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? 

Women's History Month:Classic Reading Recommendations

Happy Women's History Month! It's taken me longer than I would have wished to be able to put some posts together about this event because work got in the way, but I'm here now! If you have visited before, you would know that literature and feminism are two of my favorite things, so I love posting about Women's History Month. I thought I would start out with a few reading recommendations in case you are looking for a way to celebrate.

As I was putting this general recommendations list together, I realized I had too many recommendations for one post, so I have decided to split it up between genres. Stay tuned for the nonfiction and Young Adult recommendation lists!

Titles Link to my reviews 

A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf

This is a great place to dive in to both Woolf and feminist nonfiction if you are looking for a jumping in spot. Although this was written about ninety years ago, it still rings very true and is very accessible for the modern reader. If you have an interest in feminist literature, this is a must read. 

The Awaking and Other Stories, Kate Chopin

Chopin is the ultimate feminist author. The Awaking is a feminist manifesto for women in every century. Chopin is clever and talented but also fearless with her heavy feminist themes in a time where they were even less accepted than today. 

 Ariel and Other Poems, Sylvia Plath

Plath is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I am constantly in awe of the power her words posses. Her poetry leaves me speechless, and every time I read a poem of hers, I find something new to admire or ponder, which is really saying something, because I have read some of her poems countless times. Plath with always be one of the most talented poets that literature has ever seen in my eyes. 

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

This novel is a true masterpiece. I thought I would enjoy it when I picked it up, but I didn't know I would be awed by its beauty and power and go on to spend a semester completing two different projects on it. The genre of science fiction was created by a teenage girl, and I really don't think that is a sentence that is said enough. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is my ultimate inspirational woman. I love all of her works and various talents and forms of activism. I have been making my way through her autobiographies and loving each and every one, but her first memoir is my favorite. This book made me laugh and cry and I was completely consumed by Angelou's written voice, and verbal voice, as I listened to this on audio. This book is fantastic and should be read by all.  

Memoirs of a Beatnik, Diane di Prima

I really enjoyed researching this book after I finished it. This novel's history is so much more interesting than the actual novel itself. This is not di Prima's real memoir, as the publishers were not interested in publishing the true story of a female Beatnik poet, but a fictionalized memoir that di Prima wrote to sell to the publishers to fund her poetry projects. I loved reviewing this one and talking about the story of how it came to be, and the reception of the novel. I've got my eyes on di Prima's actual memoir, as I think her life is super interesting. 

The Lamplighter, Maria Cummins

This novel was wildly popular in its time, but is now mostly forgotten. It is a long Victorian novel written by a female author about a female main character. It follows the main character all through out her life (Jane Eyre style) and is a classic example of the domestic novels that allowed women an opportunity to earn their own income in the mid 1800s. For more information on this time period of "scribbling women" check out this post on forgotten American women writers. 

Emma, Jane Austen

 I couldn't make this list without including my favorite Austen novel! This novel is so funny, and all of Austen's works are so timeless. Emma is so irritating yet redeemable and really pushes the boundaries set on Georgian women. All of the Austen's works I have read so far are great, but this is by-far my favorite.  

This is just a small collection of recommended reading; this list could be pages and pages long. For more recommendations see my Women Writer's List for reviews of books I have read, and authors I want to read. 

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.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Made a Romance Skeptic Swoon

I am not the biggest fan of romance as it's portrayed in books and movies. I find myself rolling my eyes at a lot of things classified as romantic, both in real life and in books and movies, but there are some portrayals of romance that I will grudgingly admit make me swoon. Here's ten of my favorite book romances (some go way back to my teenage years) that I got embarrassingly caught up in. 

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

 

1. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Like every teenage girl, I loved Sarah Dessen. This was the first book of hers that I read and I remember being so in love with the romance, and the male interest, Wes, specifically. The fact that I can even remember his name after all these years proves how much I loved him.

2. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares 

These books were so important to me as a teen, and I loved them so fiercely. The romances were so amazing for teenage me, and I remember going through a roller-coaster of emotions for Bridget's and Lena's romances specifically. I was so heartbroken over the book three events concerning Lena and Kostos. 

3. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

This is still the saddest book I have ever read, and my teenage self was so enthralled by this romance. I felt so grown-up reading it and felt every emotion so deeply. The movie version is NOTHING compared to the novel, and I still really recommend this one. 

 

4. Persuasion by Jane Austen

This is my favorite romance out of the Austen's I have read so far. Anne and Captain Wentworth's romance was so agonizing and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to communicate their feelings to one another, even though I knew how the story would ultimately end. That deceleration of love!- The best I've ever read.  

5. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 

I was so giddy over this romance! I had a huge smile on my face for the whole novel and I can't wait to see this one played out on film! This story is so well-done and so much fun. 

6. The Diary of Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy Forever! These books are so funny and Bridget is so real and endearing. The movies are some of my favorites too. Even though they are completely different from the novels, both stories are brilliant. 

 

7. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater 

I don't want to spoil anything just in case you haven't gotten to these books yet, but a romance between two main characters in this novel is so swoon worthy. I wasn't really impressed by the main romance in the novel, but the side romance had me on the edge of my seat for the whole series. 

8.  Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff

Something about this book really spoke to me. Perhaps it was the magical realism idea of visiting each other in their dreams, but this romance really caught me off guard and I liked this novel so much more than I expected to. 

9. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

I devoured this novel about first love and fate and had butterflies the whole time! This romance was so sweet and nostalgic, but there was a lot more to this book than just the romance which I appreciated. 

10. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Another book that I devoured; I couldn't put this down. I loved the romance in this one so much as well as the other themes that were woven in. This is one I can see myself rereading for ages to come. 

February Reading Plans

I got quite a bit of reading done in January (wrap-up of books and movies coming soon) and I want to keep that momentum going in February. I read a lot of books from the library in January, which is fine, but I really want to focus on reading books I own this month. I've got a stack of books I've been wanting to get to for ages, and now is the time! Here's what I'm hoping to get to this month!

A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle

I have actually never read this one, and I really want to read it before the Disney adaptation comes out! I actually really love the movie-tie-in edition that I picked up. This one should be a quick read, and L'Engle is on my Women Writers List, so I'm eager to read something of hers and cross her off! 

Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood

I picked this one up super cheap ages ago at a library sale, and have been wanting to get to it for ages. The size has always put me off a bit while in school, but now that I'm done with my degree, I'm trying to tackle the big reads I've been putting off. I know I will enjoy this, and the Netflix adaptation is calling my name too! 

My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem 

Steinem is another writer from my list I'm eager to cross off. I actually got this from the library a few months ago and got about fifty pages in before realizing that I needed to buy my own copy of this before I could read it so I could mark and flag passages. I'm really interested in learning more about Steinem and her work. 

The Quiet American, Graham Greene 

Another book that I've been wanting to read for ages! I read Greene's The End of the Affair in 2015 and have been wanting to read more of his works since then. I saw the movie adaptation of this in high school, but don't remember much of the plot. I'm really interested to read this and see how it portrays the Vietnam War and to experience more of Greene's storytelling. 

What are your reading plans for this month? 

Updated Women Writers List TBR

A couple of years ago, I made a list of female authors that I wanted to either read more from or read for the first time. I made some good progress towards the list, but I thought it was time to revamp and expand that list to motivate myself to read some authors I've been wanting to read for AGES. So here is my new list of fifty three women authors I want to read more from or read for the first time. I'll be keeping track of what I read for this list on my blog tab page titled "Women Writers List" as I was for the other one, and of course, I'll be reviewing the books as well. I wanted to mention that this list could have been much longer, but I left it shorter so that I could add to it as I cross authors off. Let me know if I missed any of your favorites so I can add them to the list! I used my physical TBR, my Goodreads TBR, and this list from Jean's Bookish Thoughts blog to make this list.

