The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

Title: The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Lewis Barnavelt #1)

Author: John Bellairs

Publisher: 1973

Genre: Children’s Books

Pages: 179

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Library

When Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan. comes to stay with his uncle Jonathan, he expects to meet an ordinary person. But he is wrong. Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, are both magicians! Lewis is thrilled. At first, watching magic is enough. Then Lewis experiments with magic himself and unknowingly resurrects the former owner of the house: a woman named Selenna Izard. It seems that Selenna and her husband built a timepiece into the walls--a clock that could obliterate humankind. And only the Barnavelts can stop it!

We ended watching the movie version with Jack Black and Cate Blanchett before reading the book, but I wasn’t too spoiled. Of course the movie changes some things around to make the story more fantastic for the screen. But by and large, the main story stays true to the spirit of the book. And what a book it is! If I had read this at about 9 years old, I would have been completely in love with this book. Even at 38, I really really really enjoyed this book. We get the right amount of humor, adventure, and horror in this slim little novel introducing us to Lewis Barnavelt and his eccentric Uncle Jonathan and neighbor Mrs. Zimmerman. I sped through the pages, only pausing to examine the wonderful illustrations. I probably won’t read the rest of the series, but I really loved this first volume.

P.S. The novel was illustrated by Edward Gorey. I love his work so much!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Title: Asylum (Asylum #1)

Author: Madeleine Roux

Publisher: HarperCollins 2013

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 321

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365; UnRead Shelf Project

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, the New Hampshire College Prep program is the chance of a lifetime. Except that when Dan arrives, he finds that the usual summer housing has been closed, forcing students to stay in the crumbling Brookline Dorm—formerly a psychiatric hospital. As Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan start exploring Brookline's twisty halls and hidden basement, they uncover disturbing secrets about what really went on here . . . secrets that link Dan and his friends to the asylum's dark past. Because Brookline was no ordinary mental hospital, and there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

That was a quick and enjoyable read. I sped through this creepy young adult horror book in just a few hours. I love a good asylum-based horror novel and this one really did hit the spot. We get some likable characters to follow as they uncover secrets about Brookline and about themselves. The plot is a slow build. We don’t get a ton of action until the last 100 pages, but the tension builds consistently through the first 2/3 of the book. I really fell into the creepy setting and kept want the characters to revisit the basement. Enjoyable read for this week. I will definitely be continuing to read the series.

Asylum:

• #0.5 Escape from Asylum

• #1 Asylum

• #1.5 The Scarlets

• #2 Sanctum

• #2.5 The Bone Artists

• #3 Catacomb

• #3.5 The Warden

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Title: The Secret Life of Bees

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Publisher: Penguin Books 2003

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Top 100 YA, 21st Century Women Authors, Rory Gilmore; Goodreads Random

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sister, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

A really beautiful coming-of-age story set in a fraught time period and place. I was rooting for Lily to find her place int he world away from her father and the ignorant perspectives of many in her community. I loved meeting the sisters and learning about beekeeping and their particular brand of religion. Many of the sequences feel very dreamlike. Almost like the opening scenes of Lily watching the bees swarm in her room. My only quibble with the book is the format. At times, the constant flashbacks muddled the prose. Transitions were not the best. Overall this was a lovely atmospheric book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss #1)

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Speak 2010

Genre: YA Romance

Pages: 382

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen, NPR Romance, 365 Days of YA; Ebook

Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?

I absolutely devoured this book in a day and a half. This is such a great young adult romance. We get that initial meet-cute. We get the complications. We get a ton of will they or won’t they. And we finally get to see the two main characters come together. Even though there were some more serious parts, this was the light-hearted read that I needed for this week. I definitely was rooting for Anna and Etienne throughout the book. I loved the pretty straight-forward plotline propelling the romance. I loved the side characters, especially Rashmi and Josh. All of the characters act like late teens. Often in YA, we get 17 year olds acting either like 13 year olds or 25 year olds. It was nice to see appropriate teen behavior and though patterns. I finished the last page of the book and just sighed with a smile on my face. Lovely little book. I will definitely be reading the two companion books (not quite sequels, but involving some of the side characters).

