March 2019 Wrap-Up

Hello everyone!

This month has been insane in the fact that I've read so many books! A grand total of 11 books which is my highest monthly amount this year. Most of the books I read were either rated 4 or 5 stars, so I'd say this month was a really successful reading month.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review here.

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

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The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

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Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

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Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

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One Moment in Time by Lauren Barnholdt

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A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

⭐

Review here.

By Your Side by Kasie West

⭐⭐

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rook by Sharon Cameron
⭐⭐

What books did you read in March?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a nice day.

~Abby

Writing Advice I Received From Authors

Hello everyone!

This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go to Teen Author Boot Camp. I got to meet so many amazing authors and I learned so much about how I can improve my writing. I thought I'd share some of the highlights with you all.

One of the major themes that was repeated from each class I went to was: Show, don't tell. When reading a book, you'd rather be shown what's going on rather than being told what is going on. It immerses the reader more into the story.

Ally Carter gave some great advice during her presentation:

• "A scene too boring to write is a scene too boring to read."
• Never compare your first draft to someone else's finished draft.
• Time is the best editor in the world.
• Find the writing process that works for you and your book.

Rosalyn Eves also taught a class about incorporating culture in your world:

• Don't introduce something until it's needed.
• You know everything about your world, the reader doesn't. Too much information at once can be overwhelming. "Less is more."
• If you want to incorporate a real culture that isn't yours you need to research it so you don't show disrespect towards it. The author recommended reading 100 books from that culture and then to ask yourself why your book should be a representation of that culture.

Kathryn Purdie taught a class about deep point of view:

• Imagine yourself as the character.
• Limit your marks of authorship. Things like "she thought" and "he saw" remind the reader that the author is behind the characters words and actions.
• Context clues the reader in on attitude, emotions, and actions. Trust the reader and your context.

Nicole Conway's class was about creating believable male characters:

• Don't let your story become an undressed mannequin meaning don't stick to one trope. You want to mix it up. Blending tropes is okay and makes your story even more unique and interesting.
• Avoid overthinking, especially if you are a female author writing in a male character's perspective. Men have a tendency to act before thinking and don't sit there thinking about their consequences. Keep their thoughts clear and straightforward.
• "Make dude writer friends to check your work."

Tiana Smith taught about putting a believable romance into your story:

• There's 4 elements you NEED to include: Conflict, Fulfill a Need, The "Spark", and The Physical Stuff.
• You need to build a wall as high as you can. If there was no conflict between the two love interests, what is the point of even reading the romance? Conflict makes things interesting.
• Explain emotions behind their actions.

J. Scott Savage taught about writing series:

• Create a series bible that is organized and can be expanded as needed.
• Your characters should always want something.
• What is the big reveal? What is the reveal for each book?

Michele Ashman's class was about incorporating the 5 senses into your writing:

• Sight: everything your character sees is what your reader sees
• Taste: what does it remind you of?
• Smell: evokes memories/emotions, most neglected in storytelling
• Sound: imagine the sounds as the soundtrack to your story
• Touch: adds extra dimension to the narrative
• Pay attention with your senses wherever you go so you can use those observations in your writing.

Brandon Mull concluded with some great advice:

• Create LIFE in your books/characters.
• Draw inspiration from your experiences.
• Be an honest observer.
• Pay attention to how your favorite authors build their scenes, then practice.

Do any of you write books? If so, I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

~Abby

O.W.L.'s Magical Readathon TBR

Hello everyone!

Last year I participated in this readathon and wanted to do it again this year. Book Roast is the host, so you can find all the information on her channel.

This year, she has created a career sheet that explains what classes you need to take in order to receive that career. I've decided to take O.W.L.'s to become an astronomer. But I'm also going to read more books that fit other O.W.L.'s as well.

Astronomer:

Arithmancy (work written by more than one author) 

Astronomy ("star" in the title) 

History of Magic (published at least 10 years ago) 

Other Courses:

• Ancient Runes (retelling) - Phantom by Susan Kay (again)
• Care of Magical Creatures (land animal on the cover) - Esio Trot by Roald Dahl
• Charms (read an adult book) - The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
• Defense Against the Dark Arts (title that starts with "R") - Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen
• Divination (set in the future) - Shatter Me by Tehereh Mafi
• Herbology (plant on the cover) - The Cellar by Natasha Preston
• Muggle Studies (contemporary) - Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
• Potions (sequel) - Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
• Transfiguration (red cover) - Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Now, obviously that's a lot of books. But the first three are the ones I for sure am going to make sure I read. The others are secondary and I won't be upset if I don't read any of them. 