 

 

Women I want to read more from

1. Sarah Waters

2. Sylvia Plath

3. Jane Austen

4. Chimanda Ngozi Adiche

5. Margaret Atwood

6. Muriel Spark

7. Shirley Jackson

8. Edith Wharton

9. Charlotte Bronte

10. Virginia Woolf

11. Diane di Prima

12. Maya Angelou

13. Mary Shelley

14. George Elliot

15. Louise Erdrich

16. Agatha Christie 

Women I want to read for the first time

17. Gloria Steinem

18. Zora Neal Hurston

19. Angela Carter 

20. Elena Ferante

21. Donna Tart

22. Mary Wollstonecraft

23. Elizabeth Bowen

24. Dorthy Parker

25. Ali Smith

26. Daphe Du Mauier

27. Toni Morrison

28. Anne Bronte

29. Willa Cather

30. Betty Smith

31. Charlotte Perkins Gilman

32. Anne Sexton

33. Alice Walker

34. Zadie Smith

35. Elizabeth Gaskell

36. Angela Davis

37. Audre Lorde

38. bell hooks

39. Carol Ann Duffy

40. Fanny Burney

41. Mary Beard

42. Louisa May Alcott

43. Sappho

44. Rita Mae Brown

45. Carson McCullers

46. Iris Murdoch

47. Jeanette Winterson

48. Rebecca West

49. Madeleine L'Engle

50. L.M. Montgomery

51. Mary Stewart

52. Patricia Highsmith  

TBR Spotlight: Books Set in Africa

In the past year, I have really been loving books set in Africa. This was not a setting that I read a lot of fiction about until I read Paula McLain's Circling the Sun. After reading her beautiful descriptions of the African landscape and being intrigued by the colonial Africa setting, I decided I really wanted to pick up more fiction with an African setting. Here's some of the books set in Africa that are highest on my TBR list.
Book titles link to Goodreads!

Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi

I've heard lots of praise for this one. A generational family saga set on multiple contents sounds like something I need in my life. 

Half of A Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I've heard that this Adichie novel is a bit more intense than her other novels, but I really love her writing and want to read all her works. I have only read one, so really all of her works are on this list. I really love all of the different editions of Adichie's novels, so it will take some searching before I decide which edition of this one I want to pick up. 

Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Another novel with a setting on multiple contents, this has been labeled as Adichie's best work so far. 

Out of Africa, Isak Dinesen 

I've been wanting to read this one after reading so much about Beryl Markham last year. I have never seen the movie (which I hear is quite different) so I can see a back-to-back marathon in my future. 

Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor

I had to stop myself from buying this one in the book store the other day, as it sounds so cool. A magic-school series set in Africa. Yes Please! 

Stay with Me, Ayobami Adebayo

I've heard lots of great things about this one, and it sounds like it has a similar feel to Purple Hibiscus in that it's a character driven family drama. 

Leave me recommendations for your favorite fiction set in Africa so I can expand this list! 

Some 2018 Intentions (reading and otherwise)

Last year, I didn't really set any year-long reading goals for myself. I was so overwhelmed with finishing my degree and the uncertainty that comes along with that, that I couldn't even picture a month into the future, much less a whole year. Over the past week or so, I've been thinking about whether or not to set 2018 goals, reading and otherwise. I started out by saying no I wasn't going to, yet here I am writing this post. My Type-A personality is once again victorious.

Instead of big, lofty goals, I'm going to throw out a few intentions for this year. I have no idea where I will be for most of the year, as this summer I will be interviewing for actual teaching jobs and then tackling my first year of teaching, which is notoriously difficult, but that's okay. These are just some things that I intend to do, or devote some time attempting to do this year.

In 2018 I want to...

• Read the books I already own. This one is on every year's list, but I never really feel like I make any progress. I buy more books in a year than I read from my existing TBR, and that's fine really. I'm not going to attempt to directly change the number of books I buy in a year, I just want to try and read from my own shelves more. 

• Read more authors from my Women's Writers List. I made this list a very long time ago, and I would love to revamp it and continue completing it. I've really taken a step back from reading classics this year, as I have been finished with my college literature courses, but I want to get back into them, and classics by women is my area of interest. I'll be revamping this list and posting about it in the near future.  

