January TBR

These are the books I'm hoping to read in January. I have some other books on hold at the library which might shuffle my priorities around a bit if they come in earlier than expected.

Wade in the Water by Tracy Smith

Me by Elton John

A Long Way to A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

2020 New Year's Resolutions

I like setting resolutions each year and have been pretty good at fulfilling them. I've decided to set 5 goals for this upcoming year.

1. Complete the 24 reading prompts for the Reading Woman Challenge.
2. Complete the 24 reading prompts for the Reading Harder Challenge.
3. Read at least 5 pre-2020 owned books each month (for a total of 60).
4. Re-read an average of 1 book a month (not including Harry Potter).
5. DNF books after 50-100 pages if I'm not enjoying them.

How I did on my 2019 Resolutions

Update on my 2019 Resolutions

Goal 1: Complete 40 books for the Popsugar Challenge- I've completed 40 out of 40 challenges.

Goal 2: Complete 24 books for the Read Harder Challenge- I've completed 24 out of the 24 challenges.

Goal 3: Accept, read, and review at least 6 ARCS- I've done 6. I've got 2 more accepted for next year.

Goal 4: Read at least 2 books from my owned TBR each month- I read 36

Goal 5: Read at least 5 translated books- Knocked this out of the park. I read 12.


The Top 12 Books I would like to read in 2019:

✔The Missing of Clairedelune by Christelle Dabos and translated by Hildegarde Serle
Outlander by Diana Galbaldon
✔Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
✔The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
✔A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White
✔Boy Erased by Garrard Conley

5 out of 12 is not great. I decided against reading The Name of the Wind until book 3 is out because I don't want to be waiting like the other fans. I'm not sure I'm still interested in The Secret History because I wasn't a huge fan of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I am going to prioritize what is left for 2020.

Magical Readathon Wrap Up Part 1

For my first week's prompt I was given: Read a contemporary or book set in a muggle world. I chose to read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. This story has two timelines, one in 1942 and the other in 1986. The story focuses on a Chinese-American boy named Henry who is sent to a nearly all-white school. He is picked on due to his race. A Japanese-American girl starts attending and they become friends (even though Henry's parents are extremely racist towards any Japanese people.) He see the Japanese (including his friend) being sent away to internment camps and does everything to keep in touch with his young girlfriend. Time and interfering parents separate them. In the 1986 portion, we see older Henry as he searches for something he lost many years ago. It was very sweet but there were some definite errors in the book which distracted me. (For example, he suggests using the internet for an online grief support group when that wouldn't have been around.) Overall, I gave it 3 stars.

Week 2 I received two prompts. The first was "read an urban fantasy" for which I chose Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. The story follows Richard Mayhew and how he falls through the cracks and into a "London below" in his quest to help a girl find out who killed her family. The story is filled with all sorts of supernatural beings which was so much fun to read about. I loved the audiobook. Neil Gaiman stories are such a delight. I gave the book 4 stars.

The second prompt was "read a book club pick" and so I chose Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I really thought I'd enjoy this dystopian story which starts with a virus killing off 99% of the population and seeing the pockets of humanity that had survived. There's a traveling symphony and acting troupe and we follow them as they travel from community to community. The chapters alternate between the before and the after. The story felt very disorganized and I just couldn't get myself to care. There were multiple threads that seemed promising that ultimately led nowhere. I was disappointed and gave it 2.5 stars.

The third week I received only one prompt which was to read a book with a pink or purple cover. I stretched this a little and chose Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey which has the title written in hot pink. This is the start to an epic space opera series known as The Expanse. (which also has a t.v. adaptation on Amazon Prime) The book follows two main characters: Holden, an optimistic Earther working as a crew member on the Canterbury spaceship and Miller, a jaded cop living on a Belt space port. We see intricate politics, alien superviruses, and quirky interpersonal dynamics play through a nonstop action-driven book. It was amazing and I can't wait to pick up book 2. I gave it 4.5 stars only because some of it got a tiny bit unbelievable.

December TBR/Magical Readathon

This TBR is a bit unusual because I'm only including a one specific book and the rest will be mood-reading and finding books to fit the Winter Magical Readathon prompts.

The book I'm definitely going to read is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford to finish up my Popsugar Reading challenge. I was also going to include an ARC that was supposed to come out soon but found out its been pushed back to a March release date so I'm holding off.


