Autumnal Update - Top 5

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

Been chugging along, progressing in all challenges, but the blog has taken a hit due to time constraints. A new job has me focused, and currently, NaNoWriMo is well on its way.

As an update, I'd like to come up with my top 5 books I'd like to finish before the new year.

1. Turtles All the Way Down ~ John Green
I listened to John read the first chapter and I was intrigued. Having read his stuff before, his writing doesn't always jive with me, so count me surprised that I'm reading this.

2. Tower of Dawn ~ Sarah J. Maas
Gotta find out what happened to Chaol. Reviews are coming back positive, so I'm looking forward to this read.

3. Autonomous ~ Annalee Newitz
Read the ebook sample, fell in love with the story set up and idea. Immediately bought it.

4. Daughter of Blood ~ Anne Bishop
I've begun reading this but had to put it on the back burner to read the ones due back at the library. It's SO GOOD so far.

And finally, number 5 will be perfect for December. At the beginning of the year, I set a number of goals for myself. I have achieved all of them except for "Reread 5 books". I have one more to read. There are a number I can read, so it might be cheating but I don't know which I'll pick yet. Will get back to you on that one ;)

~Happy Reading~

July Summer Reading

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

Officially on holiday. Planning to read as much as my eyeballs can take. There's the Book-Tube-a-Thon with fun challenges (July24-30). There's also the High Summer Read-a-Thon (July 17-30). It's a summer of reading!

For the next two weeks, I'd like to knock off some TBR choices and then delve into some middle-grade books that have been languishing on my TBR-later shelf.

Off we go!
~Happy Reading~

300 ~ Wrap Up

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

Month of 300 a success!

In total: 10 books read with an average of 256 pages per book. My summer has officially begun. Love my month of 300. (no idea what I'm talking about, see beginning post here)


Flame in the Mist
By Renee Ahdieh
Pages: 392
Review here.
3/5 STARS

 

Micromegas

By Voltaire

Pages: 38

References a whole lot in 'Too Like the Lightning' by Ada Palmer. Had to find out what all the fuss was about.

STARS undecided.

 

The Passage
By Justin Cronin
Pages: 766
Listened to on audiobook. A carry over from May. Did not like.
2/5 STARS







Nine Princes in Amber
By Roger Zelazny
Pages: 119
The start of a ten book series. Totally loved the first half. Battle scenes were poorly constructed.
4/5 STARS





Black Unicorn
By Tanith Lee
Pages: 138
Beautiful, short adventure. Whimsical and magical.
4/5 STARS







Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
By Oscar Hijuelos
Pages: 422
Musetta Bookclub pick. Absolutely hated this.
1/5 STARS




Beastly Bones (II)
By William Ritter
Pages: 295
EXCELLENT! The second book of the Jackaby series. Like the tv show "Supernatural", set in early New England. A wonderful story.
4/5 STARS






Margaret the First
By Danielle Dutton
Pages: 160
A beautiful tale of a very real woman. The perfect summer read.
4/5 STARS






The Awakening
By Kate Chopin
Pages: 133
A classic feminist story. Melancholy and beautiful.
4/5 STARS




The Island of Doctor Moreau
By H.G.Wells
Pages: 192
A classic science fiction story of man's experiments-gone-wrong. Really great read.
3/5 STARS

Onto the best summer month!!!
~Happy Reading~

Mildly Misty, Mildy Ruined

A Court of Mist and Fury
By Sarah J. Maas

Feyre and her people are in the midst of a great showdown against Hybern - the most evilist-fae because he hates humans.

Please know, that this review contains non-specific spoilers, in the attempt to discuss the weakest part of this book.





War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

Unless you're on Feyre's side, then you escape with barely any lasting damage. Superficial cuts and bruises.
Death? No.
Sacrifices? Almost.

Just this time, EVERYONE LIVES!!!

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed every single moment of reading this book. It was slow going as this book is 700 pages. BUT Maas's writing is candy - you munch and munch and want more.

The ending bothered me the most. There were lost moments where Maas could've really made what was being fought for seem that much more impactful. Only side-side characters lost their lives. None of the main characters suffered. People lose their lives in war. Good people. Yet, by the end, anyone who did make some serious sacrifice it was softened with magic and loopholes.

I do not like fantasies where it's too easy. I want to fear for characters. When characters don't die (and in their situation, should have), it feels cheap. Like Maas just couldn't go there.

