Back in the Game with More Reading Challenges ☾

Hello everyone!
I know I've kind of abandoned this blog, but I'm back and starting it up once more, hoping to stick with it and update regularly.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump the past couple of months, and have just recently gotten out of that slump with some great books! It may be a little late in the year to start a reading challenge, but I'm going to count the books I've already completed toward this challenge, and hopefully this will keep me motivated to read more.

This is the POPSUGAR 2016 reading challenge! I attempted the 2015 version last year and unfortunately didn't complete it, but I'm much more determined this time around. I will be doubling up on some of the challenges, if a book happens to complete two or more. Here are the categories, and I will be crossing them off as I go:

• a book based on a fairy tale
• a National Book Award winner
• a YA bestseller
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• a book you haven't read since high school 
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• a book set in your home state (or country, given I live in Canada)
• a book translated to English
• a romance set in the future
• a book set in Europe
• a book that's under 150 pages
• Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling
• a New York Times bestseller
• a book that's becoming a movie this year
• a book recommended by someone you just met 
• a self-improvement book
• a book you can finish in a day 
• a book written by a celebrity 
• a political memoir 
• a book at least 100 years older than you
• a book that's more than 600 pages
• a book from Oprah's Book Club
• a science fiction novel 
• Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
• a book recommended by a family member
• a graphic novel 
• a book that is published in 2016
• The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
• a book with a protagonist who has your occupation
• a book that takes place during Summer
• a book and its prequel
• a murder mystery
• a book written by a comedian 
• a dystopian novel
• The 100 by Kass Morgan
• a book with a blue cover
• The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
• a book of poetry
• the first book you see in a bookstore
• a classic from the 20th century 
• a book from the library 
• an autobiography
• a book about a road trip
• a book about a culture you're unfamiliar with
• a satirical book
• a book that takes place on an island 
• a book that's guaranteed to bring you joy

Total Completed: 7/40

Book Review | Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

"It makes me cry because it means that fewer and fewer people are believing it's cool to want what I want, which is to be married and have kids and love each other in a monogamous, long-lasting relationship."

Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Author: Mindy Kaling

Genre: Non Fiction - Memoir

Length: 222 pages

Publication Date: November 1st, 2011

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Format: Paperback

Goodreads

Synopsis:

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?” In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

Review:

First of all, funny lady memoirs are my thing right now. It started with Lena Dunham's memoir (Not That Kind of Girl) and is continuing with this one. Bossypants and Yes Please are most definitely next on my list. But anyway, this book is a masterpiece. It is so completely Mindy inside and out, her voice as a writer is incredible. I could hear her saying everything as I was reading it, and I loved it. By the time the book ended I was sad, as it meant I had to say goodbye to a friend. 

Mindy is an inspirational and hilarious woman. First of all, she's not skinny and she knows it. She accepts it. That's something so admirable. One of my favourite parts in her book is when she's talking about her weight, and she says being skinny isn't something she really cares to do. It's low on her list of things to accomplish, and I love that. I love that she doesn't care. She's amazing. 

She's such a hardworking woman, which is something else I really admire. She's gotten so far, knowing from a young age exactly what she wanted to do and going for it-- and she made it happen. I really look up to everything she went through to get where she is today. I just really love this book, it has a really special place in my heart and I've gained so much love and respect for this woman, it's insane. I think I rank this book above Not That Kind of Girl, which is saying a lot. Lena Dunham has been my role model and inspiration for a long time, and now she's sharing the spotlight with Mindy.

Self acceptance is something a lot of people have trouble with (myself including) and Mindy just discusses it so well in this book, without ever really discussing it. I think everyone should read this book, every gender and age could take something away from it, and I love that. 

Have I mentioned that I love this book? 

Rating: ★★★★★

Book Review | The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

"In the end, the tortures tearing the Lisbon girls pointed to a simple reasoned refusal to accept the world as it was handed down to them, so full of flaws."

Title: The Virgin Suicides

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Format: Ebook

Source: Bought

Genre: YA Contemporary

Goodreads

SPOILER FREE

Blurb:

The shocking thing about the five Lisbon sisters was how nearly normal they seemed when their mother let them out for the one and only date of their lives. Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshipped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sisters' breathtaking appearance on the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear. 

