Book Riot’s Read Harder 2017 Challenge – January Reads

I wasn’t fond of the challenge list for last year’s Book Riot’s “Read Harder Challenge.” I adored and completed the 2015, which I chronicled on the blog two years ago now, and realized how much I missed doing this year long event. Here is the full list of challenges. Every month I am going to share with you all some progress I’ve made on the challenges, as well as some thoughts on each read.

Let’s get to it!

The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot and Score in This Game Called Life by Kwame Alexander

Completes Challenge #1: Read a book about sports.

Thoughts: I actually participated in a blog tour for this book, which you can read my full thoughts here. If I am being honest, I am not that big on sports (unless you count, like, figure skating and bowling), so this challenge was going to be tough for me. Then I read this gem, which is a book about sports and it’s also about being inspiration and using sports metaphors to explain how life can work sometimes. Kwame Alexander is an amazing writer whom I am glad I have discovered at the beginning of this year, and I already plan to make time to read the rest of his current published works as I get my hands on them. Seriously, a small book with a big impact.

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Midnight Without A Moon by Linda Williams Jackson

Completes Challenge #2: Read a debut novel.

Thoughts: Another book I reviewed, and you can read my thoughts on here. This book is a stunning debut that looks at racism in 1955, during the time in which Emmett Till, is killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Beautifully written, it’s one of those books that you have a hard time believing is a debut as you read it. Rose Lee Carter is definitely a heroine you can cheer for. Loved this book to pieces. ❤

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Secret of the Time Tablets (Cleopatra in Space #3)
by Mike Maihack

Completes Challenge #6: Read an all-ages comic.

Thoughts: I LOVE the Cleopatra in Space series, and this is the third volume. I think Mike Maihack is really talented at making characters that children and adults can relate to while also creating a very addictive plotline. Cleopatra is a heroine who is easy to root for, once in awhile follows her namesake to a tee, and often gets into a lot of trouble. She also has a fabulous supporting cast as well. This is a fantastic middle grade adventure series that definitely will get even reluctant readers asking for the next volume.

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Ms. Marvel, Vol. 6: Civil War II (Ms. Marvel, Volume III & IV #6)
by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, and Adrian Alphona 

Completes Challenge #18: Read a superhero comic with a female lead.

Thoughts: I LOVE Ms. Marvel, though I admit I haven’t really been keeping up with Civil War II (frankly, I’m not that interested in it either). But I do love Kamala, and I always want to see what my girl is up to. This installment starts off with a hilarious short story that pits Miles and Kamala against each other. It is pretty genius. The rest of the comic focuses on her newfound frustrations with Captain Marvel, and a nasty disagreement. There’s some witty writing here, art is still fabulous and this adds another darker layer to Kamala’s story. Good stuff.

I think I am off to a good start. Here’s hoping for more great reads next month!

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ARC Reviews – A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

Title: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful

Author: Eric Lindstrom

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis: For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to keep everyone at arm’s length. And when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium.

As the walls of Mel’s compartmentalized world crumble, she fears the worst–that her friends will abandon her if they learn the truth about what she’s been hiding. Can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out?

Huge thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for this ARC!

Sam’s Review:

I had a weird relation with this book as I was reading it. In fact, for such a short book I had put it down for six days without reading it because something within its contents gave me a reason to. I won’t lie to readers, Mel is a challenging heroine — she’s very distant from the reader, sometimes to the point where you never feel like she’s going to be open enough either. I hit a point with her where I was frustrated and it caused me to put the book down.

After some internal monologue and a few days away from the book, I picked it up again, determined I needed to see it to the end given I have this habit that I don’t like to give up on people or ficitional characters apparently. I am happy I saw her story to the end.

Lindstrom’s writing has a very simplistic quality to it that makes it very engaging. Mel is so into her own mind, thoughts and feelings that she doesn’t see beyond the world. She’s so focused on the death of Nolan, the guilt and anxiety that is present within her and its to the point where everyone she’s ever loved has been pushed far, far away from her. I can relate to that. Sometimes it’s on purpose, other times its just done unconsciously. My frustrations with Mel came from seeing myself in her and I think it’s why a part of me avoided this book for the while that I did.

Mel’s illness is rough, but her reactions and responses are so realistic, right down to the friends she keeps. I really liked the way Lindstrom handled the teenage drama in this book because the responses didn’t feel melodramatic, but rather on point. People do blow situations out of proportion, some people do try to be an alpha in a friendship, some people will try to take all the attention for themselves — all these reactions felt right in place with the story. I felt so angry with a lot of the characters in this book because none of them every stopped to look at the bigger pictures, which again shows a lot of strength in the story being told here.