Best advice from a professor:

KILL YOUR DARLINGS

Save your darlings for your own drafts, but they only bog down the main material.

I'm only hoping that in her 'Throne of Glass' series, she decides to be a little more ruthless.

4/5 STARS

Biggest elephant in the room: The cauldron? Where people go in it and become something different. I've read this exact fantasy item before. EXACTLY. Lloyd Alexander - an original of fantasy - came up with the cauldron. I'm incredibly angry at the blatant rip off. See my review for "The Black Cauldron" here. 

"Samurai" Bandits

Flame in the Mist
By Renee Ahdieh

Mariko finds herself in heaps of trouble when she is betrothed to the Prince's brother and on the way is attached by bandits. With thorough smarts and a willingness to adapt, she manages to join the bandits in the attempt to destroy them from the inside out.

Sold to me as a Mulan retelling, I can comfortably say this is NOT. It's closer to the 47 Ronin story - the Japanese setting, the disgraced Samurai, and a fight against the throne.

The writing is smooth and poetic. Always in the right places, staying away from bogging down action in any form. Ahdieh finds her moments of peace well. A Japanese-inspired fantasy (I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be that) lends well to gentle poetry.

Mariko as the main character: thorough, logical, adaptable. These three traits help her to analyze and assess situations before jumping headfirst in. It is refreshing to have a character that you get to read their thinking through actions first.

There is a romance. Only know that it was a good, slow build with a cliff-hanger on their status. 

The story was lacking for me. There was no spark. I love me some Japanese culture. This felt a little too much like a checklist: kimono - check, samurai - check, hot springs - check, geisha - check, etc. Which makes me wonder if she termed it a "fantasy" in order to escape criticism for lack of research. She could pick and choose what parts of the culture she wanted and made up the rest. The only part that read like 'fantasy' was the hints at something sinister...

The only part that I sat up straighter while reading was the itty-bitty interjections of magic. *gasp* what?! Magic?! Yes, but very slight. And I was hanging onto every bit. Sadly, it left as soon as it appeared.

If you want a Japanese-inspired "fantasy", an analytical main character, and poetic writing, definitely give this a read.

3/5 STARS

Mid-Year FreakOUT

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

Oh hey. It's this time of year again. It's a Friday and my brain is dead. It's also 4 days before summer and I can't wait!!!

Mid-year and it's the best time to reflect on what's been achieved. Check out my ongoing Challenge here.


Total Books Read: 33
Total Pages Read: 11,796


Rereads: 3
YA: 13
Adult: 20

Best Book so far...
YA - Strange the Dreamer (Laini Taylor)
Adult - The Mime Order, II (Samantha Shannon)

Best Sequel
The Mime Order, II (Samantha Shannon)

New Release Haven't Read
Firebrand, VI (Kristen Britain)

Most Anticipated Book in the 2nd half of 2015
Tower of Dawn (Sarah J. Maas)

Biggest Disappointment
YA -The Master Magician, III (Charlie N. Holmberg)
Adult - The Passage (Justin Cronin)

Biggest Surprise
Dragonwyck (Anya Seton)

New Favourite Author

Adult - Anne Bishop

Newest Fictional Crush
Simon Wolfguard from Written in Red (Anne Bishop) AND renewed love for Po from Graceling (Kristin Cashore) AND still Emery from The Paper/Glass/Master Magician (Charlie N Holmberg)

Newest Favourite Character
YA - Snow White from Frogkisser! (Garth Nix)


What book made you cry?
Strange the Dreamer (Laini Taylor)

What book made you happy?
YA - Violet Eyes (Debbie Viguie)
Adult - Green Rider, I (Kristen Britain)

Best Book to Film Adaptation
Have not seen any yet.

Favourite Review
Frogkisser! (Garth Nix)

Most Beautiful Book Acquired
Too Like the Lightning (Ada Palmer)

What books need to be read by the end of this year?
For a full answer see my Books To Read tab. But the Top 5 I need to read are:
1. Too Like the Lightning (Ada Palmer)
2. Firebrand, VI (Kristen Britain)
3. The Burning Page (Genevieve Cogman)
4. Babylon Steel (Gaie Sebold)
5. Daughter of Blood, I (Anne Bishop)

Month of 300: 2017

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

June approaches. One of my favourite times of year:

!!! THE MONTH OF 300 !!!

The only name of the game is read books under 300 pages. It boosts books-read, makes you feel super productive, and allows you to read-off many of those lingering TBR reads.

