favorite books – The Fictional Reader

my favorite reads of 2019

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen these favorites before. That’s because I made a thread of my favorite reads of 2019 on there because I couldn’t find the will to actually write a blog post about it. For those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter, don’t wish to, or don’t have a Twitter account, here’s my list compiled in a blog post.

These are in no particular order! I couldn’t pick a favorite from these whatsoever. I adored all of these books for different reasons, and they all deserve an equal place in my list. Let’s get started.

The City of Brass (Daevabad #1) by S.A. Chakraborty
This fantasy novel brought back my love for the genre. It’s such an atmospheric and captivating read! I ended up binge-reading the book in only a few sittings simply because I didn’t want to put it down.

Here’s my description of this book on Twitter:
⭐ made me fall in love with fantasy novels all over again
⭐ couldn’t put this down, I was attached to it until it was done
⭐ gorgeous, atmospheric, fantastic

Fence volumes 1, 2 and 3 by C.S. Pacat
Did I read all three volumes in one go? Yes. Have I been desperate for the next volume ever since? YES. This is an adorable series about a boy who competes to join the fencing team at a private school so he can become the best and show the father who left him for a new family. It’s got adorable friendships and what I’m hoping will become an epic romance.

Twitter description
⭐ fantastic group of characters
⭐ boys fencing team and competitions
⭐ slow-burn romance
⭐ LGBTQ+

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
I’m so grateful to Destiny for putting this author on my radar, because I hadn’t enjoyed a romance book as much as I did this one in a long time. This restored my faith in the entire genre. Yes, it’s that good.

Twitter description
⭐ comic book/webcomic creator and Chris Evans (more or less…)
⭐ #ownvoices
⭐ black, plus-sized, autistic main character
⭐ healthy relationships and communication, yes!!

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate
I can’t believe it took me so long to read Noteworthy because it might be one of my all-time favorite YA contemporaries. It’s about a girl who disguises as a guy to join the all-male a cappella group in her school because she can’t get the lead role in a musical as an Alto 2. There’s SO much to love about this book, and I’ll gladly redirect you to my full review of it.

Twitter description
⭐ girl disguises as guy and joins all-male a cappella group
⭐ Chinese-American, bisexual MC
⭐ #ownvoices
⭐ discussion of gender/sexuality

I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino
The reason I fell in love with manga this year. I saw this series on an app (translated) and proceeded to buy paperbacks of it immediately, then binge-reading them all. I screamed about this series to literally everyone, and if you haven’t read them yet PLEASE DO.

Twitter description:
⭐ made me fall in love with manga
⭐ LGBTQ+ contemporary
⭐ disability rep: hard of hearing MC
⭐ so adorable!!
⭐ got way too invested in this and stayed up too late to read it

The Shadowglass (The Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco
I know I’ve been talking about this YA fantasy trilogy for literal years, yet here I am doing so once more. I won’t stop until everyone has read it. This Asian-inspired fantasy series centers around a girl who discovers she’s a Dark Asha (“bone witch”) when she accidentally raises her brother from the dead.

Twitter description
⭐ the finale I’ve been waiting for!!
⭐ made me cry on public transport
⭐ catch me rereading this soon
⭐ if you haven’t read this Asian fantasy about a bone witch, what are you doing??

Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba
After reading I Hear the Sunspot, I wanted to truly dive into the world of manga. And what better way to start than by reading some of the most iconic manga in existence? Death Note did not disappoint whatsoever. I binge-read all the volumes, was absolutely glued to the pages.

Twitter description
⭐ binge-read the entire manga
⭐ teenager with God complex, killing people by writing their name in a notebook
⭐ watch him spiral out of control
⭐ what is right or wrong?
⭐ L!!

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
After tackling Death Note, I jumped over to Fullmetal Alchemist. Once again, I absolutely fell in love with the manga and read the entirety of it in a matter of months. I’m quite proud of that accomplishment, as there are 27 volumes of FMA!

Twitter description:
⭐ also binge-read the entire manga
⭐ adorable brothers
⭐ characters you will become too attached to
⭐ alchemy!
⭐ just two boys trying to get their bodies back

The Black Tides of Heaven by J.Y. Yang
THIS NOVELLA! I’ve already recommended it to multiple people who have added it to their list of books to buy. While this is not a novella that is entirely unknown, it hurts me to see so few people in the bookish community mention it. Maybe I’m just not following the right people? Anyway, if you want an SFF read and LGBTQ+ representation, you need to pick this up. J.Y. Yang is brilliant, and I will read everything they write.