Bring on the mood-reading!

November Wrap Up #2

Since I last updated you, I've read 7 and DNF'd another. November was the month of children's books and non fiction. It was nice because the children's books were a palate cleanser between heavier and more serious non-fiction books.

The DNF was The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. I wanted to read His Dark Materials series to prepare myself to watch the HBO adaptation since I have never read the series before. I got about 80 pages into this second installment and decided to quit. I am not interested in the story and felt it was dragging as such a slow pace.

I picked up another graphic novel with The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O'Neill. It was cute and I really love the art. I really appreciated the inclusion of sign language in this book as well. However, I felt that there was not really much of a story and gave it only 2 stars.

Next I listened to the audiobook of The Boy who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. This was a memoir of a young African boy who after enduring a famine, decided to build a windmill to power a water pump to irrigate their crops. He had to drop out of school due to lack of finances and learned how to build a windmill out of a book from the library. It was an inspirational story and I awarded it 4 stars.

For the Believathon, one of the prompts was to read a book from an animal's perspective so I read The Call of the Wild by Jack London. This follows a domesticated dog being sold to work as a sled dog up in Alaska. I didn't connect with the story and there lots of brutal scenes. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Then I picked up the group read with Voyage of the Frostheart by Jamie Littler. This was a polar fantasy about a boy who goes on an adventure looking for his parents after being exiled from his community. I really enjoyed the story but didn't realize that this is the first book in a series. Some of the plot points were left hanging. I gave it 3.5 stars.

For the prompt of sport, I chose to read Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer. This is a memoir of a young woman who enters into the Mongolian horse race and wins. While the actual race information was interesting, she annoyed me quite a bit and included random information about her grandmother who was also a horse racer. I didn't really enjoy the story and gave it 2 stars.

Fortunately, I was much more interested in Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roper. She was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church (which is more like a cult) who spreads hatred by picketing soldier's funerals, holding signs that says "God hates f*gs" and "pray for more dead children" after school shootings. I had a visceral reaction to this toxic environment she grew up in and ultimately she leaves the group after questioning her faith. I will say I feel it ends a bit too soon but still a worthwhile read. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Lastly, I picked up the graphic memoir Good Talk by Mira Jacob. She writes about her Indian-American identity, her sexuality, and her discussions and fears about being a person of color in Trump's USA. It was important, funny, and quite a compulsive read. I gave it 4.5 stars and am eagerly awaiting picking up her novel.

November Wrap Up #1

So far in November, I have read 5 books.

On the first I picked up Coraline by Neil Gaiman. (Since this was my spooky book I wanted to read it close to Halloween.) This was adorable about a little girl who finds a magical pathway that leads to a different life. At first she thinks it's exactly what she wants, but finds out not all is well. The audiobook was great and I enjoyed it so much that I watched the movie adaptation later that evening. I gave it 3 stars.

I then picked up A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I loved the movie as a child but I had never read the book. This was a sweet classic about a girl who is very wealthy and attending boarding school. She then finds out her father dies, leaving her a penniless orphan and is badly mistreated. She still pretends she is a princess and acts with grace towards those who are cruel to her. Even though it was written in the early 1900s, it felt timeless to me. I gave the book 4 stars.

My hold of The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill finally came in and I was able to see what the fuss was about. This is a cute graphic novel about creatures called tea dragons which are about the size of cats. There wasn't much story but it was sweet and I really liked the art style. I gave the book 3 stars.

After months of waiting, I also picked up No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder. This is a narrative nonfiction focusing on domestic violence and how that sometimes leads to more violence ending in mass shootings or family annihilation. This was a difficult book to read. She focused on victims, perpetrators, and resource communities trying to prevent the family violence from escalating. Incredibly informative and utterly heartbreaking. I gave the book 5 stars.

Additionally, I read When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. This is his memoir of training to be a surgeon and when he was finally about to reap the rewards of his efforts, he is diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. So sad, I literally sobbed at the end. I would recommend it to anyone but be prepared to cry. I gave it 5 stars.

