Recently Read: The Dream Thieves

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Status: Book two in The Raven Cycle
Genre: Young Adult/ Fantasy/ Paranormal
Publication Date: 2013
Page Count: 437
Rating: 5/5

Add on Goodreads

Also by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys 

Ronan Kynch revealed a huge secret at the end of book one, just one of the many secrets Ronan is keeping from his friends, his family, and even himself. The search for Gelndower continues as does the danger and the magic.

I loved The Raven Boys and I loved this one just as much, if not maybe a little more even. The characters in this series are fantastic, and they really developed in book two, especially Ronan. I had picked up on the complicated nature of Ronan in book one in regards to a certain topic, (sorry about vagueness, trying to keep it spoiler free!) but I loved how it developed in this book. I love the writing, and the writing seems to be extra beautiful when it is connected with Ronan and his tough exterior.  

This book didn't do a whole lot to move the overarching plot line forward, but I didn't mind because the character development made up for it. I love the paranormal elements in this novel and the house full of physics. Kavinsky was a really interesting and developed character to add to this novel, and I thought his character was perfect for the role. 

One thing I really like about this novel and one thing I think about quite often is how complex the dynamics are between these characters. Each character has a special relationship with the other characters, and the male friendships in this series are so interesting. I LOVE seeing male friendships in books and movies and find them so interesting, especially when they are extremely deep and affectionate, and these relationships fit that bill. I love that there is no fear of loosing "manlyness" for these characters because they love their male friends.  

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series, and I'm trying to make myself wait until the paperback comes out at the end of December, but I don't know if I can wait that long!   

Weekly Wrap-Up: Happy Thanksgiving!

What's New:
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving if you're in the States! Mine was great, I loved having a few extra days off from school, but I haven't gotten a lot done off of my to-do list yet. I went out shopping for Black Friday, and it was a pretty calm experience this year which was nice, and I of course ordered some books from Bookoutlet's Black Friday sale, so those will be in an upcoming post. I got eight books, six of which are hardcover, for twenty-seven dollars and that price includes shipping, so that's an awesome deal.

What I Read:
I did a little extra reading this week because of my break from school which was great. I finished The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stefivater in a couple late night reading sessions because I couldn't put it down. I also started The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester which is a historical fiction mystery of sorts that centers around British Suffragettes.

 

What I Bought:
I got Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer on sale at Target while Black Friday shopping, which was pretty exciting as I hadn't had a chance to pick it up yet.

What I Posted:
Monday- I reviewed The Lamplighter by Maria Susanna Cummins, which is a forgotten American classic that is basically the American Jane Eyre
Tuesday- I discussed Ten Books I'm Thankful For (I loved this topic)
Wednesday- I posted a graphic novel Wishlist 

Last Week's Wrap-Up (Two Weeks in One)

What's Next: 
I planed on scheduling lots of posts this weekend because school is going to be mega-crazy for the next two weeks or so, but that didn't really happen. I'm not sure how many posts I will be getting up in the coming weeks, but I have a review for The Dream Thieves all ready to go for sure next week, beyond that, I will be just as surprised as you are!

Stacking the Shelves Hosted by: Tynga's Reviews
The Sunday Post Hosted by: The Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Graphic Novel Wishlist

Christmas break is coming up soon, and I plan on requesting a butt-load of graphic novels from my library. Here's a few I'm hoping to pick up.

A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vol. 1

Summary from Goodreads:

London, 1898. The Victorian Era draws to a close and the twentieth century approaches. It is a time of great change and an age of stagnation, a period of chaste order and ignoble chaos. It is an era in need of champions.

In this amazingly imaginative tale, literary figures from throughout time and various bodies of work are brought together to face any and all threats to Britain. Allan Quatermain, Mina Murray, Captain Nemo, Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde and Hawley Griffin ( the Invisible Man) form a remarkable legion of intellectual aptitude and physical prowess:The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.




Isadora Duncan: A Graphic Novel Biography 

Summary from Goodreads:

Myth and controversy still swirl around the dramatic figure of Isadora Duncan. The pioneering modern dancer emerged from provincial nineteenth-century America to captivate the cultural capitals of Europe, reinvent dance as a fine art, and leave a trail of scandals in her wake. From her unconventional California girlhood to her tragic death on the French Riviera fifty years later, Duncan's journey was an uncompromising quest for truth, beauty, and freedom.

