TOP 5 TUESDAY: TOP 5 SERIES I WANT TO START…

Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by Shanah the Bionic Book Worm, every week there are bookish prompts that cover a wide variety of themes. I wish I had checked in earlier in April because Shanah had posted topics with the current Pandemic/stay home initiative in mind. Many of us have either found ourselves struggling with reading & adjusting to the circumstances OR quite the opposite. Some are finding themselves rapidly going through that once upon a time intimidating TBR. I was one who struggled for a few weeks with the state of the world & found comfort in non-bookish things. This month I’m very happy to see that I tackled the books on my TBR & enjoyed those reads. That being said, there are many series I’ve had on my shelves for quite some time that I will be prioritizing…

LADY MIDNIGHT BY CASSANDRA CLARE – I’m wayyyy overdue with starting The Dark Artifices series that follows the Shadowhunters of L.A. I’m ready to dive back into this world & see how Emma and Julian have matured since I last I saw them.

CITY OF BRASS BY S.A CHAKRABORTY – I went out of my way to order the U.K. editions of this series & they are STUNNING! but besides having amazing covers, there’s a djinn warrior and a MC who is a skillfull con woman. Ever since I can remember, stories with genies/djinn have always intrigued me. I will go as far as saying I think this will make my top 20 of 2020 🤞🏽

NEVERNIGHT BY JAY KRISTOFF – The hype is Nanas on this trilogy,  I haven’t started this series but I sure have heard a ton about Mia Corvere. Mia’s reputation is pretty bloody & I’m hella intrigued by this assassin who made waves & has continued to do so these past couple of years. This is also a series I know I’m going to love (just a hunch) & so I went ahead and ordered the U.K. editions. Being that I miss Arya Stark something fierce! I have a feeling Mia may just fill the void Arya has left in my soul 🤞🏽

THE FIFTH SEASON BY N.K. JEMISIN – I’ve purposely stayed away from Goodreads Synopsis but there’s no evading the praise this book has received. It won so many awards & there’s very few people I know personally who’ve disliked it. Complex world building (glossary included) inspired by Ancient Egypt & amazing multi-faceted characters who are nearly all black. The time has come to stop sleeping on what may easily become my FAVORITE Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy.

THE POPPY WAR BY R.F. KUANGFeatures a MC who is accepted into a elite military school. Here our MC is met with a ton of adversity because of gender, color, and socioeconomic status. When the MC discovers their aptitude/gift for shamanism. Discovering she is able to communicate with the Gods who were once thought dead may be the key to mastering her gift & survival within the school. I’ve heard this one is very trigger heavy, that being said I am very much looking forward to finally stepping into this world.


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Top Ten Tuesday: Changes In My Reading 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. This weeks topic is all about changes in your reading life & when I saw this I legit stopped what I was doing and opened up a bullet point notes doc on my phone. I’ve had such an impactful transformative glow up year that it really didn’t come as a surprise to myself when my reading life changed drastically.

Quality over Quantity

I started the year off hopeful by setting my Goodreads Challenge to what I considered an attainable 50. The thing is I started racking up life experiences, traveling and just enjoying connections with others that finding time to read became a bit difficult. I quickly realized I was coming face to face with a reading slump If I didn’t throw #’s away & just focused on reading books I just knew I’d love. I started picking up books that were sitting on my shelves for way too long & discovering some favorites/5 star reads along the way (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) 🙌🏽 of course next year I’ll most likely read more than I read this year but for now I’m good with knowing it’s been a quality reading year 🖤

Reading from my shelves

I fully admit I had a problem with buying books and not reading them. Most of the time I was busy reading ARCS which is a privilege I’m absolutely grateful for. This year I chose not to request any arcs seeing as I attended BEA & that was more than enough for me this year. I had a strong urge to read from my shelves. Back list titles I’ve heard so many great things about (The Poet X) yet I wasn’t picking up. I have a whole bookcase of Book of the Month books that I had barely touched.  Whelp! that changed & I’m now happily showing my shelves so much love.

AUdiobooks

These babies have legit saved my reading life! I needed something to keep me company while I hit the gym & learned how to cook. On days that I work from home I can easily start a 6-8 hour book in the AM & be done with it by the time I transition to my workouts/cooking. I listened to With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo in 1 day, I cried and laughed all the way through! Audiobooks are exactly what I need when I feel myself getting in a funk & need that Hail Mary 😎

Romance books

I’ve always LOVED romantic comedies (Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Brown Sugar, You’ve Got Mail) and have NO idea why I waited so long to get into some romance reads. Both sweet & steamy reads helped me earlier this year when I wasn’t feeling my best. Now I read them & give my boyfriend a run down of said steamy read and enjoy seeing his cheeks turn all shades of red (The Bromance Book Club)🤗😂

Mood reading

Not sure why I always felt guilty whenever the mood struck to mood read but this whole year was a big ol’ mood! 😂 I couldn’t commit to a TBR & decided to just go with the flow. At any given moment I had a smutty read, psychological thriller, and fantasy going all at once 🤷🏻‍♀️ it really just depends on what side of the bed I wake up on haha! again, next year I will most definitely have a bit more structure while still leaving room for some mood reads 😉

Library books

The Libby app has become my dearest pocket pal, just because I’ve cut back on buying books it doesn’t mean I’ve stopped wanting them 😂 Instead of buying books with the intention of one day getting to them, I now use my library & it’s AMAZING! I LOVE getting email notifications letting me know my hold has come through smh, legit I have a book shimmy I do when I see them in my inbox. It helps that you have a deadline to read the book before they disappear cause these one right here needs a lil pressure from time to time 🙈

Daily reading goals

This is the season of the year I maximize my reading & so I’ve made some adjustments to my reading habits. Primarily, the main goal is that I actually read daily even if it’s a few pages. Making the most of my heavy commute and lunch breaks has really helped me in this area. I found myself earlier this year doing everything on my phone but reading. Shutting off my wi-fi & creating a reading playlist on Spotify has really helped me stick to reading on the train. Now it’s a goal to not end up at the last stop with only 5% left for me to finish the book…YES this has happened! Yes I totally ran to the bathroom & finished my book 😂

E-books

I finally gave up on this fierce grip I had on physical books. I LOVE growing my home library, I really do…however, I’m way quicker to pick up an ebook over a physical copy. I also happen to read ebooks way faster than physical. Not to say that it’s a race but often times I’ll lug a hardback to & from work for 2 weeks straight. Whereas with a ebook I’ll finish with a couple of day, sometimes even in one sitting. This is also true for eARCS vs. Physical arcs. My Kindle is my baby…I’m still a sucker for a pretty cover and sprayed edges though #jussayin

ASMR/Hip-hop instrumentals

I honestly never thought I’d get so hooked on ASMR Rooms on Youtube but those Harry Potter inspired rooms are EVERYTHING! 😍 I also really enjoy rain & fireplace rooms. ASMR really helps silence my thoughts & background enhancing my reading experience which in turn gets me finishing more books. The Instrumentals Hip Hop Playlist on Spotify is a whole Vibe! I get so much reading & blogging done while listening to Soul Of Mischief’s 93 ‘Til Infinity 😎

Finishing Series

This last one I have yet to implement but it’s on deck so I thought I’d include it here for accountability purposes. 2018 was the year of fantasy trilogies/series & I am very guilty of starting so many and not following up with their sequels. I have a list I’ve started of trilogies I’d like to either finish or continue with. At the very top of this list is Holy Sister (Book of the Ancestor #3) by Mark Lawrence and The Shadowglass (The Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco and Dark Age (Red Rising Saga #5) by Pierce Brown.


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Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

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. This weeks topic is the top 10 books on your Fall 2018 TBR. I’m actually happy this is the topic because it made me put pen to paper and outline the books I’ve been meaning to get to but for one reason or another, haven’t. These also happen to be books I ABSOLUTELY feel in my core, will be 5 star reads. I may be wrong but given how some of my blogging buddies have spoken about these books, I have a feeling I’m in for a treat so let’s do this!

*These are in no particular order*

September 18th: Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – This book has shamefully been sitting on my shelf collecting dust for far too long! Having discovered it on Booktube YEARS ago & hearing all of the GUSH reviews, I just knew the Sci-Fi lover in me would appreciate this title. Diverse Character driven books will always be a MUST read for me

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor– Why do I feel like I already know the characters in this book on a personal level? I can’t wait to meet Lazlo on the page though haha! Laini is one of my top 3 fave authors of all time, she holds the #1 spot. This means that I get excited when book news makes its rounds but I also strangely cannot bring myself to read the book. Laini’s books are the only books to give me hangovers and everything else that follows it typically suffers a bit SMH. I own a copy of Muse of Nightmares though so a binge session is coming later this month 😉

Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel – Hi! Hello! My name is Lilly & I cannot resist Sci-fi books written in mixed media format ever since the Illuminae Files. This is another book I’ve owned for too long but now that the other books in this series are out I really have no excuse not to get to. Also, I hear the audiobooks are A+ in performance

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – Now this one has quite the buzz behind it & from what I’ve heard it’s well deserved. An Asian inspired Fantasy, magic, and a military school?!? why I haven’t read this is BEYOND me since it seems to check off all my boxes for a MUST read

CIRCE by Madeline Miller – Greek Mythology has always managed to reign in my attention for as long as I can remember. I was that kid reading The Iliad and the Odyssey in 7th grade who had to read ahead of the required reading chapters in class smh. Prioritizing this one above all others for October.

City Of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty – This book just spews magic right from the very cover. I feel it in my core that this will be a 5 star read. “an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and One Thousand and One Nights, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts” —Yea hard to pass up with this blurb

Fruits Basket (Volume 1) by Natsuki Takaya – I actually read the first 40 pages to Fruits Basket while waiting in B&N for a appointment. Engrossed in what I read, I’m not sure why I never returned to buy a copy but that has since been remedied & I’m ready to dive back in. Basically this one is about a girl who is orphaned & she decides to set up a tent to live in but it’s on a wealthy clans family. This family has a bit of a secret, when embraced by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. HELLA intrigued!

Vicious (Villains #1) by V.E. Schwab – Ok, so this one is about college buddies turned arch-nemeses with Supernatural abilities in the mix as well. This is another book where I feel as If I know the characters, Victor & Eli! I’ll see you in the pages! also it’s Schwab so I couldn’t help myself and totes ordered myself the exclusive Owlcrate edition for Vengeful *yupppp I never said I don’t have a problem* 

The Diviners by Libba Bray – I’ve been counting down the days till October to read this book. Not only is it hella diverse but it takes place in the 20’s which is my favorite time period in history. I have both the physical and audiobook copy & will most likely read them in both formats at the same time. It’s a chunker of a book so it’ll be nice to listen to when I cant read at work, also I’ve heard Libba Bray narrates & SLAYYYYYS the performance for each character

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare- Last but NEVER least is this beauty of a book! Last time I was in this world was probably last year when I read Tales of the Shadowhunter Academy & miss it something bad! I will be buddy reading LM with Melanie from Meltotheany who is currently reading all of the TMI & TID books, giving me all of the feels reliving my reading experience with some of my favorite fictional characters of all time!


Hello Bookworms! this week I went with books from my backlist cause they’re the ones that haunt me the MOST! Which books on your Fall TBR are you looking forward to? If you’ve read any of the books I’ve mentioned, feel free to offer up some words of encouragement for your favorites 😉


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Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Blogs/Bookish Website

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. This weeks topic is all about the showing love to your favorite Book Blogs/Webistes & I just LOVE this with all my 🖤!!! I have so many book blogs & book tubers as well that I go to for my daily fix. Lately its been a lot of Booktube cause life has been so unbelievably hectic but Book Blogs are my 1st true love! This past week I’ve been easing my way back into blog hopping & realize how much I’ve missed it all so this is the PERFECT time to show some love & also maybe interest you in following some (or all 😂) of these wonderful bookworm/content creators 💓

*These are in no particular order & it pained me to keep it to 10 cause I LOVE YOU ALL! 

August 14th: Favorite Book Blogs/Bookish Websites

🖤 Melanie @Meltotheany

Melanie is one of my FAVORITE people I’ve met through Book Blogging & hilarious Voice Notes! I really enjoy buddy reads with Mel & seeing her Fantasy recommendations, chances are if they have her seal of approval…I’m most likely going to love it hence why she’s my Book Twin, we don’t come across many of those in a lifetime so when we find one, we show them love! also, Mel has a keen eye for trigger content so you can always count on her to list them in her amazing reviews before venturing into something you’re feeling a bit hesitant about💓

🖤 Danielle @BooksVertigoandTea

This post couldn’t possibly go up without Danielle who is one of the sweetest & first Book Bloggers I came across when first joining this community. Danielle reviews a variety of genres & I can always count on her blog to find something new that may have possibly missed my radar.I LOVE her reviews of Tor Novellas and Sunday Wrap-Up’s. Most of all, Danielle is just one of those people you meet & just know THIS is a good human being 💓 Danny is on a break at the moment,sending her all the love & positivity💓

🖤 Larkin @ WonderfilledReads

Larkin, I have to meet this human one day! 💓 Not only does she get my humor but she reads all the books I stare at on my shelves (including Book of the Month 🙈) for no good reason other than my book buying addiction 😂 Larkin is probably one of the few book bloggers I know who really keeps up with Fantasy series and finishes them giving you well rounded reviews individually & as a whole. She also has AMAZING audiobook recommendations, I will NEVER tire of thanking her for getting me to pick up The Serpent King by Jeff Zetner 💔 Larkin also shares my love for all things Sci-Fi is overall just a pleasure to interact with 💓

🖤 Beth @ ReadingEveryNight

Beth 💓 my Book Twin in the U.K. who I trust whole heartedly & just know she would never steer me wrong with her wonderfully insightful reviews 🙌🏼 Beth like Danielle (see above) is also one of the first Bookworms I met in the Book Blogging community & the MOST welcoming! She is SUPER interactive with her subscribers and leaves such thoughtful comments that always bring a smile to face no matter when/where I’m reading them. Beth reviews YA books across all genres & also has some of the most beautiful travel posts/photos which she pairs with books! Beth can also bake & I’m just here waiting for those posts to come through 🤞🏼😂💓

🖤 Flavia @ FlaviaTheBibliophile

Ok Y’all! Guaranteed you all have that 1 blog you follow cause everything they post is just SOOOOO damn BEAUTIFUL!💓 Flavia’s Book Reviews, Beauty Hauls, #ARCstravaganza posts are LEGIT *Hearts in your eyes*  swoon worthy content!There’s honestly a little something for everyone & I just love visiting her blog cause it’s always a good time!Flavia is a sweetheart & is the friend to fangirl with you over books & movies any time!

🖤 Amy @ ACourtOfCrownsandQuills

Amy! The Book Gods made our paths cross & ever since then I’ve been blessed with some amazing Buddy Reads 💓 Amy also reviews YA Fantasy & a variety of other genres. We tend to have similar opinions on books & she also runs one of my FAVORITE Instagram accounts! which I personally go to for unboxings 🤗😍

🖤 Heather @ TheSassyBookGeek

Heather 💓 I’ve always wanted to know a Heather & then this wonderful human came across my blogging journey 😆 haha! I mostly read ARCS & that keeps me in the know of what’s coming to shelves in the near future. It’s not often I come across someone with a TBR that makes me sweat a little but heather’s does cause it often looks like mine & is a reminder that I NEED to get to reading STAT! Heather also reads across genres, has amazing reviews, and pulls no punches which I always appreciate when looking for recommendations💓

🖤 Taylor @ NerdNarration

Taylor 💓 all it took was for me to find her Nyxia by Scott Reintgen review & I just knew I had to befriend this beautiful Bookworm! They say I write some enthusiastic reviews for books that I love but Taylor got me beat! 😂 I love reading anything she posts because her personality bursts right through in her words, humor, and GIPHS! Taylor recently won my ARC Giveaway for Dear Evan Hansen over on Instagram & made my day getting her excitement through DM’s 🙌🏼😂🙌🏼 Nothing but positive vibes from Taylor’s corner 💓

🖤 Ashley @ SociallyAwkwardBookworm

Ashley 💓 Besides being a real sweetheart & having the most AMAZING cats with tons of personality & a dog I can’t get enough of! Ashley keeps me humble 🙈😂 She always has a set TBR with attainable goals & finds EPIC book deals on Kindle! LEGIT she is my #GOALS 💓 Ashley also loves photography & I love seeing the photos she takes, always vibrant & make me want to be better at my IG game 😂

🖤 Kelly @Kelly’sRambles

Kelly 💓 I LOVE Kelly’s blog & the fact that when I’m on the go, I can always count on her mini-reviews, Bookish event re-caps, & let’s face it…I’m always curious about her TBR cause not only does she read good books but at times they’re ones I haven’t heard of & she’s in the UK so the cover always pulls me in…I can go on & on but really don’t take my word for it & see for yourselves 😉


I’m currently working from home & this post has been a labor of love but I am SOOOO glad to have participated in this week’s topic! I even got on Instagram & posted a story on my appreciation for this community of Bookworms that have always been here for me when I really needed it 💜 10 is not enough to thank all those who faithfully like & comment my posts & just generally brighten my day! I love you all & hope to continue on this blogging journey for years to come 💓


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Top Ten Tuesday: Popular Books that Lived Up to the Hype

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. This weeks topic is all about the HYPE! books everyone is talking, blogging, and instagramming about. Wherever you look, these are the books you can’t seem to escape and feel like you NEEEED to read like you need air 😂 Well, these are 10 (in no particular order) that actually live up to the hype and I’m glad to have hopped on that train! 💓

July 31st 2018: Ten Books with Sensory Reading Memories

🖤 The Cruel Prince by Holly Black– My 1st book by Holly Black & honestly it had me wondering why I hadn’t read anything by Black in all these years! 🙈 I’m fully convinced Black is Fae Royalty, I’ve never come across anyone who made me LOVE Fae as much. Dark & full of plot twists this is THE book to break your neck trying to keep up with. The hype is real with this one & as expected, The Wicked King set to release in 2019 is no different 🙌🏼

🖤 FURYBORN by Claire Legrand-This book had me a bit skeptical I’ll admit & that almost made me pass on it. Whelp! something told me to request that title from the Publisher & fainted a million faints when it showed up in all its glory. This book pulled off two timelines 1K years apart! I read FURYBORN with a bunch of other bookworm buddies & we ALL agreed…the HYPE IS REAL & WELL DESERVED! 😆

🖤 Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff– Quite possibly THE trilogy to get me into all things YA Sci-Fi books. I actually waited 1 year before cracking open my copy of Illumimae after hearing so many of my closest rave about these characters. I kicked myself once I had read it & realized I was missing out BIG time! 😂

🖤 Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo–  I meaaaaan! by now you’ve probably seen a hundred different variations of artwork inspired by the characters in this book. It’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t heard of Kaz Brekker or Inej Ghafa. The crew in this book will stay with you way past the last page & is ABSOLUTELY worth the hype! 🙌🏼

🖤 The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden-  This is the one everyone slept on & then it just started to make waves a year later. I couldn’t believe this book was written by a debut author. Today, this trilogy is one of my all time favorites. Who else is HIGHLY anticipating The Winter Of The Witch? 😃

🖤 The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas– Relevant, poignant, and such an important read! THUG is one that should be part of course curriculums & I’m just so glad to have read it & continue to spread the love for this book. FOMO will run high around the time of movie release, please read the book before watching the movie 💙

🖤 Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi– The line for this book at Bookcon was Nanas! and a true testament to this books success really. COBAB is also being adapted to the big screen & has also been selected as the 1st book selection for Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club 😱 it is well worth the hype!

🖤 The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater-The Raven Boys are another crew of characters that are very well known in the book community. Blue & the boys have a special place in my heart and I’m really looking forward to the tv adaptation if only to get more time with these characters. I read this one before the hype train took off & can honestly say it’s hype worthy!

🖤 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter #1) by JK Rowling– Saving the best for last! HP is one that will never die down its hype as well it shouldn’t! I am forever hyping Harry & Co to my tiny human to the point where she can’t wait to reach HP reading level 😂 SMH. Till we’re old and gray we’ll reminsice on the days we spent reading about Hogwarts.

🖤 The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare– My first YA series, the one responsible for my love of all things YA Fantasy. Twilight may have been my first YA book ever but it was City Of Bones that hooked me and never let me go. The hype with these books was and is so strong that I caught wind of them way before knowing the book community existed. I had no idea it was the beginning of a long love affair…


Hello Bookworms & a very happy Tuesday <3’s! Have you read any of the books I’ve listed? Which hyped up book are you ever so happy you hopped on the train for? Drop some love down below 🙂


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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books with Sensory Reading Memories

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. This weeks topic brought back a ton of good memories and reminded me that there are a few books I’d definitely re-read. These books are very near & dear to my heart because of the feelings and memories they invoke…

July 24th 2018: Ten Books with Sensory Reading Memories

💜 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #4)– This book is my favorite of the whole series for so many reasons but the very top one being that it’s the one I had in my hands when I met my hubby. I walked in to my 1st day at a new job with my copy and saw him sitting with his copy of Deathly Hollows and knew it was a sign haha!  It was a constant game of “No Spoilers” that led to casual flirting smh 😉

💜 Heartless by Marissa Meyer– I buddy read this wonderful book with my book twin Gretchen @ChicNerdReads after scoring arcs at Bookcon in 2017. I had all my alerts ready on my phone when I saw Fierce Reads tweet out that they were giving out T-shirts at their booth. Whelp I went right over thinking it was just a shirt, told them the magic password & ended up with a arc copy!!! *GASP* I still remember flipping out on the phone to my book twin and since hubby was with me, he got her a copy as well. The buddy read was so much fun and had us thinking about baking & pastries all along 🙂

💜 Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem– My first college assigned read  & it has stuck with me throughout the years. The MC Lionel has Tourettes and he finds himself working for a small time mobster. When the mobster who took him in as an orphan shows up dead, Lionel puts on his detective hat to find his killer. I was ABSORBED in this story & can remember discussing it in class as if it were just yesterday

💜 My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton (The Lady Janies #2)– I read this book in one day, two sittings. I started it on the train ride home and found myself laughing out loud without any reservation. I was having a very bad week and this book didn’t let my thoughts wander. I laughed hard & long and in turn made those around me laugh…a contagious fun read I will always turn to for some silliness 🙂

💜 A Million Junes by Emily Henry– This book stirred up memories of my dad and I found the tears streaming full force by the time I read the last page. I won’t say how because it would be spoilery for this book but it will always be THE book that moved me with thoughts of my own dad.

