Recently Read: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

Author: Mackenzi Lee
Genre: Young Adult-Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 513
Rating: 4/5

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Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores. From Goodreads

I knew I would love this book back when I first read the synopsis for it, and I finally got around to reading it. I was hooked from page one, and knew that Monty was a character who I would end up loving. I loved the premise of this book and the execution. I will say, the plot of this book took an unexpected turn for me, when it turned into an adventure story rather than just a comedic "roadtrip" novel, but I really enjoyed that turn. 

The characters are all loveable and developed. I found myself caring about each of the main charactes as soon as they were introduced. The romance is sweet, but doesn't take over the plot of the novel, which I appreciated. I really liked Henry's sister Felicity, and I'm glad to see that she is getting her own novel this year. I will definitely be picking that up as soon as it comes out, and I'll be picking up whatever Lee comes out with in the future, as this book was such an enjoyable read. I found myself laughing out loud a few times in the story, and I can see myself rereading this in the very near-future, which is how you know I enjoyed it. 

This novel is worth the hype, and I really recommend you pick it up. It has all the elements of a great historical fiction that I love, great characters, multiple historical locations, romance, and travel, with the added bonus of humor and a bisexual main character. I really hope Lee writes more novels like this in the future. I have bought her nonfiction anthology on women in history, and will be preordering Felicity's novel (and probably stalking Lee on Twitter to see what her future plans are for books.) This was the perfect distraction from work-related worry, and a highly enjoyable read. Oh, and there's pirates. This book has every possible thing you could need! 

Happy Reading! 

Women's History Month: Nonfiction Recommendations

It's no surprise that most of the nonfiction I read is women's history or feminist related. Here's a look at some of my favorite in honor of women's history month. 

Half of the Sky, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

This book is full of so much information about what it is like to be a woman around the world. This book is not an easy read, it's quite heavy and emotional, but it contains enough stories of successful and brave women to carry you through to the end. It also has a great collection of resources for further information and to help you get involved. 

My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem

This is my first Steinem piece, and I loved it! I loved her writing and her ability to listen. She is truly inspiring and so smart. She's an author I want to read more from ASAP. 

West With the Night, Beryl Markham

I really enjoyed this memoir from female pilot Beryl Markham. She lead such an interesting and barrier breaking life, and I really enjoyed reading this book and reading about this book. After they divorced, her ex-husband claimed to have written the book for his wife, but it is now widely accepted that she did indeed write her own memoir. A great fictional novel about Markham's life is Paula McClain's Circling the Sun.  

I am Malala, Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai

 This is another great and moving memoir. I really loved listening to this one on audiobook, and I really want to reread it soon. Malala has such a strong narrative voice and her determination is inspiring. If you haven't read this one yet, you need to pick it up!

The Astronaut Wives Club, Lilly Kopple

I found this read really interesting, as I knew almost nothing about the space program in the 60s. I found myself constantly stopping to look up more information and pictures of the people in the book. I do think this could have been a little more in-depth, but I thought it was a really interesting look at the women behind the most famous men in the Space Race. 

Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit

This essay collection is very well researched and Solnit is extremely eloquent. Quite a few of the essays in this collection are shocking and hard-hitting. I really want to read more feminist essays, and I think this was a great place to start. 

Recently Read: Truly Devious

Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: Young Adult/ Mystery
Publication Date: 2018
Page Count: 416
Rating: 4/5

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Also by Maureen Johnson 
The Name of the Star
The Madness Underneath
The Shadow Cabinet 

Stevie Bell is obsessed with solving crimes, one crime in particular: the disappearance of an American billionaire's wife in daughter in the late 1930s. When Stevie is accepted into the boarding school started by the billionaire, and the scene of the infamous crime, she is determined to solve the mystery once and for all, but first, she may have a few other crimes to solve. 

Back in 2014 I read the first book in Johnson's Shades of London mystery series and I loved it! The next books in the series were less-great (though still good) so I was excited to hear that Johnson had a new YA mystery series coming out this year, but also a little unsure of how I would feel about it.

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a quick read. I read the ebook and couldn't believe when I finished it that it was four hundred pages because I flew through it. As usual, Johnson's characters were super loveable and interesting. I loved the dual mysteries and time-lines that were in the plot, and thought both of them were equally intriguing and entertaining. We receive information on the 1936 case in alternating chapters alongside Stevie's story, and I was just as invested in the past crime as the current story-line. I think the two will come together in a brilliant way in the upcoming novels.