Here Duncan's art and ideas come vividly to life. Each page is a unique dance of words and images, reflecting Duncan's courage, passion, and idealism in a way sure to inspire another generation of admirers.


Ms. Marvel vol 4: Last Days

Summary from Goodreads:

When the world is about to end, do you still keep fighting? From the moment, Kamala put on her costume, she's been challenged, but nothing has prepared her for this: the Last Days of the Marvel Universe. Fists up, let's do this, Jersey City. Plus a VERY special guest appearance fans have been clamoring for!

This is coming out on December 1st and I'm super excited to get my hands on it! I love this series. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I'm Thankful For

This list could have easily been twice as long, but I decided to only do ten today. I am thankful for every book that has made me think a little differently or allowed me to connect with a fictional character. So here's ten books that are very, very special to me. 

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

 

1. Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan Illustrated by Brain Selznick 
My elementary librarian read this book to us and I absolutely loved it. It's one of the first books I remember with a really strong female protagonist. The main character is a young girl who dresses up as a boy in order to work in a horse stable and then goes on to be a stage coach driver. It's such an amazing story and the illustrations are gorgeous, as Selznick's illustrations always are.  

2. Chasing Redbird and Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Chasing Redbird is an odd story, but I remember it really stuck with me after I read it for the first time when I was young. I think Bloomability was the first Sharon Creech book I read and I really, really loved it. It's about an American girl who goes to a boarding school in Switerland. These books really made me think about life and humanity and I think about them quite often to this day, even though the details are fuzzy.

3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
This is a given. I don't think another world will ever be as real and important to me as the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

 

4. Passing by Nella Larson
I read this book in my first real literature class in college, and as soon as I read it and left the classroom after discussing it as a class I knew that I was in the right field of study. I was seriously on a literature high after discussing this book in class. It's an amazing novel, but beyond that I have such positive and found memories of reading and discussing it.

5. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
I read this novel in the same class as Passing and the paper that I wrote on Zeena's pickle dish is my favorite paper I have ever written. This short novel taught me that simple can be thought provoking, beautiful, and tragic.

6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I have read this novel many times, and my thoughts about it evolve and grow as I evolve and grow. I read it for the first time when I was a Junior in high school, and now I'm in my fourth year of college. Each reading challenges me, and I appreciate the complex characters and the genuineness with which Fitzgerald created them.

 

7. The Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath
I talk about this one quite often. I am thankful that Plath vocalized in such an elegant and honest way what I feel inside sometimes, and whenever I am over whelmed with the pressures of being a woman, student, and whatever else I have to be, I can red Plath's words and know that I am not alone.

8. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
This is my all-time favorite story, and I am so thankful for this novel and the comfort the story brings me. It also has some quite interesting and dark themes, if you have never read the original novel, you really should.

9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
 I am thankful for a fierce and self-sufficient heroine in a time when men ruled the world.

10. Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 
These stories always bring me comfort and calm when I read or listen to them on audiobook or even watch an adaptation of them. I am thankful that I can share a connection with my mom over these top-notch mysteries which we both love.

What are you guys thankful for? Have a great Thanksgiving if your're in the States!

Recently Read: The Lamplighter-- Classics Club Women's Literature Event

Author: Maria Susanna Cummins
Genre: Classic
Publication Date: 1854
Page Count: 480
Rating: 4/5

Add on Goodreads

Gertrude is a young orphan living with a mean old woman, until an incident leads her to be adopted by the lamplighter of the town, and older but soft-hearted gentlemen. Gertrude then builds herself a small family as she grows from an orphan child into a young woman.

I have to write a paper on this novel and create a presentation on it, so my review may be brief so I don't get tired of writing about this novel before I even begin my school writing on it. You know how it goes.

Maria Susanna Cummins was quite successful financially for her writing in 1800's America, and this book sold thousands of copies. Now, like many women writers, she is mostly forgotten. This novel is very hefty. I read it over a couple of months in class, but I got the majority of it done via audiobook driving home and back to school. This book really reminded me of an American Jane Eyre. Gertrude is not conventionally beautiful, but she is exceptionally kind-hearted. She is a great character and quite resilient. If you liked Jane Eyre, I think you would really enjoy this. The religious themes are quite heavy since it was mid-1800's America, but I really enjoyed this novel I lot more than I thought I would, and I loved that I got to discover a new-to-me and forgotten women author.

