11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym – Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

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Finished 08/20/18

There was an interview with Andrews were she said they sent her a copy of her book which had her full name but then went and printed the book under the name VC Andrews. She was told it was a mistake but too late to correct because it had already been printed, later she learned it was done on purpose because her publishers believed it would sell better if people assumed the book was written by a male. That fits perfectly for this prompt.

I’ve always wanted to read this book because it is considered a classic. After finishing the books I was looking at a few of the top reviews on goodreads and they were all scored so low. After reading them I see it was because they initially read this book in middle school because it was a taboo book or seen as trashy. I didn’t read it that way or see it like that. This is categorized as a horror book on goodreads and it definitely reads as one (Andrew’s wiki says her books are Victorian Gothic Horror). These kids were abused, neglected and shut up together for over 3 years with only each other to rely on for their social needs, comfort and platonic/familial love that turned into romantic love. Their life experiences were hindered for them and they became overly dependent with each other. A true psychological horror imo. And a very quick and easy read which was what I essentially wanted.

“When I read, if a book doesn’t hold my interest about what’s going to happen next, I put it down and don’t finish it. So I’m not going to let anybody put one of my books down and not finish it. My stuff is a very fast read.” -V.C. Andrews

title: Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)

author: Rachel Caine

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction -> Dystopia, Historical Fiction

my thoughts: under the cut for possible spoilers.

I love books and I especially love books about books! I really loved reading this and the only thing that knocked it from a 5 to a 4 was the few beginning chapters to get the book going were a tad slow and I really had to push through but it was totally worth it. Such a great read and I’m excited to continue with the series. This book really packs the punches too, you start getting attached to these characters and hoping for the best and then bam! Deaths. Oh man was there death. The book ends in a cliffhanger and from what I saw so do the others in the series, so be aware of that.

Finish date: 08/14/18

40b. A graphic novel – The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

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Finished 08/10/18

I love comics and I love graphic novels. When I saw this book on goodreads I got so excited I ordered it right away and could not wait for it to arrive. The book itself is so pretty! I bought the paperback and the cover is that soft idk velvety (?) covers, you know those smooth but not glossy covers. Anyway this was truly a joy to read. Whimsical and heartfelt throughout the story. I loved the illustrations and the story. I’m very glad I bought this book to add to my collection. I really hope this isn’t the end for Sebastian and Frances.

title: Uprooted

author: Naomi Novik

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Romance

my thoughts: under the cut for possible spoilers.

This book is highly rated on goodreads and I was expecting this magical read. It ended up being overhyped, for me anyway. I guess I’m the odd one out here but I just did not really love this. I barely even liked it really. I felt that everything was just too nicely thought out and plotted specifically for the main character to stand out. It didn’t feel organic, oh here comes this underdog but wait she’s special and no one noticed, a natural at magic no training required. Actually the training is too strict for her, no training needed! Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t necessarily bad but it left me wanting. Wanting for more backstory, more detail, just more. Basically a three for me is I liked it, the end, nothing more. I’m still going to give Spinning Silver a try but my expectations have been lowered.

Wait wait how could I forget! The weird romance that was so forced between the Dragon (who is not a dragon ??) and Agnieszka, yikes! Talk about Stockholm Syndrome. He was terrible to her, abusive really. The book was not graphic at all and then BAM awkward sex scene. Okay this might be more of a 2.5 bumped up to a generous 3. Sorry guys, this book just was not for me.

Finish date: 08/10/18

title: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)

author: Leigh Bardugo

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): YA, Fantasy

my thoughts: under the cut for spoilers.

Amazing! Yet again Bardugo has blown me away with this universe. I’m in love with all the characters and the world Bardugo has built. I’m so happy for Jesper and Wylan, my OTP! Jesper and Kaz is love! My heart absolutely broke for Nina when Matthias died, I definitely shed some tears. I was rooting for a happy ending for them all and was so heartbroken that he died, why?! I’m so excited to start The Grisha Trilogy and to read Bardugo’s other books.

Finish date: 08/09/18

15. A book about feminism – We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Finished 07/30/18

I really enjoyed this, it was very to the point. I both read and listed to the audiobook, which was a little under an hour. The only reason this wasn’t 5⭐️s was because of how short it was and I felt many of the things mentioned could have been expanded upon. I wanted a little more but nonetheless it was a great read.

A6. An allegory – The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

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Finished 07/29/18

I loved this. What fun, seriously. I don’t have anything bad to say about it. A very whimsical and playful read with a deep message. I loved the illustrations that went along with the story. This was a joyful and fast, easy read. I definitely recommend this book.

30. A book with characters who are twins – The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

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Finished 07/28/18

This was a doozy of a book. My aunt recommended this book to me ages ago and I finally took the chance to read it. This book was perfect for me, it was daunting at first with the language and how long it seemed to be taking me to read. Once I got to the end of the book it was well worth the initial struggle. This is not a light read, it really took my concentration to pay attention and understand the language as it’s not something I’ve read in a long time.

title: Off Base (Out of Uniform #1)

author: Annabeth Albert

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
genre(s): Contemporary, Romance, Lgbtqa+

my thoughts: under the cut for possible spoilers.

I loved this! I’m a little sad that it seems to be just a standalone book because I would love to read more about Zach and Pike. This is actually the first published m/m romance I’ve ever read and I loved it! I can’t wait to check out more books by Albert. I really enjoyed her writing and this story. Yeah the romance was 10/10 hot but I was also very invested in the two characters story. I loved Zach and Pike’s budding romance, from casual to officially boyfriends. I do wish we had been able to see more of Zach and Pike’s life after they became official, a little view of their life as an out couple.

Finish date: 07/25/18

A4. A book tied to your ancestry – Across a Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande

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Finished 07/21/18

I had a hard time with this one, the books I’ve come across that take place in Spain or Mexico are very politically heavy and I wanted something a little lighter. In the end it was between this and Esperanza Rising (I could not find anything emotionally lighter). I ended up putting both on hold, Across a Hundred Mountains was checked out to me from the library first and that’s how this book was chosen.

This was an intense and painful (in a good way) read, had me in tears. Very heavy subject matter, especially with what’s happening today in the world. If you’re interested in a thought provoking and emotional read I recommend this book. Anyway I’m very glad I read this book and I’m going to be checking out more by this author.