November TBR

I'm partaking in two readathons that take place the whole month of November. The first is Nonfiction November and the other is Believathon which focuses on reading middle grade books. Here are the books I want to read for each:

Nonfiction November-

Sport- Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer
True- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Design- Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat
Voice- No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder



Believathon-

Read the group book: Frostheart by Jamie Littler
Read a book with an animal character: The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Read a children's classic: The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Read an atmospheric or creepy book: Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Read a book featuring magic: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Read a book with real-life issues: The Boy who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

October Wrap Up #2

In the latter half of October, I've read three more books.

First I picked up an essay collection called Snape: A Definitive Reading by Lorrie Kim. It was a wonderful examination of Snape's character and motivations in each of the seven books. While in the beginning, I felt she was making conclusion with little or no real evidence, in the later books she had much more to back up her theories. She really opened my eyes to some particular motivations which I had seen through Harry's eyes, that is to say a biased perspective. I loved reading the essays and it nearly felt like I had found a new Harry Potter book. I enjoyed in immensely and gave the collection 5 stars.

Next, I picked up the seventh Harry Potter book to finish my re-read of the series. With fresh eyes, I could see the many layers of Snape's decisions throughout the story. I almost lamented that he wasn't in the story more. I grieved the loss of him in addition to Fred, Lupin, and Tonks. This is such a great series. I gave it 5 stars.

Lastly, I read We're Not Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby. This is a collection of essays covering various aspects of Irby's life. Many of them were funny and some were a bit gross. She suffers from Crohn's disease and has a number of digestive issues, some of which she details a bit too graphically. Overall, I gave the book 3 stars and would probably pick up more of her essays in the future.

October Wrap Up #1

I have read six books in the first half of October.

I read two ARCs. The Forest City Killer by Vanessa Brown and Entanglement by Andrew J. Thomas. I've written individual reviews for these so I won't repeat myself.

I finally picked up Bookwanderers by Anna James. This is a children's fantasy book about Tilly who can "bookwander." That means she can literally pull favorite characters out of books and she can go inside a book to live out the story. This was very cute. There is a sequel that is already out in the UK and will be released in the US in spring 2020. I will likely pick up the next book. I gave this book 3 stars.

Then I listened to Confessions by Kanae Minato. This is a Japanese psychological horror story focusing on a middle school teacher and the events surrounding her daughter's death. There were many twists and turns and I couldn't consume the story fast enough. Definitely a page-turner! I gave the story 4 stars.

My library hold of This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger became available so I picked it up next. It's a historical fiction novel set in the Great Depression about some orphans who run away from their state care facility and survive in the wilderness. They meet people along the way, some good and some evil. Krueger wrote beautifully and I was very pleased with how the story turned out. I gave the book 4 stars.

Lastly, I picked up Christodora by Tim Murphy. Another historical fiction set in the 1980s, 1990s, up to 2021. This largely focused on the HIV/AIDS crisis and the people who were affected. The story focuses on Milly and Jared who choose to adopt a little boy who was orphaned when his mother died of AIDS. The stories interweave with several characters who impact the story in meaningful ways. The characters are mostly unlikable but I still enjoyed the story. I gave the book 4 stars.

ARC review of Entanglement by Andrew J. Thomas

I received an ARC of Entanglement by Andrew J. Thomas.

The book opens with a secret government building just disappearing. Why did it disappear? Is it related to other odd things going on? The author says he was inspired by Douglas Adams who famously wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There was definitely some whimsy and absurd humor reminiscent of Adams which I liked. However, in the beginning, there are 5-6 main characters whose stories have not yet converged. Because the author chose to focus on so many characters, I felt they were one dimensional and I had trouble connecting with them. Additionally, the "mystery" of the disappeared building took too long to resolve. There wasn't enough intrigue and I felt the story only really got going in the last 20-25%. The last part was very enjoyable and Thomas set up the ending to have a sequel or two. I feel I'm unlikely to pick up the sequel but I haven't completely ruled it out. I gave the book 3 stars. I would definitely recommend for people who enjoyed The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and want another absurd sci-fi romp.

This book was released on September 10, 2019. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

October TBR

It's not really getting cooler where I live but its officially autumn and I am in the mood for some more atmospheric books. Here's what I want to read:

1. Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James
2. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
3. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
4. Christodora by Tim Murphy
5. Confessions by Kanae Minato (Translated by Stephen Snyder)
6. No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder
7. Naughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
8. A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore
9. Entanglement by Andrew J. Thomas

Review of The Forest City Killer by Vanessa Brown

I received an ARC from Netgalley called The Forest City Killer by Vanessa Brown. This is a true crime about a serial killer and rapist operating in Canada in the 1960s and early 70s. Vanessa Brown is not a journalist but a citizen who lives in the same area where the serial killer was targeting victims. She interviewed surviving family members, read detective's notes, and even tried to interview potential suspects.

