Top Ten Books That Made Me CrySo, let me just get this off my chest now: I’m a crier. I cry when I watch TV, I cry when I listen to music, and I cry when I read. Sometimes it’s just welling up, sometimes it’s a solid cry, and sometimes it’s an epic sobfest. These are just some of the books that made me cry, trust me.
Adventures Through Awkwardness: Fantasy February!Welcome, friends, to month 2 of Adventures Through Awkwardness Middle Grade Challenge! Congrats on a great January!
For February, we’re focusing on one of my very favorite genres: Fantasy. Nothing quite like jumping into a made-up world with magic, dragons, and MAPS. WORD.
As always, you can choose ANY middle grade fantasy to read and review this month. It can be new, it can be old. If you’re looking for some recommendations of what to read this month, here’s some of my personal favorites!
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You’ve never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be. {Goodreads}
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’ stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. {Goodreads}
Fablehaven: Fablehaven #1 by Brandon MullFor centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite … Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most. {Goodreads}
The beginning of this year was AMAZING and bananas, friends. I read some great books, even though I’m behind on my Goodreads challenge already (of course), got to hang out with my amazing ladies, Brittany and Alyssa, and got a few snow days from work to boot! Huzzah! Love snow days! Here’s a recap of my bloggish goings-on for the month of January!
HUZZAH!! It’s finally here! Friends, Alyssa from Books Take You Places, Brittany from The Book Addict’s Guide, and I have been waiting to start this new feature and share it with you all! In case you can’t tell from the button over there, it’s called On the Same Page and it’s pretty fun (for us, and hopefully you, too!).
So, some quick background: The three of us were reading books together all the time, so we decided to make it a THING where we read one book together a month and then put together a post each about that book. It’s been in the works for months, honestly. But the most fun part of On the Same Page is that we’re not necessarily going to be doing a traditional review–although we certainly might. We’re going to try and change it up and post different things to talk about each book we read. I’m SOO excited about this, I can’t even tell you. So without further ado, WELCOME! Our first book is…
The Copper Promise by Jen Williams
There are some far-fetched rumours about the caverns beneath the Citadel…
Some say the mages left their most dangerous secrets hidden there; others, that great riches are hidden there; even that gods have been imprisoned in its darkest depths.
For Lord Frith, the caverns hold the key to his vengeance. Against all the odds, he has survived torture and lived to see his home and his family taken from him … and now someone is going to pay. For Wydrin of Crosshaven and her faithful companion, Sir Sebastian Caverson, a quest to the Citadel looks like just another job. There’s the promise of gold and adventure. Who knows, they might even have a decent tale or two once they’re done.
But sometimes there is truth in rumour.
Soon this reckless trio will be the last line of defence against a hungry, restless terror that wants to tear the world apart. And they’re not even getting paid.
DRAGONSSSSSS. So I seem to be finding all of these books lately that aren’t available in the US. This is quite a large shame in the case of THE COPPER PROMISE because HELLOOOOO OMG, there be DRAGONS in this book. Not only dragons, but “hungry, restless” ones. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. (Sorry not sorry for the CAPSLOCK, friends.)
But aside from the dragons, I just love the sound of this one. There’s a quest (QUESTS!) and what sounds like some kind of crew of a mysterious nature–what IS the deal with Wydrin, Sebastian, and Lord Frith guys?–that my interest is BEYOND piqued. Kind of dying for this to come out on this side of the pond, friends.
THE COPPER PROMISE comes out February 13, 2014 from Headline in the UK
Top Ten Worlds I’d Never Want to Live inSo this list was actually super hard, friends. I don’t often find myself NOT liking the worlds in the books I read. I might not like the way the world is built, but I don’t often find myself thinking that I’d never want to experience the places in the books even one time. Except for possibly these ten times.
Title: Revolution
Author: Jennifer Donnelly (web | twitter)
Genre: Historical Fiction YA, Contemporary YA
Amazon | Goodreads | B&N
Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
Release date: October 12, 2010
Source: ARC from BEA (Umm…that’s BEA 2010)
Summary: From the privileged streets of modern Brooklyn to the heart of the French Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.
Top Ten 2014 Debuts I’m Looking Forward ToFriends, is there anything more exciting than an debut that just gets you all JAZZED UP? Well…maybe there are a few things (oreos, new eps of Game of Thrones, cashmere), but debuts are SO CLOSE to the top! I’m always looking for debuts that are going to rock my socks right off my feet, and so I’ve got some high hopes for these 10 books. I can’t even begin to tell you how eager I am for all of them, and more.
