February 2019 Wrap-Up

This month I read 17 books, totaling 7312 pages. This is almost 1,000 pages more than last month. I also read, on average, larger books this month. The average length of book I read this month was 430 pages compared to last month's average of 352 pages (shoutout to Don Quixote for that one). This increase in pages/books read despite the month being shorter might be a result of my interest/enjoyment of the books I read; my average rating for the month was 4.0, compared to the 3.7 of last month. Overall I just had a lot more 5-star books in February and a lot of 3-star books in January. My most read genre tied this month for fantasy and contemporary, which is a little surprising because I do highly prefer fantasy, and I don't usually love contemporary. However, it does make sense because there are and have been a lot of contemporaries on my TBR because those are what are most often recommended to me. Here's a list of the books I read this month, with some of my overall thoughts:

1. The Maelstrom (The Tapestry #4) by Henry H. Neff
 
Rating: 3.75 stars
The characters are much improved in this book, and I was never really bored while reading, which is a difficult feat to accomplish in large fantasy books IMO. The plot still feels a bit scattered, and I wish they would use Astaroth as the main antagonist more. For my full thoughts, check out my review HERE.

2. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Rating: 2.5 stars
Man I had a lot of problems with this book... writing style, characters, plot... Definitely check out my full review HERE for the details, but let's just say that I have some questions for the author - nay, the EDITORS - if I ever got the chance. That being said: I didn't hate it. It wasn't unenjoyable. I sped through it in 2 days (400 pages). A good choice for people who like YA fantasy heavy on romance.

3. The Red Winter (The Tapestry #5) by Henry H. Neff

Rating: 3 stars
So The Tapestry is finally over! And when I say that, I do indeed mean I was waiting for it to end. For most of the series, I never felt bored. I enjoyed my time reading, which is why the books in this series have been rated relatively high for number of problems I have with each book. But this one. This one was rough. The pages are just filled with large paragraphs of description. By about 50% of the way through, I wanted to be done. I decided to stick it out because I'm not one to DNF a series in the last half of the last book. But it was rough. To read the rest of my thoughts on this book, and on the series as a whole, check out my review HERE.)


4. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Rating: 4 stars
This book is brutal. It's beautiful in how stark the issues are presented, but it's not an easy book to read, especially in the beginning. This book touches on the political issues of race, misogyny, domestic violence, and most of all, christianity. Christianity is viewed in this book as the White Man's Religion, which was forced upon Africans when they were forced into slavery. With this disclaimer, I think it's safe to say that this book is heavy, but also very lyrical and beautiful at the same time. The simplicity of the narration also really adds to the rawness of the content. 


5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Rating: 3 stars
Maybe I should just stop reading Victorian-era classics, but I HATE THE MEN IN THIS BOOK. AND I HATE HOW JANE DOESN'T HATE THEM. Same problem I had with Pride and Prejudice. I know. It's a time period thing. But I just couldn't stand Jane's relationship with Mr. Rochester. Also I didn't really see what I gained out of reading this. It wasn't boring but it wasn't overly intriguing or unique. 

6. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 5 stars
Yay! A 5-star book! It's been a while... I loved this book. I couldn't stop reading and I didn't want to. To read my full thoughts, check out my review HERE.

7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

 
Rating: No rating
I don't like rating classics, especially children's classics, unless I really like them and can give them 5 stars. I just didn't really like Alice as a protagonist, and I thought the story was a little dry. Still, I love how metaphors are confronted in this; so many things are taken literally and it's adorable. It's a cute book, really charming, and I really want to get a fancy oversized illustrated version. 

8. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Rating: 5 stars
I had so much fun with this book. People said it was hilarious, and I did smile quite a few times over it. There's love and drama and adventure and mystery and illness and empowerment and diversity. There are so many good elements about this book. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, especially pre-20th-century historical fiction, but this book was so accessible, it read like a normal contemporary. I immediately placed a hold on the sequel at my library, which somehow has better reviews than the first one. Unheard of! Check out my full review HERE.

9. The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Rating: 5 stars
I am not big on contemporaries, but this one got me. A great blend of contemporary with fantastical elements. Read my full review HERE. 

10. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah


Rating: 4 stars
This book had me shocked and emotional at a lot of points. I felt like I was with Winter through her struggle. It's a classic Riches-to-Rags storyline with a ghetto twist. It's done tastefully and expertly and I was thoroughly impressed. I was much more enraptured by the book than I thought I would be. I highly recommend this one, especially to people interested in diverse books/authors.

11. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott


Rating: 4 stars
I knocked this book out in a day. I wanted to just keep reading. It was so cute and yet so meaningful. The characters have very interesting motivations and really distinct personalities. I was really hesitant upon picking up this book - and inclined to immediately compare it to TFIOS by John Green. But to my great pleasure, this book was very original. Also, not only did I like the ending a lot, but I respected it. I think it's an important message to send to young people about recklessness and the value of life. Read my full review HERE.

12. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff


Rating: 4 stars
I had SUCH mixed feelings about this one. Read more of my thoughts HERE.

13. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes


Rating: No rating
IT'S FINALLY OVER!!!! I know this is like, the most important book is Spanish literature, and for that alone I have respect for it. But this was a long treacherous journey that I hope never to repeat. I won't rate it, and I won't label it as "good" or "bad" (I don't usually feel comfortable rating genres I traditionally dislike, aka classics), but this is a tough one to read. 

14. Ghost by Jason Reynolds


Rating: 5 stars
I was SO pleasantly surprised by this one! Going into it, I only knew it was a contemporary and it was about track. I don't usually love contemporaries, and I don't usually love books about sports. But this one worked for me. There was just the right amount of light-heartedness and meaningful passion. For the most part, the story is just really fun. Read my full review HERE.

15. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach

Rating: 3 stars
I had high expectations for this one because of my love for Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. This one didn't do it for me. It seems like such an interesting topic, except that most of the "science" is speculative and frankly, boring to read about. I suppose this could be expected from something so philosophical with so little evidence gathered thus far, but I feel like Roach tried to make up for this lackluster research by inserting herself too much into the story. The jokes that made Stiff so charming and accessible were forced, and the book read more like a diary than a nonfiction book about science and philosophy.

16. Godsgrave (Nevernight #2) by Jay Kristoff

Rating: 5 stars
Loved this book much more than the first! That seems to be a pattern with me lately and fantasy series. I tend to enjoy the second/middle installments. Read my full review HERE.

17. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Rating: 5 stars
WOW!!! I loved this. I think I just have an affinity for books that have a bunch of perspectives surrounding the same event/situation, and I love nasty gossipy small-town plots. The characters in this book are fantastic. As in, they're not all great people, but the story was so interesting because of them. And the plot was twisty and turny, it was just a ton of fun. There was a perfect blend of intrigue, humor, and mystery in this book. I love how the clues lead up to the ending, and how everything is connected at the end. This was a really good one. 

If I could only recommend one... it would have to be Ghost. I don't know what it was about this book, but it made such an impression on me. I can't say it's particularly lyrical or mature or complicated. It's simple and raw and amazing for those reasons. 

Review for "Godsgrave (Nevernight #2)" by Jay Kristoff

Conquer your fear, and you can conquer the world.



What... was... THIS BOOK??? I am SCREAMING. (Internally.)

Rating: 5 stars

Mia Corvere has begun to execute her life mission: the assassinations of the men who killed her father, mother, and her baby brother. Now a fully fledged assassin, she is on her way to gaining the skills necessary to completing the task. But the plan goes slightly awry when she finds out that the people she's placed her trust in have ulterior motives. Mia finds herself a self-delivered slave, proving her worth and fighting for her life in the bloodiest brawls in the Republic. Mia must decide what parts of herself she is willing to sacrifice for her promise of vengeance.

There is beauty in knowing all things end, Mia. The brightest flames burn out the fastest. But in them, there is a warmth that can last a lifetime.

So like, I'm used to fantasy novels dropping a bombshell in the last couple of chapters. Something that has been foreshadowed is revealed, or a crazy plot twist happens. But I did not expect THREE bombshells in the ending. THREE different crazy things, and only one of them (maybe two, but that's from my own speculations and not from foreshadowing) was expected. I am absolutely floored.

I don't quite know how to evaluate Mia's character development. Clearly, she's different than she was in the first book, but I can't figure out what it is. She's not more driven, or more or less compassionate. I think that she is more conniving, possibly; she has more cunning. She figured out that there is a way to get her vengeance without bending to her masters' knees. It makes the plot much more clever, and the book was much more compelling for it.

One selling point of this book is the range of characters, in addition to their depth. There were a lot of interesting, unique characters in the first book, and that definitely continued with a new cast in this one. I love the depth of Sidonious, Leona and Leonides, Arkades, Furian, Wavewaker, and Bladesinger to name a few. They have dark and twisty pasts that show in their motives and demeanors, and I've always thought that learning characters' backstories is as or more interesting than the actual plot.

I understand that there are two plotlines going on in the story, both of which will assumedly be resolved in the next and last book. First: we have the vengeance plotline. Mia is trying to kill the people who killed her family. This has always been a clearly stated goal in the story. Second: we have the darkin storyline. Mia is a darkin, meaning she is marked by the goddess of night, Niah, and can control certain aspects of darkness, shadows, and daemons.

Speaking of: I want to talk a little bit about Mia's passengers (another term for the daemons that assist and advise Mia, as well as "drinking her fear"). This book contains one chapter that is only between Mister Kindly and Eclipse, Mia's two passengers, and there is a bit of talk about how passengers are reflections of their masters, and how all of this might tie into "the empire's destruction" and "the Crown of the Moon". All of the talk about darkness and moons and darkin is very cryptic, and we didn't really get anything concrete about it out of this book. I was hoping we'd learn about darkin at least a little, but it is mostly the characters' speculation at this point. We do get to see what happens when two darkin are near each other: feeling each other's pain, fears, desires. So that was a nice addition, but still I feel like we don't know enough about darkin at this point. I'm only worried because I fear that all of it will be thrown into the next book on top of the other plotline, and everything will be too crammed, too messy, and too complicated.