Anna and the French Kiss

• #1 Anna and the French Kiss

• #2 Lola and the Boy Next Door

• #3 Isla and the Happily Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

Title: How to Be a Woman

Author: Caitlin Moran

Publisher: Harper 2012

Genre: Nonfiction - Essays

Pages: 323

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Feminism; Monthly Theme - March

Caitlin Moran puts a new face on feminism, cutting to the heart of women’s issues today with her irreverent, transcendent, and hilarious How to Be a Woman. “Half memoir, half polemic, and entirely necessary,” (Elle UK), Moran’s debut was an instant runaway bestseller in England as well as an Amazon UK Top Ten book of the year; still riding high on bestseller lists months after publication, it is a bona fide cultural phenomenon. Now poised to take American womanhood by storm, here is a book that Vanity Fair calls “the U.K. version of Tina Fey’s Bossypants….You will laugh out loud, wince, and—in my case—feel proud to be the same gender as the author.”

Another collection of personal essays focusing on feminism. I think this collection was executed better than Bad Feminist. This focused more on Moran’s personal experiences and how they have shaped her worldview and her specific take on feminism. I definitely did laugh out loud many times throughout the essays. My favorite was definitely the story about what to name our private parts. But… then we get lots of casual bigotry and racism throughout the essays. And her complete dismissal of women’s history and those that came before us really got my goat. So while I think this was a better themed collection, I found it lacking in many areas.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Title: Bad Feminist

Author: Roxane Gay

Publisher: Harper Perennial 2014

Genre: Nonfiction Essays

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual; Monthly Theme - March

A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched young cultural observers of her generation, Roxane Gay.

In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of color (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.

I loved every essay that Gay focused on her own experiences and thoughts. Learning her personal take on various aspects of life was eye-opening. I love feminist texts that embrace intersectional feminism. Gay excels as laying out the all the different aspects of life and how feminism affects them. I really fell into those essays. Unfortunately, she also included very academic essay focused on pop culture. Those took me right back to college and not in a good way. I was thoroughly bored with those. And of course, they were very dated 6 years later. I would have loved to delete those essays and just keep the personal ones.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2011

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual; Monthly Theme January

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males born with a lifespan of 25 years, and females a lifespan of 20 years—leaving the world in a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Yet her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement; her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next; and Rhine has no way to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive.

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

This one has been on my list for years at this point. I finally dove in and read this story in just a few days. I wouldn’t say that I absolutely loved this book, but it was a solid young adult science fiction book. Rhine is a decent heroine put in an impossible situation. Even though I like Rhine, I loved Jenna and Cecily. They are great side characters. Linden is a wet blanket, but I guess that’s his role in the story. I just wished that Gabriel was a more compelling character and love interest for Rhine. Maybe in book two? I think I’ll continue the series, but I’m not going to rush out right now.

The Chemical Garden

• #1 Wither

• #2 Fever

• #3 Sever

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Title: The Hunger

Author: Alma Katsu

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2018

Genre: Horror

Pages: 376

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror

Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere.

That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the isolated travelers to the brink of madness. Though they dream of what awaits them in the West, long-buried secrets begin to emerge, and dissent among them escalates to the point of murder and chaos. They cannot seem to escape tragedy...or the feelings that someone--or something--is stalking them. Whether it's a curse from the beautiful Tamsen Donner (who some think might be a witch), their ill-advised choice of route through uncharted terrain, or just plain bad luck, the ninety men, women, and children of the Donner Party are heading into one of one of the deadliest and most disastrous Western adventures in American history.

As members of the group begin to disappear, the survivors start to wonder if there really is something disturbing, and hungry, waiting for them in the mountains...and whether the evil that has unfolded around them may have in fact been growing within them all along.

Oooohhhh. This was absolute terrifying and I loved every single page of this one! I am fascinated by the real life story of the Donner Party (I even had to stop at one of the historical markers to take a picture). The Hunger is the perfect book to weave together the real facts and a more fantastical element. I spent so many pages of this one so so hungry. Katsu has mastered the art of suspense. I completely loved this book so much. I definitely already put Katsu’s next book on hold at the library.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Title: Challenger Deep

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: HarperTeen 2016

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; Popsugar - “Pop, Sugar, Challenge”

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.
Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.
Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.
Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn.

