. It should have been a best seller. This is book two in the All for the Game series. I already explained this series above, but guys read it, it’s so good!

10. Turtles All the Way Down, by John Green (a book by or about someone who has a disability). Yay, John Green wrote another book! Yep, it’s a Green book all right. But it was really, really good. Yes, this is coming from someone whose favorite book is still The Fault in Our Stars, but listen. The main character has anxiety like crazy, and Green, having anxiety himself, writes it so well. Almost too well; the character’s anxiety was starting to give me anxiety. I loved it. Read this book.

11. A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson (A book involving travel), this is a classic. Bryson goes to hike the Appalachian Trail, which is very very long. He takes along his somewhat stupid friend from home. Another nonfiction book, but it was good and had no Ireland at all in it. It was really funny, too. I recommend the audiobook, because it’s really fast to get through, but good.

12. The Immortal Irishman, by Timothy Egan (a book with a subtitle). I know, but it’s got a subtitle actually but I just can’t remember what it is. Guys, I know it’s Irish history again. This book is whole leagues above The Course of Irish History. It’s not a textbook, and doesn’t read like one. It’s a biography on Thomas Francis Meagher, a revolutionary in Famine-decimated Ireland trying to free his dying and oppressed country from the English. It doesn’t go well. He’s imprisoned and sentenced to death. But instead of dying, he is transported to the Penal Colony in Australia, where he lives and works to free Australia from Britain’s clutches as well, before he escapes to the United States just in time to be a general in the Civil War. It’s really good.

13. Weird Ireland, assorted authors (a book that’s published in 2017). A very small, independently published book about paranormal, supernatural, and extra-terrestrial sightings in Ireland. It was okay. I finished it in two hours. I knew everything that was in it, and some of it they even got wrong. Even if you’re crazy-obsessed with Ireland like me, you can skip this one.

14. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the movie script, by JK Rowling (a book involving a mythical creature). Did you see the movie? Then you’re good, you don’t need to read the script. Bye.

15. Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones (a book you’ve read before than never fails to make you smile). Did I say TFiOS is my favorite book? Sorry, I meant this one. Did you see the movie? Don’t care, book’s better, go read it. This may be my most frequently read book on my shelf. It’s sooo good!

16. Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt (a book with career advice): I hate to say this about a fellow Irishman and a celebrated author, but Frank McCourt? not a great guy. The book was good, because I’m also a teacher, so some of what he was saying was relatable to me. But the guy teaches high school English, and even though the book follows him from his thirties to like his sixties, he’s kind of salivating over the high school girls and it was making me very uncomfortable. He never actually does anything about his attraction (at least not in the book), but I was still like this is wildly unprofessional please stop.

17. Loki: Agent of Asgard vol. 1, by Jason Ewing (a book from a nonhuman perspective): This was the second-ever graphic novel I’ve ever read guys. Yes, I had a weeabo phase in junior high like everyone else, so I did read manga, but comics were never really that interesting to me. So I was Thor: Ragnarok six times this year. Why did I see it six times? I love Loki and their genderfluidity, even if the MCU won’t acknowledge that my love so obviously gf. So I decided to read all the comics where it’s canon that Loki is genderfluid. This book was so good, please read.

18. Graceling, by Kristen Cashore (a steampunk novel). Cheating again, sorry. This was more fantasy than steampunk. It was also a junior high favorite I’m reading again. In this world, there are people born with two eye colors that signify they have special abilities. Some are benign, like being an amazing baker or the ability to tell someone is lying to you, but some are more sinister. The main character, Katsa’s grace is for killing. It’s a good book.

19. The Irish Civil War, by Tim Pat Coogan (a book with a red spine). A very short book highlighting the Irish Civil War 1922-1923. I liked it, because the civil war is basically the only section of Irish history I was still a little foggy on, so it was helpful. Will you like it? Only if you’re into Irish history like me. This is not Immortal Irishman.

20. Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan (A book you loved as a child). We read this with my fifth graders last year. I loved this book when I was ten, but I got so much more out of it this second time around. It’s a really good book, even if you’re not a child. Esperanza starts out the daughter of a wealthy rancher, but when her father dies under shifty circumstances, she and her mother are forced to flee to America, where they live with their servants’ relatives in a migrant worker camp in California, facing hardship, discrimination, and immigration laws. It’s very good.

21. Cupid, by Julius Lester (a book with a title that’s a character’s name). This was okay. I thought I’d read it in junior high, but I had no memory of any of it. It’s a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, which is very similar to East of the Sun and West of the Moon. The author tried to be tongue-in-cheek in a few places, which I didn’t appreciate, but overall it’s a pretty good YA novel.

22. Loki: Agent of Asgard vol. 2, by Jason Ewing (a book with an unreliable narrator). Loki? Unreliable? Since when? Still good, still queer, Freyja pissing me off as always.

23. Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel (a book with pictures): Okay, I guess I lied, since this book was a graphic novel and I read it before Loki. It was really interesting. It’s autobiographical of Bechdel’s life and relationship with her dad.

24. The Pirate Queen, by Barbara Sjoholm (a book about an interesting woman). Not only was this about my favorite person ever, Grace O’Malley, stone in Britain’s imperial sandal, but also talked about the relationship between Atlantic-dwelling women and the sea. It covers goddesses, fisherwomen, pirates, adventurers, and sea-witches from Ireland, Scotland, the Faroes, Iceland, and Greenland. It was really interesting and I recommend it.

25. Timekeeper, by Tara Sim (a book set in two different time periods). Cheated here, too, don’t know what I was thinking. Anyway, this is a steampunk novel in which clock towers actually control time, which means that if there’s a flaw, it affects time itself in more literal ways. It’s about a clock mechanic and a clock spirit who lives in one of the towers and watches over the clock. They are adorably gay, but that’s more of a subplot because someone has been sabotaging the towers and throwing time into chaos. The sequel comes out in January. Good for a debut novel.

26. Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt (a book with a month or day of the week in the title). This is about a ten-year-old boy growing up in rural Illinois during the Civil War, so it talks about how it affects him and his family, as well as covers the course of the war in a more general perspective. It was interesting, and well written, but I think I prefer Hunt’s Up a Road Slowly.

27. The Adventures of Charls, by CS Pacat (a book written by someone you admire): Another Captive Prince short story that should be read after The Summer Palace. Where Green But for a Season (the first CP short story) was sad, and Summer Palace was passionate and cute, The Adventures of Charls is hilarious. Charls, the cloth merchant, was such a great side character in the CP trilogy, and telling the story from his perspective was great. It doesn’t have to be read after the Summer Palace, but at least the trilogy should be read first.

28. Wonder, by RJ Palacio (a book that’s becoming a movie in 2017). Did you watch the movie? Whitewashed, go read the fucking book. I read this with my fifth graders last year too, who loved it. It’s a very sweet story, and the movie was good, but it goes too fast and leaves out some scenes that I liked. Highly, highly recommend.

29. The Foxhole Court, by Nora Sakavic (the first book in a series you haven’t read before). First book (obviously) in the All for the Game series. What are you still doing here? Go start this trilogy!

30. Symptoms of Being Human, by Jeff Garvin (a bestseller from 2016). I think I cheated again, but this book should have been a bestseller. Quality of the story gets a solid 7/10, but this is the only novel I know of that has a canon human genderfluid character, and representation is so important and for a cis dude, this guy wrote genderfluid shockingly well. Characterization and representation gets a 10/10 because I just ignored the “I’m a whiny teenager, no one likes me, my parents don’t get me, woe is me” chorus. Some of it was justified, because they were being bullied, and they weren’t out to their parents, but still, the book was written very young adult-y.

31. The Story We Carry in Our Bones, by Juliene Osbourne-McKnight (a book about an immigrant or refugee). The subtitle describes the book best: Irish history for Irish-Americans. Down side: very watered down Irish history because it’s a small book and just an introduction to Irish history. Up side: More information and context of the history of the Irish in America, because my personal studies have pretty much entirely skipped over that aspect of my heritage. If you’re Irish-American and looking to learn a little more about your ethnic past, but don’t want to dive headfirst into the deep end of Irish everything like me, you should read this book. If you’re willing to study more in-depth Irish history, skip this book and I have some better recommendations for you.

32. Loki: Agent of Asgard vol. 3, by Jason Ewing (a book from a genre you’ve never heard of): Cheated; I know what a comic book is. This is the last volume in this series. My only qualm is a spoiler, so I’ll give it 8/10.

33. Original Sin: Thor and Loki in the Tenth Realm, by Jason Ewing (a book with an eccentric character): Who is more eccentric than Loki “Always-Extra” Laufeyson? This is the first comic I’ve ever read, and I have to say it was very good. Featuring genderfluid!Loki all the way, actual Father-of-the-Year this time Odin, Freyja’s shockingly shitty parenting skills (maybe this is a theme in the comics, but coming from actual-angel!Frigga in the MCU, this was upsetting for me), and Thor abandoning the Avengers in a fight to start another battle in another realm because Thor is a fucking over-dramatic bastard.

34. Huntess, by Malinda Lo (a book that’s been mentioned in another book). I read Lo’s Ash a few years ago and loved it. Huntress, while okay, didn’t quite live up to the hype I’d applied to it after reading Ash. It was good, and had a very mythical Ireland feel to it that I liked, and it was very gay, but I don’t know, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

35. Ever, by Gail Carson Levine (a book based on mythology). I read this book when I was fourteen, too (guess I did read a lot of books from junior high). I love this book. It’s about a young god who meets a monotheistic mortal girl and they fall in love despite the differences in their religion. I didn’t love it as much as I did in junior high, but it’s still good. Levine also wrote Ella Enchanted, which is very good and more well-known than Ever.

#books #book recommendations #book recs

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jlswainsboro · 7 years

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Damnation: Bonus Edition by Author Anna Lowe

Blue Moon Saloon Series: Prequel & First Book

Blurb: DAMNATION Voted BEST SHIFTER BOOK 2016 by Reality Bites Magazine! He hasn’t forgotten her, and she sure hasn’t forgiven him. Jessica Macks is a she-wolf on the run from a band of murderous rogues. When she finds a job at a shifter bar, it seems like a safe haven from her hunted life on the road. But the minute she walks through the swinging doors of the Blue Moon Saloon and comes face-to-face with the man she once loved, she’s tempted to march right back out. No way, no how is she risking her heart to that infuriating alpha bear again. Simon Voss thought he lost everything in an ambush months before: his home, his family, his past. His new job at the Blue Moon Saloon is a desperately needed fresh start on life. Then along comes Jessica, the irresistible she-wolf his clan forced him to reject years before. When Simon is obliged to hire Jessica and work side by side with the one woman to ever make his bear go wild, he’s half in heaven, half in hell. He hasn’t forgotten her, and she sure as hell hasn’t forgiven him. Is this just another path to heartbreak or his last chance to claim his destined mate? PERFECTION A sexy bear, a stubborn she-wolf, and a very cozy den. It’s a stormy winter’s night in the mountains, and she-wolf Jessica Macks is desperate to find shelter. So desperate, she’ll even settle for an unoccupied bear den, despite all the warnings she’s heard about her pack’s mysterious neighbors. It doesn’t take long before unwanted company in the form of bear shifter Simon Voss comes lumbering in. The two can let out their claws and fight, or they can lower their defenses and keep each other warm. But the instinct to survive isn’t the only force at work in that cozy den — destiny is, too. Before Jessica and Simon know it, they’re cuddled together in human form and letting warm heat right over to hot as they give in to temptation for the very first time. BONUS MATERIALS - Exclusive bonus epilogue, The Mating Bite - The "making of" the Blue Moon Saloon series - The "making of" Damnation - Bonus recipe - Bonus games - Sneak peeks Behind the doors of the Blue Moon Saloon, alpha shifters confront their darkest fears and their deepest desires. Each book is a complete standalone story — no cliffhangers! * Paranormal romances with adult content. Featuring strong heroines, alpha heroes, werewolves and shapeshifters, red-hot cowboys, romantic westerns, paranormal suspense, action-adventure romance, and fantasy romance! *