Plot: ★★★.5

I enjoyed the plot quite a bit, it was different from anything else I'd ever read. The book is told from the point of view of a group of guys that are obsessed with the Lisbon sisters, watching them and analyzing everything they do. Even 20 years down the road after the suicides, the boys are still obsessed with these girls, compiling everything they can find that had anything to do with them. This point of view can get creepy at times, especially near the end when you find out that the infatuation never went away. And this POV also results in a sort of disconnect from the characters, making it hard to really relate to the story. The way the story is told is definitely different, and I'm not sure if I liked it or not. Also, there was too much stuff in the story that I didn't care about, and not enough that I did care about.

Characters: ★★★

Like I said, it was hard to connect to any of the characters, it always felt like we were on the outside, unable to break the barrier between us and the Lisbon sisters. I felt I didn't get enough information about them. Cecilia and Lux were the only two sisters that stood out and felt as though they had a personality of their own, the other three just blended in with one another. I often couldn't tell who was who, Also, the guys who were telling the story weirded me out, and I hated the Lisbon parents. They were so useless. 

Writing: ★★★★★

This was the best part of the book. Jeffrey Eugenides has such an incredible writing style. It's beautiful and poetic, and he uses analogies that are so out of the ordinary (some of them were a little too weird, but I still could appreciate them). I definitely want to read his other two books, just because I loved the writing style so much.

Ending: ★★★★

The ending was good, it got real and made me think about everything. The middle dragged on so much that the ending was kind of a relief, it was as fast paced and interesting as the beginning was. I may have cried a little bit. 

Rereadability: I think so. I think it's one of those books you should read more than once. 

Final Rating: ★★★★

[Note: This was the Better Read Than Dead Book Club (x) read of the month! We will be doing a live show on Saturday, January 31st at 3pm EST discussing this book in great detail. Check it out if you're interested.]

More Reading Challenges?

I felt like pushing myself this upcoming year with some more reading challenges (keep in mind that I will still be working on the Rory Gilmore reading challenge... slowly but surely), and I found this one online. The link to the actual website is right here, but I'll be copying and pasting the list to this post so I can cross them off as I complete them, and let you know exactly which books I read for each challenge.

• A book with more than 500 pages
• A classic romance
• A book that became a movie
• A book published this year
• A book with a number in the title
• A book written by someone under 30
• A book with nonhuman characters
• Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
• A funny book
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
• A book by a female author
• A mystery or thriller
• A book with a one-word title
• Anthem by Ayn Rand
• A book of short stories
• A book set in a different country
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• A nonfiction book
• A popular author's first book
• The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
• A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
• A book a friend recommended
• A Pulitzer Prize winning book
• A book based on a true story
• A book at the bottom of your to-read list
• A book your mom loves
• A book that scares you
• A book more than 100 years old
• A book based entirely on its cover
• A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
• A memoir
• A book you can finish in a day
• Socks by Beverly Cleary
• A book with antonyms in the title
• A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
• A book that came out the year you were born
• A book with bad reviews
• A trilogy
• A book from your childhood
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
• A book with a love triangle
• A book set in the future
• A book set in high school
• A book with a colour in the title
• A book that made you cry
• A book with magic
• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
• A graphic novel
• A book by an author you've never read before
• A book you own but have never read
• A book that takes place in your hometown
• A book that was originally written in a different language
• A book set during Christmas
• A book written by an author with you same initials
• A play
• A banned book
• A book based on or turned into a TV show
• The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
• A book you started but never finished

Total Challenges Completed 9/50

December Wrap Up!

1. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Wrapped up this series at the very beginning of December, and I'm very happy with this conclusion to the haunting trilogy. You can see my full series review here with a spoiler-free section and a part discussing some spoiler-y things!

Rating: ★★★★★

2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I really enjoyed this! It was sad and heartfelt, and I really enjoyed the flashback aspect of this book. We got to learn so much about Mia and her family that way, and I just found the whole thing interesting. I didn't really connect to any of the characters in particular though, and I did find the writing immature. Still debating on whether or not to do a full review - I might wait until I read the sequel.

Rating: ★★★★

3. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Lots of YA this month, huh? This book was absolutely amazing, though. It was beautiful and cute and heartwarming/heartbreaking. It was just as happy as it was sad, with a great ending. It just dealt with a lot of topics in a way that I have really seen before in YA - including sex. Sex was treated as though it wasn't a huge deal, which I really liked. It was just done in an excellent way, and I loved the scrapbook and playlist aspect of the book! Time to read more Morgan Matson.