There are parts of this book that I think will make readers uneasy at times, but I do think A Tragic Kind of Wonderful offers some wonderfully realistic characters trying to seek light in dark places. It is for those who wish to understand those with mental illness, and what Mel feels throughout the story sheds a lot of light on the stigma of mental illness, even if she s a character can feel really infuriating at the same time. If you like deep contemporary YA, this is definitely worth checking out.

Blog Tour – Caraval by Stephanie Garber (Review & Excerpt)

Welcome to the world of Caraval, I am your hostess with the mostess, Sam, and I will be the guide to all things Caraval on this stop of the blog tour.

Charmed to meet you all, I’m sure.

I want to introduce you all to the amazing world of Caraval.  Stephanie Garber has crafted a beautiful, mysterious, and terrifying world with this novel. It will move you, captivate you, and make you want to dig a little deeper. How far are you willing to go to save someone you love? It’s an important question, here, after all. Get ready to enter a world of intrigue.

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Title: Caraval

Author: Stephanie Garber

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Huge thank you to Raincoast for this ARC!

Sam’s Review:

THIS DAMN BOOK. I swear I spent so much of it guessing what was going on, who was who and what the bigger mystery was. I just, it left me exhilarated and exhausted at the same. There was just something so addictive with this book where when I put it down I was angry and upset (usually because I’d have to go back to work), and there would be times where I didn’t want to pick up the book because I felt like Garber was going to present me with my worst fears realized.

Needless to say, you want this book. I recognize the hype is big on this one, but trust me, this book is an experience that will leave you constantly guess what is real, what is magic, and what is everything in between. There were so many times where I was so genuinely surprised by the outcome of events, and other times where I guessed the outcome correctly but was still freaking out about what was happening. I had feelings, and my feelings left me an utterly wrecked mess.

And I loved every second of that.

It’s also important to point out that you want to go into this book blind. I find the synopsis doesn’t give a lot of information and that really is for the best when following Scarlett’s journey. What I also love is how Garber instills the reader with a sense of melancholy, dread, fear, panic, and she ties this back to Scarlett, the game and her circumstances in such a way where you feel for her in the story. Sometimes she does frustrating things, but it is always with the best intentions. The writing and story filled with me those emotions, and I spent a lot of time concerned for Scarlett’s safety in the game of Caraval.

I also came out of this book madly in love with Legend. He is horrific mastermind in all of this, and I love that even though he’s not a huge character in this story, his presence and what people know about him is largely important and I loved the sense of discomfort that Garber fused into his character and what we learn about him throughout. I also loved the ending and his correspondence that is constantly a large part of this story. He kept me guessing as much as the main plot.

The hype on this book is legit in every way, and it’s definitely earned it. This story offers so much intrigue and mystery, and I found myself constantly thinking about it as I was reading it and when I finished it. This book will leave you emotionally charged and drained at the same time (in other words, the sign of a great book). Definitely put Caraval on your radar, and get invested. This is definitely one of the most entertaining fantasy novels I’ve read in a long while, and I seriously cannot wait based on that ending so see where the sequel is going to go.

Legend. ❤ ❤ ❤

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Huge thank you once again to the amazing crew at Raincoast for allowing me the chance to participate in this blog tour. Make sure to check out every stop on the Caraval blog tour, as you can read a different excerpt at every tour location.

Blog Tour – The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life by Kwame Alexander (Review & Excerpt)

Kwame Alexander, though not a new name for middle grade, is a new name for me. I had the pleasure of reading his short story in the collection Flying Lessons & Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh, and his was easily my favourite. Kwame Alexander has an amazing way with words, and I found his hero in that particular story be so honest and funny, it made me want to explore more of his work.

Raincoast approached me to share a review of The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life, which is a book of mixed media. In it contains Kwame’s beautiful words alongside Thai Neave’s stunning photography. Please enjoy my review, an excerpt, and some wonderfully wise words from Kwame Alexander.

Huge love to Raincoast again for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. Your friendship and kindness is always appreciated.

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Title: The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life

Author: Kwame Alexander

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: You gotta know the rules to play the game. Ball is life. Take it to the hoop. Soar. What can we imagine for our lives? What if we were the star players, moving and grooving through the game of life? What if we had our own rules of the game to help us get what we want, what we aspire to, what will enrich our lives?  Illustrated with photographs by Thai Neave, The Playbook is intended to provide inspiration on the court of life. Each rule contains wisdom from inspiring athletes and role models such as Nelson Mandela, Serena Williams, LeBron James, Carli Lloyd, Steph Curry and Michelle Obama. Kwame Alexander also provides his own poetic and uplifting words, as he shares stories of overcoming obstacles and winning games in this motivational and inspirational book just right for graduates of any age and anyone needing a little encouragement.

