I have not been posting here much, life has just been difficult for me this last year.  I am hoping that someone who reads this will answer this question for me.  I would like to read the book Far From the Tree but am afraid that it might upset me and I definitely do not need that right now.  As an adoptive mother I do not want to read a book that talks negatively about adoptive parents, so my questions is does this book show the adoptive parents in a negative light?  I know that sometime they deserve it but I just cant read about it at this time in my life.

Thanks to anyone who answers.

Brooke

Currently Reading Empire of Storms

This is just gonna be a brief rant about something that I just read in this book.   I don't know what page I am at since I am listening to the audiobook.  Aelin and her court just met with Lord Darrow and I just want to yell at and slap Lord Darrow!!  She was a child when her parents were killed what did he expect her to do?  How was she supposed to get back to her kingdom on her own as a child plus to got in Arobynn's clutches and he broker her down.  Lord Darrow didn't try to to find or help her either did he!  What a jerk she was just a child!

Rant is over.  I am really enjoying this book!

Brooke

Mid Year Book Freak Out

Hello everyone!  Cant believe the year is half over, time really does fly.  I thought it would be fun to do this tag.  It has 15 questions about your reading year so far.  So here we go:  

Questions:

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2017. 

I am going to pick two books for this question.  One is an actual book and the other is a graphic novel.  My favorite novel this year so far is Geekerella by Ashley Poston.  It was such a cute Cinderella retelling and I loved all the fandom in it.  My favorite graphic novel was Avatar: The Last Airbender -  The Search (The Search #1=3) by Gene Luen Yang, Micheal Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko and Gurihiru (illustrator).  I and so enjoying reading The Last Airbender graphic novels and this one was great!  It was awesome finding out about what happened to Zuko's mom and where she was.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2017.

I haven't read very many sequels this year, I finished this one on January 1st so I am gonna include it:  Gemina (The Illuminae Files#2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristophe.  Love this series cant wait for the next book.

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.

There are so many....but here are 3:  Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab loved this 1st book and cant wait to get to this one.  There are just so many books I want to read!!  When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon this books sounds so but and I am interested to read about the characters  culture which is different than mine.  The last book is Perfect (Flawed #2) by Cecilia Ahern I enjoyed reading a dystopian book so I cannot wait to continue in this seres!

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

To be honest I have not kept up on what books are being released this year.  One book that I was looking forward to was the final book in the Throne of Glass series but now that it has been put back until next year I cant say it.  I am not looking forward to the book about Chaol that is being released later this year.  He is my least favorite character in the whole series and I am wondering if I even need to read this book.  I would like to skip it but if it is important to read it than I will.  If anyone knows the answer to that please respond in the comments I would really appreciate it.  So the only other new release I can think of is Because You Love to Hate Me: 13 Tales of Villainy edited by Ameriie.  This is an anthology of short stories written by popular YA authors who team up with Booktubers to re imagine fairy tales through the villains point of view.  I think that it sounds interesting and a fun read.

 

5. Biggest disappointment.

Champion: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lui,  One of my favorite parts of this book was when they went to Antarctica.  I was excited to see the numbers above every ones heads and they didn't have that so I was disappointed in this graphic novel.

6. Biggest surprise.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston, I was surprised at how much I loved this story it was just so cute and I loved the fandom aspect and the vidcon type place they went to, it was just  a fun novel to read.  It is not my 2nd favorite Cinderella story, the first being the Drew Barrymore movie Everafter.

7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)

Stephanie Garber, I really enjoyed her writing style while reading Caraval.
Also I am putting a shout out for a little know author, she is a good friend of my sister and her debut novel was really really good and more people need to read it.  It is Journey of the Sentinels by Jan Perry. It is not a young adult but it is a great book about nature, friendship and magic.

 

8. Newest fictional crush.
 Reid from The Upside of Unrequited Love by Becky Albertalli.  He was just so adorable in his geekiness.  He wore that he wanted to wear and did what he wanted to do and he didn't care what anyone else thought about that.  I so wish I could be that way now even at my age.

9. Newest favorite character.

I have to say Molly from The Upside of Unrequited Love by Becky Albertalli, I can relate to her I was an overweight teenager as well so I  understand what she was going through.

