Month: February 2018

Reputation Book Tag

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BIG REPUTATION, BIG REPUATION AHHHHHHH

Taylor Swift’s reputation quickly became one of my favorite albums of 2017 and my Taylor_Swift_-_Reputationlove for the album has carried into 2018. It’s one of the few albums that I can listen from start to finish without skipping any songs, not to mention the fact that I’m constantly singing ‘End Game’ around my house (and now on my blog). So when I saw the Reputation Book Tag floating around Booktube, I knew I had to do the tag as well. I’ll also be giving a short review of each song from reputation before giving my bookish answers.

This version of the Reputation Book Tag was created by Sarah of Sarah’s Bookshelves over on Booktube.

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1.Ready for It: I really didn’t listen to ‘Ready for It’ when the song was first released, but I instantly became obsessed when its music video was released.

A 2018 release you are READY FOR

Save the Date by Morgan Matson. While there were so many amazing releases in 2017, I really missed having a new Morgan Matson book come out.  I’m really excited about Save the Date because it centers on a WEDDING. For someone who has never been to a wedding, let alone someone who rarely thinks about her one day/maybe one, I love books and TV shows about them.

2.End Game: YES ED SHEERAN COLLAB YES YES YES

Characters that either SHOULD have been end game

Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. I’m not the biggest fan of pairing off characters, but I think the two would have worked out well together!

3.I Did Something Bad: One of my favorite songs from reputation, I’m just obsessed with the beat and the lyrics (short example of how horrible I am with music terminology)

A character decision that was terrible, but you loved reading anyway

Okay, so I’m definitely the type of reader when a character makes a bad decision, I CRINGE THROUGH THE PAGES FOR THEM

4.Don’t Blame Me: I think ‘Don’t Blame Me’ really fits the vibe of the album, and this one is my sister’s current favorite

A book or series you are shamelessly addicted to

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. I recently explained this series to my sister and when I was talking about how the pants fit all 4 girls, I felt how ridiculous the description was. However, this series (and movies) will always be among my all-time favorites and I still think there a great way to branch into YA.

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5.Delicate: I’m listening to ‘Delicate’ as I write this sentence, and I just love the beat/rhythm (again no idea how to describe this), it makes me dance in my seat!

A book that has a bad reputation, but that you enjoyed

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart. Genuine Fraud was like nothing I’ve read before and I just really enjoy the psychological thriller side of E. Lockhart books. However, a lot of readers thought that that the book was just a current retelling/copy of an older novel that Genuine Fraud was based on.

6.Look What You Made Me Do: I was really confused by this song when it first came out (everyone talks about how 1989 was different from ‘old’ Taylor, but I think ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ was her new start) , but I grew to love it with the music video.

A book that Booktube made you read

Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel, which was the book of Booktube-A-Thon 2017.

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7. So It Goes: love love love

A book you read but can’t remember anything about

The Infinite Sea by Rick Rancey

8.Gorgeous: This song is just so much FUN and I love putting it on repeat when I go running

A book with a gorgeous writing style

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (also PSA for a new Jandy Nelson book, please)

9.Getaway Car: One of my favorites from the album, I’m just obsessed with this song and love singing along to it (especially in my car)

Your favorite love triangle

I’m going with the love triangle that first comes to my mind—Katniss, Peeta, and Gale from The Hunger Games.

10. King of My Heart: Not my favorite, but I do like how it’s a little different from the other songs on the album

A character who is the king of your heart

Just one character is impossible, but let’s go with one I feel like I haven’t mentioned on the blog: Etienne St.Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. Thinking about him makes my heart swoon and reminds me that it’s time for a Anna reread!

11.Dancing With Our Hands Tied: Again, LOVE LOVE LOVE

A book that started off great but had a bad ending

My mind is blanking a bit for this one, so I’m going to with the general romantic contemporary ending where our ship sails AND WE DON’T GET TO SEE THEM ACTUALLY TOGETHER AS A COUPLE

12. Dress: If I had to pick a “least favorite”, Dress would be it. A new adult book you loved

London Belongs to Me by Jacquelyn Middleton

13.This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: My answer changes every time I listen through reputation, but ‘This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ IS MY FAVORITE

Book that made you want to break everything you own 

THE ENDING OF EMPIRE OF STORMS BECAUSE HOW COULD SARAH DO THAT TO US AHHHHHH

14.Call it What You Want: I love the lyric video for this one

A book title you would have call something else

Making Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone universally be called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (even though apparently American children won’t pick up a book with philosophy in the title).

15.New Years Day: I’ve been in love with this song since Taylor’s performance of it on SNL. If she does an extended edition of reputation, I hope she includes an acoustic version of ‘New Years Day’

A book that you finished, but stuck with you the next day (and for life)

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

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Are you a Taylor Swift fan? Have you listened to reputation? Share in the comments!

