Happy New Year bookworms!
I cannot believe 2018 is here. This year has flown by… which I’m sure has a little to do with how chaotic my life was the second half of 2017. Despite everything that went on these past two months, I still managed to read 16 books!
Let’s see what I read in November & December, shall we?
Update
If you have been following my little saga, you would know that back in August we purchased a new home that we gutted and completely renovated. After 4 months of renovations, we have finally moved in! I cannot say what a huge relief it is to finally be in our new home. Between renovations on our new home, and fixing up, listing, and selling our old home, my life has been pure chaos since August. I do not do well living in chaos nor having my routine disrupted… I am more than ready for my life to get back to normal and to resume my daily routines, which includes blogging! I am super excited to announce that as of the new year, I will be back from my hiatus. I cannot wait to catch up with everyone and find out what I’ve missed. I feel so out of touch with the bookish community.
*Book titles link to Goodreads
November 2017
» Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran
Feelings in a few thoughts: one of my top reads of 2017 ¤ themes: illegal immigration, immigration experience, infertility, foster care/adoption process ¤ really makes you think about how flawed our system is on so many different levels ¤ moral dilemma with lots of grey areas ¤ great book to teach empathy towards illegal immigrants & their treatment here in the U.S.
» The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Feelings in a few thoughts: odd narration style ¤ the characters in this book represent everything that other countries see & hate about Americans – entitlement, selfishness, excess, etc. ¤ no likeable characters – particularly Brett ¤ was bored for the majority of the book – most interesting part of the book was the bullfighting descriptions ¤ felt similar to The Great Gatsby – read that book instead ¤ maybe this book appeals more to men?
» Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
Feelings in a few thoughts: favorite stories = The Wedding Present, Chivalry, Troll Bridge, & Murder Mysteries ¤ loved the explanations behind the short stories & for whom/why they were written, but since I was reading in audiobook these were all given at the beginning of the book, so I was not able to “flip back” to jog my memory – would be better in the audiobook to start each new story with an introduction ¤ many of these stories were very philosophical – made me think ¤ didn’t love every story, but enjoyed them overall as a collection
» The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Feelings in a few thoughts: another top read of 2017 ¤ loved the Russian folklore surrounding this tale ¤ a fairytale for adults – storytelling at its best ¤ this book definitely had some creepy undertones ¤ perfect book to read during winter time ¤ themes: challenging traditional gender roles, courage, good vs. evil, choosing your own path in life, etc. ¤ strong female lead character in Vasya ¤ took me a little while to get into the story, but could not stop reading once I was pulled in ¤ cannot wait to read the second book
» When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Feelings in a few thoughts: sweet YA contemporary ¤ loved seeing such a focused & ambitious young woman main character ¤ appreciated the inclusion of traditional Indian culture & values ¤ romance felt real & believable ¤ wanted more of the plot to include the summer program & web developing – less focus on the romance ¤ felt the story was fairly predictable towards the end
» Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Feelings in a few thoughts: beautiful MG novel inside & out – cover, content, illustrations, etc. ¤ Tree & animal POVs very well done ¤ themes: friendship, acceptance, diversity, etc. ¤ wonderful book to use in a classroom setting
» The Giver by Lois Lowry
Feelings in a few thoughts: this was my first time reading this book, even though I know I would have enjoyed it when I was in school, I feel like I appreciated it more as an adult ¤ the philosophical questions that this book brings about is mind boggling – this book really made me think ¤ dystopian fiction at its best ¤ I would almost classify this book more as a MG read – HOWEVER not recommended for sensitive readers ¤ I took a star off because one aspect of this book with regards to race felt problematic, but it wasn’t exactly clear either… hard to discuss without spoilers
» Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Feelings in a few thoughts: WW2 historical fiction – love WW2 HF that sheds light on lesser known events (in this case, The Rabbits of Ravensbrück and Caroline Ferriday) ¤ it is very clear the author went through a tremendous amount of research for this book, a fact I always appreciate ¤ I also appreciate that the author did not “water it down” for the readers – particularly about the experiments the “rabbits” were subjected to ¤ this book would make for an excellent book club selection ¤ loved the author explored the aftermath of the war on the characters (especially Kasia) – made the book feel more real ¤ this is a lengthy book that took me longer than normal to read – enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first ¤ almost feel book would have been better without Herta’s POV
» Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Feelings in a few thoughts: slow moving until about the 30% mark ¤ survival story – loved Pi’s determination & resourcefulness ¤ would recommend this one to those interested in zoology ¤ religion & faith is a pretty big part of this book, which did get to be a little much in the beginning but didn’t feel overly preachy either ¤ this would probably would have been a 3 star read, but the ending was fantastic! – it will definitely have you thinking.