~Happy Reading~

Spring Cleaning Tag

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

Spring has.. been here for a while. Cleaning before the summer has begun. I present:

! The Spring Cleaning Tag !

 original here

The struggle getting the cleaning started:

What book or series have you struggled to start because of its size?

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King - first book was terrible, 

all the other books are 500+ (some 900).

 

Cleaning out the closet:

What book would you like to unhaul? 

Knight Errant by R. Garcia Y Robertson - it was an ok book, 

a gift from a friend, but nothing worth remembering 

Opening windows and airing out the house:

What book was refreshing?

The Paper Magician by Charlie N Holmberg - I fell in love in a chapter, 

incredible world, lovely characters, and a different twist exploration of magic.

Washing the sheet stains:

What scene do you wish you could rewrite?

Mirrorsight by Kristen Britain - There's one scene between Estora and Zachary... 

It's terrible. It should not exist. In fact, in my head, it doesn't.  

Throwing out nick knacks:

 What book sequels were unnecessary? 

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery - it is said that she didn't want to write them.

You can tell. After the third one, there's no heart any longer.  

(I did like Anne of Avonlea and of the Island)

Polishing the doorknobs:

What series has a good clean ending? 

Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville - With 10 years gaps between publishing,

Coville managed to make this series incredible and with a strong finish. 

Reaching to dust the fans:

What book reached too hard for a message?

Low: Delirium of Hope by Remender and Tocchini - a graphic novel,

heavily inspired by pessimism vs optimism... written by a pessimist in which he tries to 

portray how an optimist  thinks. Swing and a miss for me. 

The art work, however, was stunning.

Tiring, yet satisfying finish of Spring Cleaning:

What book series was tiring/satisfying to finish? 

Penryn and the End of Days by Susan Ee - 

All the excitement, action, and emotion. Punch, punch, dodge. Every book. Fantastic.

See you for Bout of Books 19!

~Happy Reading~  

In Dreams We May...

Strange the Dreamer
By Laini Taylor

Magnificence. Wonder. Heartbreak.

Lazlo is a nobody. An orphan as a baby, raised by monks, and when tasked to go to the library he arrived and never left. Since then he's surrounded himself with myths, fairy tales, and folk tales that others ignore. He longs for a city without a name, one that's been long forgotten that it's become a legend, folklore, 'not real' - he calls this city Weep.

One day a convoy from Weep arrives. Lazlo is stunned and begs to be taken to this remarkable city. From here, our tale unravels.

Sweeping sentences, lovingly crafted - Laini Taylor is an extraordinary writer. Her words drip with emotion. She paints a magnificent world of wonder that I did not want to leave.

The story is slow. Do not expect a fast-paced thriller. It takes time to seep into your mind. Burrowing in and making a nest for itself. So much so, that upon rereading a few passages I was brought to tears (even though the first time reading I didn't cry). Longing to be a part of the world again. It was not a place I wanted to leave.

For the most part, I enjoyed the characters. Normally, I hate hate HATE books about gods. They never seem to have enough at stake. It's hard to do with immortal, all-powerful creatures. Laini Taylor does it! She made me feel for gosh-darn gods. For that I applaud her. Yes. I think I will only read books by her about gods. That's my limit.

Do read this if you don't mind a slow unravelling story. If you enjoy descriptive, poetic writing. If you enjoy scenes of dream-logic. Sense, but not. Confusion, clarification, more confusion, a little clarification, ...

Magical.

5/5 STARS

Bout of Books 19.0

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

April is OVER!!!! My goodness the end of April was jam-packed. I had a series of concerts and managed to get quite sick with a cold/flu thing that zapped all of my everything.

However, I managed to CRUSH reading this month.

9 books. 3,153 pages.
I went way out of my comfort zone:  1 Classic, 1 Literary Fiction, 1 Horror
Read my first two 5 star books! (discounting the rereads of already starred)
1 Audiobook, 3 e-Books, 5 Physical.

Of them, 5 were on my TBR. 4 were not - however, one of those was a bookclub book... so I call it an unexpected addition of must reads.


Coming up next week is BOUT OF BOOKS 19!!!!
You bet your bottom dollar that I'm participating. After my busy April month, I feel like May will be a breeze. Less booked. Less crazy. Less sick (crossed fingers, knock on wood).

More to come, once I learn what the challenges are I can craft my TBR.

Until then...