• Keep posting. It seems like every time I have been in a good blogging flow in the past two years, some major life thing (usually school) disrupts it and then I loose the flow. It's frustrating to see something you spend a lot of time working on gain in views and reads, only to loose that momentum because of outside forces. Blogging has never been about the views for me, I just love having a place to write about what I read, and I appreciate it even more now that I am out of school and have lost that avenue for discussing literature. I want to keep writing about what I read regardless of how busy I get this year or the numbers. I really love having this record of my relationship with literature. 

• Continue to declutter my life. Ever since moving out, and then back in my parents, my life has been overflowing with stuff. I moved an apartment's worth of stuff back in my childhood room, which was already filled with stuff, and I don't even know what I own anymore. I have been donating like crazy this year, and I want to keep doing that. I need to be honest with myself about what I need and proactive about getting rid of what I don't. 

I am thinking I will make smaller goals throughout the year as well, but for now, these are the things I want to focus my time and energy on this year. I would love to hear what your intentions for the new year are or your thoughts on New Year in general! Happy Reading! 

2017 End of the Year Survey!

Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 48
Number of Re-Reads: 5 

Survey by The Perpetual Page Turner

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2017?- My Top Three: 

Review 

This was such a wild ride. I was gripped by this book and couldn't stop reading 

or look away. This is a must read.

Review

This was so whimsical and dark. In the same vein as Alice and Wonderland and Peter Pan.

Loved how the complex idea of the transition from childhood to adulthood was portrayed. 

Review

This is an amazing YA contemporary. Loved the characters and the themes; this 

is one I will be revisiting in the future. 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Meh. 

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

This one had me on the edge of my seat, and caught me off guard many times.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I recommend Sarah Waters a lot this year. Even though I have only read one of her works (Fingersmith, above) I am confident that all of her works are worth recommending. 

 5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?

I didn't actually start any new series this year! I really concentrated on stand-alones as I always felt too busy to get sucked into a series. 

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?

Shirley Jackson!  I can't wait to read more from her in the near future.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Science based nonfiction is way out of my comfort zone, but I loved this!

The audiobook was a great experience. 

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

So addicting! 

 9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?

11. Most memorable character of 2017?

Alex from The Female of the Species. She's so complex and different from usual YA characters.  

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?

I did A LOT of thinking about this reread this year. Teaching and reading this novel 

was a great experience this year. This book still holds up to the test of time. 

I spent A LOT of time thinking about this one and how I felt about it. I'm still
not all that sure. Read my review for more details. 

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? 

I owned this one for years (and moved it to an apartment and then back home) 

before finally picking it up this year. 

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?

Shortest- The novella version of Flowers for Algernon

Longest 

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Loved the romances in both of these novels. 

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Loved the relationship between Sal and his dad. 

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

There was SO much hype around this one this summer that I had to pick

it up. Glad I did!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?

This year's reread has lead to discover that Atticus Finch is my dream man. 

23. Best 2017 debut you read?

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Review

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

My soul seems to have survived this year intact! I didn't read anything too emotional this year. 

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

I was so angry for many of the characters in this book. 

Blog and Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?

This was not a consistent year for me in regards to both blogging myself and reading other blogs. That being said, here are a few blogs that I made a conscious effort to keep up with this year. 

Jess @ Jessticulates

Emily @ Mixed Margins

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?

Either my review of The Sun is Also a Star (and thoughts on fate) or The Female of the Species

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

Always love continuing my Poetry Spotlight and Literary Look posts. 

Edna St. Vincent Millay Poetry Spotlight

4. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Literary Look: Modernism

5. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

This year I participated in the Diversity Bingo challenge with the goal to complete as many squares as possible. Here's my three update posts:  

Update 1

Update 2

Update 3

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?

Becky Albertaili's and Adam Silvera's joint project What If It's Us  looks like a lot of fun. 

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Lots of buzz about this one already.

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

Actually need more time to research this one. I'm out of the loop on 2017 series. I need to catch up. 

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?

Just manage to read while also getting hired for and then actually teaching my first year as a teacher! Wish me luck! 

See my 2014 survey answers 

See my 2015 survey answers

Leave me the link to your survey if you filled one out!