All elements of this novel were high-quality including the mysteries, the characters, the setting, and the slow-burn and confused romance. I loved the idea of the boarding school for super-smart and creative kids, and I thought it made a great setting for a mystery. I think that this plot will really expand in the upcoming novels, as there is a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this book. I'm not looking forward to the wait for book two! I also loved all of the side characters, and found Stevie's classmates to be so interesting. I'm hoping that we will get to know these characters more in the upcoming books. There is a lot of natural-feeling diversity in the side characters, which is always appreciated.

I'm really looking forward to more books in this series. The end of this book had me trying to turn the page to the next chapter, and being shocked to see it was done. If you've been thinking about picking this one up, go for it!  

Recently Read Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

Author: Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Genre: Nonfiction/ Illustrated
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 212
Rating:  2.5/5

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You may also like:
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls in an anthology in the style of bed-time stories about one hundred women from history. Each story is accompanied by an illustration. 

These anthologies of forgotten or overlooked women of history are becoming quite popular, and I love it! I have been reading as many as I can get my hands on because I love using them to discover new-to-me women from history. You may know I majored in English and minored in history, and my area of interest was always gender in both subjects, so these books were made for me! This is the most popular of these anthologies as it is already getting a sequel and has had quite a bit of buzz. However, I heard some critiques of the book I found interesting (mainly this video from Jean Bookish Thoughts on Youtube) so I was really interested in checking it out from the library before purchasing it for myself, and I'm glad I did because I have some mixed thoughts.

Obviously, I love the premise behind this one. I love the idea of a book funded by kickstarter about forgotten women of history all around the world accompanied by portraits of said women done by tons of different women artists, but this sounds better than it was. I found my main problem with this book was the writing of the actual stories. The stories were so vague and watered down that they hardly contained any information about the women themselves or their work. I also found that some of the women's stories focused on strange aspects of their lives other than their work. Virginia Woolf's page, for example, was all about her depression; two short sentences on the page mention that she was a writer. I found myself wanting to learn more about these women than these short summaries offered. There is also the question of the inclusion of a few of the women, as Jean mentions in the video above. There are ancient female leaders who conquered other nations in here, as well as Margaret Thatcher, who was anti-equal rights for many groups of individuals. This brings to light the idea that having power should not automatically earn someone admiration. 

One thing I did love about this book was the full-page color illustration of each woman. I loved that the authors worked with sixty different female artists and that the portraits were of all different styles. Some of the art I loved, and some I didn't, but I appreciated the variation more than I thought I would at the beginning. I also loved that this book included women from around the world as well as  throughout time. This collection was one of the most diverse I have seen. It spans ancient Chinese rulers to current athletes and activists. I also appreciated that current women were represented in this book, and a lot of them are very young. 

If more time and detail had been put into the writing in this book, I would have loved it. I came away with a long list of women I want to research and read about, which is exactly what I'm looking for in these anthologies. I will continue to read every one of these types of anthologies that come out because I love supporting books and ideas like this. Although I think there are probably better anthologies out there, (I'll let you know when I find one) I do recommend you pick this one up.

Let me know if you have any recommendations for me of similar books. Oh, and Happy National Women's History Month :)

Recently Read: This Darkness Mine

Author: Mindy McGinnis
Genre: Young Adult/Thriller
Publication Date: 2017
Page Count: 376
Rating: 3.5/5

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Also by this author:
The Female of the Species  

Sasha Stone is the perfect girl. She's a gifted clarinet player destined to play for a top college, a straight A student, and has a perfectly polite boyfriend. But a bad-boy named Issac seems to have control of her heart, even more-so than she does. Sasha learns that before birth, she had a twin sister who was never born, but her sister may have found a way to get what, and who, she wants through Sasha. 

McGinnis is a brilliant writer. Her writing is so captivating and intense, and even though her stories are uncomfortable at times, I just can't look away. The Female of the Species really shocked and consumed me when I read it, and I knew I had to read more from McGinnis after finishing that one. I picked this one up at my library as soon as I saw it, and flew through it.

McGinnis is brilliant at writing unhinged characters. Her characters are so unlike anything else in YA. I love a well-done unreliable narrator, and McGinnis has the best in YA. This story is weird, mysterious, shocking, and at times uncomfortable, but McGinnis' story-telling makes it impossible to look away. I really didn't know where this story was headed and was surprised at every twist-and-turn. 

