Mid-Year Goals

Since we are officially halfway through the year I thought to myself, I should do a checkpoint. I'm going to talk about some of the goals I had going into this year and some goals I have for the second half of my year. I'm gonna discuss some things I'm proud of and some things I want to get done.

To start, let's begin with some of my achievements.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series

I knocked out about half of the books in this series in a matter of weeks and I'm pretty proud of how much I actually read before going into the great May reading slump.

23 ARCS

I've read 23 of my ARCs so far this year! It's really satisfying every time I knock an ARC off my list.

1984

I don't read a lot of classics, I just find them a lot harder to get through, but I am proud to say that I read one this year! I mean it was for a class, but I still read it so it has to count for something.

Colleen Hoover

I have this thing where whenever a Colleen Hoover book comes out I get really excited, but then I put off reading it. Usually, I put it off for a few months, but with November 9 and every book after that, I put it off for I think 3 years. I'm happy to say I finally read November 9 and It Ends With Us. Both of which are in my Mid Year Giveaway, check it out.

Hamlet

So I'm not actually finished yet, but I will be in the next couple of days so I'm counting it. Finally, a Shakespeare play I actually enjoy! Hamlet is such a dramatic little shit and I love him. I know how it ends and it makes me sad, but it also makes me want to read a whole bunch of books based off of Hamlet.

Now, let's move onto what I want from myself for the second part of the year.

IT

I have two physical copies of this book along with the audiobook and I need to read it. I'm just a bit intimidated by large novels, but I'm gonna do it. I'm actually going to New York this summer for a cousins wedding so I plan on listening to it on the plane ride there as I live in Vancouver and that's about 6+ hours in a plane. I better do it.

ARCs

So I've read 23 so far this year, but it's never enough. Because of the great May reading slump I've got a huge pile of ARCs requiring my attention. I'm currently working on one that I hope to finish soon, but the others need immediate attention. There are too many of them.

A Little Life

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for about a year and I really want to read it, but I just never get around to doing it and I don't' know why!

Meet my Goodreads Goal

Because of the great May reading slump, I fell behind my reading goal a little bit. Which is just saying how bad that reading slump was because I was about 10 books ahead of my goal before. I want to get back ahead.

That's it! What are some of your reading goals for the rest of the year?


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Mid-Year Favorites Giveaway

It's that time of year! I've decided to start doing two annual giveaways; my mid-year favorites and my end of the year favorites just so I can spread the love. These are the books that I've loved so far this year and I want you guys to get a chance to read one of your choice. I've read quite a few books this year and these are the books that I think the most highly of. I really enjoyed them and I hope you will too.

So like last year there will be 10 choices to pick from:

And there are also many ways for you to enter. I'll just leave all the rules and such down below.

Giveaway Details:

• Must be 18 or have parental permission
• Book Depository must ship to you
• You have to be following my blog, I do check and it honestly just takes longer to sort through those that aren't actually following me
• The Giveaway will run from June 1st, 2018, to July 31st, 2018
• There will be one winner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to everyone!

Recommendations: Books That Make You Cry

This is a list of books for the occasion when you just need a really good cry. It would have been easy to make a list of books that made me cry, but that isn’t what this is about. These are the books that I think would make anyone cry. These are the best of the best. These are the books that I think will make you cry even if you have a heart of stone. Honestly, if none of my recommendations make you cry then you don't have tear ducts.

A Dog’s Purpose

Maybe this book won’t make you cry if you don’t like dogs, however, if you love dogs, like me, you will surely be sobbing your eyes out for the entirety of this book. This hits really hard for those who have had a pet they loved.

The Green Mile

The injustice of this novel is what makes it so heartbreaking. It’s centered around a prison guard and his experiences on death row. And most specifically a man named John Coffey who has been given the death sentence for the rape and murder of two 9-year-old sisters. It’s raw, it’s gritty, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.

A Monster Calls

This novel centers around a young boy and him having to deal with his mother having cancer. This one, I think, can be incredibly relatable to anyone who has lost a parent or loved one. I read this novel during a road trip and I was sitting in the backseat of the car just sobbing to myself.

Out of My Mind

This novel has a whole new perspective on “special needs” kids. We follow Melody who has cerebral palsy, she can’t walk, talk, or do most anything by herself. However, this little girl is incredibly smart. She just has no way of expressing these things because her body seems to work against her. It's very real and just shines a light on everything able-bodied people take for granted.

Are there any books out there that you guys guarantee will make anyone cry? Let me know as I love reading books that make me cry.

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Recommendations: Magical Realism

I personally think of Magical Realism as novels where magic just exists. There is no explanation or fanfare, it’s just there. So I actually only have three on this list today. Obviously, there are tons out there and I’ve been known to read a few of them, but these three are the very best of them and I wouldn’t feel right about just throwing in a couple of others I didn’t feel as strongly about just to make this post a bit longer. Obviously, there will be mild spoilers.

Practical Magic

This along with the prequel, Rules of Magic, are two of my favorite books. Neither of these books is solely about magic. Magic is more of a circumstance than a plot line. We really get to care about these characters and their lives and their love lives. I cried during both of these books because they were so emotionally impactful. The magic is just so beautifully woven in. It’s a very character driven book and heavy on the romance. If you’re interested in those two things this would be a good fit for you.

The Night Circus

Now this one is all about the magic. I can’t decide if the magic is the subplot or if the characters relationships are the subplots because both are incredibly prominent. This story wouldn’t be what it is without the mix of both. The Night Circus is about two gifted performers trying to outdo each other with their magic and falling in love when they shouldn’t. It’s set in our world and there is absolutely no explanation for any of it. It’s very mysterious and a very good read.

