Happy World Book Day! 📖

Later on today, I'm going to be reading An Accident of Dragons by Cheri Radke, which I just got the audiobook ARC for. Looking forward to this one.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Happy Reading! 

April Showers ☔

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. 

April Showers:

Books that Made Me Cry 

I have always been someone who gets emotional while I'm reading. There have been many different books that have at least brought tears to my eyes. These are all books that got me full on crying by the end. It's funny how many of these books are favorites of mine. Guess I love a good cry. 

1. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller- Having known the events of what happened in Achilles' story most of my life, I went into this book with full knowledge of the ending. Little did I know, how much I would connect with Madeline Miller's writing and characters. Patroclus and Achilles's story is one of tragedy but it is also one of the most beautiful romances I have ever read. 

2. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness- I have read this book twice over the years. The second time was after my grandmother passed away and it hit me very hard to pick this up at that time. Don't know if I would be able to ever read it again to be honest, but it is one of my favorite young adult books I have ever read. I highly recommend it, specifically the audiobook which is narrated by Jason Issacs. He does an amazing job. 

 

3. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom- I first read Tuesdays with Morrie the summer before my senior year of high school (2011) and then read it again during my senior year. Mitch Albom is one of my favorite authors to this day. 

 

4. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger- I first read this in high school (2010) when I was home from school not feeling well at all. Stayed on the couch the entire day and finished it. The ending broke my heart and it still is a book I think fondly of. I haven't reread this book in a very long time and plan on doing so before the sequel comes out later this year. 

5. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton- We read The Outsiders back in eighth grade (2007/2008) and I remember liking it at the time but not loving it. Then, I reread the book during the summer before I student taught and it became one of my favorite books of all-time. I didn't think this would affect me as much as it did because I already knew the ending. It sure did though. 

6. A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis- I started to read A Grief Observed about five months after my father passed away (probably not one of my best ideas) and I had to put the book down for about a month. It helped tremendously to read this book, which is what I thought when I had decided to pick it up. 

Grief is hard to describe but Lewis perfectly encapsulates it here. This is his own reflections on how he felt after his beloved wife, Joy, (who he calls H. in this memoir) passed away from cancer. He fell in love later in life, after being friends with her for many years. His writing style always stands out to me and this is my favorite from what I read of his. Definitely wasn't surprised by how much this affected me.  

7. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer - Another book I went into knowing it was going to hit me hard, but I was not expecting how much it would get to me. This is a story that touched my heart more than most have and I know that I will always remember it.

8. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson- I read this book back in middle school after my teacher at the time recommended it to me. It was one of the most heartbreaking books I had read and I still to this day vividly remember it. Someday, I'd like to pick it up again. 

9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- I owned Little Women ever since I was about twelve when my aunt had given it to me and highly recommended it to me. At the time, I was quite intimidated by the size and didn't pick it up for a very long time. It was one of those books that I finished and thought this is a new favorite. I was spoiled for one of the major plot points in this book by Friends but it still didn't spoil the effect of it all. 

10. The South Wind (The Four Winds #3) by Alexandria Warwick- The Four Winds series is one of my absolute favorites I have read in recent years. Going into this third book in the series, I was not expecting for it to affect me in the ways that it did. It was beautiful but also very heartbreaking. 

Mythology May TBR🏺

 During the month of May, I'm planning on reading many of my Greek Mythology books that I have owned for a while and never gotten to, along with my various ARCS for the year. These are not the only books I plan on getting to during this month and I may not get to every single book on this list. But I would like to read a good amount of them. 

I cannot wait for my Mythology month! 

TBR Plans

🏺Punderworld Volume 1 & 2 by Linda Šejić

- I first read Volume 1 of Punderworld back in 2022 and have been waiting for the second volume ever since. It is a retelling of Hades and Persephone. Today, I just saw on my library app that the sequel will be coming out next month. So, I will definitely be rereading Volume 1 and then reading Volume 2 next month. I already signed it out and cannot wait to see what will happen next!  

        

🔱 The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason 

- I got this book from a library book sale many years ago and have been waiting for the right time to read it. It is a retelling of one of my favorite books/epics of all-time The Odyssey by Homer. I believe it also has alternate scenes. 