While I really enjoyed being immersed in this book, I don't think it was as strong of a novel as The Female of the Species. To me, The Female of the Species read like a very sophisticated literary fiction, and it dealt with themes and ideas that were vast and complex. This one read more like a typical YA thriller, but with a brilliantly well-done main character. I thought the first half of the book was a lot stronger than the second half, but I was still completely hooked the whole way through. 

McGinnis has made her way on to my 'auto-read' list, and I have picked up another one of her books since finishing this one. If you are looking for a book that will completely absorb you, or get you out of a slump, I recommend checking out McGinnis' works. What she's doing feels unique, and she's very good at what she does.  

If you have any recommendations for YA books with unreliable narrators, please let me know! 

Recently Read: My Life on the Road

Author: Gloria Steinem
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir
Page Count: 280
Publication Date: 2015
Rating: 5/5

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Gloria Steinem has done everything. She's an activist, journalist, organizer, magazine editor, traveler, speaker, and listener. In her essay-style memoir, she recounts some of the most important events in her life and what she has learned from her travels and her long activist career. 

This is my first Steinem experience. I was aware of her and her work before reading this, and I knew she was a person that I wanted to read about and from, so I thought her memoir would be a good place to start. I knew I would enjoy this, but I didn't know the writing would be so good. Steinem's writing is so engaging and entertaining, that even when she is discussing complex or distressing concepts, it felt like a casual conversation with a friend. 

This memoir starts with a chapter on her childhood with a focus on her father. This was my favorite chapter of the novel. The way that Steinem writes about her always-traveling father with love, admiration, and introspective-reflection was quite beautiful. Steinem has a great outlook on life, and has accomplished so much in so many areas of life and activism, it's a bit insane. 

The biggest take away from this memoir for me was the importance of listening. Steinem is a constant listener, and because of this, she is able to learn and experience so much life. She covers so many interesting topics and eras in the novel and recounts the stories of others rather than herself. While feminism is a large focus of this novel, as it is a large focus of Steinem's career, it is not the only focus. Steinem discusses racism, overcoming a fear of public speaking, AIDS activism, the rights of indigenous Americans, and of course travel. Her section on the primary election in 2008 between Obama and Hillary Clinton was fascinating. Her account of listening to democratic women who did not support Clinton was so interesting, and her conclusions were something that I had never thought of before. 

Before this novel, I admired Steinem for her activism and barrier-breaking career. After reading her memoir, I still admire her for those things, but even more than that, I admire her ability to listen and communicate. Her chapter on talking circles and her audience-involvement at her public speaking events has really inspired me to listen more. I have always considered myself a good listener, but I could always do a better job of listening to individuals (particularly ones I disagree with or who think differently than me) and I think that is something that is universally true of humans. I can see myself revisiting chapters in this novel many times, and found myself marking many sections where I learned something new or was introduced to a new approach to a topic. 

I highly recommend checking this out if you have an interest in Steinem, feminism, activism, or just want to learn something new. I want to search out more of her work, particularly her essays in the near future, as well as learn more about some of the activists I was introduced to in this novel. 

Recently Read: Mary's Monster

Author: Lita Judge

Genre: Nonfiction/Illustrated

Publication Date: 2018

Page Count: 320

Rating: 5/5

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Frankenstein Review

Literary Look: The Gothic Novel 

Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley created Frankenstein tells Mary Shelley's life and woes with beautiful illustrations. From her own birth, which brings misfortune, to the death of her beloved, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the creation of her masterpiece and the science fiction genre, Mary Shelley's story is heartbreaking and poetic. 

I read Frankenstein a couple of years ago, and I believe it is one of the best and most important novels ever written, even more impressive, is that Shelley was eighteen years old when she began writing it. I researched the origin of the novel a little bit when I first read it, as I was writing a paper on it, and immediately knew I needed to learn more about Shelley. When I saw this one, I was interested, but upon learning it was completely illustrated, I immediately ran to my library to grab it. 

The story of Shelley's life is told in free-verse and accompanied by absolutely breathtaking illustrations. The back-flap reveals that this books took Judge five years to finish, and I cannot imagine how much work went into this novel. Every illustration is a full-page or double-page charcoal drawing, which captures the mood of Shelley's life perfectly. 

Mary Shelley had a turbulent life and romance with the famous poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Her fear of and tragic experiences with pregnancy and birth lead her to explore themes of creation and motherhood in Frankenstein and her involvement with Shelley, Byron, and others in the Romantic circle allowed for her to create and publish her novel. Shelley wrote Frankenstein in nine months, while she was pregnant with her second child; her first had died ten days after birth. It was published anonymously, but after it's great success with the public, Lord Byron published proof that Shelley was the author.