Unfortunately, this case is still unsolved which made me feel very unsatisfied with the story. She will talk about a location and then includes snippets of her life. For example; suspect went to this church then she will mention her grandma went to the same church. She includes unnecessary details about where everyone lived which may be interesting if you lived there, but not if you don't. She also included random information about fires and a potentially related case that was solved. The writing was disorganized, at times way too detailed, and ultimately led nowhere. I now realize I do not like reading true crime if it's unsolved. My interest is more in who did the crime and why they committed it. It was a slog to get through. I gave the book 2 stars.

This book comes out October 4th. The only people I recommend it to are people who live in London, Ontario and/or knew the victims.

September Wrap Up # 2

Since my last update, I've read 5 things.

I'm not a huge thriller reader typically but in the autumn, I sometimes enjoy one. I heard about The Chain by Adrian McKinty and decided to pick it up. The premise is that a woman gets a call that her daughter has been kidnapped. She must do two things in order to ensure her child's safe return; she must pay a ransom, and she must kidnap another child to continue to chain. Similarly to the last thriller I read, this was a bit far-fetched but held me captive. I read the book in just two days. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed but overall, a good read. I gave the book 4 stars.

I then picked up The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa translated by Stephen Snyder. This was a Japanese dystopian that I had been hearing a lot of buzz about. The characters live on an island and things keep disappearing. The people then forget the things and destroy any remnants that exist. There are some people who don't forget and they are taken away by the Memory Police. It was very reminiscent of the book 1984 in which a society is being controlled by a group at the top, but what fell flat for me is the citizens didn't do much to protest or rebel. Overall, disappointing and something that will quickly fade from my memory. I gave it 3 stars.

I only have two more challenges for my Book Riot Read Harder challenge so I decided to use this next book to cross off one more task. I read Under the Painted Sky by Stacey Lee as my historical romance by an author of color. This was a YA western/romance so not in my wheel-house at all but it was fairly enjoyable. A young woman of Chinese descent runs away with a slave in the 1800s to find freedom, safety, and love on the Oregon Trail. The book was fast-paced, with minimal cringe-y scenes. I gave the book 3 stars.

Afterwards, I picked up George Takei's graphic memoir called They Called Us Enemy which documents his time in a Japanese internment camp in the 1940's. This was a period of history I knew little about and felt that the story was informative and interesting. I found it especially poignant when he compared his time being unlawfully detained to the border camps that are currently detaining incoming immigrants. While not the same thing, it's important to learn from our mistakes and I felt this information was crucial to current day events. I gave the book 3.5 stars.

The last book I finished was Almost Love by Louise O'Neill. This book was described as a book about an unhealthy relationship, an obsessive love, and possibly abuse. It definitely wasn't quite how I expected. A woman does get in an unhealthy relationship with a man 20 years her senior but he makes it clear from the start that he just wants no-strings sex. She agrees to that but then keeps wanting more. When he's clear that he has nothing more to offer her, she goes back and forth wanting him but being afraid to ask since she knows what he'll say. She was an extremely unlikable character with very little growth. I didn't connect to her and felt she was whiny and in a situation completely of her own making. I gave the book 2.5 stars.

September Wrap Up #1

So I've done a poor job updating you on my reading but so far I've been sticking pretty close to my TBR.

I'm going to split this into two parts, the first covering the first five books I read this month.

I picked up the graphic memoir Hostage by Guy Delisle. This was his account of being kidnapped in a part of Russia during his time with Doctors Without Borders. The story was captivating but also captured the boredom he endured being trapped in a small room for weeks on end. The art style wasn't my favorite, with only shades of blue and gray but his story was definitely interesting. This was translated from French. I gave it 3 stars.

Then I listened to Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson This is a amnesia thriller about a woman who loses her memory every night when she goes to sleep. She starts to embark on writing down her truths and finds she cannot trust her husband. Is he lying to protect her or is he hiding something? This was a bit unbelievable but still a compelling read. I will say that there is not much of a twist but since I do not read many thrillers, I did not need something too shocking. I gave it 2.5 stars.