This is a very rough, but compelling accurate portrayal of mental illness in a teen. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked this one up. I quickly dove into the abyss within Caden’s mind. As in many YA novels, the writing isn’t dense but it took me many days to finish this one as I had to take so many breaks. The subject is just so incredibly heavy. I couldn’t read more than 25 pages in one sitting. However, I found the characters so compelling. I had to keep at it to see where the story led. I’m glad I stuck with it until the end.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Title: Feed

Author: M.T. Anderson

Publisher: Candlewick Press 2002

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 236

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen, Top 100 YA; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Satire

For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon — a chance to party during spring break. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its ever-present ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. M. T. Anderson’s not-so-brave new world is a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.

Ooofff. This one really did not land well with me. I was immediately thrown off by the large amounts of slang through in. Are we trying to do a Clockwork Orange? IF so, it’s off putting. Beyond that, I could not stand any of the characters. I just didn’t care what happened to them at all. I did enjoy the world set-up and premise of the novel. It just failed when it came to all the characters. I get Anderson’s point, but seriously, I could not deal with any of the characters. Hard pass on this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist

Title: Let the Right One In

Author: John Lindqvist

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 2008

Genre: Horror

Pages: 479

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Popsugar - Scandanavia; Horror

It is autumn 1981 when the inconceivable comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenage boy is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last---revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.

But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door---a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night. . 

I have come to the conclusion that Scandinavian horror is just not for me. I was intrigued by the vampire story that this was billed as. And this was voted onto the NPR Top 100 Horror list. Once I got into the story, I just couldn’t really take it. This story is just too incredibly bleak. I struggled to get through all the terrible, dark things that happened in the book. This was definitely a no for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Title: Wil Grayson, Will Grayson

Author: John Green and David Levithan

Publisher: Dutton Books 2010

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen; MMD - Same Author

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

My last big John Green novel that I hadn’t read. I dove in and I wasn’t as enthralled by it as I have been by other books. The writing style switch between the two Wills was quite jarring. The first few times it switched, I really had to take a minute to adjust. Once I got further into the book, I found I was much more involved in the storyline and the two Wills. But ultimately, I just wasn’t that interested or connected to the characters. A lot of the story really fell flat for me. I definitely liked John Green’s later books much more.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Title: The Woman in Black

Author: Susan Hill

Publisher: 1983

Genre: Horror

Pages: 163

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Monthly Keyword - Woman; Horror

Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford—a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway—to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow’s house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images—a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child’s scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black. Psychologically terrifying and deliciously eerie, The Woman in Black is a remarkable thriller of the first rate.

Finally got around to reading this one. I had seen the movie version featuring Daniel Radcliffe, but found it wanting. Too many ridiculous scenes. Thankfully the book was much better than the movie. We get a novella in the style of a traditional gothic story featuring lots of atmosphere, a creepy house, and towns people with secrets. I definitely got chills during the scene where Arthur hears the pony and wagon lose the path. Creepy creepy! I would have a liked to have had a few more appearances by the woman in black. But overall, a very enjoyable ghost story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperCollins 2011

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 357

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 YA (#17); Women Authors; Finishing the Series

One touch is all it takes. One touch, and Juliette Ferrars can leave a fully grown man gasping for air. One touch, and she can kill.

No one knows why Juliette has such incredible power. It feels like a curse, a burden that one person alone could never bear. But The Reestablishment sees it as a gift, sees her as an opportunity. An opportunity for a deadly weapon.

Juliette has never fought for herself before. But when she’s reunited with the one person who ever cared about her, she finds a strength she never knew she had.

I picked this one up as a free Amazon Prime Reading selection. It had been on my list for awhile. However, I didn’t really know anything about it, just all the buzz. I was pleasantly surprised by a dystopian science fiction young adult novel that didn’t annoy me. Like many YA novels, the characters have angst. For whatever reason, the angst didn’t annoy me like I thought it would. The action moves quickly and the world is interesting enough that I got over the angst. I really fell for Adam and found Juliette to be a decent main character. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

My copy also included the first short story “Destroy Me” which detailed the in-between story told from Warner’s point of view. He is a despicable human, but oddly fascinating.