~Happy Reading~

Animal Kissing Aplenty

Frogkisser!
By Garth Nix

In need of a humorous twisting of fantasy fairy-tales? You're in luck. Nix has just written a delightful story that hits all the right happy buttons.

Princess Anya is in a dire situation. Her evil, sorcerer step-stepfather is planning to take over the kingdom. Her sister is love-sick and useless. With her trusty dog, Ardent, Anya goes on a quest to find ingredients to make a lip-balm that can restore people who've been turned into animals. Hence her name, Frogkisser!.

Her simple quest turns into a greater fight for her kingdom and all others, restoring the balance and kissing all those frogs!

Though not always drawn to animal-talking books, I am drawn to Garth Nix. Nearly everything of his is an auto-read for me. This one is delightful and hilarious. I found myself chuckling a number of times.

He takes usual fantasy tropes and dunks them on their head. I was in the right mood for humor-fantasy. That's what this is.

The best part I liked was that several traditional roles that would be male (in most fantasy) are turned female. I loved that. Nix created a world where females could be in all sorts of roles in society. Best part!

One gripe: It was really long. 370 pages, where I felt it could've been whittled down to 300.

In need of a happy fantasy? Try this one.
Love fairy tales? Try this one.
Love competant, intelligent females? Try this one.
Adorable dog partners? This one!!!

4/5 STARS

Books A-Z

Hi Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists,

It's been a while. Life's been busy. I've still been reading.

Quick update: Rereading has been the best. All 3 of my 5* rated books are rereads. They still have a place in my heart.

Onto the meat of this post: a tag.

A - Author read the most:  
Elizabeth Chadwick at 19

B - Best sequel ever:  
Trickster's Queen, by Tamora Pierce - some of her best writing/storytelling

C - Currently reading:
Frogkisser!, by Garth Nix - so far, delightful story in the style of a fairy tale

D - Drink of choice while reading:
Tea. Black, green, white, tisane. Any tea. Hot.

E - E-reader or Physical:
Physical. Though I've recently ventured into the e-reader sphere, I've always preferred physical.

F - Fictional character would have dated in high-school: 
Neal from 'Protector of the Small' series by Tamora Pierce - he's the goofy friend, I prefer the ones with humour, maybe not the handsomest, but with a heart of gold.

G - Glad you gave this a shot:
The Story of Owen: Dragonslayer of Trondheim, by E.K.Johnson - picked up at the library on a whim (who says no to dragons). Total shot in the dark. This book seems to be written just for me with all the references to everything in my world. 100% a heart-book.

H - Hidden gem: 
Here, There be Dragons, by James A. Owen - an incredible story of mystery, magic, and literature.

I - Important reading moment:
Every time I reread a favourite book and discover something new I didn't remember or missed, especially life lessons that have a sudden and real impact on my life.

J - Just finished:
Caraval, by Stephanie Garber

K - Kind of books I won't read:
Military or Colonialism

L - Longest book read:
The Wise Man's Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss - a honker coming it at 1000+ pages.

M - Major book hangover:
Either after reading The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern or marathoning the first 5 books of the Green Rider series by Kristen Britain (book 6 is coming out this year!!!).

N - Number of bookcases:
Three - one short, one tall, and one home-made. All are overflowing.

O - One book read multiple times:
The Woman who Rides Like a Man, by Tamora Pierce - it's the third in her Song of the Lioness series; there's something about this one that makes me reread it more often than the others in the series.

P - Preferred place to read:
Bed. It's got the best lighting. Hence, why I begin each post with 'Librocubicularists' (a person who reads in bed).

Q - Quote that inspires you:
“Stories have changed ... There are no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue. Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case. There are no longer simple tales with quests and beasts and happy endings. ... And there are never really endings, happy or otherwise. Things keep overlapping and blur, ... Good and evil are a great deal more complex than a princess and a dragon ... And is not the dragon the hero of his own story?"

R - Reading regret:
Twilight. Blech. No thanks.

S - Series started, need to finish:
Chronicles of Prydain (Lloyd Alexander), Dark is Rising (Susan Cooper), Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor), Mortal Instruments (Cassandra Clare) - seriously, I've got only one book left to read in each of these series.

T - Three all-time favourite books:
The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley; the whole Song of the Lioness series (I know that's cheating, but shhhh); and The Falcons of Montabard, by Elizabeth Chadwick.

U - Unapologetic fangirl for:
Anything with Lady Knights. Girls training to be a knight.