Eagerly, I picked up my pre-order To be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers. I have read her three previous books and enjoyed them immensely, but unfortunately, I was disappointed by this novella. I think the thing Becky Chambers does best is create really well-rounded characters but because she decided to use the majority of the book with world-building instead, the characters were pretty flat. It is an adventure story of future astronauts going on a habitable world tour to learn more about different planets that can host human life. There were some interesting ideas on how they could adapt to specific challenges but overall, I just wanted more. I gave it 2.5 stars.

After reading some meh books, I decided to listen to a re-read of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. I find listening to a favorite can sometimes jump start me out of a slump. It was phenomenal and I finished it within a few days. I'm hoping to hold on to this last one so I can finish sometime around Christmas.

Finally, my library hold on The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead came in. This is a story based on a real-life reform school in Florida. The story is about a teen boy named Elwood who has a promising future when a simple association with crime gets him sent to this school. The corruption, beatings, and sexual assaults are horrifying and it especially hurts because he doesn't deserve to be there. This left a strong impression and I will search out other books by this author. I gave the book 4 stars.

August NEWTs Wrap Up

I did it! I became a Hogwarts Charms Professor.

I needed 7 NEWTs and I completed 10.

I needed A,E,O in Charms. I needed A, E in Defense against the Dark Arts, and 2 additional A's in other subjects I wished to teach.

Charms 
Acceptable: Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
Exceeds Expectation: Monster Volume 2 by Naoki Urasawa
Outstanding: Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

Defense Against the Dark Arts
Acceptable: An Unrestored Woman by Shoba Rao
Exceeds Expectation: Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell

Transfiguration
Acceptable: The Binding by Bridget Collins

Herbology
Acceptable: Becoming by Michelle Obama

Care of Magical Creatures
Acceptable: As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman
Exceeds Expectation: Dawn by Selahattin Demirtas

Arithmancy
Acceptable: The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

September TBR

This is a somewhat challenging TBR because I am having guests visit for a week and will be able to get little reading accomplished. However, these are the books I want/need to read so this is my TBR.

1. Under the Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
2. Almost Love by Louise O'Neill
3. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa translated by Steven Snyder
4. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
5. The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig (an 800 page behemoth!)
6. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
7. The Forest City Killer by Vanessa Brown
8. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
9. The Chain by Adrian McKinty

August Wrap up #3

Since I've updated you, I've read three more books.

I picked up An Unrestored Woman by Shoba Rao which is a collection of paired short stories focusing on the partition of India and Pakistan. While I knew little about the historical event, I don't felt this shed much light on it. The stories were overall bleak but forgettable. I gave the collection 2 stars.

Then I listened to the audiobook of The Binding by Bridget Collins. This is a magical realism story about book bindings. People go to a book binder to remove unwanted memories and store them safely in a book. The book is about Emmett, who becomes a bookbinder apprentice and learns there's a book with his name on it. What did he choose to forget? It was gripping, beautifully written, with lovely and flawed characters. I really enjoyed it and know I'll want to reread in the future. I gave it 4.5 stars.

Lastly, I read Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell. This is a YA fantasy about Kellen who lives in a society where magic=power and he has very little. He uses trickery to enhance his small amount of magic. This was very fast paced and made me want to pick up the next in the series. I gave it 4 stars.

With only about a week left in the month, I'm unsure if I'll finish anything else before September.

Mid-Year Check In on Resoutions

I'm a bit late with this, but I thought I'd check in with my resolutions to let you know how it's going so far.

Goal 1: Complete 40 books for the Popsugar Challenge- I've completed 35 out of 40 challenges.

Goal 2: Complete 24 books for the Read Harder Challenge- I've completed 22 out of the 24 challenges.

Goal 3: Accept, read, and review at least 6 ARCS- I've accepted 6, but I still have 2 left to read and review.

Goal 4: Read at least 2 books from my owned TBR each month- I've read 23 so far which is definitely ahead of schedule.

Goal 5: Read at least 5 translated books- Knocked this out of the park. I've read 8 so far.

I'm kicking ass at my challenges even though I completely forgot about my fourth and fifth goals. I'm already thinking about goals for next year.