» The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Feelings in a few thoughts: When is the Circus of Dreams coming to my town? ¤ this is a more slower paced novel – I wouldn’t consider this a action packed novel, but rater a slow burn story ¤ the writing is vivid & exquisite – however if you are not a fan of authors with a more wordy writing style, this probably won’t be for you ¤ the best part of this book would have to be the magic involved with the circus – the author did such a good job with the world building that I felt like I was there ¤ sensory writing at its best! ¤ I think this book is best gone into without reading the synopsis – too many spoilers
December 2017
» The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
Feelings in a few thoughts: #DiverseKidLit – character with OCD ¤ I cannot attest to the accuracy of the OCD representation (I do not suffer from OCD) but I imagine it is fairly accurate – the author did such a good job describing Matthew Corbin’s symptoms that I could feel his anxiety ¤ loved the friendship that develops between Matthew & Melody, even though it was a reluctant one on Matthew’s part ¤ enjoyed the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the toddler – great for a MG mystery ¤ wanted a little more resolution with Jake – he doesn’t get a pass simply because he went through personal struggles… it doesn’t give him permission to be a jerk
» Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (illustrated edition)
Feelings in a few thoughts: re-read #6? honestly I’ve lost count – first time reading the illustrated edition ¤ Jim Kay made this story come alive on the pages – his illustrations are dead on & stunning – the detail is incredible
» Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) by J.K. Rowling (illustrated edition)
Feelings in a few thoughts: the spiders still get to me, even as an adult ¤ the mystery surround the chamber of secrets is so well done – I appreciate the plot line in this book more as an adult ¤ Jim Kay on point again with the illustrations – no surprise there
» The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Feelings in a few thoughts: one of the most “real” books I’ve read this year ¤ inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter movement, THUG does an outstanding job explaining what the movement stands for & what it doesn’t ¤ POSITIVE family dynamics & parents who are involved in their children’s lives ¤ while THUG is a very serious book with very serious content, Thomas mixes in just the right amount of light-hearted moments to balance out the seriousness ¤ this book is so important – I would recommend this one to everyone
» Anne of Ingleside (Anne of Green Gables #6) by L.M. Montgomery
Feelings in a few thoughts: really enjoyed getting to know Anne’s children & reading about all their escapades ¤ Anne felt more real in this book – I was starting to wonder if she was always upbeat & happy ¤ Anne & Susan seems a tad on the snooty side in this book
» Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by J.K. Rowling (illustrated edition)
Feelings in a few thoughts: is it just me, or did some of the illustrations feel a little different in this book? Like a different style? ¤ I love going back and re-reading these books to see all the small details I missed the first go around as a child ¤ Hermoine! You go girl! ¤ love everything about the plotline of this book
eBooks:
» The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard #1) by Scott Lynch
» The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
» The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
» Warcross by Marie Lu
Physical Books:
» Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
» Harry Potter: A Journey Through a History of Magic by J.K. Rowling
Which books did you read in November & December?
Have you read any of the books I read or hauled these past 2 months? If so, what did you think?
Did you buy any books? If so, which ones?
Comment below & let me know 🙂
Happy Reading in 2018!!
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Thank you! Happy reading to you as well 🙂 Do you have a reading goal already for 2018?!