I must mention some things that did not work for me in this book. It's mostly superficial stuff, which is why I still give this book five stars. I didn't like Mia's obsession over certain things that shouldn't have mattered at all, from her perspective. She gets her face ripped open by a human spider, and she CONTINUOUSLY (as in, more than once) is like "Oh no but what will __[romantic interest]__ think about my scar" (don't want to spoil it). Like girl??? You are way above worrying about scars and your image. Maybe that was intentional, like the author was showing that Mia's still a teenage girl even with all the blood on her hands. But it annoyed the heck out of me. I also didn't appreciate how much Mia obsesses over "What am I?", in reference to being darkin, considering that they never ended up telling us what she is. If there was some reveal about darkin in the end of the book it would have been okay, but without it the persistent identity crises were also annoying. The reason I list these issues is because I don't think Mia was as annoying in this sense in the first book. I don't want to say she was less focused on her overall goal in Godsgrave, obviously she took a lot of risks and made sacrifices for it in this book, but she definitely seemed more insecure, which is not a trait I love in female leads.

Also, small note: anyone else bothered by the unclear pronouns? I couldn't tell who was speaking in some of the dialogue because it just said "he said" or "she said" after a sentence referring to both characters. It wouldn't have been a problem except it happened so often that I took notice of it as a pattern. Perhaps it's nit-picky, but I feel like expecting exemplary grammar from a writer isn't an odd request.

Even with my criticisms, I give this book five stars because of the plot twists and the betrayals and the emotion throughout. It was just so INTERESTING and despite all the killing so FUN and the cliffhanger... it got me. I will be picking up Darkdawn, the third Nevernight installment, on the day it comes out, undoubtedly. If you love stories about assassins and shadow bending and gladiatorial type fighting... READ THIS SERIES.

Review for "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds

And it felt good to feel like one of the teammates. Like I was there--really, really there--as me, but without as much scream inside.


Rating: 5 stars


I was SO pleasantly surprised by this one! Going into it, I only knew it was a contemporary and it was about track. I don't usually love contemporaries, and I don't usually love books about sports. But this one worked for me. There was just the right amount of light-heartedness and meaningful passion. For the most part, the story is just really fun.



We get to know Ghost, who is just a middle schooler trying things out and trying to forget his past. One day, Ghost stumbles upon a private track team practice and the park. After challenging the fastest sprinter on the team and giving him a RUN for his money, Ghost is recruited for a sport that he never even considered joining. Now Ghost is faced with a million new possibilities: a sport to love, a team to connect with, and a reason to stay out of trouble. But Ghost will also face situations that challenge his integrity and his heart.


Because for something to make you feel tough, you gotta be a little scared of it at first. Then you gotta beat it.

Ghost is an amazing character. He is relatable and has really come to understand the world around him, but he's not too mature for his age. His fascination with world records is spot on for a seventh grader, and it honestly made me a little nostalgic. That theme throughout the book, including the chapter titles, the constant references to world records, and Mr. Charles's encouragement that one day Ghost will be "one of the greatests", really worked for me. Ghost is a very compelling yet believable middle school age character. This might stem for the way that Ghost is told in the first person POV, which I feel like A) isn't done very often; middle grade perspectives are more often third person POV and B) is hard to get right, because authors either make them too focused and mature or annoyingly young. This was not the case with this one; Ghost was spot-on as a meaningful middle grade protagonist.

The character contrasts are another great part of this book. Ghost is contrasted with Coach, and Lu is contrasted with Brandon, etc... Overall, it kind of shows a "what could've been" angle to each character. Ghost and Brandon could've been friends if they'd been on a team together, or Lu and Ghost could've hated each other if they hadn't.

Don't ever let someone call your life, your dreams, little.

I really don't have anything negative to say about the book. The book probably would've been "just fine" had it not been for the emotional punch to the gut you get in the last couple chapters. Everything that's been building up from the first chapter, with what we know about Ghost's past, plus all he goes through to be accepted on the team, just really packs a punch in Chapter 9. I loved the parts where I smiled, the parts where I cried, and as I said, I was really pleasantly surprised with this one.

I am currently on the wait list for the next three books in the series, which to my knowledge focus on the other three team newbies: Patty, Sunny, and Lu. It's a unique idea to make the different books from different perspectives, and I'm really excited for them.

Review for "Nevernight" by Jay Kristoff

When all is blood, blood is all.



Rating: 4 stars

Mia Corvere has a burdensome task: avenging the deaths of her mother, father, and brother. Deaths that haunt her dreams, asleep and awake. Her best chance at killing the men who are responsible for her loss is by finding and attending the Red Church, an infamous school for aspiring assassins that is hidden from and sought out by the corrupted Republic that rules Mia's country. Mia has to not only prove her worth as a deadly assassin, but also decide if revenge is worth sacrificing her humanity.

I am so conflicted about this book! I almost feel too generous giving it four stars because of how boring the first 70% of the book is. A book that is boring for literally more than half of it should not get to be 4 stars!! But then I'd feel guilty giving this only 3 stars for how good the last 30% was... Like I said, I'm conflicted.

The wolf does not pity the lamb. The storm begs no forgiveness of the drowned. We are killers one, killers all.