Rating: ★★★★★

4. Judging a Book by its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere by Lauren Leto

Thought I'd throw in a non-fiction to mix it up, since I don't read nearly as many as I would like. This book I enjoyed a lot, it's nice to read from the perspective of someone who loves books equally as much as I do. Books about books are a dream come true. However, the author's voice was very... pretentious. She came off as though she was bragging the entire time, and it was hard to get past. The first half of the book I loved, but I found myself skimming through the last half. It was getting boring and repetitive, and I just wasn't into it anymore. If the book was written with a less condescending and arrogant voice, I think I would have enjoyed it more. But hey, did you know Kurt Vonnegut coined the phrase "flying fuck"?

Rating: ★★★

5. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

I've never been a big fan of new adult, and the first half of this book I had a lot of problems with. I didn't like the writing, the the story seemed cliche, and it was pretty predictable to me at first. I find a lot of new adult books seem like they're more fanfiction that actual novels, just because of the writing style. This one wasn't an exception at first, but then it got so much better. The story took a turn I wasn't expecting, the main character became so much easier to relate to, and it broke my heart. I was sobbing near the end, the characters were so great and their development was perfect. If you're trying to read this, I highly recommend you stick with it, because it gets so much better near the end.

Rating: ★★★★

6. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This was a weird one... I don't really know how I feel about it. I found myself skimming some parts of it since it didn't really make sense to me. But then there were some parts that were really wise and I think overall, the book had a good message. It just wasn't really for me.

Rating: ★★★

Those are all of the books I finished this month, but I also wanted to talk about one that I started and did not finish.

My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

I ended up reading the first three stories from this anthology before I got bored, so I'll tell you my ratings of those three.

Midnight by Rainbow Rowell: ★★★★★

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link: ★

Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena: ★★★

I don't know, I enjoyed this for the most part, but I think I'm going to put it down. I'm just really not in the mood for this any more with the end of the holidays, and I don't feel like it's worth carrying over into the new year. 

That's all for this month, guys! I hope you all had a fantastic new year :) 

Currently Reading

Hey guys, it's been a while, hasn't it? I've been on here to update my December wrap-up, but I haven't posted anything in a few weeks, so I thought I'd tell you what I'm currently reading.

I'm one of those horrible, confusing people that read several books at the same time. I start books and don't ever pick them up again, instead turning to something else. So, these are the books I am currently in the middle of or have started within the last couple of months, and ones that I plan on finishing very soon.

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

This is the one that I'm really into at the moment. I just started it today, and I'm already 100 pages in. It's fast paced and keeps you entertained, and I'm really enjoying the writing style. It's a Christmas book, and even though Christmas is over, I'm still very much in the holiday spirit and this is a great read this time of year. 

My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

According to my ereader, I am 8% done this book. I've only read the first story, which I really enjoyed. I plan on finishing this before the new year, even though again, this is a holiday book and the holidays are basically over. 

Sophie's Choice by William Styron

I'm only about 20 pages into this book, but I'm enjoying it so far. It's a massive book, and I know it's going to send me on an emotional journey, one that I'm not sure I'm ready for. I'm taking my time with this one, but I hope to get further into it very soon. 

Bone by Jeff Smith

I'm reading the bind up of all of the volumes, which is massive. I'm 235 pages in out of 1341. I left this in my dorm room though, so I haven't been able to pick it up at all this month. I'm hoping to finish this within the first couple months of the new year though! It's just a fun, light read. 

So, these are the four books that I'm currently into! I'd like to finish the first two by the end of December (3 days!), but the other two I'm taking my time with. I need 2 more books to complete my Goodreads goal, so I hope I can do it!

TMI Book Survey!

So, this is a tag taken from BookTube (called the TMI Tag - BookTube Edition), that I thought I would answer here, because it seems like a lot of fun! It's basically just me answering a bunch of book related questions, let's go! (The original can be found here.)

1. Who's clothing style from a book do you like?

The first person that comes to mind is Isabelle Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments, because she has a really kickass sense of fashion. I feel like I would also love Bronwyn's from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, because she seems to know what she's talking about. Or anyone from any book set in the 1800s because yes please.

2. Your book boyfriend/fictional crush?

Oh my. Are you really asking me to chose just one? I'm going to have to go with Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs from The Infernal Devices. They're from the same book so I can have both, right?

