Matilda by Roald Dahl (a book made into a movie you've already seen)
One of my favorite RD books. It's honestly a highly improbable story (even without the magic), but fun and cute and quick.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (a book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist)
WOW. Talk about slow burn. I don't know anything about being Mexican-American or gay or living in the '80s, but there was something about this book I could still relate to. Trying to find out who you are. Trying to connect with the people around you. Trying to find a place where I belong.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Reading Challenge: January 2018
Aida by Leontyne Price (a book that is also a stage play or musical)
I've owned this book of a loooooong time, which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows I am named after the opera. Leontyne Price played Aida for many years, and she has a beautiful voice. Honestly, the story of Aida doesn't capture me as much as it does some people; the Romeo and Juliet-type tragic love story feels a little old and makes me sad. But, the illustrations, done by Leo and Diane Dillon, are gorgeous and really go with the Egyptian/Ethiopian story.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (a book set on another planet)
Kinda a stretch . . . but Mount Eskel is certainly not on Earth! A lovely, vivid story. Even though Miri feels left out in her miner town because her father won't let her into the quarry, she learns her worth as a girl and as a friend over the course of the novel.
Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov (a book that you borrowed or was given to you as a gift)
This is my mom's favorite book, and for good reason. These stories really stand out as science fiction wonders. Some of them are funny, some are cringey, and some are heart-breaking.
Beast by Donna Jo Napoli (a book with an animal in the title)
I could easily imagine every moment in this book; the writing moves under its own weight, drawing the reader in. The plot and characters, however . . . leave much to be desired. Not a complete waste of time, but not a book I really want to think about again.
Smila's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (Nordic noir)
This month was the month of lyrical books. Smila's Sense of Snow pulled me in with beautiful prose and characters . . . and then lost me with the snail pace. Seriously, this book was so slow. I am honestly surprised I managed to finish it. I would say this book is a lovely read if you can get through it.
I've owned this book of a loooooong time, which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows I am named after the opera. Leontyne Price played Aida for many years, and she has a beautiful voice. Honestly, the story of Aida doesn't capture me as much as it does some people; the Romeo and Juliet-type tragic love story feels a little old and makes me sad. But, the illustrations, done by Leo and Diane Dillon, are gorgeous and really go with the Egyptian/Ethiopian story.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (a book set on another planet)
Kinda a stretch . . . but Mount Eskel is certainly not on Earth! A lovely, vivid story. Even though Miri feels left out in her miner town because her father won't let her into the quarry, she learns her worth as a girl and as a friend over the course of the novel.
Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov (a book that you borrowed or was given to you as a gift)
This is my mom's favorite book, and for good reason. These stories really stand out as science fiction wonders. Some of them are funny, some are cringey, and some are heart-breaking.
Beast by Donna Jo Napoli (a book with an animal in the title)
I could easily imagine every moment in this book; the writing moves under its own weight, drawing the reader in. The plot and characters, however . . . leave much to be desired. Not a complete waste of time, but not a book I really want to think about again.
Smila's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (Nordic noir)
This month was the month of lyrical books. Smila's Sense of Snow pulled me in with beautiful prose and characters . . . and then lost me with the snail pace. Seriously, this book was so slow. I am honestly surprised I managed to finish it. I would say this book is a lovely read if you can get through it.
Sunday, December 10, 2017
2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge - Finished!
I finished the Popsugar reading challenge! 52 books down!