I think I'm outside the norm on this one. Most people either love or hate this book, no in-between. I just couldn't care about the characters or plot or story throughout the beginning-middle. Contrary to popular opinion, I did not think that the world-building was good at all. I had no idea what was going on. The best part of the first half of the book was learning Mia's backstory (the part in italics). Other than that, I was bored to death with the Whitherwastes part, the entry to the school, the training; all of it was just so dry. I didn't even think Mia was a super compelling character, despite her backstory, until 80% of the way through. Because of the nature of the story, I can't help but compare it to Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. The worlds are just very similar. And this one was so much worse than Six of Crows, but admittedly that one is really good so it's hard to measure up to it.

After I got to the part where the competitions (that determine who gets to be a Blade and thus continue studying assassination at the Red Church) are two weeks away, I finally got into the story. There were plot twists and betrayals, emotions running high, deaths; it was really great. I was very enraptured, and I just had to keep reading. I wish the entire book had been like that. Because of the thrill, the emotion, and the shock that I felt in the ending (last ~25%), I bumped this rating up to 4 stars. Beware those who want to start this novel though: the beginning (like half!) is both BORING and CONFUSING.

Review for "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

I know in that moment, even though it could not be more ridiculous, that if I die in there, I won't die without falling in love.



Rating: 4 stars

Can a book be both heart-wrenching and heart-warming at the same time? Apparently, the answer to that question is yes. I tend to be a very stoic person while reading. You can't tell how I feel about what I'm reading based on my reactions/facial expressions. BUT THIS ONE. I was smiling. I was tearing up. I was gasping for air. It's a beautiful story.

Stella and Will are both cystic fibrosis patients, which means their lungs suck and cross-contamination between the two of them is a major risk. AKA: no sharing germs for Stella and Will. But then they fall in love. They have to learn how to love from a distance, or risk everything.

I knocked this book out in a day. I wanted to just keep reading. It was so cute and yet so meaningful. The characters have very interesting motivations and really distinct personalities. I was really hesitant upon picking up this book - and inclined to immediately compare it to TFIOS by John Green. But to my great pleasure, this book was very original. Also, not only did I like the ending a lot, but I respected it. I think it's an important message to send to young people about recklessness and the value of life.

I did knock one star off my rating because the falling-in-love pace was way too fast. It probably wouldn't have been bad if they'd started out as friends or at least not hating each other; but IMO Stella and Will went from hatred to irrevocably in love way too fast. It really messed up the plausibility of the story for me. At one point, I even thought I would rate this book 3 stars because of that one reason, but after the last 1/3 of the book with all the feels I just had to give it 4. I don't really understand it either; the book is under 300 pages so there would have been plenty of opportunity to add in more chapters developing the relationship at an appropriate pace. I just think it's a shame because young people in love already get a bad rep about "being in lust not love", and the rashness of Stella and Will's love supports that point. Maybe that was the point: to highlight the beauty of the immature, hasty, R&J type of love that plagues terminally ill teenagers, but I just thought the book would be better if it fought against this stereotype.

In any case, I picked this book up because I know the movie is out in less than a month (Cole Sprouse anyone???) and now I am super excited for it!!

Review for "The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue" by Mackenzi Lee

We are not broken things, neither of us. We are cracked pottery mended with lacquer and flakes of gold, whole as we are, complete unto each other.



Rating: 5 stars

FIRST OF ALL WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT-- to rip my soul out of my body at the same time as making my heart swell three size like the GD Grinch. Seriously crying happy and sad tears over this book. It means so much at the same time that it has extremely important, well-handled themes that young people need to read about. And - it's historical! Things that affect us today, while undoubtedly a little different, were also experienced during times that we can't even fathom living in. The writing style, and the characters, and the plot just... so good.

I understand less than half the words in that sentence, but God bless the book people for their boundless knowledge absorbed from having words instead of friends.

Is that not one of the best sentences you've read in your life???

I had so much fun with this book. People said it was hilarious, and I did smile quite a few times over it. There's love and drama and adventure and mystery and illness and empowerment and diversity. There are so many good elements about this book. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, especially pre-20th-century historical fiction, but this book was so accessible, it read like a normal contemporary.

Let's talk characters:

"No, you want this to be about you. You care about what happens to me because of what that would mean for you. You are the only thing that matters to you."

Monty
If this guy didn't drive you crazy, you might be as rash and immature as he is. I wanted to slap him across the face so many times for his insensitivity and shelteredness. God. In some ways, he's just the worst. But that's what I appreciate about him. He's not an ideal, perfected main character. He has major flaws which are often cause for drama between him and other characters. This is real life, people. And I definitely know some real-life Montys.

"Ladies haven't the luxury of being squeamish about blood."

