November Reads

 

Cozy Reads

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Cozy Reads

1.) Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne- I grew up watching the Winnie-the-Pooh tv series and movies. Also, I read the collection of books by A. A. Milne in elementary school. In 2017, I read the first book in the series again, Winnie-the-Pooh, which is still one of my absolute favorite books from childhood. It surprised me how funny this book actually was, and I adored how adorable it was. 

2.) Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood- Thirty Things is a road trip book with a cute romance. Romance stories like this are always comfort reads for me.  

3.) The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackey- This book is one of my all-time favorites. I love the message behind it and also the illustrations. It will always be one of my go-to reads for years to come. 

4.) Tic-Tac-Mistletoe by N. R. Walker- N. R. Walker's books are my go-to books when I book to cheer up. This book and the next book were two of my favorites I have ever read of hers, and I cannot wait to reread them soon. 

5.) Dearest Milton James by N. R. Walker- I am a sucker for a dead letter office story, and this book was wonderful. The romance is beyond cute, and I loved the team of workers in the dead letter office. These types of romance books are comfort reads for me.

6.) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- One of the two books that I read this year that made the list. This novel made me laugh, cry, and just completely and utterly happy. It was one of the best books I have ever read, and I cannot wait to reread it. I don't think I need to recommend this book to anyone because it is so well-known. But I will anyway. It is definitely worth the read, and I cannot recommend it enough. I only wish that I had read it before now.

7.) The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna- The second book on this list that I read for the first time this year. This excellent book had everything I love in a story, witchy vibes, found family, quirkiness, a cute romance, and a warm cozy feeling. I went into this book knowing I would love it, and I'm glad to say that it surpassed my expectations.

8.) The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill- An adorable book I love. Also, the illustrations are stunning. I want one of the tea dragons for a pet; they are the cutest. 

9.) The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer- My favorite series of all time is The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. The first book in the series is my most-read book. I love following Alex and Connor throughout the Land of Stories. This is my ultimate comfort series that I reread every single year. 

10.) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis- This book and the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia series make me think of childhood. The series was one of the first I ever read and fell in love with. It is one of the ultimate comfort series for me, with a world and characters that will always be favorites. 

It's like going back down memory lane. I don't remember precisely when I first read this book. I'd say in fourth or fifth grade in our library class. All I know is that I remember falling in love with this book and begging my grandmother to get the entire collection for me for Easter when I saw it at Walmart. I don't remember how many times I have read this over the years, but it is still a favorite of mine after all this time.

Reviews Week 47

 Reviews Week 47

November 21st-27th

Book 162: Fantastic Tales of Nothing

by Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriguez 

Read on November 24th

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This graphic novel was very cute, and I loved the illustration style throughout. It had an interesting world that I enjoyed seeing more of throughout the volume. Also, the story kept me wanting to know what would happen next. I read this book almost two years ago and did not completely remember all of the details, but I did remember that it ended on a cliffhanger. It had cute jokes throughout, and I believe that it would be perfect for middle-grade readers and older readers alike. I will be picking up my ARC of the second book very soon.

Book 163: Here, There Be Dragons

by James A. Owen

Read on November 23rd-24th

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This is the third time I have tried to pick up this book and read it. I decided to listen to the audiobook this time, and I enjoyed that much more than I ever did trying to read the physical book. What drew me to this series so many years ago was the concept. I loved the idea of the Imaginarium Geographica and the Archipelago of Dreams but could never get into the writing style of the book. The narrator for this series is James Langton, the same narrator of The Prydain Chronicles, and he does an incredible job with both. I highly recommend the books that he narrates.

I want to pick up other books in this series to see what happens next. The reveal of who the caretakers are at the end of the story was cool, and I want to see what other adventures they get into throughout the rest of the series.