Twitter description:
⭐ EPIC fantasy novella
⭐ people born without gender, confirm gender themselves whenever it becomes clear to them
⭐ twins!
⭐ rebellion
⭐ literally everything you could ever want

Our Dreams at Dusk volume 1 by Yuhki Kamatani
An #ownvoices LGBTQ+ novel from a non-binary author? Sign me the hell up. And look at that artwork!! I don’t even know what to say about this manga because I’ve only read a few volumes and feel like it’s far more character-centered than plot-centered. All I can tell you is that you need this in your life.

Twitter description:
⭐ LGBTQ+ manga
⭐ about a boy finding a safe space
⭐ exploring gender and sexuality
⭐ adorable!! gorgeous drawings!!
⭐ author is non-binary

Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller
This YA contemporary novel made me so angry. I was hurt and filled with rage and indignation. This is the story of a girl in the US who discovers she’s pregnant and wants to get an abortion. She can only do so with legal permission though, which she doesn’t receive. Abortion is illegal in her state, prompting her to go on a road trip with friends to get the procedure.

Twitter description
⭐ heartbreaking coming-of-age story
⭐ girl has to go on “roadtrip” to get an abortion
⭐ friendship
⭐ such an important read!!

The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) by R.F. Kuang
I put off reading this fantasy novel for quite a while because I was intimidated by it. I knew I’d probably end up loving it, but wasn’t sure whether I was ready for that. That sounds absolutely ridiculous, I know, but I hope at least one of you can relate. I should never have put this one off because it was incredible.

Twitter description
⭐ fantasy novel inspired by China/Chinese history
⭐ engrossing, captivating and mind-blowing
⭐ brutal
⭐ main character who is neither good nor bad

The Wise Man’s Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles #2) by Patrick Rothfuss
I finally did it. I read the first book in the series in 2015, then decided to put off reading the sequel for so long I forgot what happened in book 1, making me even more “scared” to continue reading. As this is the favorite series of one of the best people in my life, I decided it was time to buckle up and re-read the first book so I could continue the series. I read them quite quickly, considering the size of the books, and ADORED THEM. This series is SO GOOD.

Twitter description:
⭐ epic sequel to an already incredible first novel
⭐ keeps taking me on a surprising journey
⭐ too attached to the characters already…
⭐ can’t recommend it enough

Those were my favorite reads of 2019! Have you read any of these books?
Which books made your favorites list?

books I keep pushing everyone to read (are these books my brand?)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is actually “books I refuse to let anyone touch”, but I don’t really have any books like that. Are there books I would only lend out with specific instructions to take care of them? Of course. That really only goes for my illustrated editions of Harry Potter, though.

Instead, I thought I would talk about the books I keep mentioning over and over again on this blog. Ones that have been on countless recommendations lists. I saw this video go around on BookTube where people were talking about the books that are their “brand”, which are really the books everyone associates with those specific vloggers. It seemed like a fun video, so why not create a blog post around it? Let’s get into the books!

Let me know whether you predicted any of these books to actually be on my list! I would love to know whether this is all in my head or not.

Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor #1) by Mark Lawrence
Ever since I read this book at the start of 2018, I’ve been pushing it onto everyone here. I’ve mentioned it countless times, because I still feel like not enough people have read it. It’s a character-driven story that is action-packed at the same time, and follows a girl called Nona who is training to become a Red Sister – a nun of battle, basically. Also, 98% of the characters in this book are female. YES.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
While The Secret History is an incredibly popular novel in general, I feel like I don’t see it mentioned that often in the bookish community. Maybe I’m simply not following the people who also adore this book? Either way, everyone should read it. I know it may seem like an intimidating and somewhat snobbish read, but I promise you it’s worth it. Instead of the classic whodunnit, this novel is more of a whydunnit.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
This is one of the only books on my shelves I’ve actually lent out to people “in real life”. I hate saying in real life, but I don’t know how else to convey what I mean. I’ve lent it out to family and friends, and recommended the translated novel to those in my life who don’t read in English. Everyone I have recommended it to has loved it so far, which says something, right? It’s a WWII historical fiction novel about two French sisters during the German occupation of France.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I’m sure the majority of you are sick and tired of seeing me mention The Song of Achilles. Guess what? I couldn’t care less. I’m going to keep talking about it until everyone has read it. It’s a retelling of the Iliad through the eyes of Patroclus, Achilles’ best friend and partner.