This book was considered a domestic novel when it was released, as was pretty much any book written by a female author about a female character, and was therefore dismissed by the literary critics and never made it into the cannon. There is an extreme lack of diversity in the American Lit class I am taking right now, and my blood has been boiling all semester for all of the women and people of color that have been left out of this class. We have read ten Hawthorne stories, and excerpts of two women's works. We have read one page bios of all of these important and leading feminist writers, but none of their works. I can't stress enough how much we STILL need to widen the cannon to let in authors that are not white, middle class, Christian men! That's part of the reason why I am so excited about this event. Women had to be twice as good as men to get any literary respect and if they did get it, it was more-than-likely because they published under a male or gender neutral pseudonym.

I have a post planned all about the forgotten women of American Lit, which I wrote a paper on earlier in the semester and really enjoyed researching for. I'll be working on re-tuning the paper soon, so I will be sharing the post soon as well.

Let me know what you have posted for the Women's Event, or if you have read any great posts for it lately!

  

Weekly Wrap-Up: Another Two Weeks in One

What's New:
It seems like I have been busy lately, but with what I'm not sure. It just seems that every time I look at the clock it's 11 pm and I'm too tired to write up a post, so I haven't been posting as much in the past two weeks, but the small break has been nice. I'm hoping to be productive in the homework department this weekend, but that's my hope for every weekend and it doesn't usually go as planned. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break, but not all of the homework I've been saying, "Eh, I'll do it over break" to. The end of the semester is creeping up fast and that means lots of final papers and projects. But enough rambling about school, on to what I've read and posted!

What I Read:
Since my last wrap-up I have finished The Lamplighter by Maria Susana Cummings which I will be reviewing soon as part of my Classics Club Women's Lit Event post series (you can see what I've already posted and find more info about the event here.) I also finished The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (review linked below) which I loved! I have since started the second book in the series, The Dream Thieves and I'm hoping to really dive in and finish it this weekend.

 


What I Bought:

What I Posted:

Monday- Poetry spotlight on Anne Bradstreet  as part of my Classics Club Women's Event
Tuesday- Ten Book Adaptations I Want to See
Wednesday- I reviewed The Raven Boys

Monday-  I discussed Half the Sky which I read for my women's history class
Tuesday- I shared Ten Quotes I've Highlighted Recently 
Wednesday- I talked about why you should watch The Bletchly Circle (it's because of the kick-ass all female lead)

My Last Wrap- Up (See what had me reinspired) 

What's Next:
Hopefully I can get a few posts wrote up this weekend! I'm having a hard time deciding which book to pick up over Thanksgiving Break and it's consuming most of my bookish mind! I'm hoping to get a review up this week and beyond that I don't know. I'm looking forward to winter break which is coming up in a few weeks so I have more time and energy for reading and blogging!

What's new with you guys? Hope you have a great Thanksgiving if you're in the States!

Stacking the Shelves Hosted by: Tynga's Reviews
The Sunday Post Hosted by: Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Recently Watched:The Bletchley Circle

Previous Recently Watched:

Tess of the D'urbervilles

Death Comes to Pemberly

Emma

Air Date: 2012

PBS

Season 1: Three forty-four minute episodes

Season 2: Four forty minute episodes 

Starring: Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachel Sterling, Julie Graham, and Sophie Rundle

The Bletchley Circle has been on my Netflix list forever and my mom and I finally got around to binge watching it last weekend. We watched season one in a day and season two the next day, because it was that good. 

The four women in this show worked together at Bletchley during WWII decoding Nazi messages for Britain. They are all incredibly smart, but now that the war is done, their intelligence is no longer required by the state, and they have had to settle into normal lives in the fifties. One day, one of the women, Susan, (Anna Maxwell Martin) believes she has noticed a pattern in a serial killers killings and goes to the police with her information. When the police don't take her seriously, she enlists the help of her friends from the war to solve the case on her own. 