Shatter Me

• #1 Shatter Me

• #1.5 Destroy Me

• #2 Unravel Me

• #2.5 Fracture Me

• #3 Ignite Me

• #4 Restore Me

• #4.5 Shadow Me

• #5 Defy Me

Next up on the TBR pile:

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix

Title: Newt’s Emerald

Author: Garth Nix

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books 2015

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; Monthly Keyword - Emerald; Alphabet Soup - N

After Lady Truthful's magical Newington Emerald is stolen from her she devises a simple plan: go to London to recover the missing jewel. She quickly learns, however, that a woman cannot wander the city streets alone without damaging her reputation, and she disguises herself as a mustache-wearing man. During Truthful's dangerous journey she discovers a crook, an unsuspecting ally, and an evil sorceress—but will she find the Emerald?

I picked this one for the March Key Word, Emerald, but it was one of those books that I did want to read before. And I delighted in this book so much. I love the world building and the similarities to our world. The little touches of magic here and there were delightful. And then we get to the great characters. Truthful is a fun main protagonist. And the Major is not what he seems of course. This was a delightful adventure story full of Regency era fashions and social interactions. Such fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Paper Towns by John Green

Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton 2008

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 305

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen, Top 100 YA; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Same Author; Literary Escapes - Florida

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificent Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. When their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Margo has disappeared. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Embarking on an exhilarating adventure to find her, the closer Q gets, the less he sees the girl he thought he knew.

I’ve been meaning to read this one for a few years, but the library never seemed to have it when I was browsing. Holds to the rescue! After diving in, I basically read this one in two sittings. I was taken on an adventure with Quentin in his attempt to unravel the mystery of Margo. This is my favorite John Green book that I’ve read so far (only have Will Grayson Will Grayson and Turtles All the Way Down to go). I love the adventure and the mystery. I love the inclusion of poetry and music. I love the various side characters and their thoughts.of the events of the book. But most of all, I love Quentin and his need to unravel Margo and her disappearance. If I was 15, I would read and re-read this book often. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (TATBILB #1)

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 2014

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - 365 Days of YA; Women Authors; Seasonal Series - Movie Adaptation

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

I’ve heard so many people say great things about this book (and by extension, this series), I eventually picked it up. Such a cute story! I immediately loved Lara Jean and her relationship with her sisters. I loved her relationship with the boy next door. I enjoyed the progression of the story into something different than Lara Jean was expecting. I didn’t mind the slightly cliffhanger ending (I’ll borrow the next book in March). I was not a huge fan of the narration style, but I know first person diary like narration is very popular in young adult novels. It’s not my favorite style, but I will forgive it because this book is written for the teen crowd. Cute, if a little immature for my 36 year old self.

Movie Review

Obviously the movie makers made changes to the story, but they kept the core of Lara Jean’s story and I appreciated that. I loved all the actors (with the exception of who played Gen who seemed very stiff in a lot of scenes). Extra fun recognizing Anna Carhart who played Kitty from my kiddos watching Odd Squad. The look and feel of the movie was great. Interested to see if a sequel happens.

Next up on the TBR pile:

2018 Reading Challenge Roundup - Failed

Not too many challenges left uncompleted this year. I’m very happy with my progress.

Perpetual Reading Lists Challenge
Goal: 28/30 books 93.3%

1. The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels (1/12/18)

2. Arabian Nights (1/19/18)

3. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (3/17/18)

4. The Dark Tower by Stephen King (1/25/18)

5. The History of Love by Nicola Krauss (3/16/18)

6. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (7/31/18)

7. Ramses 2 by Anne Rice (3/7/18)

8. Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (2/7/18)

9. The Selection by Kiera Cass (6/6/18)

10. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund (5/26/18)

11. Alice in Zombieland by Gina Showalter (4/20/18)

12. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (2/9/18)

13. The Great Halifax Explosion by John Bacon (4/7/18)

14. Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman (4/13/18)

15. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (4/27/18)

16. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund (6/15/18)

17. A History of the Wife by Margaret Yalom (6/24/18)

18. The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan (6/26/18)

19. College Girls by Lynn Peril (8/28/18)

20. Pox Americana by Elizabeth Fenn (9/8/18)

21. Cocktails Across America by Diane Lapis and Anne Davis-Peck (9/11/18)

22. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer (10/23/18)

23. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (9/29/18)

24. Dracula by Bram Stoker (10/24/18)

25. Looking for Alaska by John Green (12/12/18)

26. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (11/24/18)

27. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (12/7/18)

28. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (11/27/18)