I Hear the Sunspot volume 1 by Yuki Fumino
I Hear the Sunspot is a very recent addition to this list, because I only read it two months ago. The reason I’m adding it to this list is because I know I’ll keep recommending this manga for years to come. It’s absolutely wonderful. I became obsessed with it immediately, and binge-read the three English volumes available at the moment – as well as the unofficial translation of the next issues out so far. I NEED MORE INFORMATION ON WHEN THE NEXT ONES WILL BE RELEASED. This manga follows two guys at university. One of them offers to take notes for the other, who is hearing impaired, in exchange for lunch. They quickly develop a friendship, and more…

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
Once again, I’ve talked about this book so often. Duh, Jolien, that’s what this entire list is about… To this day, Radio Silence is one of my favorite YA contemporary reads. It’s quietly brilliant. It has a biracial, bisexual main character who creates fanart for her favorite podcast and becomes friends with the podcasts’ creator, Aled. There is no romance between them whatsoever, which is refreshing.

Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations #1-2) by Michael J. Sullivan
I feel like I haven’t talked about these books in a while, even though that’s probably a lie. Michael J. Sullivan is one of my favorite fantasy authors so far, ever since I read Theft of Swords in 2015. This series has all the fantasy tropes I love, and I’ve become so attached to the two main characters.

Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop
How many times have I read Written in Red since first picking it up in 2013? I’ve marked it as read 4 times on Goodreads, but I know I’ve done re-reads of it without adding it to Goodreads. This urban fantasy series is absolutely fantastic. It has a large cast of characters, but the author manages to make you feel attached to every single one of them. There really aren’t any characters I don’t have any feelings on. Either I love them, hate them, want to protect them, want to kill them, or want to be them.

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastards #1) by Scott Lynch
Once again, I feel like I don’t need to explain why The Lies of Locke Lamora is on this list. I have been in love with this series for years, and am (im)patiently waiting for the next book to be released. It’s about the Gentleman Bastards, who rob both rich people and other robbers. It’s magnificent.

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco
I feel like I haven’t screamed about this series enough, to be honest. I absolutely adore it, yet I never even reviewed the second book? I recently read the last book in the trilogy, and will be reviewing it soon. It’s Asian-inspired YA fantasy, and reminds of of The Name of the Wind. It’s told in two timelines: one in which the main character discovers she’s a bone witch (Dark asha), and one in which she has been exiled from the kingdom and is raising an army of dead monsters to proclaim war.

Did you guess these correctly? Are there any books you feel I shouldn’t have put on this list, or ones that I should’ve added instead? Let me know! I find the idea of a “brand” as a book blogger quite interesting, because I want to know which books you all associate with me. Which books are your “brand”? I’d love to hear about it!

Books I loved with fewer than 2000 Goodreads ratings | #TopTenTuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is underrated favorites! I’m talking about some of my favorite books that have fewer than 2000 ratings on Goodreads. To be honest, I’m curious to see which books I’ve read will end up having fewer than 2000 ratings.

Okay, after going through my Goodreads shelf I realized that I’ve only read and loved a few books with fewer than 2000 ratings. I don’t want to add books to this list that I simply thought were okay, or didn’t like at all, or can’t be read by the majority of you. For example, some of the books I’ve read and loved in this category are only published in Dutch, which I assume most of you don’t speak. So I’ve decided to talk about 6 books I would recommend, and 4 I want to read.

Disclaimer: these have less than 2000 ratings on January 23rd, which is when I’m writing this post.

THE ONES I’VE READ AND LOVED

Ever Falling Star by Sungju Lee & Susan McClelland
I can’t believe this book has fewer than 2000 Goodreads ratings! Every Falling Star was one of my favorite books of 2018. This is a nonfiction book targeted at younger readers (young adult). In it, the author talks about growing up in North Korea, having to steal and beg to survive, and his eventual escape from the country. The way the authors tell Sungju Lee’s story makes it seem like a YA fiction novel at times, and I had to keep reminding myself this actually happened to him. Please read this!

Running With Lions by Julian Winters
Another one I’m sad to see on this list. I also read this book in 2018, and fell in love with it. It follows Sebastian as he goes to yearly summer football camp with his team. The new addition to the team just so happens to be Emir, his estranged childhood best friend. His feelings for Emir might also not be entirely platonic. It was adorable, it was cute, and it was lovely. I need more people to read this!

The Melody of You and Me by M. Hollis
I feel like everyone should have read this already because this book is so short. I saw it on Riley Marie’s channel, and she made it sound really good. It’s about a girl called Chris, who recently dropped out of university and broke up with her girlfriend of 3 years. One day, a new girl starts working at the same bookstore Chris is an employee, and they connect instantly. It’s so adorable, everyone! Plus, it talks about creating an environment of people who support you, chasing your dreams, not knowing where your career is going when you’re in your twenties, and more. Best of all, thank you for writing a sex positive novel!