 

🏺Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

- One of the many books on my 26 Books in 2026 list. I have owned this book for a long time and would definitely like to get it soon. It is focused on the princess of Crete, Ariadne and her involvement with the labyrinth, the Minotaur, and Theseus. The myth of the Minotaur is one of my absolute favorites and I cannot wait to see Jennifer Saint's take on it. I highly enjoyed her take on Hera and I love seeing these famous stories from the perspectives of the women. 

🔱 No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes

- Natalie Haynes is one of my favorite authors of Greek Mythology retellings and I have been eagerly awaiting her take on Medea, ever since I first saw she was writing it. Medea is one of my favorite characters from myths.   

 

🏺 Gyro and the Argonauts! aka the BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN* *About a Kid Named After a Sandwich by Joshua Pruett

- I wanted to read this cute middle grade take on Greek Mythology last year, but never got to it. Hope it is as funny as it looks like it is going to be. It is being compared to the humor from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which is one of my favorite books), so if that's true I am going to love this. 

 

ARCS 

Below, I have listed many of the Greek Mythology ARCS that I have that I would like to read next month. I won't be too upset if I don't get to all of them because many of them are for future months.  

🔱 This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint- release date June 9th, 2026

Another book by Jennifer Saint that I would like to read in May before it's release in June. This Immortal Heart is about the goddess Aphrodite and I'm highly looking forward to reading it. She is usually a secondary character in Greek Myth retellings and hardly has the focus of stories on her. There are more retellings of her son Eros, than there are of her. I knew I had to read this as soon as I heard it was coming out. Also, I love this cover! 

🏺 The Odyssey Effect: How Homer's Epic Poem Shaped the World by Erica Stevenson- release date: June 9th, 2026

The Odyssey Effect focuses on the impact of the epic poem on the world from its conception to the present day. It deals with its influences on culture including film and theatrical adaptations, literary retellings, artistic interpretations, and so much more. 

 

🔱 Homer's Odyssey by Barry B. Powell- release date: June 16th, 2026

This is a retelling of The Odyssey that the author says he told in the way he believed Homer would tell it if he were alive today. I'm highly looking forward to reading this. It is an illustrated edition with absolutely stunning woodcut-style artwork. Cannot wait to revisit my old favorite again in a new way.

 

🏺 Offerings for Ordinary Gods by Ali Trotta- release date July 21st, 2026

A collection of poetry that I believe draws some inspiration from Greek Myths.   

🔱 Mothers of Invention: A History of Creativity from the Greek Muses by Moiya McTier - release date: August 18th, 2026

- I hope this book is as good as I think it is going to be. It is a nonfiction book about inventions from across time, but it is told from the perspectives of the Greek Muses as if they meddled in everything. 

 

Other Greek Mythology Releases 

I'm Looking Forward To

There are so many Greek Mythology retellings/new releases coming out later on in 2026 that I'm highly looking forward to. Cannot wait to get my hands on them! 

🏺Lore Olympus Volumes 10 & 11 by Rachel Smythe- release dates: June 2nd and October 6th, 2026

- I cannot wait for the final two books in the Lore Olympus series. This is one of my favorite graphic novel series and I adore this take on the Greek Gods.  

    

🔱 Styx - The River (Goddesses of the Underworld, #2) by Nikita Gill- release date: September 17th, 2026

- Nikita Gill is my favorite poet and I adored the first book in this series, Hekate.

🏺Mestra by Madeline Miller- release date: September 29th, 2026

- I could not be more excited for this novella. Madeline Miller is one of my favorite writers ever and I have been waiting for her to write another book for years. This is actually about a character from Greek Mythology that I don't know a ton about. 

🔱 The Adventures of Odysseus: A Graphic Novel of The Odyssey by Nicolás Schuff - release date: October 27th, 2026

- I have wanted to read this ever since I first heard it is coming out. 

 

Book Titles That Describe Me & My Life

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. 

Book Titles That Describe Me & My Life

I highly enjoyed coming up with books for the topic this week.  Such an interesting idea to get to know readers. I have read most of the books below and own each of them. 

1. Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next #2) by Jasper Fforde- There aren't many days I'm not "lost in a book" and hopefully they're good. Definitely, one of my favorites for this list. 

2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell- I am a proud fangirl of so many different fandoms. Fangirl is one of my absolute favorite young adult novels. 