WWII is a really fascinating setting to me, especially in Britain as their experience was so different from America's. I also really loved the all female leads in this show and how fricking smart they were! One of the girls, Lucy the youngest, has a photographic memory and can remember everything she sees or reads and that was a really cool addition to the crime solving dynamic. The actresses are great; I'm really becoming a fan of Anna Maxwell Martin and would love to see her in more things. The mysteries and action were suspenseful and extremely clever. 

I really enjoyed this series and can even see myself rewatching it in the future. I'm pretty sure the show will not have a third season, which I'm pretty bummed about, but I highly recommend watching this series. It's so good.  

It's also made me super interested in reading some non-fiction about women in the war, so let me know if you have any recommendations. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Quotes I've Highlighted Recently

I am a quote collector. I always find myself connecting to a a small passage or quote within whatever I'm reading, but I'm not very organized with the way that I keep them or mark them, so this post has been a little difficult to put together. Plus, most of the books I have read lately are at my parents house and I am currently writing this at my apartment, so I may have to do another version of this soon.

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

1. "The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!"
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 

2. "There's glory and honor in being chosen, but there's not much room for free will."
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

3.  "It's like being in love, discovering your best friend"
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 

4. "There is some awe mixed with the joy of our surprise, when this poet, who lived in some past world, two or three hundred years ago, says that which lies close to my own soul, that which I also had wellnigh thought and said."
The American Scholar by Ralph Waldo Emerson 

5. Every day you fill him up with soul-stuff, like a pitcher.
Lesbos by Sylvia Plath from Ariel and Other Poems 

6. "Out of the ash
 I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air. 
Lady Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath, found in Ariel and Other Poems

7.  "The Sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet."
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson 

8. "To name her is to sink her" he told me. That which we name takes greater weight than the sea it displaces. Ask any shipwreck" 
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
1 A.M. Post Inspired by this quote 

9. "My words are unerring tools of destruction, and I’ve come 
unequipped with the ability to disarm them." 
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

10. "Gansey had once told Adam that he was afraid most people didn't know how to handle Ronan. What he meant by this was that he was worried that one day someone would fall on Ronan and cut themselves."
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Leave me your link below! I would love to read your quotes this week!
And for more quotes, check out this previous list of ten quotes I love

Recently Read: Half the Sky

Author: Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Genre: Non-fiction/ Women's Studies
Publication Date: 2009
Page Count: 280
Rating: 4/5

Kristof and WuDunn are the first married couple to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism, and their latest work is an honest and inspiring look at the oppression that women face around the world. They have traveled the world and delivered the horrifying truth about what it means to be a woman around the world. 

I read this book along with Aman: The Story of a Somalian Girl, for my Women's History class and I have enjoyed them both. This is quiet a harrowing and depressing read at times, but the horrifying facts are balanced with stories of such strength and resilience. Women are amazing and so strong, and this book highlights the very best that they are capable of. 

This novel also spent a lot of time discussing what we can do to put women in a better position. It offers many solutions for the problems women face as well as examining the cause of the problems. It's a great resource for organizations that are dedicated to helping women, many of them started and ran by women as well. As you may know, I am going to school to become a teacher, and this novel did a really great job of explaining the importance of educating women and the opportunities that will open up for them and the rest of the world. 

I have really learned a lot about my place in the world this semester and what it means to be privileged and how that manifests itself in my life and the world in general. I have always known that I have had so much to be thankful for in my life, but as I examine things like education, the place of women in the world, and literacy in school this semester, I have not only come to realize my privilege but recognize that I want to use it for good. I'm really eager to look into the organizations listed in this book as they do really great things for women. 

I'm interested in reading some more non-fiction, so leave me your recommendations!    

Recently Read: The Raven Boys

Author:Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult- Paranormal/Fantasy/Supernatural
Status: First in The Raven Cycle Quartet 
Publication Date: 2012
Page Count: 408
Rating: 5/5

Blue grew up in a house full of physics; she has been around the paranormal and magic her whole life, but she's not a physic herself. One day a group of rich boys from the private school wander into her home for a reading, and Blue gets tangled up in their search for magic and their fate.

I have been meaning to get to this book for ages now, and I'm so glad I finally did! It was just as good as I expected it to be. The characters are fun and developed, and the magic and paranormal elements are a lot of fun. After I finished this book. I actually dreamt about going to buy the sequel, so needless to say I'm eager to pick up the rest of the series.  