Felicity
I LOVE FELICITY. 20% of the way in I knew I loved her, and I had to go make sure the sequel was her story (it is!!). She's snarky, and she likes books more than people, and wants to study medicine. I relate, hard. She's kind of the logical voice of the bunch, with Monty always making bad decisions and Percy just going along with it. Furthermore, everyone wants to commend this book for giving the 18th century a voice in LGBT. I agree that this is pretty cool. But, Felicity serves as the voice of the public in this regard. LGBT lifestyle was much more taboo in this time period, and Felicity reminds the reader that while we see LGBT relationships/feelings as normal, that was definitely not how 99% of the people surrounding Monty and Percy saw it. In addition, she is obviously the most capable of the group, and yet she's often barred from places and activities because of her gender. I know this is accurate to the time period, but I commend the author for making subtle references to the injustice of it.

It's Percy, your best friend. Percy who you've gotten foxed with, who plays you his violin, who used to spit apple seeds at you from high up in the orchard treetops. Percy, who you kissed in Paris, who looks so damn beautiful, even now.

Percy
Percy has to deal with a lot of crap. Not only is he constantly rejected and belittled by society for his race, but he can't even count on his best friend and not-so-subtle crush to understand and empathize. I spent a lot of this book wondering why Percy was even friends/in love with Monty. Here's Percy, a perfect little cinnamon roll who just wants to live his life, and Monty who is, in Felicity's words, "a bit of a rake." Percy is so pure, and so kind, despite the bad luck he's drawn in life. He's "learned his place" at the same time that he's not ashamed to be himself. He's really an icon.

So yeah. This book was a real fun time for me. I immediately placed a hold on the sequel at my library, which somehow has better reviews than the first one. Unheard of!

Review for "The Astonishing Color of After" by Emily X.R. Pan

Believing is a type of magic. It can make something true.

Rating: 5 stars

After Leigh's mom dies, Leigh receives frequent visits from a beautiful red bird that gives her artifacts and clues from her past. Leigh can only come to one conclusion: this bird is her mother. On instructions from the bird, Leigh sets off on a journey to Taiwan, her mother's home country, to learn about her family and herself. All the while, she is thrown into the memories of all the people she loves, and her own memories as well. 

This was a very effective mix of contemporary and magical realism, especially if you (like me) highly prefer fantasy over contemporary reads. I thought the supernatural elements, whether or not you think them to only be within Leigh's imagination, supported the main plot and kept the story interesting. There was something so raw, so lyrical, and so beautiful about the way Leigh's story was told. It wasn't over the top, but it had just enough emotion to make the reader reflect on their own life and relationships.

Memory is a mean thing, slicing at you from the harshest angles, dipping your consciousness into the wrong colors again and again.

Seriously who could come up with a line like that? It's amazing. The best part of this book, hands down, were the Smoke and Memories sections, and Leigh's own memories which are dispersed throughout the main plot. This is how you make a story: you layer in multiple perspectives and multiple timelines to create one moving-forward plot. I wouldn't change a thing about it. Something also must be said for Leigh's development - as a character, and in her relationships. The parent-child relationship in this book is so frustrating for the first 90%... and then it's fixed and that's great. But it's these frustrating realities that make the book believable and relatable and raw. 

This was an excellent book; I will definitely be reading more from Emily X.R. Pan.

2019 Reading Challenge

I'm a little bit late to the party I guess on this one... Nonetheless I wanted to share a reading challenge that I've put together for this year. This is mashup of a bunch of reading challenges I've seen floating around (mostly on Pinterest), and I added the challenges that I thought would be most relevant to my current TBR. I will not be doing these challenges in the order they are listed here, and you might notice that a lot of these books fall into two categories: 1) books that are part of my America's Best Loved Novels reading challenge and 2) hyped books from 2018 that I'm catching up on. There are 52 challenges; feel free to participate or just seen how many you've done by the end of the year!

Below I'm going to list the challenges as well as the books I've chosen for each one with a brief description and my reasoning for choosing that book. Disclaimer: I like to go into books blind, so my description of books I haven't yet read will probably be sparse and possibly inaccurate. Feel free to correct me in the comments if I mess something up horribly. And of course, some of these choices may be swapped out as the year goes on depending on library availability among other things.

Challenge #1: A book published in 2019
My choice: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (2019)

This is a science fiction-fantasy standalone with a murder mystery twist. This was the first book I saw on my TBR that came out in 2019 and I will be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on it!

Challenge #2: An author you've never heard of before
My choice: We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun (2016)

Honestly, I saw this book at my local used bookstore (Half Price Books is AMAZING - great prices and their online selection is even wider than their massive bookstores), and I bought it for the cover. I actually saw the book once, decided not to get it, and then saw it again the next time I went to the bookstore - and not even on a display, just on its shelf in the YA section at the back of the bookstore. This book is about some friends who are trying to retain their friendship as they move away from each other for college, I think with some romance mixed in somewhere, and it's set in the 80's. The choice is pretty simple; I've never heard of Michael Kun before but maybe I will find a new contemporary author to follow!

Challenge #3: A book you've read before
My choice: Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) by Maggie Stiefvater (2010)

Wolves of Mercy Falls is a paranormal romance/fantasy series about werewolves in a small town. It blends science fiction and romance and it's a series that I've loved since I was 14 when the books were recent releases. I was already rereading the series when I made this list, so I chose this one for my reread. I do highly recommend Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) if you're looking for a sappy paranormal romance!