A Girl Like Her (Ravenswood #1) by Talia Hibbert
Thank you Destiny for talking about this book and making me want to pick it up. This is now one of my favorite adult romance novels, and I will keep singing its praises until everyone reads it too. It’s an #ownvoices book that follows a black, plus size, autistic woman who creates webcomics and an ex-military metalsmith. Hell yes.

A Shiver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke
A Shiver of Snow and Sky is a polar fantasy novel wherein the Goddess communicates with the people of Skane through lights that appear in the sky on clear nights. Green means all is well, blue is a warning for a snowstorm to come, and red… Red is a warning. This is such an atmospheric standalone, and I wish more people would read it! I found it in a secondhand bookstore last year and couldn’t be more grateful.

Solve for i by A.E. Dooland
I bought a Kindle copy of Solve for i at random, because I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone talk about it before. It’s a adult contemporary novel that follows Gemma (28) who is starting to realize her feelings for her best friend, Sarah, aren’t very platonic. Only problem? Sarah is very straight, in a happy relationship, and pregnant. While I did think that the friendship between these two women was too co-dependent at the start, I think the author gave these characters enough room for growth. I immensely enjoyed the second half of the book, and will read her others for sure.

THE ONES I WANT TO READ

Down Station by Simon Morden
I bought this at YALC 2018, mostly because of the cover. Isn’t it absolutely beautiful? All I know about this story is that it follows commuters who happen to be in the underground when the apocalypse takes place, and end up going through a tunnel into a different world.

Death Notice by Zhou Haohui
In my pursuit to read more translated novels, I’ve added this mystery/thriller to my to-read list. Death Notice was originally written in Chinese, and follows a police squad hunting a criminal mastermind out to publicly execute criminals. Sounds epic to me.

Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree follows one girl kidnapped by Boko Haram. It is a fiction novel, but is based on a true event. If you’re somehow unaware, in 2014 Boko Haram kidnapped 276 school girls. Today, around 110 of those girls are still missing. I still can’t understand why there is almost no talk of these kidnappings in Europe/America. Maybe it’s because so far Boko Haram hasn’t done anything to us specifically? Does it have to come to our doorstep for us to interfere? Anyway, this is a fiction novel following one of the kidnapped girls.

Astra: Lost in Space Vol. 1 by Kenta Shinohara
I have heard so many great things about Astra: Lost in Space! One of my aspirations for 2019 is to read more manga, since I’ve really enjoyed the few I read last year. This series is high on my to-buy list, and has so few ratings on Goodreads! Although people who primarily read manga probably use a different website to track their reading.

There you have it, 10 books with fewer than 2000 ratings on Goodreads! It was so interesting to go through my shelves and look at the number of ratings certain books have. I was quite surprised by some of these picks, to be honest. Tell me, have you read any of these books? Which of the 4 on my to-read list should I prioritize? Which books with fewer than 2000 ratings do you love?

My favorite books of the year | best in books (2018)

It’s time for my most anticipated blog post of the year. Even though it’s already 2019 and I’m really the only one anticipating its release. Anyway! Today, I’m talking about my favorite books of the past year. I didn’t create this list with a specific number in mind. I simply went through the books I read in 2018 and picked out the ones I truly loved, and I still think about today. Not every book I gave 5 stars will be on this list. I can’t really explain why that is, but I hope you’ll understand. These are the BEST books I read in 2018 – not necessarily released in the past year.

Titles of the books/series will take you to the Goodreads page.

BOOK OF THE ANCESTOR BY MARK LAWRENCE

This year I fell in love with Mark Lawrence’s writing. Specifically, his Book of the Ancestor series. Red Sister was one of the first books I read in 2018 and it completely blew my mind. It’s a series about assassin nuns, spy nuns, and magic-wielding nuns that focuses on Nona. When the books start Nona is very young (around 8 I think) and you watch her grow up and train at the Convent of Sweet Mercy. It’s SO GOOD. After loving the first book, I was afraid Grey Sister wouldn’t live up to my expectation. Color me surprised when I ended up loving it just as much/even more than I did the first book. I can’t wait for the release of the last book, Holy Sister.

Read my review of Red sister here.
Read my review of Grey Sister here.

