amarisafloria

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle always ends up on my December TBR because I never get around to picking it up! My intentions are there, but I always forget about it because no one talks about it anymore.

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine is a high priority read because it's related to a project I'm working on for this blog! I don't want to give away too much since it's in the works, but you can probably figure it out if you track what I'm reading for these next couple of months.

I'm diving back into the magical world of Harry Potter, starting with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling because it's one of three I haven't re-read yet. I have a little bit more time this year, so I'm going to try and participate in Harry Christmas to You! I'm excited to re-watch the movies (my husband put the collection on our wedding registry and one of my friends, a fellow Harry Potter fan, gifted it to us!) and maybe even watch the musicals for the first time ☺️

I've left a lot of series hanging this year, so I need to start finishing them! Out of all the ones I'm in the middle of, I think I'm most likely to read Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han. I loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Love You so much, there's no doubt I'll love this series ender too.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl is part of another project/reading challenge that I'm getting a head start on. There are a ton of stories from Mr. Dahl's collection I haven't read yet—including Matilda (yes I heard you screaming from over here)—so I am going to try and read all of the ones I can find in 2019!


Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare // December 4th
I've only read City of Bones, the first book in this ever-growing world, but I wanted to share this anyway!

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton // December 4th
"For fans of television shows Black Mirror and Westworld, this compelling, mind-bending novel is a twisted look into the future, exploring the lengths we'll go to remake ourselves into the perfect human specimen and what it means to be human at all."

Sorry it took me so long to get this up! I was waiting for some of the books to come in from the library so I could take a picture 😅

Everybody, Always by Bob Goff // 2 stars
I read this (via audiobook) under the impression that Bob Goff wanted to share how knowing Jesus has impacted him to love people, but the entire thing felt like a "humble brag." Yes, he gave a lot of good examples of how he has shown love to those who don't deserve it, but he never directly talks about WHY. It's obvious he's a Christian, so I think it's okay to hold him to this standard. It seems like he wrote Everybody, Always as an encouragement to the general audience and not just Christians, but ... I don't know. I don't think you can call this a "Christian" book and not talk about the things that make you a Christian. He might talk a lot about what Jesus said, but none of it is stuff mentioned in the Bible? I'm still learning to read with discernment, so this whole thing might sound confusing. But I found this review that I agree with, so maybe it will help you too. (It is the only post I've read so I can't say I agree with the rest of his blog, but solely because I haven't looked at anything else.)

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab // 5 stars
This may be a middle grade but I think anyone, no matter your age, can read City of Ghosts and love it! I didn't take many notes while reading—and I do, in detail, with every book I read—so that can serve as proof for how immersive and good this book is. As an adult (yep, still strange to call myself one) there isn't too much of a mystery. It's easy to see where the story goes, but the atmosphere and journey of getting there is what makes it so enjoyable.



You by Caroline Kepnes // 3.5 stars
Considering the fact that this was a book written in a stalker's perspective, I was surprisingly not as creeped out as I thought I'd be. I felt pity more than disgust, which is probably what makes this story so interesting. We only know Beck, the love interest, through Joe's thoughts and observations, and those were definitely biased so we never get the full story. I think this is why I felt so detached. I wanted to know what was going on inside Beck's head, which is kind of ironic because "you," the reader, ARE Beck! You is a really twisted book, so approach cautiously. It was also too sexual for me (and I had no idea it would be) so that's something to take note of if you're considering this read.

The Art of Losing by Lizzy Mason // 5 stars
Yet another character-driven story that I absolutely loved. This is a book about sisters, family, more-than-just-second chances, and forgiveness. It captured addiction and explored relationships really well, with flawed characters but ones you will find yourself understanding deeply. The Art of Losing comes out on February 19, 2019 and I highly recommend picking up a copy! (This is where I write "review to come" but putting it out there might be the end of it lol. So ... we'll leave it at that!)

None Like Him by Jen Wilkin // 5 stars
EXCELLENT book on the attributes of God, how He is different from us humans, and why that's a good thing.


I also read everyone's a aliebn when ur a aliebn too by Jomny Sun, but I'll talk about that in a future Gettin' Graphic post! It's coming back, y'all!