The Review That Time Forgot.. Okay, It Was Me: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is the last book that I read in 2017, and as I was scrolling through my review notebook, I realized I never posted my spoiler-free review. That being said, I present to you my last review from 2017!9781524700492.jpeg

Summary: Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. She dreams of going away to college and becoming a professional writer, despite her family’s persistence that being a secretary in an office is a fine enough life. Olga, Julia’s older sister, is your perfect Mexican daughter, choosing to live at home after graduating high school, going to community college, cleaning and cooking for her family, etc. But when Olga dies in a tragic accident, Julia is feeling more lost than ever and questions how she’ll navigate high school, love, and life under her parents’ watchful eyes.

 My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

I Am Not Your Perfect Daughter not only caught my attention for being a National Book Award Finalist, but for also being an own voices novel. The book heavily focuses on Julia’s Mexican upbringing, with her parents holding different expectations for their daughter, compared to American culture. Whether it’s fantasy or contemporary, I love world building. I really enjoyed learning about Julia and her family’s background and her past interactions with them. I admit that it was very frustrating to see Julia’s mother restrict her daughter’s life so much, but it showed how much Amá struggles to understand her daughter. Their disagreements, from Julia’s style to her post-graduation plans, really showed the difference between Mexican and American culture.

While there is some humor in the novel, between Amà beliefs on American culture, Julia’s POV, and her interactions with her friends, I Am Not Your Perfect Daughter is a heavy novel for its discussion on grief and depression. The on-going mystery  in the novel involves Julia trying to figure out Olga’s secret relationship, but her investigation takes a bit of a backseat as Julia deals with her depression. I did not see Julia’s mental illness coming, but it made sense as we see Julia grieve over her sister’s death.

There was some sexual tension/sexualization in the novel  distracted from the story, but I can understand why it was important to include in how Julia views life in her area of Chicago and Mexico. Overall, I ended my 2017 reading on a high note with I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter for its diverse discussion on culture and mental health, as well as being an all-around great contemporary read.

Have you read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter? Share in the comments!

My Experience Seeing Dear Evan Hansen ft. the Amazon Bookstore

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Dear Fangirl Fury,

Today is going to be a good day because you saw the Broadway show you thought you’d never see a week ago. And that show was the INCREDIBLY DESERVING OF THE HYPE, Dear Evan Hansen.

My parents completely surprised me with tickets to Dear Evan Hansen for Christmas. I had only mentioned the show once or twice to my mom, and with how popular DEH is right now, I would have never guessed that’d I get to see the show. I even bought the book back in May because I thought reading would be the only way I could experience the show itself!

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So on a warm Saturday morning (please tell me this means that zero degree weather is over), my mom and I went into New York City and we grabbed lunch at our favorite Irish pub before the 2 PM matinee. Like when we saw Hamilton last January, we had a leisurely lunch and it was nice catching up, since I’m now back at school. We’ve already decided that if we don’t see a show next year, we’re still going to go have lunch at the same place.

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I rarely take photos of my food, but this pretzel bun was too precious

As you may have expected, I absolutely loved Dear Evan Hansen. Even though I was a tiny bit disappointed that I just missed Ben Platt’s run, I really enjoyed seeing Michael Lee Brown play Evan. He adopted the character so well (all of the actors in the show, including him, actually felt like high schoolers playing high schoolers) and his voice was amazing. I was totally impressed with everyone’s singing, and I highly recommend listening to the original cast recording even if you have no plans of seeing the show. I’d list all of my favorite songs, but then I’d be giving you the entire album! With the exception of Ben Platt and Kristolyn Lloyd, I saw the entire original cast, including Laura Dreyfuss, who I was really excited to see because I loved her on Glee. I think my mom especially loved Will Roland as Jared, who brought a lot of humor to this sad and deep show, and while I admit that I didn’t cry, I did feel some tears welling up during “Requiem”.

Outside of the singing, my favorite part of the show was the incorporation of technology and social media into the set. I loved the use of physical screens, which adding some more dimension to “on the outside always looking in”. The social media and phone projections, along with the lighting, were all really cool, and I’m curious to know if some of the video footage was prerecorded or if it was part of the live performance.

