I didn’t have my blog yet when I read Scythe by Shusterman last year, but suffice it to say that I spent the entire time I had that book in my hands with my jaw agape in some form or fashion. It evoked a feeling of helplessness, of anxiety because this society Shusterman is describing could come together tomorrow. This world where “the cloud” has taken over and controls everything but the ultimate equalizer – death itself – is so like…
Well hello there! If you’re reading this, you probably are either A) extremely bored, or B) matched with me in some sort of exchange that requires mild, affectionate stalking. (Aww!) I write this blog post not because I’m super haughty or anything, but rather because I am the actual worst at talking about myself and the things I might want. When I’m faced with an exchange and the questions start coming, it’s like I get temporary gift amnesia and just…
Here is what I wanted S.T.A.G.S. to be: some sort of universe where Hunger Games meets Battle Royale and maybe The Strangers, a book where students get hunted like prey and killed in a remote location, mowed down like beasts or vermin by their emotionless, bloodthirsty peers. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly what happened. Maybe I expected too much, but I’m not so sure that I did. Rating: How I’d Describe This Book to a Friend Greer, our main character and only POV for this…
I can’t believe 2018 is over – it feels like it just started, but at the same time it feels like the year has dragged on for a millennium. We had Olympics in 2018. Black Panther came out in 2018. What even were you, 2018? Anyway, my final parting shot to the year that lasted forever is my December wrap-up. I redeemed myself after my stunning display of literary apathy known as November 2018 (wherein I read one book and shamed…
I love a good thriller. The problem is that they tend to be a dime a dozen these days, and 90% of them seem to revolve around a married couple with ~secrets and lies~ that must be uncovered. It’s a fine trope, but sometimes I like to get away from it. I jumped on one of December’s Book of the Month offerings this month, which seemed right up that “unusual thriller” niche – No Exit, by Taylor Adams. I was blown…
I am not a big fan of books written for adults – this is my cross to bear in the book blogging world. However, I heard so many good things about One Day in December, and since it was in December’s Book of the Month selection list I figured I’d go for broke and give it a whirl. I am enormously pleased to say that I actually – shockingly – adored this quiet little sleeper hit. My Rating: How I’d Describe This Book…
I will freely admit that this was not the first time I picked up The Raven Boys in an attempt to be cool like all the other book bloggers and vloggers. Nor was it my second. In fact, this was my third time on the Raven Boys struggle bus. Luckily for me, the third time was the charm, and I finally finished this 400 page first entry into a much-beloved series – I hope that it won’t be my last. Rating: How I’d…
I can’t even say anything about how much I read in November. I can say nothing cutesy or make any adorable graphics because I READ ONE BOOK IN NOVEMBER. One. Book. This is my secret shame. Winter is usually when I really dig my heels into reading big, hefty tomes and sink my teeth right into the marrow, but for some reason November was just one giant slogging slump for me. I picked up countless books, read 20-30 pages, and discarded…
I read young adult literature almost exclusively, but whenever I re-open my Book of the Month subscription, I tend to gravitate toward their thriller selection. My favorites are domestic thrillers, the ones that really screw with your head, but I can also get behind a solid plain-Jane thriller as well. I apparently selected Emma In the Night back in September 2017, and it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since. I kept trying to pick up a contemporary YA at the end of…
After seeing some of my favorite bloggy buddies sign up for 2019’s Beat the Backlist, most recently my dear friend Ellie, I decided to bite the bullet and go for it myself. The whole idea of Beat the Backlist is to love and appreciate your shiny new books and ARCs, but to still methodically and carefully go through your piles of books accumulated that were published in 2018 or sooner, which is a habit I have a bad inclination toward.…