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Thank you! Yes! We’re actually going to be posting about our reading goals tomorrow!
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The Lies of Locke Lamora! Yes! I saw it, a big boy adult fantasy book in the post!😂
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Hey I told you that I was going to start upping my fantasy game! It’s good to hear from you Drew! Expect a visit from me on your blog in the next day or so, I’ve got A LOT to catch up on. Happy New Years 🙂
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My thoughts exactly on The Hate U Give! Nice to have you back!
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Good to hear from you Laila! It is soooo good to be back. Expect a visit from me in the next day or so to play catch up on all that I’ve missed 🙂
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Welcome back! The Hate You Give is high on my TBR list!
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Thank you! It’s so good to officially be back. I’ll be catching up with everyone’s blog in the next day or so, so expect a visit from me 🙂
The Hate U Give is so good. It is amazing how Angie Thomas can write a YA book that can appeal & teach so many different types of readers.
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Would you find it appropriate for a 14 year old girl?
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Hmmmmm. I think if the 14 year old is a mature 14 year old, yes! Obviously there is racism, violence (not graphic), language, drugs, underage drinking, and referencing to teen sex (no graphic descriptions). I would let my 14 year old read it IF I felt they were mature enough, but I’ll leave that decision up to you 🙂 There is a lot of GOOD in that book…. lots to learn from!
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Happy 2018 and welcome back! I want to read The hate u give!!
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Hey girl!!!! Ahhhh it’s so good to be back 🙂 Expect a visit from me this week on your blog to see what I’ve missed!!!
And you really should! It is a very important book!
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Looks like your in for some good reads too with that haul. Ready Player One was one of those books I wish I could give more stars to then we have available. 🙂
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Oooooo are you planning on seeing the move adaptation?
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Most definitely! I’ve seen the trailer for it already and it looks like they did a good job from that little clip but we will see. 🙂
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I am so happy to hear you are all settled and ready to return to the “norm”. I am also a creature of routine so I can only imagine! I would have gone nuts haha. But it is wonderful to have you back and it seems you managed some great reads! I am eager to hear your thoughts on Locke when you get to it. Happy New Year 💗
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Thanks Danielle! Yes, the disruption of my routine for 5 months was a little hard to bear. I am not ashamed to admit that I did not do well with it lol Mental breakdowns were had often. My husband is a very patient man 🙂
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Welcome BAAAAAAACK! I am super excited for you. Not only do you FINALLY have your house remodeled, but you also sold you old house and you get your routine back! What a crazy 4th quarter of the year for you. I couldn’t be happier for you and your family.
I’m still going to badger you for before/after photos if you have them! I’d love to see a post giving us an idea of all the hard work your family did these past few months.
I’m super glad you finally read and enjoyed The Night Circus! It’s my favorite book. Also, this is your first time reading The Giver? I read it when I was in elementary school, and I definitely did not appreciate everything until a recent re-read as an adult. I don’t recall the problematic content in question… this makes me want to re-read it. When I re-read the novel, I hadn’t quite figured out what problematic content was in texts yet.
When I started reading this post, I had assumed most of these books were audiobooks. But, after seeing the illustrated Harry Potter texts… how many of these did you listen to on audio? Did you find any new favorite audiobook narrators?
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I’m happy to see you enjoyed The Night Circus and THUG! The first has such wonderful descriptions and the second is brilliant. I’m looking forward to read the Giver, Lilac Girls and Ready Player One this year! And The Sun Is Also A Star is a great contemporary read. Have a wonderful 2018!
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WELCOME BACK, Amanda! It is so exciting to read new posts from you, I have missed you around here. It’s good to hear you settled in well, I hope that everything will be great in your new home 🙂 I hope you’ll get back into your routine soon 🙂
I feel like you have read some great books, that’s amazing! I can’t believe I haven’t read The Night Circus just yet, everyone has been raving about it for SO LONG. It’s one of my goals to read it this year, ahah 🙂
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