Are you planning on participating in the O.W.L.'s?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

Best Retellings I've Read So Far

Hello everyone!

Retellings are one of my favorite plots to read about, so I thought I'd suggest a few today.

Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Roseblood is a Phantom of the Opera retelling, and in my opinion it was really well done. It added some really interesting twists to the original story which I really enjoyed. 

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

This trilogy is a Hades and Persephone retelling and was so well done. I loved how it incorporated all the Greek gods in this series and you got to see their personalities. I just really enjoyed this trilogy and if you enjoy Greek mythology, I think you'd enjoy this trilogy. The third book also made me cry so much.

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

Avalon High is a King Arthur retelling in modern day. The characters are high school students, but they have a connection to the original story. This retelling was such a fun one to read.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

As the title suggests, this novel revolves around Jane Austen's novels. It incorporates a lot of her plots, but more specifically Pride and Prejudice. It had so many funny scenes, and was overall a really enjoyable read. If you enjoy Jane Austen's novels, I suggest you check this book out.

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

The Princess Curse is a Twelve Dancing Princesses as well as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The prince offers a reward to anyone who can reverse the curse on the princesses that causes them to dance each night. Everyone who has tried has fallen under a sleeping curse. Reveka rises to the occasion and it was such an amazing read. I highly suggest checking this one out.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

While this series may not be a conventional retelling, it pretty much is a retelling of The Bachelor. It has just as much drama and I love it. This series was so addicting.

I'm always on the lookout for a good retelling, so if you have any I'd love to hear what they are.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

Review: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Hello everyone!
I've heard many good things about A Study in Charlotte so I thought I'd give it a try. It's a Sherlock Holmes retelling which I thought would be really interesting. It follows Charlotte Holmes who is the descendant of the original Holmes, and James Watson who is the descendant of the original Watson. It is told in Watson's POV following the tradition of the original books, but I'll get more into that later. In this book they're trying to solve a murder of the school bully which they are being framed for. That all sounds interesting, but the execution was poorly done.

I don't even know where to start. There were just so many things in this book I disliked. I did really enjoy reading about Holmes deducting everything about a person. When she meets James, she basically tells him his whole life story without him telling her one thing which is insane to me! But that was really the only thing I liked in this book.

The chapters in this book were very long for the very little amount of action or events that occurred in each one. This book dragged sooooo much and didn't maintain my attention for very long. There was very little action throughout the whole book. Also, Watson seemed to be there more for convenience than anything. He didn't really add anything to the story (in my opinion) besides being the descendant of Watson. 

Also, Holmes was addicted to drugs and hosted poker games. She was only a teenager and these things are treated as if they're normal and okay which was not fine with me. I understand why she did it, but at the same time it made me more detached from the story. They just did things that no teenager would normally do. 

So, based on all that, I ended up giving this book 1 out of 5 stars. I see why some people would enjoy it, but I personally really disliked this book. I feel like if the author had taken a different approach to this concept I would've enjoyed it a lot more. There are like three other books in this series, but I don't plan on continuing at all after reading this first book.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

~Abby

Favorite Book Covers With Green

Hello everyone!

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to share some of my favorite book covers with green.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

What are your favorite green book covers?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

~Abby

Cry-Worthy Books

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to share some of the books that made me tear up or even just full out cry. It's not very often that a book makes me cry. 

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Night by Elie Wiesel

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, & Tobias Iaconis

The One by Kiera Cass

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

The Witch Doesn't Burn In This One by Amanda Lovelace

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

What books have made you cry?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a fantastic day.

~Abby

Review: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, & Tobias Iaconis

Hello everyone!
I very recently finished reading Five Feet Apart in preparation for the movie coming out. Spoiler alert: I loved this book. It's about Stella and Will who both have cystic fibrosis. They are only allowed to be six feet apart at all times so they don't make their sicknesses worse. Will has been to every hospital his mother has dragged him to to help him find a cure for the disease. He happens to arrive at the same hospital as Stella and they were drawn together.

This story was heartbreaking but so worth the read. I enjoyed the depth of these characters and I grew so attached to them. I loved each of their personalities, and there wasn't one character I hated in this book. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have this disease and not be able to get close to the one you love the most.