Challenge #4: A book with a strong female lead
My choice: Warrior Princess (Destiny's Path #1) by Allan Frewin Jones

So it's kind of hard to tell if a female lead is going to be strong (Katniss) or dumb (Tris) before reading a book because of course the blurbs will always imply that they're strong and amazing. But the title of this one sounds pretty promising! I've had this series on my TBR for a long time and it's time I finally picked it up.

Challenge #5: A play
My choice: The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare (1600)

I do not remember much about this play from when I read it 4 years ago, but I know it was my favorite Shakespeare piece I read so I want to reread it. I know it involves prejudice against Jewish people, and that, due to the societal mindset of Shakespeare's time, this was viewed as justified and even comical.

Challenge #6: A book set in Southern USA
My choice: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (1996)

A romance novel!! Who would've thought!! This has been on my TBR for a while, even before my challenge to read America's 100 Best Loved Novels, but now I have more incentive (for more info on the challenge, go ahead and tap on that link!). Everyone seems to know what this book is except me. I've never read it or seen the movie, I just know that it has romance, and something to do with aging, and a kiss to end all kisses. Oh also, it takes place in North Carolina.

Challenge #7: A memoir on someone you admire
My choice: Becoming by Michelle Obama (2018)

Could there be a better choice for this one? Michelle Obama is an honest-to-God role model, and I'm so excited to read her memoir. I'm currently on the wait list for the audiobook (which she narrates herself) at my library, and I'm currently #502. 😅 Hopefully I get my hands on the book before the year is over!

Challenge #8: A book set in Victorian era
My choice: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)

This was a pretty easy choice. It's a well-known classic that I was going to read eventually, and it's part of my reading challenge. I just hope this one holds my attention better than Pride and Prejudice did!

Challenge #9: A book featuring a character with a career you wish you had
My choice: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (2012)

Okay, so I definitely cheated with this one. I really couldn't come up with a career I wish I had in terms of the books on my TBR or close to being on my TBR. To my knowledge, the main character in this series is an assassin, which is definitely not my dream job, but it still sounds cool. TBH I just really wanted to read this series and it's my challenge so I will bend the rules if I want to. 😝

Challenge #10: A book with a plant on the cover
My choice: Evermore by Alyson Noel (2009)

I have had this book on my TBR for longer than I've had a Goodreads account. This is partly due to the fact that this has been on my physical bookshelf for literally over 5 years. I bought it when I was REALLY into paranormal romance books/series. I still like paranormal romance, but I definitely go more for high fantasy these day. I am very determined to finally read this this year, and if I really like it I already own the second one and can continue it. Otherwise, they'll both be sent to Half Price Books for me to make $.30 off of!

Challenge #11: A book published the year you graduated high school
My choice: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (2017)

I graduated high school in 2017, so my choice is very recent. I have owned this book for a long time, and I really like John Green's books so I have been itching to get to this one. I've heard mixed reviews about, but I'm clearly more than willing to get it a try, and soon.

Challenge #12: A graphic novel
My choice: Avengers: Ultron Forever by Al Ewing (2015)

So here's the thing: I'm obsessed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Avengers is my all time favorite movie, and I've recently started collecting some Avengers and Thor comic books (Thor is my favorite character, in the MCU but probably also ever). I have a large selection to choose from, so I just plucked a comic book off my shelf and decided to throw it into this challenge. Yes, I realize the movies are different than the comics, but I can't get enough of these characters and there are only 19 movies!

Challenge #13: A book featuring music
My choice: Noteworthy by Riley Redgate (2017)

I really don't know much about this book, other than it's a YA contemporary set in a high school and it revolves around a capella. It sounded interesting, and despite my apprehension about the genre (contemporaries have not been my thing recently), I decided to give it a try because of the reviews and recommendations.

Challenge #14: An ugly cover
My choice: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (2018)

This cover is actually the worst. I don't think this is an objective fact, but I hate this cover. The book itself has good reviews and recommendations, plus the premise interests me and Hank Green is awesome so this is an easy choice for this challenge.

Challenge #15: A book with a teen as the main character
My choice: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (2018)

I read so much YA that this really isn't a challenge for me. I could've chosen any one of 50 books I will read this year for this challenge. Still, I chose this book because the teenage main character is also surrounded by other teenagers, and they're all concubines for this really horrible king. It's a heavy topic, but hopefully not too intense to be an enjoyable read.

Challenge #16: A retelling of a well-known story
My choice: Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)

Any story relating to Greek mythology could fall under this category, but the story of Circe particularly interests me. This book has great recommendations and I loved The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller so this is going to be a good choice for me.

Challenge #17: A book about a political issue
My choice: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017)

It is about dang time that I read this book! I know it's about police brutality and that it's really good and moving, so I will be reading it this year.

Challenge #18: A book picked out for you by someone else
My choice: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014)

This book was picked out for me by my mom, who loves WWII historical fiction and insists that this book is amazing. I will finally indulge her in reading it, even though historical fiction is not one of my go-to genres!

Challenge #19: A gothic fiction novel
My choice: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)

I know nothing about this book, other than that it's a classic and when I googled "popular gothic fiction novels", it was one of the first results. This was already on my TBR because it is part of my 100 Greatest Novels reading challenge, so I will be listening to the audiobook later this year.