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After the show, my mom and I made a pit stop at the M & M store because my mom wanted to pick something up for my siblings (self-reminder for me to never step in that tourist trap again). A half hour later, with the belief that I could never look at a pack of M&Ms again, we made our way to Amazon Books on 34th Street. I’ve been really interested to see how the Amazon bookstores work and my mom wanted to see if they had a book that my dad was interested in; whenever my dad wants to read, we make sure if happens! While I like the idea of the prices matching the prices on the Amazon website, having to repeatedly scan the barcodes with the Amazon got old pretty quick. I ended up not picking anything up—I also agree with the general opinion that most of the books are bestsellers—but it was still a pretty cool experience. After that, we made our way home, planning out our next Broadway trip.

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As expected, I was too distracted by the books to take bookstagram-worthy photos

I’m now obsessed with the DEH original cast recording (I guess it’s time to give Waitress a break). I had listened to a lot of the album before I saw the show, but I stayed away from the last few songs, but why didn’t I listen to ‘Good For You’ & ‘Words Fail’ sooner??

Have you listened to Dear Evan Hansen? What are you favorite Broadway shows? Have you been to an Amazon bookstore? Share in the comments!

THE HYPE IS REAL: Scythe by Neal Shusterman Review

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Summary: Teenagers Citra and Rowan live in a world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery, no natural death. Scythes are the only individuals who can end life and must do so to control the size of the population. When Citra and Rowan are chosen as apprentices to the same scythe, neither wants the role. However, Citra and Rowan learn that if they fail to learn the “art” of taking life, there will be some costly consequences.

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Prior to reading Scythe, I had seen the book and its recently published sequel, Thunderhead, EVERYWHERE in the book community—bookstagram, book blogs, Booktube; you name the platform, I saw it. The morning I headed back to college for the spring semester, I wanted to bring at least one library book back with me, knowing that I would have time to read over the beauty that is syllabus week (this is the first true syllabus week I’ve had in college (aka I wasn’t crying over homework on the first day of classes)).

And I admit, the hype for Scythe had me interested—it’s been a long time since I’ve picked up a sci-fi/dystopian read. So Scythe went along with me to school and three days later, I had eaten it up. If you haven’t see the title of this post, here’s the verdict: THE HYPE FOR SCYTHE DOES NOT LIE BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS FREAKING FANTASTIC AND IT’S THE BEST NON-CONTEMPORARY BOOK I’VE READ IN A WHILE.

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Unlike most of my reviews, I will be going into spoilers, but before I do so, let’s talk non-spoilers. I’ve seen in a few reviews for Scythe that some people found the beginning a bit slow (the book clocks around 430 pages), but not for me, because the world-building is PHENOMENAL AND A BIT CREEPY IN THE SENSE THAT THIS WORLD IS NOT TOO FAR OFF FROM OUR OWN. Basically, Scythe takes place in a world that has made a ton of technological advantages, where most of society is run by the Thunderhead (picture the cloud but with a built in-Siri that can actually have a conversation with you and controls the world’s legislation, you know) and people are able to live for centuries and change their appearance to look younger. You could even jump off a building and wake up a day or two later, perfectly alive and eating the best bowl of ice cream you’ve ever had.

Scythe is told in first person, with chapters alternating their focus on Citra and Rowan. I additionally disagree with the opinion that Scythe had a slow start because we get Citra and Rowan’s first interactions with Scythe Faraday in their first chapters and they soon become his apprentices. Even though Citra and Rowan are teenagers, they are both very mature (which makes sense given that they are being trained for a livelihood that requires them to glean people). I loved Scythe Faraday because of his dry sense of humor and his compassion, and I think he really became a grandfather-like figure to Citra and Rowan

This is going to sound like THE MOST TYPICAL/MAINSTREAM/EXPECTED RECOMMENDATION ANSWER BUT I LOVE THIS TRILOGY AND MY OPINION HAS MERIT : if you liked The Hunger Games trilogy, I highly recommend picking up Scythe. Besides both being YA and sci-fi/dystopian novels, Scythe and THG have a lot of similar discussion and imagery regarding death and some physical aspects (the training to be a scythe/ training for The Hunger Games). For example, Citra and Rowan are required to train to become a scythe and must learn how to fight and kill with and without a variety of weapons, along with having to complete a series of tests. Scythe also has a lot of discussion about how gleaning is similar and similar to death and even murder from the “Age of Mortality”, while THG is set in a society where people are also forced to kill one another.

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So that wraps up my non-spoilery thoughts and I will be now jumping into spoilers. Please use the following GIF as a barrier if you do want to read spoilers.

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(I’ve been slowly adding GIFs to my posts and I think I like it??? I mean who doesn’t like Jerry/Larry/Terry/Gerry?)

