THE List: Books That Blew My Mind in 2017

It's a quick list because I'm spending some quality time with the boy before he heads off to his dad's for New Years, but I have to share. I sifted these babies into some general categories that are completely arbitrary. Bottom line: these are great books.

Books I Want to Give to Everyone
Hunger by Roxane Gay
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Biggest Tear-Jerkers
The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans

Auto-Buy
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (and everything else by) N.K. Jemisin

Awesome "Experimental" Novel by a White Dude (and I don't usually like these)
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

HOTTEST, Funnest Romance
Beard Science (Winston Brothers #3) by Penny Reid

Most Surprising Comics
Afterlife with Archie

Short Stories + Campus Life
Bobcat and Other Stories by Rebecca Lee

Favorites I Read With My Son
Super Rabbit Boy by Thomas Flintham
The Loser's Club buy Andrew Clements

I can't wait to see your faves of the year! Don't forget to check out my wonderful cohosts: Tamara, Kim, and Tanya Patrice!

#AMonthofFaves2016: Badass Books I Loved in 2016

Today's #AMonthofFaves prompt:

#AMonthofFaves {The Reading Year} - reading stats etc. / Top 10 Books that Blew My Mind in 2016

When I think back on the year, it doesn't stand out as a great reading year. However, like so many things tainted with negativity, that negativity can seep in and take over, blotting out the good stuff. Such was the case as I looked back over my books read in 2016. There was never any way of narrowing it down to 10 overall favorites, so here we have my badass 2016 reading by category.

Voila! Thank you, 2016, for not sucking completely.

Visit GirlXOXO.com and TravelingWithT.com for my cohosts' faves! <3 nbsp="" p="">

Badass Fiction

Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt for beautiful atmosphere and endearing characters.
The Unfinished World: Stories by Amber Sparks for gorgeous weirdness.
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud for its rage.
The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales for women kicking ass.
13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad for nuance and a sense of the familiar.
Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron for brutal honesty and truly memorable characters.
The Book of Unknown Americans by Christina Henriquez for inciting empathy. I want to give this to EVERYONE.
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett for practical magic and a heroine I want to be.

Badass Comics and Graphic Novels 

Aya by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie for charm and wit and a look at Africa that avoids stereotypes.
Something New by Lucy Knisley for taking the topic of marriage, weddings, and DIY and expanding it to something so quirky, and charming, and meaningful. For tackling the big topics along with the obvious ones.
Captain Marvel Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez for a badass superhero with a sense of humor.

Badass Non-Fiction

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin for surprising me and pissing me off.
Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley for helping me believe I could run.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling for making me laugh, making me love and admire Kaling even more.
When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams for a close look at silence and an examination of voice that I really needed to read.

The Badass Classic

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham for making me cry despite its problems.

Badass YA

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson for being a book I wanted to hug.
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero for an outspoken, fierce heroine....even though she doubted herself.
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo for grabbing me immediately. And the Darkling.

And the inevitable problem of making these lists before the end of the year: I'm still reading. In fact, I'm in the middle of Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson and Terry Pratchett's final book, The Shepherd's Crown. There's a high probability that both of those books belong on this list.

What were your faves?

#AMonthofFaves2016: Popular Books Worth the Hype

The year started off with a bang, but my reading has been nearly nil since August. I blame it on the election, thankyouverymuch. Looking back at my books read this year there are a lot of winners. Thank goodness this prompt didn't ask specifically for books that are popular NOW.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I REALLY struggled with this in print, but it was just the fast-pasted escapism I needed on audio.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang. So weird, so good, so much to ponder and discuss.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I need to re-read this quarterly.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. This is an audiobook winner from the April Readathon. Kaling's self-deprecating humor is just so good. I want to be her friend.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez. I literally want to give this to all my neighbors in hopes of growing some extra empathy in my town.

Check out Tamara and Tanya Patrice's faves, too! Link your own post down below!

 

Summer Favorites: Outdoors, Makeup, and Stuff

I need a fun post; how about you? Here are a few things I'm loving right now because...summer.