Challenge #20: A book about time travel
My choice: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (1991)

This book is also part of my 100 Greatest Novels reading challenge. I don't know much except that some time travel fluke send our main character back in time to a historical setting, and that despite this the book is generally categorized as historical fiction over science fiction. There are also 9 books in the series, so if I really love the first one I plan to continue in the series.

Challenge #21: A title that starts with the letter "J"
My choice: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (1906)

I'm not a huge classics person, but ever since I learned about this book in history class, it has interested me. I bought the book a few years ago with the intention of reading it and since haven't, so now I finally have an obligation to! I really hope I will like this, because honestly the historical context of this book's publication are really fascinating, and I'm not one to usually find history fascinating.

Challenge #22: A fantasy novel
My choice: The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw (2018)

This is another category that I could choose over half of my books for because I read so much fantasy, so I just chose a random one that I was excited to read. Honestly I don't know if it even counts because it is really just about a few witches in a modern setting, but like I said this is definitely not the only fantasy novel I'm reading in 2019.

Challenge #23: A book by Agatha Christie
My choice: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)

I'm not a huge mystery/suspense/horror person (clearly I have a limited number of genres I usually read...), but this is part of my 100 Greatest Novels reading challenge so I'm going to give it a go. And, the title just sounds intriguing doesn't it?

Challenge #24: A self-published book
My choice: The Martian by Andy Weir (2012)

This is another challenge that I enlisted the help of Google to figure out, because Goodreads doesn't have a good way of telling you what books are self-published. I was glad to find out that this book would be my choice for this category because since reading Artemis by Andy Weir (read my review ) I have very much been looking forward to reading The Martian. 

Challenge #25: A book with the name of a color in the title
My choice: The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)

This book is on the list 100 Greatest Novels, and other than that and the fact that it was published in the 80's, I know nothing about it. The title doesn't just include a color, the title IS a color, so that seems like a pretty obvious option for this challenge.

Challenge #26: A one-word title
My choice: Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2002)

Technically, it's a name not a word, but if you haven't noticed by now, this list really doesn't stick to technicalities. Eragon has been on my shelf for a long time and I am finally going to pick it up, with this challenge as a motivator if necessary!

Challenge #27: A book that makes you mad
My choice: The Glass Castle by Jeaneatte Walls (2005)

This challenge has to be a reread, because otherwise how would you know that the book makes you mad? So I'm rereading The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls's autobiography, which to be is about how horrible her parents were. The abuse, and more obviously the neglect, that Jeanneatte and her siblings deal with definitely makes me mad.

Challenge #28: A book that discusses mental health
My choice: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (2017)

I don't know much about this book, but it's been highly reviewed, and it follows a woman who (I think) has some sort of anxiety/depression.

Challenge #29: A book published by HarperCollins
My choice: Evernight by Claudia Gray (2008)

This series has been on my TBR for a long time, and it just so happens that it was published by HarperCollins. I already own two of the books in the series, so this choice is in part due to my efforts to whittle down my books-I-own-but-haven't-read-yet shelf. 😬

Challenge #30: An author who uses initials
My choice: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (2015)

In some of her books, V.E. Schwab goes by her unacronymed name, Victoria Schwab. But for this series, which has been highly recommended AND I just received the entirety of courtesy of my brother, she does use her pseudonym.

Challenge #31: A book that everyone's talking about
My choice: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (2018)

When I say "everyone's talking about", that doesn't necessarily mean in a good way. This book doesn't have the best ratings, and I've noticed they are completely split. People either love or hate this book, but either way they're talking about it. Personally, I bought this book half for that reason, and half for the cover, but here's an excuse to actually read it!

Challenge #32: A western
My choice: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (1999)

So here's a thing: I have never read a western. Like ever. This book is included in my challenge to read America's 100 Best-Loved Novels, so that seems as good a reason as any to have this one be the first western I ever read. That being said, it is LONG (~900 pages). Wish me luck!

Challenge #33: A book originally published the year you were born
My choice: The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah (1999)

This book was originally published just over two weeks after I was born. It is also in my 100 Greatest Novels challenge, so this one works out pretty well.

Challenge #34: Goodreads Choice Award 2018 nominee that didn't win
My choice: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)

This book was nominated in the Best of the Best category clearly, since it was not published in 2018 and thus wouldn't qualify for the other categories. It lost to The Hate U Give from 2017, but it did still win Best Thriller in 2012. I have recently been trying to read more thrillers, even though they scare the heck out of me, and after reading Dark Places I am ready for this one!

Challenge #35: A sports related book
My choice: Ghost by Jason Reynolds (2016)

I know close to nothing about this book, other than the fact that it is about track, and it is the most recently released book on the list of America's Best Loved Novels. Seems interesting enough, so I'll be eBooking this in the near future.

Challenge #36: A humorous novel
My choice: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (2017)

I am actually reading this book right now! I don't usually go for historical fiction, YA or otherwise, but the reason I picked this up is because when it was recommended to me, it was said to have made people literally LOL while reading. I'm about 75% of the way through, and it is in fact pretty funny. It's hard for books/movies to make me LOL, but this one is enough to at least make me smile.