A Monster Calls

This one is a bit different from the other two because the “magic” is all in the mind. The “magic” is there to convey the process of grief and healing. It was a very unique way of storytelling and this book also made me cry. Like a baby. While there were people around. The magic itself is alive, embodying itself as a character. The magic is there to tell the story, to embellish it. The magic is what differentiates this book from others with similar plot lines.

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March Wrap Up

This has been a pretty amazing reading month. It started out not that great, but I had two weeks off because of Spring Break, so I had the opportunity to read so many books I had been meaning to. I'm really pleased with what I have read this month. I read ten of those books within a week. 

    

1. Cracked Kingdom

I gave this book 5 stars. Perfect ending to a phenomenal series. Especially the Epilogue, you’re gonna want to read it.

2. The Witch Doesn’t Burn In This One

I gave this book 5 stars. It was something I flew threw. I loved all the topics and themes that were covered throughout the book. 

3. Big Badd Wolf

I gave this book 4 stars. I enjoyed this one the most out of all the books in this series.

4. Alex Hunt and the Chase for Rhapta

I gave this book 3 stars. I went in thinking it was gonna be a Lara Croft type story but that was not the case.

5. Phoenix Fire

I gave this book 4.25 stars. Surprisingly enjoyable. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did but it’s very original and full of so many twists and turns.

6. Promise Me

I gave this book 4 stars. This is one of those feeling books, so if you don’t like having feelings don’t read it. If you like feelings do read it.

7. Born Darkly

I gave this book 4 stars. The moment I found out it was a dark romance between a psychologist and a serial killer I had to read it.

8. November 9

I gave this book 5 stars. Not what I expected and I loved it! It’s Colleen Hoover, of course, I loved it!

9. You Will Be Mine

I gave this book 4 stars. Creepy and suspenseful. You won’t guess who the killer is. Actually, maybe you will, but it probably won’t be your first choice.

10. One Small Thing

I gave this book 4.25 stars. I was so excited to read this book. It was really good. Not as good as Cracked Kingdom, but it still had so much going for it. I loved the chemistry between the two leads and I loved the story itself.

11. It Ends With Us

I gave this book 5 stars. You’re going to cry. You’re going to feel an entire spectrum of emotions. I think going into this one with as little information as possible is best. So just read it.

12. The Heart Forger

I gave this book 4.5 stars. So much better than the first book, but I wanted to leave half a star because the next book will probably be the best.

13. The Bone Season

I gave this book 4 stars. Wow. Just wow. If you haven’t read this one yet, I would highly suggest giving it a go. 

14. One Dark Throne

I gave this book 4.5 stars. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that Arsinoe and Billy are just so fricken adorable that I must keep reading for them.

15. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls

I gave this book 4 stars. Perfect summer read. This book comes out June 5th, just in time for reading on the beach.

16. Furyborn

I gave this book 4.5 stars. This book has so much hype around it and it’s not even out yet. Rest assured the hype was earned. May 22nd. Mark it down on your calendars.

17. Siren

I gave this book 4 stars. I didn’t actually think I was going to read another book this month, but I just could not put this book down. There were definitely parts I found a bit harder to read, but it’s overall really a mind fuck.

I hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what books you guys read this month!

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It Ends With Us Spoiler Free Review

It Ends With Us
by Colleen Hoover

Synopsis:

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up

— she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. 

My Review:

I gave this book 5 stars.

The synopsis of this book is purposely vague and I think it’s better that way. I suggest if you plan on reading this book, don’t look for spoilers. Don’t read the last few pages of the book. Just go in knowing nothing and skip the rest of my review because I get into the subject matter of this book.

I spent the entire time reading this book trying to decide if I was going to write a review for it. I felt that I couldn’t properly convey what this book is through my own words, so instead, I’m going to keep it short.

This book covers a hard topic, something that’s often the topic of discussion: Domestic abuse. Why people, often women, stay in abusive relationships. This book isn’t a romance. It’s a life lesson. Showcasing how nothing is every black and white. Often staying in an abusive relationship is seen as being weak, but this showed how wrong that idea is. We judge them until we are them.

Allysa was probably one of the best characters in this book. I can’t even begin to express to you guys how vital she was to the protagonist. I think everyone needs and Allysa in their lives. I really do.

I’ve always gone back and forth between wanting to be an author and not wanting to be an author. After reading this book I know that I could never write something as impactful as this. So I think that answers my age-old question.

Disclaimer: you will cry.

Top 5 Teachers/Mentors

This was kind of a hard list to make considering how awful or unmemorable most teachers are in books. This is kind of sad because teachers have really important jobs, they are literally educating the future adults of this society and that says a lot about the characters in those books. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this post.

1. Dimitri Belikov

Dimitri ends up as a love interest but starts out as our protagonist's mentor, so he makes the top of this list. I love him.

2. Professor Mcgonagall

Probably one of the most badass characters out there. She is a hardass with a heart of gold. She protects the students while still being strict and earning their respect. I can't think of a single thing I dislike about her.

3. Joe Solomon 

He was the best teacher at the Gallagher Academy which is saying a lot considering it's a school for spies. He is such a mystery for the majority of the series and the little information you do find out is always incredibly riveting. 

4. Warden

I've only just finished reading the Bone Season, but I already love the Warden. He is considered our protagonist's mentor throughout the book. He's also incredibly mysterious and maybe not as evil as we think he is.

5. Haymitch

I can't beleive I almost forgot Haymitch. He would be so offended if he knew I almost forgot him. I can almost hear the sassy comments. Haymitch is snarky, cynical, and just plain unlikeable and those are the reasons I love him. He has that hard exterior but is really just a softy in desguise. 

Which teachers do you guys love?

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