So no surprise, I rated this 5 out of 5 stars. Not only was the story beautiful, but so is this cover. I can't stop admiring it. If you're interested in reading this book, go for it. You won't be disappointed. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

~Abby

Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Hello everyone!
I recently finished reading Splintered by A.G. Howard after my sister begging me to do so. I was pleasantly surprised. I was waiting to write this review until I finished the series, but I wasn't in the mood for book 2. Splintered follows a girl named Alyssa who is the descendant of Alice who visited Wonderland. It tells her story of discovering her lineage and what really happened in Wonderland.

Firstly, I'd just like to say that my favorite parts of the book were once she entered Wonderland. I found the scenes in the "normal" world so dull and boring. I was so eager to enter Wonderland (which is why I couldn't get into book 2 - I still want to give it a try later though). I thought Wonderland was so whimsical and I enjoyed the darker aspects to it. It's described so differently to the Alice in Wonderland we think about. 

I honestly didn't really care for any of the characters, but I was hooked to the plot. It was so addicting, and A.G. Howard has a way with words. I discovered this in Roseblood. She describes things so well and comes up with intriguing plots that get you hooked from the get go.

Overall, I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. The reason I didn't rate it higher is because of the characters and how boring the first 4 chapters were for me. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story. I'm still intrigued enough to finish the rest of the series, but it probably won't happen any time soon.

Have you read this series? What did you think of it?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

Book Recommendations

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share some book recommendations with you all today. I love receiving book recommendations and wanted to give some of my own. I've narrowed it down to just 10 for today, I'm sure there will be more in the future.

Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans

I can't do a recommendation post without mentioning this amazing series. I was along for the ride since book 1 was released and it has a very dear place in my heart. I think everyone should give it a try. It follows Michael who discovers he has electrical powers. It heavily relies on friendship and takes you for a wild ride.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

So far there are only 7 books out, but there are supposed to be 9 in the series. It's about a girl named Sophie who discovers that she is an elf. It follows her journey of being swept up in the elvin world and learning who she really is. You won't want to put these books down, they are so addicting.

Roseblood by A.G. Howard

This is a Phantom of the Opera retelling with a supernatural twist, and it was fantastic! It was probably my favorite book I read last year. If you enjoy Phantom of the Opera, I highly suggest you check this book out. It's not for everyone, but it was so good.

The Martian by Andy Weir

This book was hilarious. Both the book and the movie are amazing and I don't prefer one over the other. I really enjoyed this story and it gripped me from page one. It was so interesting to see how he survived by himself on Mars. I highly recommend this book if you love science fiction or humorous books.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

If you have not read these books yet, what are you doing? Go pick them up right now! These are the books that got me into young adult fiction. How I describe it is it's like the bachelor but in a kingdom. Thirty-five girls are trying to win the love of the prince, but only one can become his bride. I loved this series and it takes no time at all to get through.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I loved these books. I still need to get around to reading War Storm, but I have loved this series so far. It's about a society that revolves around magic. If you have silver blood, you have powers and are above the people who have red blood who are supposed to not have any powers. Well, Mare has red blood so she shouldn't have any powers, but she does. It follows her journey of discovering her power and fighting to survive in the society.

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

This book series is a hidden gem. I flew through these books in a week and adored them. It's about faeries and how Laurel is introduced to that world. She is forced to face impossible decisions and it was so much fun to read. I highly recommend you check these books out.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

This trilogy was so addicting. I flew through all of these books. It has an interesting plot. These girls are chosen to become surrogates for the higher class, but then they choose to rebel. How they are being treated is not right. I loved the idea of the story and it was such an addicting read.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

This is a middle grade series that is about a magical preservation. Kendra and Seth are sent to their grandparents house for the summer, but little do they know that their grandparents run a secret magical preservation. The books follow their journey in this magical world and they were full of adventure. I loved reading these books so much.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

This book is such an adorable read. It takes place in Italy and is the perfect read with spring coming up. It's such a heart warming romance and you won't be disappointed when you read it.

What are the books you recommend to everyone?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby

February 2019 Wrap-Up

Hello everyone!

With February being the shortest month of the year, I was still able to read 6 books. 

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

⭐⭐⭐

Review here.

Just For You by Helen Steiner Rice

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

⭐⭐

For Teenage Girls With Wild Ambitions and Trembling Hearts by Clementine von Radics

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Honeybee by Naomi Shihab Nye

⭐⭐

Splintered by A.G. Howard
⭐⭐⭐⭐

What books did you read in February?

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

~Abby