Book 164: Death of a Salesman

by Arthur Miller

Read on November 26th

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I have read and watched different versions of this play many times in my life. The first time was when I was in tenth grade back in 2010, and I remember how much this story touched me at that time. Over the years since, I have watched the movie version twice and have read it three more times. Every time I experience a version of this play, it touches me more than the last time.

This time around, I watched the movie version again and followed along with the play. Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich, and Stephen Lang do an incredible job as the Loman family. The best way to experience a play, at least in my opinion, is to watch a performance. You get so much more of a story from the performances. This is still one of my favorite plays, and I know it will always be.

10 Books I’m Thankful for from 2022

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Thankful Freebee: 

10 Books I’m Thankful for from 2022

Here are ten books that I am thankful that I got the chance to read this year. Most will definitely make it on my favorites list. Each have a link to my review on this blog. 

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- Review 

2. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna- Review

3. Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross- Review

4. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle- Review

5. Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage- Review

6. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen- Review

7. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett- Review

8.The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander- Review

9. A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin- Review

10. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Kline- Review

Reviews Week 46

 Reviews Week 46

November 14th-20th

Book 160: The Vermilion Emporium

by Jamie Pacton

Read on November 15th-19th

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I absolutely adored the world and characters in this book, especially Twain and Quinta. It was so much fun reading about their adventure and romance. Also, the magic system with the starlight was intriguing, and I loved how we discovered more about it as the story continued. What interested me in this book were the comp titles and the little bit of the description that I read months ago when I requested it. I have been waiting for the right moment to read it, which happened this week. This book was beautiful, and I could not get enough of it. 

Also, please make sure if you pick this up to read the author’s note at the end. Some people don’t read anything in a book after the story, but I highly recommend reading Jamie’s note. It was beautiful, and I loved reading about her inspiration for this story. 

This book is a highly entertaining read that I adored from Twain’s first perspective. I liked seeing the story from both his and Quinta’s point of view. The Vermilion Emporium was such an excellent idea with a shop that moves from place to place. I won’t spoil anything about the inside, but I know that I would love to be able to go into a shop like that. Such a neat idea! This fantasy world was a favorite that I know I will return to again and again. I am buying my own copy of it, and I cannot wait for it to come to add to my collection. Also, I hope that Jamie continues on with this world. I would love to see more adventures with Twain, Quinta, and the Vermilion Emporium. 

*Thank you to the publisher for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.* 

Book 161: Snuff

by Terry Pratchett

Read on November 20th

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This book was absolutely wonderful and such a great time. I cannot believe that this is my last Watch book and that I only have two more books left in the Discworld series. It has been a joy following Sam Vimes ever since Guards! Guards! and seeing him with his family. I love his relationship with Sybil and seeing Little Sam a little older this time. 

“... the bestselling novel taking the Ankh-Morpork literary world by storm was dedicated to Commander Samuel Vimes. 

The title of the book was Pride and Extreme Prejudice”

I love that Vimes goes on vacation with his family and gets involved in a murder investigation. Wouldn’t expect anything less from him, though. Loved the references to Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen. Couldn’t help tearing-up a bit at the end, because I didn’t want it to be done. This book was just one more example of Terry Pratchett’s incredible works. 

Reviews Week 45

Reviews Week 45

November 7th-13th

Book 156: Learning Curve

by N. R. Walker

Read on November 6th-7th

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I had such a fun time with this book. I'm a sucker for an N. R. Walker romance and was really looking forward to this one when she first announced it. This book was so cute and wholesome. I loved Vincent and Cobey. Their relationship was adorable and just a joy to read. Also, the other characters like Cobey's family, the players on the football team that we got to know (like Nate), and Jayda, were great side characters. I love N. R. Walker's minor characters.

Book 157: Snow White and other Grimm's Fairy Tales

(MinaLima version)

by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Read on November 10th-12th

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I'll always be a big fan of fairytales, and I was really looking forward to Minalima's version. Their collection of children's classics is one of my favorite classic collections. I love the interactive elements that they add to the story and the illustrations throughout. This volume was definitely one of my absolute favorites out of the nine they have out, design-wise. Especially with the "Snow White" scene at the beginning and Rapunzel's tower. 