REVIEW:

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS !!! Title: Damnation Bonus Edition Series: Blue Moon Saloon Author: Anna Lowe Designation: Standalone Paranormal Romance, No Cliffhanger, HEA, Compilation of Perfection (the Series Prequel - approximately 60 pages), and Damnation, Book One of the Series (approximately 155 pages), Plus Bonus Epilogue and other Extras (approximately 20 pages) Reading Platform: Kindle & Audiobook Editions My Rating: FIVE DIVINELY ENTERTAINING STARS***** I adore paranormal romance, and no one does it better than Anna Lowe! I've been a fan of Lowe's work for several years and enjoy everything she writes, but Damnation and the Blue Moon Saloon Series have become my new favorites! But I'm not the only one who loves it. Damnation was voted Best Shifter Book for 2016 by Reality Bites Magazine. Wow! And yes, it's that good! I became officially hooked two years ago after reading Desert Moon, the first release in Lowe's The Wolves of Twin Moon Ranch Series and have followed her work since. I've been a lover of the written word for over 60 years and during that time, I've read an incalculable number of books, written by a diverse collection of talented authors. So when I say Anna Lowe is one of my favorites, that's quite a recommendation. It's a little hard to explain but I'll try. Lowe is what I like to call a triple threat. lol... I know it sounds a little ominous but it's really not. You see, some authors are stronger in certain aspects of the process than others. They may have a great idea for a book or series but have difficulties developing the story and translating their thoughts to written words, while some may be good with words and story development but lack creativity and ideas. Lowe can create it, develop it, and write it, but Lowe's talent doesn't stop there. She's not only a truly gifted storyteller and skilled wordsmith, she's also one of the most reliable authors in the romance genre today, consistently penning unique and highly imaginative storylines, set in vividly depicted worlds, populated with fascinating characters who will surely capture your imagination as well as your heart. Lowe's books are all well crafted and well edited with beautiful covers. And Damnation is no exception! In addition to having my nose stuck in a book for a few hours every day, I frequently listen to audiobooks and Damnation was available so, naturally, I snagged the Audible version as well. There's nothing like listening to the characters of a story come to life through the voice of a talented narrator and I truly enjoy the artist Lowe uses for her books. Kelsey Osborne does a fabulous job and has quickly become one of my favorites. Osborne's reading and narration skills are exceptional, enhanced by her pleasing pitch, soothing dulcet tone, delightful and sometimes amusing voice inflections, rhythmic effortless cadence, and always correct pronunciations. But as usual I digress, especially when I talk about my favorite authors, so let's discuss a few details about the story itself.

Perfection is a delightfully entertaining prequel to Damnation and the actual beginning of the Blue Moon Saloon Series. It sets the stage for Simon and Jessica's relationship, giving the details of their initial meeting. It also lays the groundwork for the underlying conflict throughout the series with emphasis on the unlikely mating of two different species and in this first book, it's a wolf and bear shifter. Although Jessica's pack live near Simon's clan in Montana, they are natural enemies and don't generally associate together. In this short introduction, Lowe gives the reader all the nitty, gritty details of Jess and Simon's activities while trying to survive the freezing cold after becoming stranded together in the woods during a terrible snowstorm. And it's delicious!

Damnation is an emotionally gripping, fast-paced, well-crafted second chance paranormal romance filled to the brim with pulse-pounding danger, agonizing drama, malevolent enemies, heart-wrenching angst, fiery passion, steamy sex, dreamy romance and laugh-out-loud humor. The narrative is beautifully written in the third person with his and her perspectives. The dialogue is smart, snappy, well executed and flows effortlessly. But hands down, my favorite component of every Lowe story is her cast of relatable characters. I found them to be intriguing, engaging, well developed, and at times, hilarious. I was immediately smitten with the two protagonists, beautiful, plucky she-wolf Jessica 'Jess' Macks and handsome, burly bear-shifter Simon Voss. These two could not have been more different but complemented each other perfectly, and together were an absolute riot. My emotions ran the full gambit while reading this story. I sniffed, snorted, giggled, sobbed and raged through the entire book. And there were quite a few times, I wanted to give Simon and Jess a swift kick in the butt but by the end, I was happy, satisfied and well entertained. Did I like this book? No, I LOVED it! Would I recommend it? You bet and I am but for adult readers only since it does contain some steamy, dreamy love scenes, however, I highly recommend the muffins for all ages! They're so yummy! Will I read this author again? Absolutely! I've already purchased Temptation, the second book of the series, and can hardly wait to dive in! And finally, was I entertained? Completely! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!

Two unlikely lovers thrown together by chance, divided by obligation, haunted by loss, reunited by fate.... but will destiny grant them the second chance they each so desperately desire? We'll see! No spoilers from me but I will say this... A beautiful, strong but heartbroken she-wolf and her sister on the run for their lives after losing their entire family in an attack by rogue wolves, now urgently seeking a place to belong and call home-check! A handsome, determined bear shifter and his brother, both tortured by past failures and mistakes, desperately seeking a second chance-check! Heinous enemies with evil machinations-check! Danger, drama, heartache, loss, and angst-check! Fiery passion, steamy sex, sweet romance, a sprinkling of humor, and a heartwarming second chance at love- you bet! That and a whole lot more, including a very important lesson.... Bad guys don't always wear black, especially when he's a purist vigilante named Whyte!