I'm always looking through and editing my Goodreads shelves, trying to give myself reasons to talk about the books I've read. So I thought today, with the new year approaching very soon, would be a good time to share the series I've decided to stop reading.

It's time to move on to better things, says the girl who has SO MUCH TROUBLE putting that into practice. I hate the feeling of leaving a book unfinished. In 2015, I read a third of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, put it down, and picked it back up EIGHT MONTHS LATER. Just couldn't let it go, even though it initially put me in a reading slump.

I've learned to be pickier about the books I choose to read since I only have so much time in one day. My tastes have definitely changed since I started book blogging, and I've gotten to know myself and my preferences much better after trial and error.

Here are the nine series I've started but will not continue:


YOU SERIES BY CAROLINE KEPNES
The first book, You, stands strongly on its own, and I'm not invested enough in Joe's story to continue on.

THE TIME QUINTET BY MADELEINE L'ENGLE
I read A Wrinkle in Time back in March to prepare for its movie release (I shared some thoughts in my Books I Read in March post) and sadly didn't enjoy it like most people have. A lot of the hidden themes didn't make sense to me—I can't imagine how it would be for younger readers. Perhaps I just enjoy books that don't leave things open-ended? Also, I still haven't seen the movie ... 👀

THE REIGN OF SHADOWS DUOLOGY BY SOPHIE JORDAN
There wasn't anything I extremely disliked in Reign of Shadows, I just have no interest in following this story anymore. I feel this way about a lot of the books on this list—they're not downright dreadful, I just have many more better books to read.


THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER TRILOGY BY MEGAN SHEPHERD
I listened to the first book in this series and cringed the whole way through ... the narrator would make these raspy/growling voices, which added to the atmosphere but definitely gave me second-hand embarrassment. In addition, there were bad cases of insta-love, AND a love triangle. (I normally don't mind either, but only if they're done well.) I can't decide if it would've been different had I read the book instead, but either way I'm okay with leaving this series behind.

THE ARCANA CHRONICLES BY KRESLEY COLE
This is another series I started by listening to the first book, Poison Princess, and I felt the same way as I did while listening to The Madman's Daughter. I don't know how to describe these characters in a coherent way—all I can say is: I can't even. It might just be the way the narrators spoke, but even so I don't want to read on because the "romance" was bad. And I think paranormal isn't for me so I should probably stay away. This is why I no longer read fiction via audiobook, lol.

THE NIGHTSONG TRILOGY BY SOPHIE JAFF
Love is Red was the featured book during my internship at HarperCollins Publishers three years ago. We got to see the cover process, its publicity package, and even meet the author. It was an experience I'll always be grateful for, but still I did not like this book. It was poetic, and creepy, and fantastical, and thrilling—the list could go on and on. I have no problems with books that can be categorized under multiple genres (Ryan Graudin is the best at this!) but it felt more like she couldn't decide what to write.



A WICKED THING SERIES BY RHIANNON THOMAS
A Wicked Thing takes place right after the Sleeping Beauty we all know wakes up from true love's kiss. But what happens after? I'm all about fairy tale retellings (thank you, Disney) but the execution for this story was, I hate to say, disappointing. Not much happens because Aurora is locked up in her room most of the time, and the lack of action/plot made it dull.

THE MAZE RUNNER SERIES BY JAMES DASHNER
I read the first book in this series, The Maze Runner, a LONG time ago on recommendation from one of my college housemates who loved it way before the movie was even announced. It's just been too many years since I've been in that world, and now there are many more dystopian stories I'd rather pick up. I could probably be convinced to watch the rest of the movies (if you've seen them, please tell me if they're worth it or not) but I'm okay with not knowing what happens next. Maybe I'll look on Wikipedia if I get curious 😂

THE SALT & STORM DUOLOGY BY KENDALL KULPER
Salt & Storm is another book with details that escape me. (I did, however, read it four years ago so I don't feel too bad about that.) I know the story was somewhat interesting because I finished it, but it moved slowly so it was hard to get through. Like I mentioned earlier, my reading tastes have changed—or rather, I know the type of books I like now, so I'm okay skipping out on Drift & Dagger.