Huge thank you to Raincoast for this ARC!

Sam’s Review:

I am very new to Kwame Alexander’s work, and I am not going to deny that. When I was asked to help promote The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot and Score in This Game Called Life, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to be getting into. I admit, I’m not the biggest sports fan, which was my first worry, but I actually loved the way in which sports were used in this beautiful piece of non-fiction.

First off, I adore the writing in this book. Kwame Alexander is a true poet, and I think there is a wonderful simplicity in his poetry that allows for a lot of extra thinking in terms of multiple meanings. I also love that his poems are inspirational, confident and will inspire confidence in others. This book is filled with passion, kindness, and strength. I also loved the way the inspirational quotes were woven into the text, featuring the likes of Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin. I think the quick anecdotes about different athletes and their rise to fame framing each section of the book was also fantastic, as learning about Lebron James and the William sisters was very interesting.

Second, I want to praise the use of photography in this book. I think that Thai Neave’s photographs do a stunning job of complimenting the poems and adding support to the text. I love photography and some of the images in this book are just so beautiful, and the way in which they match the text is often quite spot on. When Alexander is writing about the key feelings for the playbook of life such as passion, motivation, determination, etc, the photographs do an amazing job reflecting these emotions and the poem that is written to coincide it. While the writing in this book is stellar, just flipping through it for the breath-taking photographs is equally worth your time.

After reading The Playbook, I am very much a newfound Kwame Alexander fan, and I cannot wait to read more of his books. I love how even though this is considered middle grade there is so much wisdom in these pages for anyone or any age group. I think this book would be helpful for parents, teachers, librarians as well, as I feel like they can use this book to help teach some of these “rules” that Alexander shares with his readers. There is so much beauty in these pages, and even if you aren’t a sports fan, the metaphors that are present are completely universal. If you are looking for some inspiration or need some confidence, then check out The Playbook because it will give you with hard truths and a pick-me-up that you didn’t realize you needed.

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About the Author

Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including THE CROSSOVER, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works include SURF’S UP, a picture book; BOOKED, a middle grade novel; and He Said She Said, a YA novel.

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A huge thank you to Raincoast for providing me with this opportunity to share more about The Playbook, as well as Kwame Alexander for writing this wonderful book. If you are curious to learn more about The Playbook, make sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour!

Ten Comics & Graphic Novels, and Manga You Should Check Out! January 2017 Edition

A new year means a whole lot more comics, graphic novels and manga to devour. While the year has just started, I have actually managed to check out a lot of great new stuff that I want to recommend to you all. I have some new middle grade reads, some manga, and well, let’s just say I have a bit of everything. Let’s get started!

Hexed by by Michael Alan Nelson et al.

Hexed is a very addictive, if short series. It focuses on a heroine named Luci (short of Lucifer), a thief who dabbles in the occult, and the occult wants nothing more than to devour her. This series is only three volumes, but each volume series packs a wallop. There’s an intense amount of detail in the world building, the characters are a blast, and it’s just action-packed. Definitely for fans of Jessica Jones, especially those who love a little street with their magic. 

Space Battle Lunchtime, Volume 1: Lights, Camera, Snacktion! by Natalie Riess

Can I gush for a second about Space Battle Lunctime? Because I REALLY adored Space Battle Lunchtime. I am a sucker for tournament stories, and in this case we have Iron Chef in SPAAAAAAAAACE. There is so much comedy gold in this series, and Peony will totally steal your heart… and you’ll want her to bake you cupcakes. Great for kids of all ages, and adults who happen to just be big kids.

Snow White: A Graphic Novel
by Matt Phelan

This is a very unique retelling of Snow White, and one that I think will surprise a lot of readers. Transplanting the story to New York City, 1928, we are given a a beautifully illustrated story that feels both fresh and familiar. The artwork is breathtaking by the way, and while there is minimal text, there’s still a very vivid story being told. If you love noir and fairytale retelling, this one is definitely worth checking out.

Mockingbird, Vol. 1: I Can Explain by Chelsea Cain &  Kate Niemczyk

Can I explain to you all my intense love of Chelsea Cain’s version of Mockingbird, because holy crap it is amazeballz. Seriously, she breathes new life into the character of Bobbi Morse, and given how comics have treated her over the years, it’s great to see Bobbi back in action and potentially the best version of herself. I am super sad that this is going to be a very short run, because the writing in this is witty, clever, and quite dark at times. I need more Bobbi in my life.

