March Book Haul! (And a cry for science fiction recommendations)

The end of February was my birthday, and my parents bought me a few books, and I received some bookstore gift-cards as a gift, so March was a good month for new books! Here's a quick look at what's new to my shelves this month.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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

Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Poems by Maya Angelou

I've been craving science fiction and fantasy reads lately, and science fiction is not a genre that I have a lot of experience with. I decided to use my gift-cards to buy Chambers' novel since I have been hearing really great things about that series, and I LOVED the movie version of Vandermeer's Annihilation so I thought those two would be an okay place to start with science fiction. If you have any recommendations for me, please let me know!  

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

Right now, I'm in a HUGE science fiction and fantasy mood, which you will see reflected in this list of books I really want to get to this spring. I've been craving to sit down with a long and super involved fantasy: problem is, work is taking up all my reading time and energy. Hopefully I'll find some time to dive into a few of the selections from this list during the season. Let me know where I should start! All titles link to Goodreads! 

Hosted by:That Artsy Girl Reader

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 

And I Darken, Kiersten White

Queen of Shadows, Sarah J. Maas

(Need to reread Heir of Fire before diving into this one)

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer

(Loved the movie, now I want to read the series)

Binti, Nnedi Okorafor

(Will be reading this one very soon)

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza, Shaun David Huthinson

Undead Girl Gang, Lily Anderson

(High hopes for this one) 

Alice and the Fly, James Rice

I will be a happy camper if I manage to make it through some of these reads this spring! What are you looking forward to reading this spring? Any good sci-fi or fantasy recommendations? 

My Library Holds List

I've been trying to cut down on my book buying this year, as I am running out of shelf space for my physical TBR at the moment. It really stresses me out to see a jam-packed shelf of  books that I have owned for various amounts of time that are still unread, so I've been trying not to add to it. I have of course bought some books this year,  but I have been using the library a ton in the past two months. One thing I like about placing holds on books from the library is that you're on the list to get the book, but if there are people in front of you, you don't get it right away. That means that in the mean time I can read the books I own and it really is the best of both worlds. Here's a look at what I have a hold on at the moment in both physical and ebook format from my library.

Everything I have read by Maureen Johnson has made me crack up, so I really want to read her new release. She's great at mystery and humor, and since this is a mystery, I think I'll really enjoy it. 

This sci-fi novella is a bit different from what I would normally pick up, but I've heard great things about this series, and I have been interested in science fiction lately. I've got a long list of books I want to read in this genre, and I think this will be a good starting place. 

What really drew me to this nonfiction account of Mary Shelley's life and her creation of Frankenstein was that it is illustrated. I love Frankenstein; I think it is one of the best novels ever written, and I really want to learn more about Shelley. I have a longer biography of her and her mother on my shelves already (Romantic Outlaws), but I think this shorter one will be a nice introduction. 

Ever since reading Women in Science, I have been wanting to read all of the anthologies about historical women! They are so expensive though, so I am loving getting them from the library and then deciding which ones I want to buy in the future. This one looks like it has beautiful illustrations, which is something on my priority list for books like this. 

This is a similar anthology, but I have heard some mixed things about this one, so I wanted to check it out from the library and get in on the controversy. This one has become very popular, which is why I was surprised to see the controversy around it. I don't think this is the best anthology out there, but I want to check it out.

Recently Read: A Wrinkle in Time

Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Genre: Children's Classic/Science Fiction
Page Count: 256
Publication Date: 1963
Rating: 4/5

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Meg's scientist father has been missing for years and no one will tell her family where he is. She's having trouble fitting in at school and misses her father. When a stranger shows up at her house and  claims to know where her father is, Meg, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and a boy from school named Calvin go on a journey through time and space to save him.

I never read this as a child, and with the Disney adaptation coming out in March, I knew I needed to pick this up. The adaptation looks brilliant, and I have very high hopes for it. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this book as I know it is well beloved, but also aimed at young readers and was written in the 1960s. I sometimes have issues with older books aimed at children because they can sometimes seem too simple or dumbed-down compared with the children's books of today. That was not the case with this book.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. I was pulled in right away by Meg and the three Mrs. characters. The writing was good and the plot and concepts totally unique. I knew absolutely nothing about this book (in fact I kept waiting for them to ride a big furry creature before realizing that I was thinking of The Never Ending Story) so I truly got to experience the story for the first time, and as an adult, loved it.  

I really liked the science fiction elements of this story as they were based in reality and L'Engle doesn't shy away from including real science in the book. The concept of wrinkling time is so poetic and a great analogy and mental image. The themes running through this novel are both obvious and subtle and for readers of all ages, as there is much to examine under the surface of this novel. I think this book would have been so unique and outstanding in its time of publication, but I also think it stands the test of time as a story that will fascinate young readers and inspire nostalgia in older readers for years to come. 