***This edition includes Damnation, Book One of the Blue Moon Series, plus the novelette length prequel entitled Perfection, and an exclusive bonus epilogue available only in this release along with a few other super-duper extras. Both Damnation and Perfection are also available for purchase separately but the goodies are only included in this edition... like the berry chocolate chip muffin recipe baked by one of the characters in the book. Yum! And believe me, I should know! While I was reading/listening to Damnation and got to the scene where Simon and his bear get upset because Jess is selling 'his' muffins, I simply could not resist the craving. I tried, really, really tried but once I get muffins on the brain, there's no turning back, so I baked a batched using the bonus recipe. Surely, you know what's coming next, right? Yup, as soon as they were out of the oven, I promptly sat down and ate half of them while finishing the book and the remaining half the next day. And OMG.... they were sooo delicious! Now I understand why Simon's bear didn't want to share! lol...

#paranormal romance secondchance adultcontent

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skillwiththequill · 7 years

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answer all 150. do it. i fuckin dare ya

....

.......

This took me over an hour. I hope you’re happy.

1. Who was the last person you held hands with? Probably my niece, Eliza. She is turning 2 soon and is HECKIN ADORABLE.

2. Are you outgoing or shy? Depends on the situation. If I am comfortable then I am outgoing, if I am stressed or uncertain I am shy.

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing? Solomon, the boy I like

4. Are you easy to get along with? Maybe? I dunno. I can be pleasant, but sometimes I don’t give a crap whether people like me or not and I’m just unabashedly myself.

5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you? I think both the people I like would take care of me. One would do it better than the other, but they are both really nice people. I feel like the one who would take care of me better would probably insist on a serious conversation afterwards though, because we are LDS and drinking isn’t really a thing we are allowed to do. Yeah...

6. What kind of people are you attracted to? People who care about things a lot. People who are snarky. People who listen to me. People who like to make me smile.

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? And ruin my almost 22 year streak? Not a chance, bruh.

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind? Definitely not a boy named Solomon. Actually I have been thinking about my brother a lot lately, he is going through some stuff right now. That isn’t a fun crush-type response though. Sorry.

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? Not nearly as much as it used to. It depends on the people I’m with obviously, but I feel less weird about it than I used to.

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? Marissa.

11. What does the most recent text that you sent say?” Kk. Let us know when you get home, okay?”

12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now? The World is Wide Enough, Emma Dear (by a friend, you won’t know it), Breathe... I dunno. I don’t listen to a lot of music.

13. Do you like it when people play with your hair? Lots. Right now it is all split endy though, which makes me feel super self conscious because split endy hair insta-tangled.

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles? Yes?

15. What good thing happened this summer? I got to spend a month with my niece and the polar bear at the zoo liked her a lot.

16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? ....never been kissed. Sorry to disappoint

17. Do you think there is life on other planets? Given the vastness of the universe, probably. Intelligent life? Given the vastness of the universe......probably?

18. Do you still talk to your first crush? Not really. I should Facebook message him actually, I heard he just started at my school

19. Do you like bubble baths? Yeah. Gotta have a book or an audiobook though. I can’t handle being alone with my thoughts that long.

20. Do you like your neighbors? I have a downstairs neighbor I like a lot and there is a girl in my building that I absolutely ADORE. In general though, I don’t know my neighbors.

21. What are you bad habits? When I feel insecure my knee-jerk reactions are usually pretty manipulatory. I don’t like that about myself.

22. Where would you like to travel? Top 3 are New Zealand, Germany, and London.

23. Do you have trust issues? yeah

24. Favorite part of your daily routine? My favorite parts of the day are when I’m cooking. I don’t really have a fave routine though.

25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with? The part that I’m uncomfortable with that affects my daily life is my upper arms. They don’t look good and I can’t wear a few shirts because they either show too much of them or the sleeve gets super stretched and gross looking. Overall least favorite part is probably my tummy though.

26. What do you do when you wake up? Go back to sleep or read stuff on my phone.

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker? Not really. I like my skin tone. I am a little paler than I usually like right now because I don’t go outside anymore, but it isn’t something I would wish to instantly happen.

28. Who are you most comfortable around? Marissa. Maybe Bethany.

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up? Never had a relationship, can’t exactly have an ex.

30. Do you ever want to get married? Yeah.

31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail? Yup.

32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with? I don’t think I would feel comfortable with a threesome or no strings attatched sex, so I am gonna pass on this one.

33. Spell your name with your chin. azlkytszsxza wedastghgewrfsdtyoln

34. Do you play sports? What sports? Naw.

35. Would you rather live without TV or music? I reject the premise of this question. TV is a very specific mode of entertainment and music is super broad. Does “music” mean listening to an audio file or does it mean I can’t sing or play the piano or go to a concert? As it is, the two options are not in the same category and I refuse to play along with this insanity.

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them? yyuuuuuuup.

37. What do you say during awkward silences? CAW

38. Describe your dream girl/guy? Cares a lot about people and things. Snarky. Likes to make me smile and entertains my bad jokes. Holds me. Sorry y’all, I can’t give a physical description really.

39. What are your favorite stores to shop in? bookstores. grocery stores.

40. What do you want to do after high school? um. Go to college. Already there, bruh. If we translate this to college, I’d say work in DC and then become Toby Ziegler.

41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? I think they should be offered a second chance, but that second chance may not look the way they expect. They deserve an opportunity, but they have to earn trust.

42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean? I’m in my head and I probably shouldn’t be there. It means you should give me a way to get out of whatever situation I am in and take me to a private place and ask if I am okay.

43. Do you smile at strangers? Sometimes. Usually it is the White People smile/grimace/nod thing.

44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean? Where in outer space? If I get to go to another planet, I pick that. If I am just gonna chill in emptiness that is cool and all, but I would probably prefer DEEP bottom of the ocean. More to see.

45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning? work. Class. books. friends.

46. What are you paranoid about? nobody likes me and they all just tolerate me because they pity me and I don’t have any actual friends.