IF WE WERE VILLAINS BY M.L. RIO

This book caught me by surprise. I picked it up on a whim at the library because it was described as ideal for fans of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. You may know that said book is one of my all-time favorites, so reading that made me take it with me. It blew my mind! It was so good. I had never heard anyone talk about If We Were Villains before, although I’ve seen some more reviews pop up in the past 6 months. If you don’t know what this is about, it follows a guy called Oliver who just served 10 years for a murder he may or may not have committed. The victim? One of his conservatory friends. They all attended the same elite conservatory where they studied Shakespeare. Seriously, read this.

Read my review of If We Were Villains here.

THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET BY BECKY CHAMBERS

I can’t count the amount of times this book was recommended to me before I bought myself a copy. It was on every science fiction recommendation list. It was on every LGBT+ SFF recommendation list. After reading it, I can see why. This is a very slow-paced science fiction novel, focused more on character development than action. You follow the crew of the Wayfarer as they take on a big job – they tunnel wormholes through space. If somehow you haven’t read this, please give it a try. Even if you don’t like science fiction!

I was going to link my review here, but then realized I never actually wrote one. Oops.

PACHINKO BY MIN JIN LEE

Prepare to feel your heart break in a million little pieces while reading this novel. If you don’t know, this is an adult fiction book set in Korea and Japan spanning 8 decades. It follows multiple generations of a Korean family as they try to survive in trying times. I’ll just say it now: not many good things happen in their lives. This is a SAD book. But it’s absolutely brilliant at the same time. Plus, it’ll teach you some of Korea’s history as well as their relationship with Japan – during and after its annexation of Korea.

Read my review of Pachinko here.

THE KISS QUOTIENT BY HELEN HOANG

I think this book left such an impact on me because it’s the first romance book I’ve truly loved in a while. It’s centered around Stella and Michael. It has an #ownvoices autistic storyline as Stella has Asperger’s and the love interest, Michael, is Vietnamese-Swedish. It’s sweet, sexy and absolutely wonderful. I read it in the span of a few hours on the train because I just couldn’t put it down.

Also didn’t write a review of this one apparently. Get yourself together, Jolien.

EVERY FALLING STAR BY SUNGJU LEE & SUSAN MCCLELLAND

This is an autobiography I picked up at YALC during the summer, and I knew I wanted to read it as soon as possible. In Every Falling Star, Sungju Lee describes his life growing up in North Korea and his eventual escape from the country. It pretty much reads like a YA fiction book, and I had to keep reminding myself that his actually happened to him. As a child, he lived in Pyongyang and had a pretty pampered (and indoctrinated) life. Until his family was forced to move to the countryside and exiled into poverty. Sungju Lee ended up alone on the streets at age 12, stealing and begging to survive. It is a book everyone should read. I especially enjoyed hearing his thoughts on what the West (and South Korea, China, etc.) should do to prepare for an eventual reunification of Korea.

Read my review of Every Falling Star here.

THE HATE U GIVE BY ANGIE THOMAS

I know everyone already read this book in 2017 but I didn’t, okay? I’m apparently a procrastinator like that. Which is odd because I don’t tend to procrastinate much in other aspects of my life? I listened to the audiobook of The Hate U Give which I would highly recommend. I don’t think I need to say too much about this, as I’m certain most of you have already read it.

ILLUMINAE BY JAY KRISTOFF & AMIE KAUFMAN

I didn’t think I would ever read this book. I know everyone and their mother raved about this YA science fiction novel, but it just didn’t seem like a book I’d enjoy. I randomly decided to read it on a day I had to spent about 7 hours on public transport because the audiobook was available on Scribd. I’m so glad I gave it a chance! It was absolutely epic, and the audiobook is one of the best I’ve ever listened to.

THE FIFTH SEASON BY N.K. JEMISIN

Last year, I read two books from her Inheritance series and absolutely loved them. When I realized that everyone raves about this series, Broken Earth, in particular I knew I had to read it too. This book was phenomenal. I don’t quite know how to talk about it without spoiling anything, so I’ll just say this has become one of my favorite SFF books and I need you all to read it too. It’s probably best to go into it knowing as little as possible so you can discover everything by yourself.

THE WAY OF KINGS BY BRANDON SANDERSON

I finally conquered this giant book! It was worth every second. Once again, I don’t know how to explain this story to you all… It’s a high fantasy novel told through multiple POVs. It’s got magic, battle, royalty, schemes, assassins, long lost legendary Knights, and epic swords. Honestly, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

NIGHT BY ELIE WIESEL

I’m ending my list with my most recent read on here, and the one I’ll be thinking about for months/years to come. This is a short autobiography in which Elie Wiesel talks about his deportation to and life in Auschwitz-Birkenau. It made me feel like vomiting at times, because I find it so hard to read what humans put other humans through. But it’s important to read books like these, and talk about them, especially in these times. Not only is fascism and hate on the rise again, the number of concentration camp survivors is dwindling. We can’t forget their stories, and need to remember it happened only a few generations ago.