3. Ever loved a character but then started hating them?

Four from Divergent. Loved him in Divergent, tolerated him in Insurgent, hated him in Allegiant. I really don't like that book series at all.

4. Biggest/longest book on your shelf?

It by Stephen King. According to Goodreads it has more pages than Under the Dome, but I'm too lazy to go check my editions.

5. Heaviest book on your shelf?

Again, either It or Under the Dome by Stephen King. Or the bind up of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

6. Do you have any book posters? 

Unfortunately, I do not.

7. Do you have any book themed jewelry? 

I do! I have a Harry Potter bracelet and quite possibly some other things that I'm forgetting. 

8. Book OTP?

Probably James and Lily Potter.... but I have a lot.

9. Favourite book series?

HARRY POTTER ALL THE WAY. 

10. Favourite book to movie soundtrack?

Catching Fire was good. So was If I Stay, but I haven't actually seen that movie. 

11. A book story you miss/wish would continue?

Harry Potter. And The Infernal Devices. 

12. Favourite Standalone? 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. And Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. And a million others that I'm not going to name.

13. When did you start reading?

When I was like... 5. 

14. Which Hogwarts house are you in?

I've always been in Slytherin, but the last time I took the Pottermore quiz, it sorted me into Ravenclaw. That changed everything in my life.

15. Quality you look for in a book?

Fast paced. 

16. Favourite book quote?

"Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them."

17. Favourite author?

Sylvia Plath, J.K. Rowling, Oscar Wilde, Rainbow Rowell, Cassandra Clare, and too many others.

18. Favourite book cover. 

The Retribution of Mara Dyer! Mostly because what's on the cover was actually a scene described in the book and it made me happy. 

19. Action or romance?

BOTH. 

20. Where to you go when a sad moment happens?

Into a very dark corner from which I don't emerge for years. 

21. How long do you need to finish a book?

Depends on the book. Anywhere from an hour to a year. 

22. How long is your mourning period?

This depends. But usually I'm good after a few hours. Or days. Or years.

23. Least favourite book?

Fallen Too Far and Never Too Far by Abbi Glines. Ugh. These were SO BADLY WRITTEN and I felt offended as a woman while I was reading a lot of it. I've stayed far away from new adult ever since.

24. Turn on in a character?

Witty. 

25. Turn off in a character? 

Judgemental. 

26. Name a scary book. 

Pet Sematary by Stephen King (or anything Stephan King). 

27. Last book that made you cry?

The Cider House Rules by John Irving.

28. Last book that you gave 5 stars?

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.

29. Any favourite book titles?

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh.

30. Last book you read? 

Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere by Lauren Leto.

31. Books you're currently reading?

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham, Sophie's Choice by William Styron, Bone by Jeff Smith, and slowly but surely getting through The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales. 

32. Last book adaptation you watched?

Mockingjay part 1! 

33. A book character you've always wanted to talk to?

Draco Malfoy.

34. An author you've always wanted to talk to?

J.K. Rowling. (This is getting a bit repetitive, isn't it?)

35. Favourite book snack?

I don't eat while I read! So probably a hot beverage of any kind. 

36. Book world you want to live in?

Harry Potter! 

37. Book world you don't want to live in?

1984 by George Orwell. Or any dystopian world. 

38. Last time you smelled a book?

Probably not that long ago. 

39. Weird insults used in a book?

I can't think of any off of the top of my head, but there were probably some great ones in The Mortal Instruments. 

40. Favourite romance book?

Fangirl & Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, Anny and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, and My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I love my YA contemporaries, leave me alone.

41. Do you write?

All the time. 

42. Favourite magical item? 

Wands. 

43. Your Quidditch position?

Let's be real, I would be terrible at Quidditch.

44. Name a song you connect to a book. 

Erm. Can I say Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something to Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote? Too late, I did. 

45. Favourite book related chat up line?

YOU LIKE BOOKS? COOL, SO DO I. 

46. Have you ever used it?

Unfortunately, I have.

47. Favourite book fandom?

Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. 

48. How many books do you own?

I'm going to say around 200, give or take. I don't actually know. 

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

Hello lovely readers!

So, recently I've decided that I'm going to tackle the Rory Gilmore reading challenge, which basically just means reading every book that's ever been mentioned on Gilmore Girls (which is one of my all time favourite shows). It's a very, very long list that is going to take me a very, very long time, but there are some gems on here that I'm looking forward to reading!