Since we've taken up kayaking, David and I are both using the No Limits Waterproof Phone Cases we bought from Academy. I had my doubts about these actually being waterproof, but they really work. There are several levels of "locking" mechanisms to keep the water out, and you can still use your touch screen and take pictures through the case. Best part? They were only $6.99.

I am in looooove with my Lane Bryant Livi Active Molded Underwire Sport Bras! You'll have to follow the link to those because, as it turns out, I'm not a very good bra photographer. I have two of these, and they are life changing. I've actually abandoned my regular bras for these because they're so comfy, and I don't mind the edges peeking out from under summer tanks. They look a little pricy at $44ish a pop, but for a really quality sport bra with lots of control, that's pretty average. If you're still not sold, Lane Bryant has regular buy one, get one 1/2 off sales and significant coupons. I managed to get two of these, three pairs of workout pants, and two workout tops for the cost of one bra with a sale plus a $25 off $75 coupon a while back. 

I'm all about skincare, and I have extremely dry skin, so even summer is about staying hydrated for me. After I've showered and washed my face after my workout in the mornings, I like to cleanse with my Clean and Clear face wash for sensitive skin, and a couple of times a week I'll slather on the Peter Thomas Roth Blue Marine Algae Intense Hydrating Mask. This is a really light, clear-on-the-face gel formula that feels fresh and cooling. It only stays on for five minutes or so and then give it a rinse. It makes my skin feel so good.

I got this mask in a Sephora Favorites Quench Your Skin set (no longer available but they usually have similar sets online), and while I haven't decided if I'll purchase a full size, I did look it up and it costs $52 for 5oz. That really is a fairly spectacular deal since a little of this product goes a long way. I'm pretty sure it would take the better part of a year or more of regular use to use a full 5oz.

I don't wear makeup nearly as much as I used to because I don't leave the house as often since I work from home. I still love makeup, for sure, but I don't feel compelled to put it on every day when I'm hanging out at home. However, I do wear makeup most nights that I teach, and I have a new favorite foundation combination.

I like my It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ cream with SPF 50, but it's a touch too light for me right now. I've been mixing a half pump with a half pump of the Too Faced Born This Way foundation in the "nude" shade on the back of my hand. I dot it onto my face and blend it in with a damp sponge, and it gives the most gorgeous, natural medium coverage. It looks really healthy and fresh for summer. No cakey heaviness here.

When I first started using Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, which seems to be a beauty fave on YouTube, I really didn't get the hype, but this summer has turned my opinion around. This is a plain lip balm with SPF 15, and the $24 price tag is steep for a lip balm (note: I'm using a sample tube that came with a Sephora order). Why do I enjoy it now? It has good staying power, I love the citrus scent, and it doesn't put a taste of sunscreen in my mouth. It has really come in handy while spending time outside in the blistering Texas heat. My lips would stay chapped, parched, and flaky without this stuff. I've also tried the Rosé version which is lightly tinted and like it, too.

Ten Books I Loved Five Years Ago (and Still Do)

A freebie day! A freebie day! Today's Top Ten Tuesday is our choice, and as I started pondering I thought to myself, "But what about all those books that I read years ago that I still adore but forgot about? Don't give enough love anymore? Don't shove into people's hands and onto their library request lists enough?"

Well ding-dong, I went back five years to cull a list of books I loved that still deserve your attention. Straight from 2011...

Sugar in My Bowl: Real Women Write About Real Sex by Erica Jong

First, let's just get this right out of the way -- it's not sensational, it's not grodey (much), it's thoughtful, provocative essays, short stories, and there's even an illustrated comic and dramatic dialogey thing thrown in (waves at Eve Ensler). If sex makes you uncomfortable, you may squirm a little (lot) reading it, and if you're not uncomfortable, it might still make you squirm from time to time. But it'll also make you think, ponder, and take a minute to reflect on your own experiences, attitudes, and how they came to be what they are.

Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

Set in Athens, Henry is a genius, drunkard, American, in love with Rebecca. Rebecca is a French ex-flight attendant, artist, in love with Henry. Henry is a British archaeologist, hottie, tortured soul. They're all tortured souls in some way-- haunted by death, betrayal, and crappy family. They find each other in a twisted love triangle heightened by the unlikely friendship that grows between George and Henry. Going into this novel, and from reading the blurbs, I really thought it would be about the love triangle. And that's not new! But it really isn't so much. A REALLY BIG EVENT changes the trajectory of this novel in a big, big way. All of a sudden it was no longer about a triangle, and it morphed into more of a story of triumph and overcoming grief and insurmountable psychological trauma.

You Know When the Men Are Gone: Stories by Siobhan Fallon

You Know When the Men Are Gone is a collection of interrelated short stories about military families and the struggles that come along with service and deployment. Set in Killeen, TX (a few hours from where I live in Texas), the stories explore multiple facets of the military life. Some of the stories deal with the soldiers' feelings in combat, their longing for a normal life at home, and the struggles their wives and families experience stateside, waiting. Other stories tackle the problems soldiers encounter accepting a civilian life and a return to "normal." There's fidelity and infidelity, heartbreak, disappointment, triumph -- and inevitably -- death.

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory

The stories are short. Some are less than a page long while others max out between five and ten pages. The characters are vague with names like "A boy" or "A girl." While the characters are Everyman and Everywoman, the stories are anything but bland or nondescript. They're crazy, odd, gross, troubling, affecting, sad, joyful, stunning. Given the average length of the story, I would venture to guess there are nearly 50 stories in this book. I don't have it with me or I'd start counting. It's a huge number, though, in comparison to run-of-the-mill story collections.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

This is the story of the Ayres family and their formerly palatial estate, Hundreds Hall. England is changing as the middle class is no longer interested in being servants, tracks of homes are popping up everywhere, and the Gentry can't afford their way of lives any longer. Told by family friend, Dr. Faraday, it's really a novel about the Ayres family's undoing. Are they haunted by the disintegration of the upper crust or is the book's "little stranger" a real ghost?

Sherry and Narcotics by Nina-Marie Gardner

Gardner's strength is in writing the addict's life and conveying it as perfectly normal. At first, as I was reading through Mary's adventures with wine, I thought she was probably drinking a bit much, but she seemed to keep it indoors and function pretty well. But by the end of this book, she's a sad sack. She wears rose-colored (wine-colored?) glasses throughout her relationship with the poet and leaves the reader wondering how in heckfire she ever thought THIS and THAT were good ideas! I'll say it again -- train wreck!

Little Black Book of Stories by A.S. Byatt

Keep in mind that the tales aren't really overtly scary so much as twisty, and some of them are delightful, and one or two are a gruesome in parts. It's a mixed bag, and every story truly kept me guessing. Byatt has some wily tricks up her sleeve, and I was never, ever bored. I was never unfulfilled. Each one of these short story gems was perfectly formed on its own -- none of this wishing for a novel business!

Atonement by Ian McEwan

What I love most about McEwan's writing, this novel and On Chesil Beach, is his grasp of the intangible. He manages to put thoughts, emotions, and nuance into words in such a way that it takes my breath away. There were times reading Atonement that I literally caught myself holding my breath because the words on the page were so effortlessly effective. So evocative of the characters' internal lives. The atmosphere and expectations in this book just soar!

My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

A favorite passage from this book about Conroy's life as a reader: "Here is what I want from a  book, what I demand, what I pray for when I take up a novel and begin to read the first sentence: I want everything and nothing less, the full measure of a writer's heart. I want a novel so poetic that I do not have to turn to the standby anthologies of poetry to satisfy that itch for music, for perfection and economy of phrasing, for exactness of tone. Then, too, I want a book so filled with story and character that I read page after page without thinking of food and drink, because a writer has possessed me, crazed me with an unappeasable thirst to know what happens next. Again, I know that story is suspect in the high precincts of American fiction, but only because it brings entertainment and pleasure, the same responses that have always driven puritanical spirits at the dinner table wild when the talk turns to sexual intercourse and incontinence."

The Birth of Love by Joanna Kavenna

The Birth of Love is a good book because the time periods are varied but cohesive, the experiences seem honest, and the writing is fabulous. There's something for the historical fiction lovers, the sf crowd, and those who just love a great book. Everything seemed nicely integrated and expertly planned. All the pieces fit, and letting them unfold was a joyous reading experience.