This biography is a great introduction to Shelley's life. It gives the complete story of Shelley and her creation, but it doesn't go too deep. I have plans to read much larger biographies, but I'm glad that I read this one first. The art is what really makes this novel. Shelley was an amazingly brilliant woman who defied society at every turn and created one of the most important and popular novels ever written. I recommend this novel for all levels of interest in Shelley and her work. Even if you are a seasoned-Shelley-scholar, the artwork in this novel is worth seeing alongside her story. 

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: All the Crooked Saints

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Young Adult- Historical fiction/Magical Realism
Page Count: 311
Publication Date: 2017
Rating: 3.5/5
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Also by Maggie Stiefvater:
The Raven Boys Quartet

A town in the desert named Bicho Raro is full of saints who grant miracles and the pilgrims who come to receive the miracles. The Soria family has been preforming miracles in their 1960s Colorado town for generations, but they can only perform the first miracle which manifests a pilgrim's darkness, the banishment of the darkness must be done by the pilgrim and the pilgrim alone. Interference or help from a Soria is forbidden, until a saint and a pilgrim fall in love. 

I loved The Raven Boys quartet by Stiefvater and have been meaning to read more of her works since finishing the series. I was browsing in my local bookstore when I came across a signed copy of this one, so I decided it was the next Stiefvater I would read. Stiefvater has a very unique and beautiful writing style which lends itself to magic and magical realism very well. This book, I was a bit surprised to see, is very full of magic and borders on fantasy. I loved the concept of this novel and the idea of miracles and darkness being given physical forms. The concept was totally unique and felt so real and plausible. The town of Bicho Raro had a real life of its own and felt as if it truly existed thanks to Stiefvater's writing. 

Despite this, I felt the book was lacking in a few ways. I thought that this concept had so much potential and the story could have been much longer or more developed. I love that it's a standalone, and I think the ending was great, but I think there could have been more 'middle' to the story. The characters were a bit unmemorable, and although Stiefvater's writing is always beautiful, I felt that the writing sometimes got in the way of the plot and made me loose interest. 

With that being said, I think this book is definitely worth reading and there is a lot of beauty in this story. I'm eager to read The Scorpio Races as I know a lot of people love that novel, and of course, I will be reading whatever Stiefvater releases in the future as her novels are always unique, atmospheric, and entertaining. I'm really itching to reread The Raven Boys now! 

Recently Read: Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers who Changed the World

Author: Rachel Ignotofsky
Genre: Nonfiction- Young Readers
Publication Date: 2016
Page Count: 128
Rating: 4/5

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This is an anthology aimed at younger readers featuring short biographies and facts about fifty women who have made important advances in the STEM field. Each woman is accompanied by an illustration, facts about themselves, and details regarding her findings. 

This book is so cool! Every elements of it is so well-done and compelling. The art work is adorable, but it doesn't make the book feel too cutesy or take away from the amazing work these woman have done. The bios are short enough to make this a fast read, but have enough detail to spark interest and curiosity. I have to admit, I spent longer looking up more information about these women than I spent reading the book. I was introduced to so many new awesome ladies that I will be researching in the future! I was only familiar with a handful of the women in this book, which was great because it meant I was introduced to so many new names. 

Check out the author's website to see this image and 

others from the book here. 

I really appreciated the range of women that were included in this book. The book ranges from Hypatia, born in 350 C.E., to Maryam Mirzakhani, born in 1977. Women from all around the world are included, and their achievements outside of science are also included. A large number of these women are honored suffragettes, civil rights activists, and peace ambassadors, and I loved that this information was included alongside their scientific achievements. Although this book is aimed at younger readers, it did not feel simple. The author does not shy away from including the science and math involved in these women's findings, and the information is engaging but easy to understand.

I also loved that the author included the struggles that many of these women faced in order to be accepted in colleges and graduate programs, as well of those who were snubbed of their rightful acknowledgments because they were women working in the scientific field. One of the only things I remember from my high school science classes is the fact that Rosalind Franklin discovered and proved DNA's double helix structure, not Watson and Crick. I was surprised at some of the treatment that these women endured at the hands of higher-education institutions, and I'm really glad that information was included in this book. Another, and more positive, common theme I saw between a lot of these women, were husbands who doubled as research partners. Some of the couples in this book are seriously #relationshipgoals. As soon as I read about Gerty Cori's husband carrying her around her lab when she became to ill to move around it herself, I immediately Googled books about them, and unfortunately, came up short.    