V - Very excited for this release:
Firebrand, by Kristen Britain - book 6 in her Green Rider series!!!!!

W - Worst bookish habit:
Buying books and not reading them - instead going to the library, rather than reading what I own.

X - X-marks the spot, count 27 books on shelf, name 27th one:
Crown Duel, by Sherwood Smith (one of my constant reread favourites)

Y -Your latest book purchase:
The Loser, by Thomas Bernhard; The Crimson Thread, by Suzanne Weyn; and, Golden, by Cameron Dokey.

Z - Zzzz, kept you up late at night: 
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton

Until next time,
~Happy Reading~

Happy New Year!!!

***HAPPY NEW YEAR ***

Book-Sniffers and Librocubicularists!

A new journey of adventures to go on, new books and worlds to discover, same favourite places to revisit, and the start of a pretty darn good year. 

Goals have been set. Hours spent writing up charts and lists wishing glorious books to read. 

Focused aim: Read 25,000 pages.

The difficult goal: Read good books. Read heart books. Ones that speak to my heart, soul, and mind.

Be not afraid: Ditch those boring ones. Not capturing me? I'll be ok with putting it down.

Reread: Devour the recent favourites. Ones that have burrowed into my soul over the past few years. 

Return to: High fantasy. There are new worlds that await my exploration.

Series: Finish some. Start some. 

~Cheers to a great reading year ~ 

Books to Read: 2016

In no particular order, the books I wish to read….

Newt's Emerald ~ Garth Nix

All My Friends Are Superheroes ~ Andrew Kaufman

The Gracekeepers ~ Kirsty Logan

Nod ~ Adrian Barnes 
Corpus Earthling ~ Louis Charbonneau

Magic Lost, Trouble Found ~ Lisa Shearin
The Engagement ~ Suzanne Robinson
A Gentle Feuding ~ Johanna Lindsey 
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ~ Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith 
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet ~ Becky Chambers 
A Rose in Winter ~ Kathleen E. Woodiwiss 
Witch Finder ~ Ruth Warburton
The Returning ~ Christine Hinwood
The Paper Magician ~ Charlie N. Holmberg
The Seventh Miss Hatfield ~ Anna Caltabiano
The Glass Arrow ~  Kristen Simmons
Ether Frolics ~ Paul Marlowe
The Night Dance ~ Suzanne Weyn
A Room of One's Own ~ Virginia Woolf 
Irenicon ~ Aidan Harte
The Secret Garden ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett 
The Greengage Summer ~ Rumer Godden
No Fond Return of Love ~ Barbara Pym
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break ~ Lensey Namioka
Irenicon ~ Aidan Harte
The Humming Room ~ Ellen Potter 
The Greengage Summer ~ Rumer Godden
Frostfire ~ Amanda Hocking
Talon ~ Julie Kagawa
Kojiki ~ Keith Yatsuhashi
An Irish Country Doctor ~ Patrick Taylor
Cannonbridge ~ Jonathan Barnes
The Invisible Library ~ Genevieve Cogman
The Glass Arrow ~ Kristen Simmons 
Prisoner of Night and Fog ~ Anne Blankman
Anna Dressed in Blood ~ Kendare Blake
The Dark Days Club ~ Alison Goodman
Jackaby ~ William Ritter
And I Darken ~ Kiersten White
The Griffin of Darkwood ~ Becky Cintra 

Series:

*The Wise Man's Fear (II) ~ Patrick Rothfuss

Prairie Fire (II) ~ E.K.Johnston 
A Court of Mist and Fury (II) ~ Sarah J. Maas
Hidden (III) ~ Sophie Jordan 

Taran Wanderer (IV) ~ Lloyd Alexander

The Lesser Kindred (II) ~ Elizabeth Kerner

Queen of Shadows (IV) ~ Sarah J. Maas
Empire of Storms (V) ~ Sarah J. Maas
The Assassin's Blade (Prequel Novellas) ~ Sarah J Maas 
Twilight of the Dragons (II) ~ Andy Remic

The Hero Strikes Back (II) ~ Moira J. Moore
City of Ashes (II)~ Cassandra Clare
City of Glass (III) ~ Cassandra Clare
City of Fallen Angels (IV) ~ Cassandra Clare
City of Lost Souls (V) ~ Cassandra Clare
City of Heavenly Fire (VI) ~ Cassandra Clare
Nine Princes of Amber (I) ~ Roger Zelazny
The Grey King (IV) ~ Susan Cooper
End of Days (III) ~ Susan Ee
Goldenhand (V) ~ Garth Nix 
The Autumn Throne (III) ~ Elizabeth Chadwick