I am really looking forward to seeing this novel visually, as its world is so interesting and has the potential to be so beautiful. I really like the casting for the movie as well. On a side note: the inclusion of a few references to  religion has me interested in researching the motif of religion in children's sci-fi and fantasy novels. If you have examples of novels besides this one and Narnia with religious references or themes, let me know! 

If you haven't read this one yet, I really recommend you do before the film comes out. It's a quick, light-hearted adventure through time and space. What more could you want in a children's book? 

Recently Read: Weave a Circle Around

Author: Kari Maaren
Genre: Young Adult- Science Fiction/Fantasy
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 336
Rating: 3/5

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Freddy lives with her younger sister, her deaf step-brother, her step-father, and her mother. She can't seem to get along with her step-brother Roland, who has bounded with her sister Mel over role-playing games, and her step-dad and mother are never around. Freddy feels out of place at home and at school. When new neighbors move into the often-vacant house next door, Freddy quickly discovers they are not who, or even what, they claim to be. 

I'm pretty sure I saw this book on a list of books recommended to fans of Stranger Things right after I finished season two. And since I, like the rest of the world, am a HUGE fan of Stranger Things I decided to check this one out. 

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed and parts that I felt underwhelmed by. I really liked the concept, and the supernatural elements were really unique. The neighbors, Josiah and Cuerva Lachance were unlike any supernatural force I have encountered before, and I'm always interested by time travel in a plot. Even with these super cool individual elements, there was something missing. The characters fell a bit flat for me, and the time travel section of the novel was a bit too scattered and didn't add enough to the overall plot. The mystery of the novel was interesting enough to keep me reading in order to unravel it, but once it was unraveled it was a bit underwhelming. 

The end of the novel was also a little scattered and there was a couple of events that I didn't entirely understand how they were resolved. I know that the supernatural is not always meant to be understood, but I don't think that was what was going on here. 

One element of the novel that I really enjoyed was its connection to the Coleridge poem "Kubla Khan." I'm a sucker for contemporary fiction, particularly YA, that aligns itself with or references a classic work, and this one did it really well. "Kubla Khan" is a heck of a roller coaster ride, and it served its purpose very well in this novel. I thought that was a really clever addition. 

Overall, this was a super quick read and a pretty unique plot. I'm glad I picked this one up from the library, as it was entertaining and pretty light-hearted. I've really been in the mood for sci-fi and historical fiction lately, and this one kind of checked both boxes. If you like supernatural/sci-fi reads, I would give this one a try!  

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall TBR

I'm not sure how much reading I will be getting done this fall as I have just started teaching. I am writing up this post quite far in advance, so I have no idea how much reading current me is doing! Here's some books that I would like to curl up with this fall. You'll notice I crave historical fiction and mysteries in the fall and winter seasons!
Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling 
I have been working my way through this series, and this is the next in line. I really want to dive into this one and continue with this reread, but the size mixed with my limited reading time is making me hesitant. I might find myself diving into this comfort read in the midst of things anyways.

2. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, Stephanie Barron
Fall is the perfect time to read mysteries! I have been wanting to dig into this series where Jane Austen solves mysteries for a while because it sounds so cute! I think fall will be the perfect time to start this series.

3. More than This, Patrick Ness
This book has been calling my name from my shelf for a long time.

 

4. A Tyranny of Petticoats, Jessica Spotswood
I really think I will love this collection, but for whatever reason, I haven't dug into it yet. With a second volume coming out next year, I really want to get into this one!

5. Sleeping Giants, Sylvain Neuvel  
This book is number one on my buy list right now! I've heard that this is a decent start to the series but that the second one is better and I really want to dig in! I've really been craving some quality science fiction lately.

6. The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue, Mackenzi Lee
I've been hearing lots of great things about this one, and I love the sound of the premise. I really want to pick this one up and dig in!

7. Dust Tracks on a Road, Zora Neal Hurston
I've been loading up my TBR with feminist nonfiction, and this is one I want to get to very soon!

8. Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters 
I loved Water's Fingersmith so I'm eager to read more from her. Her books always have a mysterious element to them, and a great historical atmosphere, which screams fall to me.

9. Other Voices, Other Rooms, Truman Capote 
I've been meaning to read more of Capote's fiction since I have only read his short stories. I think this novel will be perfect for fall as it sounds a bit creepy and strange.

10.  All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doer
Another book that has been on my TBR forever and would be perfect for the fall weather! 