I hope that with books like this, and the recent success of novels/films such as Hidden Figures and The Imitation Game we continue to tell the stories of these unknown women who have helped to build our society. I know I'm dying to hear these stories, and I think that big media companies are realizing that other people are interested in these stories too. I checked this book out from the library, but will be searching out my own copy ASAP. I also recommend checking out the author's website as she does beautiful illustrations and sells prints of them, including prints from the book. I am dreaming of putting her Women Activists poster in my classroom. 

If you have any recommendations of books/movies/documentaries similar to this, let me know! 

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!  

Recently Read: The Miniaturist

Author: Jessie Burton
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 382
Publication Date: 2014
Rating: 4/5

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On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office--leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist--an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes' gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand--and fear--the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction? From Goodreads

I have a huge collection of popular historical fiction novels that I have been wanting to read on my TBR shelves and cold weather always puts me in the mood for a long historical novel, so this is the one I picked off my shelf to read first. I really enjoyed this novel. I really didn't know much about it besides the information on the inside flap, and that it received a lot of positive buzz when it was released, and I was pleasantly surprised by what was inside this novel. It had a great plot, intriguing characters, mystery, and beautiful writing. 

I loved the 17th century Amsterdam setting, as this is a setting I have never read before. Burton did an amazing job at bringing the setting to life. This novel felt like a visual experience, and I am happy to hear that it has been adapted into a mini-series. The characters are very real, and all of the characters, even the small side characters, have been given so much detail and care by Brandt that they all seem absolutely essential to the novel. The back cover compares Burton's novel to the works of Sarah Waters, and I have to agree there. While The Miniaturist may not have the same level of twists as Waters' novels, this novel is full of mystery and surprise and kept me on my toes. 

This novel deals with so many subjects in such an interesting way. It comments on religion, wealth, sin in its varying degrees, the historically limited options for women, family, love, and the inner mysteries of every human. All of these ideas weaved into the plot seamlessly along with the mystery of the miniaturist and the question of fate and the future. The writing is beautiful and the plot never falters or slows. Time truly slipped away while I was reading this novel. 

I already purchased Burton's second novel, and I will be eager to read whatever she releases in the future. Her writing was beautiful and her scene building impeccable. I have a feeling that this novel has inspired a marathon of historical fiction reading! 

Recently Read: Bird Box

Author: Josh Malerman
Genre: Adult Thriller/ Horror
Page Count: 262
Publication Date: 2014
Rating: 3.5/5

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Something outside is making those who see it lose their minds. It starts with a few alarmingly violent cases throughout the world and then quickly spreads. Don't open your eyes because what you see will drive you crazy. Bird Box follows a house of strangers trying to survive this new world with their eyes shut. 

I have seen some buzz about this book lately, and although it's not my usual type of read, the concept sounded so interesting to me that I couldn't resist picking it up. I had no idea of what to expect from the plot or the reading experience, and that made the book even more fun to read. I couldn't put this book down. From page one, Malerman sucks you into a world of suspense and uncertainty and you need to find out what happens next.

I thought the writing style fit with the plot and genre perfectly. You really don't get to know any of the characters all that well, but you don't need to. The plot is constantly moving towards something unknown and that drives the narrative. I also really loved that the book wasn't told in a linear fashion as both the past and present were so interesting that I was equally invested in what was happening in both times, which is not always the case with books that switch back and forth between times. The novel has the perfect amount of "shocks" and suspense, but still keeps an interesting plot and substance. Once you pick this book up, you won't put it down until it's finished.

A lot of the negative reviews on Goodreads are the result of readers being unhappy with the ending of the novel. While this book does leave a lot of questions unanswered, I prefer it that way. I think that's what makes good science fiction or horror so good. The unknown is what scares us as humans, we need to sort and classify everything we see in a logical fashion, and when we can't, that's when we are threatened. Unanswered questions in the real world, and fiction such as this, is what makes horror scary. I don't want to reveal too much about the plot or the ending, but I respected the ending and enjoyed it. It does what the end of a good horror plot should do: make you think about it even after you have finished it. And I agree that some details of the novel are unrealistic, but it's a novel with a supernatural plot; I'm willing to suspend belief for the smaller details as well as the larger ones in an entertaining novel such as this one. 

If you're not usually a reader of this genre, I really recommend this one. I raced through it and really enjoyed not knowing what was going to happen next. I'm interested to explore the thriller/horror genre more in the near future, so leave me your favorites!  