Bookclubs:

Bel Canto ~ Ann Pratchett

The Chimes ~ Anna Smaill 
Basket Case ~ Carl Hiaasen
The Search for WondLa ~ Tony Diterlizzi
The Fell Sword (II) ~ Miles Cameron
The Miserable Mill (IV) ~ Lemony Snicket
At Bertram's Hotel ~ Agatha Christie
The Count of Monte Cristo ~ Alexandre Dumas
Beacon 23 ~ Hugh Howey 
The Place of the Lion ~ Charles Williams
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall ~ Kazuo Ishiguro 

Graphic Novels:

In Real Life ~ Cory Doctorow, Jen Wang
*Y: The Last Man, Vol 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ~ Brian K. Vaughn, Pia Guerra, Jose Marzan Jr

*Fables: Vol 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 ... ~ Willingham and many many others

Lazarus: Vol 1, 2, 3, 4 ~ Rucka, Lark, Arcas
Fatale: Vol 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ~ Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips

*Carried over from last year's list.

Challenges: 2016

Page Count

Currently at: 26,415
Goal: 25, 000 - Keep going :)
Achieved: December 21, 2016
Updated: January 1, 2017

Book Count

Currently at:73
Goal: 60 - Keep going :)
Achieved: October 18, 2016
Updated: January 1, 2017






Popsugar: 2016 Book Challenge

Last year, I stumbled across PopSugar's Reading Challenge. Having done quite well, I found this year's (and tweaked a few of the challenges).

Rainbow Cover
Red* ~ Talon (Julie Kagawa)
Orange* ~ Ether Frolics (Paul Marlowe)
Yellow* ~ Basket Case (Carl Hiaasen)
Green* ~ Newt's Emerald (Garth Nix)
Blue ~ The Gracekeepers (Kirsty Logan)
Indigo* ~ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Becky Chambers)
Violet* ~ Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Lisa Shearin)


Setting
Book set in home province/state ~ Nod (Adrian Barnes)
Set in Europe ~ The Engagement (Suzanne Robinson)
Takes place in the summer ~ The Greengage Summer (Rumer Godden)
Takes place on an island ~ The Humming Room (Ellen Potter)


Content
Translated to English ~ The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
Under 150 pages ~ A Room of One's Own (Virginia Woolf)
More than 600 pages ~ The Wise Man's Fear (Patrick Rothfuss)
Protagonist who has my occupation ~ Nocturnes (Kazuo Ishiguro)
Book about road trip ~ The Autumn Throne, III (Elizabeth Chadwick)

Acquirement
Book recommended by someone just met ~
Recommended by family member ~
First book see in bookstore ~ The Invisible Library (Genevieve Cogman)
Book from library ~ Prisoner of Night and Fog (Anne Blankman)
Book bought before 2015* ~ Witch Finder (Ruth Warburton)
Most recent purchase* ~ The Hero Strikes Back II (Moira J. Moore)


Genre
Fairy tale retelling ~ The Night Dance (Suzanne Weyn)
Romance set in future ~ The Glass Arrow (Kristen Simmons)
Science fiction novel ~ Beacon 23 (Hugh Howey)
Graphic novel ~ In Real Life (Cory Doctorow)
Murder mystery ~ Bertram's Hotel (Agatha Christie)
Dystopian ~ The Chimes (Anna Smaill)
Classic from 20th century ~ No Fond Return of Love (Barbara Pym)


Publishing
YA bestseller ~ Empire of Storms, V (Sarah J. Maas)
At least 100 years older than you ~ The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Published 2016 ~ Dark Days Club (Alison Goodman)

Reading
Haven’t read since high school ~
Finish in a day ~ All My Friends Are Superheroes (Andrew Kaufman)
Book and its prequel ~ Queen of Shadows (IV), The Assassin's Blade (Sarah J. Maas)
Book guaranteed to bring me joy ~ I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith)

Current Events
Becoming a movie this year ~ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Austen/Grahame-Smith)


Replaced*
Unused:
Oprah’s book club
New York Times Bestseller
National Book Award Winner
Self-improvement book
 Autobiography*
Satirical book*
Written by a celebrity*
Book of poetry*
Written by comedian*
Political memoir*
About culture I’m unfamiliar with