I was so beyond sad when the High Blade told Citra and Rowan that Scythe Faraday had gleaned himself. AND LET MY READING NOTES FOR SCYTHE BE EVIDENCE THAT I KNEW FARADAY WASN’T DEAD. But I totally wasn’t expecting Citra to show up at his house (I’m hoping the sequel will go more into how the Thunderhead can help people through internal conversations). The one thing I really enjoyed out Faraday being out of the picture is Citra’s relationship with Scythe Curie, who I think is my favorite character in the book. AND HER PAST HISTORY WITH FARADAY, AHHHHHHH YES MY FAVORITES!

Speaking of romance, I am not a superfan of Citra and Rowan’s “relationship”. Yeah there is some attraction and I appreciate that romance isn’t the main focal point of the novel, but I wasn’t entirely sold on their feelings for each other. It would have been more understanding for them to not want to glean the other because of their friendship, not their “romance”.

Going back to some AHHHHHHH-worthy feelings, THE LAST GLEANING JOURNAL, SPECIFICALLY THE LAST MINI PARAGRAPH, FROM CITRA HAS ME READY FOR THUNDERHEAD. Here’s a recap:

“And if ever Scythe Lucifer comes my way, I hope he’ll see me as one of the good ones. The way he once did.”

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Overall, if you couldn’t tell from the length alone of this review, I loved Scythe and it’s definitely going to be a favorite of 2018. I am conflicted about when I am going to read Thunderhead. I don’t want to wait too long because I don’t want to forget everything that happened in Scythe, but at the same time, the last book doesn’t come out until 2019 so I need to find a good midterm day. Or just eat up the second book now.

Have you read Scythe? Do you also get nervous about reading really hyped books? Share in the comments!

I’M CRAVING FANTASY & 100 BOOKS: What I Read in January 2018

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I’ve kicked off 2018 with reading 9 books in January, including 2 books that were REREADS and 1 that I was avoiding because of the hype BUT I LOVED AND IS NOW A FAVORITE OF 2018. IS A NEW YEAR, NEW ME A THING FOR THIS READER?

Sure, now calm down with the caps lock, please.

Now, I’ve set my Goodreads Reading Goal at 70 books, but my stretch reading goal that I’m hopeful about (and I’ve only told my bookish best friend IRL and my sister who probably had her headphones on about) is to read 100 books. I read 91 books in 2017 and while I can’t predict what the rest of my reading time in 2018 will look like, I think I might be able to pull it off. More often than not, I count what I’m reading in class towards my reading goal and this semester alone, I have to read a combination of 14 graphic novels and books.

While I read my fair share of contemporaries, I was really drawn to fantasy this month — I guess I’ve also fallen to the stereotype of winter being the perfect time for fantasy reads- and I plan on sticking to the genre in February!

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MY JANUARY READS

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan | 5/5 Stars

Review: Here

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (reread) | 5/5 Stars

This is evidence that I FINALLY started my Throne of Glass series reread in 2018 (thank you very much to the snowstorm that kept me home from work and motivated me to start reading ToG). I’m going to have a review-type post up in February for Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight.

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu | 4.5/5 Stars

Review: Here

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe | 4.5/5 Stars

I promised myself that I would be better in January about getting reviews up for the books I actually read during the month, but I guess a new year doesn’t totally mean a new me! For right now, just know that I really enjoyed The Librarian of Auschwitz for its unique story set during the Holocaust.

The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances (ARC) | 4/5 Stars

Review: Here

 

 

 

Scythe by Neal Shusterman | 5/5 Stars

Here it is friends, my favorite book of the month and my first favorite of 2018: Scythe. I’m not going to go into too much detail right now because I have a extra-long review going up tomorrow!

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli | 4.5/5 Stars

Another review that will be up shortly, but The Upside of Unrequited is now my favorite Becky Albertalli book and after thinking about it more and more (it’s been coming up in my dreams, guys), I think I’ll be adding it to my favorites of 2018.

 

 

 

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (reread) | 5/5 Stars 

THE AMOUNT OF CHAOL IN THIS BOOK HAS MY HEART SQUEALING. I think Crown of Midnight will forever be my favorite ToG book, depending on the level of Chaol-ness in Tower of Dawn (*sighs in shame that I haven’t read this book following one of my favorite characters yet*).

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz | 2.5/5 Stars

This is How You Lose Her was the first text I had to read for my Contemporary American Lit class (we’re reading short story collections this semester). I’ve been curious about Junot Díaz’s writing, since I’ve seen a lot of hype over The Brief Wondrous History of Oscar Wao. While I enjoyed analyzing Díaz’s various forms of language, I just wasn’t a fan of the characters that were interwoven into each story and I experienced a major disconnect from the main narrator. However, Junot Díaz actually came to my university this week to give a talk, so it was interesting to hear him talk about his work as my class was reading This Is How You Lose Her.

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Have you read any of the books above? What did you read in January? Share in the comments!