1. a book recommended by a librarian - The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
2. a book that's been on your TBR list for way too long - Up A Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
3. a book of letters - The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
4. an audiobook - Coraline by Neil Gaiman
5. a book by a person of color - Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai
6. a book with one of the four seasons in the title - A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
7. a book that is a story within a story - Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
8. a book with multiple authors - Troll's Eye View by Ellen Datlow
9. an espionage thriller - Angelmass by Timothy Zahn
10. a book with a cat on the cover - The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
11. a book by an author who uses a pseudonym - Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
12. a bestseller from a genre you don't normally read - Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
13. a book by or about a person who has a disability - Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison
14. a book involving travel - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
15. a book with a subtitle - Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
16. a book that's published in 2017 - By Your Side by Kasie West
17. a book involving a mythical creature - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
18. a book you've read before that never fails to make you smile - I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems
19. a book about food - Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
20. a book with career advice - Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger Institute
21. a book from a nonhuman perspective - White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
22. a steampunk novel - Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
23. a book with a red spine - Shade's Children by Garth Nix
24. a book set in the wilderness - Breaking Trail by Arlene Blum
25. a book you loved as a child - Holes by Louis Sachar
26. a book by an author from a country you've never visited - What is Chemistry? by Peter Atkins
27. a book with a title that's a character's name - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
28. a novel set during wartime - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
29. a book with an unreliable narrator - Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
30. a book with pictures - Tales of Mystery and Madness by Edgar Allen Poe
31. a book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you - The Color Purple by Alice Walker
32. a book about an interesting woman - Florence Nightingale by Catherine Reef
33. a book set in two different time periods - Kindred by Octavia Butler
34. a book with a month or a day of the week in the title - The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
35. a book set in a hotel - At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie
36. a book written by someone you admire - I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
37. a book that's becoming a movie in 2017 - Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
38. a book set around a holiday other than Christmas - Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmell
39. The first book in a series you haven't read before - Gone by Michael Grant
40. a book you bought on a trip - Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus
Advanced
1. a book recommended by an author you love - Sunshine by Robin McKinley
2. a bestseller from 2016 - When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
3. a book with a family member term in the title - The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
4. a book that takes place over a character's lifetime - The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines
5. a book about an immigrant or refugee - Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
6. a book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of - The Number Devil by Hans Enzenberger
7. a book with an eccentric character - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
8. a book that's more than 800 pages - The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
9. a book you got from a used book sale - Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
10. a book that's been mentioned in another book - A Separate Peace by John Knowles
11. a book about a difficult topic - Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt
12. a book based on mythology - The Heavenward Path by Kara Dalkey
1. a book recommended by a librarian - The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
2. a book that's been on your TBR list for way too long - Up A Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
3. a book of letters - The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
4. an audiobook - Coraline by Neil Gaiman
5. a book by a person of color - Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai
6. a book with one of the four seasons in the title - A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
7. a book that is a story within a story - Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
8. a book with multiple authors - Troll's Eye View by Ellen Datlow
9. an espionage thriller - Angelmass by Timothy Zahn
10. a book with a cat on the cover - The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
11. a book by an author who uses a pseudonym - Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket
12. a bestseller from a genre you don't normally read - Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
13. a book by or about a person who has a disability - Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison
14. a book involving travel - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
15. a book with a subtitle - Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
16. a book that's published in 2017 - By Your Side by Kasie West
17. a book involving a mythical creature - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
18. a book you've read before that never fails to make you smile - I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems
19. a book about food - Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
20. a book with career advice - Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger Institute
21. a book from a nonhuman perspective - White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
22. a steampunk novel - Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
23. a book with a red spine - Shade's Children by Garth Nix
24. a book set in the wilderness - Breaking Trail by Arlene Blum
25. a book you loved as a child - Holes by Louis Sachar
26. a book by an author from a country you've never visited - What is Chemistry? by Peter Atkins
27. a book with a title that's a character's name - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
28. a novel set during wartime - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
29. a book with an unreliable narrator - Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
30. a book with pictures - Tales of Mystery and Madness by Edgar Allen Poe
31. a book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you - The Color Purple by Alice Walker
32. a book about an interesting woman - Florence Nightingale by Catherine Reef
33. a book set in two different time periods - Kindred by Octavia Butler
34. a book with a month or a day of the week in the title - The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
35. a book set in a hotel - At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie
36. a book written by someone you admire - I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
37. a book that's becoming a movie in 2017 - Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
38. a book set around a holiday other than Christmas - Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmell
39. The first book in a series you haven't read before - Gone by Michael Grant
40. a book you bought on a trip - Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus
Advanced
1. a book recommended by an author you love - Sunshine by Robin McKinley
2. a bestseller from 2016 - When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
3. a book with a family member term in the title - The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
4. a book that takes place over a character's lifetime - The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest Gaines
5. a book about an immigrant or refugee - Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
6. a book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of - The Number Devil by Hans Enzenberger
7. a book with an eccentric character - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
8. a book that's more than 800 pages - The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
9. a book you got from a used book sale - Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks
10. a book that's been mentioned in another book - A Separate Peace by John Knowles
11. a book about a difficult topic - Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt
12. a book based on mythology - The Heavenward Path by Kara Dalkey
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
November Reading Challenge
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (a book with one of the four seasons in the title)
Shakespeare has never been one of my favorites, but I had a lot of fun reading this play out loud to myself. It's funny, wild, and the way it's written is grand!