3. I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider- This one made me laugh and I had to put it in this list. One of the first things I do when I go to someone's house and they have a bookshelf, I'm always looking at the books on it. Love seeing what books other people choose to own. I love Grant Snider's books. They are always so great!

4. The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold #1) by Traci Chee- Pretty self-explanatory. I have yet to read this series, but would like to do so very soon. 

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky- I related to Charlie very much when I read this in middle school and high school. Definitely was a wallflower. 

6. I Wrote This For You by pleasefindthis, Ian S. Thomas, (photographed by Jon Ellis- As I writer of poetry for most of my life, I have written many different pieces about people. 

7. A Stoke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett- Had to have a Terry Pratchett book in this list. Another book title showing my love of writing. 

8. Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook- This title also makes me think of writing poetry. 

 

9. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke- Another book for my love of literature.  

10. We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra - The title of this book comes from one of my favorite poems Song of Myself by Walt Whitman. Definitely relate to this title very much and I adore this beautiful epistolary novel with all my heart. 

Heartstopper Conclusion

 Alice Oseman posted the epilogue for her webcomic, Heartstopper today and I cannot help feeling bittersweet. I've been reading it for over nine years. In 2017, I started reading a good amount of webcomics, mostly all queer ones. Heartstopper was one of the ones I connected with on so many levels. I adore how Alice shows so many different identities in all of her stories. Many can find someone they relate to in them. 

 

 This world has been a joy to watch evolve and I have adored following these characters. Nick, Charlie, Tao, Tori, Elle, Tara, Darcy, etc. have grown so much from the first chapters all those years ago. I loved seeing their journey. These characters hold a special place in my heart. 

I will be picking up Volume 6 for my collection and will reread this section like I did for ever other volume. Alice Oseman has a wonderful style in her illustrations and character work. I look forward to seeing what she will work on after this.  

Books Set In Places on My Bucket List

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. 

Books Set in Places on My Bucket List

Most of the places listed below have been on my bucket list for a very long time. If I had the money and the opportunity I would definitely go to each one of them, especially the first three. Each place shows a picture and I also gave two examples of books set there. 

1. Santorni, Greece- It has been my dream to go to Santorni for most of my life. 

    ~ The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares- This series was one of my absolute favorites in middle school and early high school. They are all set in many different places and one of those places was Santorni, Greece. Lena's sections of the books were always my favorite and I connected to her the most out of all of the girls. They were the start of my love for Santorni, which has only grown with time. 

    ~ The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee- The main character of this book Henry "Monty" takes a tower around Europe with his best friend Percy and his sister Felicity. They go to many different countries and one of the places they go to is Santorni, Greece. It has been a long time since I read this book but I remember loving it very much. Definitely one of the books I would like to reread eventually.  

2. Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany- Also known as the "Fairy Tale Castle," Neuschwanstein is very high on my list of places I would love to one day witness in person. I absolutely love castles, especially this one. 

 

    ~ A Warning About Swans by R. M Romero- A Warning About Swans is a novel in verse set in the Bavarian Alps. It is a historical fiction fantasy novel loosely based on Swan Lake with aspects of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. One of the characters in the story is King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who is famously called the "Fairy Tale King" because of the murals that he had painted in his castle, Neuschwanstein. He also had the castle designed to look like one out of a fairy tale. 

    ~ A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories #3) by Chris Colfer- The Land of Stories series focuses on the twins Alex and Conner who are children who are able to go into the fairy tale world through a book of fairy tales. It is one of my favorite series of all-time. In Book 3, Conner goes to Neuschwanstein castle to learn about a new Brothers Grimm fairy tale. This is definitely one of my favorite books in the series and I love the adventures Conner gets into while over in Germany. Such an entertaining journey!  

3. Rome, Italy

 

    ~ Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick- Run Away With Me is about young love, history, and the city of Rome itself. I always adore the way Brian decides to tell his stories with both illustrations and words. He does an incredible job with Danny and Angelo’s story and showing the beauty of Rome. The boys explore the city and fall in love along the way. I also enjoyed reading Angelo’s stories he tells Danny about the history of Rome and also about other young loves. 

    ~ Augustus by John  Williams- One of the many books on my TBR. I've heard that John Williams is a great historical fiction book writer and this is one of his top books. It is told through letters, dispatches, and memoirs and is about Octavius Caesar as he inherits rule of the Roman Republic after the death of Julius Caesar. 