Another Castle by Andrew Wheeler & Paulina Ganucheau 

A super feminist comic about swords and sorcery, and my goodness is it a lot of fun to read. Wheeler’s writing is very clever and cheeky, and Ganucheau’s art is absolutely vivid and stellar. Again this short series (five issues total) has an amazingly diverse cast of characters, romance, girl-power and more. A comic for fantasy lovers, and a love letter to those who adore Dungeons and Dragons.

Princess Princess Ever After
by Katie O’Neill

This is a beautiful LGBTQIA+ comic that features two heroines who couldn’t be more opposite of each other, but fall in love. Princess Amira and Princess Sadie are delightful, adorkable, and easy to root for. Diverse, queer friendly, and all ages appropriate, Princess Princess Ever After is just buckets of fun. Too bad it is so darn short, though!

JUDGE by Yoshiki Tonogai

Told in six twisted volumes, JUDGE is not for the faint of heart. Much like Danganronpa, we have people thrown into a horrific game where each person is labelled a seven deadly sin that represents their personality. People die, and people die horrifically in this series. There’s some great twists and turns, and though I wasn’t huge on the ending, I found the build up to be exceptionally worthwhile. I definitely want to check out more of Yoshiki Tonogai’s work, but I need to remember to breathe while reading it!

Adventure Time by Various

I have intense feelings for Adventure Time. The show makes me laugh, it makes me smile, it gives me all the feelings. The comics are no different, though admittedly they vary in quality. I’ve enjoyed the majority of the ones I’ve read, and I think they are great for fans of the series. Some personal favourites include President Bubblegum, Marceline and the Scream Queens & Marceline Adrift, Candy Capers, and any of the ones written by Ryan North because they are made of LULZ.

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

I have adored every one of Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels, but I think this one has got some of the best emotion in it. This book is not only about sisters, but it’s also about what it means to help others (in this case, Cat’s sister has cystic fibrosis). There are ghosts of friends, families, loved ones, and the setting in this novel is just absolutely stunning. I LOVED Maya and Cat’s relationship and it felt so authentic. If you haven’t read this gem yet, do so.

Jessica Jones (2016-) by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos & David W. Mack

I had a love-hate relationship with both the original Alias series, and Brian Michael Bendis. When Bendis writes street, hes fabulous, when he goes beyond that… it’s often a hot mess (see the ending of Alias). However, my bestie has been loaning me this ongoing run and right now I am super intrigued by it. Luke Cage is chasing Jessica Jones, asking about their daughter. Jessica also feels so distant in this series (to the point where she rubs it in Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman’s face that she is the superior detective). I like this so far, but I don’t want to jinx myself either. I do think at this point, however, it’s solid and worth the recommendation.

Have you guys been reading any new comics lately? I am always looking for recommendations! I am hoping 2017 is a solid year of more comics, graphic novels and manga. We shall see!

ARC Review – Midnight Without a Moon by Linda Williams Jackson

Title: Midnight Without a Moon

Author: Linda Williams Jackson

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Rose Lee Carter, a 13-year-old African-American girl, dreams of life beyond the Mississippi cotton fields during the summer of 1955. Her world is rocked when a 14-year-old African-American boy, Emmett Till, is killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. A powerful middle-grade debut perfect for readers who enjoyed The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Brown Girl Dreaming.

Huge thank you to Raincoast for this ARC!

Sam’s Review:

Midnight Without A Moon is a timely read given the world’s political state at the moment. While it is a historical novel based on the event of Emmett Till’s murder in the summer of 1955, a lot of the events in this story are sadly things that are still happening in today’s world. While Rose’s story is not new, but what Linda Williams Jackson presents in this story is reminder of the world before and a world we need to need to make better.

I loved Rose, by the way. I loved her curiosity, her tenacity and her kindness. She’s a character I feel like a lot of young women can identify with and respect, as she holds such strong ideals for a better world. What’s heartbreaking is that Mississippi seems to be a place that no one can escape from, and if you do return back, you are forever changed. What really saddened me was Ma Pearl’s response to Rose’s desire to leave, especially because there is this mentality to keep your head low and just do what you are supposed to — in a way I couldn’t fault Ma Pearl, but again it’s a mentality that is a product of the time period.

There is so much hardship and prejudice in this story, and it’s so easy to engage with and be reminded that we’ve both come a long way, but also have reverted back into primitive forms of dealing with racial prejudice and oppression. Rose is a fantastic character because she believes in bigger, better, ideals, and I found myself nodding along to her values and what she wanted throughout the story — to have acceptance.