What are some of your favorite books from years ago? It's way too easy for these gems to fall off the map!

#AMonthofFaves: Favorite Books of 2015

It's time! It's time for favorite books of 2015! I split these into fiction, non, and comics. And away we go....

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel was the first book I read in 2015, and it's stuck with me.

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay was brutal, challenging, and rewarding.

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain was a delight.

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz grabbed me by the hair.

The Shore by Sara Taylor is the best mish-mash of story and novel.

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King was disturbing and engrossing.

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett made me feel like a kid, and it made me cry...a lot.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates should be required reading.

The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson humbled me.

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine made me happy and ashamed and careful. It's also hard to categorize since it's fiction, non, and a variety of forms all wrapped up into one.

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso inspired me to follow my happiness in the workplace.

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman opened my mind to lots of things I just didn't know.

Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro fired me up, and Kelly Sue DeConnick MADE comics for me this year.

Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios blew me over with its mythical feel and became an all-time fave.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson pushes boundaries in the most delightful ways, and it's damn beautiful.  
What were your favorite books this year? Check out Girlxoxo.com and TravelingWithT.com to see what my cohostesses are loving! 

#AMonthofFaves: Blogging Tech Essentials

Today is an especially exciting #AMonthofFaves topic for me because I really feel like I've found my blogging stride this year when it comes to tech essentials and planning. We're talking about essential computer programs, browser plugins, websites that rock for blogging, etc.! Feeling more organized has really stoked my creativity...especially in the latter part of the year. 

See what Tanya Patrice at Girlxoxo.com and Tamara from TravelingWithT.com came up with! Tanya Patrice is especially adept at this particular topic!

In fact, let's kick this post off with a specific shout out to Tanya Patrice for her post, "How to Use Evernote as a Blogging Editorial Calendar!" Evernote has seriously changed my blogging life and my organizationalness (word). I've tried several digital platforms for organization in the past with no luck, but I'm really terrible at that first step....the setting up of all the things. I have a hard time envisioning what format will work best for me, so I followed Tanya Patrice's steps for setting up a blog editorial calendar and quite simply, I LOVE IT. 

I've long used Blogger drafts to see a view of my future blogging, but this gives a much better bird's eye view. I also really like Evernote's web interface (way better than the actual program on my computer), and I find that I keep it open at work for my daily to-do list all the time. I've also started using it to:

• Keep up with my Christmas buying this year  
• Track posts from other bloggers that I want to re-visit or shout out
• Catalog social media resources I want to read

Which leads to my next favorite...

Evernote has a Chrome browser extension called Web Clipper! It's a handy little button that lets you send bookmarks, articles, screenshots, email trails and other items straight to Evernote. You can easily pop them into existing notes and notebooks and you can even tag them!

When it comes to blog graphics, PicMonkey was all the rage for a long time. I loved it, too! But now that I've found Canva I may never go back. I especially love Canva for it's easy user interface and it's pre-sized graphic templates. I use the "social media" square graphic the most for event buttons and Instagram promotion. They do have a limited amount of free elements, and I've gotten by on those so far because you can also upload your own images to use in the graphics you create. 

A while back I was looking for an easy-to-use, high quality stock photography site, and Allison from The Book Wheel, mentioned Pexels.com! I had never heard of it, but I could not be more pleased with the quality of their free photos. Great range of subjects and beautiful shots. 

Finally, I have a confession to make. I've given up Hootsuite. Maybe it's because I use it every day for work, but I got super sick of looking at ALL THE THINGS. Column upon column. I do my daily tweeting and interacting from within Twitter.com itself (what a concept!), but I still like to schedule out some of my posts...especially if there's an event going on. Buffer.com allows me to set up specific time slots and posts into it, Buffer will analyze my Twitter use to create a timeline of busy times, or I can schedule posts to go up at specific times. Or a combination of all of those! Options!  I can integrate Twitter and Facebook and I can gather analytics. That's really all I want to do. I also have the Readathon accounts integrated into it because it's super helpful during those specific event seasons to keep the social action going around the clock.

Can't wait to see what you guys have to recommend on this topic!