10. Book that made you cry.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio because of how mean people can be and because of how wonderful so people (real friends and family) can be.

11. Book that made you happy.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson,  This book really did make me happy.  I loved reading about her live growing up and I could relate to many of the pop culture things she mentioned because I can remember them from my childhood.  This book brought back many happy memories for me.  Since I am a white woman and will never be able to understand what it was like for her growing up but I did relate to the pop culture aspect of the book.

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year. 

I cant choose between Everything Everything and Before I Fall.  I enjoyed both adaptions and cant chose one that I enjoyed more than the other.

13. Favorite review you've written this year. (Booktube version: Favourite video you have done so far in this year)

Don't have a favorite one, I have not done many and I don't think any of them are great, just doing this for my enjoyment.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)

Caraval by Stephanie Garber, it has such a beautiful dust cover!

just look how pretty it is lol

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

omg there are soooooooooooooooooooooo many: (not gonna add the pics because there are so many)

• Fate of the Tearling by Ericka Johansen (I am almost finished with this yay!!)
• Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses for Sarah J Maas
• Uprooted by Naomi Novik
• Salt of the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
• A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
• (maybe) The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Windwitch by Susan Dennard

So no I have to read these books before the end of the year because I have posted it here!!  I can be really bad about finishing series.

I hope you enjoyed this and thank you for reading my blog!

Brooke

Epic Reads Book Tag

This tag is an oldie but a goody.  I know it is old but I have always thought it was fun so I want to do it.  Here is the link to the Epic Reads youtube page with this tag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdes8O-bHI0

There are 8 questions so here we go:


1) If you could invite one author and one of their fictional characters to tea, who would you invite and what would you serve them?

I'm gonna go old school and choose Laura Ingalls Wilder author of the "Little House" books.  I loved those books growing up.  The character I would like to invite is her Pa.  I have always wanted to hear him play his fiddle and we could all dance around drinking tea and eating cupcakes.

2) What book would you like a prequel for?

I would live a prequel for the Twilight Saga.  I would love to read about Carlisle and his life before he became a vampire and than after that when he was with the Volturi and then as he formed his vampire family.

3) Which two characters (not from the same book) do you think would make a good couple?

This is a really hard question for me.  All the characters fit so well in their book and their world and usually with the coupling they have in the book that I just cant think of any characters in different books that would be good together.  I just don't have enough imagination to do that.


4) If you ran into your favourite author on the train and could only say one sentence to them, who would it be and what would you say?

I  cant pick just one favorite author but I would love to meet JK Rowling.  I would ask her how did you come up with all the names in the Harry Potter series.  I love all of the character names, spell names and place names.  They are so awesome and inventive.


5) What book made you a reader and why?

I cant pick just one book that made me a reader.  I have gone through stages in my life were I read a lot and others when I did not.  The times when I did read a lot I would say it was a topic or genre that made me read more.  When I was younger I really like romance novels and read a lot of them.  I went through a stage of reading a lot of John Grisham books.  I went through a stage of reading about adoption and parenting and international adoption and about China.  More recently I have really been reading YA books.  I like reading dystopian and fantasy books right now.


6) Your book shelf just caught on fire! What book would you save and why?

This might sound kinda strange but most of my books can be replaced.  They are not special editions or autographed with a special message from the author.  But I do have one that is special and that I could not replace.  It is called Selected China Stories of Elder-Respecting.  On the first page is  says "Sincerely present this book to the parents who adopted abandoned children and orphans in China."  It consists of short passages written in Chinese symbols and then it gives the english translation.  It is a very special book and I got it because I feel like it is a way to honor the country or my child's birth.


7) What dystopian world would you want to live in if you had to choose one and why?

The Selection by Kiera Cass.  It is not that messed up of a world and it has a prince and a princess (good ones with Maxon and America) what more do I need?

8) What is your most epic read of all time?

My most epic read of all time hmmm.........What book has influence my life more than any other book?  Wow this is really hard to answer.....I'm gonna pick a few  books/series that I think have influenced me over the years.  First I have to say the Little House seirs for when I was a child.  When I was a teenager I read Go Ask Alice it showed me the horrors of drug abuse and I knew it was something I never wanted to do.  Then I will skip ahead to when I read books on adoption and on China, I hoped that they helped me to be a better mother to my daughter.  The Twilight Saga got me interested in YA which is what I have been primarily been reading for the last few years.  And lastly I pick The Selection because it got me into reading dystopian which I really enjoy reading.