Recently Read: All the Birds in the Sky

Author: Charlie Jane Anders
Genre: Science Fiction/Magical Realism
Publication Date: 2016
Page Count: 316
Rating: 3/5

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Patricia is a witch. Laurence is a science genius. They both are outcasts. Patricia and Laurence find each other and lose each other over their journeys of magic and science and change the world. This novel is genre-defying and thought provoking.

This novel was really hard for me to rate because I had such a strange reaction to the end. I finished this novel, which deals with the possible end of the world, the same day that the military coup in Turkey happened and felt really shaken. I think the timing of me reading this one really affected my thoughts about it. I thought the ending was good, it was pretty emotional on its own, but it was not without light and hope. I just felt so weird reading about the possible end of the world when I read about awful world-altering events everyday. Seeing such a clear reflection of violence and fear in the fiction I was reading and the real life news I was reading was an odd experience. Now, I know that we did not face a possible end of the world, but some days it doesn't feel too far off from it. And for those directly affected by that specific event, it could feel much more like the actual end of the world.

Anyways, that's enough of a glimpse of what my head-space is like at the moment. On to the book... 

Besides all that, I really liked the way that this novel played with the idea of magic vs. science and how they help and hinder each other. I really liked the characters and found the magical realism elements to be really well done and interesting. One word of caution: if you read this book, you must accept that you will be confused at some points. The story is not quite linear and some concepts that exist in this world and not in ours, must just be accepted as they are with no real explanation. I was never too confused and never felt like giving up because of it, but I did have to accept that I would not understand everything as it was presented to me and had to be patient in order to understand. 

I loved how the science fiction and magical realism elements blended together seamlessly in this novel and thought Anders did a great job of building a beautiful and fragile world that was all too real. I would definitely recommend checking this one out, especially if you are looking for something unique and out of the ordinary. There is so much depth and humanity in this small book, I just wish there was a bit more of the world. Some concepts could have been further explained or explored, but I also enjoyed figuring out the concepts on my own. 

If you have read this one, I would love to hear your thoughts on it!

Recently Read: Illuminae

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Genre: Young Adult- Science Fiction
Publication Date: 2015
Page Count: 599
Rating: 4/5

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You may also be interested in:
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner review
Theme Spotlight: Books with a Unique Form

Kady Grant's planet has just been invaded. Kady Grant has also just broken up with her boyfriend hours before her planet is invaded. Now Kady's whole life is turned upside down as she and other civilians must flee for their lives from their attackers and find out who their real enemies are. 

This is such a cool book. I'm sure you have seen pictures of the inside of the book and how it is told through a series of documents, instant messages, maps, surveillance video summaries, and more. The structural concept of this book is what really pulled me in, as this is not something I would have normally picked up as I don't read a lot of science fiction. I love books with unique formats because they create such a unique reading experience. This book really sucked me in and the multiple forms that the story was told through kept the pace super quick. I loved the art pieces in this novel and the poetry in the writing and physical layout of the words at times. I loved seeing the story from all angles because of the multiple points of view and organizing the information right alongside Kady.

This book actually reminded me quite a bit of The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I agree, their plots have nothing in common on the surface level, but thematic wise they certainly do. In both novels, the resilience and strength of humanity is examined and admired by a non-human entity.  I think this is a great way to examine this theme and I really like how both novels do it. If you liked Death's narration and wonder at humanity, you will enjoy ADIAN who is an artificial intelligence program. I enjoyed Kady as a character, she's a teenage, female computer hacking genius, and I'm happy that she will be returning for the sequel- which already has a name and gorgeous matching cover I suggest you check out.   

I did feel that this started to drag on a bit in the middle, which keeps me from giving it five stars, but the format made it easy for me to stay engaged and interested in the story. I highly recommend at least flipping through this book in the bookstore if you don't intend to read it, because it is such a cool format concept and something that really highlights the advantages of a physical book over other formats. 

 I'll be checking out the next two books in this trilogy as soon as they are released, and I will also be looking into more of Jay Kristoff's works, so let me know if you have recommendations for me. I'm also interested to hear your recommendations of books with a unique format. 

P.S. This is my 500th post on the blog! :) Thanks for reading guys

Recently Read: East of West vol 1 & vol 2

Volume 1: The Promise 
Author: Jonathon Hickman, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Rus Wooton
Genre: Graphic Novel/ Science Fiction
Publication Date: 2013
Page Count: 128
Rating: 3/5

I've seen this graphic novel series around Booktube quite a bit, and when I saw my local library had the first two volumes on their shelves, I decided to pick them up while I was home on break. I had no real idea of what this series was about, so I went in totally blind.

The art is gorgeous, and I love the presentation of the novel. The first volume was pretty confusing. You figure out some things as you go, but at the end of the volume I was still left more confused than not, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After finishing it, I was eager to pick up volume two to see if my questions got answered.