It had the most famous of the Grimm Fairytales like, "Snow White," "Cinderella," "Rapunzel," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Hansel and Gretel," and so on. There were a couple that I had never heard of before, like "Mother Holle," which I really loved so much. I think it's funny that so many of fairy tales deal with evil/mean stepmothers and wolves eating people and animals. These have a similar formula to them that makes the ending obvious to the reader, but I cannot help but love them so much.  

I definitely recommend this beautiful volume for MinaLima fans, fairy tale fans, fans of classics, and just beautiful books in general. It is a great piece for any collector. Also, the Grimm Fairy Tales are some of the best stories out there. I cannot wait to see what MinaLima comes out with next. My hope is for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis or The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Book 158: Story Thieves 

by James Riley

Read on November 11th-13th

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This book was a lot of fun! It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. I enjoyed all of the references to literature throughout. Also, I loved Owen's adventure in Kiel's story. This is another series that I am going to have to pick up the rest of the books very soon. 

I love the story-jumping aspects, which made me think of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Books that make me think of Inkheart will always be ones that I pick up. This was a very good example of one that I enjoyed a lot. Cannot wait to see what is going to happen next. Hope we will get more information about Bethany's father as the books progress. 

Book 159: Miles Morales: Stranger Tides

by Justin A. Reynolds 

Read on November 13th

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This was an excellent graphic novel of Miles' story. I have never read any of Miles being Spider-Man, and I have got to say that I enjoyed this adventure very much. It would be the perfect book for middle-grade readers that enjoy the Marvel Universe. Miles Morales: Stranger Tides was a simple comic book story that was entertaining the entire time. For middle-grade graphic novels, I just expect to have a good time, and this delivered that for me. 

 Also, the illustration style reminds me of animation, and I enjoyed it throughout the volume. I would be interested in picking up the first volume and any others that Justin creates. 

*Thank you to Edelweiss for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own. *

Series I’d Like to Finish

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Series I’d Like to Finish

1. The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett- My top goal for this year was to finish reading this series. I am 38 books in, and I only have three more books left. This month, I will be reading Snuff and Raising Steam. It's bittersweet for me to finish this series, but I'm happy to say I am almost done. I have had a lot of fun reading this ever since the beginning of 2017, and I know that I'll reread it over and over again. 

2. Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor- I read Strange the Dreamer years ago and have not picked up the sequel yet. My plan is to hopefully get to it next year. I really don't think I can this year, but hopefully, it'll be soon. Strange the Dreamer was one of my favorite books of 2017. 

3. Groo comics series by Sergio Aragonés- One of my goals for the last couple of years is to finish a graphic novel/comic series. In 2020, I read the Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman. Last year, I read The Lumberjanes graphic novels, and this year I read Jim Henson's the Storyteller series. I believe that I'm going to read all of the Groo series that I can find next year. 

4. Descender by Jeff Lemire- I read the first volume of Descender a few years ago and have yet to pick up the final volume. It was one of my favorite science fiction stories that I have ever read besides The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 

5. The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy "Trilogy" by Douglas Adams- One of my favorite books of all time will always be The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have read the next two books in the series, but I did not enjoy them as much as the first. I would love to eventually read the other two books. Hopefully. 

6. Stephen Fry's Greek Mythology series- I have read Mythos and Troy. I still have to read Heroes, and his version of The Odyssey will hopefully come out next year. Stephen Fry is one of my favorite authors, audiobook narrators, and actors. His versions of Greek Mythology are great, and I cannot wait to see his take on The Odyssey. Also, I recommend the audiobook versions of the books. They are great!