29. TBD

30. TBD

TBR Pile
Goal: 9/12 Books 66.7%

1. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (1/23/18)

2. The Bostonians by Henry James (1/30/18)

3. Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (9/12/18)

4. The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman (5/4/18)

5. School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins (DNF)

6. Parasite by Mira Grant (6/20/18)

7. The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie (DNF)

8. Birthmarked by Carah O'Brien (5/23/18)

9. A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander

10. Stealing Fire by Jo Graham

11. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (3/21/18)

12. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (8/24/18)

13. The Firemaster's Mistress by Christie Dickason

14. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin (10/20/18)

Reading Assignment
Goal: 11/12 Books  91.7%

1. January - Arabian Nights (1/19/18)

2. February - Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (2/7/18)

3. March - Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (3/17/18)

4. April - The Words We Live By by Linda Monk

5. May - Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery (5/30/18)

6. June - A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom (6/24/18)

7. July - How to Fall in love with a Man Who Lives in a Bush by Emmy Abrahamson (7/31/18)

8. August - The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (8/25/18)

9. September - The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (9/29/18)

10. October - Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (10/31/18)

11. November - The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (11/20/18)

12. December - Strange Weather by Joe Hill (12/22/18)

Finishing the Series
Goal: 6/10 Series 60%

1. Chronicles of St. Mary's by Jodi Taylor

   • #5 No Time Like the Past (1/16/18)

   • #6 What Could Possibly Go Wrong (10/6/18)

   • #6.5 Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings (10/9/18)

   • #7 Lies, Damned Lies, and History (11/13/18)

   • #7.5 The Great St. Mary's Day Out (11/17/18)

   • #7.6 My Name is Markham (11/28/18)

   • #8 And the Rest is History

   • #8.5 A Perfect Storm

   • #8.6 Christmas Past

   • #9 An Argumentation of Historians

2. Witchcraft Mystery by Juliet Blackwell ✓

   • #6.5 A Haunting is Brewing (1/24/18)

   • #7 Spellcasting in Silk (1/26/18)

   • #8 A Toxic Trousseau (2/9/18)

   • #9 A Magical Match (11/14/18)

3. Fairwick Chronicles by Juliet Dark ✓

   • #3 The Stone Angel (2/4/18)

4. Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh ✓

   • #0.2 A Summer to Remember (3/10/18)

   • #1 Slightly Married (4/25/18)

   • #2 Slightly Wicked (4/25/18)

   • #3 Slightly Scandalous (4/25/18)

   • #4 Slightly Tempted (5/16/18)

   • #5 Slightly Sinful (5/16/18)

   • #6 Slightly Dangerous (5/16/18)

5. Cemetery of Forgotten Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

   • #2 The Angel's Game

   • #3 The Prisoner of Heaven

6. Strain by Guillermo del Toro

   • #2 The Fall

   • #3 The Night Eternal

7. Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice ✓

   • #2 The Passion of Cleopatra (3/7/18)

8. Hex Hall ✓

   • #1 Hex Hall (2/9/18)

   • #2 Demonglass (3/8/18)

   • #3 Spell Bound (3/14/18)

9. The Glamourist by Mary Robinette Kowal

   • #1 Shades of Milk and Honey (2/26/18)

   • #2 Glamour in Glass (3/30/18)

   • #3 Without a Summer

   • #4 Valour and Vaniety

   • #5 Of Noble Family

10. Edwardian Brides by Carrie Turansky ✓

    • #1 The Governess of Highland Hall (1/8/18)

    • #2 The Daughter of Highland Hall (1/9/18)

    • #3 A Refuge at Highland Hall (1/10/18)