One thing I loved about this book was how present the idea of fate was. I am a huge sucker for anything that explores the idea of fate and how the universe organizes itself, and everything in this novel intertwines so perfectly that it's impossible to not believe in fate while you are reading it. The paranormal and other-wordily atmosphere of the novel and the characters goes along perfectly with the idea of fate. I have always tended to believe in the slightly paranormal like energy, tarot cards, psychics (to some degree), but most of all fate.

The characters are really fun. They're a bit, for lack of a better word, expected, they fit into the usual archetypes for YA characters, but I think they have a lot of potential to get more developed and deeper, and even if they aren't ground breaking, they're just plain fun! Gansey is of course impossible to hate, and Adam is too sweet to handle. I loved the cast of characters that lived with Blue and her mother, and I really hope they continue to play a large role in the series. I loved the idea of a house full of powerful women.

This book was a lot of fun, and kept me up too late reading (I love when books do that.) I'm seriously chomping at the bit to get the next two books that are out, and I'm not looking forward to waiting for book four!

If you haven't picked this one up yet, please do. It's fantastic. Also, leave me your recommendations of books that deal with fate. If you like fate too, please check out Marcus Sedgwick- he's one of my favorite authors.

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Adaptations I Want to Watch (after I read the book of course)

Is it just me or is literally every book optioned for or in the works of an adaptation? I'm not really all that excited about a lot of them, but here's a mix of adaptions that are already out and that are coming out that I would like to see.

Ideally, I would love to read the books of all of these first. I have already read a few, but most of them I have not read yet. It's a running joke in my family that I'm impossible to watch a movie with because on family movie nights I'm also saying no to the suggestions because, "I want to read the book first." But hey, the book is always better! 

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

 

1. North and South BBC Mini-Series 2004--Trailer

I have heard so many good thing about this mini-series, plus everything the BBC puts out is pure gold.

2. Sense and Sensibility 1995-- Trailer

I just finished the book, and was so excited to finally watch this, only to discover that Netflix had taken it off! Now I need to hunt it down.

3. Mockingjay Part Two 2015-- Trailer 

duh!

 

4. The Danish Girl 2015-- Trailer

I really love Eddie Redmayne, his freckles are too cute. I don't know a lot about this story, but both the book and the movie intrigue me.

5. Far From the Madding Crowd 2015-- Trailer

I have to read the book first (story of my life) but I'm really looking forward to this adaptation of Hardy's novel.

6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2016 
Again, duh!

 

7. Rosemary's Baby 1968--Trailer

I really should have watched this one last month, but oh well! I will get to it sooner or later (probably later.)

8. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies 2016--Trailer 

I don't know guys, this one looks kinda entertaining!

9. Call the Midwife 2012-- Trailer

This has been on my list forever! I'm really hoping to start it soon.

10. The English Patient 1996-- Trailer
Everyone loves this film, but I have to be in the right mood to enjoy dramatic and tragic love stories, so when that mood hits, this will be the first movie I watch!

Here's some adaptions that I recommend

Emma

Death Comes to Pemberly

Tess of the D'uerbervilles

Which Adaptation is Right for You? Pride and Prejudice 

Which Adaptation is Right for You? Romeo and Juliet 

Which Adaptation is Right for you? Jane Eyre 

Poetry Spotlight: Anne Bradstreet-- Classics Club Women's Literature

In my second year of college I took an Introduction to Poetry class and I fell in love with reading poetry. Before then, poetry was always a little intimidating and a medium that I didn't have much experience with. But after that class, I became addicted to reading poetry, and during the class I actually found myself thinking in and expressing myself in poetry- which I never would have guessed would happen in a million years. So, with this series I'm here to share some of my favorite poems in a way that I'm sure will turn out rambley and unorganized.

See my previous Poetry Spotlight posts HERE

Today, I'm spotlighting Anne Bradstreet, an early Colonial- American poet. 

Anne Bradstreet was born into a prominent Puritan family in 1612, which migrated from England to Massachusetts Bay in 1630. Her father would become governor of the colony, and years later her husband Simon Bradstreet and her brother Joseph would become governor as well. Anne was given the typical education of an aristocratic family, and was educated in the bible, literature, and languages. She was eighteen and two years married when she came to the colonies. She and her husband enjoyed a loving marriage and had eight children. Simon Bradstreet recognized and encouraged his wife's talents, and she wrote poetry that was published for the elite classes in the colonies and England. 