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
An engaging fairy tale remix with cyborgs, plagues, and "princesses"! I thought this book was really fun, and I can't wait to read the next ones.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
This book sounds insane when you're trying to describe it to someone. It really wasn't my piece of cake (a little nonsensical at times), but an interesting plot that never stops moving.
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
A childish book with a bit of a silly plotline. Probably not bad if you're, like, 8, but boring for a 22-year-old.
Shakespeare has never been one of my favorites, but I had a lot of fun reading this play out loud to myself. It's funny, wild, and the way it's written is grand!
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
An engaging fairy tale remix with cyborgs, plagues, and "princesses"! I thought this book was really fun, and I can't wait to read the next ones.
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
This book sounds insane when you're trying to describe it to someone. It really wasn't my piece of cake (a little nonsensical at times), but an interesting plot that never stops moving.
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
A childish book with a bit of a silly plotline. Probably not bad if you're, like, 8, but boring for a 22-year-old.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Reading Challenge: October 2017
A Separate Peace by John Knowles (a book mentioned in another book)
Set during WWII, a young man finds his resentful feelings for a friend getting out of hand. Though I thought it was uninteresting, I found the way the young man thought to be familiar. I don't mean to resent people, but sometimes it just happens. Those feelings can grow and get out of hand if we let them.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (a book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you)
Wow, what do I say about a book like this. I liked the letter format. It made it both easier and harder to read. The characters' voices were unique and easy to follow. Stark and open. There were a couple places I felt like I had been punched in the gut.
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Prodigy by Marie Lu
I adored the first book, Legend. Unfortunately, middle books are rarely as good. This book took an unexpected turn, which I suppose might have been Lu's intention, but I found it hard to keep up with all the twists and turns. Then again, the characters did too.
Champion by Marie Lu
The finale in the Legend series is intense and action-packed. There was rarely a moment of downtime. I was confused by the timeline, and I think there were important plot points that were never explained or resolved. I was not expecting that ending, either, but I am really glad I found this series. On to Warcross!
Entwined by Heather Dixon
A retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, this was a really good book! The author did a good job explaining why the princesses were so rebellious, and the mystery of Mr. Keeper was creepy enough to keep me reading.
Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
Alex can't trust the things she sees with her own eyes, so when she meets a boy who starred in the made-up Great Lobster Escape of her childhood, she has to accept that she may have made him up too. Honestly, I didn't find this book very interesting, despite its potential. Some of the storyline felt nonsensical and out-of-place.
Set during WWII, a young man finds his resentful feelings for a friend getting out of hand. Though I thought it was uninteresting, I found the way the young man thought to be familiar. I don't mean to resent people, but sometimes it just happens. Those feelings can grow and get out of hand if we let them.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (a book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you)
Wow, what do I say about a book like this. I liked the letter format. It made it both easier and harder to read. The characters' voices were unique and easy to follow. Stark and open. There were a couple places I felt like I had been punched in the gut.