August Wrap Up Week #2

This past week I've read four books.

The first I finished was Nomadland by Jessica Bruder. This is a nonfiction book focusing on older and poor Americans who used to have stable jobs and homes but due to the Great Recession of 2008, they've have been forced into a nomadic lifestyle. These people sold their homes (usually at a great loss) or had them foreclosed. They then live in a van, RV, camper, or bus driving around finding temporary work which was grueling and usually provided little money and no insurance. While I found the topic fascinating, I took issue with how the author wrote about this sad phenomenon. She portrayed these individuals as adventurers embarking on a exciting prospect rather than rootless, destitute elderly people pushing themselves until they die because they can't afford retirement or a home. I gave the book 3 stars.


The next book I read was The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia translated by Simon Bruni. This was a beautifully written, magical realism story about a family living in Mexico during the revolution and Spanish flu epidemic. The story follows a boy named Simonipio who can communicate with bees and see glimpses of the future. He tries to use this knowledge to keep his adopted family safe from the dangers around him. It was a lovely sweeping family saga and I gave it 4.5 stars.


Then I picked up a short story collection titled Dawn by Selahattin Demirtas translated by Amy Marie Spangler and Kate Ferguson. This was written by a Turkish political prisoner who currently has a sentence of 183 years. He wrote stories of things he knew to be true in the Middle East, especially with women having little freedoms. The first story called Sehar is horrifying and immediately wounded me as it is about a honor killing. Some of the other stories don't seem as well thought-out, almost more like a prompt than a complete story. I gave the collection 3 stars.

The last book I picked up was a graphic novel called As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman. This is a graphic novel about a dark-skinned girl who is questioning her sexuality at an all-white Christian camp. I think this could be powerful to other young girls who are struggling to find a way for religion and sexuality to harmoniously coincide, but as an adult, I felt the story was lacking an ending. I ended up giving the book 2 stars.

August Wrap Up Week 1

I've read 4 things this week. A short story, a manga, a biography, and a favorite of the year.

I picked up The Best Girls by Min Jin Lee on Amazon because I have prime so it was available to "check out" for free. It was 18 pages of the role of girls and women in an Asian society. It was marked as a horror but only became horrifying at the very end. I enjoyed the twist and the writing. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Then, after five months on my library holds list,  I listened to Becoming by Michelle Obama. I like that she narrated herself and found joy in some of the tidbits she shared, like Barack was always running late and never picked up his socks/mess. The first half was more enjoyable than the second as it felt more like a story in the beginning but devolved into a list of events. Overall, a good read. I gave it 4 stars.

Concurrently, I read Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton. This is one of my favorite books I've read this year. The story is about a young man growing up in Australia, his life immersed in a criminal drug ring. His babysitter is a ex-convict who was charged with murdering a taxi driver. His brother is mute and his parents sell heroin. This was zany, poignant, and just a wonderful coming of age story. I gave it 5 stars.

Lastly, I picked up Monster volume 2 by Naoki Urasawa. This is a manga following a doctor who chooses to save the life of a young boy instead of a politician. The little boy is a monster, a serial killer who repays the doctor by killing anyone the doctor has a problem with. However, it just looks like the doctor is the serial killer and the police suspect him. This continues on from the first volume. I gave it 3.5 stars.

ARC Review of The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

I received an ARC of The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri. This book is about a married couple, Nuri and Afra, who have lost their young child to the war in Syria and decide to flee to England. This book is told in two timelines, the present where they are living in England, applying for asylum, and the past journey of leaving Syria and all the hardships they faced. This novel examines the difficulties of fleeing a war-torn country and really gives refugees a voice. This story helps people in safe countries understand more about why refugees want to come to a new country--even with all the problems that arise.

This story was heartbreaking; examining PTSD and grief in a really palpable way. I really grew attached to the characters and wanted so badly for everything to work out. I will say the only thing I wish was different was it didn't include much background info about Syria or their civil war. I didn't know much about it and had to Google for some answers on reasons behind the fighting. I gave this book 4 stars.

This book will be published on August 27, 2019 and I encourage you to pick it up.

N.E.W.T.s TBR for August 2019

It's that time of year again when I can sit my NEWTs for Hogwarts. I finished all 12 prompts of the O.W.L.s so I can choose any career I want. I've decided to go for Hogwarts Professor of Charms.
That requires me to read 7 books.