Recently Read: Purple Hibiscus

Author: Chimanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre: Literary Fiction
Page Count: 307
Publication Date: 2005
Rating: 4/5

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Fifteen-year-old Kambili’s world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home.

When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili’s father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father’s authority. The visit will lift the silence from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound and unexpected ways. 

This is a book about the promise of freedom; about the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood; between love and hatred, between the old gods and the new. From Goodreads 

 This was my first Adichie novel, and as she has been on my to-read list forever, I thought it would be best to start with her first novel. I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed this novel! I will be getting my hands on more of her works very soon. I also love my anniversary edition published by 4th Estate and am now kicking myself for only ordering two works in these editions rather than all four of the ones they offered. 

I really didn't know what to expect plot-wise with this novel when I started it. I was drawn in by Kambili's narrative voice right away, and then I knew it wasn't about plot so much as it was about Kambili as a character. I loved the setting; I have been really craving books set in Africa, and this one has just added fuel to the fire. Africa provides such a rich setting for novels as the physical landscape is so beautiful, and it is often plagued with political turmoil. 

This was a really powerful coming-of-age story for both Kambili and her brother. I felt so strongly for both of them throughout the novel. I felt rather helpless watching them struggle with their strict and controlling father, but was rooting for them with every fiber of my being. This is a novel of contrasts; Kambili and her brother, Kambili's family and her Aunt's family, her mother and her father, her father and the priest. All of these contrasts reflect each other brilliantly and help to shape Kambili's world and internal journey. 

I wish there had been more on the coup in the novel because I was really interested in the political situation surrounding the characters, but it was never explained or examined in any detail. I also thought the end was a bit rushed, lots of big events happen in the last few pages that left me feeling a bit thrown-off because most of the book is motivated by characters rather than plot, and then a pretty large plot unfolds at the very end. Despite these minor complaints, I really enjoyed this novel and thought it was beautifully written. I want to read everything by Adichie now and will be picking up more of her works in 2018, including her nonfiction.  

Which work of Adichie's should I pick up next? Any recommendations for books set in Africa? I'll be making a TBR list soon!  

What I Read for Fun While I was Teaching (Mini-Reviews)

One of Us is Lying, Karen M McManus 
4/5 Stars
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This book was a lot of fun. I had seen a few people talk about it here and there as an addictive read, so I picked it up in the hopes it would suck me in, and it totally did. This is a YA thriller about a student who dies during an after-school detention. It's Riverdale meets The Breakfast Club with secrets galore. It had just enough twists and reveals to keep me entertained, but was still well-done and clever.

This was a clever and entertaining read; a perfect break from grading papers and worrying about lesson plans. It was like reading an episode of super-dramatic-junk-T.V., and I enjoyed every minute of it. If you're looking for something to fly though and to entertain you, look no further.





The Dinner, Herman Koch
3.5/5 Stars
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I picked this book up at a library book sale a few summers ago. I knew it was a pretty 'buzzed about' book, and for a dollar, I was willing to pick it up. While I was student teaching, I was in the mood for thriller/suspense novels as they grabbed my ever-wandering attention and entertained me enough to pick up the book even when I was super tired. I had no idea what to expect going into this one, but it delivered an entertaining and dramatic reading experience.

I really don't want to say too much about the plot, as it is better that way, but I loved that the plot revolved around the simple act of two brothers and their wives going to dinner. This was a thriller/suspense character study, which is such an interesting combination. The pacing is great, as secrets are revealed through flash-backs and current conversation. All the characters are crazy; no one is to be trusted; and the steaks are high.



Turtles All the Way Down, John Green
4/5 Stars
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I really enjoyed Green's other works. His works are always witty and enjoyable, so I was of course excited to pick up his latest release after so long without any new material. I didn't place any unrealistic expectations on this novel as that's not fair to author or reader, so I went in  just expecting to enjoy it and I certainly did.

I don't think this is his best work (for me that will always be Paper Towns) but I loved the honest portrayal of anxiety and obsessive thoughts. I didn't think the characters in this novel were as strong as they are in Green's other novels, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. John Green is one of those authors that I respect enough to read everything he puts out, and I expect to fly through whatever it is in a sitting or two. His writing is very natural and fluid, and there's always something wise floating right below the surface. If you somehow haven't read this one yet, pick it up. It's a worthy successor to Green's other works.