I felt like I learned so much from this novel, and the way in which the historical information was presented was truly well done. It never felt overpowering (which can sometimes be an issue in historical fiction) and its integrated in a way where it just feels organic to the progression of the story. Jackson’s prose is also just so beautiful and raw, making this book so wonderful and thoughtful to read.

Midnight Without a Moon is a very powerful middle grade novel, and one that offers a lot of thought even after the book has long been completed. It’s timely, it’s smart, and it reminds that the world has a lot of growing still to do. Beautifully written and emotionally charged, this is an amazing debut novel that should be read by everyone.

2017 Reading Resolutions

While 2016 was a rough year for me on a whole, I cant say it was for my reading, as I completed 400 books. That is a lot and I have commuting and working in libraries to really thank for that. In 2017 my goal is less, as I am looking to only read 200 books. If I read more, great, if I don’t, that is okay too.

As a public library worker there’s a part of the job where one is expected to have a decent knowledge of literature, be it fiction or non-fiction. In library school we are often told to have a specialty in mind, but that we should always broaden the way in which we read, which is my larger goal in 2017. Here’s some of long-term reading goals for the year.

1. Read more nonfiction. I read way more non-fiction in 2016 than I ever had in my lifetime and I want to keep this trend up. I am finally finding the kinds of non-fiction that interest me, more specifically about people, technology, weird industries, lifestyles. I find a lot of this stuff so fascinating, and if it’s women’s focused, the better. Reading more non-fiction has made me feel more well-rounded as a reader, and I am always looking for recommendations in this area as my expertise are still very limited.
2. Work on completing/catching up on more series. I feel into a habit in 2016 where I mostly only read stand-alones or comics. While reading comic series fit this, I am looking more at the book series I’ve started over the years, the sequels I have sitting on my shelves and the fact that I still need to read them. I have Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire (An October Daye mystery), Crooked Kingdoms by Leigh Bardugo, so many books where I just need to sit down and play catch up. My goal is to try and catch up or complete on at least ten series.
3. Read at east five 500+ page books. I am very guilty of this — big books intimidate me and often make me feel like they are making me backslide on my reading goal. However, there are so many interesting, big books I’ve avoided just because of the size and because LOL!reading goals. Quality versus quantity is going to be a big theme this year with me and I am going to knock some of these large books I’ve been curious about out this year.
4. Read more diversely. I’ve always been a diverse reader and I’ve never really been one to shy away from that. This discussion, however, has become so much more important over the last few years and it’s something especially in libraries that we need to work more closely on given that our patrons come from a wide range of race, sexuality, religions, etc. We SHOULD be better at this, and there’s so many wonderful and promising reads that should be checked out more. Currently I am reading Midnight Without a Moon
   by Linda Williams Jackson and it is WONDERFUL.
5. Don’t feel like you HAVE TO READ. I realize this is a weird one, but I confess: I am always reading. Sometimes when I don’t feel like it. I want to be okay with the fact that if I don’t feel like reading that it is okay. I have television shows, video games, friends,  an unhealthy obsession with Overwatch, that need some attention as well. Reading has always been my greatest comfort, but I am not going to beat myself up if I don’t read as much as I have in previous years.
6. Give away more books. 2017 is going to be the year of purging for me. I am working towards purging every room in my house, and books are also going to be the same thing. I need to work on decluttering my spaces and focus on the reorganization process. Donating books or giving them to friends is always a plus in my books.
7. Continue to buy less books. I have actually gotten better about this, although my shelf of shame would argue otherwise if it had a voice. I didn’t purchase a lot of books last year, but I did get a lot from trades, publishers and as gifts. It’s still a lot less than previous years, but yeaaaaaaah…. let’s work on this some more, shall we?
8. Take out less books from work (aka the library). I work at a public library, do you know how hard this is for me? Do you know how hard it is to not take out the new and shiny books? Or deal with your co-workers giving you all the book recs and then you having a million holds? The pressure is real my friends. I need to work on taking less stuff out from the library because my shelf of shame is taking real issue with it. And honestly, it’s less stuff to lug to and from work, even if I love it so.
9. Complete the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. The 2017 challenge has me crazy excited, yo. See the challenge here.

And that really is just the half of it. The larger focus this year is to work on cutting down the amount of books I have being okay with not keeping every book I own, and read for quality not quantity. I am going to try to stay on top of the review books because I want to get back into making sure this blog still has content. I am hoping to share more features, even if this is a primarily review-based blog. I am also hoping to have more reading adventures, since last year I didn’t have as many as I would have liked.

What are your goals for reading in 2017? Do you have anything you for sure want to accomplish? Let me know down below.