So from what I can gather from the first volume, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are reborn every generation in an AU where the American Civil War was really long and involved Native Americans. Someone has called the horsemen and is attempting to bring about the end of the world before it's meant to happen. So I am both intrigued and confused.  
This series would make a really great action movie, as that it is how it played out in my head as I was watching it. I will say, it is pretty violent, so if that thing bothers you, this might be one to skip. I'm usually not too big on the violence in movies, but I could handle this one just fine.


Volume 2: We Are All One
Rating: 3/5

I enjoyed the second volume just as much as the first, maybe even a little more. This volume gives some more background information about the world and the characters, and I like that information is revealed as you go instead of in big info dumps. The plot continued to pick up, and I am eager to see where it goes next.

This isn't a "usual" piece of reading for me, and I think that is part of the reason I am enjoying it so much. I like that this is different, and the world is so complex. This story is very well suited for the graphic novel style, and I think the visuals accompany the story perfectly. The world is very complex and involved and I'm definitely going to continue on with this series.

Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Releases on my Radar

I've spent a lot of time on Goodreads browsing the 2016 releases lately, and I've come across quite a few that I'm excited for. I left off some of the more obvious sequels and novels like The Raven King, The Winners Kiss, and Truthwitch in order to highlight other releases, but I'm excited for them too of course. Leave me your link below so I can check out your list and expand my 2016 releases TBR!
Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

Book Titles Link to Goodreads

 

1. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi  
Release Date: May 3rd
I'm really loving how YA fantasy has been taking inspiration from non-western cultures and traditions lately.

2. A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood  
Release Date: March 8th  
This sounds like an amazing collection of historical fiction, girl-power short stories! I love a lot of the authors in this collection, and I have high hopes for this one.

3. The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude
Release Date: May 3rd 
This one sounds like a creepy thriller about small town life and more importantly, look at this cover!

4. The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters
Release Date: March 8th
Cat Winters is doing a retelling of Hamlet in 1902 Oregon featuring the Ku Klux Klan?! Sign me up.

5. All The Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Release Date: January 26th
This one sounds really interesting, and possibly a bit complicated. It's got elements of romance, time travel, and magic so you can't go wrong.

6. The Sleeping Prince byMelinda Salsibury 
Release Date: April 26th
The first book in this series was intriguing, but left a lot of things unanswered. After reading the synopsis for this one, it looks like this book is about different characters. I'm confused, yet also interested. And I know people think the cover is beautiful, but I find the prince to be a bit creepy.

7. Heir to the Sky by Amanda Sun
Release Date: April 26th  
This premise has got me really intrigued! It sounds like a cool mix of sci-fi and fantasy
 

 

8. The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman 
Release Date: January 26th 
I'm up for any and all historical fiction with fantasy elements.

9. This Savage Song, by Victoria Swab 
Release Date: June 7th
Swab has quite the reputation and I have yet to read many of her works. This one sounds action packed.

10. Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Banderia 
Release Date: January 12th 
This isn't something I would normally pick up, but it looks fluffy and light, which I do get in the mood for every once and a while. 

Book Recommendations For Boys (From a Boy)

I have a brother, who is four years younger than me (and is a total genius, like he has been at a college reading level since he was in third grade) and enjoys reading. He doesn't read as much as I do by any means, but I am always pushing books his way after I finish them, or he is asking me if such-and-such book is good. And once he picks up a book, he doesn't put it down until he finishes it. So here is a list of books that my teenage brother enjoyed, and that the stubborn (or frequent) teenage male readers in your life might enjoy.


The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Adam Douglas

This book (and the rest of the series, although this is his favorite of the series) makes my brother laugh out loud! He always talks about it and quotes it, and he made me read it a few years ago, but it just wasn't my sense of humor. He loves it though- it's one of his all-time favorite books. 

Winger, Andrew Smith

Review

This is one of the books I read, and then put on his shelf because I knew he would love it. Smith does a really great job at capturing the inside of a teenage boy's mind. He really enjoyed this one, and is looking forward to the sequel Stand Off. 

Grasshopper Jungle, Andrew Smith 

Review

He read this one after Winger and enjoyed it even more so possibly. I also enjoyed this one, even though it was on of the weirdest things I have ever read. I'm not sure what would interest teenage boys more than a horde of man eating praying mantis that are only interested in breeding and eating.   

Watchmen, Alan Moore

Graphic novels have been his most recent form of reading, and this one is the latest he has read and loved. I know he loved it because he wants me to read it, but he can't stop talking about it and giving away plot points while he is waiting for me to read it. 

And some books on his TBR:

V for Vendetta, Alan Moore

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl, Jesse Andrews

American Sniper, Chris Kyle 

What books have the boys in your life loved? What books do you find that every reader loves?