What I have Read (and Taught) Recently

I have finished student teaching! I'm currently finishing up the paperwork and certifications needed to become a hireable and certified teacher! I thought I would recap what I read and taught over the semester, with some thoughts on how I enjoyed reading and teaching each piece. I'll have a second post coming soon with what I read for fun while I've been gone.

Short Stories

My freshman started the year with a short story and literary terms unit. This was the first story in the unit and the first story of the year that I taught. This was also my first short story by Dahl that I have read. I knew that he wrote some adult literature and that it was pretty dark, and this story definitely fits that description. This story is super short; I read it aloud in about twenty minutes, but there is so much there to discuss, unpack, and think about, which made it perfect for English class. I'm really interested in reading more of Dahl's short stories. 

 This is a super popular short story that is in numerous anthologies and textbooks. I did not care for this story all that much. It's long and consists of too much rising action. I don't have a whole lot to say about this one beyond that. There's a lot going on in terms of literary elements which makes it useful for teaching vocab and concepts, but for personal enjoyment, it's not for me.

This is another very short story, but it's very well done. I really enjoyed this story, and to me, it felt like an O' Henry story. It has a great ending, and great build up to the ending, and my students really enjoyed it. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read this one, as that's all it will take you. 

Novellas and Novels 

My freshman read the original novella version of Flowers for Algernon, which has become a modern science fiction classic. When I finished reading this, I had some mixed feelings. The novella is short and written in diary form which works really well for the plot. This novella deals with some really serious themes, and the ending was super impactful for me. I was left feeling a little uneasy about the truths of the world that the novella had revealed. It was interesting to teach this piece to freshman, as their thinking tends to be more black-and-white at that age, and they didn't have as strong of a reaction to it as I did. After reading, they were required to write an argumentative paper on whether or not Charlie should have had the surgery, and students didn't have any difficulty making their choice, but I could not decide for myself and kept going back and forth in my own mind.  

This was the only novel I read with my sophomores this year was To Kill a Mockingbird. I hadn't read this novel since I was a sophomore in high school, and I loved it even more the second time around. I didn't recognize a lot of the brilliant word usage, wise world views, and humor in the novel when I read it as a teen. I loved teaching this novel. This is a novel I would love to teach again. If I were to teach it, I would want to supplement it with material by authors of color from the time period as that is important, but this book has stood the test of time and will continue to. 

Recently Read: Almost Famous Women

Author: Megan Mayhew Bergman
Genre: Short Stories- Adult Fiction
Page Count: 230
Publication Date: 2015
Rating: 3.5/5

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The stories of women on the brink of fame, including Oscar Wilde's niece, Lord Byron's illegitimate daughter, an aging artist, and Edna St. Vincent Millay's sister, are imagined in this short story collection. These women are connected by their bravery, their proximity to fame, and the sadness that is coupled with being an almost famous woman.

I have had this collection on my TBR for quite some time. The premise and the beautiful cover sucked me in and I knew this book would be right up my alley. I picked it up as I have been so busy with teaching this month,that I thought a short story collection would be easier to get through than a novel. The stories in this collection range in length, some are only three pages, others are twenty-or-so, and I loved reading one or two stories a night before bed. 

Each story features an image of the woman it is about as well as suggested reading material about that woman in the author's note. I loved this touch, and found myself itching to research the real lives of these ladies. Bergman uses a close companion or third party as the narrator for most of these stories, which really helps to build a common thread through the collection and commentary on what it was like to be a woman breaking the mold. These women were never given the opportunity to tell their own stories, and gossip runs wild about a woman challenging society's standards, so being once removed from each title lady was the perfect way to convey these ideas. 

I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection; I felt like each story was equally as good as the last, but I didn't feel like any of the stories particularly stood out as amazing. I really loved the idea behind this collection and thought it was very well executed. I will definitely be spending some time researching more about these ladies!   

Recently Read: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Author: Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Genre: Nonfiction
Page Count: 222
Publication Date: 2017
Rating: 4/5

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I put in a hold for this audiobook from my library when the book first came out, and it finally came in a week or so ago at the perfect time. I have a half-hour commute to and from my school and I just couldn't take the radio anymore. I listened to this in about a week and I loved it. It is narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who of course has a lovely narrator voice, and contained just enough information about a range of topics to be interesting without being boring.