Bradstreet's poetry was published with slight political intentions by her brother-in-law to promote the necessity of continuing the Massachusetts colonies with the intentions of converting Native Americans. The poetry that was published publicly was religious and prestigious, but Bradstreet is now known for her private poetry that was not published during her lifetime and was addressed to her friends and family, particularly her husband. 

Bradstreet is often referred to as and considered to be the first American poet, and was very well-known and praised for her poetry during her lifetime.  

Poems 

Click the poem title to read it

The Author to Her Book: Perhaps Bradstreet's most well-known and anthologized poem, this poem discusses the love and frustration between an author and their creation. The metaphor of the book as a child works really well in this poem, and the idea of seeing all the flaws in something you have finished or turned over for public view is extremely realtable.  

Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666: The religious themes and influence is very clear in this poem. The poem presents the idea of the needlessness of earthly possessions and homes, because the speaker feels their real home will be in Heaven with God after they have died. It's quite a beautifully written poem, with a hint of emotion.  

Before the Birth of One of Her Children: This poem is Bradstreet's musings on death and a message to her loved ones if she should die during the birth of one of her children. Bradstreet's worries are very clear in this poem, and to see worries of death converted into art is quite a lovely thing.

To My Dear and Loving Husband: This poem is quite romantic and personal, and something that would have only been published after Bradstreet's death. It's a great example of a poem about devoted love, and quite lovely to read. 

Who are some of your favorite poets or poems? I'm also eager to discover new favorites. 

You can see the rest of my posts for the Classics Club Women's Literature Event HERE!    

   

Weekly Wrap-Up: Feeling Re-Inspired

What's New:
This past weekend I attended the annual Michigan Council of Teachers of English conference for the second year in a row. This event always comes at the perfect time- right after registration for Spring semester. This means it's right after mid-terms, the stress of making a new schedule, seeing how many classes I have before I can get my degree and feeling like I will never graduate, and it's the perfect way for me to be re-inspired and reassure myself that I am getting into the right career for me. English teachers (and teachers in general) are truly special people, and deserve so much more praise and recognition than they often get.

School has also slowed down a bit in the past week, so I found a little time for reading and watching Netflix, which was heaven after the last two weeks. I'm hoping to do lots of reading this weekend and get some posts done that have just been sitting in my brain for a while.

What I Read:
I finished (and really enjoyed) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and continued on with The Raven Boys by Maggie Stievater. I'm so close to finishing the mammoth that is The Lamplighter by Maira Susana Cummings for my American Lit. class, so hopefully I can get that done within the next week.

I'm still reading The Raven Boys, which has really picked up now so I think I will wiz through the rest of it, and I have started Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl. 

What I Bought:
I saw the illustrated Harry Potter in person for the first time today and couldn't leave the store without it. My mom won't be happy to hear that I have bought something off of my Christmas list, but I couldn't leave it.

What I Posted:
Monday- I posted my most recent Just Added post. My TBR is getting out of control!
Tuesday- Top Ten Tuesday was all about Debut Authors and Books
Wednesday- I reviewed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Thursday- I spotlighted some books on my TBR at my Apartment 

Last Week's Wrap-Up (I'm a survivor)

What's Next: 
I'm hoping to write up some posts this weekend, but I'm not sure what yet. But look out for lots of Girl Power posts for the Classics Club Women's Literature Event, because I have lots of posts I want to get out.

Stacking the Shelves Hosted by: Tynga's Reviews
The Sunday Post Hosted by: Caffeinated Book Reviewer

What gets you re-inspired when you're feeling blah about blogging, reading, creating art, or just life in general? I'd love to hear about it.

On My TBR (4): Apartment Edition

I have done three previous versions of this post (linked below) but they were all with books from my TBR at my parents house. Now that I'm back at my apartment I have a whole new set of unread books at my disposal.

On My TBR (3)
On My TBR (2)
On My TBR (1)

On my TBR I have a book that is... 

Adult Fiction:

Middle Grade Historical Fiction:

A Short Story Collection:

A Retelling: 

By a Favorite Author: