Most Anticipated Books (for me) Fall 2015

I want them now.

1. Beastly Bones by William Ritter

As you know, I loved Jackaby, and come one, I needed the next book. I'm slowly getting through The Map, but I picked that up right before I started Harry Potter, so it might still be a while.



2. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

The cover glows in the dark, and I mean it sounds pretty awesome, but the cover. The cover. Also, I love anything British (almost).



3. Da Vinci's Tiger by L. M. Elliot

I just love the cover so much that I have to buy it. The cover changed, though, but I'm not going to allow that thought to penetrate my mind until it comes in the mail.




4. Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

The cover. Also, a western.



5. Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

IT SOUNDS SO COOL!!!

Books You Really Want to Read

I've realized that people not in the bookish community might not be aware of this fact, but it is still present: you don't always read the book you've been dying to read first. This can be for a number of reasons.

1. You don't want to be disappointed- who does?
2. School, Work, Writing Harry Potter fanfiction, ect.- this is why most people never read.
3. There are other books you're currently reading- it'll ruin both books reading experiences (probably)
4. You just can't bring yourself to do it- this is probably why I don't do it most often. It's not that I don't want to read the book, or that I haven't been waiting for months to get it, it's just that I get myself to open the pages and glue my eyes to them. This sounds like i'm not a reader, but I think if you are one, you'll understand.

Random thoughts of the day, over. 

Childhood Favorites: Books

Technically, this is still my childhood, but I'm going to pretend like I'm an adult and call a few years ago my childhood.

I really liked books for most of Elementary School, although I didn't read that many books, but in sixth grade I barely read anything, so books are still kind of blossoming back to me. This is just a quick note, and probably doesn't matter to anyone else.


The Evolution of Calupurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly- this may be the book I've read the most. I read it at least once in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, but I know I've read it more than three times. I connected so much with the main character, because the first time I read it, I was hating piano lessons (which I did choose to take, but none the less), really was getting into science, especially botany (expect both my parents encouraged me, and this wasn't when women were only allowed to do housework), and felt a lot of the same things she felt. I just really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.
I remember the first time I read it thinking it was a huge book. It's 338 pages. Children's minds...
The sqeuel The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate came out in July, and it's blue!



Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai- I read this for Readers Choice at my school, and it honestly affected me so much when I was that age. When I started Readers Choice, I though the Unwanteds would be my favorite thing, but I ended up hating that and falling in love with this. It's written in verse, and it's so beautiful. I really should re-read it.
This also grappled with a more difficult topic than I was used to. Earlier that year I had read The Hunger Games, and I really enjoyed it, so I was expecting this book to be okay, but not amazing, because it wasn't action packed. Except, it was, just not in the way I thought it would be.
Also, it won the National Book Award, so it's pretty amazing.
I originally read this as a library book, but got a hardcover for free at a book exchange!
I haven't yet, but really want to read her next book Listen, Slowly.




A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (pen name)- these is some of the few middle grade books that I kept when I got rid of a bunch, and I am very happy that I did. I read most of them in the summer between 4th and 5th grade, and I remember writing (essentially) fanfiction about it, and being so devoted to all of the characters and being so pissed off that they didn't catch him again! My favorite is The Austere Academy.
Also, the movie adaptation sucked, so I am crossing my fingers that Netflix does a better job (the teaser trailer was epic!!!) Although, after I watched the movie I had a huge crush on Liam Aiken for such a long time.
 13 books! I can't believe I read that many.



39 Clues (various authors)- this is one of those things where I look back and am very disappointing in myself for liking them as much as I did. I rarely read books (I did more in 4th grade), but I reread all of the original series, and was literally non-stop talking about them.
I recently gave away all my copies, and honestly don't feel too bad about it.
Also, how many books are there going to be? I couldn't get through the first couple in the spin-off series. I just couldn't do it.




Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, illustrated by Brett Helquist- I'm not totally sure, but I think I listened to an audio book of this in 2nd grade when both my brother and I were sick, and I don't really remember much from that time, but then I think I read it on my own in 4th grade, and then the last two books in 5th grade. I love the illustrations in it (flipping though it I'm seeing them, and how huge the font is). This book was so intriguing to me, because at the time I was super into myserties (I think), and this was right there for me. I also remember loving all the thoughts, and I don't remember many specifics, but I know I loved it.
WHY ISN'T IT A MOVIE!!!

My Birthday Book Haul

I got seven books, and yes, many care classics.

1. The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

2. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Writings by Washington Irving

3. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

4. Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm (Illustrated by Arthur Rackham)

5. Aesop's Illustrated Fables by Aesop

6. Modern Romance by Aziz Anzari and Eric Klinenberg

7. Noggin by John Corey Whaley

10 Reasons Why I Love Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby 

1. Magic Realism
2. Bees
3. *spoiler*
4. That horse...
5. Roza
6. College Essays
7. Cover, Beautiful Writing
8. Corn
9. Finn and Petey
10. Everything about that book, just so good.