I am both terrified and fascinated by space. I took an astronomy class in college to fulfill my science credit, and I lost some sleep that semester over the scary happenings of space, but I was also so fascinated by space and the idea of humans working so hard to find the answers to the biggest questions concerning us. This book covers a range of space topics in a shallow way that makes for easy reading (or in my case listening) I did not understand everything in this book (and probably never will) but not because of the way it was presented, just because that is the nature of  the science of space. Neil DeGrasse Tyson uses beautiful metaphors and humor to make the complexities of space more manageable. This book is the perfect mix of science, theory, and antidotes. Tyson makes science sound like an art form, which I really loved. 

My thoughts and thinking about science has really changed over recent years. Past me would have turned my nose up at science as something that I just couldn't understand, relate to, or even care about. But in the past two years or so, I have begun to see the beauty and poetic nature of science; it's not at odds with art or other forms of human creation. My language and literature centered brain can in fact appreciate and understand elements of the scientific world. 

If you are interested in astronomy at any level, I recommend this book. This is a book I can see myself rereading in the future in order to experience Tyson's beautiful metaphors again as well as to receive the information again to help it stick. Listening to this book while driving to work in the dark of the early morning was a great way to start my day and has cemented my desire to pick up more audiobooks for my commute. 

Recently Reread: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (and thoughts on comfort)

Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publication Date: 2000
Page Count: 734
Rating: 5/5

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If you read this post, you will know that I am starting a new endeavor as a student teacher and completing my internship to receive my teaching degree. Because this is a big, scary, and unpredictable experience, I have been feeling nervous lately. So, I decided to pick up one of my favorite comfort reads, Harry Potter. 

I've been rereading this series for the past year or so, picking one up every once and a while, and this was the next in line for my reread. I took this one to the beach with me when I went for a long weekend, and I loved getting back into this world. Goblet of Fire is the novel where the books start to take a dark turn, and the plot really kicks into high gear. I remember reading that one line in the novel (the one where the first death takes place) over and over when I first read this book, because I thought that I had to have read it wrong. I was shocked to read that line, and completely enthralled with this book. That was the first time I really understood the evil that was in this novel, and I think that the ending of this book is one of the best endings in the series.    

One of the reasons I think Harry Potter is such a comfort read for me, is that each time I reread one of the books, I remember reading them for the first time as a young kid. It invokes the joy of being a kid, staying up way past your bedtime, curled in bed, and reading a book that you can't put down. Each time I reread these books, they get funnier, and the genius of Rowling's character development and symbols become more apparent. I love that I loved these novels for the story as a kid, and now as an adult, I love them for the story and the literary elements that they display so well. I find new things in this story every time I read it, and they truly are timeless. 

Of course, after finishing this I was itching to pick up Order of the Phoenix but I decided to wait on it a bit since that is the largest novel in the series. But I see myself picking it up very soon! 

Recently Read: We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson
Genre: Modern Classic
Page Count: 146
Publication Date: 1962
Rating: 4/5

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Also by Shirley Jackson:
The Lottery and Other Stories

The Blackwood family has lived in their mansion house for generations. New women move in each generation, bringing their own dishware with them, adding layers to the house, but the newest layer added to the Blackwood mansion is murder. Mary Kathrine's sister Constance has been accused of murdering her family, and although she was found innocent, the town refuses to forget it. 

As soon as I finished Jackson's short story collection, I treated myself to the beautiful Penguin Deluxe Edition of this novel as I knew I would love it, and I did. I am now eager to read everything Jackson put out. I read this one in two sittings because I couldn't put it down. 

This novel is eerie in the same vein as Jackson's short stories; Jackson doesn't rely on the supernatural or the paranormal to make the reader uneasy, instead she uses the everyday, and ordinary people, to create the eerieness of her stories. Jackson is a master at showcasing that the real monster is man (think Twilight Zone) and I love every minute of it. This story was extremely character driven, and I lover Merrikat as a narrator. Merrikat's narration of the story added a prefect veil of mystery over the story that mixed beautifully with the Gothic atmosphere of the mansion. 

This novel deals with themes of isolation and suspicion as well as loyalty and guilt. The novel leaves many questions unanswered, but gives you enough clues to come to a conclusion of your own. Many critics site this as Jackson's most personal novel as she was dealing with agoraphobia (fear of leaving her house) while she wrote this novel, which happens to have been her last completed project. Jackson's works are always an intimate and unsettling look into the human mind and human tendencies, and leave me feeling creeped out but so entertained. This is a book that would be great to discuss with other people, and something I would love to see on film. I know there is one film adaptation, but I don't know anything about it. Let me know it you have seen it! 

What's your favorite Jackson novel? I'll be on the look-out for her novels every time I visit a bookstore now!