47. Have you ever been high? I’ve been in a plane, does that count? One time at the dentist I got pretty loopy from nitrous.

48. Have you ever been drunk? no

49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about? yes

50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore? maroon

51. Ever wished you were someone else? frequently

52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself? do I have to pick one thing? If I can’t get a whole new me, I wish I could cut down a lot on the self doubt.

53. Favourite makeup brand? I don’t wear makeup really.

54. Favourite store? half-price books. Or Winco.

55. Favourite blog? I’m going to change this question to favorite twitter and answer LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA’S

56. Favourite colour? Yellow

57. Favourite food? depends on what I am craving. Rught now probably asparagus.

58. Last thing you ate? lefotver lasagna and a side salad

59. First thing you ate this morning? ...a bit of leftover lasagna while I was toasting oats for a quick granola to put on my yogurt.

60. Ever won a competition? For what? yeah a lot. Singing, speaking, debate, and Academic Decathlon in general. Plus random crap like indexing competitions and a lord of the rings trivia competition.

61. Been suspended/expelled? For what? heh. heh. I started a doctor who club in my high school without permission and put up a couple posters at which point I got in-school suspension for graffiti.

62. Been arrested? For what? no, Got pulled over one time because the inspection on my dad’s car was overdue and I was driving it to work.

63. Ever been in love? ...not reciprocated romantic love.

64. Tell us the story of your first kiss? I’ll let you know

65. Are you hungry right now? naw, had some leftover lasagna.

66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends? some of them more than some of them. I have about 5 favorite people in the world and 2 of them are tumblr friends.

67. Facebook or Twitter? ugh. I don’t actually use twitter, I go to a few specific feeds and read those. So probably facebook, even though I hate facebook.

68. Twitter or Tumblr? Tujmblr

69. Are you watching tv right now? no, I am answering questions. When I finish I will probably continue watching Speechless.

70. Names of your bestfriends? okay so does this have to be reciprocated best friend-ships? Because a lot of people are more important to me than I am to them and I don’t know if they count.

71. Craving something? What? I want some water right now.

72. What colour are your towels? light green. Close to that teal-y shade that everyone and their mom loves right now.

72. How many pillows do you sleep with?1. Sometimes 2.

73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Yeah, a teddy bear named Jamison.

74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have? 2. Back home I have a stuffed kitten named Silver. My older brothers used to torture her to make me cry.

75. Favourite animal? if dead pets count, my cat Pantouf. If not, a lynx

76. What colour is your underwear? beige

77. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

78. Favourite ice cream flavour? depends on the selection. I like me some burnt almond fudge though.

79. What colour shirt are you wearing? Black, with a dark grey sweater over it.

80. What colour pants? medium dark jeans

81. Favourite tv show? the show I am watching right now is Orange is the New Black. My favorite TV show is The West Wing still.

82. Favourite movie? I dunno. I like the prestige. Right now I want to watch Finding Dory.

83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2? haven’t seen the second

84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street? haven’t seen 21 Jump Street

85. Favourite character from Mean Girls? idk, it has been a while. The gay guy.

86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo? The Starfish

87. First person you talked to today? I woke up for 20 seconds to say bye to my roommate, but I went back to sleep. So probably my coworker who called to ask how to fix a printer.

88. Last person you talked to today? Angie, my downstairs neighbor.

89. Name a person you hate? Trump

90. Name a person you love? Marissa

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? yes

92. In a fight with someone? never been in a physical fight that was not for training in Tae Kwon Do

93. How many sweatpants do you have? 1 pair of sweatpants and 1 pair of yoga pants.

94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have? 3 hoodies, 3 sweaters. Only 1 sweater that I wear over other things though.

95. Last movie you watched? I Am Not a Serial Killer. Y’all should watch it, it is on Netflix.

96. Favourite actress? Kate McKinnon

97. Favourite actor? I guess probably still David Tennant, though I haven’t watched anything with him in it for months.

98. Do you tan a lot? I mean, I tan easily. I don’t ever go somewhere with the purpose of tanning though. It just happens when I am at the beach or I am walking or whatever.

99. Have any pets? none at school, 2 cats and a dog at home.

100. How are you feeling? thirsty

101. Do you type fast? eh. Not really. Faster than I used to, but most people under the age of 40 can probably blow me out of the water.

102. Do you regret anything from your past? yeah

103. Can you spell well? yeah

104. Do you miss anyone from your past? a lot

105. Ever been to a bonfire party? I grew up by the beach. All the time.

106. Ever broken someone’s heart? I doubt it.

107. Have you ever been on a horse? yes. One time it didn’t end well, the second time it was fine.

108. What should you be doing? I should probably go to the bathroom. Idk, it is Friday before a 3 day weekend. I don’t have a lot pressing on me rn.

109. Is something irritating you right now? fearmongering about GMOs

110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt? yup

111. Do you have trust issues? wasn’t this already a question? IT TOTALLY WAS. #3.

112. Who was the last person you cried in front of? Probably my roommate Makenna. Last semester was rough.

113. What was your childhood nickname? My mother came up with a lot of inane nicknames for me. I’ll share “Wyssie”

114. Have you ever been out of your province/state? yup, lots. I am outside it now.

115. Do you play the Wii? When I am home.

116. Are you listening to music right now? I can half hear the music my roommate is playing in her room.

117. Do you like chicken noodle soup? It aight.

118. Do you like Chinese food? Depends on where it is from and whether there is congealed pig blood in it.

119. Favourite book? The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

120. Are you afraid of the dark? Not really.

121. Are you mean? I don’t try to be. I probably come off that way dometimes though. Or rather, I come off as insensitive/self-centered sometimes. I wish I could stop that.

122. Is cheating ever okay? no.

123. Can you keep white shoes clean? I’ve never legitimately tried and I don’t see myself trying.

124. Do you believe in love at first sight? no

125. Do you believe in true love? yeah

126. Are you currently bored? no

127. What makes you happy? people. Being not me.

128. Would you change your name? my name is fine.

129. What your zodiac sign? Aquarius

130. Do you like subway? I worked there for 2 years and I still like it. Except for the cold cut combo. Don’t get the cold cut combo, it is disgusting.

131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? Think about it a lot and potentially go out on a date with them. Idk. I don’t currently have a male best friend.

132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? okay this one is a repeat too. What is with this noise.

133. Favourite lyrics right now? teach me how to say goodbye

134. Can you count to one million? why? I mean I theorhetically can, I doubt I would have the patience though.

135. Dumbest lie you ever told? I bet I told some idiotic ones when I was little. Don’t remember them.

136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed? yes. Usually closed, but I don’t care if they are open.

137. How tall are you? 5′7″

138. Curly or Straight hair? wavy

139. Brunette or Blonde? Brunette

140. Summer or Winter? Late Fall

141. Night or Day? night

142. Favourite month? December

143. Are you a vegetarian? no

144. Dark, milk or white chocolate? dark

145. Tea or Coffee? tea made from things that are not tea leaves.

146. Was today a good day? it was aight.

147. Mars or Snickers? never had a mars bar

148. What’s your favourite quote? The stigma will last as long as our silence.

149. Do you believe in ghosts? I think I believe in spirits, but I don’t believe they come visit us

150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? There’s nothing rich folks love more/than going downtown and slummin’ it with the poor (hamilton: the revolution)

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cover2covermom · 5 years

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*Books included in this batch of mini book reviews: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo, Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and and the Bond of Reading by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone, Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

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» With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

I loved Fire on High just as much as The Poet X! I typically stay away from YA contemporary for various reasons, but if all YA contemporary was as good as Acevedo’s books, I’d definitely read more. Not only do her characters feel so realistic, but you can’t help but fall in love with them. Acevedo has this amazing way with words that packs such a punch of emotion. I’ll read anything Acevedo writes!

With the Fire on High is a coming of age story of Emoni, a teen mom that is trying to figure out her path in life. Themes included in With the Fire on High are friendship, family, strained parental relationships, teen parenting, poverty, going after your dreams, juggling responsibilities, etc. This book has just enough depth to the story without bogging it down paired with just enough fluffy moments to keep it light-hearted & fun.

Emoni was an amazing YA female lead. I loved her passion, maturity, creativity, and dedication. I absolutely love that Acevedo tackled a book with a teen mother as the main character. Teen parents are often absent from young adult books OR they are only secondary characters. I think this has to do with the fact that teen pregnancy & parenthood is such a taboo topic. I was very happy to see teen parenting not only portrayed in a YA book, but handled well.

Since Emoni is an aspiring chief, I’d highly recommend this book to “foodies” as it centers around food and cooking. It definitely should include a disclaimer to not read while hungry… you’ll definitely be heading to the kitchen for a snack.

I’d venture to say With the Fire on High is going to be my favorite YA contemporary of 2019, and is definitely one of my favorite YA contemporaries of all times.

» Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and and the Bond of Reading by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone

*3.5 Stars*

This was a very interesting little book about a husband & wife team that run book clubs for parents & their children. The Goldstone team encourages book club members to be “book detectives” and work on breaking down books into their elements (characters: protagonist vs antagonist, setting, themes, etc.) to really dig into what the author was trying to convey with the books they read.

The authors go through and talk about a selection of the books they frequently utilize in their book clubs in detail laying out questions they frequently ask & how they get members to think like a “book detective.” I would like to warn readers that Deconstructing Penguins includes spoilers of all the books discussed, so if you do not want to be spoiled for these books, you might not want to pick this up.

I did think this would be a beneficial book for ELA teachers, librarians, parents, or youth book club leaders to pick up. I really loved the idea of a parent-child book club as a way for parents to not only bond with their children, but also allow parents to instill a love for reading in their children.

My only criticism of the book would be that I STRONGLY disagree with the Goldstone’s on their opinion on which books children should be reading…

What children read is important. The theory that it doesn’t matter what your child reads as long as he or she is reading something is plain wrong.

I strongly disagree with this statement. I subscribe to the theory that it doesn’t matter what your children read as long as they are reading, whether that be graphic novels, comic books, sports magazines, etc. The whole point is to instill the love for reading into children so that they will grow up to be life-long readers. Allow those comic books and graphic novels to be gateways to fiction novels. Allow sports magazines to be gateways to nonfiction books.

» Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones and the Six was on my list of most anticipated books of 2019 after reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year. Did Daisy Jones knock Evelyn Hugo off as my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book? No, but I still very much loved Daisy Jones!

Daisy Jones and the Six is about about the rise and fall of a rock band in the 70s. Told in interview format from many different characters, predominantly the band members themselves, Reid gives us various perspectives on what exactly happened between the band members and all the factors that contributed to their demise.

Since I knew this was in interview format going into the book, I feel like I was able to prepare myself that this was not going to read like a traditional novel. When I read Daisy Jones and the Six, I pictured a classic rock band documentary playing out in my mind… one of those documentaries that you would have seen on VH1 or MTV back in the day, or nowadays on Netflix.

I think the interview format suited this story perfectly. Because we are given so many different perspectives, I feel like it really gave us another layer of drama to the story. I enjoyed seeing all the inconsistencies between the characters’ accounts of certain events, or how they each interpreted certain situations.

After reading Daisy Jones and the Six, I had to keep reminding myself that all the characters were works of fiction and not real people. I had to resist the urge to go to Google to learn more about these band members. Reid has a gift for giving us realistic & complex characters. The complexities of the characters, Daisy, Billy, Karen & Camila in particular, blew me away. You definitely cannot claim that these characters are one-dimensional. After reading Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones, I really appreciate how Reid gives us complex female main characters that you don’t necessarily like, but you respect for their strength, ambition, & determination.

Daisy Jones and the Six had lots of feminist undertones throughout. Daisy, Camila, & Karen were such strong women, all in different ways. There were lots of quotable moments in this book…

I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story.

Men often think they deserve a sticker for treating women like people.

Daisy Jones and the Six really explores many aspects of the music industry, both positive and negative. I really enjoyed reading about the creative process side of making music. I also really enjoyed seeing all the drama & tension that can come when more than one artist comes together to create. We are also shown many of the different problems often associated with the music industry: drugs, alcohol, infidelities, etc. If you are a lover of music, especially classic rock, I definitely think you’d enjoy this book.

This book was meant for TV or film adaptation, so I was not surprised to hear that it is being opted by Amazon and Reese Witherspoon for a TV series.

» Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Dark Matter is what I like to call a “mind f***.” You know those books that mess with your head and leave you disoriented? This is one of those books! I am going to keep this mini review short and sweet and not go into too much detail because I feel Dark Matter is best experienced going in without knowing too much.

I think Blake Crouch did a wonderful job taking such a complex theory and constructing a story accessible to all different kinds of readers. Dark Matter would appeal to a wide variety of readers: science fiction, thriller, romance etc. Now, I know a lot of people say that at its core, Dark Matter is a love story. While that does have some truth to it, do not let that scare you off if you are not a fan of romance. Personally, I do not gravitate towards books where the romance is the focus of the story. The romance included in this story was not overpowering, thus did not bother me in the slightest. In fact, I enjoyed it! That’s right, my little black heart grew two sizes while reading this book. There was definitely enough depth and action to the story line to keep me happy and balance out the love story portion of the book.

I read this book with one of my book clubs and it made for an excellent discussion. There are so many aspects to this story that sparked a lively discussion. There were so many parts of this story that I stopped and thought to myself, “what would I have done?”

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

Mini Book Reviews: July 2019 (Part 1) #BookReview #Books #Reading #BookBlogger #Bookworm *Books included in this batch of mini book reviews: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo,

#Bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Book Nerd #Book Review #Book Worm #Books #Bookworm #Contemporary #Nonfiction #Reading #Science Fiction #YA #Young Adult

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cover2covermom · 5 years

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Goodbye June & hello July!

I cannot believe we are officially in the second half of 2019! Where did the first half of the year go? I’m going to need time to slow down a bit because I am thoroughly enjoying my summer and am not ready for the craziness of the fall yet.

Let’s see what I read in June…

June was a decent reading month for me. I managed to finish 11 books, which sounds like a lot, but 3 of these books were shorter children’s chapter books I listened to via audiobook with my daughter… I also didn’t accomplish much on the blog front, but I did take 2 weeks off during my vacation & the aftermath of getting back to reality. I hope to get more accomplished both reading & blogging wise this month.

» Matilda by Roald Dahl

This was actually my first time reading Matilda and I loved every moment! I grew up watching the film adaptation, so I was familiar with the storyline. I can now really appreciate how well done the movie adaptation really is. Reading this definitely gave me all the nostalgia feels.

» My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

This book was listed in The Read-Aloud Handbook as a good book to read-aloud with younger children, so I gave it a go via audiobook with my 5-year-old. This was a cute story that was simple enough for younger children to understand. If your children enjoy picture books like The Gruffalo with lots of clever trickery by the main character, and want to attempt simple chapter books, this is a good place to start!

» With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

I adored Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel, The Poet X, so I was very excited to read her next book. I listened to her first book via audiobook, and fell in love with the author’s narration. I chose to listen to Fire on High via audiobook as well. I loved this one just as much as her first! Elizabeth Acevedo has a beautiful way with words & I adore her characters & plotlines. I typically stray away from YA contemporary, but I’ll read anything Acevedo writes!

» Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and and the Bond of Reading by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone

*3.5 Stars*

This was a very interesting little book about a husband & wife team that run book clubs for parents & their children. The Goldstone team breaks down books into their elements: characters (protagonist vs antagonist), setting, themes, etc. to really dig into what the author was trying to convey with the books. The authors talk about a few of the books they frequently utilize in their bookclubs in detail, so if you do not want to be spoiled for these books, you might not want to pick this up.

» Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I know this book has very mixed reviews due to its format, but I LOVED this book. Since Daisy Jones and the Six is told in interview format from many different characters, many people were turned off. Since I knew this was the format going into the book, this read like a classic rock band documentary playing out in my mind. This book was meant for TV or film adaptation.

» Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Dark Matter blew my mind. I think Blake Crouch did a wonderful job taking such a complex theory and constructing a story accessible to all different kinds of readers. Dark Matter would appeal to a wide variety of readers: science fiction, thriller, romance etc. I read this book with one of my book clubs and it made for an excellent discussion.

» Amelia Bedelia (Audio Collection) by Peggy Parish

I listened to this audiobook collection with my 5-year-old daughter. We really enjoyed listening to this collection of stories about Amelia Bedelia. Actually, Amelia reminded me a bit of Anne from Anne of Green Gables. Since these stories were first published in the 60’s and 70’s, it was a bit dated, which made it a bit more challenging for my daughter to totally understand all of Amelia’s misunderstandings, but it was a great opportunity to talk to her about words & phrases with multiple meanings.

» The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

*3.5 Stars*

I picked up The Night Tiger after discovering that it was set in Malaya in the 1930. I love historical fiction, especially one with a touch of magic realism. I think the author nailed the setting here, which was the best part of the book for me. It really felt authentic and I also liked that the author really showcased what it was like for a woman in Malaya in the 30s. I also enjoyed the magic realism elements and the Malayan folklore & superstitions. On the flip side, the length of the book was far too long and the pacing was too slow, particularly in the middle, so it took me a long time to trudge through this story. I also did not care for the romance… to be honest, it was off-putting. In my opinion, the book would have been much stronger without it.

