The ABC Book Challenge: The Sands of time!

We at it again with the ABC Book Challenge! We are getting closer and closer to the finish line and I’m excited to finish this out and start out new tags and challenges for the future.

On to the books!

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “S”:

Starfish

At one point this book was #1 book of all time and it is still a book I absolutely adore. However, it’s edged out by my original #1 The Giver simply because on a re-read I realized that some of the reasons I adored the book no longer apply. (Although, most of my reasons are still sound.. I’d recommend this book to anyone and everyone). Either way, I’ll shout out my love of this book off rooftops. I adore it to the end!

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Kerri has such amazing writing and I am so invested in Audrey’s story! I just got to start Escaping from Houdini and the writing has only gotten better! I love these books!

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “S”:

Six of Crows

“Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times–bestselling Six of Crows.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.  

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo returns to the breathtaking world of the Grishaverse in this unforgettable tale about the opportunity—and the adventure—of a lifetime”

A beloved book that I’m lucky enough to have been gifted on my shelves. I am excited to read it someday soon!

Stitching Snow

“Princess Snow is missing. Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all. Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines. When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. In her enthralling debut, R.C. Lewis weaves the tale of a princess on the run from painful secrets . . . and a poisonous queen. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.”

I saw this book in a thrift store and had to pick it up! It looks like an awesome Sci-fi retelling!

Thank you all for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

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-Till next time!

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The ABC Book Challenge: Making it golden

I bet the lot of you didn’t expect me to keep this going after not doing one of these in months, but once I make a promise to do something I keep it. I’m getting through this challenge.. one way or another.

On to the books!

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “M”:

Magic with Skin On

“In her much-anticipated debut poetry collection, Morgan Nikola-Wren has woven her signature romantic grit through a stunning, modern-day fairy tale. Chronicling the relationship between a lonely artist and her absent–albeit abusive–muse, Magic with Skin On will gently break you, then put you back together again.”

This was a magical poetry collection. It was really fun to read and had some beautiful and unique poems. I was so happy for the chance to read it!

Milk and Honey

“Rupi Kaur’s milk and honey, is a New York Times bestselling collection of poetry and prose about survival, the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.

The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes listeners through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them—because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.”

The highly popular Milk and Honey is another really great poetry collection. I enjoyed the artistic nature of it most.

Books I’d Love to Read Starting with the Letter “M”:

Missing, Presumed Dead

“When eighteen-year-old Lexi foresees the brutal murder of a young woman outside a club in downtown L.A., she is powerless to stop it.

But then the girl’s ghost appears, seeking vengeance, and Lexi is swept into a dangerous search that could put her directly in the path of a serial killer. From the author of Devils Unto Dust, this fast-paced and literary thriller will haunt fans of Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious and Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying.  

With a touch, Lexi can sense how and when someone will die. Some say it’s a gift. But to Lexi it’s a curse—one that keeps her friendless and alone. All that changes when Lexi foresees the violent death of a young woman, Jane, outside a club.

Jane doesn’t go to the afterlife quietly. Her ghost remains behind, determined to hunt down her murderer, and she needs Lexi’s help. In life, Jane was everything Lexi is not—outgoing, happy, popular. But in death, all Jane wants is revenge.

Lexi will do anything to help Jane, to make up for the fact that she didn’t—couldn’t—save Jane’s life, and to keep this beautiful ghost of a girl by her side for as long as possible.

Emma Berquist’s second novel is a haunting and atmospheric murder mystery that tackles themes of depression, loneliness, love, and identity. This high-concept novel is for fans of Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series.”

Paranormal criminal investigation? Count me in!

Meat Market

“Jana Novak’s history sounds like a classic model cliché: tall and gangly, she’s uncomfortable with her androgynous looks until she’s unexpectedly scouted and catapulted to superstardom.

But the fashion industry is as grimy as it is glamorous. And there are unexpected predators at every turn.

Jana is an ordinary girl from a south London estate, lifted to unimaginable heights. But the further you rise, the more devastating your fall …

Honest and raw, this is a timely exposé of the dark underbelly of the fashion industry in an era of #TimesUp and #MeToo. It might just be Juno Dawson’s most important book yet.

‘Juno Dawson slashes through the glamour of the fashion industry … combining blockbuster appeal with piercing commentary on modelling, body image and consent’ Observer”

Honestly in this for the cover… but the story itself sounds so unique and unlike anything I’ve read before.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!

The ABC Book Challenge: you must be Joking!

You know I’m back from my sort of hiatus when this challenge comes out for a swing. It’s back to the regularly scheduled programming. Welcome back to the ABC Book Challenge!