I'm going to post the list in this post, and I'll keep it updated and cross them off as I read (some I've already read -- go me!).

1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
5. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
6. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
9. The Archidamian War by Donald Kagan
10. The Art of Fiction by Henry James
11. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
12. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
13. Atonement by Ian McEwan
14. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
15. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
16. Babe by Dick King-Smith
17. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi
18. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
19. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
20. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
21. Beloved by Toni Morrison
22. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
23. The Bhagava Gita
24. The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews by Peter Duffy
25. Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel
26. A Bolt from the Blue and Other Essays by Mary McCarthy
27. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
28. Brick Lane by Monica Ali
29. Bridgadoon by Alan Jay Lerner
30. Candide by Voltaire
31. The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
32. Carrie by Stephen King
33. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
34. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
35. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
36. The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman
37. Christine by Stephen King
38. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
39. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
40. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
41. The Collected Stories by Eudora Welty
42. A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
43. Complete Novels by Dawn Powell
44. The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
45. Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker
46. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
47. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
48. Cousin Bette by Honore de Balzac
49. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
50. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
51. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
52. Cujo by Stephen King
53. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
54. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
55. David and Lisa by Dr Theodore Issac Rubin M.D
56. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
57. The Da Vinci -Code by Dan Brown
58. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
59. Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
60. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
61. Deenie by Judy Blume
62. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
63. The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx
64. The Divine Comedy by Dante
65. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
66. Don Quixote by Cervantes
67. Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhrv
68. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
69. Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
70. Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook
71. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
72. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
73. Eloise by Kay Thompson
74. Emily the Strange by Roger Reger
75. Emma by Jane Austen
76. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
77. Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
78. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
79. Ethics by Spinoza
80. Europe through the Back Door, 2003 by Rick Steves
81. Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
82. Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
83. Extravagance by Gary Krist
84. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
85. Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore
86. The Fall of the Athenian Empire by Donald Kagan
87. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by Greg Critser
88. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
89. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
90. Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein
91. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
92. Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce
93. Fletch by Gregory McDonald
94. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
95. The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
96. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
97. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
98. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
99. Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
100. Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
101. Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
102. George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg
103. Gidget by Fredrick Kohner
104. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
105. The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
106. The Godfather: Book 1 by Mario Puzo
107. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
108. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Alvin Granowsky
109. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
110. The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford
111. The Gospel According to Judy Bloom
112. The Graduate by Charles Webb
113. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
114. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
115. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
116. The Group by Mary McCarthy
117. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
118. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
119. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
120. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
121. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
122. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
123. Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare
124. Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare
125. Henry V by William Shakespeare
126. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
127. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
128. Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris
129. The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton
130. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
131. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
132. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
133. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
134. How the Light Gets In by M. J. Hyland
135. Howl by Allen Ginsberg
136. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
137. The Iliad by Homer
138. I’m With the Band by Pamela des Barres
139. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
140. Inferno by Dante
141. Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
142. Iron Weed by William J. Kennedy
143. It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton
144. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
145. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
146. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
147. The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain
148. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
149. Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito
150. The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
151. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
152. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
153. Lady Chatterleys’ Lover by D. H. Lawrence
154. The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 by Gore Vidal
155. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
156. The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield
157. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
158. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
159. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
160. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
161. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
162. The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway
163. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
164. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
165. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
166. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
167. The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
168. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
169. The Love Story by Erich Segal
170. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
171. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
172. The Manticore by Robertson Davies
173. Marathon Man by William Goldman
174. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
175. Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
176. Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman
177. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
178. The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
179. Mencken’s Chrestomathy by H. R. Mencken
