Book Review: Robin LaFevers' Grave Mercy

I recently read and talked about Robin LaFevers' Grave Mercy on the Minerva Magazine Boozy Book Club podcast.

If you'd like to listen to it, 

check it out here!

Beautiful Book Quotes

I've recently started dabbling in making original bookish graphics. Taking a couple of quotes that I love, I had fun creating some simple and cute images. Please feel free to share them on tumblr, pinterest, or instagram!

What do you think? Should I make more? Any quote requests?

Let me know in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a TTT. The last one I did was May of last year, where I recapped the covers that made me buy thebook. Today’s TTT called to me because it is kind of a no-brainer-- I have a 300+ TBR towering over me, both metaphorically and physically. I read by mood, so it’s hard for me to nail down a specific to-read list, but there are a few genres I’ve been wanting to tackle, especially because I set some 2016 reading goals that I still need to meet. All of the following books are books that I already own.

Let’s start with the classics. My book bucket list is brimming over with classic literature. During my undergrad days, I read a ton of classic lit and loved it. But once I graduated, I was burnt out and just wanted to turn my brain off, so I ended up reading them a lot less frequently. I will pick one up every now and then, but I don’t read them consistently, and I know I’m only cheating myself. This is why three of my ten Spring TBR choices are classics: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer, and Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman and Nancy Freedman. I figured I’m more likely to read them if they have a strong romance thread.

Next, I really want to knock some of the 2015 ARCs off my TBR. Last summer I acquired an obscene amount of ARCs from publishers and through giveaways, and now they are just sitting on my shelves, taunting me with their past pub dates jumping off their spines. I feel so guilty for not having read (or reviewed) them before they pubbed, so I’ll try to make amends by reading them now. The three that I’m going to read are Soundless by Richelle Mead, A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis, and Court of Fives by Kate Elliott. 

I’ve also acquired quite a bit of contemporary YA, even though I barely touch the genre; I generally like my YA to have magic and supernatural elements to it. That isn’t to say I absolutely NEVER read contemporary though—Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon and Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella are a couple of contemps. I’ve read recently. So here are the three contemporary YAs that I plan to read: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone, and Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly.

Lastly, I want to read some of the non-fiction I’ve been hoarding for years, always saying to myself “oh, I should really read that!” and then go pick up a YA fantasy novel instead. So my non-fic choice is Twyla Tharp’s The Creative Habit. It comes highly recommended to me by a friend. From what I understand, it’s sortof a self-help/psychology/art book combo that helps you sustain your creativity through ritual and organization. 

 

Will I get to all of these this spring? Eh, probably not. Like I said, I’m a mood reader. I have to really be in the mood for something in order to read it. I’ve never been able to stick to a book list before. But these are just ten of many books I hope to read this spring, and I give myself permission to stray away and read whatever my heart desires.

Which books did you choose for this week’s
Top Ten Tuesday?

Waiting on Wednesday: Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven King

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 

 

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4)

Maggie Stiefvater

Scholastic Press

Publication Date: April 26, 2016

 

Description:

Four private school boys. One psychic’s daughter. A Welsh legend sleeping under the mountains near a sleepy Virginia town.

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

 

I love this series. It's one of the only YA series I have kept up with since the first book pubbed. Though I was disappointed in the third book, I'm still so excited to see how it all shakes out.

Which books are you waiting on?