💜 Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (Six Of Crows #2)– I finished reading CK on my train ride to The Strand for a Leigh Bardugo signing & although that was EPIC! it’s not the main reason I remember it fondly. This is the day I met my book twin Gretchen in person! from watching her videos on Booktube to being motivated by her to start my own blog and going on a blogging journey with her to a Leigh Bardugo event we had so much fun in! Crooked Kingdom will always be the book that brought me to my twin 🙂

💜 The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslie Walton– Ok! this has to be one of the most beautifully tragic books I’ve ever read! & I had the pleasure of sharing the heartbreak with my best friend of 18 years. He wasn’t happy with the ugly crying this book put him through but he loved it just as much as I did & it even kicked off a buddy read binge. My BFF doesn’t really read much so this was definitely a time I’ll always remember fondly 🙂

💜 The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden– I don’t have a specific memory attached to this beautiful gem of a book but it’s one that will always feel, taste, sound like Winter whenever I think of the story within its pages. I read The Bear during the Winter and it couldn’t have been a more ideal read for the season.

💜 Nyxia: Unleashed by Scott Reintgen– I’ve gone ahead & linked to Melanie over at Meltotheany on this one cause I will always think of her when I think of this book. She & I buddy read a whole lot & I think that’s cause she has the patience of a Goddess cause ya girl lives life on the go & sometimes can fall behind Haha! anyways, we gush over this book for days & could NOT stop quoting front to back!

💜 A Dance With Dragons (A Song Of Ice & Fire #5) by George RR Martin– This is a bittersweet memory if there ever was one…where is book 6?!?! yea I know! haha! but it’s here because I remember buddy reading this 5th installment with my hubby while expecting our tiny human. Since I was limited due to a high risk pregnancy, weekends were spent reading Game Of Thrones in bed and trying not to read ahead for fear of spoilers…he still outread (totes should be a word) me though smh hehe 🙂


Happy Tuesday Bookworms! This post is going up wayyyy later in the day…it’s now night but somewhere in the world I am right on time! ❤ Hope you’re all reading amazing books & finding your next book obsession! 😉


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Top Ten Tuesday: Books With My Favorite Color On the Cover (or In the Title)

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.

*Purple Rain Purple Rain* I LOVE every shade of Purple there is, some more than others but they all get my love! These are just a few of the books I’ve either read or own a copy of to be read very soon ☺

May 8th 2018: Books With My Favorite Color On the Cover (or In the Title)

Top Ten Tuesday 9/19/2017

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten accordingly. This weeks topic is: Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List (in no specific order). Fall is when I’m MOST excited to settle down with books that are mostly dark Fantasy, Magical Realism, and Psychological Thrillers. This year I’m throwing in a bit of Sci-Fi for a change of pace. Most of these books are also arcs that I either picked up at Bookcon or was approved for on Netgalley/Edelweiss.

* Covers link to Goodreads

September 19th 2017: Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR List

1. Wild Beauty By Anna-MarieMcLemore

Love grows such strange things.

For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens.

The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

* I read When The Moon Was Ours some time last year & fell in love with McLemore’s writing! I’ve heard early reviewers speak highly of Wild Beauty, I’m SOOOO ready for this one 🙂


2. The Tiger’s Daughter (Their Bright Ascendency #1) by Arsenault Rivera

Even gods can be slain….

The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach―but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests.

Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.

This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O-Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil.

* I caught wind of this one on Twitter & V.E. Schwab’s blurb immediately had me well on my way to Netgalley. As a Fantasy lover I was intrigued & to see that the author is Latinx was enough for me to know I had to give this one a go 🙂


3. Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

* Historical Fiction in YA is one of my fave sub-genres & this one just has my name written all over it! maybe just maybe…it will fill the void the SHOWtime series Dexter left in my little dark heart *evil grin*


4. The Glass Spare (The Glass Spare #1) by Lauren DeStefano

A banished princess.
A deadly curse.
A kingdom at war.

Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

OK! confession…I’m just as guilty as the next bookworm when it comes to impulse cover lusting lol. I requested 1st & then read the synopsis but I’m so happy that It’s one I’m genuinely interested in *phew* I can’t resist a female heroine especially one with hidden magical abilities.


5. Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1) by Leigh Bardugo

aughter of immortals.

Princess Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mortal. Diana will soon learn that she has rescued no ordinary girl, and that with this single brave act, she may have doomed the world.

Daughter of death.

Alia Keralis just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted by people who think her very existence could spark a world war. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together.

Two girls will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. Tested beyond the bounds of their abilities, Diana and Alia must find a way to unleash hidden strengths and forge an unlikely alliance. Because if they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

It’s Wonder Woman…Lol am I right?


6. The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

* When the Queen puts out 2 books in one year, they must be read at once! lol. Leigh is one of my fave YA authors & this illustrated gemstone (nod to The Glass Spare haha) of a book is one I know I won’t be able to put off reading.


7. The Alchemists Of Loom (Loom Saga, #1) by Elisa Kova

Her vengeance. His vision.

Ari lost everything she once loved when the Five Guilds’ resistance fell to the Dragon King. Now, she uses her unparalleled gift for clockwork machinery in tandem with notoriously unscrupulous morals to contribute to a thriving underground organ market. There isn’t a place on Loom that is secure from the engineer turned thief, and her magical talents are sold to the highest bidder as long as the job defies their Dragon oppressors.

Cvareh would do anything to see his sister usurp the Dragon King and sit on the throne. His family’s house has endured the shame of being the lowest rung in the Dragons’ society for far too long. The Alchemist Guild, down on Loom, may just hold the key to putting his kin in power, if Cvareh can get to them before the Dragon King’s assassins.

When Ari stumbles upon a wounded Cvareh, she sees an opportunity to slaughter an enemy and make a profit off his corpse. But the Dragon sees an opportunity to navigate Loom with the best person to get him where he wants to go.

He offers her the one thing Ari can’t refuse: A wish of her greatest desire, if she brings him to the Alchemists of Loom

So I have had my eyes on this series for quite a bit now & it hasn’t been easy resisting the urge to just buy them all cuz would you just look at them! they have STUNNING covers (all 3) 😍😍😍. I’m also a sucker for all things Dragons or mystical creatures in general really. After having just finished Before She Ignites, this one went into my Amazon cart lol. 


8. Artemis by Andy Weir

Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

* I didn’t read or watch The Martian although it is on my TBR, Artemis is a Netgalley approval though & so it will be the one I get to 1st & I’m pretty excited for this title 🙂


9. Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Long overdue, my twin bff Gretchen @ChicNerdReads has raved about this book & she knows my soul & IT’S TIME! + I pre-ordered Godsgrave smh…it arrived LOL…I have a problem. 


10. The Girl in the Tower (The Winternight Trilogy #2) by Katherine Arden

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingalecontinues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

My MOST prized arc (next to They Both Die at the End of course hehe), I am waiting for November to read this one because it’s so atmospheric that It begs for cold weather. The Bear and the Nightingale was one of my top 10 faves of last year, ahhhh! so excited to have this one 🙂


Happy Tuesday Bookworms!!! I’m posting really late in the day but better late than never right? lol *sobs* if you’ve read any of the books on my list, please feel free to leave me some motivating words  if you think I need to boost any of these to the top of my TBR. Also link me to your TTT & I’ll swing by for some recommendations 😉


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Top Ten Tuesday 8/15/17

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten accordingly. I LOVE lists, they keep me happy and I’m so glad to see this meme return this week after a mini hiatus. This week was a freebie of sorts where you are prompted to list 10 bookish recommendations. I’ve linked my reviews for each of these as well, please excuse the older reviews since I didn’t know what I was doing in terms of format, a year ago when I 1st started this blog lol. Here are my top 10 picks for this weeks topic (in no specific order):

August 15th 2016:Ten book recommendations for Bookworms looking for Diversity:

 

1. Saints & Misfits by S.K. Ali

*features a Arab Indian-American hijabi teenager, her friends, family, and community. Janna Yusuf is like many other teenagers trandealing with social pressures, first love, and friendships. We follow Janna’s story as she tries to reconcile her wants with her faith. (Trigger warning: attempted rape) check out my review here.



2. You’re Welcome Universe by Whitney Gardner

* features a Indian deaf girl with 2 deaf moms & a honest f/f friendship with it’s ups & downs. Our main protagonist is skilled in Grafitti art & has a wicked sense of humor 😉 Check out my review here.

 

 


3. When The Moon Was Ours by Anna Marie-McLemore

* features a transgender Pakistani boy & LATINX girl as main characters in this Magical Realism story guaranteed to stir emotion. The writing is lyrical & lush with vivid imagery. Check out my review here.

 

 


4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

* A raw & moving read relevant to our current times. It’s hard to read THUG & not walk away feeling like you need to do your part in the Black Lives Matter movement. Check out my review here.

 

 


5. Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1) by Zoraida Córdova

* a LATINX Young Adult Fantasy with elements of Alice in Wonderland. This story centers around a young Bruja’s (witch) Death Day celebration which is a rites of passage. In the Authors Afterword, the ancestors who appear in this book are from Ecuador, Spain, Africa, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Check out my review here.

 


6. American Street by Ibi Zoboi

* features a Haitian main protagonist who leaves Haiti with her mother in search of a better life in Detroit Chicago. We get a different perspective on a religion we often see in mainstream media. The writing in American Street is a mix between Fabiola’s native culture and the raw grittiness of Detroits mean streets. Check out my review here.

 


7. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee 

* features a Chinese American teenager slayyyyying demons! centered around the Chinese tale of The Monkey King, this book offers up a kick a** protagonist who doesn’t take ish from anyone & I loved her! Check out my review here.