Challenge #37: A book set in Africa
My choice: Americanah by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)

Here's another recent book that made it onto the list of America's Best Loved Novels. I don't know too much about it, but I know that at least one of the characters' stories is set in Africa (Nigeria, I think?). I know it deals with themes of oppression and racial background/prejudice, both in the US and outside of it, so I am excited to read it and find out more.

Challenge #38: An allegorical book
My choice: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery (1943)

I know what an allegory is, but was not certain what makes a book allegorical, so I googled it and this came up. This is part of my America's Best Loved Novels challenge and it's just a classic, so I'll knock this one out in the near future.

Challenge #39: A military related book
My choice: Grunt by Mary Roach (2016)

This challenge does not stipulate that the book must be a novel, so I chose Grunt which is a nonficition book about the science of the military. I've been excited to read all of Mary Roach's books since I read Stiff last year, and this might be the next one I get to so I really hope it lives up to my expectations!

Challenge #40: A book with a character who is an immigrant
My choice: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (2007)

I know this book is about a Dominican guy living in the United States, and it is also included on the list of America's Best Loved Novels.

Challenge #41: A book that has an adaptation
My choice: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (1996)

You have to be living under a rock if you don't know that this series has been made into a very popular television show. I've been putting off reading this because for some reason I had it in my head that the series was super long, like 30 books. Which I've just learned isn't the case. To be fair, each book is like 3x larger than a normal book and there are 9, so it's kind of like 30 books, but my brain hasn't analyzed it like that so... I will be at least starting the Song of Ice and Fire series this year.

Challenge #42: An author that you've been wanting to start reading more from
My choice: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (2009)

This is another book that I've actually already read this year (aka finished this challenge). This works out great because I also have Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn on this list. I also think I will read Sharp Objects this year, so really it's just the year of Gillian Flynn for me!

Challenge #43: A children's book
My choice: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (2001)

This is absolutely a nostalgic read for me. I read it when I was really young and I loved it and it fueled by deep love of pigs (they were my favorite animal for like 10 years). It's in my list of 100 Greatest Novels, so combined with this challenge I need little excuse to reread it.

Challenge #44: An author who uses a pseudonym
My choice: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (1876)

I kind of feel bad for not having read more Samuel Clemens in my life, being from Missouri as I am. I read The Prince and the Pauper and I liked that one, so hopefully I will really latch onto this one! I also want to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn after this one.

Challenge #45: A "beach read"
My choice: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1939)

So I had no idea what "beach read" entails, I guess a book you'd read at the beach but I would read any book at the beach so... I googled it. And this was the first book on my TBR that came up on a list of the best beach reads. Not sure if I completely believe it, but I live 700 miles from a beach so it's not like I'll actually be reading it there anyway.

Challenge #46: A banned book
My choice: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

Such. A. Classic. This book has been banned for language (racial slurs), but I do think it has been allowed in and in fact studied in most high schools, as was my case. I will be rereading this so that I can read the sequel Go Set a Watchman as well.

Challenge #47: A book set in a country you've visited
My choice: Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes (1605)

I am currently visiting Spain, and I know that if this book isn't part of this challenge I will procrastinate reading it... despite it being on the list of America's Best Loved Novels. I will definitely be listening to the audiobook (which, BTW is 37 hours long!!).

Challenge #48: A book set in a post-apocalyptic world
My choice: The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006)

Pretty much all I know about this book is that it's set in a post-apocalyptic world and that... there's a road. When I was in high school my English class was given the choice to read this or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, I chose the latter (a very good choice). However, I do own The Road and I want to read it because I do think that it's pretty hyped as far as great American literature goes.

Challenge #49: A speed read
My choice: The Waste Land and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot (1922)

Honestly, I'm just reading this because I own it. And why do I own it? Because one of my favorite memoirs of all time (When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi) mentioned it as a big writing inspiration so I wanted to check it out. But... I don't like poetry so I don't have the highest hopes. But it is under 100 pages so I should be able to knock it out in an afternoon.

Challenge #50: A book based on a fairy tale
My choice: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigit Kemmerer (2019)

This is one of the few books on this list that is a new release in 2019. This book has been SUPER hyped, and it definitely sounds like something I would be into. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and given how much I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses and Beastly, I have high hopes for this. I'm not sure why, but recently I've been much more into retellings, so this will surely be a fun one.

Challenge #51: A book about organized crime
My choice: The Godfather by Mario Puzo (1969)

Yes, I'm one of those heathens that has never read nor seen the adaptation of The Godfather. What's more is that all I know is that it's about the mafia. That's all. This wasn't on my TBR until it showed up on my list of America's Best Loved Novels, so I'm hoping it will do more for me than I'm anticipating.

Challenge #52: An audiobook
My choice: Sadie by Courtney Summers (2018)

This challenge could really be satisfied by any book, but I chose this one because the audiobook version was very highly recommended. Part of the book is a podcast, so it's better to listen to the audiobook I suppose. Whatever platform, this book was one of the most hyped books of 2018, and of course I'm always one to follow the crowd.