4. London, England

 

    ~ Rivers of London (Rivers of London #1) by Ben Aaronovitch- I've been meaning to get back into this series for a while now because I highly enjoyed this first book.  I’ll always be a sucker for stories dealing with magic, fantasy elements, British humor, and a clever use of references. Peter Grant’s story is quite entertaining and a whole lot of fun. Also, the mystery in this book made me think of the City Watch books from the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, which is a high compliment. This book is also known as Midnight Riot. 

    ~ 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff- A charming short book told through the letter correspondence between Helene and bookshop workers from London. It is one of the funniest and most heartwarming books I have ever read. Perfect for book lovers.  

5. Scotland

 

    ~ Macbeth by William Shakespeare- One of the first books I thought of for this list of books set at a place on my bucket list. Macbeth is such a quintessential play set in Scotland. It is about a Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches, who tell him that he will one day become the King of Scotland. 

    ~ A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross- Another book that I haven't read yet and that has been on my TBR for many years. Especially since I love Rebecca Ross's books. It is set on a magical island that is based on Scotland.  

6. Australia- There is so much I'd love to be able to see in Australia, particularly Sydney. 

 

    ~ Dearest Milton James by N. R. Walker- N. R. Walker was the first author I thought of for books set in Australia. Most of her books are set there. Dearest Milton James is my favorite of all of her books and has such a beautiful romance. It is about workers at dead letter office, which is one of my niche loves. (If anyone knows of any other recommendations for books about dead letter offices, please let me know.) I love how we get both romance of Malachi and Julian, along with the romance in the letters. 

    ~ Outrun the Rain (Storm Boys #1) by N. R. Walker- Another favorite of mine from N. R. Walker. This one really focuses on the setting of Australia, because of the plot being about storm chasers. A very entertaining series which I adore.  

7. Amsterdam, Netherlands- My mother and I both love flowers/gardens. Someday, I'd love to be able to go to the famous Tulip fields in Amsterdam with her. I can only imagine how stunning they would be in person. 

 

   ~ The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova- This was comped to me last year as Dracula meets Indian Jones and I knew I had to put it on my TBR immediately. I will definitely be picking it up sometime soon. 

    ~ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- John Green is one of the authors I'm most nostalgic for, especially for this book and Looking For Alaska. I still vividly remember reading this book for the first time back in around 2012, during my first year of college. I'm looking forward to his new novel Hollywood, Ending which will be coming out in September. 

8. Cairo, Egypt- It is my dream to go to Egypt some day and see the Sphinx and pyramids.

 

   ~ The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan- I love Rick Riordan's books very much, especially The Kane Chronicles. One of my special interests ever since we studied it in sixth grade was Ancient Egypt and the Egyptian gods (we even mummified a chicken). I remember really enjoying these books when I read them. Someday I hope to reread the entire trilogy.

    ~ The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho- Another book that I have had on my TBR for years but have yet to pick up. I have heard nothing but great things about it for years and hope to one day get to it. 

9. Maine, USA- My favorite season is fall and I love the seeing the fall foliage each year. We live in Pennsylvania, so we get really nice looking trees. I've heard though that Maine and some of the other states further north look even better. Also, I've always wanted to go to Maine since I was a kid when my dad would say how beautiful it there. 

 

   ~ How to Read a Book by Monica Wood- I have been seeing this cover a lot recently and I believe this sounds like a beautiful book. 

    ~ 11/22/63 by Stephen King- I have never read a Stephen King book but have been meaning to do so for years. This is one of the books I own of his. It deals with history and also time travel which are two of my favorite topics in books. It is one of the books I would like to read this year. 

10. Sweden- It is on my bucket list to be able to see the Northern Lights and I have heard one of the best places to see them is Abisko National Park. There is so much I'd love to see in Sweden.

 

   ~ Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist- I watched the original movie based on this novel back in college and absolutely loved this take on a vampire story. Ever since, I have been meaning to read the novel. I think I may pick it up this year for one of my October reads. I think it will be perfect for spooky season. 

    ~ Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren- I grew up watching the Pippi Longstocking 1997 show and loved her character so much as a kid. Until recently, I didn't even know that it was based on a book. Maybe I'll read it someday for one of my children's classics, but I'm not sure.