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Prodigy by Marie Lu
I adored the first book, Legend. Unfortunately, middle books are rarely as good. This book took an unexpected turn, which I suppose might have been Lu's intention, but I found it hard to keep up with all the twists and turns. Then again, the characters did too.
Champion by Marie Lu
The finale in the Legend series is intense and action-packed. There was rarely a moment of downtime. I was confused by the timeline, and I think there were important plot points that were never explained or resolved. I was not expecting that ending, either, but I am really glad I found this series. On to Warcross!
Entwined by Heather Dixon
A retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, this was a really good book! The author did a good job explaining why the princesses were so rebellious, and the mystery of Mr. Keeper was creepy enough to keep me reading.
Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
Alex can't trust the things she sees with her own eyes, so when she meets a boy who starred in the made-up Great Lobster Escape of her childhood, she has to accept that she may have made him up too. Honestly, I didn't find this book very interesting, despite its potential. Some of the storyline felt nonsensical and out-of-place.
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Reading Challenge: September 2017
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel (a book set around a holiday other than Christmas)
Hershel is a traveler coming into a small town at Hanukkah-time. Unfortunately, the town is plagued by Hanukkah-hating goblins! A lovely little story about Hershel's fight for his holiday.
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittmann by Ernest J. Gaines (a book that takes place over a character's life span)
The fictional autobiography of a black woman who lived from the abolition of slavery all the way to the Civil Rights movement.
At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie (a book set in a hotel)
Not one of Christie's best, in my opinion. I feel like she took a large, complicated topic and told about it in too few pages. The antagonistic force was never fully explained.
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetic Questions by Randall Munroe
Hershel is a traveler coming into a small town at Hanukkah-time. Unfortunately, the town is plagued by Hanukkah-hating goblins! A lovely little story about Hershel's fight for his holiday.
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittmann by Ernest J. Gaines (a book that takes place over a character's life span)
The fictional autobiography of a black woman who lived from the abolition of slavery all the way to the Civil Rights movement.
At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie (a book set in a hotel)
Not one of Christie's best, in my opinion. I feel like she took a large, complicated topic and told about it in too few pages. The antagonistic force was never fully explained.
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetic Questions by Randall Munroe
Friday, September 1, 2017
Reading Challenge: August 2017
Sunshine by Robin McKinley (a book recommended by an author you love)
An urban vampire novel, I'd been told good things about this one. Unfortunately, I did not understand a lot of what happened. Still, a good read.
Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones (a book that has a story within a story)
Polly struggles to remember a childhood filled with magic and mystery, realizing, as her memories return, that the man she loves is in grave danger.
The Heavenward Path by Kara Dalkey (a book based on mythology)
The lesser-known sequel to Little Sister, this book shows how we must often sacrifice the things we love the most for what we need the most.
The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold (a book with a cat on the cover)
Another complex, confusing book. A woman has killed the king's son in self-defense, and Ingrey is sent to bring her back to the palace for judgment. However, they may just be two pieces in an ancient puzzle.
Angelmass by Timothy Zahn (an espionage thriller)
An intensely speculative piece of science fiction. Jereko Kosta is sent as a spy into the Empyrean Empire to find out if they really are being taken over by an alien species known as angels.
Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (a book from a genre you don't normally read)
Filled with short by intense horror stories about the creepy things that live in woods, caves, and the crevasses of human hearts.
Also read, but not for the challenge:
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Juli fell for Bryce the second she saw him, but he might not be all she hopes. Actually a really good book about idolization and crushes, but also about the hope of change and becoming a better person.
The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian
This book was made more real because of the recent flooding in southern Texas. As her town disappears under flood waters, Keeley decides to take some chances. Will these chances change her life forever . . . or just ruin it?
Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones
My third time reading this book, and I like it more each time. No summary I could give would really do this book justice, but there's a sorcerer, a dragon, a little boy, a castle, and an intergalactic empire.
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