» A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

A Spark of Light was classic Jodi Picoult. I respect that Jodi tackled such a hot button issue like abortion, despite the fact that it must have had an impact on her career. Is there a topic she won’t address? Unfortunately when you are dealing with the abortion debate, most people are firmly pro-life or pro-choice. There isn’t much of a gray area. I think Picoult did a wonderful job of showing the perspective of women that choose to have an abortion and that it isn’t typically an easy decision for most. Picoult addresses many issues in the abortion debate that are very relevant right now.

I had a hunch about one of the twists, but the other took me completely by surprise.

» The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This book will definitely be one of my top reads of 2019! What bookworm doesn’t love a story about books, bookstores, and the people that love books? The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was heartwarming, funny, and emotional. I’d recommend this book to fans of quirky characters & fans of books like A Man Called Ove.

This made for an excellent book club discussion with the moral dilemmas in the story.

» Beezus and Ramona (Ramona #1) by Beverly Cleary

I remember a teacher reading us this series as a kid, so I decided to give the audiobook a go with my daughter. Despite the fact that this was originally published in 1955, I was surprised how timeless it felt. Sure, there were definitely some parts that dated it, but overall it still felt relevant. Beezus and Ramona captures the complexities of sibling relationships perfectly, especially siblings with a significant age gap.

Goodreads Challenge Update:

#YARC2019 Update: 13 books!

Year of Asian Reading Challenge TBR + Progress Tracker #YARC2019

I read 1 book in June for #YARC2019, bringing my total up to 13 books for the year. This month I read The Night Tiger.

2019 Goals Update:

» 80% NetGalley feedback ratio = 15 backlist ARCs ⇒ 7/15 ARCs

So technically I did “read” one NetGalley ARC in June. I ended up DNFing it at 30%, but it totally counts because I wrote my review on NetGalley explaining why I wasn’t going to finish it. My NetGalley feedback ratio is now up to 68%.

» 30 physical TBR books ⇒ 13/30 books

I read 2 books off my physical TBR in June. I read Dark Matter & A Spark of Light.

» No buying new books ⇒ Fail!

Yeah I bought a few books… BUT only 9… ((facepalm))

» Read long books I’ve been putting off ⇒ 0/3

Still no progress on this goal HOWEVER one of these books is actually on my July TBR, so that is progress right?

May 2019 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up

June 2019 TBR

Most Anticipated Books of 2019 (July – December)

My Iron Tome-A-Thon TBR #IronTomeAThon

Mini Book Reviews: June 2019 (Part 1)

» Normal People by Sally Rooney

At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal.

A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.

Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship.

» Keeper of the Lost Cities Collection (#1-5) by Shannon Messenger

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.

Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.

Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.” There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.

In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

» Educated by Tara Westover

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag”. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.

Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent.

Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes and the will to change it.

» The Read-Aloud Handbook (7th Edition) by Jim Trelease

Recommended by “Dear Abby”, The New York Times and The Washington Post, for three decades, millions of parents and educators have turned to Jim Trelease’s beloved classic to help countless children become avid readers through awakening their imaginations and improving their language skills. Now this new edition of The Read-Aloud Handbook imparts the benefits, rewards, and importance of reading aloud to children of a new generation. Supported by delightful anecdotes as well as the latest research, The Read-Aloud Handbook offers proven techniques and strategies—and the reasoning behind them—for helping children discover the pleasures of reading and setting them on the road to becoming lifelong readers.

» Creating Room to Read by John Wood

The inspirational story of a former Microsoft executive’s quest to build libraries around the world and share the love of books

What’s happened since John Wood left Microsoft to change the world? Just ask six million kids in the poorest regions of Asia and Africa. In 1999, at the age of thirty-five, Wood quit a lucrative career to found the nonprofit Room to Read. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as “the Andrew Carnegie of the developing world,” he strived to bring the lessons of the corporate world to the nonprofit sector—and succeeded spectacularly.

In his acclaimed first book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, Wood explained his vision and the story of his start-up. Now, he tackles the organization’s next steps and its latest challenges—from managing expansion to raising money in a collapsing economy to publishing books for children who literally have no books in their native language. At its heart, Creating Room to Read shares moving stories of the people Room to Read works to help: impoverished children whose schools and villages have been swept away by war or natural disaster and girls whose educations would otherwise be ignored.

People at the highest levels of finance, government, and philanthropy will embrace the opportunity to learn Wood’s inspiring business model and blueprint for doing good. And general readers will love Creating Room to Read for its spellbinding story of one man’s mission to put books within every child’s reach.

» Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee

*ARC sent for review – Available October 2019*

Barbara Dee explores the subject of #MeToo for the middle grade audience in this heart-wrenching—and ultimately uplifting—novel about experiencing harassment and unwanted attention from classmates.

For seventh grader Mila, it starts with an unwanted hug on the school blacktop.

The next day, it’s another hug. A smirk. Comments. It all feels…weird. According to her friend Zara, Mila is being immature, overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like?

But it keeps happening, despite Mila’s protests. On the bus, in the halls. Even during band practice-the one time Mila could always escape to her “blue-sky” feeling. It seems like the boys are EVERYWHERE. And it doesn’t feel like flirting–so what is it?

Mila starts to gain confidence when she enrolls in karate class. But her friends still don’t understand why Mila is making such a big deal about the boys’ attention. When Mila is finally pushed too far, she realizes she can’t battle this on her own–and finds help in some unexpected places.

From the author of STAR-CROSSED, HALFWAY NORMAL and EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT YOU comes this timely story of a middle school girl standing up and finding her voice.

Which books did you read in June?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month? If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books? If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

June 2019 #Reading & #Blogging Wrap-Up! How many #books did you #read in June? #BookBlogger #Bibliophile #AmReading #Reading #Bookworm #BookTalk Goodbye June & hello July! I cannot believe we are officially in the second half of 2019!

#Am Reading #Bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Book Nerd #Book Talk #Book Worm #Bookish #Books #Bookworm #Reading #Wrap Up

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