My favorite books of 2018. It feels weird to say that, and truly end this (reading) year! Have you read any of these? What were your favorite novels of 2018?

My Favorite Reads of 2017

It’s time to announce my favorite books of 2017! As always, these were not necessarily published in 2017, I just happened to read them this year. I don’t stick to a specific number either. Instead I pick and choose the ones that stand out to me most. Let’s get into it!

I’m not counting re-reads for this!

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman // This is probably no surprise, because I’ve been raving about it ever since I read it in the first half of the year. I loved the story, Frances was incredibly relateable and I appreciate the conversation on asexuality and demisexality here!

All the Rage by Courtney Summers // This one hit me hard. It’s such an important book on rape, trauma and rape culture. It addresses slut-shaming and victim-blaming in a way I believe is really important for teenagers to read.

Etched in Bone (The Others #5) by Anne Bishop // This series is probably going to be in every favorites list, for as long as it goes on.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli // There’s a lot more contemporary in this list than I expected there to be. I think for me personally, Molly was a main character I could relate to. It may even have been the first time I could understand a girl so well. Plus, Reid!

Assassin’s Quest (Farseer #3) by Robin Hobb // Love this trilogy! This was actually my favorite of the three. I adore the Fool, and Nighteyes.

Am I Normal Yet (Spinster Club #1) by Holly Bourne // More contemporary! This is such an important novel on female friendship, feminism, dating and OCD.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon // One word: adorable. This was such a cute story! It made me smile multiple times while reading and has ensured that I will pick up anything Sandhya Menon will write.

Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown // I don’t read a lot of sci fi, but this book is so popular I had to give it a go. And I ended up loving it! It is quite brutal and violent, but as far as a rebellion story goes, I think that vibe fits it really well.

Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders #1) by Robin Hobb // More Robin Hobb! I just started her Liveship Traders trilogy, which comes after the Farseer one in her Realm of the Elderlings series. The most interesting part? Ships that come alive!

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee // This is an incredible historical fiction novel. It’s funny, witty yet addresses tough topics such as abuse, sexism, disability, etc too. The romance between Monty and his best friend Percy was so cute as well.

jane eyre

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë // A classic on my favorites list… Who would’ve thought? This classic managed to surprise me. I thought it was going to be boring/a struggle to get through because it’s not very short. But I flew through it and absolutely adored it! It might be my favorite classic so far (not counting The Lord of the Rings).

There you go, my favorite reads of the year!
Have you read any of these?
What were your favorite reads of 2017?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Reads of 2017 (so far)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week I will make a list of 10 books, authors or other bookish things surrounding a certain topic.

Etched in Bone (The Others #5) by Anne Bishop // I don’t think this is a surprise to anyone who has been following my blog for a while. This series has been on my favorites list since I started my blog, and the latest installment is no different.

All the Rage by Courtney Summers // This book took me by surprise. I never expected to love it as much as I did, because I’m generally not much of a contemporary reader. But this book was so honest, brutal and angry that I couldn’t help but love it. It just sparked so many emotions in me.

Assassin’s Quest (Farseer #3) by Robin Hobb // What an incredible end to the trilogy! It is by far my favorite of the three, and I honestly can’t wait to read more of her works.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli // THIS BOOK. I fell in love with this book. I know this is one of the few contemporaries I will actually want to re-read. I just felt like I could understand Molly so well, better than I ever have with a main character. I just hope to find my Reid too.

The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2) by Cinda Williams Chima // I’ve read the first 3 books in the series this year, but the second one is my favorite. Maybe because I love school settings in a fantasy book? Anyway, if you’re one of the people who also hasn’t started this series: please do. I started reading it in January and was hesitant because I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype. It did though. It did.

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough // Another book that managed to surprise me. This is about Love and Death, who have been playing the Game for centuries. They both choose a player, and if they both fall in love and choose it above all other things in their lives, Love wins. If not, Death wins. Guess what happens then? This is set in Seattle during the Great Depression and the players are Henry (a white boy adopted by a wealthy family) and Flora (an African-American girl who sings in a jazz club but wants to be a pilot).

Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown // I’m late to the party here. Everyone has already read this -and its sequels- and I’ve only read it this year. But I really loved it. This is a science fiction story revolving around a revenge plot (basically). It’s epic.

Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking // This book made me feel so cozy and warm. It featured everything I love, and I’m now convinced I need to move to Denmark.

The Dragons of Nova (Loom Saga #2) by Elise Kova // I would feature the first book here too, but I read that one in 2016. I love this epic fantasy series. I liked her Air Awakens books (I’ve read the first 2) but wasn’t really blown away by them. These though… I just flew through them!

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman // Another contemporary. I feel like this year, I’ve really expanded my reading in terms of genres. This book is amazing. It’s the story of Frances, a 17 or 18 year-old girl in the UK. It’s the first story of a girl in high school where I feel like I can actually recognize my high school experience. Plus, the diversity here is incredible. Frances is British-Ethiopian. Daniel (a side character) is Korean. There’s bisexual, gay, demi- and asexual rep. Honestly, it’s so so so good.

Those are my favorite reads of the year so far! I’m excited to see what the next half of 2017 brings, to be honest. Obviously, I didn’t include any re-reads in this. I’ve re-read The Others by Anne Bishop, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier so far. I love them all but I don’t feel like it’s honest to include them here. What are your favorite reads of the year so far? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? I’d love to talk to you about them!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Reads of the Year So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week I will make a list of 10 books, authors or other bookish things surrounding a certain topic. This week is a freebie week, and since it’s the end of June and thus the middle of the year, I figured I’d do a favorite reads of the year so far. Keep in mind, these were NOT all released in 2016. I just read them this year.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt // This novel actually really stands out in my list of books I have read this year. Not just because I loved it, but also because it’s vastly different from what I usually pick up. I’d recommend this book to everyone. The plot was intriguing, the characters were so well developed I kept changing my mind on who I actually liked, and I felt simultaneously smart and dumb while reading.

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo // I picked this up because I loved Leigh Bardugo’s last trilogy, and this one had great reviews to it. I was so pleasantly surprised, which is saying something because my expectations were quite high already. I’m also happy this will be a duology – I love duology.

The Death of Dulgath (Riyria Chronicles #3) by Michael J. Sullivan // If you’ve read my blog for a while, you may know that this is one of my favorite fantasy series/authors. I’m happy to say that the latest installment of the Chronicles didn’t disappoint me at all.

A Gathering of Shadows (Shade of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab // I was so afraid to pick this one up. What if I didn’t like it as much as the first one? I’m glad I did though. She took things to a whole other level here. That ending! I ended up loving the story, and even the new characters she introduced.

Marked in Flesh (The Others #4) by Anne Bishop // No surprise here. This series has been on my favorites lists for years, I think. I just love it to pieces. Each and every character in interesting and amazing here. There are so many side characters I have grown to love just as much as the main ones, which to me is a sign of a good novel.

City of Stairs (Divine Cities #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett // I was so surprised by this book. I had tried to start it several times, but the first few pages seemed so confusing to me that I never stuck with it. But I’d seen so many raving reviews, I gave it another try this year. And I found myself sucked in after like 20 pages! It was just so good. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1) by N.K. Jemisin // N.K. Jemisin was one of those authors I’d wanted to read a book by for ages. I had the first two of this trilogy on my shelf, so decided to finally give it a go. I loved it so much. Honestly, I’ve read both books on my shelf now. I really want to purchase more of her works, but I’m trying to lower my TBR!

The Warded Man (Demon Cycle #1) by Peter V. Brett // Another pleasant surprise. I’d seen this author recommended several times for fantasy lovers. And the concept of this book seemed intriguing to me. I’m so glad I picked it up. Not only was the concept amazing, but I was interested in the different main characters and their POVs as well -not just one of them. It also spans over many years, which really shows you how the characters developed. I’m excited to read the sequel!

Hounded (Iron Druid #1) by Kevin Hearne // This book was really quite cheap on Bookdepository, so I decided to add it to an order I made this year. I picked it up almost immediately after it arrived, and immediately wanted to buy the entire series. It’s about a 21 century old druid in modern times. It’s just incredible, and I laughed out loud several times. I really need to purchase the sequels, but like I said, I’m trying to shrink my TBR not increase it.

Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare // If there is one book that surprised me this year, it’s this one. It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of her TMI series. In fact, I don’t like it at all. And while I had this trilogy on my shelf, the less-than-great experience with her other series made me incredibly hesitant to continue this one. You can’t imagine my surprise when I ended up reading both this one and Clockwork Princess in 2 days. I just had to continue, because I was really attached to these characters -well, mostly to Jem. I’ve decided to give her another chance, and pick up Lady Midnight too.