I need an O in Charms, an E in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and 2 A's in other subjects.

The books I'm reading for Charms are:
A: Read a book with a gorgeous cover- Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
E: Read a comic/graphic novel/ or manga- Monster Vol 2 by Naoki Urasawa
O: Read a paperback book- Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

The books I'm reading for D.A.D.A. are:
A: Read a book that is black under the dust jacket- All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison
E: Memory charm-read the first book you think of- Lirael by Garth Nix

I have a few choices for A's. Here are the ones I'm considering. I need to read at least two of these.

Herbology: Listen to an audiobook- Becoming by Michelle Obama
Ancient Runes: Read a recommended book- The Binding by Bridget Collins
Arithmancy: Read a book that ends on an even number- Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia
History of Magic: Read a fantasy- Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

July Reading Wrap Up #2

I feel like I'm finally getting out of my reading slump. For the latter half of July, I have read 4 more books.

The first was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. This is my favorite of the series. I think re-reading a favorite book is a good way to break up a slump. I gave it 5 stars.

Then I picked up The One Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed out of His Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. This was a contemporary adventure story originally written in Swedish. The old man decides he wants an alcoholic drink but the nursing home won't allow it. So he decides to run away. The chapters alternate between his adventure and his past which was also quite exciting. It felt a bit like Forrest Gump because he was involved in a number of huge historical events spanning the world and met a number of political leaders. I had heard it was funny but I was disappointed by the lack of humor. Things got absurd, but not really funny. I gave the book 3 stars.

Afterwards, my library let me know the graphic novel Sugar Town by Hazel Newlevant was available. This was about a young bisexual woman who traveled to her parents' house for the holidays. She then meets a polyamorous queer woman named Argent at a club and the rest of the story is about navigating a polyamorous relationship. At only 56 pages, it felt too short with very little plot or character development. I'm hoping for a sequel but as it stands, it only garnered 3 stars.

Lastly, I finished listening to What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randal Munroe. This was a great audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton. The author Munroe used to work at NASA, but then he quit and formed his own comic website. This mixed science and math with lots of humor. Additionally, because each chapter is based on a different questions, it was easy to pick up and read just a little bit more. I gave it 4 stars and would highly recommend it. (But make sure to follow along with the actual book because of the comics included)

ARC Review of Hollow Kingdom

I received an ARC of Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton.

Unfortunately I did not like this book. Had it not been an ARC, I would've DNF'd it.

The premise is a zombie apocalypse has wiped out humanity and we see the events through the eyes of several animals, most living in Seattle. Our main protagonist is a crow named Shit Turd. While I do not mind some vulgarity, this book reads as if an immature boy wrote it. There were many fart and poop jokes, lots of profanity, and a general a juvenile sense of humor. I'll give you some examples:

"as awkward as an elevator fart."
"Thanks, dick-wad"
calling humans "Mofos"
"douche canoe"
"yarfed"
"F*** off, you douche flute!"
"You could have heard a dust mite queef in there."

The crow would often describe other birds in extremely negative and immature ways. Some things he said included:
"turd waffle"
"...a bunch of poop terrorists"
"a giant troupe of swamp donkeys...elitist toot cabbages"
"...their faces, those dildo-nosed potatoes."
"And I definitely wouldn't tell those a** trumpets."
"F***ing newspaper-colored, ice-balled dick goblins, yeah, that's who you want as your brand ambassador."
"I hated these inky fools, these lentil-brained a** noodles."

I felt like maybe the author was trying to go for a South Park type humor; but unfortunately it was just vulgar with very little humor. I will admit a few entries did make me laugh.

Sometimes the tone of the book changed and the author used several big words, some I had to look up the definition. But with two, she repetitively used the same phrases "glaucous-winged gulls" and "nictitating membranes." The inconsistency between vulgar language and more sophisticated wording was distracting.


While my largest problem with the book was the writing, I also had problems with the lack of an  overarching plot. Most of the time, I didn't know what the characters were supposed to be doing. It seemed more a series of random adventures. The concept was inventive, but the author had too many ideas and was not able to pull them together. Overall, I found the book to be disorganized, crude, and ultimately, a big waste of time. I gave it 1 star.

The book will be released August 6, 2019.