So that's it for this tag.  It was really fun to answer and I really had to think for a lot of the questions.  I  hope you enjoyed reading this tag as much as I enjoyed doing it,

Thanks for viewing my little space on the web!

Brooke💓

What I read in February, March, April and May 2017

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since I wrote a new post, life has just been really busy.  This is not going to be a wrap up it is just listing all the books I read and whether I liked them or not.

I read 3 books in February:

• Orange: The Complete Collection Volume 1 by IchigoTakano:  I gave this manga 4 out of 5 stars - This was my first mango,  It took a little getting use to reading the book back to front and right to left but after the first few pages I got the hang of it.

• Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken:  This is the second and final book in the Passenger duology.  I also gave this book 4 out of 5 stars, while I did not enjoy it as much as Passenger I did really like it.  I felt like it jumped around from place to place a little too quickly and I would like to have more time at each place.  I did really like the ending though.

• Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer and illustrations by Douglas Holgate:  This is a graphic novel by Marissa Meyer.  It is a continuation in the Lunar Chronicles. This is a story about Aiko and I really loved it.  I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

I read 4 books in March:

• Flawed #1 by Cecilia Ahern:  I really enjoyed reading a new dystopian novel.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and I cant wait the read the next book.

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson:  I really loved this book and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.  I am around the same age as the author so I remembered so many of the pop culture references that she mention in the book.

• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver:  I saw the movie preview and though it looked interesting so I wanted to read the book first.  I gave it 4 out of 5 stars, I enjoyed it but did not love every part of it.

• Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire: I really enjoyed the book and story concept and gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

I read 3 books in April:

• Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber:  I really love this book and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

• Saga Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan:  Love this graphic novel series, gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

• Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley:  5 out of 5 Stars loved this book definitely one of my favorite books of the year so far.

I read 6 books in May:

• Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 2 by IchigoTakano:  eh I really didn't like this one gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

• Geekerella by Ashley Poston:  Loved loved loved this book. One of my all time favorite Cinderella retellings.  I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

• The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass Vol 0.1 - 0.5):  Trying to get caught up on this series, should have read this before Queen of Shadows but oh well.  Love it gave it 5 out of 5 stars I just love how badass yet caring Celaena is.

• Prodigy: The Graphic Novel (Legend:  The Graphic Novel #2)  by Marie Lui, Adapted by Leigh Dragoon and illustrated by Kaari:  5 out of 5 stars

• Where Tangents Meet by instantmiso:  5 out of 5 stars what a cute sweet graphic novel!

• Champion: The Graphic Novel (The Legend Graphic Novel #3) by Marie Lui, adapted by Leigh Dragoon and illustrated by Kaari:  I was disappointed in this one, it didn't have the one that that I was really excited about see depicted in a graphic novel, gave this one 3 out of 5 stars

So that is it.  I am right on track for my Goodreads goal for 2017 so I am happy.  I will try to go better making blog posts.

Thanks for reading!

Brooke

Love-a-thon Mini-challenge #4: SWEETHEARTS Candy Messages

           You’ve received a box of Sweethearts candy, and you’re asked to share the candy with a person or couple – fictional or real. Tell us who you’d give these messages to:

●        LOVE WINS: A couple you didn’t think would get together, but against all odds, they did

 

(Spoiler alert if you haven't read this duology) I am picking a couple from a duology I just finished -  Passenger and Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken.  Etta and Nicholas are together even though they are from different centuries and  were separated by time and place, but in the end their love won out and they found each other despite all of the obstacles.

●        I DO: A character you’d marry

 

Prince/King Maxon from The Selection series by Kiera Cass

●        DREAM BIG: A character whose dreams you want to come true

         Spoiler Alert if you haven't read this book.

         

         I would love for August's dreams to come true.  I love him so much.  He has a heart of gold even though he is a "monster"  I would love for his dream of being human would come true.

●        CRAZY 4 U: A character you’re crazy about

I am picking 2 characters from this series that I am crazy about:  Iko and Winter.  Iko has such a fun personality and I love all of her interactions.  I love how sweet and quirky Winter is.

●        TRUE LOVE: Your ultimate OTP

I have thought alot about this and gone back and forth but it has to me America and Maxon from This Selection series.  (Hmmm think maybe I liked this series?)

●        TE AMO: A language you’d want to be wooed in

French because I think it is such a pretty language, but unfortunately I would not understand a word of it.  I took french back in High School and College and now I don't remember a word of it.

●        BFF: A character you want to be your best friend

I choose Celaena Sardothien (I have only read the 1st three books in this series) because she seems to be fiercely loyal to her friends and she is bad ass with both a sword and magic! 

●        WINK WINK: A character you’d want to wink at you

I have to go with my old standby of Prince Maxon I just love him lol

●        SWEET TALK: A character who knows how to sweet talk/flirt

Dorian from The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas

●        BEST DAY: A moment from a book you wish happened to you or your IRL best day

I have not read many contemporaries so I do not have alot to pull from but I really liked the scene in What Light by Jay Asher where Caleb puts Christmas lights on the top of Sierra's little Christmas tree farm that she has planted a new tree each new year that she has been there.

●        OOH LA LA: A character you want to slow dance with

You all know my answer to this one lol....  Prince Maxon

●        LOVE YOU: The character that gets your undying love

I don't really understand what this one is.....because I am interpreting it literally and no book characters know that I love them lol.  So I will just choose Prince Maxon cause I do love him  lol.

This was a fun post some of the questions I really had to think for.

I have forgotten to do this on my other posts but here are the links to the hosts for this event:Hosted by: Alexa of Alexa Loves Books, Cee of The Novel Hermit, Kristin of Super Space Chick & Mel of The Daily Prophecy

Love-a-Thon Mini-challenge #1:  Mad Libs: Fairytale Edition

This challenge was a lot of fun!  I have loved doing Mad libs since I  was little.  Here is what I came up with.

Once upon a time, in a far away Disney Resort, there lived a smart hero. It lived alone in a Target, where it had grown up with the deceased owner. It had beautiful hearts, and it was known for its shiny red book, the only thing it had left of its parents.

Alas, the prince of the country became jealous and wanted to own this book. So, it became a wanted person and had to flee into the forest to find a place to hide. After jumping around for hours, hungry and tired, it stumbled upon a/an China. An old lady appeared, offering it shelter from the bitter cold.  She looked at it with happiness and said: "I will protect you, but I need your help first. Years ago I lost something precious and I want it back. You need to climb into the sky and get my piano back. Here is a magical chocolate cake, throw it into the earth, sprinkle with water and it will sprout a beanstalk. You have 7 days to return before the stalk withers." 

It followed the instructions given to her, and lo and behold, a beanstalk grew and grew and grew all the way up to the clouds. After an exhausting climb, it saw a huge palace. It walked to the door and knocked. A husky voice said: 'Fee-fi-fo-fum, who dares to come and enter my house?" It was not afraid and said: "My name is Jamie and I've come to collect an item." 

The door made a/an purring sound when it opened and revealed a large sitting room filled with golden flowers.  It stepped inside and walked towards the spiraling staircase, where a figure moved, cloaked in darkness.

"Who are you? Step in to the light, so I can see your face."
The beast growled angry. "Why did you come here? I just want to be left alone." Still, it moved and stood in front of it. There were three horns on his head, and hair all over his face and his mouth was filled with large teeth. He wore beautiful

"What happened to you?" It reached out to touch one of the horns, but the beast flinched. "Many years ago I was cursed by a witch. I have one year left wishing so I can break the spell, but I'm not brave enough."

"If you give me the piano I will help you."

In keeping its promise, the beast and it worked for a few hours and that afternoon, the beast transformed into an ordinary older guy. "I can't wait to return to my job as an audiologist in the normal world. Can I come with you?" Together they climbed down the beanstalk, carrying the instrument for the old lady. The moment she saw the guy and her beloved instrument, she started to weep.

"My husband, you have returned!" They hugged and looked at it.

"We have to tell you something," the old lady said. "You are our child. We were separated after the curse, but now we are reunited!" From that day, the three of them lived together in the forest, happily ever after.

Can't wait to read everyone else entries, see you in the comments.

Brooke