#30 Authors: Sara Taylor on FATES AND FURIES

Hello one and all, and welcome to the second day of #30Authors! You may remember that I reviewed Sara Taylor's The Shore not too long ago, and that book quickly shot to the top of my "favorites of 2015" list. Likewise, I've loved Lauren Groff's books in the past, so today's post is a magical combination for me.

ABOUT THE EVENT:

#30Authors is an annual event connecting readers, authors, and bloggers. Throughout the month of September, 30 authors review their favorite books on 30 blogs in 30 days. The event has been met with incredible support from and success within the literary community. In the six months following the event’s inaugural launch, the concept was published as an anthology by Velvet Morning Press (Legacy: An Anthology). Started by The Book Wheel, #30Authors remains active throughout the year and you can join in the fun by following along on Twitter at @30Authors, using the hashtag, #30Authors, or purchasing the anthology. To learn more about the event and to see the full schedule, please click here.

 

SARA TAYLOR RECOMMENDS:

A few years ago I read Lauren Groff’s Arcadia, and then cried for several days because it is the most devastating novel that I’ve ever not been able to put down. So when I got a copy of Fates and Furies I was almost frightened to pick it up, figuring that a writer with the power to make me bawl my eyes out would use it as often as possible. Happily for me, though sad things do happen they are more a necessary seasoning than the main ingredient.

Fates and Furies is a novel about a marriage – a marriage that appears to outside observers to be almost too perfect. Lotto proposes to Mathilde the first time he sees her, at a college party in the early 1990s. They elope a week later, at the age of twenty-two and on the cusp of graduating and beginning their adult lives. They move together through the challenges of youth into a middle age marked by comfort and approbation as thought fated to do so – or is it fate?

The novel is written in the third person but the first half follows Lotto closely, sinking often into his psyche so that the reader can gather his impressions of his friends, his work, and his wife, and build what feels like a complete picture of his life with Mathilde. Then, in a reversal reminiscent of Gone Girl, the second half of the novel brings to light all those things that Lotto could not see, all of the secrets that he did not know about, and all of the things that people have hidden from him to protect him or themselves. And it isn’t only Lotto who has failed to spot what was being kept from him: almost every character in this novel has a secret that will come to light before the last page.

Though I couldn’t guess where the book was going and what the twists would be – something that I like in my books – the mythic allusions might give an alert reader an inkling of what to expect. Lotto’s work in the theater often draws on classical narratives and elements, which he tends to alter to suit himself, and the novel as a whole is studded with asides and digressions made by an omniscient voice that is reminiscent of the chorus used in ancient Greek theater, a voice that the reader can trust and that provides a gentle counterpoint to the often close focus of the main narrative.

Over all, Fates and Furies is more than just a vehicle for a neat midpoint twist, or even a clever series of reversals. The story gains depth proportionate to its length, so that the first chapter is like stepping into a shallow pool and the last is like dropping naked into the ocean, with the weight of all the chapters before stretching darkly beneath. The last chapter also brings with it a sense of an ending, a feeling of closure that seems to have gone out of fashion in novels, but which I find still to be the most satisfying thing in the world.

Sara Taylor’s debut novel The Shore was longlisted for the Women’s Prize. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of East Anglia in England, where she researches censorship, writes fiction, and is occasionally entrusted with the teaching of undergraduates. The Shore was published by assorted imprints of Random House in 2015.

You can find Sara at her blog or learn more about her book at Goodreads.

Thank you SO much to Sara Taylor for her fantastic review and to Allison from The Book Wheel for organizing this event once again!

Entry-Form

The Power of THE SHORE

I like books that are willing to deliver a gut punch. That push the boundaries of storytelling in some way. That "go there" when other books might choose not to. When other authors might choose to shy away. 

I felt like Sara Taylor "went for it" in The Shore in so many ways. 

This book might make a point of pronouncing itself a novel on the cover, but those of us who like short stories will certainly rejoice because each chapter can stand on its own. Put them together and the whole is strengthened. Set on a group of islands off the coast of Virginia, the setting is very much a character. These people are defined by their home...another trope I love.