 

 


8. History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

* features a gay couple with AMAZING parents who I wish we had more of both in real life & in our books. This book deals with grief & will leave you reaching for the nearest box of tissues. Check out my review here.

 

 


9. The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

* Lush with Persian influences & steeped in Indian folklore, this book will leave you questioning whether we are in control of our own fate. This book also features a positive f/f friendship & a beautiful father/daughter bond. Check out my review here.

 

 


10. Noteworthy by Riley Redgate

* features a Chinese-American teenager in a gender bending story. Jordan Sun is on a mission to join Acapella in order to stand out in her college applications. The only thing standing in her way is that Acapella is all male only. When Jordan decides to dress as a boy in order to try-out, she wasn’t expecting to find a diverse cast of characters she feels most at home with. Check out my review here.

 

Happy Tuesday Bookworms!!! have you read any of the books I’ve listed? are you as excited as I am to have TTT back?!?! I guess I’m more excited than some since just when I started doing this meme again, the hosts announced their hiatus leaving me with a ton of unused excitement haha! 


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Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten accordingly. I LOVE lists, they keep me happy…here are my top 10 picks for this weeks topic:

June 26th 2016: Best Books You’ve Read In 2017 So Far…

*had this been a prompt for the 2nd half of the year I think I would’ve tapped out with all the great books we have coming our way. The books listed below are in no particular order.

(Covers  —-> Goodreads Links)


320756711. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

*A raw & moving read relevant to our current times. It’s hard to read THUG & not walk away feeling like you need to do your part in the Black Lives Matter movement. Check out my review here.

 

 

 

 

 


2. love, and you by Gretchen Gomez34335011

*For all those who have experienced that one toxic relationship, you know? the one you simply cannot let go…this one is for you. Love, and you will haunt you with each turn of a page & ultimately will leave you with hope for healing. Check out my review here.

 

 

 

 

 


   3. History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera   history-is-all-you-left-me

* If you’ve been following me for a while now, this comes as no surprise. I ADORE Adam Silvera to pieces! so much so that after being pushed by a mob at Bookcon for his new book They Both Die at the End, my hubby went into full on Superhero mode & got me a copy smh lol. Every single one of his books make me cry & I keep going back for more! smh. Check out my review here.

 

 

 


4. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Upside

*Upside was my 1st Albertalli book & it was everything I could’ve hoped for and some. I laughed so hard & fell in love with all of these characters. Filled with diversity & positive body rep, Upside is a Gem of a book <3. Check out my review here.

 

 

 

 

 


5. A Million Junes by Emily HenryA Million Junes

*STUNNING writing! if you’ve ever felt a tad bit intimidated (Me) by Magical Realism or even had a bad experience reading a MR book, please give this one a go, it’s not at all the type that will have you looking all types of constipated trying to figure it out lol. A beautiful story at its core about a daughter trying to find answers from her father who passed away…Check out my review here.

 

 


6. The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden

25489134*This was Katherine Arden’s debut novel & OMYGOSHHH how is it so damn good?!?! Atmospheric, slower paced, filled with Russian folklore gahhhh! female protog reminds me of Merida from Brave lol, be still my heart! Check out my review here.

 

 

 

 

 


300954647. The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) By Rin Chupeco

*The Bone Witch has a ton of mixed reviews, mostly the complaint was based on the slow pacing & I won’t deny that it is slow paced.  However, as a lover of Memoirs of a Geisha, I instantly got sucked into this world and its main protog. This one is for the lover of lush worlds & details. I am looking forward to the sequel . Check out my review here

 

 


8. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappa Eliza and her monsters

*I am still a mess from having to leave this world & these characters. For those who have ever loved being part of a fandom, Eliza is your girl! filled with bits of comic strips and online chat messages this book will make you wish Monstress Sea was a real thing 😉 Check out my review here.  

 

 

 

 


291028969. Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

*Impactful, raw, painful, but necessary. A story centered around dating abuse & domestic violence  I just recently finished Bad Romance & it’s safe to say that it will resonate with me for years to come. This isn’t the type of book I’d recommend to just anyone as it does tackle many difficult topics. Check out my review here.

 

 

 


Our Dark Duet10. Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab

* I couldn’t possibly compose a list of my favorites so far & not include the most satisfying conclusion to a duology. Our Dark Duet left me in tears & heartbroken yet at the same time, it was perfect. Review to come just as soon as I could work up my nerve to write my RAVE review lol 😉

 

 

 


Happy Tuesday Bookworms!!! have you read any of the books I’ve listed? It’s already the last week of June & there are a ton more EPIC reads ahead of us *Gasps* legit wish I could slow down the hands of time just a smidge 😉