Seasonal Series Summer
(June 21st - September 21st)
Goal: 24/25 Books 96%

1. Read a book from a fantasy series - Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (7/20/18)
2. Read a book while drinking a cool drink - The Anomaly by Michael Rutger (6/29/18)
3. Read a book from a really hyped series - Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (7/21/18)
4. Read a book with yellow on the cover - Give Up the Ghost by Juliet Blackwell (7/18/18)
5. Read while eating ice cream - Emily and the Dark Angel by Jo Beverley (8/15/18)
6. Read a book that's set in summer - The Stolen Bride by Jo Beverley (8/10/18)
7. Read a book from a YA series - Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (8/14/18)
8. Read while having a picnic - Keeper of the Castle by Juliet Blackwell (6/28/18)
9. Read a book with LGBT+ characters - Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (7/14/18)
10. re-read a favorite book
11. Read a book that has blue on the cover - Symbiont by Mira Grant (7/4/18)
12. Read a book from a series that has four or more books - The Heir by Kiera Cass (6/23/18)
13. Free Space: read any book of a series - Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (9/15/18)
14. Read a book while eating fruit - Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (8/26/18)
15. Read a book that you're sure you'll love - A Ghostly Light by Juliet Blackwell (7/25/18)
16. Read a book where someone travels -The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (8/25/18)
17. Read a book while on the go - Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine (8/4/18)
18. Read a book from a contemporary series - Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready (9/13/18)
19. Read by a pool/ sea/ lake... - How to Fall in Love with a Man Who Lives in a Bush by Emmy Abrahamson (8/8/18)
20. Read a book that features an OTP or great love story - The Crown by Kiera Cass (6/24/18)
21. Finish a trilogy - Chimera by Mira Grant (7/13/18)
22. Read a book during 24 hours - Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass (6/22/18)
23. Read a book someone recommended to you - Little Bee by Chris Cleave (8/24/18)
24. Read a book while wearing sunglasses - Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire (7/6/18)
25. Read a second book in a series - Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed by Jo Beverley (7/10/18)

Seasonal Series Spring
(March 20th - June 20th)
Goal: 22/25 Books 88%

1. Take a walk while listening to an audiobook - A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter (6/4/18)
2. Read a book while drinking lemonade - Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman (4/13/18)
3. Read the first book in a series - If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell (4/4/18)
4. try to unhaul a book you've lost interest in
5. Read a book that's been on your shelves way too long - Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien (5/23/18)
6. Read with rain in the background -> real rain or sounds - NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (4/17/18)
7. Read a book with pink on the cover - Dead Bolt by Juliet Blackwell (4/6/18)
8. read a book from a middle grade series
9. Read a series with a new book coming out in 2018 - A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas (6/3/18)
10. Read a book of a series where the parents of the MC aren't dead - The Selection by Kiera Cass (6/6/18)
11. Read a book with character growth - Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter (4/20/18)
12. Read a book while eating chocolate - Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter (5/6/18)
13. Free Space: read any book of a series - For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund (5/26/18)
14. read a book where only the first book of a series is out
15. Read a book set in the real world - Parasite by Mira Grant (6/20/18)
16. Read a book with a spring colors on the cover - Home for the Haunting by Juliet Blackwell (6/16/18)
17. Finish a duology - Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund (6/15/18)
18. Use a flower as a bookmark - The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman (5/4/18)
19. Read a book with great friendship - The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter (5/18/18)
20. Read a second book in a series - Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal (3/30/18)
21. Read a book while sitting outside - The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King (4/13/18)
22. Read a book that is (partly) set in spring - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (5/29/18)
23. Read a book with green on the cover - Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (5/30/18)
24. Read a book that includes an animal - Murder on the House by Juliet Blackwell (6/2/18)
25. Read a book under 300 pages - River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey (4/24/18)

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Title: Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green

Publisher: Speak 2008

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 234

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Banned book

Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

If I had read this book at 15, I imagine that it would have devastated me. Green has a connection to the teenage experience; so much so that is sounds as though he is speaking directly to the reader. I successfully avoided all spoilers for this novel leading to a suspenseful read. Obviously something big happens, but I had no idea what. I was floored when the event happens. I just couldn’t believe it. I will even admit that I teared up. Definitely a great book, especially for those teen readers.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title: The Darkest Minds (Darkest Minds #1)

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 2012

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 499

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (365 Days of YA); Seasonal Series - Audiobook

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that killed most of America's children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

Really disappointed in this book. It felt way too much like YA Dystopia/Apocalypse-lite. The characters were very bland and very predictable. The plot had way too many holes to be believable. And on top of all that, I hate when books don’t explain things and keep everyone in the dark so much that the reader just gets lost. I can’t get behind this one at all…

Darkest Minds:

• #1 The Darkest Minds

• #1.5 In Time

• #2 Never Fade

• #2.5 Sparks Rise

• #3 In the Afterlight

• #3.5 Through the Dark

• #4 The Darkest Legacy

Next up on the TBR pile: