Favorites Rewind: 2018 Best Books

July 13, 2018July 12, 2018 fangirlfury6 Comments

Inspired by the first Top Five Wednesday post of July, Best 2018 Books, I realized that I haven’t talked about some of my favorite books of 2018. While I plan on doing summer favorites and yearly favorite posts, I want to fangirl about my favorite books that I read from January to May.

I read 47 books within these five months, including 5 Throne of Glass-related rereads. Excluding my ToG rereads, today I’ll be talking about the following 11 gems and some honorable mentions!

Scythe and Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman- Almost half a year later, I will keep bowing down to the hype that made me pick up the first two books in Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series. Scythe and Thunderhead gave me The Hunger Games-esque and dystopian feels that I didn’t know I was missing. While I not-so patiently wait for the final book, The Toll (am I the only one disappointed by the two-word title?), I want to pick up some of Neal’s backlist titles and his upcoming book with Jarrod Shusterman, Dry.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli- Remember when I used to call this book The Upside DOWN of Unrequited? And Becky even liked my tweet using that title. Thanks Stranger Things. And Twitter for still not blessing us with some sort of edit feature. The Upside of Unrequited is easily my favorite Becky Albertalli book. It’s been a while since I related to a character so much, and I’m so grateful to Becky for creating Molly and her story. And of course Reid.

All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflour- All of This Is True peaked my interest for its four teens becoming best friends with their favorite author premise and I loved it more than I expected to! I could so see a TV or film adaptation, Big Little Lies style.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang- New favorite graphic novel alert! I was expecting to love Jen Wang’s The Prince and the Dressmaker and I’m so glad I did! This book was taking forever to come in from my library so I decided to buy my own copy and I’m so glad I did since it’s one of my new favorites.

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas- I can’t believe I didn’t read Tower of Dawn until April, but my reunion with Chaol came at the right time. Tower of Dawn is one of my top ToG books (I think my heart still belongs to Queen of Shadows). AND YES, YOU NEED TO READ IT IN ORDER TO READ KINGDOM OF ASH! WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO BE REUNITED WITH CHAOL AND NESRYN AND SO MANY AWESOME NEW CHARACTERS! I’m one of the those ToG fans that never really thought Chaol was that in the wrong, but Tower of Dawn is both his redemption story and his story of regaining his strength. We also get to learn a lot more about Nesryn and a character from The Assassin’s Blade. I’m still reeling over that last chapter AND epilogue.

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena- I really wish more people we’re talking about Tanaz Bhathena’ stunning debut, A Girl Like That. This book was just so eye-opening and I can’t wait to see what Tanaz Bhathena does next.

Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman- Yup, I’m still trying to figure out how I didn’t read Laura Silverman’s Girl Out of Water before May. A summer contemporary with the title that basically describes me away from the shore?

The Geography of You & Me by Jennifer E. Smith- While I enjoyed Jennifer E. Smith’s Windfall and This is What Happy Looks Like, The Geography of You & Me was definitely an unexpected favorite. I’ve discovered this year that travel contemporary books are among my favorite genres. It was so fun to see its two main characters, Lucy and Owen, travel on their own while figuring out themselves and their relationships. This book had the perfect combination of fluff, self discovery, and romance.

Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian- Like Tower of Dawn and The Prince & The Dressmaker, Stay Sweet was another read that I went in expecting to love and thankfully did! How could I not love a summer contemporary with friendship, feminism, romance, AND ICE CREAM! Can I please work at Meade Creamery!?

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo- I went into Maurene Goo’s The Way You Make Me Feel not knowing too much, and maybe I should do that more often because I still think about this book! Again, how could I not love a summer contemporary featuring A FOOD TRUCK??? The Way You Make Me Feel had the perfect amount of family, friendship, romance, and food- give me BBQ and iced coffee any day.

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Honorable Mentions:

The Bear & the Nightingale by Katherine Arden- I never knew I need Russian folklore-inspired fantasy until I read this book. I’m very excited to pick up books 2 & 3.

American Panda by Gloria Chao- Another great example of the balance between family and romance!

We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen- This book is told through letters between two best friends and had me laughing out loud!

Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade- I love how this COLLEGE YA book incorporated real-life TV and fandom, and truly captured that going to college and starting over isn’t always easy.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout- A SCHOOL BOOK ON MY FAVORITES LIST? I took a short story English class in the spring that included books that we’re all published within the past 6 years!!! Olive Kitteridge was such a heartwarming and heartbreaking collection.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado-ANOTHER SCHOOL BOOK? Her Body and Other Parties is full of amazing female POVs and it just feels and is so current.

What are some of your best books of 2018? Any of the above? Share in the comments!

Review: The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse

July 12, 2018January 21, 2019 fangirlfury2 Comments

Summary: Best friends Aubrey and Rae have been planning their graduation trip across Europe practically since they met. It’s the perfect way to spend their last summer together before everyone heads off to university. But Aubrey and Rose’s perfect trip is a little more complicated than their past selves could have imagined. Along for the trip is Jonah, Aubrey’s boyfriend, and Gabe, the boy Aubrey may have or may not have accidentally kissed. And don’t forget Clara, the friend Rae is hardcore crushing on, but Clara must like boys, right??

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Top Five Wednesday: Future Classics

July 11, 2018July 10, 2018 fangirlfury5 Comments

It’s been a little while since I’ve properly done Top Five Wednesday. While I really enjoy participating in T5W and find it to be a great source for creative posts, I’ve been trying to focus more on original content and the reviews that I’m ~~almost~~ always behind on.

Anyways, today’s T5W is all about a topic that I often find myself thinking about: future classics. It’s interesting to think what makes a book be a classic, and as not the biggest classic fan, it’s sort’ve mind blowing to think about what contemporary books I’ve read will one day be considered classic themselves.

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Looking for Alaska by John Green- If this ever becomes a definition, I think John Green will be known as a classic YA author. While all of his books are much-loved, I see Looking for Alaska as his defining classic because out all of his books (with maybe Turtles All the Way Down as the new exception), people seem to relate to this one the most.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell- Like I said above, I’m not the biggest classic fan, but one of the elements that I think makes a book a classic is it’s eye-opening writing style or story. While I’m definitely in need of a reread, Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park has both cute, romancey vibes and poignancy that will leave give you all the heart-warming and heartbroken feels.

Enter photo where I forgot I do have a copy of Looking for Alaska

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- A book that I think will be among many T5W posts this week, The Hate U Give has received many awards and honors, and I think being defined as a classic will come one day for its relation to today’s cultural and political climate in the US.

A Very Large of Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi- Okay, I know this book hasn’t come out yet, but I was very fortunate enough to read an ARC of Tahereh Mafi’s first contemporary & semi autobiographical novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea. Without being too spoilery, I think A Very Large Expanse of Sea stands out for featuring a Muslim teen trying to fight off stereotypes in her American high school post-9/11 and its beautiful, thought-provoking writing style.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng– I think both of Celeste Ng’s books, Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You, will be considered classics one day, but I’m going with Little Fires Everywhere BECAUSE IT’S MY FAVORITE. Little Fires Everywhere and Celeste Ng’s writing style just sucks you with its plot and complex characters.

Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.

What books do you think will be considered classics one day? Any of the above? Share in the comments!

New Fictional BF & A Dream Library: Strange the Dreamer Review

July 9, 2018July 6, 2018 fangirlfury10 Comments

Summary: Since he was five years old, junior librarian Lazlo Strange’s dream has been to travel halfway across the world to find the lost mystic city of Weep. What happened in Weep two hundred years ago that cut it off from the world? Why can’t anyone speak its true name? When the opportunity to presents itself in the form of a legend named Godslayer and his band of warriors, Lazlo has to seize on the chance or lose his dream forever. Answers and more mystery awaits in Weep, including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams.

Cover Lust? This should be classified as Cover Thoughts instead, because why are the UK editions of Strange the Dreamer so much nicer than the US editions?? Even the UK ARCs of Muse of Nightmares have sprayed pages! I bought the US paperback, which matched the UK hardcover, and I wish the hardcover US edition of MoN matched the UK edition. I don’t hate the US covers buuutttt why can’t we have Watersones or W.H. Smith here?

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

If there’s one way to define Fangirl Fury’s 2018 so far, it’s should be by all the sci-fi/dystopian books that she avoided in 2017 and ended up LOVING them in 2018. See exhibit A: Neal Shusterman’s Scythe. If we need to name an Exhibit B, it hands-down has to be Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer. Honestly, I have to first thank so many of you, especially Emily from @scytheemily, for screaming at me in the comments telling me to read Strange the Dreamer ASAP.

I have a love or like relationship with plenty of fantasy and high-fantasy books, and Strange the Dreamer is most definitely a loveeeeeeeee. While it’s not the only reason, this may have to do with my loveeeeeeeee for Lazlo. You had me at junior librarian. And librarian who then travels through the world and gains strength and a tan while doing so. In multi-perspective books or even books with one POV from a male character, I admit that I find myself relating or caring about the female(s) POVs. But Lazlo was not the case. I loved learning more about Weep for his knowledge, but getting to experience the city alongside from him. Laini Taylor really makes you feel as if you’re getting to see Weep for the first time too.

I never really thought about the title that is Strange the Dreamer until I started reading, and while we do have a full cast of characters with plenty of different third-person POVs, this is Lazlo’s story. I really couldn’t imagine a different title. I can’t wait to explore more of his past and of course present in Muse of Nightmares.

But let’s not forget about Sarai and the godspawn. Am I the only person who is literally terrified of Minya??? I really enjoyed learning about the godspawn and their horrific past. And their magic.is.so.cool. Well, maybe except Minya because the whole controlling ghosts thing is a bittttt creepy. Just a bit. If I could have one of their powers, I think I’d have to go with Sarai. Or maybe Sparrow so I could grow myself strawberries whenever I want. I think it’s so much cooler than getting to read people’s thoughts. Getting to visit people’s dreams?? LAZLO’S DREAMS?!? Minus the whole Muse of Nightmares thing. Among this full cast, there’s plenty of interesting characters. I’m really interested in seeing Eril-Fane’s role in the next installment (will his mom also be there??) and I loved Calixte.

While I did lose track of some of the terminology and what was happening in the action sequence near the end, the ending/ last 50 pages of Strange the Dreamer left me screaming. I won’t go into it for the sake of spoilers, but holy gods, it’s time to pick of Muse of Nightmares NOW! Overall, I am so glad I read Strange the Dreamer for pushing me more into high fantasy and this unique world and story.

Have you read Strange the Dreamer? How excited are you for Muse of Nightmares? Share in the comments!

Movies I’ve Watched Recently: Inspired by From Twinkle, With Love

July 6, 2018June 30, 2018 fangirlfury3 Comments

After recently reading and enjoying Sandhya Menon’s latest novel, From Twinkle, With Love, it made me think about some of the movies that I’ve been watching lately. Since I don’t have as much time as I’d like to read during the school year, I use the summer to take a little bit of a break from TV & movie-watching to catch up on ALL the books. But this doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy having a Netflix marathon on a cloudy day or catching up on a TV show before bed. BECAUSE I DO!

From Twinkle, With Love follows aspiring filmmaker Twinkle Mehra who has plenty of stories and universes for people to see on screen. When fellow film geek Sahil Roy asks Twinkle to direct a movie for an upcoming arts festival, Twinkle jumps on the opportunity to not only put her moviemaking skills to the test, but to get closer to her longtime crush, Neil, who also happens to be Sahil’s twin brother. From Twinkle, With Love is largely told through Twinkle’s letters to her favorite female filmmakers and coincidentally, my latest movie watches have all been female-centered!

Little Women– Little Women is one of my most memorable childhood books, so when I saw the 1994 adaptation pop up on Netflix, I knew that it was fate telling me it was time for a rewatch! I just love this story so much—can I be Jo March when I grow up??—and I really like the cast in this adaptation. While Little Women takes place during the Civil War era, I love movies made in the ‘90s and it was fun seeing a young Winona Ryder and Kirsten Dunst on screen.

Marie Antoinette – Soon after watching Little Women, Marie Antoinette popped up on my recommended for you list on Netflix. I had never heard of this movie based on you guessed up, the Queen of France herself, who’s played by Kirsten Dunst. I admit that not a lot happens in this one, but I enjoyed seeing Kirsten play Antoinette and seeing how Antoinette’s life changed, living in French royalty and adjusting to their traditions and expectations. There’s a slight quirkiness that I really appreciated—for example, no one speaks in “old” language and there’s a lot of modern music throughout! It was also very cinematic with all of the amazing shots of Versailles and historical costumes.