This is also a book about women. Strong ones. Women who struggle against addiction, abuse, brutality, the wilderness, and at times, their own inclinations and desires. 

Goodreads lays it out a little better than I am...

Sanctuary to some but nightmare to others, it's a place they've inhabited, fled, and returned to for hundreds of years. From a half-Shawnee Indian's bold choice to flee an abusive home only to find herself with a man who will one day try to kill her--to a brave young girl's determination to protect her younger sister as methamphetamine ravages their family, to a lesson in summoning storm clouds to help end a drought...

There's just so much going for this book. Beautiful writing, a little magical realism thrown into the mix, and a fearlessness in the narrative choices. The first and last chapters were especially impactful, though I know the final one left some people scratching their heads or contemplating why it was included at all. I won't say more than that, but I can assure you that I loved this book from beginning to end. 

Published May 2015
Hogarth
0553417738 
E-book
Bought it myself!

It's Monday! Back to Books

Since my last update, I've managed to clear my head a bit, mostly by reading great books and coloring. Not to mention some time in the pool and some great food. But right now...just the books.

I rarely re-read, but for some reason The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman was calling to me last week. I took three evenings to read it which is fairly slow since this is one of those gobble-up-the-goodness type books. I originally read it in one sitting when it first came out, but it was so nice to revisit this favorite with a little more eye toward the detail. It was just as good, if not better, upon re-reading. Just as magical and tearful as the first time. 

Next up was The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips. Try typing Beautiful Bureaucrat a couple of times, and tell me how difficult that is. My fingers want no part of it. I'm glad to report that it was much easier to read than it is to type. This mysterious, haunting, experimental novella was a fun one. Another book that could've been enjoyed in one gulp. 

Finally, an instantaneous favorite. Pretty Deadly Volume 1: The Shrike by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios was simply glorious. I've heard plenty of people say that this is one of the finest comics around, and I'm just sorry I waited this long to read it. Part western, part myth, part folktale, it's pitch perfect. I'll have to write a full review if I'm going to get this gushing out of my system, but just to give you a little peek...it's about death's vengeful daughter. Hell yeah!

What are your favorite reads lately? 

#AMonthofFaves: 5 Books That Deserve the Hype

Sometimes it's good to go back and refresh our memories about books we've loved. In the case of today's post, I went back into my Goodreads history by 20-some-odd pages to find some of those hyped books that I really think deserve their accolades and enduring good reviews. In fact, I almost chose ten because I got so swept away!

Don't forget to link up your own posts down below!

Starting with fiction, I resisted Where'd You Go, Bernadette? for ages! I just thought there was no way this seemingly chick-litish runaway hit could satisfy me, but sometimes I love being wrong. It was sharp, witty and full of charm. I'd even re-read it! 

Every RIP season you'll see The Bloody Chamber begin to pop up all over the interwebs. As a feminist fantasy classic, and a darn creepy read, it's only right. This little collection of fairy tale retellings and reimaginings is superb. Amazing writing, great thematic connections, and just a whole lotta perfection. 

I'm pretty much convinced Jhumpa Lahiri can do no wrong, and Interpreter of Maladies, a collection of short stories, has a lot to do with my feeling that way. These immigrant tales and stories of stilted communication are pitch perfect. 

And I couldn't forget two of my all-time favorite non-fiction books. 

The Year of Magical Thinking will stomp on your heart. Didion tells of her husband's passing and the ensuing grief with such vivid, raw emotion. I read this one in a day and cried buckets. 

Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain, is all it's cracked up to be. Brash, brazen, pissed off at the world and terribly knowledeable about food and the restaurant industry, this memoir really blew the top off. While Tony has mellowed in his later years, and continues to write smart, searing work about food and travel, this is still a great place to start. 

Book Discussion! A Favorite Video Review

Morning, y'all! Today's another you-pick-it adventure...a review or discussion of your choice! Don't forget to link up down below!

You may remember that once upon a time, I was very enthusiastic about not only blogging, but also vlogging! I'm a big proponent of BookTube and ran my own channel, but sadly, I haven't made a video in about two months. As my reading got slumpier and as my grading load got heavier in recent months, I had to let something go, and BookTube was one of the easier things to let slide because it takes time to make videos, of course.