7. The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde- Earlier this year, I read The Eyre Affair and had an awesome time. I first heard about this series many years ago, and I just loved the idea behind it. I'll always be a sucker for books where the characters go into other literary works. One of my goals next year is to get through more of this series. 

8. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor- Another Laini Taylor series that I would love to finish sometime soon. 

9. Pandava series by Roshani Chokshi- I loved the first two books in this series when I read them but never read the rest. Mythology retellings will always be some of my favorites, and I loved learning about Indian mythology in this one.

10. Rise of the Empress Series by Julie C. Dao- Another book that I absolutely adored from 2017 was Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I'll always be a sucker for villain origin stories, and this one was one of the best that I have ever read. It was one of the books that I reviewed for Audiofile Magazine, and I fully enjoyed the narration. I have yet to pick up the rest of the series, but I would love to.

Reviews Week 44

 Reviews Week 44

October 31st-November 6th

Book 148: I Shall Wear Midnight

by Terry Pratchett

Read on October 30th-31st

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I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett is almost as good as The Wee Free Men. I really enjoyed the antics that the Nac Mac Feegles got up to in this book, especially when they go to Ankh Morpork with Tiffany. There were so many scenes that had me laughing. I especially enjoyed the storyline with Tiffany dealing with being the witch of the Chalk and what that entailed. Also, the scenes with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg were gold. I can't believe I only have three more books left in the series. 

Book 149: Waking Beauty

by Rebecca Solnit

Read on November 1st

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This was a cute version of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. I enjoyed the illustrations and the writing style, though I believe it was trying a little too hard to be quirky. The best part of this story was the fact that it had three different tales that connected at the end. Also, I love how the story was formatted throughout with the illustrations.

*Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 150: Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara

by Emily Zemler

Read on November 1st

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I have wanted to read this book ever since I saw it first advertised months ago. It has a good assortment of background information on each Disney Princess movie, along with some concept art. My favorite section in the book was Chapter 1: Once Upon a Dream, which focused on the origins of each of the movies. That was a lot of fun to read. The other sections were also good reads too. I love how the book focused on each of the princesses' impacts on the world. Also, the forward from Jodi Benson was great. Ariel will always be a favorite princess of mine. This book taught me something that I did not know about her. I did not know she was named after Ariel from Footloose.

*Thank you to Edelweiss for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.* 

Book 151: The Legend of Misty Mountains

by Shiva Sethuraman

Read on November 2nd-4th

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The Legend of Misty Mountains takes place in quite an interesting fantasy land that I enjoyed reading about. It contains dwarfs, magicians, people who are called ''Strikers'' and also the ''Wise Men.'' The world-building was pretty good, though it had me wanting more. I wanted so many more details, and I'm surprised that the book was so short. It could have focused so much more on how Misty Mountains started and the magic system.

I like how Misty Mountains were introduced in the book after one of "The Strange People" saw someone from the mountains floating above. It was neat to see what that world thought of them and then meeting the actual people of the Misty Mountains. 

The whole part of the book with Hidden World was great, but again I think so much more of the book could have focused on it. I like what happens with the magicians and how they build up their new world with the children with unique abilities. Also, I wish that the "Strikers' " motivations could have been expanded upon. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and will probably check out the sequel. I want to know what happens next and more about this world.

*Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC copy of the book. All opinions are my own.* 

Book 152: The Diaries of Adam and Eve

by Mark Twain

Read on November 4th

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I first heard about this short novella because I did a lesson on it for work. It surprised me that I had never heard of this story before, and I really wanted to read it. So, I borrowed it from my library and had such a fun time with it. Mark Twain is known for his satire, and this was the best I have read from him. I especially loved Adam’s part and how he talks about Eve throughout. It was funny and had me laughing so hard. This story was a lot of fun, and I completely recommend it. 

Book 153: The Heartstopper Yearbook

by Alice Oseman

Read on November 5th

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Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper is one of my favorite graphic novel series. I was excited when I saw she was coming out with a book like this with behind-the-scenes information on the story, the boys, and everything you could think of. This beautiful book made me so happy when I read it. I cannot wait to read the rest of the Heartstopper series when Alice gets the next volume published. It’ll be sad to see Charlie and Nick’s story end, though. I recommend this to any Heartstopper fan. You’ll love this book. 

Book 154: An Atlas of Lost Kingdoms

by Emily Hawkins

Read on November 6th

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I have always been obsessed with fantasy maps in books and atlases. Needless to say, I was excited when I saw this on Edelweiss to review. This book was an enjoyable read. I went into this book thinking that I would know most of the lost kingdoms/islands, but there were a good amount that I had not ever heard of before. It was a great reference book with beautiful illustrations. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this for my collection. 

*Thank you to Edelweiss for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

Book 155: Twig: Volume 1

by Skottie Young

Read on November 6th

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I have wanted a new adventure series like this from Skottie Young ever since I first finished the I Hate Fairyland graphic novel series (can’t wait for him to return to that!). It is great to be able to say that I loved this book just as much as I enjoyed that series. Twig is such an interesting character, along with his friends Splat and Lobee. Their adventure throughout this story kept me interested the entire time, and I cannot wait to see what will happen next. 

I loved the style, which felt cute and creepy at the same time. The illustrations were absolutely stunning throughout, and I loved how much they fit what was happening in the story. This land feels so extensive, and it was great to see Twig and the gang trek through it as they continued on their mission. 

Overall, this was an absolute delight to read, and I cannot wait to see more of this world in future volumes. I will also be buying a copy of this book for my collection. It’ll be great to have it on the shelf beside Gert’s story. 

*Thank you to Edelweiss for my ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.*

Unlikable Characters that I Love

 Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Unlikable Characters that I Love

Here are some of my favorite unlikeable characters that I cannot help but love. 

1. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- I adore Mr. Darcy so much. His and Lizzie’s romance is one of my favorites from all of literature. Hate to love romances are some of my absolute favorites. 

2. Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling- Draco is a character that I wish would have had more of a redemption at the end of the series. Snape gets one but Draco really does not. 

3. Cersei Lannister from The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin- Cersei is literally one of the first characters that I thought about for this category. I love her in the books and the tv show. She is such a fun character to follow. 

4. Nac Mac Feegle or The Wee Free Men from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett- A lot of people do not like the Nac Mac Feegle from the Discworld series but I love every time they show up. They’re so funny and I love the trouble that they get up to. I also enjoy how loyal they are to Tiffany. 

5. Jamie from The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna- Jaime is one of the reasons that I loved this book as much as I did. I love how grumpy he is throughout the whole book but also how much he loves the girls. His relationship with Mika was one of my favorites. 

6. Wallace from Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune- Wallace was so unlikeable for a good portion of this book and I just loved him. 

7. Groo from the Groo the Wanderer series by Sergio Aragonés- Groo is an unlikeable character within his own world because of all the trouble that he causes for everyone around him. I love how upset and worried people get when they just see Groo walking towards them. It’s so funny. 

8. Red from The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer- Red is unlikeable when she is first introduced in the series in the first book, The Wishing Spell, but she grows on you as the series continues. I loved Red throughout the entire series. She was such a fun character, who really cared for and loved her friends. 

9. Alyce from the Malice duology by Heather Walter- Alyce is a complicated character that dealt with a lot of hardships because of her family and her type of magic. She is a unlikeable character especially in the second book of the series. I love how Heather took Alyce’s story and made her a “grey character.” This series is a wonderful take on the Sleeping Beauty story from the “villain’s” perspective. 

10. Amy from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- Amy is not a likeable character for a good portion of Little Women but I loved her from the beginning. She is the youngest of the March sisters and that is very obvious in her characterization. As she grows up though, she learns and grows as a character. I cannot say that I loved all of her decisions but I liked seeing her growth throughout the entire book. 

November TBR