180. The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
181. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
182. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
183. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
184. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
185. The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion by Jim Irvin
186. Moliere: A Biography by Hobart Chatfield Taylor
187. A Monetary History of the United States by Milton Friedman
188. Monsieur Proust by Celeste Albaret
189. A Month Of Sundays: Searching For The Spirit And My Sister by Julie Mars
190. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
191. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
192. Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
193. My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and It’s Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh
194. My Life as Author and Editor by H. R. Mencken
195. My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by Tim Guest
196. Myra Waldo’s Travel and Motoring Guide to Europe, 1978 by Myra Waldo
197. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
198. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
199. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
200. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
201. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
202. Nervous System: Or, Losing My Mind in Literature by Jan Lars Jensen
203. New Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
204. The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
205. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
206. Night by Elie Wiesel
207. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
208. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism by William E. Cain, Laurie A. Finke, Barbara E. Johnson, John P. McGowan
209. Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, Magic Wheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell
210. Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
211. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
212. Old School by Tobias Wolff
213. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
214. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
215. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
216. The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
217. Oracle Night by Paul Auster
218. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
219. Othello by Shakespeare
220. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
221. The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
222. Out of Africa by Isac Dineson
223. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
224. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
225. The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition by Donald Kagan
226. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
227. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
228. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
229. Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington
230. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
231. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
232. The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
233. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
234. The Portable Nietzche by Fredrich Nietzche
235. The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill by Ron Suskind
236. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
237. Property by Valerie Martin
238. Pushkin: A Biography by T. J. Binyon
239. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
240. Quattrocento by James Mckean
241. A Quiet Storm by Rachel Howzell Hall
242. Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers
243. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
244. The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
245. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
246. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
247. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
248. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
249. Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad by Virginia Holman
250. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien
251. R Is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
252. Rita Hayworth by Stephen King
253. Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Robert
254. Roman Holiday by Edith Wharton
255. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
256. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
257. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
258. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
259. The Rough Guide to Europe, 2003 Edition
260. Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi
261. Sanctuary by William Faulkner
262. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
263. Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller by Henry James
264. The Scarecrow of Oz by Frank L. Baum
265. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
266. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
267. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
268. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
269. Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman
270. Selected Hotels of Europe
271. Selected Letters of Dawn Powell: 1913-1965 by Dawn Powell
272. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
273. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
274. Several Biographies of Winston Churchill
275. Sexus by Henry Miller
276. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
277. Shane by Jack Shaefer
278. The Shining by Stephen King
279. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
280. S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton
281. Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
282. Small Island by Andrea Levy
283. Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
284. Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers
285. Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World by Barrington Moore
286. The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht
287. Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos by Julia de Burgos
288. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker
289. Songbook by Nick Hornby
290. The Sonnets by William Shakespeare
291. Sonnets from the Portuegese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Warner Bros. Television / Via bellesbookshelf.blogspot.com
292. Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
293. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
294. Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
295. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
296. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
297. A Streetcar Named Desiree by Tennessee Williams
298. Stuart Little by E. B. White
299. Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
300. Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
301. Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals by Anne Collett
302. Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
303. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
304. Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
305. Term of Endearment by Larry McMurtry
306. Time and Again by Jack Finney
307. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
308. To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
309. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
310. The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare
311. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
312. The Trial by Franz Kafka
313. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
314. Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett
315. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
316. Ulysses by James Joyce
317. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath
318. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
319. Unless by Carol Shields
320. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
321. The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyers
322. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
323. Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series) by Joe Harvard
324. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
325. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
326. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
327. Walt Disney’s Bambi by Felix Salten
328. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
329. We Owe You Nothing – Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews edited by Daniel Sinker
330. What Colour is Your Parachute? 2005 by Richard Nelson Bolles
331. What Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell
332. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
333. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
334. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee
335. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
336. The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
337. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
338. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
339. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Total Completed Books: 23/339

Series Review | Mara Dyer Trilogy

"If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If we were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one."

  

Title: Mara Dyer Trilogy (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer, and The Retribution of Mara Dyer)

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Series: Trilogy

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Ebook

Source: Own

Genre: YA Paranormal

Goodreads

 MOSTLY SPOILER FREE UNTIL SPECIFIED

Blurb:

Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can. She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is. She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.

Plot: ★★★★★

The plot is amazing. It's mysterious and suspenseful, and keeps you hooked throughout all of the books. There are so many cliffhangers and these books are definitely page turners. It's very well thought out throughout most of the trilogy, I just felt the last book was a bit rushed at the end. Like the author is trying desperately to tie up loose ends, but misses a bunch of them. I would love a novella or even just a little extra at the end of this book to clear up some other unanswered questions, but I do love the twists and turns the books took, for the most part. 

Characters: ★★★★★

Oh my goodness, the characters are amazing. I have a thing for unreliable narrators, and this story definitely has one. But Mara is strong, and fierce, and stands up for herself, and does what she has to in the face of danger. She is no way dependent or weak. And then Noah Shaw. I shouldn't even have to say any more, Noah Shaw is just the epitome of everything I love in a character. He's funny, and adorable, and charming, and he loves Mara so completely and unconditionally, and he's just perfect. He has a tragic backstory I would love to know more about, and his arrogance and humour are just so...perfect. There's no other way to describe him. I think I could go on forever. And then there's Jamie, whom I love so much. He's funny and seemingly carefree and he's understanding and the perfect friend to Mara. I love kickass friendships like this one. And of course Daniel is another really important figure in Mara's life, and I love how he comes in near the end of the last book and helps them through everything AND I LOVE THAT HE BELIEVES MARA. The fact that Mara would do anything for him and her family is so heartwarming and beautiful. I really dislike her parents, but I think that's the point. They try to do what's good for her, but that have no idea. They're just ignorant, it's not their fault. And even the villains in this series you love to hate, and sort of feel bad for them when you discover their backstories. Like Jude, you can't help but feel sympathy toward him, even if you still hate him. All of the characters are just really well rounded and you can tell there is a lot of thought put into them. I really appreciated all of them and their relevance to the story.

Writing: ★★★★.5

I've read better, but Michelle Hodkin definitely knows her way with words. The story was haunting and deep, and a lot of it was almost poetic. There are so many quotes in this book that stood out to me, one of the main ones being: "I felt a dragon slept inside me and exhaled poison with every breath." So beautiful. Also, I loved how in the second half of Retribution, we got to read some scenes from Noah's point of view. I liked getting into his head. 

Romance/Feels: ★★★★★

YES YES YES ALL THE FEELS. Mara and Noah are so incredibly perfect, and although they had their ups and downs, they are made for each other (quite literally). Nothing could tear them apart, and I really love that. (I also love the lack of love triangles, just saying.) It did get a little too Romeo and Juliet for me during the last book, but I can get over that.

Ending: ★★★★

This is what I had a problem with. I feel like I still have so many questions and not enough answers. I like how it was pretty much a happy ending, but I would really like to know a lot more about what happened. I'll discuss this more under the spoiler line. 

Overall Enjoyment: ★★★★★

I love this trilogy so much, and I highly recommend it. It's suspenseful, there's a ton of action and romance, it's funny, it'll probably make you cry at some points, and it's so interesting. I think there's something in here for everyone, and I just want to give these books to everyone I've ever met and tell them to read them. It kind of changed my perspective on a lot of things, in a way. I'm still in a huge book hangover. 

Rereadability: 100%

Final Rating: ★★★★★

SPOILERS NOW OCCURRING UNDER THIS CUT

OKAY so I really wanted to discuss some of the specific problems I had with this series, the last book in particular. 

• First of all, the fact that Mara and Noah both died and came back to life seriously annoyed me. It felt.. messy and unnecessary and kind of predictable. I mean, it felt obvious to me that neither of them were going to die for real, so I felt like that bit could have been left out. At least Noah's part, I think. Having it happen once would have been okay... but twice? Unrealistic. 
• Also, Stella getting fed up with Mara and leaving the group felt a little.. unnatural to me. I mean, she knew who Mara was. She had experienced her killing before, she knew that Mara could be harsh. And Jamie was in on it too, making the assholes climb down into the subway tunnel, so why wasn't she upset with him? It just felt like that was something Stella and Jamie had already accepted, and then suddenly she was up and leaving because she was scared of Mara, and Jamie had admitted that as well. I didn't get that part, and I was expecting her to come back at some point, which didn't happen. We didn't get any closure or answers about what happened to her, which really bummed me out. I loved her character. 
• Something else that bugged me with the series as a whole was how Mara would predict things, and then it would happen. It killed some of the mystery for me, and bothered me a lot. I know she's not clueless and could have guessed some of what was to happen, but I felt like the author could have... portrayed that better, I guess.
• And again with the ending, I just would really like to know what happened with Mara's parents, and Stella (like I said), and where the gang ended up and what they did and what else happened with Mara and Noah and there were just so many more questions I had. I don't feel like I got complete closure. 

All that being said, I am in love with series. Just a couple of things that bugged, but that doesn't change my opinion as a whole. It's a wonderful YA trilogy full of mystery! 

November Wrap-Up

I read a total of 6 novels and 1 short story during November!

1. The Cider House Rules by John Irving

My friend and I did a thing where we lent each other our favourite books, and this was one he gave me. He has incredible taste in books, let me tell you! This was so good! (A central theme in the novel is abortion though, so if you're not into reading about that, I wouldn't recommend it.)

Rating: ★★★★★

2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

DON'T LET THE DUMB TITLE AND CHEESY COVER FOOL YOU. This is the second book in the companion series by Stephanie Perkins, the first one being Anna and the French Kiss. I read the first one forever ago and absolutely loved it, so I don't know why I picked this one up so late! I think I may have liked this one a little better than Anna, but they're both incredible. I seriously need to read the third one. 

Rating: ★★★★★

3. The Humans by Matt Haig

I did a full review on this book, so click here if you would like to know my thoughts!

Rating: ★★★★★

4. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

A short story I had to read for my lit class, and I really enjoyed it! Insightful, beautiful, and sends a good message about identity and what is worth holding on to. 

Rating: ★★★★

5. The Outsider by Albert Camus

Another book I had to read for class! I didn't really like any of the characters, but I did like the writing style. I have a thing for unreliable narrators, and Meursault was definitely one. I found it interesting, but at the same time it wasn't really my cup of tea. I might do a full review on this. (You might also know this book as The Stranger or L'Etranger. They're all the same thing.)

Rating: ★★★

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I'm planning on doing a series review on these books when I finish the third one, so I'm not going to say much! 

Rating: ★★★★★

6. The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Saw this one coming, didn't you? Again, I plan on doing a review as soon as I finish the third book!

Rating: ★★★★★

Book Review | The Humans by Matt Haig

“Advice for a human:

86. To like something is to insult it. Love it or hate it. Be passionate. As civilisation advances, so does indifference. It is a disease. Immunize yourself with art. And love.” 

Title: The Humans

Author: Matt Haig

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Canongate Books

Format: Paperback

Source: Borrowed

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

Goodreads

~~~~~~SPOILER FREE~~~~~~

Blurb:

When an extra-terrestrial visitor arrives on Earth, his first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of Professor Andrew Martin, a prominent mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor is eager to complete the gruesome task assigned him and hurry home to his own utopian planet, where everyone is omniscient and immortal. He is disgusted by the way humans look, what they eat, their capacity for murder and war, and is equally baffled by the concepts of love and family. But as time goes on, he starts to realize there may be more to this strange species than he had thought. 

Plot: ★★★★★
Okay, I don't even know where to begin. This book really makes you think about, well, everything. It makes you question everything around you. The plot is hilarious at times and heartbreaking at others, but no matter what, the novel is incredibly honest. The concept of this is incredibly beautiful, and although at times I thought it might be going a little too fast, that was probably just because I wanted the book to last longer (forever).

Characters: ★★★★.5
I'm only giving this 4.5 because I felt as though some of the other characters could have been built up a little more! There's always the problem of relating to characters when you have a story told by an unreliable narrator like this one, but I still loved them all the same. Especially Andrew's son, I felt he was a really important character that had a good solid background.

Writing: ★★★★★
Definitely 5 stars, no question about it. The writing is almost poetic in a way, and he uses words in such a beautiful way. It's definitely one of the top books I've read as far as writing goes!

Romance/Feels: N/A
There was a relationship here, but I'm saying N/A because it wasn't really the main focus! I mean, finding love was definitely a theme, but I just don't think I should star romance in this book.

Ending: ★★★★
There were a lot of questions that weren't answered, and to be honest I just really hate open-ended questions. I like my answers.

Overall Enjoyment: ★★★★★
IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING, I ASSURE YOU. READ IT RIGHT NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T.

Rereadability: YES.

Final Rating: ★★★★★

Welcome!

Hello, friends! Welcome to my blog!

My name is Whitney, and I'm creating this blog as a way of publishing my reviews and hopefully helping others when deciding what to read next. You'll mostly find book reviews and book related things here, with a dash of movies and TV shows if I watch something I feel like reviewing/talking about! You'll also probably find some posts discussing writing, and if I'm feeling courageous I might post some of my own.

I read a lot of YA, but also a lot of classics and literature. I love books written for children, adults, and everyone in between!

Some future reviews you can expect for me are:

• Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin | Series Review
• The Stranger by Albert Camus | Book Review
• Poetry Discussion
• What I Read in November/Plan to Read in December
• And many more!

I still haven't quite figured out what format I'm going to review in quite yet, so bear with me if I'm a little all over the place to start. 

Thanks for reading, stay tuned!