Looking back on the experience thus far, because I really don't consider it finished, a few greatest moments come to mind. In particular, video reviews I'm really proud of. At the tippy top of that list is a video review of The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. I have a feeling I'll jump back into BookTube when a book makes me feel like this book made me feel. It takes inspiration to crank out a really satisfying review, whether it's written or on video.




Which reviews are you proud of whether they're written or documented in some other way? 

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

THIS BOOK THIS BOOK THIS BOOK! I read it over the course of a week when it should not have taken that long because I was savoring it. Drawing it out. Sucking it down one little slurp at a time. 

If there is a perfect "beach read" this is it, though it's SO much more than the stereotype. 

The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by a beautiful, ruthless pirate. He will be spared, Mad Hannah Mabbot tells him, as long as he can conjure an exquisite meal every Sunday from the ship’s meager supplies. While Wedgwood attempts to satisfy his captor with feats such as tea-smoked eel and pineapple-banana cider, he realizes that Mabbot herself is under siege. Hunted by a deadly privateer and plagued by a saboteur, she pushes her crew past exhaustion in her search for the notorious Brass Fox. But there is a method to Mabbot’s madness, and as the Flying Rose races across the ocean, Wedgwood learns to rely on the bizarre crew members he once feared: a formidable giant who loves to knit; a pair of stoic martial arts masters, sworn to defend their captain; and the ship’s deaf cabin boy, who becomes the son he never had. (publisher blurb)

SO, what is more magical in the summertime than a book about sassy lady pirates with red flowing locks, attitude and awesomeness? What's more...FOOD! On a boat! With meager provisions! And a morally upright chef who happens to be her capture (captee? capturee?). RIGHT-O! 

I really am sorry about all the caps in this post, but this book knocked me flat with its goodness. The writing is rich, layered and atmospheric. The story is full of adventure and swashbuckling and interesting characters who are much deeper than they appear on the surface. Much like the roiling depths of the ocean!

This made me giggle, raise my eyebrows, I full-on guffawed, and I even got a might teary at the end. It's just so good! If you need an involving, fun read, this is the one. DO IT! I got my copy for a steep discount from BookOutlet.com. You should check and see if they still have some!


Pub. Date: June 2013
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Format: Hardcover (and I never read those)
ISBN: 0374123667
Source: Bought it!

Top Ten Authors of Whose Books I Own the Most

How's that for an awkward title? There's just no good way to say it! Anywho, I've admitted here before that I'm terrible at reading multiple books by one author. Or I used to be. I've improved dramatically over the last few years. So which authors own my shelves? These right here!

Hosted by the lovely ladies of The Broke and the Bookish!

Paul Auster is, by far, the king of my shelves. My love affair with this Postmodern papa began with his memoir, Hand To Mouth: A Chronicle of Early Failure and skated right on through to The New York Trilogy, Man in the Dark, Oracle Night and others. He's incredibly prolific, so I still have lots of books to go!

Siri Hustvedt, Paul Auster's wife, is also quite voluminous on my shelves. I think I own all of her books except one. Two of my favorites are What I Loved, a novel, and her collection of essays, A Plea for Eros. 

I own all of Jane Austen's novels and I've read half. She didn't write a ton in her life, but my owning them all is a testament to my love of her work. 

I shall own all of the Flavia books! I'm more than halfway there now, my dearest Alan Bradley.

I was introduced to Willa Cather, and The Professor's House, in graduate school, and there's been no stopping me since. I love her writing hard. 

Charles Dickens is my main man. There ain't no denying it. I don't quite own all of his books, but I will! I have a good chunk already.

Since revisiting Beloved earlier in the year, I'm making some headway on collecting all of Toni Morrison's work. So far, so good! 

Bill Willingham has been one of my favorite graphic novel/comics authors since I first tried the Fables series. I don't own all of this overwhelmingly large collection either, but still quite a few for me! 

I own all but one of Gene Luen Yang's graphic novels. He owns my comics heart! 

Before there was A.J. Fikry, there was still my author crush on Gabrielle Zevin. She's amazing, y'all! Buy all the books.