Ocean’s Eight- Ocean’s Eight was one of my most anticipated movies of 2018 and being a big fan of Ocean’s Eleven, I’m happy to say that I loved Ocean’s Eight so much! If you love the heist side of things in Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, you will love this movie. The female cast was absolutely phenomenal (Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, Rhianna, Mindy Kaling to name a few…) and like Ocean’s 11, I found myself asking HOW the entire time!! I also enjoyed the references to Ocean’s 11, and I still believe that Danny Ocean is not dead. Can this be an excuse to get a sequel with our female cast, please??

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From Twinkle, With Love Mini Review:

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

I read Sandhya Meon’s debut novel, When Dimple Met Rishi, last summer, and I knew that From Twinkle, With Love would be the perfect way to kick off summer.

However, I admit that especially in the beginning, I had trouble adjusting to the book’s format. I love Twinkle’s admiration of female filmmakers, but I think her narration without the letters would’ve allowed us to get the same sense of her voice. We also get Sahil’s POV from his text messages with his best friends. Even though I liked also getting some of Sahil’s voice, I also found myself confused trying to tell who was who in his text messages to Aaron and Skid.

Format aside, I really enjoyed this story and like When Dimple Met Rishi, Sandhya Menon gave us such unique and creative protagonists with Twinkle and Sahil. It was fun seeing their movie and romance come to life, and by the end, what reader doesn’t have a crush on Sahil?? I also loved getting to know Twinkle’s family alongside her Indian upbringing—if I started a Youtube channel, would Dadi also create three accounts just to subscribe to me??

I liked how social Twinkle becomes by the end of the book. However, the drama beforehand does feel quite high school. Although her best friend, Maddie, is often in the wrong and Twinkle recognizes her own faults eventually, I didn’t understand how Twinkle thought some of her actions and words were okay?? Listen to your moral compass, Sahil, please!

Overall, I enjoyed From Twinkle, With Love for its unique and fun story (which did keep me up late into the night to continue), and I’m definitely anticipating Sandhya’s When Ashish Met Sweetie.

Have you read From Twinkle, With Love? What movies have you watched lately? Share in the comments!

Start of Something New: July TBR

July 4, 2018June 30, 2018 fangirlfury10 Comments

Well, I guess you should never say never when it comes to your reading and blogging life. And yes, I do hear Troy Bolton and Gabrielle Montez signing “Start of Something New” whenever I read this post’s title. After writing a monthly TBR discussion post almost two months (the title, “I’m a moody reader and proud”, might give you a hint about my monthly TBR habits), I, Fangirl Fury, am here to give you my first ever monthly TBR for July.

The reason I decided to embark on this new TBR journey is simple: I’m officially overwhelmed by my own-books TBR. Over the past few years MY WHOLE LIFE and despite my growing personal library, most of the books I read come from the library so I tend to not be overwhelmed by TBR because its not at home. Unless I’m staring at my Goodreads shelf. Enter Book Expo and Book Con 2018, where I received almost 40 new books, and over half of them are ARCs coming out in Fall 2018. I’d like to take a moment to say that this is not me complaining because I am truly excited about ALL of the books I picked up last month and I’m so appreciative of all the experiences I had at Book Expo and Book Con. Besides being genuinely excited to read, my goal is to have reviews out around pub date for each of them. I know this is not entirely realistic, but this reader can dream!

Getting back to the point of a July TBR, I am determined to read the ARCs below this month and of course some new and backlist books as well. This is also not my final TBR, as it’s likely that I’ll read more books that aren’t on this list as well.

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab (ARC) – I need some Victoria/V.E. Schwab in my life, and if I can’t have Vengeful yet, I will gladly take City of Ghosts. I really don’t read middle grade, but I’m excited to read Schwab’s first take on the genre. And blame it on Strange the Dreamer, but I’ve been in the mood for some ghost books lately.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor (ARC)- Speaking of Strange the Dreamer, I’m so excited to be able to read its sequel, Muse of Nightmare. Strange the Dreamer is easily one of my new favorite fantasy books, and yes, I’m scared for EVERYONE in this finale.

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden- So as I’m writing this post, I just found the last book in the Winternight trilogy isn’t coming until January 2019 instead of August 2018. I was originally planning on reading The Girl in the Tower this month to prepare for The Winter of the Witch. I still plan to read it this month because I am of need of Vasya and Russian folklore.

The Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood – I haven’t read a book by Jessica Spotswood before, but her latest release had me at summer contemporary featuring four sisters.

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart (ARC)- Sisterhood and fantasy are also more than welcome! I’m excited to read Grace & Fury before its July 31^st pub date.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi (ARC)– The hype is real for A Very Large Expanse of Sea (it’s gorgeous cover was just recently revealed) and I’m sure will more than satisfy by contemporary cravings.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian- Ideally, I’d like to binge-read the entire Burn for Burn trilogy this month. Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian are two of my favorite contemporary authors, so I’m hoping I fall in love with this collab as much I’ve loved there other books. Plus it takes place during the summer.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone- I’m so excited to read Nic’s upcoming book, Odd One Out, and I’d love to read her debut novel before then.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (Reread)- Netflix’s film adaptation of one of my all-time series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, is easily my most anticipated movie of the year! Like Burn for Burn, I’d love to read all 3 books, but I want to at least reread the first this month.

What do you plan on reading in July? Share in the comments

It’s A Fangirl Life: June 2018 Wrap Up

July 2, 2018February 28, 2020 fangirlfury9 Comments

Summer is finally upon us! I’ve been kicking off the season with plenty of reading by the pool and beach, having read 12 books this month, and staying in the AC watching way more than I realized!

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I think someone deserves a trip to Barnes & Noble soon (says the girl whose bedroom floor has become its own bookshelf) because I wrote reviews for all of the following books! While some of them may not be live yet, check out the What I Wrote section for the ones that are.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi | 3.5/ 5 Stars

Save the Date by Morgan Matson | 5/5 Stars

Warcross by Marie Lu (Reread)| 5/5 Stars

Wildcard by Marie Lu (ARC)| 5/5 Stars

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon | 4/5 Stars

The Summer of Us by Cecelia Vinesse (ARC) /5 Stars

The Accidental Bad Girl by Maxine Kaplan | 4.5/5 Stars

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch | 4.5/5 Stars

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor | 5/5 Stars

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennet | 4.5/5 Stars

Love & War by Melissa de la Cruz | 3/5 Stars

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch | 4.5 Stars

Black Cat Blue Sea Award

July 1, 2018June 30, 2018 fangirlfury10 Comments

An award that’s a tongue twister is right up my alley! Speaking of awards and allies, I’d like to thank Ally of Ally Writes Things, QUEEN of book recommendations, for nominating me for the Black Cat Blue Sea Award! I haven’t seen this award outside of Ally’s blog, so I’m excited to pass it on to a few bloggers below.

Are there any topics that make you automatically interested in a book?

I mostly love books that have anything to do with summer, but I’m particularly drawn to summer camp reads (ex: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord), ice cream reads (ex: Siobhan Vivian’s Stay Sweet and Jenna Evans Welch’s Love & Gelato), and books that take place in beach towns (ex: almost all of Sarah Dessen’s books).

Favorite book you’d never admit is a favorite?

I’m pretty open about my favorite books, so I’ll go with a favorite book that I don’t talk about much: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell! Attachments often gets mixed reviews, but it’s my favorite adult book from Rainbow Rowell and it’s so funny! I have a note on my phone that is specifically for Attachments quotes.

Are there any authors you’d never read anything from? Why?

Fortunately and unfortunately, there are authors on my TBR that I haven’t read yet. Fortunately because I am always excited to try new authors, but unfortunately because that means my TBR is still threatening to crush me. I’d love to make a whole post about authors I haven’t read from (thanks for the inspiration Ally!), so I’ll only include two below:

Claire Legrand– I thought I had a good excuse about why I haven’t read anything by Claire Legrand because her much-loved Furyborn just came out in May. Until I went on Goodreads and saw that she’s written 5 other books before Furyborn. While I’m actually not too interested in Furyborn, I’m really excited to read her fall release, Sawkill Girls, which I have an ARC of!

Kasie West- Anddd here’s another author where I have no excuse about why I haven’t read their books yet. Kasie West seems like a contemporary queen, and as a contemporary reading queen, I can’t believe I haven’t read one of her books yet. Luckily, I recently picked up Listen to Your Heart, which I plan on reading this summer!