That’s my TTT for the week! I’m so glad I’m back to making these, I’ve missed it so much during the past month. What were your favorite reads of the year? Have you read any of these? Feel free to link your TTT post in the comments!

My Favorite Books of 2015

The time has come to show you all my favorite reads of the year. As always, this doesn’t mean that they all were released in 2015. It just means I read them this past year. So, here they are, the best of the best from this year. By the way, sometimes I’ll show one cover from a series, but mention that the entire series is actually on my list.

These are in no particular order.

Quiet by Susan Cain // I’ve mentioned this book several times this year, just because it truly blew me away. I’m definitely an introvert, and that has always seemed as a negative aspect to me. Because people make me feel like it is. But reading this book truly showed me that there is nothing wrong with being an introvert. We just happen to live in a society that worships the extroverts. I’ve written a review on it, so if you want to read that you can find it here.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson // This was my second Brandon Sanderson novel, and it didn’t disappoint. This world was so interesting, with the gods being reborn, colors being magic and countries at war. It’s about politics, magic, intrigue and power. I loved it. And I’d highly recommend it to everyone.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah // I only read this one recently, but I immediately knew it had to be on this list. From the first sentence. I swear this has one of my all-time favorite opening lines. It’s a historical fiction novel about WWII, and it’s amazing. I don’t often read this genre, but I’m so glad I read this. Honestly, you need to read this. My review of it can be found here.

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas // I don’t think this will be a surprise to anyone. I really enjoy this series, and I’m one of the readers who loves the direction this story is going in. I’m really looking forward to the next novel. My review on it can be found here.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller // Again, not a surprise to anyone. I’ve been mentioning this book as often as I can. I started the year with this book I believe, it was at least one of the first books I read. It was out of this world. I loved it so much. At first, I wasn’t sure whether I would like this, because I love the version of Achilles’ story I already knew. But this one was just, even better. I really think everyone should read this book. My review on it can be found here.

Theft of Swords (Riyria Revelations #1-2) by Michael J. Sullivan // By this, I mean the entire series. I read all three of the bind-ups, so 6 books, this year and adored them. Michael J. Sullivan has become one of my favorite fantasy authors, and I’ll probably read anything he’ll write. I have a review on it here.

The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles #2) by Michael J. Sullivan // By this, I mean the first and second book in this series, as I haven’t read the third book yet. Like I said before, I love this author, I love this world and I love the characters even more.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson // Again, the entire trilogy is on this list. I read these in 2015, and loved them. I knew I would because Alicia @ Kernel of Nonsense loves them, and she was write. It’s an amazing YA fantasy trilogy that everyone should read. I have a review on it here if you’re interested.

Frostfire (Kanin Chronicles #1) by Amanda Hocking // Again, the entire trilogy is on my list. I love it. I feel like Amanda Hocking is kind of an underrated author! I haven’t seen her books around much, especially this trilogy. It makes me kind of sad, because I do love this trilogy. Again, I have a review on it here.

Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastard #2) by Scott Lynch // So, the second and third book are on my list. The first one would be too, but I read that one in 2014 so I can’t really put it on here. I love Scott Lynch’s work. His Gentleman Bastard series is so unique and amazing. I can’t recommend it enough, and I can’t wait to read the fourth book in 2016. I wrote a review on it, which you can find here.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik // This was a very different fantasy read for me. I introduced me to Naomi Novik’s work and I’ll definitely be reading more of it. I have a review on it here.

A Darker Shade of Magic (ADSOM #1) by V.E. Schwab // Again, an amazing introduction to V.E. Schwab’s work! This YA fantasy novel has several different Londons, all in a different dimension I think. They all have different colors, different magic, different kingdoms and so on. It’s all SO INTERESTING. My review on it can be found here.

Me Before You (Me Before You #1) by Jojo Moyes // Last but not least, Me Before You. This is one of the best romance books I’ve ever read. Honestly, it’s a must read. My review on it can be found here.

These are my favorite books I read in 2015. Seeing this list just makes me so HAPPY. Have you read any of these? Did you make a post about your favorite reads of the year? I’d love to see them!

My Top 14 of 2014

2014 is officially over , which means it’s time to have a look at my favorite books of 2014. To be clear, these aren’t books that were released in 2014 but ones that I read during the year. I’m not really going to talk about the synopsis or anything, I’m just giving you the title, cover and link. I’m doing this because if I were to rave about every single of these books, this post would be about 5 pages long. I have included the GoodReads link in the titles, so if you’re curious about a book, you can find the information there. These are in no particular order by the way. Let’s get into it!

The Shadow of the Wind 28249 6547258 none of the abbove 12000020