I also got to meet Laura Ruby at Anderon's Bookshop in Naperville, IL. She's super nice.

(Laura Ruby, Me, Adam Silvera, Martha Brokenbrough)

Ten Reasons Why I Love Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas

Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas

This is actually a very appropriate type of review for this book, because each chapter starts with a list.

1. Each chapter starting with a list
2. Mental lists (I use them a lot)
3. She's diabetic, and how many characters are diabetic?
4. It's a very sweet story that can just make you feel good
5. Christmas Time!
6. Crushes are so much fun (sometimes...)
7. They grow together
8. It voices a lot of problems that I always think about, but can never say
9. It voices a lot of lies that I always think about, but never say
10. Red Head

(There are more than ten reasons why this book is great, but I'll keep it down to ten)

Birthday Wishlist

Books I hope to get when my birthday arrives:

1. The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno
2,3. Eat Brains Love and Undead With Benefits by Jeff Hart
4. Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu
5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Also, I want the German edition of My Heart and Other Black Holes, and the British edition of The Alex Crow.

I have wanted these books for a long time but have either not had the money for them, or have been too busy to get and read them (this means that I REALLY want them).

The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Okay, I'll be honest. I didn't love this book. it took me over a month and a half to read it and over half of it was read this past week because I've been forcing myself to read it. This is similar to Tiger Lily and I think I may have gone too far to say that I loved it, but I also feel that was influenced by the fact that I didn't read it on my own time.

This book starts off slow, it's sort of interesting but you're thinking just get to the point. In the middle of the book there isn't much going on, and that is also the point in which I decided to take up The Maze Runner instead. By the end, you are just wanting to know who it is, but it just keeps going on and on. Throughout the whole story, too, you can tell that there is romance, but it isn't a key characteristic that makes me think ship them!

It is extremely well written, and there is a very interesting narrator that shocked me at the end, but I can't say that I loved this book. Overall, I would give this book a B, maybe B+.

My Analysis (Not Really) of Fandoms

I think that all you have to do to be a part of a fandom is to like the book, simple as that. But, I also believe that there are different levels of fandom(hood?) and which levels are truly superior to others. To be clear, this is mostly about book fandoms, sorry, there isn't much else in my life.

0.5. There is a movie: you are an untouchable (if we are comparing this to the Indian caste system). The only reason you are reading the book is because there is a movie, and while reading it you weren't drooling over the pages. Or showing any sign of true love for it. You know if you are a part of this group, you just know because when other people talk about that book you just roll your eyes.

1. A Fan: this is the lowest cast in a fandom. You like the book, you enjoyed it, you are anticipating the sequel, but you aren't going to kill for the first copy. When the movie comes out you aren't going to the premier, you're going to the opening day, weekend, or when it becomes cheap showing. There is nothing wrong with just being a fan of a book, but when you talk to others that are at a higher level caste for that particular series, they will look down on you.

2. A Follower: this is the group of people who check to see the release date or the sequels, movies, and when the DVD comes out, but they would choose their friends sleepover the premier. You probably own all the books, and might buy the DVD when it comes out, but you find other things in life. Again, there is nothing wrong with being in this group of people, some people just like some books more than others.

3. A Fangirl(or boy): this is sometimes hard to distinguish between A Fanatic. You do your best to go to the premier, you search for times and places to meet the author and actors, you do absolutely everything you can to support the movie, but sometimes things just don't work out. Even at this stage of fandom, people may consider you a little bit crazy, but that's good. I promise.

4,5. A Fanatic: there are two types, neither of which are really all that much higher on the caste.

       Just Found Out Fan: it's okay, sometimes it takes buzz to hear about something. I am a fanatic over The Maze Runner, but it took the movie for me to find out (sort of...it's complicated). You know you are at this stage when you dress up as characters Halloween, and eventually realize that it is the end all be all to life. The only reason this is second to highest to those that were original fans of the book is because they will think that you are inferior, when really they should be happy to find another person to share their love with. Right?

       Original Fan: you pre-ordered the book the moment you saw the cover. And, when you heard about the movie coming out you nearly died. This has been the END ALL BE ALL to your life for quite a while, and you consider yourself at the top of the caste. I'm putting you here because you've had to be tortured with waiting longer than all the others, so...this is your gift.

Inspiration

I've always wanted a writer to tell me what their exact inspiration was, and usually they do. The only problem I faced, though, was that I couldn't find that exact inspiration on my own, which upset me. Later on, though, I realized that you can't have the exact same inspiration as someone else, you have to find your own. You may have a random image flash through your mind, but you also may visit a beautiful national park, you just have to find your own. That is all I have to say on the subject, find your own inspiration and don't take someone else's.