Memorable Books that Start with the Letter “J”:

Jane Eyre

“Fiery love, shocking twists of fate, and tragic mysteries put a lonely governess in jeopardy in JANE EYRE

Orphaned as a child, Jane has felt an outcast her whole young life. Her courage is tested once again when she arrives at Thornfield Hall, where she has been hired by the brooding, proud Edward Rochester to care for his ward Adèle. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit. She falls in love. Hard.

But there is a terrifying secret inside the gloomy, forbidding Thornfield Hall. Is Rochester hiding from Jane? Will Jane be left heartbroken and exiled once again?”

One of my all time favorite classics Jane Eyre of course is one of the most memorable reads of my life. I read it as an audiobook and it is the only audiobook I’ve ever read.. and it was so good! I love everything about Jane Eyre!

Just One of the Boys

“Alice Bell has one goal: to play for the elite junior hockey team the Chicago Falcons. But when she’s passed over at tryouts for being a girl, she’ll do anything to make her dream a reality…even disguising herself as her twin brother. With her amazing skills on the ice, Alice is sure she’ll fit in easily. That is, until she starts falling for one of her teammates…

Hayden Tremblay, star of the Falcons, can’t keep himself out of the penalty box. Constantly living in the shadow of his older brother, Hayden’s losing his passion for hockey. But when he gets shown up on the ice by the Falcons’ new rookie, Hayden’s determined to teach the kid a thing or two. Little does he guess that “Al’s” surprises on the ice are just the beginning…”

This book made my heart all fuzzy and warm. I read it because I think I’ve always wanted that romance on the ice (one of the places where I’ve felt the most free and beautiful). I’ve always loved figure skating romance movies and the girl who skated who skated for almost 5 years sometimes wishes she could go back and feel that kind of freedom again.

Books on my TBR that Start with the Letter “J”:

Jane Steele

“Reader, I murdered him.

A Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre.

Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked – but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors.

A fugitive navigating London’s underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate’s true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household’s strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him – body, soul and secrets – and what if he discovers her murderous past?”

Well, well, well, if it isn’t a rendition of my most memorable read with the letter “J”. A really awesome one that I’m really mad that I own and haven’t read yet. Plus it has one of the most awesome covers ever!

Jane

“Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there’s a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane’s much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.”

Ohh.. wow. Could this be another Jane Eyre retelling that I own and haven’t read yet? Why yes indeed! Can you all see my problem? I need help. I also need more Jane Eyre retellings to add to my collection cough cough *brightly burning* cough. I swear I’m going to read the two I have. I swear it!

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below. Let me know if your doing this challenge and if so what letter you are on? I don’t know why I love this challenge so much, but I do!

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-Till next time!

The ABC Book Challenge: ohh it’s Delightful

I haven’t forgotten about this challenge. I am just going to steadily move along with it until the very end. The letter of the day is “D” and there are some wonderful books beginning with this letter that I have a lot of love for.

Memorable Books that Start with “D”:

Dorthy Must Die

I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado – taking you with it – you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I’ve read the books. I’ve seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can’t be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There’s still a yellow brick road – but even that’s crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm – and I’m the other girl from Kansas.

I’ve been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I’ve been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

I loved this book with everything in me when I first got to read it. Dorthy being the evil and having a pink haired heroine go after her was so awesome. Oddly dark, but a whole lot of fun. I would definitely recommend this book.

Deep Blue

Serafina, daughter of Isabella, Queen of Miromara, has been raised with the expectation – and burden – that she will someday become ruler of the oldest civilization of the merfolk. On the eve of the Dokimí ceremony, which will determine if she is worthy of the crown, Sera is haunted by a strange dream that foretells the return of an ancient evil. But her nightmare is forgotten the next day as she diligently practices her songspell; eagerly anticipates a reunion with her best friend, Neela; and anxiously worries about Mahdi, the crown prince of Matali, and whether his feelings toward her and their future betrothal have changed. Most of all, she worries about not living up to her mother’s hopes.

The Dokimí proceeds, a dazzling display of majesty and might, until a shocking turn of events interrupts it: an assassin’s arrow wounds Isabella. The realm falls into chaos, and Serafina’s darkest premonitions are confirmed. Now she and Neela must embark on a quest to find the assassin’s master and prevent a war between the mer nations. Their search will lead them to other mermaid heriones scattered across the six seas. Together they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world’s very existence.

Deep Blue is the book that made me realize that Mermaid books could be something so much more. Fully underwater it tells the tale of adventure and friendship you didn’t know you needed.

Books I Wish to Read Starting with the Letter “D”:

Daughter of the Pirate King

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

This book has a premise that is one of my not-so-guilty pleasures! I would be so happy to one day pick this book up. It sounds amazing!

Dance of Thieves

A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty’s resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

I will never deny the pull of a gorgeous cover. I’ve heard good things about this author and it’s a brand new fantasy so I’m ready for it!

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!