Addams Family Book Tag

It’s Halloween!! 😀

I don’t celebrate the holiday, but I like it because it gives people an excuse to be silly and dress up as their favorite characters and OD on scary shit so yeeeaahhh Halloween!!

Guess what I’ll be doing?? Guess!! Guess!!

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Creatures of the Night Book Tag

Halloween is almost here so to join in with the holiday celebrations, I’ll do some tags! 😀 No surprise there, I’m sure.

I’ve decided to do the Creatures of the Night tag, which I found Heather’s blog, the Sassy Book Geek. It was created by booktuber Katytastic. For the tag, one has to select their favorite book that features the creatures listed in the tag. Since I don’t read many horror or supernatural books, I’ll choose from movies and TV shows as well.

So…let’s get to the CREATURE VAULT!

Weekend Reads #61: What’s On Your Nightstand: October 2016

Weekend Reads is a weekly post in which I discuss a variety of topics and mention the books I plan to read on the weekend. For this week’s entry, I’ll do a What’s on Your Nightstand post, which is a monthly meme hosted by 5 Minutes for Books on the last Tuesday of every month that summarizes what you’ve read for the month, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan to read next.

I treat my What’s On Your Nightstand posts as quick wrapups because usually the books on my nightstand are the ones I recently completed that are waiting to be reviewed. The books I’m currently reading are usually in my purses since I mostly read while commuting to work and other places. But now my nightstand is clear because I’m all caught up on reviews. It’s the first this has ever happened as I’m always behind on them. I’m quite proud of myself. Anyways, here are the books I completed since my last entry.

“Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future” by Lauren Redniss

Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future is an illustrated nonfiction book about the weather that I recently read. Written and illustrated by Lauren Redniss, the book explores how weather affects nature and humanity and how humans cause changes in the weather. It was an informative, thought-provoking read that left me curious about some of the subjects, places, and people mentioned in the book.

The book is huge and thick, but that’s because of the large, beautiful illustrations that are sometimes spread across two pages. There’s a lot to read, but the amount of text isn’t overpowering since they are interspersed with illustrations and the font size allows for easy reading. (No need to strain your eyes.)

Shelf Control #1: “In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods”

Shelf Control is a weekly meme created by Lisa at Book Shelf Fantasies where bloggers feature books they own and would like read. It’s a way for readers to take stock of what they own and get excited about the books on their shelves and on their devices.

I’ve wanted to join in ever since Lisa announced this meme, but have just gotten around to doing so. I own a lot books and though I tried to buy less this year, I went overboard due to the two bookish events I attended — BookCon and the Small Press Expo. My hope is that this meme will get me excited about the books I already own, or at least lessen my need to quickly purchase the cover that catches my eye.

Also, I just want an excuse to talk about more books so just think of this as a tour of my library.

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My pick for the week:

Title: In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods

Author: Matt Bell

Genre: Fiction, fantasy (some on Goodreads have listed it under magical realism)

Published: 2013

Length: 312 pages

Goodreads overview:

In this epic, mythical debut novel, a newly-wed couple escapes the busy confusion of their homeland for a distant and almost-uninhabited lakeshore. They plan to live there simply, to fish the lake, to trap the nearby woods, and build a house upon the dirt between where they can raise a family. But as their every pregnancy fails, the child-obsessed husband begins to rage at this new world: the song-spun objects somehow created by his wife’s beautiful singing voice, the giant and sentient bear that rules the beasts of the woods, the second moon weighing down the fabric of their starless sky, and the labyrinth of memory dug into the earth beneath their house.

This novel, from one of our most exciting young writers, is a powerful exploration of the limits of parenthood and marriage—and of what happens when a marriage’s success is measured solely by the children it produces, or else the sorrow that marks their absence. 

How I got it: I saw it in a pile of free books at work and I recognized the title so I grabbed it.

When I got it: 2013 or 2014

Why I want to read it: I think I saw a review of it in a Shelf Awareness newsletter and that piqued my interest. I still would like to read it because the story sounds interesting.

“Air Awakens” by Elise Kova

I thought this would be a fun fantasy series to get hooked on but, unfortunately, I didn’t like it.

Goodreads overview:

A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.  

“The Raven King” by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven King is the final installment in the Raven Boys series, a young-adult fantasy series by Maggie Stiefvater about a group of teenagers with psychic abilities searching for a dead Welsh king so they can wake him and ask for a wish.

I read the first novel in the series, The Raven Boys, last year and was immediately hooked on the story and Stiefvater’s lush writing. I then hopped to the second book, The Dream Thieves, which made the series edgier but bored me; and I read the third book, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, earlier this year but that too fell flat for me.

I began to think the series had lost its oomph or that my interest in it had diminished, so I didn’t bother to pick up Raven King when it was published in April. However, I decided to download it from my library’s online collection in September to have something to read while traveling. Once I started reading, I was hooked and was glad for it. The series had got back it’s energy.

Fall Activities Book Tag

I saw this tag on the Sassy Book Geek and the Orang-utan Librarian‘s blogs and decided to do it because…it’s fall, I like tags, and it’s 1:43 a.m. and I’m in the mood to torture myself by staying up when I’m sleepy.

The tag was created by Ashley at Dreaming Through Literature.

By the way, I’ve never done any of these activities. My Fall activities include stepping on every crunchable leaf I see and obsessively thinking, “I hope this is as cold as it’ll get for winter,” in a falsely optimistic voice.

Apple Picking: A book on your TBR that looks so delicious you can’t wait to take a bite out of it.

Weekend Reads #60: Other People’s Thoughts

Weekend Reads is a weekly post in which I discuss a variety of topics and mention the books I plan to read on the weekend.

Once again I’m forgoing a discussion topic but will instead feature two discussions, a review, and an article I recently read that really stood out to me. All of them touch on diversity topics in some way and are all interesting reads. I highly suggest that you visit the blogs to read the posts yourself.

First up is Whitney’s (Brown Books and Green Tea) wonderful review of Fresh Off the Boat, a memoir written by restauranteur Eddie Huang that was made into a TV sitcom earlier this year. I placed it on my TBR soon after the book was published in 2013, but moved it up my TBR list after reading Whitney’s review, which made me reflect on my experiences as an immigrant and as a child of immigrants. I’m curious to know more and would like to experience the book for myself. Whitney’s review mentions the abuse Huang experienced and pressure from his family to always do better.

“Cress” by Marissa Meyer

Ahh… Cress. She didn’t stand out to me.

Goodreads overview:

In this third book in Marissa Meyer’s bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from invading Earth.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she’s just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she’d ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.